MSMEs need govt support: FSME India

Hyderabad Appreciating the Andhra Pradesh government for imposing curfew to combat the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises of India (FSME India) underlined the need for supporting the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which are reeling under the adverse impact of the Covid second wave.

"The deadly Covid second wave has adversely impacted the MSME sector in Andhra Pradesh as the demand has come down. The government should make efforts to minimize the impact on the key sector," APK Reddy, national president, FSME India, said in a statement.

Reddy said that his industry body took part in the virtual meeting organised by Andhra Pradesh's Industries Department to discusses related to industries in the wake of the Covid curfew.

"Under the new guidelines issued by the AP government, all essential and continuous process industries can operate 24X7. All other industries are allowed to operate in single shift or two shifts, but should close the operations by 2 pm," he explained.

He urged the industries and industrialists to carry out operations by strictly following Covid protocols. "The State government should sanction additional funds for sanitization of industrial estates and industrial units," he said.

He thanked Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Industries Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy and R KarikalValaven, Special Chief Secretary, Industries Department, for allowing industries to operating during the Covid curfew.