The Government of India has made suitable amendments in the Foreign Trade Policy and Handbook of Procedures to allow for International Trade Settlement in Indian Rupees (INR) i.e., invoicing, payment, and settlement of exports / imports in Indian Rupees. Accordingly, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) had earlier introduced Para 2.52(d) vide Notification No. 33/2015-20 dated 16.09.2022 to permit invoicing, payment and settlements exports and imports in INR in sync with RBI’s A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.10 dated 11th July 2022.

 

In continuation to the above notification, changes have been introduced under Para 2.53 of the Foreign Trade Policy, for grant of exports benefits / fulfilment of Export Obligation under the Foreign Trade Policy, for export realisations in Indian Rupees as per the RBI guidelines dated 11th July 2022.

 

The updated provisions for Export Realisation in Indian rupees been notified for, imports for exports (Para 2.46 of FTP), export performance for recognition as Status Holders (Para 3.20 of FTP), Realisation of export proceeds under Advance Authorisation (AA) and Duty Free Import Authorisation (DFIA) schemes (Para 4.21 of FTP) and Realisation of Export Proceeds under Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) Scheme (Para 5.11 of HBP).

 

Accordingly, benefits / fulfilment of Export Obligation under the Foreign Trade Policy has been extended for realisations in Indian Rupees as per the RBI guidelines dated 11th July 2022. Given the rise in interest in internationalisation of Indian Rupee, the given Policy amendments have been undertaken to facilitate and to bring ease in international trade transactions in Indian Rupees.

India’s basmati exports have increased owing to high demand and rise in prices of commodities globally after the Russia-Ukraine war. The exports increased by 37.34% in six months of the current fiscal to $2, 280 million (Rs 17,897 crore). Also, the per-unit value realisation rose to $1,057 a tonne compared to $853 a tonne in the last fiscal.

 

According to Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), basmati shipments increased to 21.57 lakh tonne during April-September (FY23) as compared to 19.45 lakh tonne during the corresponding period last year. The rise in exports has also resulted in increased earnings for farmers of Punjab and Haryana as they account for over 70-75% of basmati exports from the country.

 

Oil-producing countries are major basmati importers. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, the UAE, the US, the UK, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman had a share of almost 80% in total basmati shipments from India in 2021-22.

 

'The increase in demand is mainly because of increased exports to Iran, which is a major buyer for Indian basmati,' said Vijay Setia, former vice-president, All India Rice Exporters Association.

The government has finally designated National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) as the implementing agency for setting up of 100 fodder-centric Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) during this fiscal to address the fodder deficit situation in the country. The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in 2020 had proposed the establishment of fodder-centric FPOs and requested the agriculture ministry to allow such FPOs under the central scheme 'Formation and Promotion of 10,000 new FPOs'.

 

The proposal was considered seriously and the agriculture ministry finally issued an order on November 4.

 

'The competent authority in the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has approved to designate NDDB as implementing agency under the scheme of formation and promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to form and promote FPOs, primarily fodder centric, and animal husbandry activities as a secondary activity (fodder plus model),' the order said.

 

NDDB has been assigned to form 100 FPOs during 2022-23 within the contours of the scheme guidelines, it added.

 

Last month after a review meeting on the fodder crisis, a senior ministry official had said that in a normal year, the country has a fodder deficit of 12-15 per cent, 25-26 per cent and 36 per cent when it comes to green fodder, dry fodder and concentrated fodder, respectively. The deficits are mainly due to seasonal and regional factors.

 

However, the current inflationary trend in fodder is due to decline in wheat crop and rise in input costs like diesel, the official had said.

 

The total area under fodder is limited to about 4.6 per cent of cropped area and this has remained static for the last four decades.

Demand for corn exports has increased as the European Union (EU) is scouting for supplies from India, as the cereal crop cultivated in the country is free of any genetic modification (GM).  'There is a sudden demand for corn from the EU in view of the Indian crop being non-genetically modified. But Europe, which wants the grain for feed purposes, is finding prices too high for comfort,' said a trade analyst without wishing to identify. 

