Guwahati, Aug 2: Assam has significantly improved its business ecosystem since the inception of the Assam Ease of Doing Business Act in 2016, and since then it has been a continuous process of evolvement to meet the needs of the business community, Assam chief secretary Ravi Kota said on Friday.

Addressing at the inaugural session of the “ICC Guest of the Month on Ease of Doing Business” in a city hotel in Guwahati, Kota said in 2016, to boost the business community through a Single Window Agency, the Assam EoDB Portal with 15 services from 7 departments was launched.

Kota also said that though at first glance, Ease of Doing Business as a subject appears to be quite simple, much detailing goes into making every venture a success story. Interaction between the government and the stakeholders at every level is important as it will benefit the industry at large, he said.

“Fast forward to 2024, the portal now offers 241 services across 17 departments. As of today, the portal has received 24,30,357 applications, of which 24,08,014 (99.08%) have been delivered. Only a minuscule 4571(0.19%) applications are pending,” Kota said.

Kota suggested that industry associations like the Indian Chamber of Commercecan research on the EoDB applications received so far by the state government and help improve the quality of disposal of the applications. This would add value to the EoDB ecosystem.

On the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) initiative, the chief secretary said that it aims to improve the business climate by streamlining regulations and procedures for businesses operating in the country which was implemented under the aegis of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in collaboration with various states and union territories.

Kota shared that Assam is committed to performing in the best way and the progress from 24thposition in 2016 to the Aspirers category by 2022 is indeed remarkable. It is noteworthy that from 2022 onwards, Assam has been put in the category with larger and more advanced states and is no longer clubbed with other northeastern states. 237 total reform points have been implemented. This highlights the proactive approach and the significant strides Assam has made in creating a business-friendly environment.

Kota also highlighted that online services to encourage the business community have been streamlined, and made user-friendly with an integrated payment gateway through eGRAS thus making the portal efficient and transparent.

The chief secretary applauded the efforts and contribution made by the Indian Chamber of Commercein (ICC) the northeastern region.

Kota believed that events such as this when held in Guwahati provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to set ambitious goals for the future of Assam’s business landscape.

The chief secretary shared that chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been proactive in improving the ease of doing business through various measures, both direct and indirect by amendment of acts/ rules, introduction of newer policies, removal of unnecessary bureaucratic red-tapes if any, and most importantly engaging with industrial bodies to learn the best practices across the country and adopting them.

He also said that the grand success of customized policy incentives has invited almost Rs 20,000 crores, culminating in the largest ever investment of Rs 27,000 crore Tata Semiconductor Plant at Jagiroad in Morigaon.These are self-speaking and shining examples of the continued efforts of the chief minister to improve the business environment in Assam.

Assam has also proactively engaged in reducing compliance burdens by repealing and amending various state acts, regulations, and rules. So far under the RCB measure, 609 compliances were reduced and 501 business compliances and 108 citizen compliances were cut down. To date, the government has repealed 75 acts, amended 31 acts, and decriminalized 189 penal provisions. A state-level Task Force Committee has been established to ensure focused execution of the Regulatory Compliance Burden (RCB) initiative.

Kota also said that the Assam Right to Public Services (ARTPS) Amendment Bill, 2024 further enhances public service delivery. And if any citizen has grievances regarding the delivery of services, they can now appeal before the RTPS Commission. This initiative is designed to ensure accountability and prompt service delivery, reinforcing the Assam government’s commitment to public welfare. The commission is also empowered to recommend disciplinary action against designated public servants who fail to provide notified services within the stipulated time frame.

He said that every week the state cabinet is held and the chief minister along with the cabinet ministers’ brainstorm on how to make the policy ecosystem vibrant and supportive to attract investors. These frequent meetings helped quick policy changes as per the grand realities.

Several sector-specific policies such as the Assam Logistics & Warehousing Policy, the Assam Electric Vehicles Policy, and the Assam Electronics (Semiconductor) Policy have been introduced and these policies are designed to encourage investment and growth in key areas, ensuring a diversified and robust industrial base.

He added that the government is playing a proactive role by providing a helping hand to the young boys and girls of Assam who are venturing into start-ups. So far, a total of 257 start-ups have been incubated, raising more than Rs 74 crores in external funding. Assam Venture Capital fund with SIDBI has already given the first investment of Rs 10 crores and about Rs 10 crore to Rs 25 Cr to boost the start-up ecosystem will be released in the coming days.

Kota also had an extensive interaction session with all stakeholders in the meeting covering the entire spectrum of business and industry environment in the state.

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