PM to form high power Task Force to solve export(er’s) problems
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh informed exporters of his decision to form a Task Force comprising representatives from the Commerce Ministry, Finance Ministry and the Planning Commission to address recurring grievances of the exporting community. While he expressed his inability to sort out overnight their problems relating to high transaction cost, interest cost and energy cost, he would expect the Task Force to review the issues relating to the exports every quarter. The exporters wanted exemption from Service Tax for courier services, customs house agents, steamer agents, clearing and forwarding agents, air travel agents, market research agencies, underwriters, telex services, airport services, business exhibition services and forward contract services. They also brought to his notice that 90 per cent of the global trade is carried out by sea and so port facilities had to be improved as in China where they had the ''integrated clearance system'' which provides for a five plus two days rule for all cargo clearances and declaring Shanghai a ''sleepless port''. The Indian exporters also wanted similar sleepless ports where export consignments can be expedited with the help of the introduction of large scale container scanning equipment and round the clock supervision.