Govt to check imports, boost export infra, says Goyal

NEW DELHI: Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday indicated that the government will aggressively check imports, while seeking to boost export infrastructure but suggested that traders should not depend on subsidies and grants to become competitive.
At a joint meeting of the board of trade and the Council of Trade Development & Promotion, Goyal said that the Centre will work with the states on a system of deemed approval for establishments, which currently require annual renewal of licenses. In addition, cluster development for job creating sectors such as rubber and pharma are proposed to be pursued with the states and industry.
The minister also promised to resolve the oft-repeated complaint of lack of cheap credit and speed up customs clearances by installing X-Ray scanners at all major ports. He also said that a new scheme to rebate state and central taxes and levies will be rolled out in three months.
Over a dozen issues were identified that will be addressed over the next few weeks, which included expedited anti-dumping investigations, particularly for products produced by small scale units, an official statement said. Tnn