Stating that the industry has called for a cut in GST on handicrafts from 12% to 5%, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said that the government will take up the request with the Finance Ministry in a bid to help the industry.Speaking at the FTII (Federation of Trade and Industry of India) Traders Conclave in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, the Minister said that India’s handicrafts, handlooms, and agricultural products are expected to get access to more markets as India signs more Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with countries.
Having received requests from the Union Territory for a new Center of excellence along with packaging unit using new technologies, he recounted the practice of gifting the attractive Kashmiri pashmina shawl to foreign dignitaries in India and abroad, along with a GI tag.
Also Read: CII’s Rajiv Memani bats for GST 2.0, calls for rate rationalisation and simpler complianceResponding to calls for an increase in import barriers for apples to protect domestic growers, he explained that apples anyway get imported at ₹75-80 per kg due to a minimum import price of ₹50, apart from 50% import duty and some cesses, followed by clearance, marketing, branding, transport, and distribution raising the retail price to ₹125-150 per kg.Stating that the government already provides significant protection to apple growers, he said that the government will need to balance their concerns with demands of 140 crore consumers as making apples very expensive will lead to a fall in demand.He pointed out that India’s total apple production falls short of domestic demand as the country needs to import 4.5 to 5 lakh tonnes of the fruit.Assuring of encouragement to export of apples, cherries, walnuts, and strawberries from J&K, he said that he will speak to the Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to see if minimum import price at ports and retail markets can be increased to benefit farmers.He added that the government will also work on cold chains to prolong the shelf-life of agricultural products to promote exports.(Edited by : Priyanka Deshpande)
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