Trade and commerce minister Pramod Navalkar told The Financial Express that the state government has also appealed to the centre to delegate sufficient powers to issue necessary licences for imports and exports to avoid unnecessary delays.

The state will set up export promotion industrial parks at various places; such a park for leather exports has already been set up at Ambernath in Thane district. It has also begun the process of developing a framework for establishing a company to be entrusted with the task of setting up a permanent exhibition ground at Mumbai.

Navalkar said thatthe centre has decided to establish a "trading point" in New Delhi to improve the reliability of information. The state government has been quick to endorse this plan and has taken steps to establish the necessary communication and data processing systems to establish a facility in Mumbai. This could function as a "sub-trading point" for the western region of India.

Navalkar said that the state has asked the centre to consider establishing cargo complexes at Nashik and Pune on the lines of Nagpur which has already been cleared. He said that the infrastructure de-bottlenecking scheme will include balancing investment in export zones, multimode transport chain, air cargo complex, sea and airports.

To fill critical gaps, Navalkar said that projects like setting up quality control laboratories for pre-shipment, quality control checks on exports, assistance in improving any packaging of fruits/vegetables/flowers and providing consultancy and conducting studies will be considered on a priority basis. He addedthat the government would also formulate a policy for manufacturers who will be aided by way of interest subsidy on the commercial loans raised for export-oriented projects.

Navalkar said that the government will seriously consider encouraging handicraft artisans through development of their skills, on one hand, and improvising marketability of their articles through exhibitions especially meant for handicraft areas, on the other.

He said that super information highways and centres for information on export/import through hi-tech devices will be designed and developed in keeping pace with modernisation, liberalisation and globalisation. He added that the government intends to set up a commercial and cultural centre in Calcutta to promote business activity in eastern India.

State industries minister Leeladhar Dake said that Mumbai port caters to nearly 50 per cent of the country's exports. The figures for 1995-96 and 1996-97 were Rs 34,561 crore and Rs 34,470 crore, respectively, as against the country'stotal exports of Rs 1,06,464 crore and Rs 1,17,525. He added that a separate zone of electronic/software was being developed at Talawade near Pune and Navi Mumbai while expansion of existing Santacruz Electronic Export Processing Zone was in progress.