Surat:The Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) has urged chief minister Bhupendra Patel to address a range of infrastructure, power, taxation and policy issues affecting Surat and South Gujarat’s industrial sector.A detailed representation was submitted to the chief minister by SGCCI vice-president Ravi Raj Desai and secretary Paresh Lathiya. The chamber said South Gujarat is among the state’s key industrial growth engines and resolving regional bottlenecks would help boost investment and industrial activity across the state.Improving regional air connectivity from Surat was among the key demands. SGCCI sought 50-70-seater aircraft services on the Surat-Ahmedabad, Surat-Rajkot and Surat-Bhavnagar routes, saying better connectivity will facilitate business travel, investment and trade.The chamber also raised concerns over Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited’s (GUVNL) energy banking policy. It said the reduction in energy banking limits from 100% to 30% for renewable energy producers that had invested before August 31, 2024, had left nearly 40% of green generation capacity unutilised. SGCCI also demanded that Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation’s (GETCO) south zone headquarters be shifted to Surat.SGCCI also sought a comprehensive amnesty scheme for legacy disputes involving VAT, CST and Entry Tax. It said businesses continue to face litigation and compliance burdens related to pre-GST matters and cited Maharashtra and the Centre’s Sabka Vishwas scheme (Legacy Dispute Resolution) as models.SGCCI also sought the relocation of the Lift and Escalator Inspector’s south zone office to Surat, citing the city’s rapid expansion of high-rise buildings.Among other demands, it called for customs recognition for the Mantra textile laboratory to enable a customs-approved textile testing facility in Surat. It also sought representation for regional chambers in the district-level approval committee (DLAC) under the Gujarat Textile Policy 2024.For flood-affected industries, SGCCI sought clearer relief measures, including the explicit inclusion of production units in MSME relief packages and property tax relief for damaged industrial units within Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) limits.SGCCI said timely action on the issues will strengthen Surat’s industrial ecosystem and help accelerate economic growth across South Gujarat.
