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Exporters' Meet to Prepare Roadmap to Boost Trade

  • The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (Southern Region), will organise an exporters' convention in Mangalore on February 13.Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, Mr M. Veerappa Moily, Union Corporate Affairs Minister, said that the main aim of the convention is to prepare a roadmap for 2020 to boost trade and export from the country, and Karnataka in particular.Stating that Mangalore has facilities such as sea port, airport, a good road and rail connectivity, he said it is time now for Karnataka to take advantage of these points to boost export growth from the State.

CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP

  • Asked about the current political situation in the State and its impact on the proposed exporters' convention, he said there is a need to develop corporate citizenship notwithstanding the political situation in the State. This trend is visible in some of the other States, which are on the growth path, he said.Mr Walter D'Souza, Chairman of the FIEO (southern region), said that there will be technical sessions on foreign trade policy, shipping, banking, information technology and corporate affairs at the convention.Nearly 250 delegates are likely to attend the convention, he said.
  • Mr Moily will inaugurate the convention on February 13. Mr Murugesh Nirani, Karnataka Industry Minister, and Mr Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industries, will be present during the inaugural session.Dr Anup K. Pujari, Director-General of Foreign Trade, and Mr Rafeeque Ahmed, President of FIEO, will participate in the exporters' convention, he added.

BOOST FOR MANGALORE PORT, AIRPORT

  • The convention will help boost the growth of New Mangalore Port and Mangalore airport. Mr Moily said that a lot of development works have taken place in NMPT (New Mangalore Port Trust) and in Mangalore airport.NMPT has added several new berths in the recent years. Cargoes such as crude, LPG, containers have been witnessing a growth in Mangalore.Steps have been taken to set up a cargo terminal for international operations at Mangalore airport. The airport will be accorded the international tag, once the elections in Uttar Pradesh and other States are over.
  • Taking all these points into consideration, the Government wants to project Karnataka as an export destination, and the convention on February 13 is a step in that direction, he said.Mr P. Tamilvanan, Chairman of NMPT, said that the port will be one of the beneficiaries of this convention.Mr M.R. Vasudeva, Director, Airports Authority of India, Mangalore Airport, said that civil works on the international cargo terminal have been initiated at a cost of Rs 35.33 lakh. The arrival block of the old terminal building in the airport will be converted into an international cargo terminal.Civil works are likely to be completed by the end of March. After getting the clearance from the Customs Department, the airport could start operations from the cargo terminal, he added.

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