Sitharaman holds meeting with hospitality, tourism sectors, discusses credit-related issues

New Delhi

The meeting was also attended by senior finance ministry officials and heads of various public sector banks (PSBs). ''Along with the FM, the meeting was also attended by MoS Finance Shri @DrBhagwatKarad; Finance Secretary; Secretaries for Financial Services, Economic Affairs & Revenue; chiefs of PSBs & IBA, besides senior officials from @FinMinIndia,'' the finance ministry said in a tweet. During another meeting regarding the airlines sector, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia was also present. ''Union Finance Minister Smt. @nsitharaman chairs a meeting in presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister Shri @JM_Scindia with representatives of civil aviation sector to discuss various issues of banking and credit with them, in New Delhi today,'' it said in another tweet. Budget 2022-23 had proposed to open an additional Rs 50,000 crore window under the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) to support hospitality and related services sector. ''Hospitality and related services, especially those by micro and small enterprises, are yet to regain their pre-pandemic level of business. ''Considering these aspects, the ECLGS will be extended up to March 2023 and its guarantee cover will be expanded by Rs 50,000 crore to a total cover of Rs 5 lakh crore with the additional amount being earmarked exclusively for hospitality and related sectors,'' Sitharaman had said in the Budget speech. Besides, the Budget proposed to extend the ECLGS by one more year till March 2023 and expand the guarantee cover to Rs 5 lakh crore from Rs 4.5 lakh crore. This was announced as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan package announced in May 2020 with an aim to provide relief to micro, small and mid sized firms hit the hardest by the pandemic.