Govt. sets up national committee on trade facilitation

The Centre has constituted the National Committee on Trade Facilitation following India’s ratification of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) in April. 
•    The NCTF will facilitate domestic co-ordination and TFA provisions' implementation, and help develop the pan-India trade facilitation road map. 
•    The committee is a mandatory, institutional arrangement under TFA.
•    The defined objective behind setting up the NCTF is to have a national level body that will facilitate domestic co-ordination and implementation of TFA provisions. 
•    It will play the lead role in developing the pan-India road map for trade facilitation. 
•    It will be instrumental in synergizing the various trade facilitation perspectives across the country and will also focus on an outreach programme for sensitization of all stakeholders about TFA.
•    The composition of the NCTF is inclusive at the national committee level which will comprise of Secretaries of all key Departments involved in trade issues like Revenue, Commerce, Agriculture, Home, Shipping, Health etc. 
•    It will also have Chairman CBEC, Chairman Railway Board, and Director General Foreign Trade as Members. 
•    Major trade associations like CII, FICCI, and FIEO etc are also its Members.