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The export industry which is in a crisis, was pinning its hopes on this Budget to provide comfort to it to relive it from the dark realities of the fall in trade due to simmering of the rupee against the weak dollar. But the Budget had nothing in it (for the export sector) except the bland statement of the Finance Minister in Para 90 of his Budget speech, “Government is sensitive to the needs of the export sector and will continue to respond sympathetically as the situation demands.”

The Duty Entitlement Pass Book Scheme was given a quite burial, as there is no commitment whether it would be continued or it would lapse. It was promised by the Government from all quarters that a new scheme will replace the DEPB. There seems to be no mention of this, and surprisingly, the Budget gives no inkling about the continuance of the existing arrangement under DEPB. In the absence of commitment, it must lapse.

A.V. Ramanathan, Kochi

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