The Hindu : Business : Coir Board performance reviewed

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Saturday, Dec 11, 2010
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Coir Board performance reviewed

K. Venkiteswaran

Greater attention on implementing schemes and welfare measure

Kochi :Udaya Kumar Varma, Secretary, Union Ministry for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has stressed the need to re-orient the Coir Board's marketing strategies and welfare schemes with a view to enhancing exports, increasing domestic market consumption and improving productivity in the coir sector.

Speaking at the Coir Board's review meeting, held in New Delhi recently, Mr Varma also suggested paying greater attention on implementing schemes such as Rejuvenation, Modernisation and Technology Upgradation (REMOT) and welfare measure's beneficial to the workers at the grassroots level.

Later, at a pre-budget discussion involving the Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) & Coir Board, he elicited proposals from the Board for inclusion in the budget estimates to be presented during the next fiscal (2011-12) at which Board chairman V.S. Vijayaraghavan suggested removal of VAT on coir products and introduction of a uniform 4 per cent VAT on rubberized coir products.

At present, VAT on coir products is levied at zero per cent in Kerala while in other States it varied from 12.5 to 14.5 per cent.

Similar is the case of rubberised coir products, which is fixed at only 4 per cent in Kerala whereas it is higher in other States.

He also wanted exemption on excise duty for coir products and machineries supplied to beneficiaries under various Union government schemes.

DGFT review meeting

Anoop Poojari, Director-General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), also held a sectoral performance review meeting with Coir Board chairman Vijayaraghavan and other officials of the Board at which the DGFT exhorted the need to achieve coir products exports valued at Rs.1,000 crore during the current fiscal.

Mr. Vijayaraghavan took the opportunity to suggest enhancement of export incentives to the coir sector similar to those available under the special focus product schemes extended to the handloom sector.

Coir Board secretary M. Kumara Raja, director (Marketing) M. Kumarasway Pillai and Sajan B. Nair of the Federation of Indian Coir Exporters Associations (FOICEA), among others, participated at the meeting.

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