Electronics makers propose 2-4% sops on exports under RodTEP scheme

The electronics trade has proposed an incentive price of two%-4% on exports of key product classes together with cell phones, laptops, tablets, chargers and batteries under the newly launched Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Products (RoDTEP) scheme.

The India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) has proposed a RoDTEP price of two% on smartphones, 2.4% on featurephones, 2% on tablets/laptops, 3.4% on battery chargers and 1.48% on battery packs.

“RoDTEP is crucial to deal with India’s deep disabilities vis-à-vis its opponents for reinforcing electronics manufacturing and making it India’s #1 export by 2025,” stated Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman, ICEA.

ICEA represents telephone manufacturers together with Apple, Xiaomi, Motorola, Nokia, Lava, Vivo, Motorola, Oppo, Realme, Micromax and others apart from contract producers Foxconn, Wistron, Flextronics and Dixon.

“This needs to be an ongoing exercise to address the adverse impact on India’s competitiveness, of high taxes which remain unremitted. An early finalisation of RoDTEP base rate and rates of priority products needs to be our immediate focus,” he stated.

RoDTEP, which changed the erstwhile Merchandise Exports Incentive Scheme (MEIS) from January 1, 2021, is a WTO-consistent scheme which goals to reimburse the exporters Central and State taxes/duties/levies on electrical energy, gas, transport, stamp responsibility, excise responsibility, energy and different prices. The MEIS supplied an easy incentive of two%-4% on the overall worth of exported merchandise.

The authorities is but to inform RoDTEP charges that are being calculated by a three-member committee under former residence and commerce secretary GK Pillai, fashioned in July 2020.

ICEA estimates that its proposed RoDTEP charges would ship an annual incentive of near Rs 120 crore, primarily based on remission of huge ticket gadgets similar to oblique taxes on transport and energy, and embedded taxes on inputs.

RoDTEP in itself isn’t a stronger scheme than MEIS, which pushed up electronics exports by 85% in 2017, stated Mohindroo. But, coupled with the production-linked incentive, RoDTEP can offset main disabilities in manufacturing in comparison with nations like China and Taiwan, he added. Newsrush