New Delhi, July 28 (KNN) Lok Sabha passed The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023 on Thursday which aims to promote ease of doing business (EoDB) by decriminalising minor offences through amending 183 provisions in 42 acts.

During the ongoing Parliamentary monsoon session the Bill was discussed and passed in Lok Sabha through a voice vote.

Moving the bill for passing, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said it will promote the ease of doing business by decriminalising a number of provisions.

The bill converts several fines to penalties, meaning that court prosecution is not necessary to administer punishments.

It also removes imprisonment as a punishment for many offences. All offences under the Post Office Act, 1898 are being removed.

He said around 40,000 provisions and procedures which had the possibility of creating problems for people were either simplified or removed by the PM Modi-led government over the last nine years.

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022 was introduced in Lok Sabha on 22 December 2022.

The Bill was sent to a Joint Committee of both Houses on 22 December 2022. The report was presented in Lok Sabha on 20 March, 2023.

President of Federation of Indian Micro and Small & Medium Enterprises (FISME) Prashant Patel welcomed the passage of Bills. However, he was wary of the intended impact because of slow and inefficient judicial process.

“Even the best of legislation fail to deliver because of tardy judicial process which requires reforms fr0m the Supreme Court down to the District Courts”, he added.  (KNN Bureau)