NEW DELHI: Refund of over Rs 20,000 crore on account of GST is pending with the government with more than half the amount stuck as input tax credit, Federation of Indian Export Organisations on Tuesday.“IGST exemptions are being made time to time which have led to instability. The exemptions should be made on a permanent basis,” said Ganesh Kumar Gupta, president, FIEO While claims over Rs 7,000 crore were cleared in March, the amount was Rs 1,000 crore in April.Gupta said the refund process has considerably slowed down after the clearance fortnight. GST was rolled out on July 1, 2017.Many exporters have been unable to file the refund of ITC due to technical glitches as the input tax credit and exports happened in different months. The major challenge lies on ITC refund especially because the process is partly electronic and partly manual which is cumbersome and add to the transaction cost.Moreover, the tax authorities are reluctant to accept the applications and raise piecemeal objections asking for irrelevant documents including copy of bank realization certificate, according to FIEO.On IGST, refunds are getting delayed due to airline and shipping companies not submitting proof of export to customs and mismatches of invoice numbers in shipping bills and GST return forms.The apex body of exporters expects India’s exports to grow 15-20% in FY19 to $350 billion despite challenges on GST front such as slow refunds, increasing protectionism and credit squeeze because of rigid approach of banks.As per Ajay Sahai, director general of FIEO, the growth will be driven by automobile, auto components, pharmaceutical , organic and speciality chemicals and plastic goods exports.The northward movement in petroleum and commodity prices would also add to export growth. The recent depreciation of Indian Rupee is also supporting exports though its impact varies from sector to sector and from company to company.Rupee depreciation has helped traditional sectors of exports like handicrafts, carpets, marine products, agro-processed products, sports goods, apparels & textiles and leather which primarily depend on domestic inputs.The tough stand taken by banks have also affected the flow of credit and hence, exports. Withdrawal of letter of offer and letter of comfort has added to the cost of the exporters raising it by 1% to 3%. Sectors which are not doing well and require the maximum support are the worst hit due to rigid approach of the banks. FIEO said that while banks should adhere to the procedure, they have to be pro-active to the needs of the exports sector.