Hope to roll out GST Bill in 2016, says Narendra Modi in Singapore
The prime minister said India has the most open economy in the world currently and promised more reforms to attract foreign investment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told investors in Singapore that his government hopes to roll out the Goods and Service Tax Bill next year. He also said that the government would bring in more reforms to attract foreign investments, PTI reported. Modi also mentioned that India was exploring a potential partnership with Singapore’s Changi Airport to develop two Indian airports. He also invited companies to help the country build smart cities.
Addressing the India Singapore Economic Convention, Modi said India has the “most open economy” in the world currently, and that his government began to work on liberalising foreign direct investment laws as soon as it came to power in 2014. He spoke of a 40% increase in FDI and India’s improved ranking in the ease in doing business, adding that decisive steps were being taken to address regulatory and taxation concerns.
Modi also asserted that India will not create any problems for the world in fighting global warming, in an apparent response to United States Secretary of State John Kerry’s remarks that the country would pose a challenge at the Paris climate change summit. Modi said India needs huge amounts of energy for development, but will do whatever it can to deal with climate change as it views the world as one big family, reported PTI.