Friday, July 31, 2009

FM says: Interest subsidy on home loans to be offered through banks

The interest rate subsidy for mid-segment housing loan is basically for the customers belonging to lower middle to middle income groups. Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee informed that the interest subsidy will be passed to the customers through commercial banks and housing companies which are registered with the National Housing Bank.

He added to boost the housing sector tax holiday benefit will be provided to it on the profits earned from projects which were approved between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008, if these projects are completed on or before March 31, 2012.

He said, ‘‘I expect the developers to pass on the benefit of tax holiday to home buyers by appropriately reducing their prices. I am sure that both the expenditure and tax-foregone initiatives would provide relief to a large segment of prospective home owners and help revive the real estate sector’’.

On Monday while speaking on the finance bill Congress MP from Mumbai (North) Sanjay Nirupam pointed out that 42.4% of Maharashtra’s population is living in urban cities and in last few years there has been increase in the migration to cities. Moreover the home loan rates are increasing sharply therefore it would be right to provide relief to the borrowers. Also providing an interest subsidy and a targeted tax break can give some support to the stranded real estate sector.

However on its part government has asked the real estate developers to lower prices so that housing becomes more affordable for the aam aadmi.

The housing loan subsidy is attached with a slew of other concessions such as exempting road repairs and maintenance from the sphere of service tax on the other hand the sunset clause for tax holidays for industrial parks has been extended for two years up to March 2011 to increase growth in infrastructure. However the FM made it clear that the service tax on new services and any alteration in the existing services announced in the Budget 2009-2010 will come into effect from September 1, 2009.

Renu Sud Karnad, Joint MD, HDFC Ltd stated, “It’s a welcome step from the government. The decision is sure to improve loan eligibility and affordability of a large section of the Indian middle class. It will also lead to increased activity with regard to real estate in the affordable housing segment which in turn will create employment’’.

1 comment:

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