Industry leaders have urged the government to extend the timelines for compliance under the numerous corporate and taxation laws and to consider repeating some of the support measures that were extended to businesses after the national lockdown in March 2020, given the fresh local restrictions imposed in different parts of the country, including Maharashtra and Delhi.
Observing that the central government had acted swiftly last year and extended the timelines for compliance under various laws, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Sanjay Aggarwal told Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, at an interaction on Thursday, that the same steps and support measures were required this year too.
Ms. Sitharaman assured industry that its inputs would be considered, a statement from the finance ministry cited her as having said. The minister had also stressed that the way to tackle the current situation was through micro containment zones ‘so that life and livelihood can be protected’.
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The government was ‘working arduously for smooth co-ordination between States, hospitals and suppliers of oxygen and vaccines’, Ms. Sitharaman had pointed out.
“Provision of oxygen, vaccines and their logistics to people affected by coronavirus is being ensured, given the recent surge in cases of COVID-19 pandemic across the country,” she was quoted as having said, adding that the government was identifying idle manufacturing capacities for bolstering oxygen supplies.
“The Prime Minister himself is monitoring the situation with eminent doctors and vaccine manufacturers. The import of vaccines, certified by international bodies has been allowed; support is being extended to manufacturers by way of giving advances and vaccination drive against coronavirus has been allowed for people aged 18 years and above from May 1,” the Minister said.
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