WASHINGTON: Odisha government is likely to pitch before the Union commerce ministry for providing container handling facility at the ports in the state to boost exports. Despite having three operationalised ports at Paradip, Gopalpur and Dhamra, the exporters are compelled to ship their containerized cargo from ports like Vizag, Kolkata, and Haldia.
“The transportation cost is adding to the woes of the exporters from Odisha compared to the exporters of neighbouring states. We will raise this issue before Rita Teaotia, Union commerce secretary, at a meeting scheduled on Thursday”, said a state government official.
Appointment of export commissioner will be a key agenda in the meeting with the central government official as the state government is yet to make a formal announcement in this regard. The Narendra Modi government is stressing on appointment of export commissioners at state level to look after the promotion of exports. In Odisha, the export promotion activity is now looked after by the Director of Export Promotion and Marketing.
At present, the export promotion wing in the state is manned by only one person. The appointment of a commissioner with a separate administrative structure is pivotal as other states have already done so to boost exports from their states, said the official. The other points of discussion with Teaotia may include air cargo complex at Bhubaneswar airport, exemption of import duty on cashew nuts, establishment of testing laboratory by Export Inspection Agency and Marine Products Exports Development Authority and ramification of anti-dumping duty in USA on sea food products from India.
The Biju Patnaik Airport has been declared as international airport but there is no direct linkage to overseas countries as a result of which the exportable products like handicraft, agro and processed food items, handloom products are not being sent out from Odisha. The Union government must take necessary steps to set up an air cargo complex at Bhubaneswar airport and start direct air linkage to the South East Asian countries which are potential destination for Odisha products, added the official.
