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'The Budget should have given tea producers the freedom to export'

Piyush O Desai

The prime minister's visit to Pakistan raised hopes of stepping up tea exports to Pakistan from one million kg to more than ten million kg. The Budget has nothing in it.

India is to open up its market by 2003 in the WTO regime. We might as well gradually open up from now itself. The SAARC Free Trade Agreement is good. In the context of the Budget, the scene is still not clear. I feel the Budget should have enabled tea producers the freedom to export wherever the demand is.

The 8 per cent excise duty on packaged tea has not been removed. This will hurt the domestic industry. The excise duty on packaged duty will help the MNCs.

Piyush O Desai, chairman, Federation of All India Tea Traders Association

Budget 1999-2000

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