Services Sector May Qualify For Full Cii Membership

At present, it is entitled to only associate membership.

The committee has drafted strict guidelines to ensure that only the most deserving gets enrolled in the chamber. Under the guidelines, a wide range of professional sectors will be kept out of CII membership.

Services companies engaged in security, public relations, advertising, traders, clearing agents without national accredition, law, chartered accountants and audit firms will not be entitled for membership. The draft also bars membership to newspapers and periodicals and other companies in a line of business that would compete with CII.

In the event of a member company having multiple activities and competes with CII in one of the activities, the membership would continue. In cases of persons heading a particular competing activity in the company cannot become CII committee members, the draft says.

 

The chamber feels the change in its name from Confederation of Engineering Industry (when membership was open only to engineering companies) to CII has necessitated the opening of membership to the services sector on a selective basis.

In the case of hotel industry, the guidelines stipulate that only those hotels registered under the Companies Act with minimum three-star status will be eligible for enrollment.

Recognised travel agencies accredited to IAIA offering travel-related services like handling of FIA, passport, ticketing and visa services will be included.

The committee has suggested increasing the annual subscription by 25 per cent from 1997. Subsequently, the fee structure will be revised every year by a certain percentage in keeping with the inflation rate.

It also suggested the overseas members be treated as international members.

Membership requirement

Services sector seeking CII membership require to fulfil two conditions:

* The firm must furnish the audited balance sheet and profit and loss account of the previous year; and

* provide documents on the range of services it can provide to its clients.