Bengal's maiden export policy comes next week

KOLKATA: In the wake of the Centre's new exim policy, West Bengal industry minister Nirupam Sen will announce the state's first export promotion policy at a summit organised by the CII in Kolkata on June 3. Aimed at promoting exports from eastern India, the summit will be attended by Union industry secretary Deepak Chatterjee, director-general of foreign trade L.Mansingh and commercial representatives from Indian embassies in North African and West Asian countries and envoys from Russia, Japan and Bangladesh. Both chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Sen are eager to use this opportunity to promote export from West Bengal. "Our policy will supplement the Centre's new exim policy and facilitate export-oriented industries in special economic zones and other upcoming industrial hubs in the state," said state industry secretary Sabyasachi Sen on Wednesday. "We will stress the logistical, location and infrastructural advantage of West Bengal rather than focusing on the financial incentives," he added. The industry secretary further confirmed that representatives from US-based shipping major Peninsular Oriental would meet industry officials and Keventers Agro on June 3 to discuss the construction of a port at Kulpi. The state government wants to speed up the port project, hamstrung by land acquisition and funds crunch, to boost the state's export infrastructure. It has also put pressure on the civil aviation department to declare Bagdogra airport in north Bengal an international airport and ensure its modernisation, claimed officials. The Centre has already sanctioned five agro-export zones in the state to promote the export of fruits and processed fruit products. The state is eager to promote export of IT software, processed food, agrobased goods, leather and jute products, value-added gems, iron and steel and minerals. The industry secretary said the Centre had decided to convert the export processing zone at Falta into a special economic zone and declare the Manikanchan gem park at Salt Lake as the first STZ in the state. "We will try our best to streamline rules and declare the units there as public utility service to ensure uninterrupted activity. One window service will be provided to the exporters," he assured.