Dea

Income tax relief to boost demand, drive investment: DEA Secretary

Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth on Sunday said the historic decision to give significant income tax relief will stimulate demand and propel growth in the next financial year for which the ministry has pegged the nominal GDP growth of 10.1 per cent. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced significant income tax cuts for the middle class. Individuals earning up to Rs 12.75 lakh in a year will not have to pay any taxes benefiting 1 crore taxpayers. However, the tax cuts will cost the exchequer about Rs 1 lakh crore. The Union Budget has tried to address domestic headwinds through measures which can mitigate them, Seth told PTI in an interview. "Very, very significant tax relief given to all taxpayers, and in particular to the middle class, is an attempt towards that direction, because some data is showing that consumption, as well as investment by the private sector is not to a level which requires or which is necessary for a higher growth path," he said. "There

Growth likely slowed in Q2 but no significant downside risk in FY25: DEA

India's economic growth may have slowed in the September quarter, but overall there is not much downside risk to 6.5-7 per cent growth in the current fiscal year, Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth said on Wednesday. Seth said while some goods and services may not have have grown at the same pace as in the last year in the second quarter of the current fiscal year, data on e-way bills and e-invoices does not indicate any significant downside possibility to the full year 6.5-7 per cent growth projected in the Economic Survey. The secretary also said food prices have been a concern but other than that, inflation is not a challenge for India. On capex, Seth said the government's capital expenditure may see some undershooting of the Rs 11.11 lakh crore in the current fiscal year. But the capex will be higher than Rs 9.5 lakh crore in the last fiscal year. "We started the year with estimates in the economic survey of 6.5-7 per cent growth. I don't see any significant downside risk to

India will try to forge consensus on roadmap to regulate crypto at G20: DEA

Amidst turmoil in crypto currencies market, India is working with the Financial Stability Board (FSB) so that a consensus on a roadmap for regulating virtual assets could be agreed at during India's G-20 presidency itself, Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth said on Thursday. India as assumed G-20 presidency for 2023. The G20 is a premier forum for international economic cooperation that plays an important role in global economic governance. In an interview to PTI, Seth said that an IMF paper on crypto assets was discussed among emerging economies on January 15 and 16 in Delhi. "We had a one-and-a-half day workshop. Thereafter, they are drafting a paper for a seminar, which will be conducted on the sidelines of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Bengaluru that is scheduled on February 23," he said. That seminar is intended at arriving at a policy consensus on crypto assets, he said. At the same time, he said, "We are also working with the FSB and the idea

DEA had red flagged possible 'risks' over IL&FS collapse in 2018

The Department of Economic Affairs had earlier raised red signals over the likely collapse of IL&FS in a confidential note on September 30, 2018 and expressed concerns over its impact on the Indian economy, according to a latest affidavit filed by the corporate affairs ministry. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) in the affidavit said the DEA had opined that if IL&FS group collapses, the Indian economy may have to face repercussions as redemption pressure would continue, debt market sell-off expected, may create liquidity crunch and NBFC licenses could be cancelled. "DEA had raised red signals of the likely collapse of IL&FS and had expressed its deep concern of such a collapse on the Indian economy," said MCA in the affidavit filed before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). Immediately after that, the MCA had moved the National Company Law Tribunal to take over the management of IL&FS, which had a debt exposure of over Rs 91,000 crore. According .

DEA raises questions over e-commerce guidelines

The issue was discussed in a recent meeting of a committee on e-commerce headed by the NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant