Govt mulls removal of import restrictions on marble

The government is considering lowering the minimum import price of marble to check over-invoicing by importers and consequent illegal money flow.
The Commerce Ministry has called a meeting in this regard on Thursday.
The meeting, to be chaired by Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Anup Wadhawan, will deliberate on the issue of removal of present restrictions and imposing tariff measures instead, said a senior official.
At present, import of rough marble and travertine block is restricted for import (quantitative as well as minimum import price restriction).
"Government would like to remove the present restrictions and impose tariff measures instead. The changes in this regard may be notified in the import policy of marble which is issued annually after consultation with the stakeholders and concerned state governments," said the official.

"Before taking a final decision in respect of removal of MIP and quantitative restriction on import, the government would like to get feedback to protect the interests of the domestic industry," the official added.

Import policy of rough marble and travertine blocks for 2014-15 was earlier notified with a quota of 8 lakh tonne and a Minimum Import Price (MIP) of USD 325 per tonne.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to examine the issue of black money in its report had pointed out that the minimum import price (MIP) on import of certain items such as marble has the potential for money laundering and hence recommended immediate removal.

The marble dealers have also been demanding that the government bring import of rough marble blocks under Open General Licensing (OGL) regime, alleging that the present system favours only big traders in the business.
"Out of over 1 lakh traders in the formal industry, only 498 currently have an import licence for the designated quota of 8 lakh metric tonne, which is leading to anti-competitive practices.
"We are forced to shell out higher prices for importing finished marble from countries like China. Thus, we are seeking open permits and removal of import limits," said Parveen Goel, Member, All Delhi Marble Dealers Association.

According to a Planning Commission Working Group report, India should allow import of dimensional blocks (granite and marble) under OGL.
India meets a bulk of its rough marble requirements through imports as domestic demand is pegged at 4.8 crore MT (metric tonne) while the domestic supply is capped at 1.16 crore MT. The country's marble industry is concentrated in states like Rajasthan and Gujarat.