Union Minister Piyush Goyal Announces Fee Concessions For Women Entrepreneurs & MSMEs

In a significant move to support women entrepreneurs and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal announced an 80 percent concession for women entrepreneurs and a 50 percent concession for MSMEs on fees for licenses granted by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO).

The Union Minister made this announcement through an official statement issued on Thursday.

To enhance safety measures, Minister Goyal has instructed PESO to formulate guidelines in collaboration with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG).

These guidelines will create a template of safety measures allowing petrol pump retail outlets to operate in cases where there is habitation within 30-50 meters.

Further streamlining the sector, Goyal revealed that QR codes for gas cylinders are now part of the draft Gas Cylinders Rules, with the final notification expected soon.

He also announced the formation of a committee to study the feasibility of extending the license validity for explosives, transport, and manufacturing to 10 years.

Currently, all licenses except those for explosives are valid for 10 years.

Meanwhile, efforts to streamline processes include involving third-party inspection agencies in more areas and developing online permission modules for areas currently managed offline.

Goyal emphasized the need to expedite the process of filling vacancies within PESO to enhance operational efficiency.

Licenses for petrol pumps are issued in Form XIV of the Petroleum Rules, 2002, while licenses for CNG dispensing facilities within petrol retail outlets are issued in Form G of the Gas Cylinders Rules.

These amendments aim to reduce compliance burdens and PESO’s workload.

Minister Goyal chaired a stakeholder consultation on Thursday, gathering feedback from industry leaders in petroleum, explosives, fireworks, and related sectors.

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