MUMBAI, July 11: Union Commerce Minister Ramakrishna Hegde on Saturday admitted that the country will again have difficulty in meeting export targets for the current fiscal. ``My confidence of achieving 20 per cent export growth has been shaken in the wake of developments after nuclear tests, sanctions and continued financial crisis in South-east Asia,'' he said.Hegde said there has been a slowdown in the industrial production and due to the fall in agricultural production, the scope for export growth has come down. Besides, he said, certain political parties have preferred to give priority to their own interests while others are demanding dismissal of the government.Worried over the export decline, Hegde is taking up the issue with the Reserve Bank of India and the Finance Ministry. ``I am meeting the RBI and the Finance Ministry officials on Tuesday or Wednesday. I hope something useful will emerge out of this meeting that will help the exporters.Over the past few weeks, we are in continuousdialogue with my colleagues in various ministries and the RBI. We had a meeting on Friday with RBI governor Bimal Jalan and will once again meet them next week," Hegde said.During May 1998, the country witnessed a negative 17 per cent export growth despite the new Export-Import Policy announced by the Commerce Minister two months ago. The trade imbalance has shot up to $1856.13 million during April-May 1998 (minus $771.54 a year ago)."I strongly feel that national priority should be to increase exports and party and personal agenda should be kept aside,'' he said while addressing the members of Federation of Indian Export Orgnisations (FIEO). ``The commitment and awareness about the importance of exports has not been expressed in action,'' he said.Hegde blamed the politicians and the bureaucracy for their "penny-wise but pound foolish" culture and the overall lack of commitment towards exports. Speaking about the customs and the excise department, Hegde said, "They have inherited the culture oflethargy, passing the buck of responsibility and even corruption. But is it not painful to see that even after 50 years the rotten system still continues?"Hegde said except for a few sectors like chemicals, gem and jewellery and software, no other sector had shown any growth while expectations were that the first two months would record a 10-15 per cent growth.``It is the duty of the bureaucrats at either the commerce ministry or the customs officer to be helpful and not harm exporters. They have to understand the power they enjoy comes from the people and they should serve the people who gave them the powers,'' he added.``India will be engulfed in deep crisis if we do not increase our exports'' he said. ``A country could do without politicians but not without farmers or exporters. There was an urgent need to educate officials at all levels to drive home the point that exports needed urgent attention.''Hegde said whatever concessions had been announced for exporters would stay and not bewithdrawn.Hegde said the government would pay bank interest to the exporters if there has been any delay of more than 15 days in the payment of duty drawbacks to the exporters. Hegde's announcement has come in the wake of demand by exporters who complained that they were facing hardships in the wake of non-payment of duty drawback since March this year.
