GCCI sets up cell to tackle trade disputes of MSMEs

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) on April 25 announced the establishment of the Arbitration, Mediation, Conciliation and Alternate Dispute Resolution Centre (GCCI-ADRC) that will provide quick and hassle-free redressal to industry disputes. The industry body plans to rope in a team of 40-50 — including retired high court and Supreme Court judges, senior advocates, and technical industry experts.

“The centre will help in speedy redressal of conflicts, informally and confidentially without going to court,” said Bipin Patel, the President of the GCCI. “Apart from judges and advocates, industry experts will also be consulted to ensure fair redressal to all parties. Once a dispute is resolved, the decision of the mediation cell can be challenged in court, after necessary compliance.”

The GCCI-ADRC aims to resolve around 700-800 cases a year. The rules are specially modelled to meet several trade-related requirements. Industry experts believe that when traders and industries move courts, they not only end up bearing litigation costs but are also faced with uncertainty about when a case might be resolved.

The centre will be especially useful for MSMEs as cases will be resolved in a time-bound and affordable manner.

Shailesh Patwari, the vice-president of the GCCI, said: “There are around 4.6 lakh MSMEs across the state. As of today, some 1,200 cases related to industry are pending in courts, of which the maximum are related to MSMEs”.

Source: Times of India