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Shri Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, has assured the exporting community of full support from the government to achieve the new target of US $ 92 billion set by him for the year 2005-06. The Minister was participating in the Export Awards function for 2002-03, organised by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) here this evening where he gave away the FIEO awards to outstanding exporters and supporting agencies. The exporters in turn said that they were fully with the government in the national effort to achieve the multiple objectives of the new Foreign Trade Policy. They welcomed in particular the announcement by the Minister sometime ago which brought relief to a large section of exporting community for keeping in abeyance the Duty Entitlement Pass Book (DEPB) cases reopened by the Income Tax authorities. Shri O.P. Garg, President, FIEO said that “this has been possible only with the active intervention of the Commerce & Industry Minister”.
The Minister awarded Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu awards to those exporters and supporting agencies who have turned in excellent performance in the year 2002-03. He also gave away FIEO’s Lifetime Achievement Awards to Shri Ramu S. Deora, past President, FIEO for his sustained efforts to promote the cause of exports and to Shri Prabhat Kumar, former Cabinet Secretary and former Textile Secretary for his contribution to the cause of export promotion. The Lifetime Achievement Awards are given by FIEO by way of recognition to individuals who contribute substantially to the country’s export effort either at the policy making level or at the trade level. The Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu awards are in the form of Gold, Silver and Bronze Trophies and Certificate of Excellence.
Congratulating the FIEO award winners, the Minister also underlined the critical importance of services exports in bridging the country’s trade gap and assured that the FIEO would play a key role in nurturing and developing the Export Promotion Council for Services which have been recently set up by the government.
Referring to the SEZ Bill, Shri Kamal Nath said that: “the process of broadening and deepening our export base has been marked by a golden milestone yesterday. It gives me a great sense of satisfaction that I have managed to successfully pilot the SEZ Bill in Parliament. It was my objective to have the Bill passed before our government completed one year in office, and in this I have succeeded. I am confident that the new Act will further enhance the export-friendly environment in our country”.
The President, FIEO said that: “the new Policy has poised a challenge which has to be met : that of doubling India’s share in world trade from the present 0.75% or so to more than 1.5% by the year 2009. In other words, exporters will have to deliver exports of the value of more than US $ 175 billion in the year 2009, from the present over US $ 79.59 (2004-2005) billion….. From the exporters’ side, I have the confidence to say that we will match the nation’s expectations if, at the same time, the government can expand and upgrade the needed infrastructure within a time-bound frame. As we all know, infrastructure is the major drawback for our exporter who otherwise have extremely progressive and exporter-friendly trade policy and administration supported by an advanced technological system”.
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SB/MRS
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