India: Import duty on rice dropped
Description
Facing large domestic demand for rice and after a relatively low output last year the government of India dropped its rice import duty. The so called tax moratorium introduced in October 2009 includes temporary scrapping of the 70% import duty on rice. The measure will remain in place until September 2010, that is until the end of the 2009/2010 marketing year.
India is a net exporter of rice, but in the marketing year 2009/2010 a decline in rice output from 15 to 17 million tonne is expected. In 2008/09 output reached 99.2 million tonnes, a record amount.
Any Evidence-Based Deliberation:
| Question | Result |
|---|---|
| Is there anything in the public record to suggest that evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed measure was considered during official deliberations? | |
| Is there any evidence that alternatives to the proposed measure were considered? | |
| Is there anything in the public record that suggests that empirical evidence informed the comparison across the alternatives available to government? | |
| Was such evidence identified? | |
| Is such evidence publicly available? | |
| Did the official decision-maker in question provide an explanation as to why a chosen measure was favoured over alternatives? | |
| Is there any evidence to suggest that potentially affected trading partners were consulted before the measures were taken? | |
| Is there any evidence that safeguards have been put in place to ensure that implementation of the initiative is transparent and non-discriminatory? | |
| Did the government state its intention to review the measure within one year of implementation? |
Date Discovered: 03/05/2010
Implemented: Yes
Date of inception: 1 Oct 2009
Duration: 12 months
GTA Evaluation: Green
Source:
India scraps rice import duty as output dips, Reuters
http://www.livemint.com/2009/10/28143014/India-scraps-rice-import-duty.html
Global Rice Prices About to Rise, 28 November 2009
Accra Mail
Government Response:
- 496 reads
