Hindustan Lever Ltd's general manager (exports) Robin Banerjee says he is grossly disappointed with the Exim Policy . He raises question mark on four `big ticket' items that stand out. One, what's happened to the Special Import Licences (SILs)? SILs are important only if there is demand for imported goods-either under OGL or otherwise. Forced by the WTO requirements and under liberalisation the list of goods that can be imported under SIL is shrinking each year, thereby minimising the need for the imports through SIL route. This has lowered the SIL premiums across the board.We don't need to go with the WTO at least till 2003, then why the hurry in lowering the import duties, or expand the OGL list. Both, the government and the exporters will have to pay for this. There is a three-year period to phase out SILs, then why the hurry.
Second, why are deemed exports not considered at par with physical exports for getting export benefits. Unless we promote deemed exports, we are not helping the growth ofoverall exports and thereby the industrialisation of the country.
Three, 5 per cent SIL on branded products is too small a benefit available to the exporters. This will not help boost exports of branded products and we have not addressed this vital issue. Time is running out and the world is not going to wait for us to catch up with it. Four, the local DGFT has no authority on deciding the input/output norms and therefore, cannot issue export licence. This is no decentralisation, for we cannot go running each time to Delhi for deciding on this issue.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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