- The project will contribute to the following policy and practice change
Pro-poor trade policy and laws will be adopted and implemented in India, with a special focus on women and a thematic focus on agriculture and textiles.
- Formation of Inter State Trade Council
The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry invited suggestions from various stakeholders and the public on different aspects of the National Foreign Trade Policy, 2004-09. This was part of the annual review of the policy with a view to finalise the annual supplement to the policy. The suggestions were sent by CUTS to the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), New Delhi with a special focus on increased role of state governments in trade policymaking and implementation.
The revised policy, CUTS felt, was in line with its suggestions which lays emphasis on recognition of the need for coherence and consistency among the trade and other economic policies of both the Union and State Governments for maximising the contributions or benefits of such policies to development. The annual supplement mentioned about the formation of Inter State Trade Council (ISTC) that will ensure synergy between the efforts of the Union and state governments in the direction of trade policymaking and implementation.
In response to this initiative by the government, CUTS wrote to Chief Ministers of all partner states stating that ISTC can be used effectively by state governments to promote their own concerns, and synergise with the Central government and other state governments to expand our exports, and create more jobs. All partner states are following up with their respective state governments on the subject.
- With a similar objective of increased state involvement in national level policymaking, partner organisations’ heads have been requested to write to the respective state Chief Minister urging him/her to write to Shri Kamal Nath, Union Minister for Commerce & Industry.Partners are in the process of writing to the state Chief Ministers and are following up with them. Four of the partner states- Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh have written to the respective state Chief Ministers and are following up with them.
- Writing relevant articles in vernacular press
All partners are regularly writing relevant articles and bringing out the same in the local media.