New Delhi,sep 15:
The government should focus primarily on boosting exports to check the widening current account deficit as imposing curbs on imports may not have a significant impact, exporters’ body FIEO said Saturday.Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President Ganesh Gupta said the government should not restrict imports to address rising current account deficit (CAD) and fall in rupee.
“I do not think that we should restrict imports unless we want to join bandwagon of protectionism and hope that it will spur Make in India,” he told PTI.He also said that CAD at 2.5 per cent of GDP should not be a cause of concern as anything below 3 per cent is not alarming.
“We have sizeable forex reserves to cover 10 months of imports,” he added.
The government on Friday announced an array of steps, including removal of withholding tax on Masala bonds, relaxation for foreign portfolio investments, and curbs on non-essential imports, to contain the widening CAD and check the rupee depreciation.
FIEO Director General Ajay Sahai said the government should immediately ease liquidity for exporters. He said that if the government wants to impose curbs on non-essential items, they can consider products such as high-watches, gold, and high-end footwear and garments. However, trade experts raised concerns over imposing import restrictions on goods like gold as it will not help in checking trade deficit.”It’s very unlikely to help.
