ANDHRA- No Rice to Spare

October 19, 1968 device. At present when the export duty on any particular commodity appears to inhibit sales of our products abroad, it takes months for the Commerce Ministry to persuade the Finance Ministry to make changes in the duty. The case of tea is cited as an example. Britain and Ceylon devalued their currencies towards the end of last year, but it was not until this month that the Government finally decided again to reduce the export duty. In the case of jute, a decision is yet to be taken. Such delay can cause great harm to our exports. That is why the Commerce Ministry is anxious that the Government's overall attitude to export duties should change so that these duties are regarded as instruments of international commerce rather than just revenue earners.