Govt working on single-window clearance to ease trade

The Dollar Business Bureau

The Government of India is working on a mechanism of single-window clearance, in order to achieve smooth trade flow as well as to enhance the ease of doing business. 

“The government is committed to provide every possible help to the trade and industry and considers them as a partners and stakeholders in the economic revival of India,” said Anup Wadhawan, Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), while speaking to exporters at an event in Ludhiana.

With regards to MEIS (Merchandise Exports of India Scheme), DGFT stated that since the Scheme has been announced on April 1, 2015, an additional Rs.4,000 crore have been laid out to cover more markets and tariff lines. 

As and when government issues additional funds for the MEIS, more tariff lines will be taken into consideration by the committee, chaired by the Secretary of Commerce, after taking all the aspects of the Scheme into consideration, he added.

Speaking at the event, S C Ralhan, President, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) said, “He hopes that exports will show positive signs from June onwards and the constant decline in outward shipment for the last 17 months will come to a halt as the data on exports released for April, 2016, have revealed some promising results.”

Declining since December 2014, exports dropped to $20.5 billion, a decline of 6.74 percent, due to a steep fall in exports of engineering and petroleum products amidst sluggish global demand. 

The FIEO president further said the measures recently announced by DGFT such as resolving the issue of landing certificate, etc will enhance competitiveness of exports and also lessen the transaction cost.