The Biz Reporter
Srinagar, July 15: The President Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Javid Ahmad Tenga, today participated in a high-level meeting chaired by KK Pathak, Head of the Centre’s Task Force on Deregulation and Compliance Reduction, at the Civil Secretariat.
Welcoming the constitution of the Task Force, Tenga said the initiative offers an important opportunity to streamline the regulatory environment and reduce the burden of outdated, overlapping, and time-consuming procedures that continue to hamper economic growth in Jammu & Kashmir.
The KCCI President , Javid Ahmad Tenga highlighted a range of issues confronting the business community, with a particular focus on the hospitality and industrial sectors. He pointed out that the hospitality sector, which includes hotels, guest houses, restaurants , and other tourism stakeholders, remains entangled in excessive and repetitive compliance. These units are required to obtain multiple No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from departments such as Pollution Control Committee, Police, Fire & Emergency Services, Municipal bodies, and Health, Revenue, Development Authorities, alert from multiple inflections ( reminding of Inspector Raj) most of which are valid only for a short period of time . He said that this frequent renewal cycle, especially the six-month validity of character certificates and one -year fire NOCs, disrupts operations and discourages long-term investment. Tenga emphasized the need for longer registration cycles—at least 10 -15 years—for tourism and hospitality businesses to ensure investor confidence and operational stability.
On the industrial front, he raised concerns over the prolonged process of land allotment to startups and new enterprises, lack of clarity on freehold rights for existing leaseholders, and delays in issuing NOCs required for claiming subsidies. He also noted that the Single Window System, despite being available online, remains ineffective due to poor departmental integration. Entrepreneurs continue to physically visit multiple offices such as Pollution Control, Labour, Revenue, Municipal bodies and other agencies to get their cases processed. The continued insistence on hard copies even after online submission, and absence of real-time tracking or escalation mechanisms, adds to the inefficiency.
Tenga also drew attention to the uniform compliance burden placed on businesses regardless of size, which creates disproportionate challenges for micro and small enterprises. He said the one-size-fits-all approach must give way to sector-specific and size-appropriate compliance norms. He also flagged the need for government tenders to be product- and service-specific to allow broader participation by local enterprises, rather than bundled contracts that exclude smaller players.
Javid Ahmad Tenga submitted a detailed memorandum outlining these issues and proposed reforms to KK Pathak, urging the Task Force to take them into account during its review. The document included recommendations such as deemed approvals for online applications where departments fail to act within set timelines, acceptance of self-certification with random audits for low-risk operations, and provisional clearances to prevent business disruption.
He concluded by reiterating KCCI’s commitment to supporting the national initiative on deregulation and expressed hope that the measures would lead to a more business-friendly ecosystem in Jammu & Kashmir, enabling growth, investment, and innovation.
