Govt. Shatters Dreams of SEZ Developers, 83 Zones to Be Notified

April 6, 2007	(Be the first to rate this story!)  Loading ...
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Now, 50% of the total area in a special economic zone (SEZ) has been earmarked for processing units. Earlier, it was 35% for multi product SEZ and 50% for sector specific SEZs. Such a decision by the government may put cols water on the efforts of real estate developers who are jostling hard to get a chunk of the SEZ pie.

The government requires to stop thinking about the kind of revenue from the zone, thus there should be large productivity, said an official. Also, the land acquisition especially for the development of the SEZs has become a controversial issue in the past months, he adds. The prominent real estate developers such as DLF, Unitech, Reliance, and Adani who had been planning to come up with large SEZs would now have to keep a larger part of the zone just for production activity.

Processing area is where the actual production of services activity for exports takes place. Since, it has been increased to 50%, the space available for the development of social and business infrastructure supporting the zone including residential properties, hospitals, hotels, shopping malls and entertainment venues for the employees of the zone will be equal to production facilities. Thus, both the processing area and the development space will make the ratio of 50:50.

In addition, SEZ will also have tough export obligations to meet instead of being merely net for foreign exchange earners; they will require exporting earnings at least equivalent to their purchases from the domestic tariff area.

Interestingly, the finance ministry has always been insisting a higher floor for processing area. Earlier, it had pitched for keeping the proportion at 75%, but the EGoM had in June decided to keep the floor at 35%.Now, the ministry it seems has been able to wield some influence in the backdrop of the dispute.

The finance ministry has always given a stress on higher floor for processing area of a SEZ. Earlier, it had been decided to allocate 75%, but the EGoM had in June decided to keep the floor at 35%.

Area of a SEZ is capped at 5,000 hectares. However, the state can fix the lower ceiling. As for now, EGoM has given clearance to 83 SEZs.

The state governments have the authority to cut the land size from the new limit.

There is a strong opposition to the SEZ policy from different political parties, including the Left (which had demanded a 2,000 hectare cap). Also, the farmers are strongly protesting over the acquisition of their farmland in West Bengal and other states.

News Published Under:   Special Economic Zones |

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