By IANS
Coonoor (Tamil Nadu) : The government is formulating an alternative duty neutralisation scheme for tea exporters, commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath said here Monday.
“The new scheme is in the final stage. It will be announced soon,” he said, speaking at the 144th annual conference of United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI) being held in this southern India tea and coffee growers’ hub.
The Duty Entitlement Pass Book Scheme expires on March 31, 2008. The commerce ministry has asked the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and the Economic Law Forum to work out an alternative scheme, which will neutralise levies (customs and excise duties along with state levies) while being WTO compatible.
The minister also said that the government would set up a committee within two weeks to look into the problems of small tea growers and suggest remedial measures. The panel will include officials, representatives from the Tea Board and small growers.
Noting that the allocation for the plantation sector had been more than doubled to Rs.30 billion in the 11th Five Year Plan, Kamal Nath said the government would take a decision soon on whether small growers needed a special package or if it was necessary to fix minimum prices.