Letter to BS: Govt should postpone Finance Bill provisions for NRIs

This will provide relief to the thousands of hard-working Indians who work abroad and remit their savings to the country every year

The spread of Covid-19 is causing major disruptions in every country — citizens are confined to their homes, while there are restrictions on transportation, including air travel, which has been suspended. In an amendment to the Income Tax Act, the Finance Bill had proposed to reduce the period of stay for non-resident Indians (NRIs) in India to 120 days from 182 days earlier. However, with the travel restrictions, there is uncertainty among non-resident Indians who are unable to plan their movement. Hence, the government should postpone the provisions relating to the NRIs by a financial year. This will provide relief