Parliament passes Companies (Amendment) Bill

Parliament has passed the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2019, with the Rajya Sabha approving it yesterday. The Lok Sabha has already passed the bill. 

The Bill seeks to amend the Companies Act, 2013. It aims to tighten Corporate Social Responsibility-CSR compliance, transfer certain responsibilities to National Company Law Tribunal and recategorise certain offences as civil offences. 

The legislation has the provision that any unspent annual CSR funds must be transferred to one of the funds under Schedule 7 of the Act like Prime Minister’s Relief Fund within six months of the financial year. 

The bill also seeks to empower Registrar of Companies to initiate action for removal of a



company’s name if the latter is not carrying out business activities as per the Act. The bill will replace the ordinance promulgated earlier in this regard. 

Replying to the debate on the bill, Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, the bill will ensure ease of doing business for companies effectively. 

She said, four lakh shell companies have been de-registered and now it has been made mandatory that a company while carrying out business should have a physical address and physical maintenance of a register.

Members from Congress, BJD, AIADMK and others participated in the discussion.