Delayed payments a major headache for MSMEs: Gadkari

Delayed payments are a major headache for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Union MSME minister Nitin Gadkari said here on Saturday, adding that he was trying to find a solution to this issue.

Speaking at a convention of `Laghu Udyog Bharti', an RSS-linked outfit which works in the MSME sector, he also promised to rid the national capital of pollution in five years.

"The small scale industry producer never gets payments on time. And this tires and finishes him. I am seriously thinking, whether it is private or public sector or government, the payment of MSME should get released in 45 days, and I am trying to take some concrete decision on this," he said.

MSME play an important role in the creation of employment, he said.

"So far, MSME has given jobs to 11.50 crore youths, and in these five years I am aiming to add five crores more employment opportunities," Gadkari, who took charge of MSME portfolio in the second term of Modi-led NDA government, said.

Expressing concern about the agrarian crisis, he said the MSME ministry was also focusing on handloom, handicrafts and agro-processing industries.

Talking about the pollution in Delhi, Gadkari said, "I want to tell you that (with) the works we have undertaken in these five years, Delhi will be completely free of air and water pollution before we complete our five years."

Promoting entrepreneurship was an important mission of the government, as without it "we cannot become 5 trillion dollar economy", he said.