Textile export data under lens

Textiles exports data have again come under scrutiny. There is again a mismatch between the garment export data given by Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S) for January-June and those by the textiles ministry. This is seen as similar to a controversy that had erupted in May this year.

A committee formed under the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) and Cotton Textile Export Promotion Council (CTEPC) of the textiles ministry, has found a 54 per cent surge in garment exports. DGCI&S data, on the other hand, says it is a mere 11.17 per cent.

AEPC and CTEPC collated data from the four major ports of the country for the period. Although the DGCI&S figures are more extensive as they cover all the ports in the country, the four ports that were studied by AEPC and CTEPC account for a considerable share of exports.

The controversy in May pertained to textile exports to the US and the EU during January-March this year. DGCI&S had then said export had declined by 24 per cent. However, import data from the US customs had showed a 34 per cent growth during the period and the EU customs had put growth at 10 per cent in January and 14 per cent in February.

A study by the panels, to some extent, also hinted at where DGCI&S is repeatedly going wrong. It found variations in Daily Trade List figures (released on a daily basis by Customs Departments) and DGCI&S data as well. The Daily Trade List data for Jan-May 2005, and DGCI&S figures for the same period for the ports in Mumbai and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) differed by more than 16 per cent.

"DGCI&S relies on customs figures for its data and the variation baffles us. The agency has to put its act together as incorrect figures do not help anyone," said a ministry official.

In the aftermath of reports of incorrect export figures by DGCI&S, the ministry had on July 21 asked the two councils to analyse port wise DGCI&S data. The councils appointed certain agencies and collated data from ports in Nava Sheva (Mumbai), Tuticorin, Chennai and Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.

On the basis of the findings, AEPC has written to the ministry pointing that "the mismatch of DGCI&S' monthly data with collation of Daily Trade Data and the value of shipping bills for which drawback has been released, is clearly established."