VIJAYAWADA
Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) achieved No.1 rank in Ease-of-Doing Business (EoDB) for 2020-21 with a score of 97.89% leaving behind Gujarat (97.77%), Tamil Nadu (96.97%) and Telangana (94.86%) in the second, third and fourth positions respectively. Along with those States, Haryana, Karnataka and Punjab have been adjudged ‘top achievers’ in the implementation of the 2020-21 Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) jointly formulated by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the World Bank.
According to a press release from the Industries Department, A.P. showed significant progress than any other State in introducing major regulatory, process, and transparency reforms. It implemented 372 reforms in 2017-18, 187 in 2019-20 and 301 in 2020-21 as the economy made a steady recovery from the devastating blow dealt by the coronavirus pandemic.
The reforms were categorised as general related to the Public Service Guarantee Act etc. and the specific ones laid out for the purpose of survey.
The feedback of 10,200 investors and stakeholders was obtained for assessing the States’ performance, wherein A.P. had consistently outperformed the others.
The main reform components are change in land use, construction permit and environment registration enablers, contract enforcement, investment and inspection enablers, labour regulation enablers, land administration and transfer of land and property, utility permits, online single window licensing, procurement and payment of taxes.
