Exporters look for more sops :pre-budget rhetoric

I had this chat to an exporter friend of mine some days back over the omnipresent G-TALK and we were mulling over the insecurities that the exporters are facing post the rupee appreciation .(the rupee has appreciated by 15 per cent against the dollar in the past 16 months ) It has not only impacted the profit levels of export-oriented units (EOUs), but also foreign buyers who are now looking for other cheaper options, pressing a panic button in Indian industry .If the ambitious export target of $200 billion has to be achieved by the end of the next fiscal, some measures are needed to provide a cushion for the sector.Now that exporter friend of mine had to say some things which were repeated in one of the articles in a leading newspaper and i could see that the pulse of the exporters is beating at a uniform rate and they are a bunch of anxious people waiting for magic to happen in the hands of the magician - FM p. chidbrm .They cite these needs :

• concessions in taxes and duties and formation of some kind of cash reserve to tackle the present crisis, posed by stronger rupee.
• concessions for the export sector, particularly for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the worst-hit labour intensive sectors like textiles, handicrafts and leather.( my friend belongs to this group)
• tax incentives for the manufacturing export sector for movement up the value chain
• waiver of the Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) so that the impact of the appreciating rupee could be minimised
• extension of income-tax benefits to all exporting units
• basic customs duty exemption on capital goods imported under the Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme
• rebate on duty paid on exported material
• exporters want ambiguities removed while giving service tax refunds and its benefits be given to all those contributing to India’s exports
• Small manufacturers, who are either in the non-excisable sector or in the exempted category, have to bear the incidence of service tax paid during the course of exports. Exporters say levy of service tax affects competitiveness of exporting units and want that they be exempted from paying the same

AHOY! Is chidambaram anna listening , anna pananga , idi ella pananga , please saaar ....