As his government faces criticism over the black money issue, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, says there is a need to create an environment at home where Indians who have stashed illegal money abroad have an “incentive” to bring back the funds.
Dr Singh made a pitch for this strategy while stating that India is a land of opportunity and that therefore it is no longer necessary for people with surplus money in India to think of greener pastures outside.
“We have to create an environment, in which our people would have, themselves, an incentive to bring back this money at home; that India is a land of opportunity; that, therefore, it is no longer necessary for people with surplus money in India to think of greener pastures outside,” he told reporters in Cannes last evening at the end of the sixth Summit of the Group of 20 leading economies.
The Prime Minister thought this is the only secure, long-term way to create an environment in which the country will discourage the flow of such money to tax havens abroad.
His comments came in response to a question on how effective will be the G20 endorsement of India’s call for increased banking transparency in bringing black money back home.
In a major gain for India, the G20 Summit in its communique asked tax havens to adopt prudential norms for sharing of tax information to check money laundering and funding of terror failing which it threatened action.
The grouping, which accounted for 85 per cent of the world’s output, also warned of action against jurisdiction and entities that will not cooperate in ensuring transparency in tax frauds.
“We underline the importance of comprehensive tax information exchange and encourage work in the Global Forum (of OECD) to define the means to improve it,” the communique said.