MUMBAI, May 1: The ministry of commerce has asked the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and trade to come together and implement the electronic data interchange (EDI) by October, 1998. This deadline was set by additional secretary, ministry of commerce, Bhupendra Misra, on Thursday. He was here to chair the biannual meeting of the Standing Committee for Promotion of Exports (Scope) by sea. Misra is also chairman of the Standing Committee for Promotion of Exports by Air.The two committees under the aegis of the commerce ministry function as think-tanks and help the government frame its policies.
Addressing the meeting, Misra lamented that India was already a year behind in implementing the EDI. Any delay in introducing EDI (which entails paperless trading) would result in additional cost and hit exports and imports to the European union.
Scope also emphasised the need for integrated movement of cargo and documentation. Misra said that the government has decided to constitute a four-membercommittee which will go into the logistics of movement of goods from factories to ports. The committee is likely to be headed by S Sunder, former secretary, ministry of surface transport.
According to the secretary, Western India Shippers Association (WISA), SRL Narasimhan, the government should reduce the number of forms required to be filled by the exporter.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
