New Delhi, Aug 16 (IANS): The government Saturday said it has taken up a series of measures to improve ease of doing business in India that emphasised on simplification and rationalisation of the existing rules, timeline for clearance of applications and delicensing manufacturing of many defence products.

"The emphasis has been on simplification and rationalisation of the existing rules and introduction of information technology to make governance more efficient, effective, simple and user-friendly," the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) said.

"Defence products' list for industrial licensing has been issued, wherein large number of parts/components, castings/forgings etc. have been excluded from the purview of industrial licensing," it said.

Regarding simplification of applying for industrial licence, the DIPP said: "Process of applying for industrial license (IL) and industrial entrepreneur memorandum (IEM) has been made online and this service is now available to entrepreneurs on 24x7 basis at the eBiz website, without human interface."

"This will lead to ease of filing applications and online payment of service charges and ensure that no entrepreneur has to come to the ministry to file his/her application or make payment," it said.

It also said a maximum timeline of 12 weeks has been finalised by the home ministry for grant of security clearance on industrial licence applications.

The DIPP is implementing the eBiz project which will create an investor-centric hub-and-spoke based online single window model for providing clearances and filing compliances.

This project will provide a single platform to avail business and investment related services.

"This project will result in radical improvements in ease of doing business by reducing time, efforts and costs taken in obtaining clearances and ensuring compliances. Integration with central government services is being done on highest priority," it added.

The DIPP has introduced online registration of employers with the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) on real-time basis.

In order to improve the regulatory business environment, all departments/state governments have been requested that all returns should be filed online through a unified form.

"A check-list of required compliances should be placed on ministry's/department's web portal; all registers required to be maintained by the business should be replaced with a single electronic register; no inspection should be undertaken without the approval of the head of the department; and for all non-risk, non-hazardous businesses a system of self-certification should be introduced," it added.