Udaipur : The Udaipur Chamber of Commerce & Industry has submitted a detailed proposal to the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and State Government for the development of an Export Hub in Udaipur. ” Udaipur is a gateway to the export of goods from Southern Rajasthan including the nearby districts viz Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Sirohi, Banswara and Dungarpur. The demand for goods from Udaipur is quite consistent in the global market. Items such as Lead & Zinc Metals, Electrical & Electronic Equipments, Fabricated Goods, Plastic Products, HDPE Woven Sacks, Marble & Granite, Soapstone & other Mineral based products, Quartz & other Dimensional Stone Products, Textile, Handicraft etc. etc. are some of the categories which have a high volume of exports” manufacturers and business magnates claimed in the proposal sent to the authorities.
Development of Export Hub in each district has been in pipeline and recently it was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman that such export hubs will be developed soon. Analysing the 3 years export data from the division, UCCI president Ramesh Kumar Singhvi said that an export of more than Rs.6,877/- Crores in F.Y. 2017-18, Rs.5,080/- Crores in F.Y. 2018-19 and Rs.5,930/- Crores in F.Y. 2019-20 was achieved. While this is only the figures recorded in the Certificate of Origin, the actual exports are much more than this, he said.
The Export Plan submitted to the government highlights the need to pay attention to products such as Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, Plastic products, Textile, Handicraft, because they have a great potential in the International Market. ” We understand that the financial year 2020-21 has begun on a disappointing note but we should set aside the worries and focus on recovery. As such government should start with the process of development of Export Hubs, so that exports can push their production and cover the losses” Singhvi suggested.
Chartered Accountant Pawan Talesara, who drafted the export plan proposal said in the quite detailed report, we have given some important policy suggestions for the growth of the exports in all categories. One of the main suggestion is to custom notify the inland container depot at Khemli, so that it can be used as a dry port. Also we have suggested the government that more container depots may be set up for better facilitation.
Among other suggestions include freight subsidy, development of handicraft and stone clusters, notification of Maharana Pratap International Airport for custom clearances, to dispose of the old cases of IGST (integrated goods and service tax) which have been pending for a long time and simplification of export policy for marble.
UCCI has also been demanding the government to classify the Logistics Sector as Industry so that warehouses can be set up on industry land without excess payment of fees. This will also help the exporters and development of cold chain facilities. In the proposal, it has also been suggested that the rate of premium on Export Insurances availed by MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise) be reduced and the banks also give loans to the Exporters without collateral.
An emphasis has been laid on the Technological Upgradation of Stone Processing Units, so that their export products can be rendered with more value addition.Under the “ Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ campaign, a cluster of stone processing nachine manufacturers may also be developed in Udaipur district.