- The Indian government unveiled a fresh set of measures amounting to ₹2.65 lakh crore ($35 billion) to battle the economic crisis worsened by the COVID-19 crisis.
- From tax relief for home buyers to a new platform to provide debt for infrastructure projects, additional outlay for affordable housing in urban India to providing incentives to creating formal jobs, there were a slew announcements today.
- Check out the latest news and updates on $4.
Sitharaman asserted that the government has committed a total of 15% of GDP in trying to revive the economy, including today's measures, and that has led to recovery in the economy since the lows in the April-June to quarter. To back her argument, Sitharaman cited the report international ratings agency Moody's, which said the contraction in gross domestic product (GDP), for financial year ending 2021, could be 8.1% as opposed to its previous estimate 9.6%. "It is not just pent up demand, it is sustainable, strong growth. It is getting unrelenting systemic reforms undertaken by the government," she said.
Here's a break up of the total stimulus announced by the government so far.
These are highlights of the measures announced by the Indian Finance Minister on November 12:
1. Every establishment that is registered with the EPFO will be incentivised to hire people who did not have a EPFO number or those who lost the EPFO number between March 1 and September 30 this year.
2. This will be effective from October 1, 2020.
3. The following subsidy will be applicable for those EPFO numbers linked with Aadhaar:
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4. 65% of the formal workforce will benefit from this, Nirmala Sitharaman said.
5. The emergency credit line guarantee scheme, which promised collateral-free, fully guaranteed, loans up to ₹3 lakh crore, has been extended till March 31.
6. Additional guaranteed credit for 26 stressed sectors, identified by the KV Kamath committee.
7. The government to add ₹18,000 crore to the outlay for affordable housing programme in urban areas. "This will help 1.2 million homes to be grounded and 1.8 million more to be completed," she said. This will create 7.8 million new jobs by bringing in demand for 2.5 million tonnes of steel and 13.1 million tonnes of cement, she added.
8. Boost for construction sector: A 'bid security declaration', a lot like self declaration, will replace the need to provide earnest money deposit for construction projects. This will be applicable until March 2021. This will bring down the cost of bank guarantees.
9. Performance security for ongoing contracts, which are not under dispute, will be reduced to 3% compared to the existing range of 5% to 10%.
10. For new homes sold, there will be an income tax relief for home buyers.
As of now if the cost of the house is more than the circle rate by more than 10%, the excess amount is taxable. That threshold has been increased to 20% until June 2021. This will be applicable for homes under the price of ₹ 2 crore.
Here's an example of how much a home buyer may save:
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11. National Investment and Infrastructure Fund will set up a platform to fund ₹1.1 lakh crore infrastructure debt. The government will invest ₹ 6,000 crore as equity. The rest of the money will be raised from private investors.
12. ₹65,000 crore will be provided to farmers to ensure availability of fertilisers in time ahead of the oncoming crop season.
13. Additional outlay of ₹10,000 crore, which could be used for anything from ensuring employment guarantee to construction of rural roads or any other project that help the informal economy in rural India.
14. An additional ₹3,000 crore credit lines for Indian companies that are executing projects like railways, power, transmission, road construction, auto components etc in other countries, and in the process, exporting inputs from India. These loans will be routed via the via EXIM Bank.
15. ₹ 10,200 crore, over and above the budgeted amount, will be provided to capital and industrial expenditure. Focus areas: Domestic defence equipment, industrial incentives, industrial infrastructure, and green energy.
16. ₹900 crore to be given to the Department of Biotechnology to support the development of COVID-19 vaccine.
17. She also cited the production-linked incentives for ten sectors, announced by the government on November 11. The outlays mentioned are earmarked to be disbursed over the next five years.
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