One of the special modes of carrying out international business is a ¨Turnkey Project¨. Generally, projects that involve rendering of services like designing, civil construction, and erection and commissioning of plants/factories along with a supply of machinery, equipment, and materials are known as turnkey projects. In this article, you can find various essential provisions related to Turnkey project exports.
Turnkey (or turn-key) project is a term typically used with reference to construction projects for which the developer undertakes the whole responsibility from design to completion so that the building is available to the buyer in a ready-to-use condition. Another way to define it is as a real estate development project characterized by the builder absorbing all risk until a specific point has been reached. This usage has its origins in the construction industry to refer to the day when a job is finished to the last detail and the owner just has to turn the key in the door to begin using the facility. This point is generally the culmination of the project or when the real estate construction is ready for occupancy. Thus, the turn-key property is purchased property that already contains furnishings or other objects when the buyer occupies it.
A lot of public housing projects owned by the government are turnkey projects. For these projects, a private developer takes up responsibility for all activities required to perform the projects. The activities include land purchases, plans, construction, and permits. He then sells the completed structure to the housing authority.
Some of the few examples of Turnkey Projects include Engineering Projects, large construction projects i.e Construction of Airports, Ports, skyscrapers, Bridges, In IT (turn-key implementation of information systems), and more.
Exports of engineering goods on deferred payment terms and execution of Turnkey Projects abroad are collectively referred to as ¨Project Exports¨. These contracts are generally of high value and exporters undertaking them are required to offer competitive credit terms in order to be able to secure orders from foreign buyers in the face of stiff international competition. Indian exporters offering deferred payment terms to overseas buyers in respect of export of goods and those who have been awarded Turnkey projects by overseas parties have to secure prior approval at the post-award stage from Authorised Dealer/ Exim Bank for credit terms to be offered, third-country imports, etc. Provisions relating to Project exports and Service exports have been laid down in the ¨Memorandum of Instructions on Project Exports and Service Exports¨.
Broad Criteria for consideration of Proposals
(i) Authorised Dealer / Exim Bank will mainly examine, among others, the following aspects while considering grant of package approval for proposals for export of engineering goods on deferred payment terms or for undertaking turnkey contracts abroad:
(ii) As regards civil construction contracts, turnkey engineering contracts, process, and engineering consultancy services, and project construction items (excluding steel and cement), the Authorised Dealer / Exim Bank will consider proposals only from contractors who are on the approved list of Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India in order to ensure that only contractors having the necessary competence and capability undertake overseas construction contracts. While considering proposals, Authorised Dealer / Exim Bank.
Period of Deferred Credit
The periods for which credit may be offered for export of goods, consumer durables, turnkey contracts will depend on the merits of individual cases and may be determined by the exporter and his banker in mutual consultation on the basis of commercial judgment. However, consumer durables and miscellaneous engineering goods listed in the Project Exports Manual (PEM) should ordinarily be exported on cash terms. Four major factors viz. anticipated life of the goods to be exported, the extent of foreign competition, nature of the foreign market, and the contract value constitute the criteria for determining the overall terms of credit.
Exporters who have secured orders for undertaking supply contracts on deferred payment terms, those who have secured turnkey contracts abroad or for export of services in the area of management, technical consultancy, etc. where execution of the contracts involves the grant of fund-based and/or non-fund based facilities from the Indian banking system or where deferred payment terms are to be offered require approval from Authorised Dealer / Exim Bank.
Post-award clearance of Proposals
Each project export contract or Service Export Contract involving Deferred Payments need to be approved either by AD/ EXIM Bank in India. Such approval needs to be obtained on the post award stage but before actual execution of the project.
Follow-up of Turnkey Contracts
Third country purchases
While granting package approval for turnkey contracts involving the purchase of machinery or equipment or materials from third country sources, the AD or Exim Bank will indicate the extent up to which such purchases may be made.
Ordinarily, the third country purchases should be paid for separately by the overseas project authority or by the Indian exporter out of advance/down payment received from the project authority. Where the payments for the contract are receivable on a deferred payment basis, the exporter should, as far as possible, try to secure matching deferred payment terms in respect of third-country purchases required for the project to avoid a net outlay of funds in foreign exchange.
Export of construction equipment and other equipment from India
Requirements relating to Completed Projects
(i) Exporters executing turnkey contracts abroad should take the following steps after completion of the contracts:
(ii) A report giving a full account of the various steps taken should be sent by the exporter through his bankers to the concerned Authorised Dealer / Exim Bank as the case may be, depending upon the authority which had granted post-award approval for the project contract within one month from the completion of the project. Such report should also invariably be sent to Exim Bank / ECGC where their participation in funded / non-funded facilities, risk sharing is involved. The following documents should also be forwarded along with the report:
