Goyal meets export promotion councils to seek inputs for foreign trade policy

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met export promotion councils (EPCs), exporters body FIEO and commodity boards to seek inputs for the foreign trade policy and steps that can be taken to boost India's outward shipments. The EPCs also gave their views on India's free trade agreements and preferential trade agreements with other countries especially, ASEAN members, during the five-hour long meeting held on Thursday, the commerce and industry ministry said in a statement.

Pre-Budget inputs from EPCs were also taken so that they may be sent to the finance ministry, it added. The problem of exporters identified as "risky exporters" by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) was taken up and the minister directed that a nodal officer be appointed in the office of Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

The government had recently identified over 5,000 'risky exporters' who had claimed GST refunds based on bogus invoices. Goyal urged the Councils to send by December 31, 2019 a list of those identified as 'risky exporters' to the nodal officer in DGFT so that this issue may be taken up with the finance ministry.

The minister also asked the EPCs to study the non-tariff barriers (NTB) being faced by them while exporting to other countries so that a study maybe done to look at these NTBs. It was also decided by the minister, in concurrence with all EPCs and Boards, that another meeting will be held after the Budget in February to review the tasks achieved and those still pending that were discussed in this meeting.