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Security Skill and Leadership Summit 2017

The Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI) and Association of Private Detectives and Investigators, India convened their 12th Annual Conference – Security Skills & Leadership Summit 2017 – during 16 and 17 December 2017 at the Le-Meridian, New Delhi. The conference was opened by Gen. V K Singh (Retd.), the Minister of State for External Affairs, GoI, who asked private security agencies to upgrade their skills and adopt modern technologies to make India a safer place. The conference was at-tended by security professionals from all over India.                                                                             

“Our security environment is changing fast; our streets may not be as Therefore, it is important for the private security agencies to wake up to the growing challenges related to public safety and security,” Gen. Singh said, “The sphere of private security agencies has increased many times and so have the challenges. The industry needs to look into the challenges of providing better trained and better equipped manpower.”     

CAPSI Chairperson, Kunwar Vikram Singh has written a comprehensive letter to Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, and sought his intervention in resolving long standing issues of the private security sector which have been hurting its growth,particularly those related to the unfair imposition of GST which is putting unfavorable financial burden on agencies,and the imposition of new draconian rule under which agency owners would be held guilty and penalized for the crimes committed by their guards.

“Private security sector currently employs 70 lakh private security guards and supervisors working in 22,000 private security agencies. It is one of the largest private sector employers in India. The sector is growing at the annual rate of 22% and it is one of the largest corporate tax contributor as on date, but unfortunately it is yet in a neglected stature,” Kunwar Vikram Singh is said to have quoted in his letter to the Prime Minister.

“We have urged the Prime Minister to pro-actively consider our demands and save the sector which could prove crucial for the success of Skill India and also in generating jobs,” he apprised the delegates, “The Prime Minister has asked the Union Home Ministry to look into our concerns on urgent basis.”

“We further demanded that GST should be made applicable on reverse charge basis for the security agencies whereby service takers would be made liable to pay the tax, not the service providers. We work on 3-months credit and our payments are often delayed, nonetheless, we make the payment of salaries to our personnel in time. It is unaffordable for us to make an upfront payment of additional 18% GST. The GST regime is a setback and is badly hurting us. Many agencies have already been made to close their business due to this undesirable burden.If this continues, our sector will die in distress and lakhs of people will be renderd jobless,” Kunwar Vikram Singh added.

The forum discussed the urgent need to amend the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act 2005, in consultation with the security agencies. A recent provision to penalize the employers for the crime committed by their guard is draconian and needs to be withdrawn immediately. Owners cannot be held accountable for the negligence of their guards or supervisors.

The forum discussed the urgent need to amend the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act 2005, in consultation with the security agencies. A recent provision to penalize the employers for the crime committed by their guard is draconian and needs to be withdrawn immediately. Owners cannot be held accountable for the negligence of their guards or supervisors.

“This is a highly objectionable rule which will lead to chaos, we demand its immediate withdrawal,” Mr. Singh continued.

CAPSI also demands for a fair tender process by the government/ PSUs who often clear the tender of some private companies at 0% or nominal rates. This is not feasible and would promote corrupt and unethical business model.

“We need a fair tender process by the government or public sector undertakings (PSUs) which is necessary to promote competition,” he added, “Any anti-competitive practice leads to cartelization and obstructs the sector’s growth.”

NSDC has recently derecognized 200 training centers run by the security agencies across India in an abrupt manner, including those in semi-urban and rural areas. Their sudden closure and arbitrary change in policy have rendered many youth jobless.

“This is against the spirit of Skill India,” CAPSI Chairman stated in astonishment, “On the contrary, today we need more centers in rural and semi-urban areas to improve job opportunities for the rural youth. Also, the certificates issued by these training centers and NSDC should be recognized by the state bodies which is surprisingly not the case at present.”

The Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram addressed the valedictory ceremony and admired the private security sector for playing a significant role in creating employment opportunities for the tribal people.

“Lakhs of tribal people are working today as security guards in metro cities, and IT hubs of Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune. Government is considering formulating a special policy whereby these tribals can be benefited from the Modi Government’s Skill India initiative, and which will improve their employability. It will also help in tackling the problem of Naxalism,” Mr. Oram said, “There are 136 tribal dominated districts where we plan to focus under Skill India programme.Private security is one such sector where our tribal people can get good employment opportunities. Tribals are the most honest and hardworking people and they are real asset for the country. We will take help from CAPSI to ensure more and more tribals can get good employment opportunities and help them join the national main stream.”

 

 


 

As government cannot meet all the requirements of security, we are becoming more dependent on private security, particularly to private individuals and organizations. The private agencies should take on this task to fill in the gaps

– Gen. V. K. Singh (Retd.)
Minister of State for External Affairs, Govt. of India

 


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