He said the government's main emphasis during this period was to improve the country's competitiveness. He referred to the number of steps taken by the government for the benefit of the exporting community, including slashing of the interest rates and allowing rupee to achieve its own value.

While delving on the procedures involved, he was in favour of total transperancy. However, he asked the trade to pull itself up in line with the Indian commitments to WTO. He announced that there would be no futher alteration in the fixation of DEPB rates which would remain open for items having export potential of Rs 20 crore. Earlier, the commerce ministry had stipulated that fixation of DEPB rates would be entertained only in respect of products having a minimum annual export of Rs 20 crore. He also added that out of the 4,000 export products, the DGFT has fixed rates for 2,000.

While acknowledging that there is a huge deficit in the fixation of DEPB rates for products, Lakhanpal assured the memebrs of the industry that this is only a transitory phase and more elaborate DEPB rates would be issued later. He categoricaly added that there would be no specific DEPB rates for export of automobile kits and other niche exports. As a solution for niche exports, RP Srivastav said, ``The only remedy would be to achieve the set target of Rs 20 crore."

Currently, the validity of the DEPB is for 12 months from the date of its issuance for both imports and exports. According to exporters, the 12-month period for DEPB is too short in cases of a disturbance in the exporting country from where the raw material is to be procurred and other unforseeable reasons.

Lakhanpal also assured the FIEO that he would look into various options to increase the number of SILs in the market. The assurance was given after complaints were raised by a number of export houses on the shortage of SILS.

They pointed out that earlier SILs could be obtained only by the export-import houses, but now they can be obtained by all business firms. Hence, there is a severe shortage. Dyes and fixtures would be treated as capital goods, Lakhanpal assured.

About the new drawback shcedule which came into force on September 2, SP Shrivastava, the joint secretary drawback in the Central Board of Excise and Customs, announced that besides including six new items including surgical blades, heat resistence rubber, non-computing registers, electrical motor and tennis rackets in the schedule, drawback rates for 219 items have been upwardly revised.

Among the significant items among these are readymade garments, leather, dyestuff, chemicals, engineering products, auto parts like gaskets, handi crafts including those made of brass and cycle parts.

Similarly, the rates have been decreased for 290 products, which include electronic items, computer software and plastic. For 238 items, the rates have remained unchanged. Shrivastav said on handloom products, rates have been revised upwards and the description has been revised to include all varieties of made-up articles which will enable exporters to earn drawback on any article including new varities which are in demand in the international market.

Ramu Deora, the FIEO chairman, claimed that the momentum in exports has started picking up and the export growth during July was 7.71 per cent and in August it may touch 12 per cent. Others who were present at the open house included BK Bakshi, chief commissioner of customs; Gopi Nath Sarangi, chief commissioner of central excise; Subrat Ratho, joint DGFT-Mumbai; HR Khan, general manager at Reserve Bank of India; among others.