The union Budget 2019-2020 presented by Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister for Finance, Government of India has given major thrust to travel, tourism and aviation industry in India with one nation travel card, regional airport hub, international level tourism infrastructure development for 17 iconic Tourism Sites across India and FDI in aviation and tourism sector.
The Finance Minister said that the Government is developing 17 iconic tourism sites into world class tourist destinations which will serve as a model for other tourism sites. These sites would enhance visitor experience which will lead to increase visits of both domestic and international tourists at these destinations.
In Transport sector, budget proposes PPP in railways, roadmap to make India a hub of maintenance, repair and overhaul and aircraft financing / leasing activities and Development of state road network.
The Union Budget 2019-20 stresses upon the need for heavy investment in infrastructure, digital economy and job creation in small and medium firms to fulfill the aspiration of making India a 5 trillion Dollar economy. While delivering the budget speech in Parliament the Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman pointed out that the Indian economy has added one trillion dollar in the last five years due to the various initiatives and reforms undertaken by the Government, and is poised to grow to be a 3 trillion dollar economy in the current year. Underlining the importance of “Make in India” for fulfilling this goal, the Finance Minister has proposed a number of initiatives as part of a framework for kick-starting the virtuous cycle of domestic and foreign investments.
Talking about the importance of programmes like Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Industrial Corridors, Dedicated Freight Corridors, Bhartamala, Sagarmala, Jal Marg Vikas and UDAN for enhancing physical connectivity through various modes, the Finance Minister added that these initiatives will improve logistics, reduce the cost of transportation and increase the competitiveness of domestically produced goods.
For the civil Aviation sector The Government will implement the essential elements of a regulatory road map for making India a hub for aircraft financing and leasing activities. This is critical to the development of a self-reliant aviation industry, creating aspirational jobs in aviation finance, besides leveraging the business opportunities available in India’s financial Special Economic Zones (SEZs), – International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). Government will adopt suitable policy interventions to create a congenial atmosphere for the development of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) industry in the country. She added.
For the Railways sector, the Budget has proposed using Public-Private Partnership to unleash faster development and completion of tracks, rolling stock manufacturing and delivery of passenger freight services. The Finance Minister informed that 657 kms of Metro Rail network has become operational across the country. She also said that India’s first indigenously developed inter-operable transport card based on National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) standards,that was launched in March this year will make travel across various modes convenient for people.
The Minister said that only advanced battery and registered e-vehicles will be incentivized with greater emphasis on providing affordable and environment friendly public transportation options for the common man in the phase-II FAME Scheme that encourages faster adoption of electric vehicles.
For the highways sector, the Government will carry out a comprehensive restructuring of National Highway Programme to ensure that the National Highway Grid of desirable length and capacity is created using financeable model. After completing the Phase 1 of Bharatmala, states will be helped to develop State road networks in the second phase.
Government’s vision for using rivers for cargo transportation have planned to increase the movement of cargo volume on Ganga by nearly four times in the next four years will make movement of freight, passenger cheaper and reduce import bill. The Jal Marg Vikas Project for enhancing the navigational capacity of Ganga, two multi-modal terminals at Sahibganj and Haldia and a navigational lock and Farrakka would be completed this year.
The Finance Minister said, “To give further impetus to India’s growing influence and leadership in the international community, Government decided to open Indian Embassies and High Commissions abroad in countries where India does not have a Resident Diplomatic Mission as yet”. In Financial Year 2019-20, Government intends to open four new Embassies. This will not only increase the footprint of India’s overseas presence, but will also enable the Embassies to provide better and more accessible public services, especially to the local Indian community in these countries.
The Finance Minister said that in line with its ancient wisdom, India has always pursued a policy of economic cooperation with countries through bilateral and regional coordination. Mindful of India’s position as the sixth largest economy, the Government will look at alternative development models which include private sector equity, multilateral financing, contributions from corporate and non-residents.
Finance Minister announced that with the objective of preserving rich tribal cultural heritage, a digital repository is being developed where documents, folk songs, photos and videos regarding their evolution, place of origin, lifestyle, architecture, education level, traditional art, folk dances and other anthropological details of the tribes in India will be stored. The repository will be further enriched and strengthened.
GST processes further simplified; businesses with less than Rs. 5 crore annual turnover to file quarterly GST returns; threshold for goods supplier to be enhanced from Rs. 20 lakhs to Rs. 40 lakhs
On the Customs duty, the Finance Minister said the proposals are driven with the objectives of securing the country’s borders, achieving higher domestic value addition through Make in India, reducing import dependence, protection to MSME sector, promoting clean energy, curbing non-essential imports, and correcting inversions. Describing Defence Modernization and Up gradation as a national priority and of immediate requirement, the budget proposes exemption from the basic Customs duty on import of such defence equipment that are not being manufactured in India.
Increase of one Rupee per litre each in Excise duty & cess on Petrol & Diesel; custom duty on Gold and other precious metals hiked from 10% to 12.5%; nominal basic excise duty on tobacco products and crude introduced
The 10-point Vision for the decade includes Building Team India with Jan Bhagidari: Minimum Government Maximum Governance, Achieving green Mother Earth and Blue Skies through a pollution-free India, Making Digital India reach every sector of the economy, Launching Gaganyan, Chandrayan, other Space and Satellite programmes, Building physical and social infrastructure,Water, water management, clean rivers, Self-sufficiency and export of food-grains, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables, Achieving a healthy society via Ayushman Bharat, well-nourished women & children, safety of citizens, Emphasis on MSMEs, Start-ups, defence manufacturing, automobiles, electronics, fabs and batteries, and medical devices under Make in India, and Blue Economy.
“People’s hearts filled with Aasha (Hope), Vishwas (Trust), Aakansha (Aspirations)”, said Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman.
Tourism India,India’s Travel & Tourism Magazine.
