India New Budget 2011 - 2012 Highlight Summary.

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• Basic customs duty on agricultural machinery reduced to 4.5 per cent from 5 per cent.
• Ship-owners can now make duty-free spare parts import.
• Export duty withdrawn on iron ore pellets.
• Export duty rates on iron ore at 20 per cent ad valorem.
• Service tax raised on air travel.
• Import duty on gypsum and coal increased frm 5% to 2.5%.
• Customs duty on raw silk reduced from 30 to 5 per cent.
• Legal services to be expanded to business entities.
• Cut in excise duty of hybrid fuel, yarn, steel
• Base rate on excise duty raised to 5%.
• 1% Excise duty on 130 new items
• No new tax exemption limit for women.
• Custom duty on Pet Coke and Gypsum to minimized to 2.5%.
• 20% export duty for iron ore.
• Foreign dividend tax rate cut to 15% for Indian cos.
• Mandatory levy of 10 pct on branded garments.
• Standard rate of excise duty at 10 pct.
• Service tax unchanged at 10 per cent.
• Exemption for investment in infra debt funds for another year.
• Budget estimates for 2011-12 projects- Rs 9,32,440 crore.
• No change in Central excise duty rate.
• Qualifying age of # senior citizensreduces from 65 to 60 years.
• Tax Exemptiom limit raised from Rs1.6 lakh to Rs 1.8 lakh.
• Surcharge reduced on corporate tax to 5%.
• Exemption limit for general tax payers raised to Rs 1,80,000.
• New series of coins with new rupee symbol to be introduced.
• Health benefits workers in hazardous industries, such as mining and slate.
• Rs 5,000 crore provided to National Skill Dev Council.
• Rs 200 cr as one-time grant to IIT-KGP.
• Rs 10-crore grant for Delhi School of Economics; Rs 200 cr for Maulana Azad Education
• Fiscal deficit 4.6 % in FY12
• Rs. 54 cr each to Aligarh Muslim Uniiversity centres.
• MAT increased to 18.5 %.
• New category for 80 yrs and above, limit is Rs 5 lakh.
• MAT to be levied on developers of SEZs.
• Relaxtion in e-filing norms for small tax payers.
• Expenditure estimates up 13.4%.
• Rs. 8000 cr assigned for J&K for development projects.
• Award to be introduced in the name of Rabindranath Tagore with cash prize of 1 cr, to promote international botherhood.
• Rs 150 cr allocated to Jammu for implementation of projects identified by taskforce.
• Rs 25 cr and 30 cr for naxal affected areas.
• 50 More Mega Food Parks to be set up.
• Rs 9 lakh compensation to be given to men of defence and Central paramilitary forces for permanent disability and discharged from service.
• Rs. 300 crore to modernise stamp and registration in states.
• xpect 10 lakh nos to be generated per day from 1st Oct 2011 under UID.
• Defence sector gets more than 1.64 trln rupees.
• RS 1000 crore to build Judicial Infrastructure and develop project ethos.
• Inflation stands approximately at 1.5 % .
• Agricultural sector registers a growth rate of 5.4 % in 2011-12 .
• Growth rate of 8.6 % in 2011-12 in Indian Economy.
• Focus on stable macro economic environment.
• My budget aims at "transition towards transparent economy"
• Govt aspired for solving gaps in recent corporate governance
• Average inflation to be lower next year.
• Corruption is a problem, we have to fight it collectively"
• Economy gainig pre-crisis growth
• Exports up by 29.4%
• Economic growth at 9 percent, plus or minus 0.25 pct in 2012
• Agriculture sector to grow at 5.4 %, industry at 8.1 % and services 9.3 %
  Expected GDP growth in FY11 at 8.6%
• Govt. focusing on high food prices including milk, cereals and onions
• Public Debt Management Agency Bill next year
• Current account deficit (CAD) and average inflation to be less than current year
• Imports increased by 17.6%, Exports increased by 29.4%
• FIIs can now invest in mutual funds schemes
• Public Debt AMC of India Bill in FY12
• To raise Rs 40,000cr via disinvestment
• SEBI registered MF now accessible to foreign investors (after fulfilling KYC norms)
• SEBI registered mutual funds to accept subscription from foreign investors.
• NRI's can invest in mutual funds from now.
• FII's allowed to invest in unlisted bonds
• FII limit in corporate bonds in infra incrteased by additional USD 20bn
