Source: PIB
In order to convert each district into an export hub, the Finance Minister in her Budget 2020-21 speech said that each district should develop as an export hub.
Key updates of the progress of DEP
- The Ministry of Commerce and Industry through Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has been engaging with States/ UTs to initiate preparation and implementation of a District Export Plan (DEP) specific to each district in every State/ UT through an institutional structure at the district level.
- The institutional structure set up at the district level for implementation of the District Export Plan will be headed by the Chief/ District Development Officer with other relevant District Level Officers as members.
- The DGFT is also developing a portal that may be accessed on the DGFT website to enable the States to upload all information related to the products with the export potential of every district.
- Department of Commerce has mandated the Regional Authorities (RAs) of DGFT to work with the State Governments and District Level Officers including GM-DIC, Lead Bank Managers to promote each district as an export hub.
- The DGFT RAs will act as a facilitator in promoting each district as an export hub State/ UTs Government will be assisted in preparing an annual “Export Ranking Index” of different districts in a particular State/ UT to rank each district on its export competitiveness.
- Nine States/ UTs have notified the constitution of a State Level Export Promotion Committee (SLEPC). The States/ UTs that have notified the constitution of the SLEPC are Delhi, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura, Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat.
What all the District Export Plan will include?
- The District Export Plan will include the support required by the local industry in boosting their manufacturing and exports with impetus on supporting the industry from the production stage to the exporting stage. Informative material on various incentives provided by the Government of India and the respective State Government of exporters will be disseminated to the industry and other potential exporters.
- The DEP will also include strategy to enhance logistics and infrastructure at the district level and better utilization of the Market Access Initiative (MAI) Scheme of the Department of Commerce for inviting foreign buyers under reverse buyer-seller meets at the district level, suitably gathering district level commodity and services exports data including through GSTN and Customs ICEGATE System and publishing District Export Matrix for each district on a quarterly basis by the State Government.
- Relevant budgetary support to the DGFT RAs will be provided to make outreach at the district level and prepare DEP.
- The plan will be specific to each district.
