‘Its establishment in JK is a significant move; will help reinforce investors’ trust in region’
Precious Kashmir News
SRINAGAR, OCT 28: Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha Wednesday inaugurated the much awaited Jammu and Kashmir International Arbitration Centre (JKIAC). The occasion also marked the launch of the website of J&K International Arbitration Centre.
The Lt Governor, during his address, observed that the establishment of International Arbitration Centre in Jammu and Kashmir in the time of Liberal Economy and Globalization is a significant move. With this institution of arbitration, Jammu and Kashmir has secured its place in the commercial arbitration map of the world. The step will help J&K to promote domestic & international investments, industry, business and trade, he added.
Globalization has reduced the relevance of borders in trade and investments but we need to follow international practices to maximize benefits. Arbitration, as a mode of Alternate Dispute Resolution, gives flexibility, choice and confidence to investors, said the Lt Governor.
The setting up of the Centre is in line with requirements of modern day borderless trade, business and investments which cannot flourish with legal issues of jurisdictions cropping up in the event of any dispute. This mechanism will do away with cultural and language barriers, confusion over legal language employed in different courts and delays which causes great financial and other hardships to investors, he observed.
The Lt Governor said the Indian companies prefer arbitration for resolution of disputes half of the time. Good arbitration helps in improving ranking under the Ease of Doing Business Index.
“I believe that a robust Arbitration Institution would help strengthen India’s position as a global leader in the business world,” he said.
Underlining the importance of Arbitration, the Lt Governor said that it suits foreign investors and traders who do not have knowledge about domestic laws and would like their disputes to be confidential and resolved faster.
“I have seen encouraging results emanate from the Mumbai Centre for International Arbitration and the Delhi International Arbitration Centre,” he said.
Arbitration simplifies the procedure and reduces the cost and time in settling disputes with the help of experts with domain knowledge who are appointed as arbitrators. As against courts which are already overburdened, arbitration provides for availing the services of technical experts in the field who can devote more time and decide swiftly, he continued.
The Lt Governor observed that the expert panel in the Jammu and Kashmir International Arbitration Centre consists of retired judges, senior officers, architects, engineers, professors and veterans of various walks of life and all would ensure effective resolution of disputes in a set time frame.
The quality and performance of arbitrators would also be monitored and they would be provided timely training also if needed. This would help establish norms and fix accountability. And ,it is as effective in terms of relief as arbitration awards are binding on the parties, he added.
The Lt Governor said that the setting up of the Centre will only boost our effort as this will do away with Investors apprehensions while considering investment. It would also help reinforce the investors’ trust in the region.
I believe that Arbitration – which provides an alternative mode of dispute resolution and also reduces pending cases across the judiciary, should make investors feel at home, he maintained.