• Registered FII's to participate in Indian MF industry.
• RBI to issue guidelines on banking licesnes this fiscal year.
• 1% interest subvention on home loans upto 15 lakh
• A women's self help group to be set up with a corpus of Rs 500cr
• 6000cr capital infusion in 2011-12 for PSU banks.
• Direct cash subsidy for fertilisers, kerosene from now.
• Fund of 180 bln rupees in 2011/1 for rural infrastructure development
• Home Loan Limit Hiked to 25 lakh for priority sector lending.
• Rs 3000cr to NABARD from Union Budget 2011.
• Infra sector FII cap for bonds with 5-year residual maturity.
• Focusing on removal of supply bottlenecks in food sector.
• Interest subvention on housing loans eligibility to be relaxed.
• Rs 100 crore equity funds for microfinance companies
• FM urges to increase private investment in Agro Processing.
• Increase lending to farmers from banks from now.
• Indian economy records high growth path by 8.9 per cent in the first half of the current fiscal.
• Insurance amendment bill, LIC bill and Pension Development Authority Bill to be introduced in this session.
• Banking Laws amendment Bill, SBI subsidiaries bill and BIFR bill also in current year.
• Rs 6,000 cr for PSU banks to maintain capital-to-risk assets ratio norms.
• Indian micro finance equity with SIDBI to be formed at Rs 100 crore.
• Rural housing fund to Rs 3,000 crore.
• Allocation under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana raised from Rs 6755 crore to Rs 7860 crore.
• Rs 300 cr to promote farm product cultivation.
• Rs 300 cr to promote pulses cultivation in rain-fed areas.
• Interest subvention scheme on short term farm loans at 7 % interest to continue.
• Rs 10,000 cr to be provided to NABARD as short term credit fund.
• Rs.2.14 cr to be allocated towards infra development.
• Govt aspired to further develop PPP.
• Rs 300 cr for fodder development.
• Provision of Rs 300cr for promoting production of bajra, jowar, ragi.
• Rs 300 cr allocated for oil palm production.
• Financial assistance for speedy execution of on-going metro projects.
• Modified infra debt funds to be created, to ecourage foreign funds for infra development.
• Tax free bonds of Rs. 30,000 for enhancement of infra sector.
• New scheme to be introduced for refund of service tax.
• Self-assessment of customs duty wherein importers and exporters will themselves assess payment of duty.
• Infra status to cold storage chains from now.
• New Companies Bill to be introduced in current session.
• NREGA wages to be indexed to inflation from now.
• Rs. 58,000 crore allocation for Bharat Nirman Schemes.
• Cap infusion of Rs 20,157cr in PSU banks in FY12.
• IIFCL disbursement target upped to Rs 25,000cr for FY12.
• Fertiliser sector investment gets Infra status.
• To create Rs 100cr equity fund for microfinance companies.
• New Scholarships for needy SC/ST students of Class 9/10.
• State innovation councils to be set up.
• National mission for hybrid, electric vehicles to be set up soon : FM
• Infra debt funds to be created: FM
• Food security bill to be introduced this year.
• Rs 52,057cr allocated for education sector.
• Remuneration of anganwadi workers raised from Rs 1500 to Rs 3,000 per month. Helpers to get Rs 1,500 from Rs 750.
• Liberalising of one per cent interest subvention on housing loans up to Rs 15 lakh.
• Rs. 21,000 cr for Shiksha Abhiyan.
• National Knowledge Network to be set up by by March 2012.
• Rs. 10,000 crores to rural telephony.
• My budget aspires to set tone for newer, vibrant economy"
• Revised scheme for vocational course to improve Youth.
• Rs 50 cr grant to Aligarh Muslim University centres in Murshidabad in West Bengal and Malappuram in Kerala.
• Rural broadband connectivity to be provided in 3 years.
• Pension eligibility reduced from 65 years to 60 years for BPL.
• Increased pension of Rs 500 pension for those above 80 years.
• Rs 100 cr for development of Ladakh.
• Plans to create 150lac metric tons food storage capacity.
• Allocation to health sector raised by 20 pct to 267.6 bln rupees in 2011/12.
• 9 lakh ex gratia payment for disabled defence personnel.
• GOM (group of ministers) for Environmental concerns arising out of development projects.

