FSAI President (Mumbai Chapter) Pramoud Rao said, “Time and again, we have approached the state government with our recommendations. We feel they will increase the standard of the security scenario in the city but nothing has been done about it so far. We had recommended the government a year back that the customs duty on private security devices be slashed down. The reason for this was that most of the high-tech security apparatus that is required by consumers in the present scenario is made by foreign companies and have to be imported to India. As the customs duty levied on such items is exorbitant it becomes difficult for the security agencies in the city to bring them in.”

The private security industry got a boost following the terror attacks in the city. The FSAI which comprises 350 organisations dealing in safety and security devices had earlier made recommendations to the Finance Ministry stressing the need to take the security industry more seriously.

Around a month back, FSAI sent a letter to the Finance Minister asking the government to consider reducing the customs and other duties on security products from 32-35% to the minimum rate for the next three years. “At present, the custom duty levied on security products range from 32-35% because of which the products which finally come in the market command a high price. As such consumers are reluctant to buy them. Consumers end up buying inexpensive but sub-standard equipment,” said Rao.

Rao believes that the slashing of custom duty to the minimum for at least the next three years would benefit the security industry and also ensure that more security products are used by commercial establishments and retail consumers.

Another suggestion forwarded by the FSAI to the Finance Ministry was to allow all kinds of commercial establishments, from five-star hotels to malls and showrooms, favorable tax relief if they employ effective security products.