Pushing exports Hegde's top job
Financial Express: New Delhi, March 20  

THE new government will accord the highest priority to the task of accelerating exports commerce minister Ramakrishna Hegde indicated after assuming office on Friday. Hegde's statement is significant coming as it did in the backdrop of the rather dismal export performance in the first 10 months of the current fiscal. He said increasing exports was vital for the economy and for improving the country 's balance of payments position. At a meeting with senior officials in the commerce ministry, Hegde said he was aware that the stagnant export growth in recent months had been causing concern and underlined the need for concerted efforts to regain the export momentum. In this context, he said that pending issues relating to the current export-import policy which had emerged in the process of the annual review of the policy should be resolved expeditiously so that the required notifications could be issued without delay. The minister also indicated that he would have detailed interaction with the officials over the next few days on the constraints affecting exports sectorally with a view to finding practical solutions to such constraints. Hegde was also briefed about the various issues relating to the export sector. The officials also flagged some of the WTO related matters which would have to be addressed. Referring to some of the important forthcoming meetings, commerce secretary P P Prabhu indicated that the second Saarc commerce ministers conference was scheduled towards the end of next month. Besides Prabhu, other senior commerce ministry officials present were N N Khanna, special secretary, D P Bagchi, additional secretary and financial adviser, Nripenra Misra. additional secretary, Rathi Vinay Jha, additional secretary, N I Lakhanapal, director-general of foreign trade and Dharmarajan, director-general of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. Textiles minister Kashi Ram Rana, who also assumed office on Friday, said textile exports would receive priority attention as a major source of foreign exchange earner. Addressing senior officials in his ministry, including textile secretary Prabhat Kumar, Rana said that the textile sector continued to be a major contributor to the country's export earnings. In this context, he underlined the need to ensure that the textile sector could compete effectively in the global market. Technology up-gradation of the industry was vital, he added. He also indicted that the government would' accord the highest priority for job creation in the textile sector. The sector had a great employment potential covering important segments like handlooms, silk and other sub-sectors of the textile industry. All-out efforts would be made to fully exploit this potential.