authorities: Extensive stakeholder consultations wanted to border nationwide e-comm coverage: Govt to Parl

Minister of state for commerce and {industry} Som Parkash mentioned in a written reply to the Lok Sabha {that a} draft e-commerce coverage was positioned in public area on February 23, 2019 for public consultations.

“Options have been acquired from numerous stakeholders. Since e-commerce is an rising and dynamic sector, large stakeholder consultations are required for formulation of Nationwide e-Commerce Coverage,” he mentioned.

The FDI coverage, International Change Administration Act, 1999; Client Safety Act, 2019; Competitors Act, 2002; and Cost and Settlement Methods Act, 2007 are a few of the legislative and coverage measures for streamlining and regulating e-commerce {industry} within the nation.

Provisions of the Competitors Act are relevant in respect of e- commerce platforms as supplied in Part 3 (Anti-competitive Agreements), Part 4 (Abuse of dominant place) and Part 5 and Part 6 (Mergers and Acquisitions).

Startup motion plan
The federal government has recognised 1,14,902 entities as startups as on October 31, Parliament was knowledgeable on Wednesday.

These eligible companies are allowed to hunt fiscal incentives beneath the Startup India Motion Plan, which was launched in January 2016, and that features earnings tax exemption for 3 years.

Commerce and {industry} minister Piyush Goyal informed the Lok Sabha mentioned the motion plan contains 19 objects spanning throughout areas resembling simplification and handholding, funding help and incentives and industry-academia partnership and incubation.

Export demand
Minister of state for commerce and {industry} Anupriya Patel mentioned that subdued demand in main export locations such because the US, Hong Kong, the Center East and China and availability of uncooked supplies at aggressive charges had been a few of the challenges confronted by the gems and jewelry export {industry}.

Export of gem and jewelry in 2022-23 had been $38.11 billion, down 2.95% from $39.27 billion earlier than that.

The sector constituted 8.45% within the complete merchandise exports throughout 2022-23 and the {industry} employs round 5 million expert and semi-skilled workforce.

Substandard imports
In one other reply, she mentioned that to make sure that the imported items are usually not of substandard high quality, the customs authority follows a risk-based framework to intelligently stop entry of non-compliant items on the borders.

“A process pressure has additionally been constituted in CBIC (Central Board Of Oblique Taxes and Customs) for implementing nationwide requirements,” Patel mentioned, including that so far as imported items resembling TVs and tyre, are involved, the commerce knowledge signifies that there are a number of classes of import of such merchandise the place there was appreciable discount in imports.

Citing examples, she mentioned that knowledge confirmed imports of various measurement of TV units, liquid crystal show tv set, and totally different sorts of tyres declined throughout April-October this fiscal.

Imports of tv units of display screen measurement exceeding 54 cm however not exceeding 68 cm dipped to $0.02 million throughout April-October this fiscal from $0.25 million in 2021-22.

Equally, imports of radial tyres utilized in buses/lorries declined to $1.01 million through the seven-month interval of this fiscal as in opposition to $16.92 million in 2021-22.

Sensitization is going on in areas resembling addressing home provide rigidities and taking a look at home manufacturing alternatives /enhancement of capability, well timed use of commerce treatment choices, High quality Controls, implementing guidelines of origin, tariff measures/inverted responsibility correction, and import monitoring.