Coimbatore: The Federation of Coimbatore Industrial Organizations (FOCIA) comprising 19 organizations belonging to the Small Industries Division petitioned the Coimbatore District Collector, G S Sameeran to protect small businesses which were adversely affected by Covid-19 lockdown.
Coimbatore: The Federation of Coimbatore Industrial Organizations (FOCIA) comprising 19 organizations belonging to the Small Industries Division petitioned the Coimbatore District Collector, G S Sameeran to protect small businesses which were adversely affected by Covid-19 lockdown.
The petition filed by the FOCIA with the District Collector stated about 15,000 businesses and companies which are its members emloy about 1,50,000 workers and that FOCIA is known as the voice of small businesses in Coimbatore.
Addressed to the new Collector, G S Sameeran, the petition first congratulated the Collector for taking charge of Coimbatore District. "We hope that you will contribute to the security and growth of small businesses, which are the backbone of Coimbatore's economic structure. Small businesses in Tamil Nadu have been severely affected by the Covid-19 curfew that has been in place for the past 40 days. In Coimbatore, 95 percent of factories have been closed. Small factories that make essential goods and specific parts for them have been allowed to operate during the curfew. However, the licensed factories could not function due to the closure of shops selling inputs and inputs for small businesses."
"The pandemic impact of last year caused an economic downturn. Small businesses are lagging behind due to the recent rise in prices of raw materials. In addition, they have been closed for 40 days now and are in dire straits. In this situation, the order of the Electricity Board to pay the electricity bill by 15.06.2021 adds further to our woes," stated the petition.
The petition made the following demands to protect small businesses in Coimbatore:
"Since the curfew in Coimbatore district is still in force for a few more days, all small businesses should have a waiver of at least the upcoming electricity tariff of two months. Businesses have to be given a time period of one month (without penalty) from the date of re-opening, to pay the electricity bill.
In all Tamil Nadu government announcements regarding the curfew, workers have been advised to be vaccinated within a month. In factories, workers have to also work side by side. Therefore, priority should be given to employees of small businesses for vaccination. For industry organizations, vaccination camps should be organized in-house.
We kindly request you to kindly consider the above requests and recommend to the Government of Tamil Nadu to fulfill them," stated the petition.
The petition filed by the FOCIA with the District Collector stated about 15,000 businesses and companies which are its members emloy about 1,50,000 workers and that FOCIA is known as the voice of small businesses in Coimbatore.
Addressed to the new Collector, G S Sameeran, the petition first congratulated the Collector for taking charge of Coimbatore District. "We hope that you will contribute to the security and growth of small businesses, which are the backbone of Coimbatore's economic structure. Small businesses in Tamil Nadu have been severely affected by the Covid-19 curfew that has been in place for the past 40 days. In Coimbatore, 95 percent of factories have been closed. Small factories that make essential goods and specific parts for them have been allowed to operate during the curfew. However, the licensed factories could not function due to the closure of shops selling inputs and inputs for small businesses."
"The pandemic impact of last year caused an economic downturn. Small businesses are lagging behind due to the recent rise in prices of raw materials. In addition, they have been closed for 40 days now and are in dire straits. In this situation, the order of the Electricity Board to pay the electricity bill by 15.06.2021 adds further to our woes," stated the petition.
The petition made the following demands to protect small businesses in Coimbatore:
"Since the curfew in Coimbatore district is still in force for a few more days, all small businesses should have a waiver of at least the upcoming electricity tariff of two months. Businesses have to be given a time period of one month (without penalty) from the date of re-opening, to pay the electricity bill.
In all Tamil Nadu government announcements regarding the curfew, workers have been advised to be vaccinated within a month. In factories, workers have to also work side by side. Therefore, priority should be given to employees of small businesses for vaccination. For industry organizations, vaccination camps should be organized in-house.
We kindly request you to kindly consider the above requests and recommend to the Government of Tamil Nadu to fulfill them," stated the petition.