Task Force recos to be implemented by 2001: Pramod Mahajan

BANGALORE: All recommendations of the Information Technology (IT) Task Force

including the three reports on software, hardware and long- term IT policy will

be implemented by the beginning of 2001, IT Minister Pramod Mahajan has

indicated at the inaugural session of a three day Partnership Summit 2000

organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

"We plan to implement all the recommendations of the IT task force by early

2001," he added. "Out of 108 recommendations of the first report on IT and

software, as many as 44 have been fully implemented, nine partly and 38 are

being implemented," he said. Mr Mahajan also committed that, he would ensure

that the remaining task is completed within the next three months.

The minister indicated that implementation of recommendations of the IT task

force on development, manufacture and export of IT hardware would coincide with

the forthcoming 2000-2001 general budget. Mr Mahajan said he had set a time

limit of six months to implement the non-budgetary part of the second report of

the task force. He said that the recommendations of the task force mentioned in

the third report that deals with the long-term national IT policy would be

implemented by the end of this year.

He also commented that, the development of the telecom sector was one of the

most crucial ingredients for the development of IT, and added that, a

high-powered group under the chairmanship of the finance minister was looking at

all issues relating to the national policy for telecom 1999. Pointing out that

strengthening the telecom regulatory authority was a key issue, he said: ''If

everything goes well according to our time table, the government would endeavor

to have legislation on this during the second half of the forthcoming budget

session of Parliament." He also said that, his ministry would not be a regulator

but a facilitator.

He also pointed out that everything related to IT had not come under his

ministry and added he would be coordinating with other ministries to help

resolve the industry's problems. He assured the IT industry that his ministry

would quickly respond to problems of the IT sector. ''There will be no redtapism

in my ministry," he said.

With regard to the imposition of sales tax on IT items, he called upon all state

governments, which had enhanced sales tax under the uniform floor rates of sales

tax to reduce it to the minimum level of two per cent in order to ensure that

there was no further tax burden on the IT industry. He indicated that the Centre

would have a meeting with all state governments to set up IT secretaries in each

state.

Referring to importance being given to the IT sector, he said the government had

formed a Cabinet committee on IT. Its members are the ministers for IT,

telecommunications, commerce and information and broadcasting. He said the

committee was also authorized to invite the finance minister if there were

financial implications. With regard to the growth of the Internet sector, Mr

Mahajan said currently the country had 6,10,000 internet subscribers.