A growth-oriented budget for handicrafts sector, EPCH Chairman

28 Feb '11

2 min read

Welcoming the Union Budget 2011-12 announced by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee here, Mr. Raj Kumar Malhotra, Chairman, Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) termed the Budget as growth-oriented with a vision for achieving higher growth, better infrastructure, focus on agriculture and an overall push for the ongoing reforms.

In his reaction, Mr. Malhotra said that the handicrafts sector has been given recognition in the Union Budget with the following initiatives being taken for the sector:

-- Inclusion of Jodhpur for the development of a handicraft mega cluster. Since Jodhpur is one of the major handicrafts clusters, this initiative would help increase the production and exports of wooden handicrafts and other allied products from the region.

-- Reduction in basic customs duty on bamboo for agarbatti from 30 per cent to 10 per cent. It is an important incentive for the agarbatti exporters since this would reduce the input cost for the exporters.

-- In order to quicken the clearance of the cargo by Customs authorities and further modernize the customs administration, a self assessment by the importer and exporters while filing their declaration in the EDI system has been introduced.

EPCH Chairman further said that “I am hopeful that such an initiative would help the exporters in a big way and the Council, in totality, is satisfied with this growth-oriented Budget which focuses on the long term competiveness of economy and exports.”

Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts

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