Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today described the economic situation as challenging even as India Inc pressed for tax concessions and bold reforms to reignite the investment cycle and promote growth.
In over two hour long pre-budget consultative meeting with the Finance Minister, captains of Indian industry listed out host of demands including lowering of tax rates, easing of gold import curbs, clarity on retrospective tax law amendment and early roll out of Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Direct Taxes Code (DTC).
Jaitley on his part pointed out that "the economic situation at present is quite challenging" and welcomed the enthusiasm of the industry to turn it to its advantage.
He further said it was a "constructive meeting" and promised to give directional thrust to the economy to ensure better results.
"Government should make earnest efforts to move away from the aggressive revenue approach and provide a genuine non-adversarial and conducive tax environment," Ficci President Sidharth Birla said.
The vexed issued of retrospective tax amendment carried out by the UPA had adversely impacted the investment sentiment.
"A simple, transparent and non-adversarial tax regime bereft of complexities and ambiguities would go a long way to strengthen business sentiment and restore faith of the foreign investor in the India growth story," CII President Ajay Shiram said.
Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Mittal said: "Industry pitched for reviving the investment sentiment, making tax regime much more simple to understand, take away ambiguities."
On the telecom sector, he said, there is need to give boost to the sector and also auctioning of more spectrum.
Biocon Chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Essar Group Shashi Ruia, Suzlon Group Chairman Tulsi Tanti and Videocon Group chief V N Dhoot, Assocham President Rana Kapoor and PHD President Sharad Jaipuria also attended the meeting.
