Government to make procedures more simpler for exporters: Director General of Foreign Trade.

NEW DELHI: The Commerce Ministry is focusing on further simplifying the procedures for exporters in order to reduce transactions cost and boost India's overseas shipments, a senior government official today said.

"Our endeavour is to make the procedure as simple as possible and make the process less painstaking...our aim is maximum governance and minimum government," Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Pravir Kumar said here at a CII function. Kumar said the department would discuss all the issues faced by exporters with other ministries as well as state governments.

"Whatever problems you are facing, just send your comments we will discuss it," he said. He said the Commerce Ministry's endeavour is to minimise human intervention and make the process easy for exporters. He said the industry should identify products which need more support from the government. On issues related to special economic zones (SEZs), he said the matters are discussed at the highest level "and some solutions will come".

The export promotion body for special economic zones has asked the Finance Minister to roll back the minimum alternate tax (MAT) on SEZs, saying that the move will boost overseas shipments as well as domestic manufacturing. On the forthcoming Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), he said that the ministry is in the process of compiling all the suggestions given by stakeholders.

FTP is expected to be announced after the Budget. India's exports in the last three years have been hovering at around USD 300 billion. India's exports in 2013-14 fell short of the US $ 325 billion target and managed to reach US $ 312.35 billion. The country's exports stood at US $ 300.4 billion in 2012-13 and US $ 307 billion in 2011-12.

Speaking at the occasion, CII Export-Import Committee Chairman Sanjay Budhia said that in the FTP the government should look at promoting value-added products and strengthening India's foothold in the world.

"Indian exporters face lot of constraints like infrastructural bottlenecks, high cost pf funds, low technology intensity, scarcity of skilled manpower, high transactions cost," Budhia said.

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com