 

'After a couple of months, we are seeing demand for Indian corn from countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia and also in small quantities from Sri Lanka. We are quoting around $310 tonne,' said M Madan Prakash, President, Agri Commodities Exporters Association (ACEA).

 

'We are offering corn at $310-315 cost and freight. But in bulk, we are quoting $290-300 free-on-board,' said Bimal Kumar Bengani, Managing Director of Kolkata-based Bengani Export Pvt Ltd. 

 

Below MSP

According to data from Agmarknet, a unit of the Agriculture Ministry, the weighted average of corn prices has currently declined below the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs.1,962 a quintal. This week, the price is Rs.1,930. Prices last week dropped by Rs.160 a quintal to Rs.2,038.7 a quintal.

 

Currently, corn on the Chicago Board of Trade is quoted at a four-week low of $6.66 a bushel ($262.14 or Rs.21,325 a tonne). In the spot market, Argentina is offering corn at $305, Brazil at $298 and the US at $349.  'Demand for our corn has always been there, but the problem is that domestic prices have shot up. Shipments to Bangladesh have been hampered by new trade regulations, while Nepal is buying, fearing that prices may go up further,' said Mukesh Singh, Co-founder of Mumbai-based MuBala Agro Commodities Ltd. 

 

H1 shipments down

In the first half of the current fiscal, Bangladesh imported 8.91 lakh tonnes of corn from India, followed by Nepal, which bought 2.26 lakh tonnes and Vietnam, which purchased 1.4 lakh tonnes, data from Agricultural and Process Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) show.

 

The data showed exports of other cereals, mainly corn, dropped to 15.3 mt in the first half of the current fiscal compared with 17.95 mt during the same period a year ago.  However, the per tonne unit value in dollars has increased by 12.6 per cent during the period. 

 

Prakash said he was sourcing corn from Maharashtra at over Rs.2,100 a quintal and for delivery in Mumbai from where it is shipped, the cost is Rs.2,200.

 

Record output seen

Maize prices had almost topped Rs.2,200 a quintal in the third week of October before declining to current levels as the kharif crop has begun to arrive in the markets. During the same period a year ago, prices hovered around Rs.1,650. 

 

Kharif maize production has been pegged at a record 23.10 million tonnes (mt) by the Ministry of Agriculture for the 2022-23 crop year ended June compared with 22.63 mt in the 2021-22 crop year. 'Corn prices are ruling higher as wheat prices are at record highs due to supply shortage after the crop was affected by the heatwave in March-April,' said MuBala’s Singh. 

 

LCs for Bangladesh

'The crop has begun arriving in Maharashtra but the Karnataka crop is delayed due to rains. It is expected to arrive in December,' said ACEA’s Prakash.

 

MuBala’s Singh said arrivals in the eastern part of the country will likely improve only after rabi season corn, grown in Bihar, hits the market. 'We are facing problems in shipping to Bangladesh as the Sheikh Hasina Wajid government is insisting we pay 100 per cent margin money for opening letter of credits. As a result, only established players are looking to export, while small players are hesitating,' he said. 

 

'Taiwan is another destination for Indian corn but its regulations are tough and specifications for characteristics such as aflatoxin and moisture are stiff. This is one reason why many exporters hesitate to ship to that country,' Prakash said. 

 

Increasing local demand 

The analyst said the Centre should look at providing assistance for corn exports so that it can emerge as a key player in the global market. 'If the Centre does that, we can repeat the success we have got in the rice market,' he said. 

 

But industry experts pointed to the rising demand for corn in the domestic market as poultry feed, which has been witnessing phenomenal growth, and for the starch industry. 'Two years ago, we had to import corn to meet domestic demand. Then, prices surged to over Rs.26 a kg at the farmgate of poultry growers. The Centre has to take this into account,' the expert said. 

 

The analyst said India could meet the EU demand mainly since the major suppliers Ukraine and Russia, in the global market are at war. However, India is a destination far off compared with others such as Brazil or Argentina. 

