| MARKETING
DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE SCHEME
(REVISED GUIDELINES W.E.F.
1.4.2006)
Salient Points
of Revised Guidelines of MDA Scheme (w.e.f. 1.4.2006) are
reproduced below for the information of member-exporters:
Export promotion continues to be a major
thrust area for the Government. In view of the prevailing
macro economic situation with emphasis on exports and to facilitate
various measures being undertaken to stimulate and diversify
the country’s export trade, Marketing Development Assistance
(MDA) Scheme is under operation through the Department of
Commerce to support the under mentioned activities :
(i) Assist exporters for export promotion activities abroad
(ii) Assist Export Promotion
Councils (EPCs) to undertake export promotion activities for
their product(s) and commodities
(iii) Assist approved organizations/trade
bodies in undertaking exclusive nonrecurring innovative activities
connected with export promotion efforts for their members
(iv) Assist Focus export promotion
programmes in specific regions abroad like FOCUS (LAC), Focus
(Africa), Focus (CIS) and Focus (ASEAN + 2) programmes.
(v) Residual essential activities
connected with marketing promotion efforts abroad.
Assistance to individual
exporters for export promotion activities abroad – Participation
in EPC etc. led Trade Delegations/BSMs/Trade Fairs/Exhibitions
:
(i) Exporting companies with
an f.o.b. value of exports of upto Rs. 15 crore
in the preceding year will be eligible for MDA assistance
for participation in trade delegations/BSMs/fairs/exhibitions
abroad to explore new markets for export of their specific
product(s) and commodities from India in the initial phase.
This will be subject to the condition that the exporter is
having complete 12 months membership with concerned EPC etc.
and filing of returns with concerned EPC/organisation regularly.
However, this condition would not apply in case of
a new EPC for a period of 5 years from the date of its creation.
(ii) Assistance would be permissible
on travel expenses by air, in economy excursion class fair
and/or charges of the built up furnished stall. This would,
however, be subject to an upper ceiling mentioned in the table
per tour.
| Sl. No |
Area/Sector
|
No. of visits
eligible |
Maximum Financial ceiling
per event |
| 1. |
Focus
LAC |
1 |
Rs.
1,80,000 |
| 2. |
Focus Africa
(Including WANA countries) |
1 |
Rs. 1,50,000 |
| 3. |
Focus CIS |
1 |
Rs. 1,50,000 |
| 4. |
Focus ASEAN
+2 |
1 |
Rs. 1,50,000 |
| 5. |
General Areas |
1 |
Rs. 80,000* |
| |
TOTAL |
5 |
General Areas |
The participation of individual
companies in the above activities shall be subject to the
following conditions :
(1) For EPC etc. led Trade
Delegations/BSMs only air-fare by Economy
Excursion class upto a maximum of Rs. 70,000 (Rs.
1,00,000 in case of Focus LAC) shall be permissible.
For participation in Trade Fairs/Exhibitions reimbursement
shall be permissible subject to ceilings mentioned in the
column 4 in the above table.
(2) Maximum number of permissible
participations shall be five in a financial year as indicated
in above table (No travel grant is permissible for visit to
General Areas).
However, for priority sectors,
having large employment generation potential, viz. Agriculture
including food items, Handicrafts, Handlooms, Carpets, Leather
& Minor Forest Produce including LAC, 2 (two) participations
in General Areas would be admissible with the assistance of
Rs. 1,50,000 for each participation. The exporters availing
of assistance under this provision would, however, be in addition
to these participations, eligible for only any 2 Focus Area
participations.
(3) Assistance shall be permissible
to one regular employee/director/partner/proprietor of the
company. Assistance would not be available to exporter of
foreign nationality or holding foreign passport.
(4) Intimation application must
be received in the concerned EPC etc. with a minimum of 14
days clear advance notice excluding the date of receipt of
application in the office of the concerned organization and
the date of departure from the country.
(5) The company shall not be
under investigation/charged/prosecuted/debarred/black listed
under the Foreign Trade Policy of India or any other law relating
to export and import business.
(6) Member exporters
of EPCs etc. would also be eligible for MDA assistance for
participation in events organized by ITPO abroad. Their applications/claims
would by routed/reimbursed through concerned EPC etc.
(7) Maximum MDA assistance shall be inclusive of MDA assistance
received from all Govt. bodies/FIEO/EPCs/Commodity Boards/Export
Development Authorities/ITPO etc.,
(8) A Maximum of three participations
in a particular trade fair/exhibition would be eligible for
MDA assistance and exporting companies after availing assistance
three times including past cases for a particular fair/exhibition,
have to participate in that fair, if any, on self-financing
basis.
DOCUMENTATION FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF ASSISTANCE
TO EXPORTERS:
(i) Intimation application in
Annexure V duly completed and signed shall
be submitted by the exporter to the concerned EPC etc. giving
clear 14 days advance notice. Intimation and the application
must be sent electronically by email also.
(ii) Concerned Organization
(FIEO, EPC etc.) on receipt of intimation shall immediately
issue acknowledge receipt. Thereafter they will examine
and issue approval letter to the exporter preferable within
5 working days of the receipt of the intimation, in the prescribed
format (Annexure-VI).
(iii) Claim along with the declaration
duly completed and the Certificate (as per Annexure
VIII) duly signed by a Chartered Accountant shall
be submitted by the exporter to the concerned Organization
(FIEO), EPC etc.) in the prescribed format (Annexure-VII)
along with under mentioned papers immediately on return to
India after completion of the activity but positively within
45 days of their return to India:
- Details of activity undertaken earlier with
MDA assistance to the same country/countries.
- Legible photocopy of passport highlighting
the entries about departure from and arrival into India
and also the countries visited. In case, passport does not
have arrival/departure dates regarding visits to various
countries, some documentary evidence such as Hotel Bills,
Boarding pass, lodging pass etc. be submitted.
- Original air ticket/jacket used during
the journey. If Original air ticket/jacket is lost, a legible
photocopy of the same along with a certificate from the
concerned airline indicating following may be sent :
(a) Name of the traveler
(b) Ticket number
(c) Flight No.
(d) Date of departure from India
(e) Sectors/countries visited
(f) Class in which traveled
(g) Economy excursion class fare for sectors/countries visited.
- Self certified f.o.b. value export
figures during the last three financial years, year wise.
- Brief report about the activity participated
and achievements made.
(iv) Claim forms duly filled in
and complete in all respects must be submitted to the concerned
EPC, FIEO etc., within 90 days of return to India. However,
claims submitted within 30 days from the expiry of the 90
days period may be entertained by or wherein the deficiencies
in the claim as intimated by the concerned EPC, FIEO etc.,
with 10% deduction. The claims which are submitted after 120
days of return to India shall not be entertained under any
circumstances. Any deficiencies in the claim as intimated
by the concerned EPC, FIEO etc., must be completed within
30 days of the date of directions given in this regard failing
which the claim shall stand rejected without any further intimation
or reminder in this regard by the concerned EPC, FIEO etc.
Downloads:
Annexure
V- Application Form
Annexure VI-
Sample Approval Letter
Annexure VII-
Claim Form
Annexure VIII-
Chartered Accountant Certificate
Click
Here for the immediate previous MDA Scheme
Click Here
for the MDA Disbursement 2007-08
Click Here
for the MDA Disbursement 2006-07
Click Here
for the MDA Disbursement 2005-06
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