State’s present level of exports is Rs 11,448 cr
The State Government has initiated steps to evolve an Odisha Export Policy to boost the State’s export turnover. A high-level meeting to this effect was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra on Monday.
Reviewing the draft policy with inputs from different quarters, the Chief Secretary wanted to make the policy action-based and outcome-oriented. He directed the department to make a sector-wise need assessment to promote exports and set specific goals in each sector along with timelines.
The policy aims at a sustainable growth of 10 per cent per annum in the State’s export performance from the present level of Rs 11,448 crore. The proposed strategy is B2B exchange, a high-level clearance authority, district-level export promotion committees along with financial and nonfinancial supports.
Incentives like exporter’s green card for seamless passage of export consignments, raw material linkage, export credit, export development assistance scheme, exposure visit of entrepreneur delegations, organisation of buyers’ and sellers’ meet and infrastructural development have been outlined in the policy.
The State has vast export potential in minerals and metallurgical products, engineering and chemicals and allied products, marine products, electronics and software, agricultural products, handloom, textiles and handicrafts and tourism products.
The export of goods during 2012-13 was to the tune of Rs 11,448.48 crore as per the available provisional figures. The highest export was recorded in metallurgical products to the tune of Rs 5,382.60 crore followed by minerals Rs 2,427.56 crore and electronics and software Rs 2,169.94 crore. The marine products export also increased to Rs 747.30 crore. There are about 29 Export House status-holder units and 15 100% export-oriented units operating in the State.
Additional Chief Secretary Finance UN Behera, Principal Secretary Agriculture Rajesh Verma, Secretary Steel & Mines Gudey Srinivas, Secretary Cooperation Bishnupada Sethi, Secretary Industries Vishal Dev, Secretary MSME Panchanana Dash and Director Export Promotion participated in deliberations.