With an aim to simplify procedures for exporters and importers besides providing incentives to boost outbound shipments, the commerce ministry will soon come out with a new foreign trade policy. The new policy is likely to be announced by September-end or early-October. The ministry is giving final touches to the new policy as the validity for the old one will end on March 31, 2020. The new foreign trade policy will provide guideline and incentives for increasing exports, for the next five financial years 2020-25.
The ministry's arm directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) is formulating the policy. At present, tax benefits are provided under merchandise export from India scheme (MEIS) for goods and services export from India scheme (SEIS). In the new policy, changes are expected in the incentives given to goods as the current export promotion schemes are challenged by the US in the dispute resolution mechanism of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
In this backdrop, the government is recasting the incentives to make them compliant with global trade rules, being formulated by Geneva-based WTO, a 164 member Geneva-based multilateral body. The commerce ministry has also floated a cabinet note for a new export incentives scheme -- Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) -- that would be compliant with the WTO norms. The new scheme would replace the existing MEIS, which was challenged by the US last year in the WTO. It would ensure refund of all un-rebated central and state levies and taxes imposed on inputs that are consumed in exports of all sectors.
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