The Centre should permit Non-Resident Keralites to invest in the state-owned chit funds as there was no provision for the state to accept such deposits directly, Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac said on Saturday.

"More and more Keralites living abroad are showing interest to deposit in the chit funds run by the Kerala State Financial Enterprises but there is no provision for the state to receive such deposits directly," he told reporters here.

KSFE has introduced new chits following the overwhelming support received after its earlier schemes, he said.

The interest rate on NRI deposits should also be increased to attract foreign investments to the state, Isaac said.

Referring to the global economic crisis, the Minister said though tourism and IT, regarded as two dynamic sectors of the state, had remained unaffected so far, the scenario might change in the coming years.

"We have flight bookings for this entire year in the tourism sector but the situation may not remain same from next year," he said.