Srinagar, Sep 1 (PTI) The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) on Tuesday raised the issues concerning the business community in the valley with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who assured maximum support of the Centre to them, the trade body said.

"I had a video meeting with the Union Finance Minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) and raised our demands and the issues confronting the trade and business community in the Kashmir Valley," KCCI President Sheikh Aashiq told PTI.

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The virtual meeting was also attended by a representative of the business community in the Jammu region.

Aashiq said the KCCI demanded the Centre take steps to revive the Valley's economy, which has been severely hit due to the lockdown first after the abrogation of Article 370 in August last year and then because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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"I told the Union finance minister that time has come to revive the economy of Kashmir as the unlock has been started after COVID-19 lockdown. I told her that we had recently met the LG (Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha) who had given us an assurance to revive the economy,” he said.

He added that Sinha also told him that he will consult the FM on how to give maximum support to the businesses.

The KCCI president said the chamber demanded a comprehensive financial package for the trade and business community in the Valley.

"If a comprehensive financial package is not given to the business community in the Valley, they will collapse. The young entrepreneurs have lost capital and are seeking jobs in the metro cities, whereas they can be job creators," he said.

He added that the government should provide certain schemes to those who have lost jobs. "The KCCI believes in running of the businesses and engaging larger population into business rather than closing down of the units."

Aashiq claimed that the Union finance minister assured him of maximum possible support from the government.

"The FM said that the LG had discussed the difficulties the business community was facing in the Valley and she also said that this meeting was called so that she could hear our problems," he said.

Last month, the LG of J&K framed a committee, headed by one of his advisors, to suggest steps for the revival of the businesses in the Union territory in a time-bound manner.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)