E-Paper
Amausi air cargo facility, a bad take-off!
THE AIR cargo facility at the Amausi has become a laughing stock for city exporters and importers. The quantum of import went up from barely 10 during April to December 2003 to a paltry 13 during the similar period in 2005-06. This resulted in zero import during April, May and September 2005-06.
THE AIR cargo facility at the Amausi has become a laughing stock for city exporters and importers. The quantum of import went up from barely 10 during April to December 2003 to a paltry 13 during the similar period in 2005-06. This resulted in zero import during April, May and September 2005-06.
Likewise, the magnitude of exports between April and December 2003 jumped from 38 to 125 during April-December (2005-06) period. The basic reason has been high air cargo rates which keep small exporters away.
While the total revenue collection during 2005-06 stood at Rs 1.29 crore, which included collection of import duty (Rs 80.99 lakhs), unaccompanied baggage ( Rs 44.79 lakhs), export cess (Rs 357), education cess ( Rs 34,340) and other collections ( Rs 1,020), the central governmentt’s “duty drawback” scheme brought a revenue deficit of Rs 15.89 lakhs during 2005-06, sources said.
The air cargo facility at the Amausi got operational on July 27, 2000. Since then it completely depended on the air cargo lifted and brought by the Air India flights to and from Jeddah, Sharjah and Dubai. Unless more international carriers do the touchdown, the air cargo facility would continue to bring about negative revenue growth for the Department of Customs, sources said.
The major export items which currently arrive at the air cargo Complex are flowers and Chikan garments shipments bound for West Asian markets while imports include electronic drainage valves, calendars, scientific instruments, scrub pad, rubber sheets for making toe caps, parts and accessories of geophysical instruments, speakers and B.G. Motor Coupling among a total of 18 items which generally arrive as imports at the air cargo facility. Till, 2004-05, the Uttar Pradesh Government was sending shipments of mangoes to Dubai by air which later started getting shipped by the maritime route to cut transportation costs, sources said.
The entire air cargo connection from the Amausi restricted to the Gulf region which was another reason for many exporters using other international airports in the country for exporting their products to Europe and United States, sources added.
