IMC lists economic reforms agenda

The Indian Merchants Chamber IMC has submitted a 100-day action plan to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on economic reforms that includes massive investments in infrastructure,education and amendment to labour laws. The blueprint identified agriculture,infrastructure,manufacturing,education and sustainability as five key areas of focus. The government should encourage infrastructure funding by mandating five or six institutions to create an infra bond market, IMC president Gul Kripalani said.

Funds from state-run India Infrastructure Finance Company should be made available for all private sector projects and not just for PPP projects,it said. On the education front,it pushed for opening up of the sector for foreign investment as well for creation of a study and pay model rather than a pay and study model. It wanted deregulation of the labour market to stimulate investment and employment.