Key Features of Budget 2011-2012

OPPORTUNITIES

•  Swift and broad based growth in 2010-11 has put the economy back to its pre-crisis growth trajectory. Fiscal consolidation has been impressive.
  
• Significant progress in critical institutional reforms that would set the pace for double-digit growth in the near future.
  
• Dynamism in the rural economy due to scaled up flow of resources to the rural areas.

CHALLENGES

• Structural concerns on inflation management to be addressed by improving supply response of agriculture to the expanding domestic demand and through stronger fiscal consolidation.
  
• Implementation gaps, leakages from public programmes and the quality of outcomes pose a serious challenge.
  
• Impression of drift in governance and gap in public accountability is misplaced. Corruption as a problem to be fought collectively. Government to improve the regulatory standards and administrative practices.
  
• Inputs from colleagues on both sides of House are important in the wider national interest.
  
• Budget 2011-12 to serve as a transition towards a more transparent and result oriented economic management system in India.

OVERVIEW OF THE ECONOMY

• Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimated to have grown at 8.6 per cent in 2010-11 in real terms. Economy has shown remarkable resilience.
  
• Continued high food prices have been principal concern this year.
  
• Consumers denied the benefit of seasonal fall in prices despite improved availability of food items, revealing shortcomings in distribution and marketing
  systems.
  
• Monetary policy measures taken expected to further moderate inflation in coming months.
  
• Exports have grown by 29.4 per cent, while imports have recorded a growth of 17.6 per cent during April to January 2010-11 over the corresponding period last year.
  
• Indian economy expected to grow at 9 per cent with an outside band of +/- 0.25 per cent in 2011-12.
  
• Average inflation expected lower next year and current account deficit smaller.

SUSTAINING GROWTH

Fiscal consolidation

•  Fiscal consolidation targets at Centre and States have shown positive effect on macro economic management of the economy.
  
• Amendment to Centre’s FRBM Act, 2003 laying down the fiscal road map for the next five years to be introduced in the course of the year.
  
• Proposal to introduce the Public Debt Management Agency of India Bill in the next financial year.

Tax Reforms

•  Direct Taxes Code (DTC) to be finalised for enactment during 2011-12. DTC proposed to be effective from April 1, 2012.
  
• Areas of divergence with States on proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) have been narrowed. As a step towards roll out of GST, Constitution Amendment
  Bill proposed to be introduced in this session of Parliament.
  
• Significant progress in establishing GST Network (GSTN), which will serve as IT infrastructure for introduction of GST.

Expenditure Reforms

•  A Committee already set up by Planning Commission to look into the extant classification of public expenditure between plan, non-plan, revenue and capital.

Subsidies

•  Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) has improved the availability of fertiliser; Government actively considering extension of the NBS regime to cover urea.
  
• Government to move towards direct transfer of cash subsidy to people living below poverty line in a phased manner for better delivery of kerosene, LPG and fertilisers. Task force set up to work out the modalities for the proposed system.

People’s ownership of PSUs

•  Overwhelming response to public issues of Central Public Sector Undertakings during current year.
  
• Higher than anticipated non-tax revenue has led to reschedulement of some disinvestment issues planned for current year.
  
• Rs 40,000 crore to be raised through disinvestment in 2011-12.
  
• Government committed to retain at least 51 per cent ownership and management control of the Central Public Sector Undertakings.

INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT

Foreign Direct Investment

•  Discussions underway to further liberalise the FDI policy.

Foreign Institutional Investors

•  SEBI registered mutual funds permitted to accept subscription from foreign investors who meet KYC requirements for equity schemes.
  
• To enhance flow of funds to infrastructure sector, the FII limit for investment in corporate bonds issued in infrastructure sector being raised.

