While presenting the charter, Mr Arun Khanna, president, TEMA, said that the domestic telecom equipment industry is at a disadvantage due to the "non-existence of a duty differential between imports vis-a-vis domestic manufacturing, resulting in an unviable situation for local production." Added to this, is the slump in export vis-a-vis a huge growth in imports. If the same continues, many local manufacturers will have no option but to close shop and start trading, he cautioned.

The charter included demands for rebate/incentive in tariffs for R&D investments in telecom and for creation of a Telecom Export Promotion Council.

The telecom manufacturers have also demanded that the tariff structure be fair to indigenous industry. They also want "IT status" to be conferred on the telecom industry for sales tax and the "C" form facility to be extended to the newly-corporatised BSNL for allowing concessional sales tax to its suppliers.

The TEMA officials requested the Government to make a proper assessment of its WTO commitments of abolishing import duties by 2003 and to give incentives to operators who use locally-designed equipment.

Meanwhile, Dr DPS Seth, chairman and managing director, BSNL, said that the corporation will take the apprehensions of the local equipment manufacturers into account and will make sure that they are not at a disadvantage vis-a-vis the companies importing finished goods.

ATEMA on the Net
TEMA plans to launch its Website, which, according to Mr Arun Khanna, president, TEMA, will be a one-stop platform for National Telecom Scenario and would have hyper links to various ministries, related government bodies, trade associations and members of TEMA. It also plans to soon release a TEMA directory, which would have an electronic version available in a CD-ROM as well as a printed directory.