The International Plant-Based Foods Working Group (IPBFWG), ahead of the United Nations’ 27 th Conference of the Parties (COP 27), has urged world leaders to set clear and tangible targets for transition from resource-intensive industrial agriculturetowards sustainable, plant-based food systems that prioritise growing food for direct human consumption.

 

IPBFWG has applauded the inclusion of Agriculture Day as part of the COP27 Presidency Vision thematic days as well as the first-ever food pavilions that aim to focus on transformation towards healthier, more resilient and more equitable food systems.

 

In a statement, Sanjay Sethi, Executive Director, Plant Based Foods Industry Association (India) said, 'It is commendable that the need to deliver a food system transformation towards health and sustainability is being recognized with the Food4Climate Pavilion at COP27 this year. Plant-based foods are a multi-problem solution, be it sustainability, land degradation, biodiversity loss, climate change, health hazards or ethical concerns. To feed the ever-growing global population, we must shift to a more efficient food system centered towards plant-based foods. India is pivotal to the global food ecosystem, and with the support from research institutions, government, businesses, and consumers we can collectively spearhead this transition.'

 

Letting out emissions

The global food system is responsible for over 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and 57 percent of emissions from all food production come from raising animals for industrial meat and dairy in addition to growing crops for feed. Reducing emissions from the food system is paramount to meeting the goal to slow the rate of global warming as outlined in the Paris Agreement. Shifting towards plant-based diets and food systems can not only play a role in curtailing emissions but can also reallocate crops to provide essential nutrition to people and alleviate growing resource inequities.

 

As leaders at COP27 meet to discuss strategies to feed the growing global population in a sustainable way, the IPBFWG recommends that nations set clear and measurable targets to shift the balance to a food system that prioritises plant-based food production and promotes plant-based dietary patterns. These foundation targets will create the basis for world governments to set policies and regulations in support of plant-based food systems transition.

 

In addition, IPBFWG has recommended that nations commit supporting farmers in moving towards more sustainable agricultural practices and crops (e.g. plant protein crops) by providing and/or redirecting financial incentives to utilise the land for crops for direct human consumption and set clear targets for this transition and educate citizens about plant-based foods via public campaigns besides ensuring that labelling requirements for plant-based foods products empower consumers to make more sustainable food choices. It has also suggested integrating plant-based foods into public procurement (e.g. making plant-based options available in schools, hospitals) as well as in national dietary guidelines.

Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO) today organized export awareness workshop in association with Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) , Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Ltd (ECGC), State Bank of India (SBI) and Council of Scientific Research, Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM Jammu) at Udhampur.

The workshop is in continuation to the planned events to be held across the UT to promote exports from all districts of Jammu and Kashmir under District as Export Hub Scheme/ODOP initiative. Besides, Export Awareness Workshops at district level aims to boost and support exports from J&K and with focus on developing each district as export hub under District as Export Hub/ODOP initiatives.

The workshop also focused on potential of ODOP products and other potential products of Udhampur district including Garlic, Aromatic Oils, etc.

The workshop included detailed sessions on benefits of exports, process of getting IEC code, awareness regarding India Business Portal and India Trade portal, credit linkages for exports and credit risk insurance facilities and potential of products of region in international market.

Pankaj Kumar Anand, General Manger, Udhampur addressed the gathering informing about major products from Udhampur which have potential for exports and highlighted the importance of fine tuning and finishing of products. He also emphasized about the importance of proper branding to make the products export ready.

Kausar Fatima, Business Development Manager, APEDA, Jammu, started the session with a brief introduction about APEDA and with a focus to take local agricultural and allied products of Udhampur to global market. Special focus was on aromatic plants, garlic and other local products of district which has a huge export potential and has currently in huge demand in international market. She also mentioned that garlic based processed products such as garlic powder, garlic granules has a lot of untapped potential.

A K Bhushan, Deputy DGFT, Jammu conducted the session on introduction of various government scheme for export and documentation required for IEC registration.

