Taking earnest attempt to decriminalise matters concerning Companies Law: Sitharaman

21 Jan 2020 Evaluate

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the government's earnest attempt, which continues till today, is to decriminalize matters concerning the Companies Law or related acts. She said it was one of the initiatives the government had planned as part of steps towards making India $5 trillion economy, ensuring trust between the government and businesses.

The minister has stated that in Companies Law, there are a number of sections leading to a criminal approach and penalties of even jail terms. She said 'I had gone through this with a tooth comb. Decriminalising Companies Law ensuring no other act of Government whether it is Income Tax or your PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) will have such an impact. We are making sure that aspect will be addressed.'  Elaborating further, she said 'we do not want a law which is going to treat every business house with suspicion. That is not the intent of this government at all'.

Earlier, to a query posed by a member of the audience that the government was pumping money into banks which had huge non-performing assets, Sitharaman said banks are required to perform critical functions in an economy. She also said ‘once PA was around Rs 10 lakh crore. It has come down to Rs 8 lakh crore, it has further come down now. When we are talking about NPA and when money is given to banks, it is not that the banks need to take that money and happy with that...go after those who failed the bank by not paying dues. Get the money back.’

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