Vizag, Bhimavaram to be developed as sea food export centres

VIJAYAWADA: Government will develop Visakhapatnam and Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh as centres of excellence in sea food and aqua exports, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today.

The two places would be transformed as best shrimp export centres in the coming 20 years, the minster told reporters here on the sidelines of the BJP's 36th formation day celebration here.

Speaking on the trade policy, she said that it was announced only after consulting all stakeholders.

The policy is meant for five years and it would be reviewed after two-and-a-half years.

The government does not want to disturb the exporters by revising the trade policy frequently, she said adding that most of the exporters need a long-term policy and the government followed their suggestions.

The government had last week announced a slew of incentives and new institutional mechanisms as part of the new Foreign Trade Policy to nearly double country's goods and services exports to USD 900 billion by 2019-2020.

Unveiling the much-delayed five-year FTP (2015-2020), Sitharaman had said that the policy is being aligned with the government's key programmes like Make in India and Digital India to boost manufacturing, job creation and to improve ease of doing business.