'BGBS boosted economy, helped create 28 lakh job opportunities'

Kolkata: Highlighting the success of Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) in the past nine years, the state Finance minister Amit Mitra has informed Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar that the annual event has given a major boost in the state's economy resulting in creation of lakhs of employment opportunities besides taking Bengal to a global platform.

In the letter to the Governor, Mitra has clearly stated that already investment worth Rs 71,646 crore is taking place as an outcome of only

BGBS 2019 and it is leading to 28 lakh employment generation.

"You are aware that the cumulative investment proposals received in BGBS 2015 through 2019 amounted to Rs 12,32,603 crores. You would the investment proposals went into the implementation mode…" Mitra's stated in his letter adding that BGBS was partnered with FICCI, CII and supported by many national associations and chambers of commerce and industries in the state.

Giving details on participants, Mitra mentioned that it has doubled in 2019 compared to that of in 2015. In 2019, 35 countries covering all continents of the world participated in BGBS and 12 partner countries include Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Australia.

Mitra sent the letter to the Governor on September 24 as the latter sought details on the achievements of BGBS along with other details in connection with organising the event. Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee posted

Mitra's letter in his twitter handle on Tuesday late night after taking a dig at the Governor for one of his recent statement when the state Finance minister already wrote to him in this regard.

The state Finance minister has further stated that the state's GDP has gone up from Rs 4.6 lakh crore in 2010-11 to Rs 12.5 lakh crore in 2019-20 with the state government's development policies coupled with BGBS' outcome. It also helped in a growth in tax collection from Rs 21,228 crore in 2010-11 to Rs 65,806 crores in 2019-20. He said": "The Debt-GDP ratio has been brought down from 40.65 per cent in 2011 to 33.3 per cent in 2019-20."

Stating that BGBS was introduced to attract investment to generate employment opportunity, Mitra mentioned in his letter: "You are aware that when we took office in 2011, our government inherited a massive debt burden. The economy was in doldrums, and an unprecedented capital flight had taken place from our state. Within a few years, we were able to put the economy back on the track, the Debt-GDP ratio was brought down steadily, and green shoots of new investments in Small, Medium and Large Industries had begun, thereby bringing in government revenue buoyancy and employment, as well."