PANAJI
Steps have been taken to reopen the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) office which was closed in 2018 in Goa to ease the working process of the exporters based in the State. The assurance of thinking over the proposal of reopening the DGFT offices was recently given by the Deputy Director General of Foreign Trade, R Sampath to the president of Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) president Ralph de Souza who had elaborated the difficulties faced by the exporters.
GCCI president, in his recent meeting with Sampath during the Forex Awareness Meet held by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in Panaji had explained the difficulties faced by the exporters. Sampath was sympathetic to the matter and assured that the DGFT office will be restarted in Goa shortly. The office was at St Inez in Panaji. The reason given to close the office was to optimize its human and material resources.
The DGFT also said that the services will be available on its online portal and helpline number. However, GCCI had previously raised concern that exports from Goa were badly affected due to poor online services. The Helpline number given was also not being attended. GCCI had demanded that the DGFT office in Goa needs to be restarted, as to attain Prime Minister’s vision of USD 5 trillion economies a boost needs to be given to exports. The PM also promoted the district as an export hub in which both North and South Goa were included, reminded Sanjay Amonkar, director general, GCCI.
The GCCI had written to the State and Central government to think reopening the DGFT office in Goa as the services provided by the DGFT office in Mumbai which is holding jurisdiction in Goa were dissatisfactory. “For small matter the manufacturers and exporters had to approach the Mumbai office physically wasting valuable time and efforts,” GCCI president Ralph de Souza recalled and added that it is a welcome decision by the DGFT to consider their request and clear decks for restart of the DGFT office in Goa.
