PAN number likely to be used as unique identifier for businesses for single-window clearance

"We are moving towards using one of the existing databases as the entry point, which is already available with the government…and most probably that will be the PAN number. So with the PAN, a lot of the basic data about the company, its directors, addresses, and a lot of common data is already available in the PAN database," Goyal told reporters here.

The national single window system (NSWS) is aimed at reducing duplicity of information submission to different ministries, reducing compliance burden, cutting the gestation period of projects, and promoting ease of starting and doing business.

NSWS enables the identification, application and subsequent tracking of approvals for all integrated states and central departments.

He said that the use of PAN numbers will help auto-populate other application forms that will be received in the system and will help speed up the approval process and encourage more companies to apply on the system.

The system currently accepts applications for 248 government-to-business clearance and approvals from 26 central ministries and departments, including states.

So far 19 states/Union Territories, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Karnataka, and 27 central government departments have already onboarded the system, which was started in September last year and is under beta testing phase.

The minister also informed that at present businesses are taking approvals for different policies including vehicle scrappage policy, ethanol policy, hallmarking of jewellery and Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) approvals.

"We will be moving towards newer areas like all inspection approvals, country of origin approvals, and export promotion council applications. At the next stage, these will come on the system," he said, adding that all applicants of the production-linked incentive scheme are being encouraged to use the system.

He was addressing the media after a review meeting on the National Single Window System in New Delhi on Monday. The meeting witnessed participation from 32 central ministries/departments, 36 states/UTs and industry associations.

NSWS also helps in reducing data duplication and filling the same data in various forms using the auto-population module, he added.

He pointed out that NSWS has received nearly 76,000 applications/requests so far and about 48,000 approvals had been granted.

Renewal of licences would also be brought under NSWS soon starting with five ministries like commerce and industry, consumer affairs, food and public distribution and textiles.

The objectives of the review meeting were to ensure the onboarding of investor-related clearances in order to meet timelines.