Financial Sector Legislative Initiatives

•  To take the process of financial sector reforms further, various legislations proposed in 2011-12.
  
• Amendments proposed to the Banking Regulation Act in the context of additional banking licences to private sector players.

Public Sector Bank Capitalisation

•  Rs 6,000 crore to be provided during 2011-12 to enable public sector banks to maintain a minimum of Tier I CRAR of 8 per cent. Recapitalisation of Regional Rural Banks
  
• Rs 500 crore to be provided to enable Regional Rural Banks to maintain a CRAR of at least 9 per cent as on March 31, 2012.

Micro Finance Institutions

• “India Microfinance Equity Fund” of Rs 100 crore to be created with SIDBI. Government considering putting in place appropriate regulatory framework to protect the interest of small borrowers.
  
• “Women’s SHG’s Development Fund” to be created with a corpus of Rs 500 crore.

Rural Infrastructure Development Fund

•  Corpus of RIDF XVII to be raised from Rs 16,000 crore to Rs 18,000 crore.

Micro Small and Medium Enterprises

•  Rs 5,000 crore to be provided to SIDBI for refinancing incremental lending by banks to these enterprises.
  
• Rs 3,000 crore to be provided to NABARD to provide support to handloom weaver co-operative societies which have become financially unviable due to non-repayment of debt by handloom weavers facing economic stress.
  
• Public sector banks to achieve a target of 15 per cent as outstanding loans to minority communities under priority sector lending at the earliest.

Housing Sector Finance

•  Existing scheme of interest subvention of 1 per cent on housing loan further liberalised.
  
• Existing housing loan limit enhanced to Rs 25 lakh for dwelling units under priority sector lending.
  
• Provision under Rural Housing Fund enhanced to Rs 3,000 crore.
  
• To enhance credit worthiness of economically weaker sections and LIG households, a Mortgage Risk Guarantee Fund to be created under Rajiv Awas Yojana.
  
• Central Electronic Registry to prevent frauds involving multiple lending on the same immovable property to become operational by March 31, 2011.

Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission

•  Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission set up to rewrite and streamline the financial sector laws, rules and regulations.
  
• Companies Bill to be introduced in the Lok Sabha during current session.

AGRICULTURE

•  Removal of production and distribution bottlenecks for items like fruits and vegetables, milk, meat, poultry and fish to be the focus of attention this year. Rs 6,755 crore to Rs 7,860 crore.

Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern Region

•  To improve rice based cropping system in this region, allocation of Rs 400 crore has been made.

Integrated Development of 60,000 pulses villages in rainfed areas

•  Allocation of Rs 300 crore to promote 60,000 pulses villages in rainfed areas.

Promotion of Oil Palm

•  Allocation of Rs 300 crore to bring 60,000 hectares under oil palm plantations. Initiative to yield about 3 lakh Metric tonnes of palm oil annually in five years.

Initiative on Vegetable Clusters

•  Allocation of Rs 300 crore for implementation of vegetable initiative to provide quality vegetable at competitive prices.

Nutri-cereals

•  Allocation of Rs 300 crore to promote higher production of Bajra, Jowar, Ragi and other millets, which are highly nutritious and have several medicinal properties.

National Mission for Protein Supplement

•  Allocation of Rs 300 crore to promote animal based protein production through livestock development, dairy farming, piggery, goat rearing and fisheries.

Accelerated Fodder Development Programme

•  Allocation of Rs 300 crore for Accelerated Fodder Development Programme to benefit farmers in 25,000 villages.

National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture

•  Government to promote organic farming methods, combining modern technology with traditional farming practices.

Agriculture Credit

•  Credit flow for farmers raised from Rs 3,75,000 crore to Rs 4,75,000 crore in 2011-12.
  
• Interest subvention proposed to be enhanced from 2 per cent to 3 per cent for providing short-term crop loans to farmers who repay their crop loan on time.
  
• In view of enhanced target for flow of agriculture credit, capital base of NABARD to be strengthened by Rs 3,000 crore in phased manner.
  2011-12.

