Clearly, An EXIM Policy That’s More About EX Than IM

Posted: 2002-04-01 00:00:00+05:30 IST
Updated: Apr 01, 2002 at 0000 hrs IST

Font Size

Print

Feedback

Email

Discuss

: CIS (next year) mean? Link this with MAI and ASIDE?

Perhaps one should not be too uncharitable. “Altogether our efforts will, we hope, expand our competitiveness, broaden horizons and hold up a comparative mirror against world standards.” This is a laudable objective. The problem is that this objective and an appropriate export policy (there is little on imports this year) have little to do with Commerce Ministry alone and concern reforms elsewhere. Given that constraint, what can the commerce ministry do, other than harping on selectivity and the sectoral approach? The transition to a situation where this ritual of a five-year Exim policy (with annual amendments) will become irrelevant hasn’t yet happened. Will the announced policy get us that 11.9% dollar rate of growth in exports? The answer has little do with Exim policy and has more to do with when the global recovery will occur and on whether reforms happen elsewhere in the economy. With VAT postponed, one couldn’t have expected much from this policy. May the policy rest in peace....