New Delhi, Dec 15: In a significant concession to Special Economic Zones (SEZ), government has permitted units located in such zones to sell goods in the domestic tariff area on payment of applicable duty. "Units engaged in trading shall be allowed to clear the said goods in the domestic tariff area on payment of applicable duty subject to the achievement of net foreign exchange earning cumulatively," the customs department said in a notification.
As per the earlier provision, units were allowed to clear goods to the DTA, i.e. the area around an Sez only against advance licence or special duty-free entitlement as per the provision of the export and import policy or to other special economic zone or export oriented undertaking or export processing zone or electronic hardware technology park or software technology park units
Under the present notification, units clearing goods to DTA will not be required to pay duty if the same is against advance licence, duty-free entitlement, EOUs, EPZ, SEZ or electronic hardware technology or software technology park.

This follows a meeting of commerce and industry minister Arun Shourie with finance minister Jaswant Singh to speed up issuance of notifications relating to SEZs. Several sops given to SEZs announced in the Exim policy in March this year have not yet been implemented.
This is one of the proposals of the Exim policy awaiting notification. Shourie said in Rajya Sabha last week that government would notify the pending Exim policy proposals soon. Bureau Report