Don't treat CSR as an additional tax: Govt to companies
Government wants the companies to have enough elbow room in deciding their CSR activities without the fear of it being seen as a "big brother" watching over them, but these spendings should not treated as an additional tax, Corporate Affairs Minister Sachin Pilot has said.
At the same time, the Ministry would take up the matter with Finance Ministry to see whether the companies can get tax benefits for their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) spendings, Pilot said.
The new Companies Bill proposes that certain companies would need to spend two per cent of profits on CSR activities, unless they have a reasonable reason for not doing so.
Expecting "zero non-compliance" by the companies on this front, Pilot said that the government wants to leave it open- ended for the corporates to decided on ways in which they want to conduct their CSR activities.
"I think everyone is on board (on CSR). There is no fear of government acting as big brother. I am hoping that Indian economy and society should be able to get from these companies money to the tune of thousands of crores," he said.
Ruling out any interference from the government's side on the kind of CSR activities that a company should follow, Pilot said: "I believe that it is the responsibility of corporate entities in the country to give back to the community.
"In fact, if the government gets involved, then there is a sense that where has our money gone and what is the end result. It becomes difficult to monitor.
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