New Delhi, Dec 9 (IANS): Reiterating commitment of his government to transform the state into a major industrial and export hub by facilitating businesses and creating an investor-friendly environment, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said the state is strengthening the single-window system for facilitating the investors.

Interacting with delegates during fifth meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Northern Region Council here, the Chief Minister said earlier, the single-window service was merely a sham, devoid of any meaningful purpose, which not only demoralised the potential investors but also hampered the industrial development of the state.

However, he said his government is making all-out efforts to ensure that investors get all facilities at this window smoothly and without any sort of corrupt practices.

Mann invited the captains of industry to invest in the state and become a part of industrial evolution and progress.

The Chief Minister lauded the efforts undertaken by the CII in supporting industry and creating a business conducive environment. He said the Punjab government is undertaking efforts to foster an investment ecosystem in the state, create suitable employment opportunities for all, provide access to quality infrastructure, enable greater transparency and accountability in governance.

Mann said Punjab is ranked third in ease of logistics in the country as the state has a strong logistics backbone with five Inland Container Depots (ICDs).

Rolling out red carpet to the captains of industry, the Chief Minister said the state offers one of the most competitive rates of power for all industries and is recognized as one of the top achievers in significantly improving its ease-of-doing business, in the latest Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) report of the Union government.

He further said Punjab has undertaken simplification and digitisation of processes for compliances, decriminalisation of minor offences and elimination of redundant laws and overlapping regulations.

Mann said the state currently houses more than 1,000 skill development centres, adding Punjab Skill Development Mission (PSDM) has more than 250 empanelled training partners thereby creating an accessible network of training facilities to create a pool of trained manpower.