Mega Food Parks

•  Approval being given to set up 15 more Mega Food Parks during 2011-12.

Storage Capacity and Cold Chains

•  Augmentation of storage capacity through private entrepreneurs and warehousing corporations has been fast tracked.
  
• Capital investment in creation of modern storage capacity will be eligible for viability gap funding of the Finance Ministry.

Agriculture Produce Marketing Act

•  In view of recent episode of inflation, need for State Governments to review and enforce a reformed Agriculture Produce Marketing Act.

Infrastructure and Industry

•  Allocation of Rs 2,14,000 crore for infrastructure in 2011-12. This is an increase of 23.3 per cent over 2010-11. This also amounts to 48.5 per cent of total plan allocation.
  
• Government to come up with a comprehensive policy for further developing PPP projects.
  
• IIFCL to achieve cummulative disbursement target of Rs 20,000 crore by March 31, 2011 and Rs 25,000 crore by March 31, 2012.
  
• Under take out financing scheme, seven projects sanctioned with debt of Rs 1,500 crore. Another Rs 5,000 crore will be sanctioned during 2011-12.
  
• To boost infrastructure development, tax free bonds of Rs 30,000 crore proposed to be issued by Government undertakings during 2011-12.

National Manufacturing Policy

•  Share of manufacturing in GDP expected to grow from about 16 per cent to 25 per cent over a period of 10 years. Government will come out with a manufacturing policy.
  
• Two Committees set up for greater transparency and accountability in procurement policy; and for allocation, pricing and utilisation of natural resources.
  
• Issues relating to reconciliation of environmental concern from various departmental activities including those related to infrastructure and mining to be considered by a Group of Ministers.
  
• National Mission for hybrid and electric vehicle to be launched. Bengaluru, Kolkata and Chennai.
  
• Capital investment in fertiliser production proposed to be included as an infrastructure sub-sector.

Exports

•  Of 23 suggestions made by Task Force on Transaction Cost, constituted by the Department of Commerce, 21 suggestions already implemented. Action to be taken on the remaining two suggestions. Transaction Cost of Rs 2,100 crore will thus be mitigated.
  
• Self assessment to be introduced in Customs to modernize the Customs administration.
  
• Proposal to introduce scheme for refund of taxes paid on services used for export of goods.
  
• Mega Cluster Scheme to be extended for leather products. Seven mega leather clusters to be set up during 2011-12.
  
• Jodhpur to be included for the development of a handicraft mega cluster.

BLACK MONEY

•  Five fold strategy to be put into operation to deal with the problem of generation and circulation of black money.
  
• Membership of various international fora engaged in anti money laundering, Financial integrity and Economic development, Exchange of information for tax purposes and transparency, secured.
  
• Various Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEA) and Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAA) concluded. Foreign Tax Division of CBDT has been strengthened to effectively handle increase in tax information exchange and transfer pricing issues.
  
• Enforcement Directorate strengthened three fold to handle increased number of cases registered under amended Money Laundering Legislation.
  
• Finance Ministry has commissioned study on unaccounted income and wealth held within and outside the country.
  
• Comprehensive national policy to be announced in near future to strengthen controls over prevention of trafficking on narcotic drugs.

STRENGTHENING INCLUSION

• National Food Security Bill (NFSB) to be introduced in the Parliament during the course of this year.
  
• Allocation for social sector in 2011-12 (Rs 1,60,887 crore) increased by 17 percent over current year. It amounts to 36.4 per cent of total plan allocation.

Bharat Nirman

• Allocation for Bharat Nirman programme proposed to be increased by Rs 10,000 crore from the current year to Rs 58,000 crore in 2011-12.
  
• Plan to provide Rural Broadband Connectivity to all 2,50,000 Panchayats in the country in three years.

MGNREGA

•  In pursuance of last years budget announcement to provide a real wage of Rs 100 per day, the Government has decided to index the wage rates notified under the MGNREGA to the Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labour. The enhanced wage rates have been notified by the Ministry of Rural Development on January 14, 2011.
  
• From 1st April, 2011, remuneration of Anganwadi workers increased from Rs 1,500 per month to Rs 3,000 per month and for Anganwadi helpers from Rs 750 per month to Rs 1,500 per month.

