State sets new benchmarks

Visakhapatnam: The state is setting new benchmarks in its ranking in Ease of Doing Business, development of Smart Cities and coming up with a slew of good initiatives for creating conducive atmosphere for setting up of more industries in this region, said President of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation G Sambasiva Rao.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday on Ease of Doing Business organised by AP Chambers in association with CREDAI, Sambasiva Rao reiterated that government should waive Non-Agricultural Land Assessment (NALA) charges completely as it is hurting the investor community especially construction industry.

Questioning the rationality of the government, President of CREDAI-Visakhapatnam Chapter P Koteswara Rao said when the neighbouring state Telengana is quick in waiving NALA tax two years ago, why not the AP government is not taking action on the same which is not only hurting the investor sentiment but also blocking the Smart Cities growth.

How can a government collect Vacant Land Tax (VLT) during the construction stage even after collecting all charges for building plan approvals? Collecting VLT during the construction period is not justified and it is an extra burden on the builder and requested the authorities concerned to stop collecting altogether.

Proper uploading of details like survey numbers, layout plot numbers, master plans would lead to much easier while issuing building plans approvals online, said Chairman - CREDAI Visakhapatnam Chapter GVVS Narayana. Many big projects are going on on the city outskirts but the government is unable to provide basic infrastructure like roads, drainage and water even after collecting huge upfront charges while giving building plan approvals, he said.