Commerce ministry completes winding up exercise of Tariff Commission in two months

According to an office memorandum of the Commerce and Industry Ministry, the winding up exercise has been completed on May 31.

An official said that the move is aimed at promoting ease of doing business.

The Tariff Commission dates back to pre-liberalisation era, when it was known as Tariff Board and was advising on measures to protect the domestic industry.

It was set up in 1951 with statutory powers by converting Tariff Board into this commission to suggest changes in duties of any goods, action in relation to dumping of goods and to undertake suo moto studies.

Immediately after the directions of the union cabinet, follow-up meeting of the officers concerned of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and Tariff Commission (TC) was held and all the tasks that were required to be carried out for completion of winding up process were identified on April 12.

“Each task was given a target date in consultation with officers of TC and responsibility was assigned to officers in TC and DPIIT in respect of individual task. Review meetings were held at the level of minister (fortnightly); Secretary, DPIIT (weekly); Joint Secretary DPIIT (bi-weekly),” the official added.