Scheduled Castes and Tribal Sub-plan

• Specific allocation earmarked towards Schedule Castes Sub-plan and Tribal Sub-plan in the Budget.
  
• Allocation for primitive Tribal groups increased from Rs 185 crore in 2010-11 to Rs 244 crore in 2011-12.

Education

•  Allocation for education increased by 24 per cent over current year.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

• Rs 21,000 crore allocated, which is 40 per cent higher than Budget for 2010-11.
  
• Pre-matric scholarship scheme to be introduced for needy SC/ST students studying in classes IX and X.

National Knowledge Network

•  Connectivity to all 1,500 institutions of Higher Learning and Research through optical fiber backbone to be provided by March, 2012.

Innovations

• National Innovation Council set up to prepare road map for innovations in India.
  
• Special grant provided to various universities and academic institutions to recognise excellence.

Skill Development

•  Additional Rs 500 crore proposed to be provided for National Skill Development Fund during the next year.
  
• An international award with prize money of Rs 1 crore being instituted for promoting values of universal brotherhood as part of National celebrations of 150th Birth Anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

Health

•  Plan allocations for health stepped-up by 20 per cent.
  
• Scope of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana to be expanded to widen the coverage.

Financial Inclusion

•  Target of providing banking facilities to all 73,000 habitations having a population of over 2,000 to be completed during 2011-2012.

Unorganised sector

•  Exit norms under co-contributory pension scheme “Swavalamban” to be relaxed. Benefit of Government contribution to be extended from three to five years for all subscribers who enroll during 2010-11 and 2011-12.
  
• Eligibility for pension under Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme for BPL beneficiaries reduced from 65 years of age to 60 years. Those above 80 years of age will get pension of Rs 500 per month instead of Rs 200 at present.

Environment and Climate Change

Forests

•  Rs 200 crore proposed to be allocated for Green India Mission from National Clean Energy Fund.

Environmental Management

•  Rs 200 crore proposed to be allocated for launching Environmental Remediation Programmes from National Clean Energy Fund.

Cleaning of Rivers and Lakes

•  Special allocation of Rs 200 crore proposed to be provided for clean-up of some more important lakes and rivers other than Ganga.

Some Other Initiatives

•  To boost development in North Eastern Region and Special Category States, allocation for Special Assistance doubled.
  
• Rs 8,000 crore provided in current year for development needs of Jammu and Kashmir.
  
• Allocation made in 2011-12 to meet the infrastructure needs for Ladakh (Rs 100 crore) and Jammu region (Rs 150 crore).
  
• Funds allocated under Integrated Action Plan (IAP) for addressing problems related to Left Wing extremism affected districts. 60 selected Tribal and backward districts provided with 100 per cent block grant of Rs 25 crore and Rs 30 crore per district during 2010-11 and 2011-12 respectively.
  
• A lump-sum ex-gratia compensation of Rs 9 lakh for 100 per cent disability to be granted for personnel of Defence and Para Military forces discharged from service on medical ground on account of disability attributable to government service.
  
• Provision of Rs 1,64,415 crore, including Rs 69,199 crore for capital expenditure to be made for Defence Services in 2011-12.
  
• To build judicial infrastructure, plan provision for Department of Justice increased by three fold to Rs 1,000 crore.

Census 2011

•  To enumerate castes other than Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes in Census 2011, ‘caste’ to be canvassed as a separate time bound exercise.

IMPROVING GOVERNANCE

UID Mission

•  From 1st October, 2011 ten lakh Aadhaar numbers will be generated per day.

IT Initiatives

•  Various IT initiatives taken for efficient tax administration. These include e-filing and e-payment of taxes, adoption of ‘Sevottam’ concept by CBEC and CBDT, web based facility for tax payers to track the resolution of refunds and credit for pre-paid taxes and augmentation of processing capacity.
  
• Under Mission mode projects, funds released to 31 projects received from States/ UTs for computerisation of Commercial taxes. This will allow States to align with roll out of GST.
  
• Bill to amend the Indian Stamp Act proposed to be introduced shortly.
  
