Exporters
Meet for Ghazals and Eats at FICCI on Saturday Evening
Delhi
Exporters Association President Remembers Founder President Late S.P. Agarwal
Speech by Mr. Tilak Raj Manaktala on 29 March 2014
I welcome you all on the occasion of this Social Event
which is annually organized by Delhi Exporters Association.
Delhi Exporters Association, infact
is synonymous with the name of late S.P. Agarwal, our
Founder President for more than 4 decades; every year elected unanimously
because of the dedicated selfless service rendered to the exporting fraternity.
DEA members will always remember him and infact is with us at every stage.
DEA was founded at the time when the merchandise
export was at its infancy and Indian exporters by and large in that category
were new to the world market. Tiny and small exporters in that segment needed
every kind of support which DEA provided and played a major role in motivating
and guiding small and tiny enterprises; who as on today form the backbone of
the merchandise export and provide employment to the large number of both
skilled and unskilled.
The underline focus of DEA, has always been
simplification of procedures and documentation and reduce the transaction cost
which otherwise in India, is one of the highest in the world; resulting into
the Indian exports being uncompetitive. With the supporting role adopted, DEA
had taken many innovative initiatives such as, setting up of ‘May I Help You’
counters at strategic points of interaction, at the Customs, DGFT and above all
at Pragati Maidan.
Another, off shoot of DEA has been
constituting the Frankfurt Indian Exhibitors Association, for
collectively bargaining the economic airfares and hotel rates for the Indian
exhibitors in Germany: Another supporting step.
DEA is well known for its activities, like yearly Drawback
Refund & VAT Refund Drives; besides being a trade spokesman at the various
FOR A including Public Grievance Committees: Of utmost importance being
representing the trade at the various Transaction Cost Committees, constituted
by the administration in which valuable suggestions have been made from time to
time and most of them accepted and implemented.
The prominent achievement, being the Core Banking
Solution; whereby the drawback gets transferred into exporters Core Bank
without any hassle and without any cost: The big saving in time and money.
DEA has been tirelessly pleading with the
administration for timely release of refunds, particularly, Drawback, VAT,
Service Tax etc. Delays infact prove
counterproductive. I hope administration will cooperate as usual.
I would like to mention that, Indian exporter is just
like Honey Bee flying frequently across globe at his own risk and collecting
the nectar (Foreign Exchange) bit by bit and depositing it back home into
country’s forex kitty, the exporter needs support
like that tiny insect. Again the Indian exporter is vulnerable to
·
Political
turbulences;
·
Economic
uncertainty;
·
Regulatory
changes; besides natural cause.
This can be equated to the vulnerability of the
agriculture sector exposed to the vagaries of weather and other natural causes.
The agriculture sector has the support of the State by
exempting the income out of agricultural produce besides granting various
subsidies; whereas the exports no longer enjoy any fiscal benefit except 2%
subsidized rate of interest. It is once again suggested that the exports be
recognized as priority sector and benefits available thereto be extended to it,
particularly the financial aspects.
The export sector deserves similar Tax breaks or
support within the WTO ambit.