Shourie favours follow-up cells, continuance of DEPB incentive

NEW DELHI :Asserting the government''s commitment to boost exports, Commerce and Industry Minister Arun Shourie on Wednesday favoured continuation of export incentives like DEPB but said exporters must come out with comprehensive suggestions to overcome delays in export procedures.
"We are with you in continuance of DEPB (Duty Entitlement Passbook Scheme). The issue has been examined by experts in the ministry who have concluded that it is WTO compatible. We have conveyed this view to the Kelkar committee," he said.
In his first interaction with representatives from the commodity boards and export promotion councils in the run-up to the Budget and the Exim policy, Shourie assured exporters that the ministry would press for continuation of DEPB with the Finance Ministry but said a "Guru Mantra" was needed to solve bottlenecks and delays.
"In our next interaction I wish to request the exporters to come up with a comprehensive suggestion, a sort of Guru Mantra to resolve bottlenecks," he said.
Stating that government had already announced in Parliament its intention to reduce time lag in policy announcements and subsequent notifications, Shourie said there was a need to set up a follow-up or an implementation cell within the Commerce Ministry to ensure speedy implementation of policy announcements.
Henceforth, the ministry will come out with draft notification of any policy amendments so as to reduce the possibility of another ministry interpreting the changes in a different manner, he said, adding that delayed notifications particularly those relating to Special Economic Zones would be issued soon.