SME Times News Bureau | 01 Jan, 2020
The Federation of Indian Micro and Small & Medium Enterprises
(FISME) has asked the government to "thoroughly" review the role of
institutions meant to support exports such as Exim Bank and Export Promotion
Councils (EPC).
In its recommendation note for the upcoming Union Budget, the industry body for
MSMEs said that the export support establishments including EPCs and boards
have "abjectly failed in having a nuanced understanding of these emerging
barriers and need complete overhaul".
"The role of export support institutions/EPCs/Exim Bank needs to be thoroughly
reviewed in consultation with the beneficiary group to really help exporters in
changed economic realities," it said.
The budget recommendation also noted that merchandise exports is directly
linked to being competitive in manufacturing, regarding quality and price
matrix, adding that the role of the government's business entities has critical
bearing on manufacturing and export capabilities.
Exporters also need active support of public institutions in surmounting the
non-tariff walls, especially of 'standards' and 'testings', the FISME said.
According to to the federation, a minimum of 50 per cent of market development
funds should be earmarked for MSMEs as half of exports are from this segment.
It also suggested that delay in refund of Goods and Services Tax (GST) to
exporters should be strictly monitored through live dashboards and all public
sector enterprises should be mandated to gear up for exports and develop their
supply base or ancillaries comprising of MSMEs in India by building their capabilities
to boost exports.
On multilateral trade agreements, the organisation said that although they are
"ideal", the movement regarding the deals is "all but
dead". It, however, mentioned that staying out of emerging large Free
Trade Agreements (FTA) such as Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
(RCEP), is not a wise decision.
"India's integration with world trade is deep now and we need to leverage
FTAs to benefit from participation in GVCs. If we don't leverage them right, we
shall end up importing almost everything and that too at higher cost. While
being open to FTAs, FISME stresses that there has to be parity between
'external liberalization' through FTAs and internal reforms'."
It also suggested that industrial inputs such as steel, copper, aluminium,
polymer and plastic raw materials should attract lower duties and should be
part of early harvest during period of implementation and an agenda of
corresponding internal liberalisation needs to be discussed, agreed upon and
implemented in a time bound manner as FTAs are implemented.