The Hindu : Business : Task force to help exporters

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2006

Business

Business

Task force to help exporters

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has agreed to a proposal of exporters to set up a high level task force to bring about greater coordination and resolve numerous tax-related problems. The task force would include Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath and Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

The move is expected to help exporters, who in the past have faced delays in implementation of decisions taken, streamline procedures in the commerce and finance ministries.

The issue of setting up such a task force was discussed by a delegation of exporters including the apex body, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), during a meeting with the Prime Minister here on Tuesday for an hour to discuss various problems faced by the exporting community. The meeting was also attended by Mr. Chidambaram, Mr. Kamal Nath and the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's office, Prithviraj Chauhan.

FIEO President O. P. Garg told newspersons after the meeting that the Prime Minister accepted their proposal to set up a task force for better coordination between the two ministries. He said it would meet every six months.

`Sleepless' ports

The federation made a presentation during the meeting in which it underlined the need to withdraw the Fringe Benefit Tax to increase global competitiveness and also sought exemption from service tax. Besides, an early resolution had been sought to the Duty Entitlement Pass Book scheme.

In addition, the FIEO proposed declaring gateway ports as "sleepless ports,'' similar to the Shanghai port in China, for expediting clearance of cargo round the clock.

Exporters suggested that the government create a separate fund for greater market access and a single nodal agency for exports.

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