The budget speech indicated further progress on the Direct Tax Code (DTC) as well as the GST – both critical measures, which is a welcome move. Though, I feel that it would have been better for the industry if GST was also rolled out along with the DTC.
The Budget is relying heavily on maintaining the trajectory of growth in the economy to provide solutions for inclusive growth that touch the ‘Aam Aadmi’ and parallelly stressing on governance aspects, which hopefully will be covered separately through concrete action plans to deal with the menace of unaccounted wealth. The trend for consolidation is expected to continue.
The budget of 2011-12 has certainly given due importance to the affordable sector. The current scheme of interest subvention on 1 percent on housing loans is now extended to Rs 15 lakhs where the cost should not exceed 25 lakh.
Affordable Housing development is expected to be encouraged with the announcement of a new Housing Mortgage Guarantee Fund which will cover the risk of Housing Finance Companies for lending to less advantaged sections of society.
The government on Monday said low-cost housing loans of Rs 15 lakh will be eligible for one per cent interest subsidy, which will help in increasing the demand for such housing.
The limit of funds to be invested by foreign investors in the Indian infrastructure sector has been raised with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee also allowing mutual funds to accept foreign funds in the national budget presented on Monday.
Real Estate and Finance Minister seem to be at logger heads over the wants and needs of the sector. Interestingly when one proposes and the other disposes, both of them justify their stand in the name of “Aaam Aadmi”, the common man who is the consumer and the end-user. But in this cacophony of confusion the “Aaam Aadmi” is often found wondering as to who will ask for his wish list with Union Budget.
Vigneshwara Developers has claimed to redefine the concept of Central Business District (CBD) with the launch of Smart Office Home Office (SOHO) in sector 74 of Gurgaon. SOHO offers a combination of the comfort of home with the present-day needs of office, all under one roof.
The time of the year has come when everyone is dreaming about the Finance Minister’s briefcase. Though real estate is ready with its list of expectations, experts believe that this year it would be good to expect much from the government owing to the kind of fiscal deficit government is going through. Expectations are high because of the increase in home loan interest rates, which have hampered the affordability of the buyer.
National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO), the apex body of real estate industry in the country, expects Finance Minister to grant infrastructure status to housing under section 801A of IT Act, 1961, thereby, treating housing at par to other infrastructure projects.