Question : Benefits from RoSTCL and MEIS

(a) the details of the implementation of the tax benefits and refunds owed or given to garment manufacturers or exporters under the Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSTCL) and the Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS) in the last year; and
(b) considering that retrospective withdrawal of the MEIS scheme might bring considerable hardship to the garment export sector, whether the Government will consider reviewing such withdrawal or at least extending the benefits in the short run and if not, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(a) Pursuant to the Ministry of Textiles notification dated 14.01.2020, a special one-time additional ad-hoc incentive of upto 1% of Free On Board (FoB) value is being provided for those exports of apparel and made-ups which may receive lesser benefits under Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) as against Rebate of State Levies (RoSL) plus Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS). As per the notification, MEIS also stands withdrawn from 07.03.2019 for apparel and made-ups. In order to implement the above notification, the online module through which the exporters can file RoSCTL and 1% Additional adhoc incentive claims has been operationalized on 20.02.2020. The complete details of the refunds under RoSCTL and additional adhoc incentives would be available once all applications for the export period 07.03.2019 to 31.12.2019 are received, the last date for which is 30.06.2020.

(b) Any review of withdrawal of MEIS or to extend MEIS benefits in the short run for the apparel and made-ups sector is not being considered at present, as an additional 1% adhoc incentive has already been provided. Further, RoSCTL scheme, which provides benefits comparable to RoSL plus MEIS, and being compatible with World Trade Organization (WTO) provisions, has also been operationalized, thereby providing support to these sectors.
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