Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP)

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Context

• Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Telangana are the Top Achievers based on implementation of Business Reforms Action Plan.

Details

• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) initiated the Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) exercise of ranking all Indian states/UTs in 2014 based on the reforms undertaken by the states, across a set of designated parameters.
• DPIIT undertakes this exercise with the aim of providing a conducive business environment by simplifying regulations and ranking the states in terms of various Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) measures.

BRAP 2020

The BRAP 2020 includes 301 reform points covering 15 business regulatory areas such as:

1. Access to Information,
2. Single Window System,
3. Labour,
4. Environment,
5. Land Administration 
6. Transfer of Land and Property,
7. Utility Permits and others.

• Sectoral reforms with 72 action points spread across 9 sectors namely Trade License, Healthcare, Legal Metrology, Cinema Halls, Hospitality, Fire NOC, Telecom, Movie Shooting and Tourism were introduced for the first time to expand the scope of reform agenda.
• The broader aim is to boost investor confidence, foster business friendly climate and augment Ease of Doing Business across the country by introducing an element of healthy competition through a system of assessing states based on their performance in the implementation of Business Reforms Action Plan.
• This year states have been placed under the four categories viz. Top Achievers, Achievers, Aspirers and Emerging Business Ecosystems.
• The objective is to create an enabling framework wherein learnings can be shared amongst States/UTs which in turn will lead to a nationwide spill over of good practices.

Findings of BRAP 2020

• DPIIT has assessed and grouped States/UTs into broad category-wise segmentation to recognize and identify the exemplary reform measures undertaken by the States/UTs to improve business environment.

1. Top Achievers: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
2. Achievers category: Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
3. Aspirers: Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand, Kerala, Rajasthan and West Bengal.
4. Emerging Business Ecosystems category: Andaman & Nicobar, Bihar, Chandigarh, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Puducherry and Tripur

Significance

• Measures aimed at eliminating physical interface with government officials, reducing discretionary processes, simplifying and digitization of regulatory processes, encouraging time-bound processes and other procedures that have been implemented as part of BRAP recommendations will significantly reduce compliance costs and time involved for industry.
• The use of information technology for making approval process quicker, cost effective and time bound will go a long way in improving business facilitation.

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1838178