States to get more funds to plan export growth

In a bid to encourage states to fully participate in export promotion, the Centre on Monday assured more funds to them for infrastructure development and creation of state-level export promotion industrial zones.

The allocation to states, done on the basis of the twin criteria of gross exports and the rate of growth of exports, could be used by them for the development of roads connecting production centres with ports, setting up of inland container depots and container freight stations.

The amount could also be used for the creation of new state-level export promotion industrial parks and zones, augmenting common facilities in the existing zones, equity participation in infrastructure projects and other activities as notified by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

The Centre would extend financial assistance to the states for their Market Access Initiatives, setting up of business centres in Indian missions abroad, inland freight subsidies for units in North East and Jammu and Kashmir and transport subsidies for select agri products.

The MAI would also include small scale industries and handicraft sectors in states.  

Under the MAI initiatives, the Centre has proposed to levy charges for product registration abroad for pharmaceuticals, bio-technology and agro chemicals and testing charges for engineering products.