Monday, 7 April 2014

Don't Ask " How " ?



At the bottom of the 42 page Election Manifesto of BJP , released yesterday , I tried to search , if in very small print somewhere , there was a footnote which read ,


"  Please , don't ask how we plan to implement these promises ;

   From where we plan to find all the money to execute these projects "


Here are my back-of-the-envelope estimates of what some of the MAJOR projects might cost :


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROJECT   .................................... Approx Cost ( Rs Lakh * Crores  )
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  100 Mega Cities........................   90

>  Interlinking of Rivers..................  60

>  Sagar Mala of Ports....................  30

>  Highways ( 25,000 Km )..............  50

>  Housing ( 100 mill units )............   100

>  Rivers Cleaning..........................   10

>  Other Infra Projects....................    100

   * Freight Corridors
   * Gas Grids
   * OFC Network


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total ..........................................Rs  430  Lakh Crores
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Admittedly , not all of these money will be required in the very first budget that NaMo government ( - of course , only if voted to power ! ) , would present by end June 2014


But a problem does not go away by postponement  !


There is only ONE viable solution to the FUNDING problem , viz:,


>  Union Government must NOT even try to fund these projects  !

There is NO WAY , it can find these kind of money thro taxation  !

There will be a revolt  !



ANSWER



>  Make it possible for the PUBLIC to invest into these projects by " owning "

    these projects - and earn a reasonable " tax-free " return on  investments
    ( Bonds ? ) in these projects


>  Towards  this end , create various INFRASTRUCTURE SPVs


>  Immediately modify  PERSONAL INCOME TAX  regime as follows :

   
    >  Up to  Rs 5  lakhs..................... NIL

    >  5.1  - 10 lakhs.......................  8 %

    >  10.1 - 20 lakhs......................  6 %

    >  20.1  - 50 lakhs.....................  5 %

   >  50.1 - 100 lakhs.....................  3 %

   >  Above 100 lakhs......................  1 %



What is likely to happen with such " INVERSE  TAXATION  " regime  ?


Following few things :


>  Total personal tax payer base will go up dramatically from current 4
     crores tax-payers


>  with this " INVERSE  TAX  REGIME " , there will be no incentive to  evade
    taxes and to generate " BLACK  MONEY  "

    There will be no resistance to accept ALL payments by cheque / electronic
    clearance

    The more you disclose as your income , the less you pay by way of taxes

    ( Of course , incrementally )

>  For a change , we will learn to reward honesty / efficiency / productivity !

    No need to bribe those Income Tax officers  !


>  Suddenly , lakhs of crores of BLACK MONEY will become  WHITE MONEY
   

>  There will be a huge surge in bank deposits ( - even with , the inevitable
    lower interest rates )


>  Banks will be awash with funds to finance businesses / infrastructure
    projects etc , encouraging entrepreneurs / self-employed to set up new
   businesses ( at 2 % interest rates of loans ) and generate millions of jobs


In any case , BJP manifesto promises :


>   Rationalization and simplification of the tax regime - which is currently
      repulsive for honest tax payers
   

>  The process of bringing black money to India , what belongs to India , will
    be put in motion on priority


>  Minimize scope for Corruption



Narendrabhai  ,


Here is your chance to ditch the " Historical Baggage " into the Indian Ocean
and come up with an  INNOVATION   that will take India ahead of China  !


If President Kubitschek of Brazil ( 1956-61 ) - son of a poor salesman - could construct Capital city BRASILIA and a 1500 Km highway , in 41 months , surely , you can do better , 57 years later  !


*   hemen  parekh  (  08  April  2014  /  Mumbai  )




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