NEW DELHI (INDIA): SARE Homes Managing Director Vineet Relia said that We welcome the move of the government to give infrastructure status to affordable housing. This status will make it easier for developers to access low-cost funds via foreign direct investment (FDI), external commercial borrowings (ECB) and domestic banking assistance.
“The need for collateral against loans will also stand reduced. Bank lending rates for housing loans coming down is a positive development and will help stir demand in the market and help clear up unsold inventory for the builders,” he said.
“Another positive move is to provide developers tax relief on unsold stock as liability to pay capital gains will arise only in the year a project is completed. This will help the developers plan their liquidity better. The move of considering the carpet area of 30 and 60 sq meters instead of Built up area of 30 and 60 sq meters will bring in more housing projects under the ambit of affordable housing and will encourage developers to introduce more such projects,” he added.
Affordable Housing will be given Infrastructure Status
The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley while presenting the General Budget 2017-18 in Parliament said that affordable housing will now be given infrastructure status, which will enable these projects to avail the associated benefits.
The National Housing Bank (NHB) will refinance individual housing loans of about Rs. 20,000 crore in 2017-18. Thanks to the surplus liquidity created by demonetisation, the Banks have already started reducing their lending rates, including those for housing. The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley in his Budget Speech said that in addition, interest subvention for housing loans has also been announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
GST Council has finalised its recommendations on almost all the issues based on consensus
The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs,Jaitley said that the GST Council has finalised its recommendations on almost all the issues based on consensus after spirited debate and discussions.
The Finance Minister said that the Government on its part has promptly given effect to various provisions of the Constitutional Amendment Act, including constitution of the GST Council.
The GST Council held 9 meetings to discuss various issues relating to GST, including broad contours of the GST rate structure, threshold exemption and parameters for composition scheme, details for compensation to States due to implementation of GST, examination of draft model GST law, draft IGST law and the Compensation Law and administrative mechanism for GST.
He said the preparation of IT system for GST is also on schedule.
The Finance Minister Jaitley in his Budget Speech further said that the extensive reach-out efforts to trade and industry for GST will start from 1st April, 2017 to make them aware of the new taxation system.
He said that since the enactment of the Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016, there has been substantial progress on preparatory work towards ushering in GST which is by far the biggest tax reform since Independence.
“Several teams of officers both from the States and Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC)have been working to give finishing touch to the Model GST law, rules and other details, he added.
Jaitley said that the Government, through the Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC) shall continue to strive to achieve the goal of implementation of GST as per schedule without compromising the spirit of co-operative federalism.
He added that the implementation of GST is likely to bring more taxes both to Central and State Governments because of widening of tax net.
The Finance Minister Jaitley stated that not many changes have been proposed in current regime of Excise & Service Tax in the Budget proposals since they are to be replaced by GST soon.