Andhra Pradesh has bagged the first rank among all the states in the country in the state business reforms action plan-2019 (BRAP-2019), representing ease of doing business for Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The ranks were announced by the Department of Industrial Promotion and Internal Trade (DPIIT) during a virtual event chaired by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in the presence of Union minister of commerce Piyush Goyal and all state industries ministers on Saturday.

While Uttar Pradesh stood in the second position, Telangana bagged the third spot in the overall ranking of the state business process reforms undertaken during 2019.

Andhra Pradesh minister for industries Mekapati Gautam Reddy said these rankings represent the ease of doing business in the state with increased transparency, efficiency and effectiveness of the government regulatory functions vis-a-vis the business enterprises.

He said these rankings, which were done through a survey of the investor community during January and February 2020, truly stand testimony to the investor-friendly commitment of the state and a transparent governance in place.

Highlighting the efforts taken by the state government in ensuring true business reforms, Reddy said the state government had initiated steps for starting an enterprise with low-cost and quick single desk approvals. He said Andhra Pradesh was the first state to have come up with the “ReSTART” package in post-Covid scenario for business continuity of micro-small-and-medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Andhra Pradesh has undertaken several reforms in the last year, ranging from the development of online systems, enhancing transparency to regulating inspections covering the entire lifecycle of the business.

“The Business Reform Action Plan 2019 released by the Centre contains a list of 80 reforms (187 reform action points) to be implemented by 19 State departments. Andhra Pradesh has achieved 100 percent compliance to the 187 reform action points by DPIIT-World Bank as a part of BRAP 2019,” the minister pointed out.

Some of the reforms for facilitating setting up of industries included exemption of all shops and establishments from renewal under AP Shops & Establishments Act, 1988, the introduction of single Integrated returns under all labour laws; the amendment to Single Desk Policy, 2015 to include new features and services and setting up of special court in Vijayawada with a jurisdiction to exclusively deal with commercial disputes in addition to the special court in Visakhapatnam.