Introduction to Indian Business Portal and Indian Trade portal was delivered by Gaurav Gupta, Assistant Director FIEO. He also discussed ways to cater to the international demand of products through the local suppliers of Udhampur.

The participants were informed about Credit Facilities, Hedging Benefits and Trading by the customer on FX-Retail Platform by Chirag, Manager (Regional Treasury Marketing Unit), State Bank of India, Delhi. He explained about various competitive loan products on offer from SBI for exporters.

Debi Prasad, Executive Officer, ECGC Srinagar gave details about Credit Risk Insurance and related services for exports.

Dr Sumeet Gairola, Principal Scientist, CSIR – Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine gave a brief Introduction to Aroma Mission and importance of Testing for Aromatic Plants. He emphasized that Udhampur has a lot of potential in aromatic plants such as Lemon Grass and Lavender which has a huge local and international demand.

Chief Planning Officer, Mudassar Yakoob Zargar, closed the session by conveying the message of Deputy Commissioner Udhampur stating that the export awareness workshop was very planned interactive session which cover all the major aspects for exports, right from documents required to get IEC Code, market linkages, financial and insurance assistance. He added that more such workshop should be organized at district level on continuous basis.

Earlier, Mukesh Thappa, General Manager, Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO) briefed the audience about mandate and various trade and export promotion initiatives undertaken by J&K Trade promotion. He added that JKTPO regularly organizes and participates in various activities like Buyer-Seller Meets, Trade Fairs, Exhibitions, Conferences, Seminars, etc. at National and International level for registered members and omen entrepreneurs. For participation in these events, Startups Exporter/ Entrepreneurs/FPOs/other Sellers from can register themselves on JKTPO’s website – www.jktpo.in.

All District Officers of Agriculture , Horticulture , State Rural Livelihood Mission, Handicraft and Handloom, Industries and commerce, Agriculture Marketing Officer, who are also members of District Level Export Promotion Committees and Industry Associations, Industrialists, Self Help Group members, Artisans, Farmers and FPOs attended the workshop.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov on Tuesday had talks with the External Affairs Minister of India S. Jaishankar in the format of a meeting of the co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Russian-Indian Commission on trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation to push bilateral trade to $30 billion by the end of this year.

 

They substantively discussed bilateral trade, economic and investments spheres, touched upon issues of cooperation in the field of finance and interbank relations, transport, energy and food security.

 

A dynamic growth of bilateral trade turnover was noted, which, by the end of this year, may come close to the goal set by the leaders of the two countries - $30 billion. The bilateral trade has jumped by 310 per cent this year.

 

'Relations with India are in the nature of a special and privileged strategic partnership, and are of paramount importance to us. Despite pressure from Western countries, we were able to maintain the intensity of bilateral cooperation and are satisfied with the dynamics of the political dialogue with India. Comprehensive, multi-vector cooperation in the field of trade and investments is successfully developing, industrial cooperation between our countries is expanding in a wide range of areas', noted Manturov during his meeting with Jaishankar in Moscow.

 

Jaishankar was accompanied by officials of seven ministries (Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Finance, Chemicals and Fertilizers as well as Commerce and Industry) at the meeting.

 

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s in his opening remarks during talks with Jaishankar said, 'We are delighted to welcome you to Moscow. We talk regularly, and this reflects the pace of growth that our leaders have set for our particularly privileged strategic partnership.'

 

'During the period of rapid change that the international community is going through, it is important to regularly coordinate our assessments and further plans to promote the achievement of all the objectives set by President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in politics, trade and economic spheres, investment, and technology, as well as in cultural and humanitarian exchanges,' Lavrov said.

 

'We always closely coordinate our actions at international organisations, including the United Nations, the UN Security Council where India is a non-permanent member, in BRICS, the G20 and the SCO. All of this enriches our agenda.

 

I am sure that we will have a rewarding discussion on all these matters today,' Lavrov noted.

