Amritsar airport can now handle exports

Exporters and importers of Punjab have got an opportunity to trade via Raja Sansi Airport at Amritsar because the airport has earned the status of a "customs notified" one.

"Finance Minister P Chidambaram, during our recent meeting, told me Raja Sansi Airport had been declared 'customs notified' and exporters and importers can use the cargo facility at the airport," MP Rana Gurjit Singh said yesterday.

He said the finance ministry had amended 16 customs notifications issued under various export promotion schemes to permit imports and exports through the airport.

"I told Chidambaram the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) had not yet given approval for custodianship to the Airports Authority of India Cargo complex, due to which shippers from Punjab still prefer Indira Gandhi Airport, Delhi, in view of quicker customs certifications and claiming duty draw entitlements," Singh said.

He said he had written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan singh to take steps to set up a special economic zone in Amritsar, as announced by him, to benefit exports from the north.

Meanwhile, exporters have welcomed the customs notified status for Raja Sansi airport and said this would be beneficial for them.

Sharad Aggarwal, All India Chairman of Hand Tools Panel of Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC), said this would give a boost to exports from Punjab. "It will save the cost of sending goods to Delhi and least a day," he said.

"This will prove beneficial in meeting deadlines for overseas promotion and also it will lead to the development of Amritsar as an important hub for the movement of export and import cargo," he said, adding that exporters would now be able to get all export incentives like duty drawback, duty entitlement pass book, advance licensing, export promotion capital goods, etc. for export shipments through the airport.

The Hand Tools Exporters Forum and the Jalandhar Focal Point Association thanked Rana Gurjit Singh for his initiative.