No export sops phasing out of tax holidays: Expert from PwC

“(The government) has not provided specific proposals to boost exports,” said Sandeep Ladda, partner and global TMT tax leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), in reference to the latest Budget.

He added the government may plan to phase out tax holidays for the economy, which cannot support such sops over a longer period.

Ladda noted that past governments have given tax incentives to boost exports and this time, the Economic Survey had also recommended that exports could be given more fillip.

“We should hear more about this plan in the coming Budget, hopefully, that will, therefore, boost the investors’ confidence,” Ladda said at the Indian Budget 2019-20 Forum held in Singapore by PwC.

But, for now, Ladda said investors will have to hold on to a bit more time to see how the re-elected government translates their original idea to reduce the corporate tax, perhaps in the next Budget to be presented in February 2020.

On the proposed direct tax code, he expected the new income tax law to emerge from the next year’s Budget in February 2020. “It could be either a road map or the law itself.”

Ladda said foreign investors will stay in India, that offers the highest returns on investments as the country’s economy is set to grow 7 per cent per annum in the year ahead compared to the advanced economies’ growth of 4.5-4.6 per cent.