NEW DELHI: Pledging to alter the policy environment to accelerate economic growth, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday promised to address concerns on GAAR and taxation of the IT sector along with giving high priority to finalization of the Direct Taxes Code and Goods and Services Tax.
At the same time, he called for need to address the issues of under pricing of electricity and petroleum products to cut down the subsidy bill.
Addressing the AGM of FICCI, the Prime Minister said a year or two of excessive pessimism at home has hurt the growth process.
“But, I stand before you to reassure you that our Government is committed to doing everything that is possible to alter the policy environment, to accelerate economic growth and to make the growth process socially and regionally more inclusive,” he told the industry captains.
Singh said the government decisions on FDI in multi-brand retail, civil aviation and broadcasting and the bills on liberalizing foreign investment limits in banking and insurance are based on sound economic logic to insulate the country from persistent global economic slowdown.
“I am afraid that those who oppose these moves are either ignorant of global realities or are constrained by out-dated ideologies,” he said, in an apparent reference to strong opposition from several political parties to reforms.
Singh said the steps the government has taken recently were only the beginning of a process to revive the economy and take it back to its trend growth rate of 8 to 9 per cent.
“We need to complete the exercise that was begun on GAAR and taxation of the IT sector. The day before yesterday, the Cabinet has approved the constitution of a Cabinet Committee on Investment.
“This would help in the issue of clearances for major projects in a time bound manner. We will speed up the disinvestment process which will also revive our equity markets,” he said. -PTI
