Lower excise duties to make Indian exports competitive: MPs

The Hindu, 29th April, 2008

New Delhi (PTI): Members in the Lok Sabha on Monday made a strong plea for greater thrust on development of backward regions as also lowering excise duties for making Indian exports competitive in the face of an aggressive China.
Participating in the discussion on the Finance Bill 2008, they also expressed concern over rising prices.
B K Deo (BJP) said since China is the biggest competitor of India in exports, the government should lower excise duties for small as well as big industries. This, he said, would ensure a level-playing field for Indian corporates.
He wanted simplification of the Wealth Tax and Income Tax returns and also a greater thrust on developing regions like Kalahandi in Orissa.
Nikhil Kumar (Cong) was of the opinion that inflation should not be seen in isolation. He hailed the fiscal management of Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram and said the government had to face high energy prices.
He said there should not be any politicisation of the inflation issue. Kumar also said farmers who cultivated both rabi and kharif crops last year should be included in the loan waiver scheme proposed by the government in Budget 2008-09.
Bhartruhari Mahtab (BJD) said direct Central allocations to states are attached with conditionalities and wanted to know why most of the grants given by the Centre to the states are in the form of Centrally-sponsored schemes.
"All these suggest that there is lack of fiscal federalism in the country," he argued.
Harin Pathak (BJP) refuted the government's contention that high global commodity prices reflected in domestic rise in prices.