SRINAGAR: The Association of Integrated Textile and Handicraft Park (AITHP), Zakura, has welcomed the Jammu and Kashmir Ease of Doing Business Act, 2026, and urged the government to notify its rules and implementation guidelines at the earliest to ensure that the promised relief reaches entrepreneurs.
At a meeting of its advisory committee, the association said repeated clearances, redundant no-objection certificates and overlapping compliance requirements had increased the administrative burden on businesses, diverting entrepreneurs from production, financing, marketing and employment generation.
AITHP President Syed Afaq Qadiri said the legislation should be treated as the beginning of wider economic reforms and implemented alongside the proposed New Industrial Policy, which he said was in the final stages of approval.
He called for the forthcoming policy to give adequate attention to existing enterprises that had faced decades of disruption, natural calamities, economic uncertainty and limited institutional support.
Qadiri said the Ease of Doing Business Act aimed to reduce unnecessary bureaucratic controls, while the industrial policy should provide support for the revival, sustainability and expansion of enterprises. He added that the effectiveness of both initiatives would depend on their implementation.
The association said regulatory simplification should not come at the expense of environmental protection, public safety or planned development. It urged civil society groups and other stakeholders to examine the legislation’s provisions and safeguards and engage constructively in addressing concerns.
AITHP said the rules should clearly define regulatory requirements and safeguards without undermining the law’s objective of simplifying business procedures.
The association also called for clearly defined timelines for approvals, accountability of officials, effective grievance redressal and regular monitoring to ensure uniform implementation across departments.
It cautioned that fresh procedural requirements or discretionary interpretations should not recreate the administrative hurdles the legislation seeks to remove.
The association said the success of the law would ultimately depend on whether businesses experienced a reduction in unnecessary official interference and gained more time and resources to focus on production, innovation, expansion and employment generation.
