Manipur in talks with Centre to make travel to Myanmar easier

GUWAHATI: Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Friday said his government was in talks with the Centre so that travelling from Myanmar to Manipur becomes easier.

Singh said at the North East Healthcare Conference organized by CII in Imphal, "The new government in Manipur is working on a plan to transform itself into a thriving healthcare and medical tourism hub."

"Manipur is well-positioned to cater to other North Eastern States as well as Myanmar in terms of improved healthcare services."

By 2025, India's population is projected to reach 1.4 billion with urban adults (15-year plus ones) constituting about 45% of it. To cater to this changed demography, the healthcare sector will have to be about $100 billion in size contributing nearly 8 to 10% to the then GDP.

The Federation of Industry and Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER) has urged the Centre to formulate a focused and favourable industrial policy for the North East and sought greater clarity on how the Central excise duty refund — currently applicable to industries set up pursuant to the North East Industrial Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP) — would continue under the GST regime.

FINER president Pabitra Buragohain met Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju in New Delhi and submitted a representation seeking his intervention in finalising the industrial policy, keeping in view the various representations that have been submitted to highlight specific needs of the North Eastern Region.

"Priority should be given to the formulation of the North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy that favours the region and contributes to economic development," Buragohain said.

While the Goods and Service Tax (GST) is slated for a July 1 implementation, some crucial issues regarding industries — with especial reference to Assam and North East — are still unclear.

The FINER president on Thursday had made a similar presentation to DoNER Minister Dr Jitendra Singh.

NEIIPP-2007 expired on March 31, 2017. The centre is drafting new policy for Northeast India.