800 MSMEs registered under Udyog Aadhaar since Sep 18: Mishra

A total of 800 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have registered under the simplified Aadhaar-based registration system launched last month to promote ease of doing business, Union Minister Kalraj Mishra said today.
"Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum was notified on 18 September. Within such a short time span, 800 MSMEs have registered. Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum is the cornerstone of ease of doing business in the country," the MSME Minister said at a press conference.
MSME Ministry had come out with a one-page Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum to be filled online by all unregistered MSMEs, a move aimed at simplifying registration procedure for entrepreneurs and promoting ease of doing business.

Existing enterprises which have filed Entrepreneurship Memorandum - I (EM-I) or EM -II or both, or the holders of the Small Scale Industry Registration, prior to the coming into force of MSMED Act 2006, are not required to file Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum, but they may file it if they so desire.
"It (filling Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum) is not mandatory for MSMEs already registered with us. Our policy is that after 18 September EM-I and EM-II do not exist. Therefore, anybody who wants to register after 18 September needs to register with Udyog Aadhaar," MSME Secretary Anup Pujari said.
The Secretary further said that he has held discussions with states and "brought to their notice what needs to be done" on awareness and adoption of the Udyog Aadhaar system.

Besides, Mishra said the norm related to 20 per cent mandatory procurement by PSUs from MSMEs is not being followed, and a panel will monitor it regularly.

"The norm related to 20 per cent mandatory procurement from MSME units has not been successful. It was made mandatory from April 1 this year. A committee will monitor it on a regular basis.
"PSUs have been directed to procure from MSMEs. The guidelines related to tenders are being flouted. We are trying to ensure the tender guidelines are followed," Mishra said at a press conference here.
The government has made it mandatory for all central public sector undertakings (PSUs) to make 20 per cent of their purchases from MSMEs from April 1, 2015.

Besides, Mishra said: "We are also mulling over an Exit Policy for MSME units which cannot be revived and have discussed it with the Prime Minister".
The MSME Minister also said a subsidy will be provided to units as rating agencies charge exorbitant fee for assigning bank loan ratings.
"Rating agencies charge a lot of money as fee from MSMEs for Bank Loan Ratings. We have decided that we will give 75 per cent subsidy or Rs 40,000 to MSMEs to ensure they do not face difficulties in availing a loan due to high fee charged by rating agencies," he said.

The minister said that under Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), employment of about 118,196 persons has been generated during April-Sep 2015-16.
During the corresponding period of 2013-14 and 2014-15, jobs were generated for 12,951 persons and 74,871 persons respectively.