As part of the Government’s initiatives for improving the Ease of Doing Business, several facilitation measures are being taken by the Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC) in last two years. In line with the budget announcement made by the Union Finance Minister and as part of the Ease of Doing Business initiatives, the CBEC launched the Customs’ SWIFT (Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade) Clearances Project with effect from 1st April, 2016.

SWIFT will help India to improve its ranking in World Bank’s ‘Doing Business Report 2016’. India now ranks 130 out of 189 countries in Ease of Doing Business, moving-up four places from last year’s adjusted ranking of 134.

The Customs’ SWIFT enables importers/exporters to file a common electronic ‘Integrated Declaration’ on the Indian Customs Electronic Commerce/Electronic Data Interchange (EC/EDI) Gateway i.e. ICEGATE portal. The Integrated Declaration compiles the information requirements of Customs, FSSAI, Plant Quarantine, Animal Quarantine, Drug Controller, Wild Life Control Bureau and Textile Committee. It replaces nine separate forms required by these 6 different agencies and Customs.

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government seems to be giving confusing signals to industries when it comes to ease of doing business. The state which has rolled out a number of industry-friendly measures, is still stuck with a few regulations that is frustrating industries. 

Last week, Belgium Consul General Peter Huyghebaert met top state government officials and raised the issue of Bekeart, a Belgium company involved in making steel wires in Ranjangaon in Pune. 

The company was made to run around to get electricity duty exemption granted to mega projects by the state. Maharashtra government officials confirmed on condition of anonymity that the meeting did take place and also said that they 'have resolved the issue'. 
 

The government hopes recent amendments in loan recovery laws will help hasten the disposal of over 70,000 pending cases involving more than Rs 5 lakh crore in non-performing assets and ease the crippling situation of toxic loans, senior officials said on Thursday.

The amendment law, which received presidential assent on Tuesday, sets a time limit for disposal of debt recovery cases and seeks to improve ease of doing business by ensuring speedier resolution of defaulted loans.

VIJAYAWADA: The Chandrababu Naidu government was on cloud nine when it earned the top rank in the ease of doing business as it believed that the rank would help attract investments to AP. However, people -- right from rich investors to commoners -- are finding the going tough at registration offices.

Their unanimous feeling is that it is 'no easy business' at field offices. This reflects gross neglect of the revenue earning department as a majority of the registration offices in the state are running on outdated computers and poor internet connectivity.

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Finance Minister Arun Jaitley here on Thursday launched an online finance facilitation portal for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to facilitate ease of doing business. “The government is committed to ease of doing business. All financial support will be provided to MSMEs to improve their competency in various fields,” Jaitley said at the 14th meeting of the national board of MSME. The online finance facilitation centre will allow the MSMEs to apply for loans from the various banks on the NSIC (National Small Industries Corporation) portal.

The World Bank is likely to wrap up its ranking of Indian states by the end of August on reforms undertaken by them on the ease of doing business. “States have submitted about 7,000 items of information regarding the reforms they have undertaken on the ease of doing business. 

The World Bank team has already reviewed and approved some 3,000 items. We expect the whole process to be over by the end of this month. Till then, the rankings displayed on the portal are only temporary,” Ramesh Abhishek, department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) secretary, told FE.

New Delhi: Implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) will reduce tax evasion and improve ease of doing business by engendering a common market throughout the country, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today as he moved the modified constitution amendment bill in the Lok Sabha.

"GST will ensure one tax in the entire country. It will result in seamless transfer of goods and services in the country...This is a major indirect tax reform which will in long run will be in interest of the country," he said, adding Centre has addressed concerns of all the states.

In order to expedite the process of providing health trade licences, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has decided to reduce the number of requisite documents. However, the corporation has decided to not ask for certificates on fire safety and structural stability.

Health trade licences, issued by the corporations, grant permission to trade in particular items and services that have a direct effect on public health. By granting such a licence, the corporation guarantees that the establishments comply with hygiene and security standards.