SEEPZ has $30 billion export potential, needs complete makeover: Union Min Piyush Goyal

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Friday marked his presence at the Santacruz Electronics Export Procession Zone (SEEPZ) in Mumbai as part of "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Saptah" being commemorated by the Ministry. Goyal emphasised that SEEPZ, that was established in 1973, primarily to promote electronics production in India, needs a complete transformation.

"Let us aim for transformational change and not incremental change. Let us bring back the vibrancy into SEEPZ like the earlier years," Goyal said as he addressed exporters and trade partners.

"I am confident that with everyone's cooperation, SEEPZ can be made modern and world-class. We can think of a public-private partnership scheme whereby industry units who revamp their properties can be given exemption from rent revision for 10 years," the Minister of Commerce and Industry said.

Goyal urges exporters to decide to revamp SEEPZ   

The Minister also urged the exporters based at SEEPZ to collectively decide about making the Common Service Centre operational and revamping the SEEPZ premises, transforming some centres here into an ostentatious state of the art centre for serving customers from overseas.

Goyal suggested that India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) could have a 30.000-40,000 sq. ft. Exhibition Complex at SEEPZ to promote buyer-seller meetings.

Citing the example of the Surat Diamond Bourse, Goyal urged SEEPZ to take help in terms of facilitating the work. He also highlighted the example of the Rs 4000 crore revamping of Pragati Maidan in Delhi. Goyal said that the Centre has already announced 200 crore aid for internal expansion and refurbishment of one of India's Export Processing Zones. 

The Minister added, "We are doing partial de-recognition of SEEPZs, we have liberalised several rules already, and have allowed everyone to be multi-sectoral including SEEPZ. We are also discussing how the SEEPZs can play a more important role in the Domestic Tariff Area(DTA) through an equalisation levy."

Fighting hard for the gem and jewellery industry

Goyal raised hopes said, "We should be targeting at 30 million US dollars export from SEEPZ." He also said that many of the issues raised by exporters, like consent to allow e-commerce seamlessly for artificial jewellery up to 800 dollars, are under the consideration of High Powered Committees. 

He said he is 'fighting hard' for the gem and jewellery sector to get a five per cent duty concession which they are currently charged in the United Arab Emirates, as part of the Early Harvest Agreement. Goyal also asserted that more free trade deals are being settled with the UK, UAE, Australia and the European Union, to try and provide more market access to exporters.

(With inputs from ANI)

Image: PTI