 

Jaishankar also shared with Lavrov the Indian reading of recent trends in the Sub-continent. 'You are all aware that countries have experienced serious economic difficulties. There are other factors of instability as well. Terrorism, including its cross-border manifestation, remains a major concern. Where the Indo-Pacific is concerned, both our nations have stakes in its progress and prosperity. We, as partners, highly value the centrality of ASEAN to the larger regional architecture. From the view point of our respective interests, we exchanged views about how the goals of the international community are best served, including in securing the global commons,' Jaishankar said in his remarks

 

The talks between Lavrov and Jaishankar also addressed a number of regional issues. 'On Afghanistan, we discussed how to continue our support for the people of Afghanistan, even as we urge Taliban to fulfill its international commitments. We are both members of various formats where the Afghan related issues come up for review and we will be continue to be in close touch,' Jaishankar said, adding, 'I hope to discuss in the coming session the prospects of the the Iranian JCPOA, because India believes that a way forward must be found in the interest of global peace, security and non-proliferation. I also expect a wider exchange of assessments on the current situation in the Middle East what we call West Asia, including matters pertaining to Syria and Palestine.'

 

'India today has a wide range of interests and a growing footprint. Some of this is expressed in terms of our UN responsibilities like the chair of Libya Committee, some in our traditionally close partnerships with Africa, and now increasingly, our deeper economic involvement with many regions. The world is moving towards greater multi-polarity through steady and continuous re-balancing. And that especially means a multipolar Asia. As prominent nations who have a positive history of working together, this will naturally influence the conversations between Russia and India.'

 

'Our two countries are members of the G20, the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization, amongst others. How we work together in these formats is also on our agenda. You all know that India has assumed the Chair of the SCO and will take over the Presidency of the G20 in December. We strongly believe that the pressing concerns of the international community as a whole must be fully recognized and effectively addressed. The state of multilateralism, especially the working of the UN and its key organs, is today clearly wanting. Even as we focus on the immediate, the case for reformed multilateralism including a reformed UN Security Council is becoming difficult to deny. We welcome Russian support for India in that regard.'

The government has formulated a strategy to boost exports of nutri-cereals – millets and valued added products — to major markets like the USA, United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, Japan, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Development Authority (APEDA) in collaboration with Indian missions would organise series of events abroad to promote millet products through hyper markets, retailers and corporates commencing next month.

 

The steps would coincide with the United Nations General Assembly resolution declaring the International Year of Millets (IYM), 2023.

 

'We will tie-up big global retails chains such Lulu, Al Jazira, Carrefour for promoting exports of millet products over the next couple of years,' M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA, told FE. Currently, millets are exported for fodder purposes only to a few countries.

 

He said that while a major chunk of the export basket of APEDA products includes rice, livestock, dairy, fruits and vegetables products, promoting millet exports has significant potential in the coming years.

 

From an exports of $ 64 million in 2021-22, shipment of nutri-cereals could cross $ 100 million by 2023-24, as per official assessment.

 

The agri-export promotion body which functions under commerce ministry would focus on exports of value added products such as noodles, pasta, breakfast cereals mix, snacks, sweets etc.

 

'Indian missions in the key markets could be working on branding of millet products through tie-ups with international chefs, identification of key retailers and facilitating tie up with key importers,' according to a commerce ministry official

 

A pre-launch event for IYM, 2023 would be organized here on December 5 which would showcase key stakeholders – farmers producers organisations, start-ups, exporters and manufacturers in the country’s millet supply chains.

 

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently announced providing Rs 25 crore under the NABARD’s rural infrastructure development fund to University of Agricultural Science, Raichur, Karnataka, for establishment of incubation centre for processing and value addition for promotion of millets.

 

India’s millet production including sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), finger millet (ragi) in the 2021-22 crop year (July-June) was 15.9 million tonne (mt). Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have a share of more than 60% in the total millet production. According to FAO, global millets production was 30.4 mt in 2020.

 

India is one of the leading producers of millets in the world with an estimated share of 41% in the global production. Millets were notified as nutri-cereals by the government in April 2018 and these cereals were included under the POSHAN mission Abhiyan.

