Exports from SEZs continue their sluggish trend due to cuts in tax benefits

28 Apr 2012 Evaluate

Exports from SEZs continued their sluggish trend for yet another year. According to the data by the Export Promotion Council for EOUs and SEZs (EPCES), exports from special economic zones (SEZs) grew by 15% year-on-year to Rs 3.6 lakh crore in 2011-12 compared to last year’s figure of Rs 3.1 lakh crore.

The slowdown in exports from the SEZs is being observed since past two years now. In the year 2010-11, exports grew by 43.1% and in 2009-10 they registered a growth of 121.4%. The year 2009-10 showed a huge increase due to a very low base in 2008-09 after the financial meltdown in US. Anyhow, there is no denying the fact that SEZs have been facing a slowdown with the decline growing steeper with each passing year. Moreover exports from SEZs have also come down as a proportion of total merchandise exports from the country to 26.7% in 2011-12 as compared to nearly 30% in the preceding years.

The steep declines have been attributed to the imposition of Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) on the book profits of SEZ developers, units and the dividend distribution tax (DDT), both of which were levied in the budget 2011-12. These taxes have left the SEZ units with very little tax incentives vis-à-vis non-SEZ units. Now the concerns over DTC have added to their woes. Of late the SEZ developers have been concerned over the deadline for the profit-linked deductions with introduction of the Direct Tax Code (DTC) from April 1, 2013.

The DTC, which is expected to replace existing Indian Income Tax Act 1961, intends to cut tax rates to bring more people and companies under the tax net, phase out profit-linked exemptions for companies and replace them with investment-linked incentives.  SEZ developers are not in favour of the DTC being implemented next year. They are of the opinion that the DTC should not be implemented till 2015 as it will further impact exports and investments.

They have pointed out that imposition of such taxes is not beneficial in case of SEZs because they make SEZs unattractive. Infact the difference in benefits is not much as compared to the promotional benefits available to units outside SEZs. Consequently, no new investment is encouraged and the units that have already got permission become reluctant to start operations.  Hence, the SEZ developers are of the opinion that the government should take some positive policy decisions to make SEZs attractive or it will be very difficult to arrive at the growth rates of the pre-crisis levels.

Government has so far granted 589 approvals for setting up SEZs, out of which, seven are promoted by central government and 12 SEZs have been formulated by different states. However, up to March 31, 2012, only 389 SEZs have been notified and just 153 SEZs are in operation. IT, IT-hardware, petroleum, engineering, leather and garments are the leading exports from the SEZs.

 

 

 

 

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