Government to withdraw popular DEPB tax scheme for exporters

19 May 2011 Evaluate

The Indian Government has decided to withdraw the Duty Entitlement Pass Book (DEPB) scheme for exporters on 30th June. The Ministry of Finance believes that the Indian Export Industry is performing well and now it doesn’t need this incentive. The revenue department too was opposed for another lifeline for the 14-yearold scheme. Apart from citing large leakages, the revenue department has repeatedly cited the scheme's incompatibility with the World Trade Organization guidelines to argue for its discontinuation.

The Disinvestment Secretary Sunil Mitra said “the government faced an estimated annual loss of Rs 80 billion ($1.77 billion) from the DEPB, which began in 1997.

Duty Entitlement Pass Book Scheme is an export incentive scheme, notified on April 1, 1997, the DEPB Scheme consisted of (a) Post-export DEPB and (b) Pre-export DEPB. Though, the pre-export DEPB scheme was abolished with effect from April 1, 2000 the post scheme continued. Under the post DEPB scheme government reimburses about $ 1.77 billion a year to exporters on paid taxes on imported supplies. Exporters get refunds of duties on import content of their export products under which they have been given several extensions. DEPB is the fifth most popular tax neutralization scheme with total benefits estimated at over Rs 8,500 crore in 2010-11.The scheme is the most popular among exporters, particularly in the engineering and automobiles sectors. However the tax refund mechanism was considered to be non-compliant with the World Trade Organization rules.

Though in the past, the commerce ministry had said that it was working on a revised scheme, it has failed to put in place the new mechanism. Hence the finance ministry has little choice as it had failed to roll out the much awaited goods & services tax (GST) regime. Industrial bodies and experts feel the withdrawal of the tax incentive scheme will make Indian exporters uncompetitive in international markets, Indian exporters would require time an capital to develop new products, marketing strategies and refocus on emerging markets to sustain exports at present pace. Federation of Indian Export Organizations said the policies adopted by the government would result in overall exports falling below the $200 billion mark compared to nearly $250 billion in 2010-11.

As per the Ramu Deora, President of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO), “If government reimbursed taxes under the drawback schemes, then the Indian exporters will get some relief”. 

 

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