 

Currently over 500 startups are associated with developing the value chain while the Indian Institute on Millet Research, has incubated 250 Startups under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana – remunerative approaches for agriculture and allied sectors rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR), a flagship scheme of agriculture ministry. These cereals are a rich source of protein, fiber, minerals, iron, and calcium and have a low glycemic index.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal today reviewed the sectoral progress in exports with Export Promotion Council's and Industry Bodies in New Delhi today.

 

Minister of State for Textiles, Ms. Darshana Jardosh, Secretary, Department of Commerce, Shri Sunil Bartwal, Secretary Textiles, Ms. Rachna Shah, Representatives of the Export Promotion Councils, Industry Associations and senior officials from Department of Commerce, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and other departments were present at the review meeting.

 

The Minister exhorted the export promotion bodies to give an active push to exports and maintain the momentum of healthy growth recorded in the previous year.

 

Shri Goyal asked the various sectoral leaders to utilize the disruptions in the global trade in their favor by occupying the space yielded by some countries. He asked Indian industry to support each other to create synergies and promote growth in a spirit of nationalism.

 

He told industry to strive to retain export markets even if they are to make temporary changes in their pricing structure to accommodate short term challenges.He encouraged exporters to explore unique products with good export potential such as castor and instructed officials of the Ministry to act proactively to promote these products.

 

The Commerce Minister also asked officials to analyze export data on the basis of sectors, commodities and markets to find out areas of opportunity for Indian exports. The Minister called for open channels of communication between export promotion bodies and industry bodies with the government so that issues being faced may be flagged and resolved at the earliest.

 

Commerce Secretary, Shri Sunil Bartwal gave the opening remarks at the review meeting and elaborated upon the various steps taken by the Ministry to push exports. Director General of Foreign Trade, Shri Santosh Sarangi made a presentation on latest export trends and prospects.

The first ever conference of Indian Trade Service Officers 'Manthan 1.0' was held at Kevadia, Gujarat. The conference was conducted for brainstorming on future Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), and to formulate sector wise and state wise export strategy to boost exports from India. The officers also discussed ways to revamp the FTP Schemes to make it more efficient and address any implementation issues. Over 75 officers of the Indian Trade Service attended the conference.

 

Commerce Secretary, Shri Sunil Barthwal, while addressing the delegates, appreciated the initiative and expressed that such brainstorming sessions should be held regularly. He emphasised upon the importance of specializing in the specific area of international trade. He underlined the importance of institutional memory for any department and urged the trade service officers to specialise, and become more effective resource for the Department of Commerce. He also laid out the plans for deeper engagement of the cadre into FTA negotiations, industry deliberations and policy making.

 

Earlier, Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), while speaking to the officers, emphasized upon the importance of continuous learning and application on development of an officer. He also deliberated on the importance of formulating sector wise strategies aimed at specific markets. DGFT emphasised the importance of using latest trade analytics tools to understand the emerging international trade scenario. He explained that Sector-wise and State-wise export promotion strategies need sharper focus in coming years to achieve 1 Trillion USD of exports in merchandise, and 1 Trillion USD exports in services exports by 2030.

 

Indian Trade Service officers have recently been divided among 10 sector specific groups that focus on specific sectors of the industry, including goods, projects, and services. The teams are working to develop sector specific strategy in collaboration with experts, industrialists and export promotion councils. In addition, ITS officers have also been assigned different states to focus on creation of specific export promotion strategies for those states, and to understand bottlenecks and challenges about them. A sector wise export presentation on Pharma and Chemicals sectors was made by one such team in the conference.

 

A presentation on Global Trade Promotion Organization (GTPO) was also made. GTPO is a key recommendation of BCG consultancy in their report for revamping the Department of Commerce. ITS officers deliberated on the GTPO proposal and came up with ideas to further improve the recommendation. GTPO is expected to play a key role in future export promotion initiatives in the country. The proposed body would be manned by ITS officers at key positions.