NEW DELHI, AUGUST 20, 2004
PTI
NRI Press
The government on Thursday said that a single window
clearance might be set up for NRIs and persons of Indian origin who
wanted to invest in the country
We have to create an atmosphere to facilitate NRIs and PIOs who want
to have a connection with India. If they want single window clearance
to set up business, we will give it to them," Minister of State
of the newly-created Ministry of NRI Affairs Jagdish Tytler said here
after releasing a newsletter of the NRI Institute, an NGO.
Tytler further said that he was not in favour of imposing
tax on deposits already made by NRIs in the country.
"I think it is very unfair to tax deposits already
made. It can be done on deposits made henceforth," Tytler said.
Former finance minister P Chidambaram had in his Budget
speech proposed to tax interest on deposits made in India by NRIs, which
had caused disquiet among Indians residing abroad.
Tytler said that he would soon take up the issue with
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior Cabinet ministers.
He said that the name of his ministry had been changed
from the Ministry of NRI Affairs to Ministry of Overseas Indians so
that it could cater to the millions of second and third generation Indians
residing abroad who wanted to develop contact with their country of
origin.
About reports that his ministry was not being allocated
work, he said that this would be done within the next 10 days.
Tytler said that the UPA government would ensure that
the 'Pravasi Bharatiya Divas' function in January next year was "better"
than the two organised by the previous NDA government.