Firms manufacturing masks hope to get relaxation on movement of goods

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Firms manufacturing masks hope to get relaxation on movement of goods
Chennai, Apr 19 (): Companies including micro,small and medium enterprises in Tamil Nadu engaged inmanufacture of medical equipment like masks, PPEshope thegovernment would allow movement of their vehicles during thelockdown in place to combat spread of COVID-19, officialssaid.

Several firms present in Tiruppur or Coimbatore orAriyalur in the state have converted their companies tomanufacture medical garments in order to tide over crisissince companies remain shut due to lock-down in view of thegovernment's measures to control the spread of COVID19.

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However, according to a company official those engagedin manufacturing such medical garments face biggest challengeswhich is the last mile connectivity in transporting the goodsto customers.

A senior company official in Tiruppur who did not wantto be named, said they are hoping for some kind of relaxationto be announced on Monday so as to ensure that the goods canbe delivered to customers.

"Besides delivering the goods we are also unable tomeet the customers as some insist of testing a sample of theproducts we make. For shorter distances with my essentialservices pass, I drive but I beginning to receive enquiriesfrom Karnataka, Maharashtra... But I am unable to serve themdue to the lockdown", the official told P T I.

Similarly, another individual who manufacturespersonal protective equipment at his facility in Ariyalur,said they have started to produce the items based on thedemand and were able to serve the customers on time.

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"I am collecting payment from customers as advance andinvest in the project as I am unable to put my own capital torun the business. Sometimes, some firms do not pay on time ifwe did not deliver to them as per their requisition," Kumarwho is manufacturing the kits in Ariyalur, said.

He said after receiving the initial payment with thesupport of his workers manufacture the goods and he himselfdeliver them to customers.

"I am delivering the goods on my own... therefore, Ido not face any difficulty," he said, adding this trend maynot continue if the business picks up.

To a query, he said some amount of payments receivedfrom customers go under Goods and Services Tax which can berelaxed considering the prevailing situation.

Noted industrialist and Apparel Export PromotionCouncil Chairman A Sakthivel said the need of the hour was toforay into 'medical textiles' and they would encouragecompanies to set up such products.

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"From day one we always used to tell manufacturersabout medical garments. It is good time to go in for medicaltextiles business," he told P T I.

He said the APEC has given ideas to manufacturers onhow China was exportings its goods to other countries whichneed such medical garments.

"We will advice manufacturers to go in for thisproduct and also planning to arrange for a buyer-seller kindof thing once this gets over," he said.

He expressed hope that the manufacturers would be ableto transport the goods from Point A to Point B without anyhassle from April 20 as government would give some kind ofrelaxations from that day.

"After April 20 there will not be any problem onmovement of transport. We can get special permission also...,"he hoped.

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On the challenges faced by the industry, he said tomanufacture PPEs, manufacturers do need to use an machineryfor which they need to import it from China.

"Currently some are doing their best based on theavailable machinery. But if this machinery has been importedthen we can penetrate deep into the domestic market. AEPC alsohas given the name of the some suppliers (Chinese firms) tocompanies about the machinery," he said.

He said the AEPC would also request the government toprovide GST benefit to companies once this medical textilesbusinesses picks up in the coming months. VIJ SS
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