• A new scheme with an outlay of Rs 300 crore to be launched to provide assistance to States to modernise their stamp and registration administration and roll out e-stamping in all the districts in the next three years.
  
• A new simplified form ‘Sugam’ to be introduced to reduce the compliance burden of small tax payers falling within presumptive taxation.
  
• Three more benches of Settlement Commission to be set up to fast track the disposal of cases.
  
• Steps initiated to reduce litigation and focus attention on high revenue cases.

Corruption

•  Group of Ministers constituted to consider measures for tackling corruption. Recommendations to be made in a time bound manner.

Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System

•  In pursuance of recommendations of Second Administrative Reforms Commission, 62 departments covered under Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System (PMES) to assess their effectiveness.

TAGUP

•  Recommendations of Technology Advisory Group for Unique Projects (TAGUP) submitted and accepted in principle.

BUDGET ESTIMATES 2011-12

•  Gross Tax receipts are estimated at Rs 9,32,440 crore.
  
• Non-tax revenue receipts estimated at Rs 1,25,435 crore.
  
• Total expenditure proposed at Rs 12,57,729 crore.
  
• Increase of 18.3 per cent in total Plan allocation.
  
• Increase of 10.9 per cent in the Non-plan expenditure.
  
• XI Plan expenditure more than 100 per cent in nominal terms than envisaged for the Plan period.
  
• Increase of 23 per cent in Plan and Non-plan transfer to States and UTs.
  
• Fiscal Deficit brought down from 5.5 per cent in BE 2010-11 to 5.1 per cent of GDP in RE 2010-11.
  
• Fiscal Deficit kept at 4.6 per cent of GDP for 2011-12.
  
• Fiscal Deficit to be progressively reduced to 3.5 per cent by 2013-14.
  
• “Effective Revenue Deficit” estimated at 2.3 per cent of GDP in the Revised Estimates for 2010-11 and 1.8 per cent for 2011-12.
  
• All subsidy related liabilities brought into fiscal accounting.
  
• Net market borrowing of the Government through dated securities in 2011-12 would be Rs 3.43 lakh crore.
  
• Central Government debt estimated at 44.2 per cent of GDP for 2011-12 as against 52.5 per cent recommened by the 13th Finance Commission.

PART B TAX PROPOSALS

Direct Taxes

•  Exemption limit for the general category of individual taxpayers enhanced from Rs 1,60,000 to Rs 1,80,000 giving uniform tax relief of Rs 2,000.
  
• Exemption limit enhanced and qualifying age reduced for senior citizens.
  
• Higher exemption limit for Very Senior Citizens, who are 80 years or above.
  
• Current surcharge of 7.5 per cent on domestic companies proposed to be reduced to 5 per cent.
  
• Rate of Minimum Alternative Tax proposed to be increased from 18 per cent to 18.5 per cent of book profits.
  
• Tax incentives extended to attract foreign funds for financing of infrastructure.
  
• Additional deduction of Rs 20,000 for investment in long-term infrastructure bonds proposed to be extended for one more year.
  
• Lower rate of 15 per cent tax on dividends received by an Indian company from its foreign subsidiary.
  
• Benefit of investment linked deduction extended to businesses engaged in the production of fertilisers.
  
• Investment linked deduction to businesses developing affordable housing.
  
• Weighted deduction on payments made to National Laboratories, Universities and Institutes of Technology to be enhanced to 200 per cent.
  
• System of collection of information from foreign tax jurisdictions to be strengthened.
  
• A net revenue loss of Rs 11,500 crore estimated as a result of proposals.

Indirect Taxes

•  To stay on course for transition to GST.
  
• Central Excise Duty to be maintained at standard rate of 10 per cent.
  
• Reduction in number of exemptions in Central Excise rate structure.
  
• Nominal Central Excise Duty of 1 per cent imposed on 130 items entering in the tax net.
  
• Lower rate of Central Excise Duty enhanced from 4 per cent to 5 per cent.
  
• Optional levy on branded garments or made up proposed to be converted into a mandatory levy at unified rate of 10 per cent.
  
• Peak rate of Custom Duty held at its current level.

