'US should invest to create jobs, not take regressive steps'

Bangalore, Sep 15 (PTI) Describing US "protectionist"
moves as a "disturbing trend", India's apex IT industry body
NASSCOM Wednesday said it hoped that America will make more
investments to create jobs, instead of taking such
"regressive" actions.
"I hope the US makes more positive investments to create
jobs and to become competitive, rather than taking any
regressive action which seems negative and will lead to
protectionist measures around the world," National Association
of Software and Services Companies Chairman Som Mittal said.
The state of Ohio in the US recently banned outsourcing
by government departments to offshore locations like India.
The move came shortly after the US enacted a controversial
legislation that proposed to strengthen security along its
border with Mexico by increasing H-1B and L1 visa fees, which
are highly sought after by Indian IT professionals.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the NASSCOM
Infrastructure Management Services Summit 2010 here, Mittal
said the industry expects to hear more noise on the issue in
view of the forthcoming elections to the US Senate and House
of Representatives, but "we do not know in what form or shape
it would be".
It was also not necessary that it would all be targetted
at India, he added.
On the issue of flexible work permits and single visas
for European Union countries, which the Indian IT industry has
been clamouring for, he said NASSCOM had been working with the
EU for last two years. It has produced a white paper, which
has been accepted, he said.
He said this would be a "win-win situation not only for
Indian service providers, but for everyone". At present, one
has to apply to individual EU countries separately for a visa.
If a single visa was allowed, it could simplify things and
reduce costs, not only in terms of application and processing
fees, but also in travel planning and efficient use of people.
Such move might take a year's time given the fact that
all the EU countries had to agree to it, he added.
On whether there is any opposition to the move, he said
there were concerns, but was confident that the hurdles would
be cleared. PTI JD
KAB