(a) whether any measures are being taken by the Government to boost export infrastructure along coastal region in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the procedural aspects related to exporting goods are in line with the best global practices and the time taken in this regard globally;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) if not, whether there are any plans to reduce the time taken with respect to procedural aspects of exporting?
THE MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)
(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 353 FOR ANSWER ON 18thMARCH, 2020 REGARDING “COASTAL EXPORT INFRASTRUCTURE”.
(a) & (b) : Government of India has many sector specific schemes to boost infrastructure including that in coastal regions of the country. Some of the flagship schemes are mentioned below:
SAGARMALA PROGRAMME-
The Sagarmala Programme is focusing on the following:
a) Port Modernization & New Port Development: De-bottlenecking and capacity expansion of existing ports and development of new greenfield ports.
b) Port Connectivity Enhancement: Enhancing the connectivity of the ports to the hinterland, optimizing cost and time of cargo movement through multi-modal logistics solutions including domestic waterways (inland water transport and coastal shipping).
c) Port-linked Industrialization: Developing port-proximate industrial clusters and Coastal Economic Zones to reduce logistics cost and time of EXIM and domestic cargo.
d) Coastal Community Development: Promoting sustainable development of coastal communities through skill development & livelihood generation activities, fisheries development, coastal tourism etc.
BHARATMALA PARIYOJANA
Under the Bharatmala Pariyojana (Phase–I) of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, development of about 9,000 kms of Economic corridors, about 6,000 kms of Inter-corridor and feeder roads, about 5,000 kms of National Corridors Efficiency improvements, about 2,000 kms of Border and International connectivity roads, about 2,000 kms of Coastal and port connectivity roads, about 800 kms of Expressways and about 10,000 kms of roads under National Highways Development Project (NHDP), has been taken up. Six road projects with an aggregate length of about 168 kms at a cost of about Rs. 1842 Crores have been awarded under Coastal and port connectivity roads component of the Bharatmala Pariyojana upto February, 2020.
(c), (d) & (e) : India`s latest ranking on Trading Across Border has risen from 133rd in 2016 to 68th in 2020 as per the Ease of Doing Business, 2020 Report of the World Bank. As per this report, time taken for border compliance for exports and imports improved significantly during this period.
The port operation procedures for export of goods are in line with the best global practices with simple, user friendly port formalities. Some of the improved practices and technologies adopted at important Ports including Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT), Navi Mumbai, which is handling the highest volume of EXIM containers, is attached as Annexure I.
Internal linkages among Indian Customs Electronic Gateway (ICEGATE), Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and other systems has enabled customs clearances to be processed online.
India is also a signatory to the Agreement on Trade Facilitation, which inter alia includes formalities connected with importation, exportation and Transit.
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ANNEXURE I
Annexure-I referred to in reply to Parts (c), (d) and (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 353 raised by Shri Pinaki Misra to be answered on 18-03-2020 regarding Coastal Export Infrastructure
IMPROVED PRACTICES AND TECHNOLOGIES ADOPTED BY IN IMPORTANT PORTS.
1. Direct Port Entry (DPE) –
The Direct Port Entry (DPE) is the facility created for exporters to bring in the export containers directly to port instead of routing it through CFS wherein they used to get customs approval and then used to proceed to terminal gates. Measures which were taken with Customs to facilitate DPE are like Creation of Customs Processing Zones & Development of centralized Parking Plaza.
2. Container Scanners –
8 Container Scanners have been installed not only at Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT), but also at Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT), Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT), Kamarajar Port Limited (KPL), New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) and Paradip Port Trust (PPT), for faster scanning of EXIM containers to reduce port’s Dwell Time.
3. Port Community System (PCS) –
A centralized web-based Port Community System has been operationalized across all Major Ports which enables seamless information flow between the various stakeholders through a common interface.
4. Elimination of Manual Forms –
Manual forms used for access to terminals have in some ports been replaced by Web based e -forms. This has cut down the waiting time for container at the port gate and enabled faster evacuation of cargo and reduced congestion at the port gates.
5. Development of Centralized Parking Plaza at JNPT –
The JNPT is developing a Centralized Parking Plaza to provide parking facility for trucks carrying export containers and enable completing pre-gate entry formalities and documentation for export thereby decongesting the JNPT roads.
6. New e-Rubber Tyre Gantry Cranes (RTGCs) –
JNPT has commissioned 15 new e-Rubber Tyre Gantry Cranes (RTGCs) to improve export efficiency & faster loading operation, that has increased the productivity of stacking containers.
7. Common Rail Yard to handle DFC rakes –
JNPT has already undertaken infrastructure work for modifications of Common Rail Yard to handle DFC rakes.
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