Govt. fixed norms for implementation of Ease of Doing Business to enable state-specific reforms

The Union Government has fixed norms for implementation of Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) in the country to enable state-specific reforms. This was stated in a written reply by Union Minister of State for Finance Shri Pankaj Chaudhary to a question in Lok Sabha on July 26, 2021.

The Minister stated that in order to strengthen resources in the hands of State Governments in the wake of unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, the Union Government addressed to all the States, laid out an additional borrowing of 0.25% for each reform of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) to the States for FY 2020-21 subject to implementation of following specific state level reforms:

1. Implementation of One Nation One Ration Card System;
2. Ease of Doing Business reform;
3. Urban Local body/ utility reforms and
4. Power Sector reforms.

The Minister stated that twenty (20) states were allowed additional borrowing of Rs 39,521 crore during 2020-21 for implementation of EoDB reform and it is a continuous process and its outcome would be visible in due course. The list of States that have completely implemented the reform on EoDB are below: –