Nath asks exporters to achieve $125 bln target

New Delhi, July 27: Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath today asked exporters to aim at achieving 125 billion dollar worth exports during the current financial year 2006-07, almost doubling the level of 63 billion dollar in 2003-04.

Chairing a review meeting with all Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) and Commodity Boards on Export Targets and Export Performance here, he assured that the government would extend all support to enable exporters to cross the target of 120 billion dollar this fiscal, which envisaged a growth of 16.8 per cent.

''With the sustained 20 per cent plus export growth witnessed in the last couple of years, I am confident that 150 billion dollar merchandise exports will be achieved well before the target date of 2009, enabling India to increase its share of world trade to at least one per cent,'' Mr Kamal Nath said.

Noting that some of the councils such as gems and jewellery and chemicals&allied products were projecting growth rates lower than 16.8 per cent, he urged them to revise their targets upwards.

Mr Kamal Nath interacted with exporters on their experience of implementation of various initiatives taken in the Foreign Trade Policy, in particular the Focus Products and Focus Area Approach, Vishesh Krishi Upaj and Gram Udyog Yojana etc., as also their feedback on schemes initiated to promote employment intensive export activities.

UNI