Bangalore's export units, software parks most efficient

The customs division, Bangalore, has declared that the city has the highest concentration of 100 per cent Export Oriented Units (EOUs) and Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) units in the country. The customs division has also said that the growth in export performance in EOUs and STPI units in Bangalore is the highest in the country.

The customs division, Bangalore, has jurisdiction over the EOUs, STPI units and the Electronic Hardware Technology Park (EHTP) units in Bangalore Urban, Bangalore Rural, Tumkur and Kolar districts of Karnataka.

According to the division, there has been a spurt in the export activity of the existing licensees of the division in the previous financial year.

The division has issued 113 new licenses, which include 33 EOUs, 75 STPs and 5 EHTP units.

Exports from EOUs licensed with the division have grown by 83 per cent (Rs 6,443.91 crore), while the software exports and hardware exports have grown by 46 per cent (Rs 17,474 crore) and 21 per cent (Rs 1,500 crore) respectively.

The Government of India has foregone the customs/central excise duty of nearly Rs 2357.47 crore during the previous financial year, in respect of EOUs only. Acknowledging the valuable contribution of these units to the foreign exchange units of the country, the Bangalore Customs has already introduced a series of facilitation measures in the last few years. These measures include one division office available to the EOUs situated in Bangalore only. As a result, more than 1,396 EOUs/STPs/EHTPs are under the administrative control of the one exclusive field formation of the Department of Revenue, Government of India.

Many procedural simplifications have also been undertaken in the last few years to reduce the transaction time for the licensees of the division.

The facility of self-sealing export containers has been extended to all EOUs irrespective of their turnover. EOUs are also placed in a special category for 'fast track clearance' at all ports of import including the Air Cargo Complex (ACC) and Inland Container Depot (ICD), Bangalore.