Agriculture and Related Sectors

•  Scope of exemptions from Excise Duty enlarged to include equipments needed for storage and warehouse facilities on agricultural produce.
  
• Basic Custom Duty reduced for specified agricultural machinery from 5 per cent to 2.5 per cent.
  
• Basic Custom Duty reduced on micro-irrigation equipment from 7.5 per cent to 5 per cent.
  
• De-oiled rice bran cake to be fully exempted from basic Custom Duty. Export Duty of 10 per cent to be levied on its export.

Manufacturing Sector

•  Basic Custom Duty reduced for various items to encourage domestic value addition vis-à-vis imports, to remove duty inversion and anomalies and to provide a level playing field to the domestic industry.
  
• Rate of Export Duty for all types of iron ore enhanced and unified at 20 per cent ad valorem. Full exemption from Export Duty to iron ore pellets.
  
• Basic Custom Duty on two critical raw materials of cement industry viz. petcoke and gypsum is proposed to be reduced to 2.5 per cent.
  
• Cash dispensers fully exempt from basic Customs Duty.

Environment

•  Full exemption from basic Customs Duty and a concessional rate of Central Excise Duty extended to batteries imported by manufacturers of electrical vehicles.
  
• Concessional Excise Duty of 10 per cent to vehicles based on Fuel cell technology.
  
• Exemption granted from basic custom duty and special CVD to critical parts/assemblies needed for Hybrid vehicles.
  
• Reduction in Excise Duty on kits used for conversion of fossil fuel vehicles into Hybrid vehicles.
  
• Excise Duty on LEDs reduced to 5 per cent and special CVD being fully exempted.
  
• Basic Customs Duty on solar lantern reduced from 10 to 5 per cent.
  
• Full exemption from basic Customs Duty to Crude Palm Stearin used in manufacture of laundry soap.
  
• Full exemption from basic Excise Duty granted to enzyme based preparation for pre-tanning.

Infrastructure

•  Parallel Excise Duty exemption for domestic suppliers producing capital goods needed for expansion of existing mega or ultra mega power projects.
  
• Full exemption from basic Customs Duty to bio-asphalt and specified machinery for application in the construction of national highways.

Other Proposals

•  Scope of exemptions from basic Customs Duty for work of art and antiquities extended to apply for exhibition or display in private art galleries open to the general public.
  
• Exemption from Import Duty for spares and capital goods required for ship repair units extended to import by ship owners.
  
• Concessional basic Custom Duty of 5 per cent and CVD of 5 per cent available to newspaper establishments for high speed printing presses extended to mailroom equipment.
  
• Jumbo rolls of cinematographic film fully exempted from CVD by providing full exemption from Excise Duty.
  
• Out right concession to factory-built ambulances from Excise Duty.
  
• Relief measures proposed for raw pistachio, bamboo for agarbatti, lactose for the manufacture of homoeopathic medicines, sanitary napkins, baby and adult diapers.
  
• Proposals relating to Customs and Central Excise estimated to result in a net revenue gain of Rs 7,300 crore.

Service Tax

•  Standard rate of Service Tax retained at 10 per cent, while seeking a closer fit between present regime and its GST successor.
  
•  Hotel accommodation in excess of Rs 1,000 per day and service provided by air conditioned restaurants that have license to serve liquor added as new services for levying Service Tax.
  
• Tax on all services provided by hospitals with 25 or more beds with facility of central air conditioning.
  
• Service Tax on air travel both domestic and international raised.
  
• Services provided by life insurance companies in the area of investment and some more legal services proposed to be brought into tax net.
  
• All individual and sole proprietor tax payers with a turn over upto Rs 60 lakh freed from the formalities of audit.
  
• To encourage voluntary compliance the penal provision for Service Tax are being rationalised. Similar changes being carried out in Central Excise and Custom laws.
  
• Proposals relating to Service Tax estimated to result in net revenue gain of Rs 4,000 crore.
  
• Proposals relating to Direct Taxes estimated to result in a revenue loss of Rs 11,500 crore and those related to Indirect Taxes estimated to result in net revenue gain of Rs 11,300 crore.