Assam govt introduces Bills in assembly to boost ease of doing business

Guwahati, Jul 9 (PTI) The Assam government on Thursday introduced a series of Bills in the assembly aimed at improving the ease of doing business, including a proposal to replace the existing MSME law and strengthen the state's single-window clearance mechanism. Industries, Commerce and Public Enterprises Minister Bimal Borah tabled The Assam Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (Facilitation of Establishment and Operation) Bill, 2026, which seeks to replace the 2020 Act governing the sector. In the Statement of Objects and Reasons, Borah said the MSME sector remains the backbone of employment generation, entrepreneurship and economic growth in the state. He said the 2020 legislation was enacted to ensure time-bound processing of approvals for MSMEs, but experience gained from its implementation, coupled with the Centre's emphasis on ease of doing business, the Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP), self-certification, single-window systems and digital clearance mechanisms, necessitated a comprehensive revision of the law. The proposed legislation repeals and replaces the existing law to create a more business-friendly framework for MSMEs, he said. Labour Welfare Minister Rameswar Teli introduced The Assam Shops and Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2026, aimed at reducing the compliance burden on commercial establishments while promoting a business-friendly regulatory environment. The amendment seeks to align the law with emerging concepts such as digital governance, self-certification, deemed registration and round-the-clock economic activities, while retaining safeguards relating to employee welfare, working conditions, safety, overtime and weekly holidays. The government also introduced The Assam Ease of Doing Business (Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposing the creation of a Single Window Task Force to coordinate and expedite proposals relating to notified industrial areas. Borah said the Bill also provides for a dedicated module on the existing centralised web portal for industrial area proposals and empowers the task force to engage external agencies to assist in discharging its functions. Another legislation, The Assam Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, seeks to amend six existing state laws, including those governing non-government educational institutions, private universities, town and country planning, fire and emergency services, land reclassification and cinema regulation. The proposed amendments are intended to reduce avoidable compliance requirements, facilitate faster approvals and clearances, and encourage institutional expansion and investment in the state, Borah said. Tourism Minister Ajanta Neog also introduced The Assam Tourism (Development and Regulation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which proposes changes to several existing provisions and seeks to repeal the colonial-era Sarai Act, 1867. PTI TR TR SOM