Expectations are high: Ashish Asaf

Ashish Asaf, MD-CEO, SA Consultants & Forwarders, hopes that this budget will focus on long-pending issues and new avenues like; 100 per cent EDI and absolute e-Transactions. “More Air Freight Stations are likely to be opened and desires are up for the refined policy and to introduce new independent facility wherein CFS would be allowed to have AFS Facilities,” he says.
“To decongest the airports, it is desirable to promote customised cargo hubs and cargo parks near the major metro airports where the concerned cargo activities can be effectively carried out within its periphery. Single window clearance and centralised system are on list to simplify the process and to reduce the dwell time. The government needs to come up with a clear incentive plan for small players to fund logistics as a specialised industry,” Asaf continues.
This budget is expected to bring out rebates and relaxation on taxes to give momentum to ‘Make in India’ scheme. However, the persisting high logistic costs could only be resolved by development of logistics infrastructure though we expect government to perceive the sector holistically and focus on bringing the logistics cost at the comparative level.