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Raja hints at extending tax sops to software parks
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Raja hints at extending tax sops to software parks
NEW DELHI: India has received proposals worth Rs 1,57,000 crore for setting up fab units under the semiconductor policy, communications and IT minister A Raja said on Monday. He said most proposals were from international majors and these were being sorted out for early clearance by the new government.
“Some of these proposals have already been given in-principle approval. I am confident that the semiconductor policy will attract increased investments in the future,” Mr Raja said. The government had announced the semiconductor policy last fiscal to encourage setting up of semiconductor fabrication and other micro and nanotechnology manufacturing industries. Mr Raja also added that he would work towards extending the tax concessions given to software technology parks under the STPI scheme. “I will fight for the extension of STPI scheme beyond March 2010.
The scheme should be extended for at least another two years,” he said while adding that he would take up the issue and with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and also with finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.
On the proposed merger of BSNL and MTNL, Mr Raja hinted that the issue would be put on the back-burner. The minister also said that the new government would push for listing BSNL in the bourses. “We want to list BSNL. We want to create a consensus for it. We have asked the BSNL management to talk to the union”, he said.
Last year, state-owned BSNL was forced to put off its plans to launch the country’s biggest initial public offering (IPO) to raise about Rs 40,000 crore due to opposition from its employee unions. BSNL executives had said that the company was valued at well over $100 billion and offloading a 10% stake would give the government about $10 billion.
Asked on the proposed auctions for third generation spectrum, Mr Raja said that these would be held at the earliest. “I cannot say how soon they will be held, but it will definitely take place by the end of this year,” he said.
On the IT side, the priority will be to ensure that the national e-governance plan is fulfilled. “Within five years, we want to ensure that e-governance is implemented at the taluk level across the country, transforming all taluks into paperless offices. Hardware manufacturing is vital for India to achieve self-reliance in this space,” he added.
Sachin Pilot and Gurudas Kamat also took charge Monday as ministers of state in the communication and IT ministry.
Source:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/Raja-hints-at-extending-tax-sops-to
“Some of these proposals have already been given in-principle approval. I am confident that the semiconductor policy will attract increased investments in the future,” Mr Raja said. The government had announced the semiconductor policy last fiscal to encourage setting up of semiconductor fabrication and other micro and nanotechnology manufacturing industries. Mr Raja also added that he would work towards extending the tax concessions given to software technology parks under the STPI scheme. “I will fight for the extension of STPI scheme beyond March 2010.
The scheme should be extended for at least another two years,” he said while adding that he would take up the issue and with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and also with finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.
On the proposed merger of BSNL and MTNL, Mr Raja hinted that the issue would be put on the back-burner. The minister also said that the new government would push for listing BSNL in the bourses. “We want to list BSNL. We want to create a consensus for it. We have asked the BSNL management to talk to the union”, he said.
Last year, state-owned BSNL was forced to put off its plans to launch the country’s biggest initial public offering (IPO) to raise about Rs 40,000 crore due to opposition from its employee unions. BSNL executives had said that the company was valued at well over $100 billion and offloading a 10% stake would give the government about $10 billion.
Asked on the proposed auctions for third generation spectrum, Mr Raja said that these would be held at the earliest. “I cannot say how soon they will be held, but it will definitely take place by the end of this year,” he said.
On the IT side, the priority will be to ensure that the national e-governance plan is fulfilled. “Within five years, we want to ensure that e-governance is implemented at the taluk level across the country, transforming all taluks into paperless offices. Hardware manufacturing is vital for India to achieve self-reliance in this space,” he added.
Sachin Pilot and Gurudas Kamat also took charge Monday as ministers of state in the communication and IT ministry.
Source:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/Raja-hints-at-extending-tax-sops-to
