In order to encourage export business, Foreign Trade Policy gives Benefits to exporters. The Government has provided various incentives to any entity or person engaged in the export of goods or services. One of such major incentive is the issuance of duty credit scrip to any person engaged in Exports.

The above incentive is categorised in two main schemes:

1. MEIS – Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (For Export of Goods)
2. SEIS – Services Exports from India Scheme (For Export of Services)

MEIS

Any person engaged in the export of Notified Goods to Notified Country is eligible for the benefit of the duty credit scrip at a rate specified in Appendix 3B of Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20. (Rate varies from 4% to 7%)

SEIS

Any person engaged in export of Notified services is eligible for the duty credit scrip at a rate specified in Appendix 3D of Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20. (Rate varies from 5% to 7%)

Use of the Scrip

The scrip issued under the above schemes can be used to pay the customs duty applicable to imports.

Benefits

The scrip issued are freely transferable. So if the person to whom the scrip is issued is not engaged in imports, then he can easily transfer the same to any person engaged in imports for monetary value (which is almost equivalent to the value of scrip) and the transferee would be entitled for the complete benefit of the scrip. 

Conditions

Certain conditions are laid down by the government for availing the above benefits. Some of the common conditions are as follows:

1. The person claiming the benefit should possess IEC Code.
2. The minimum net free foreign exchange* to claim benefit under SEIS should be $10,000 in the previous financial year for individuals and $15,000 in previous financial year for others.
3. There should be an inflow of foreign exchange unless specifically exempted by the government.

*Net free foreign Exchange = Gross Earnings of Foreign Exchange (Less) Total expenses/payment/remittances of Foreign Exchange by the IEC holder.

Example:

Suppose a person is engaged in the export of services and in the previous year his net free foreign exchange is $ 20,000. Let’s take the conversion rate to be ₹70 and rate of SEIS as 7%. 

So his net free foreign exchange in INR would amount to ₹14,00,000/- and he would be eligible for benefit of ₹98,000/-.