ties with Chinese buyers through this souring fair. India Show, being organised by industry body CII in association with commerce ministry and Consulate General of India in Hong Kong, will be held concurrently with Hong Kong Spring Fair. Usually, such fairs give opportunity to small businessmen to network with international buyers and forge long-term relations.
In fact, Hong Kong itself is a potential market for the products to be showcased by Indian exporters. But it has been a concern that India-Hong Kong trade volume has declined recently. Sample this: India-Hong Kong bilateral trade for 2012 stood at US $20 billion representing a decrease of 11% compared to 2011. Also, exports from India to Hong Kong during this period were worth US$ 10 billion, a decrease of 5.5%.
Kher, an UP cadre IAS, has been in Udyog Bhawan for a long period, first as joint secretary, then additional secretary, and then special secretary before getting elevated as commerce secretary. He was also a director in cabinet secretariat between 1997 and 1999.
But what will Kher, a seasoned bureaucrat, reply to the potential query in Hong Kong about the likely outcome of the current general elections? In fact, investors across the world are now keeping their fingers crossed till May 16 when results of Indian elections will be announced.
Actually this show in Hong Kong is non sense. It is actually a pleasure trip for some IAS officers. they will enjoy in Hong Kong for 4 days and come back. What will these IAS officers know about cross border trade? What will they answer to the querries raised in the show? They call for inputs from subordinate officers which they will never understand and ultimately project Indian trade in a bad light. Why not an Indian Trade Service officer as Commerce Secretary. These IAS officers occupy every damn top post in the Government of India and represent India in the WTO negotiations even though they do not know anything about trade. This nonsense has to end.
ReplyDelete100% true. Please send the Indian Trade Service officers along with some relevant IES officers and economists for the tour. Ministers and IAS secretaries should be banned from such pleasure trips at the expense of tax payers' money.
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