NEW DELHI: Government must reduce rail freight tariff structures on select pilot routes, introduce one nation, one permit, one tax system and incentivise trucking industry besides introducing a new institutional framework in order to improve India’s logistics sector which in turn will help improve the Ease of Doing Business in the Country, a high-level committee said recently. 

Bibek Debroy-led Logistics Development Committee has suggested creation of an independent Logistics Department within Commerce Ministry entrusted with the responsibility to develop a National Logistics Plan with a long term perspective (five to 10 year) and yearly operational plans with constant review and monitoring. 

Comprehensive recommendations are a part of the committee’s report submitted to PM Narendra Modi on a roadmap to make India one of the most efficient and effective places for doing trade in a time bound manner. The committee has laid out an action plan for all related Ministries with time-lines for better monitoring the progress. 

Outlining a twin-pronged strategy to give a boost to India’s logistic sector, the committee has suggested policy changes at the border as well as behind the border of trade to fasten movement of cargo in the Country. “Rail freight tariff structure (both slabs and absolute tariff rates) be reduced and rationalised at least on select pilot routes like 

Delhi-JNPT, Delhi-Mundra, etc and facilitate running of time-tabled freight trains for some select pilot rain routes to provide trade superior rail transport services and arrest the fall in its freight modal mix,” the committee has said. 

Outlining the need for supporting the truck industry, the committee has suggested that Government amend the existing regulations to make road transport experience seamless and efficient and incentivise trucking industry to move towards formal and organised operators. “Introduce the one nation, one permit, one tax system and amend the provisions of the Motor Transport Workers Act to incentivise trucking industry to increase its scale and size,” the committee said. 

Highlighting the challenges pertaining to trade facilitation at the border, the committee has suggested to do away with physical examination, to be resorted only in exceptional cases, and shift towards fully facilitated 

‘trust-based’ clearance process. “Create a fully automated paperless trade environment, set up a single window digital portal integrating all stakeholders and monitor key outputs across all major trade gateways,” 

it added.