Public Policy Cell

IEEMA Public Policy Cell maintains a knowledge base on imports and exports of electrical equipment in order to combat surge in imports and removing exports bottlenecks. The Cell examines impact of signed Free Trade Agreements, study the clauses and proposed concessional duties on products to be covered under future Trade Agreements and represent the issues related to FTAs to the Government. It interacts with Government on other collective issues of importance, many of which are related with Government policies, to ensure a level playing field and competitiveness of domestic industry vis-a-vis imports.

Besides this, the Cell plays an advisory role for Product Divisions of IEEMA and suggests suitable remedial measures to the Product Divisions for safeguarding their interests.

Public Policy Cell has made several policy influences in the recent past, providing relief to the industry in the Covid crisis, such as, waiver off minimum demand charges of electricity; allowance of on-line inspections by utilities of dispatch materials; invocation of Force Majeure Clause; restrictions in imports from China in the form of mandatory registration with competent authority; return of BG to the proportion of work done; reduction percentage of Performance Bank Guarantee from 5-10% to 3%; bid Security declaration replacing Bid Security / EMD etc.

The Cell also got the GST rate lowered on wires & cables, LT switchgears, switch boards, panels and insulator fittings from 28% to 18%, keeping a uniform rate of 18% GST across all electrical products; removal of inverted duty structure on Cable Terminal & Connectors, Insulators & Insulated Cables; cyber security report of critical power control equipment installed in the country; enhancement of basic customs duty of finished electrical equipment to 10% to provide protection to the domestic industry from non-essential imports.

The present Chairman of the IEEMA Public Policy Cell is Shri Vimal Kejriwal, Managing Director and CEO, KEC International Ltd. Nominated members from National Executive Council of IEEMA are members of this Committee.