The Committee of Administration (CoA) members of the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) have urged the Union commerce ministry to intervene in the election procedure for the post of vice-chairman of the council as per para 2.92 of Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2015-20.

The CoA members are upset with the recent notification of Pharmexcil to conduct the election for the post of chairman, along with the post of vice chairman as in the recent emergency meeting of CoA the council decided to conduct an election only for the post of vice chairman. But the notification to conduct the election for the post of chairman without any prior intimation has forced most of the CoA member to raise an objection.

The Council had held an emergency meeting on April 26, 2016 with its member for the implementation of FTP para 2.92 which states that the all Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) have to follow the criteria of e-voting for the post of vice chairman/vice president and executive committee members to continue functioning as registering authority and get grants under MIA and MDA schemes.

The Council explained to the committee that MDA section of the department of commerce had given some guidelines to all the Export Promotion Councils on implementation of the government’s directive under para 2.92 of Foreign Trade Policy. As per guidelines, elections to the Committee of Administration have to be conducted through electronic voting and if CoA elected by electronic voting is in place, vice-chairman has to be elected directly by all members who after completion of two years as vice chairman shall take over as chairman for two years without going for election again.

In the meeting the council has decided to conduct the election on the emergency basis by this month end as the council's request to permit election of vice chairman in September 2016 was not accepted by the department of commerce. Since authorisation of issue of RCMCs, getting funds under MDA/MAI schemes are linked with compliance of directions/guidelines issued by MDA section, it is necessary for the council to complete all requirements stipulated in the directive at the earliest and to inform government about council's full compliance with their directive.

The CoA member also informed the commerce secretary that a large section represented in Pharmexcil by MSME companies is deprived of the right to become vice chairman or chairman as the council has eligibility criteria of Rs. 100 crore export turnover for the post of vice chairman.

The FTP 2015- 20, para 2.91 states that registering authority is a body notified by DGFT in regards to register importers or exporters as its member by issuing RCMC. EPCs acting as the registering authorities for RCMC at present will continue to act as registering authorities and issue RCMC to their members till March 31, 2016. EPC wishing to continue as registering authorities for their product group thereafter shall have to comply and fulfill the conditions as specified in Para 2.92 before March 31, 2016. But on the special request of the council, department of commerce has agreed for the extension of time for compliance till end of May 2016.