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Shri Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Commerce& Industry, will be Chairman of the Inter State Trade Council, according to a notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, dated 24th June, 2005, which states that it has been decided to constitute the Council with immediate effect in order to ensure a continuous dialogue with State Governments and Union Territories on international trade. The Inter-State Trade Council would advise the Government on measures for providing an international trade enabling environment in the States and to create a framework for making States partners in India’s international trade and export effort to achieve the objective of boosting India’s exports.
The composition of the Inter-State Trade Council headed by Commerce & Industry Minister as Chairman, will be as follows: Chief Ministers of the States or State Cabinet Ministers nominated by Chief Ministers; Lt. Governors/ or Administrators of the Union Territories or their nominees; Secretaries to Government of India: (i) Secretary, Department of Commerce; (ii) Secretary, Department of Revenue; (iii) Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs; (iv) Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion; (v) Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation; (vi) Secretary, Department of Shipping; (vii) Secretary, Department of Road Transport and Highways; and (viii) Secretary, Ministry of Power; Chairman, Railway Board; Director General of Foreign Trade-Member Secretary; Co-opted Members: (i) Chairman & Managing Director, Export Credit Guarantee Corporation; (ii) Managing Director, EXIM Bank; (iii) Dy. Governor, Reserve Bank of India; (iv) Chairman, Agricultural and Processed Food Products, Exports Development Authority (APEDA); (v) Chairman, Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA); (vi) President, CII; (vii) President, FICCI; (viii) President, FIEO; (ix) President, ASSOCHAM; and(x) President of the Export Promotion Council for EOUs/SEZs.
The terms of reference of the Inter-State Trade Council would be: (i) To identify impediments that affect exports adversely; (ii) To evolve uniform practices across different States in respect of trade facilitation; (iii) To identify issues relating to State Governments in regard to WTO capacity building, infrastructure development and creating an overall supportive Policy and fiscal environment for international trade; (iv) To create a framework for making States partners in India’s export effort; (v) To commission studies in furtherance of the above objectives; and (vi) Any other related issue.
The Inter-State Trade Council will be a permanent Advisory Body, which will meet at least once every six months and make recommendations to Government on issues pertaining to its terms of reference. The Council will have the power to set up sub-committees and to co-opt experts to these, to make recommendations on specific sectors and issues relating to international trade facilitation.
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