New Delhi: The Centre on Monday expanded the
list of activities that can be carried out without prior
permission of inside SEZs by adding warehousing, and space for
banks/ATMs, providing relief to developers.
"It has been decided to further expand the list of
default authorised operations...the development commissioners
/unit approval committees may allow developer/approved
co-developers duty free goods and services for these default
authorised operations, the commerce ministry said.
Earlier, except for some basic services like telecom
facilities, rain water harvesting plant, effluent treatment
plant and roads, developers had to approach the inter-
ministerial board of approval for permissions for other
activities. These operations will, however, continue to be
subject to various guidelines issued by government.
"The approval committees while approving goods and
services for such default operation may look into the actual
requirement of the SEZs for such operations," the ministry
statement said.
The ministry also said trading and warehousing units
located within free trade warehousing zones (FTWZs), a kind of
SEZ, can now carry two-way transaction within the domestic
market. Under the SEZ Act, units in these zones are given 100
per cent tax exemption on their income for the first five
years and 50 per cent in the next five years.
Formal approval has been accorded to 575 SEZ proposals
out of which 348 have been approved. A total of 105 have
commenced operations so far.
PTI
