12-member panel to chalk out Delhi's economy reboot plan

With Covid-19 and national lockdown sending the economy into a tailspin, Delhi government has set up a 12-member committee to explore best practices adopted around the globe and suggest reform measures that improve ease of doing business in the national capital and revenue mobilisation.

Delhi Dialogue Council Vice Chairperson Jasmine Shah will head the committee, which will also have Delhi Labour, Industries and South Delhi Municipal Corporation Commissioners and industry bodies' office bearers.

The Covid-19 pandemic has hit Delhi's economy hard with the state finances nose-diving. The GST and VAT collection in the first quarter of 2020-21 was just Rs 2,500 crore as against over Rs 7,200 crore during the corresponding period.

Officials said the 12-member panel is tasked with exploring reform measures that help both the businesses and the government recover from the impact of the pandemic. The panel will do a comprehensive analysis of the measures to be taken by various agencies, departments and businesses during Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the Terms of Reference, the panel will explore reform measures that improve ease of doing business in Delhi and shorten the process of economic recovery from the impact of Covid-19.

It will also look into international best practices that mega-cities and countries around the world are taking to enable economic recovery during this period.

One of the aspects the panel will be looking into will be the penalties and fines imposed on public or business due to the pandemic and which one of them could be waived off to remove undue financial hardship.

It will explore the possibility of renewal or automatic extension of existing licenses issued by the various department and local bodies (Labour license, shops and establishment registration, contractor license, nursing home registration etc) without penalty or interest. The exception will be in categories such as excise, pollution control, fire, where safety or revenue-related issues are involved. While doing so, the interests of labour should be protected.

Another task before the panel will be to look at the requirement of new licenses or NOCs issued by the various departments to identify the licenses which can be abolished or replaced with only prior intimation. Similarly, the logical periodicity of renewal of licenses will be examined and the panel would make recommendations on whether annual renewals need to be amended or abolished.

"This committee will also explore provisions of online license issuing systems or doorstep delivery of licensing systems. The key focus of the committee will be exploring economic reform measures that have the potential for revenue mobilisation for the Delhi government," the Terms of Reference said.

Shah said the pandemic has caused a devastating economic impact nationally and in Delhi. "By supporting the early opening up of the economy and creating a robust health care strategy centred around five key measures -- widespread testing and isolation, increasing the number of beds, stocking pulse oximeters and oxygen concentrators, plasma therapy and survey and screening -- Delhi government has set the ground for economic recovery," he said.

"Through this Committee, we look forward to collaborating with key industry representatives and identifying specific additional measures that government agencies can take to shorten the process of economic recovery," he said.