Page 9 - Plastics News June 2019

FROM THE EDITOR'S PEN

We need to have ‘Consensus’ for betterment of the
Industry

t the outset we would like to congratulate the BJP for winning the loksabha election with
Asuch huge majority and we welcome the new team of Ministers on board.
AIPMA had recently organized All India Plastics Association / Processors meet to discuss
various issues related to the domestic industry. First the Indian economy is expected to grow
further and so is Plastic industry that is growing with almost 12% growth. According to the
Morgan Stanley report that states Indian economy to reach $5 trillion by 2025 and as such we
anticipate the Indian Plastics sector to grow further that needs to have a direction.
Second the meet was also meant to generate the uniform consensus against the anticipated
hike on import duties on plastic raw materials (Polymers) resulting in an overall increase in
the prices and does no good the industry. Instead in order to protect the domestic industry
we propose for hike in import duty on Plastics finished goods to stop the Chinese imports that
is creating havoc and killing many of the small time processors in the country.
Third to have a quality product it was proposed to bring Polymers under the ambit of BIS Mr. Rajiv B.Tolat
standards. AIPMA has always been of the view that technology is the key for development
and proposed allocation of Technology upgradation fund (TUF) for the Plastics Industry.
AIPMA also discussed EPR on length, making various presentations by the AIPMA environment
Team led by Mr Hiten Bheda and Mr Haren Sanghavi. AIPMA has been working for the cause
of Environment- friendly Plastics for quite some years now. The team presented a white
paper on EPR policy that rightly maintains that EPR process / policy should be designed in
the Indian context. It has many valid points like – a) EPR should be uniform pan India. One
India one policy, b) EPR should be brand neutral and geography neutral c) Small and medium
producers processing less than 1000 metric tons of material or having an annual turnover not
exceeding 25 should be kept out of the ambit of EPR i.e. except for a lump sum annual fee
based on total turnover. These are just to name some. I think this is required and perhaps
AIPMA is able to garner sufficient support enough to have its say and set new standards for
the industry.

Talking about environment reminds me many of the uncalled hue and cries about Plastics
being made on World Environment Day. I would request everyone to be realistic for, the
scenario is quite different in our country.

Our newly elected Minister for Environment Mr Prakash Javdekar is one of the best one to
have and we have many expectations from him. With his earlier expierence we hope he'll be
able to do the justice to the Plastics Industry. Also Mr Nitn Gadkari retaining the Ministry
of Road Transport & Highways, we are sure he would continue using plastics waste in road
making and further help us reducing Plastics waste.

Rajiv B.Tolat
Hon. Editor
publication@aipma.net

9 June 2019 Plastics News