Steel industry body approaches govt, banks for financial pkg

Indian Steel Association (ISA) has urged the government and banks for a financial package, including loan restructuring, to counter the crisis arising from cheap imports and subdued prices.
ISA, representing the over USD 100 billion steel industry, met Steel Ministry official last month and sought a comprehensive support package on the lines of the ones extended to textiles and sugar sectors.
The industry body is also in talks with the Indian Banks Association (IBA) for the package.
"A comprehensive support system involving participation of stakeholders is urgently required to ensure steel sector's survival," ISA Secretary General Sanak Mishra told PTI.

ISA has requested the government as well as banks for an immediate dispensation in the form of a special package for the industry to tide over the current crisis, he added.
The package will be in two parts - moratorium on payment of interest and principle amount and segregation of Sustainable and Balance debt, he said.

The moratorium will be a short-term measure to ensure continued operations, while various remedial measures are put into place.
Sustainable Debt will consist of long-term debt and working capital required to run the business at optimum capacity level. Balance Debt will be repaid over an extended period of time by converting it into Redeemable Preference Shares with a nominal rate of about 0.01 per cent.

According to ISA, segregating debt into Sustainable and Balance will help the industry manage its financial burden.
Welcoming the efforts of government to safeguard the domestic steel industry, Mishra said many feel that the recently-imposed Minimum Import Price (MIP) will solve the woes, but it is not the case.
"This will bring some relief, but one must note that it is for six months and does not include some products such as alloy steel, etc," he added.
Earlier this month, the government imposed MIP on 173 steel products ranging between USD 341 to USD 752 per tonne to provide relief to domestic steel producers against cheap in-bound shipments.

In the changed scenario, the state has to prepare itself
and update ways and means to get desired results, the minister said adding that Odisha has been the first state in the country to auction an iron ore mineral block which was successfully concluded in March, 2016 with one of the integrated steel plants of the country emerging as the preferred bidder.
"Subsequently, we are also preparing more than 10 iron ore blocks to be put to auction during 2016-17 and 2017-18, which will adequately cater to the raw material requirement of the steel industries in the country as a whole," he said.

The Minister said the state has been pursuing a vision of creating a congenial business climate to attract investment in mineral-based industry and infrastructure projects, thereby raising raising income, employment and economic growth.
"We must ensure all activities to take place in environment-friendly manner with due attention to environment management," he said, adding that the new directorate will exclusively look after issues surrounding this sector.
The Directorate of Steel will be instrumental in realising all aspirations relating to the systematic development of iron ore and steel sector in the state, he said, adding that it will also facilitate quick and effective solutions for the investors.

Special Secretary, Steel & Mines, P K Mishra has been appointed as the Director of the Directorate of Steel.