Budget 2010 : Garments Exporters Association (GEA) expectations from Budget 2010
An apex body of garments exporters called for an overall reduction in interest rates and corporate tax rates, besides removal of anomalies in excise and custom duties to reverse the recent slowdown in garment export industry. As the international market, which was already highly competitive, has become more tough, GEA in its Pre-Budget recommendations has requested the Government to reduce the transaction cost and grant necessary fiscal and commercial relief for the garment sector of the Textile Industry to enable it to face increasing international competition.
According to Mr.Rakesh Vaid, President, Garments Exporters Association (GEA), the basic objective of the budget should be to make exports competitive as well as profitable. The wish-list of GEA from the Budget is that following GEA Pre-Budget recommendations would receive due consideration of the Finance Minister while finalizing the Budget proposals:-
Garments Exporters Association (GEA) Pre-Budget Recommendations:-
1. To hike duty drawback rates by 5 per cent by increasing the scope and coverage of duty drawback scheme so as to ensure full reimbursement of excise duties, custom duties, service tax, education cess and various state level taxes.
2. To provide adequate and need-based funds to exporters at reasonable rates of interest which should not exceed 7 per cent as applicable to agriculture sector and restore 4 per cent interest rate subvention on export credit.
3. To restore 100% exemption to export earnings under Section 80 HHC of Income Tax Act atleast for the next five years.
4. In view of acute power shortage, Government should encourage captive power generation by providing diesel at International prices and exempted from Excise Duty and Local Levies.
5. To exempt from Service Tax all the export related services to avoid blockage of capital of exporters, as the procedure for refund is time-consuming, resulting in unnecessary delays and harassment.
6. GEA would like the Government to implement GST (Goods & Service Tax), at the earliest.
7. Apart from taxation relief, GEA would expect the Government to reduce the transaction cost by simplifying administrative procedures by avoiding delays at customs clearance of goods; improving loading and unloading of cargo and infrastructure at ports to avoid congestion at various ports.
8. Import duty on manmade fibres to be reduced to zero, so that the garment exporters can get cheaper manmade fabrics available in the country for manufacture and export garments at more competitive prices.
9. The Government should also arrange refund of State Levies on exports, amounting to 6% of f.o.b. value.
10. The Custom duty on import of textiles machinery, accessories and fabrics should be abolished allowing free import at nil rate.
Mr. Vaid has pointed out that that the withdrawal of certain tax exemptions and fiscal benefits earlier granted by the Ministry of Finance have already adversely affected the export performance and reduced competitiveness of Indian garment exporters in international market. The Garment Exporters are still facing crisis because of worldwide recession and low unit value realization from the overseas market and it would take some more time for the world economy and the apparel trade to revive the worst ever global slowdown which started during 2007-08 and intensified to a crisis in 2008-09.
Mr.Vaid pointed out that GEA has already drawn the attention of the concerned authorities regarding difficulties being faced by Garments Exporters because of global economic slowdown, adverse fiscal and commercial policies of the Government of India and withdrawal of some of the export sops which were earlier granted to exporters.
According to Mr.Vaid each of the concessions that the apparel exporters have been asking for are extremely well-based. Most of the concessions that they are asking for are what their counterparts in the competing economies like Pakistan and China are already getting. The point that should have been given the deserving consideration by the Government was : how to enable our exporters to compete in the world market by providing them with level playing field without which nothing can be helpful to our exporters, who are not only earning foreign exchange, but also creating and maintain a lot of employment and contributing to GDP.
Mr.Vaid pointed out that Indian Economy is passing through a critical phase of uncertainty, transition and restructuring. It continued to be under severe strain because of demand recession and declining trend in industrial production and exports. He pointed out that increasing input cost, tight credit policy and high interest rate, severe liquidity crunch, rigid and outdated labour laws, poor infrastructure and high transaction cost which still goes on increasing, high power cost and frequent power cuts have caused a setback to Industrial Production and Exports. The recent steep hike in fabric prices have also affected the competitive strength and performance of Indian Apparel Industry.
Mr.Rakesh Vaid pointed out that stimulus packages and other steps announced so far have had very negligible impact on the Indian apparel Industry, as they were either release of with held benefits or restoring withdrawn earlier.
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