THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: To the great relief of IT companies and establishments operating in buildings owned by the government, the state government on Monday announced measures to help them tide over the economic crisis created by the lockdown. The government has taken a decision to waive the rent for April, May, and June for all those IT/ITeS companies who have taken up to 10,000 sq ft of IT space on rent. The same is applicable to incubation centres operating from IT parks. A moratorium of three months has been offered to those companies that have taken more than 10,000 sq ft space in IT parks.
Rent has also been waived for all non-IT shops or establishments like restaurants functioning within the government IT parks that operate from government buildings. The annual rent escalation of 5 per cent in IT/non-IT office space, shops and establishments in government-owned buildings within IT parks will not be implemented during the financial years 2020-22 and the same rate card as in the last financial year will be applicable. Surcharge on the rental is also waived across all categories for six months, ie, from April to September 2020. As a special scheme, IT/ ITeS companies that have started operation on or before March 31, 2020, at any of the government, IT parks may get the rent waived for the first three months on operation commencement.
Since with the lockdown, there has been a considerable reduction in usage of power and the benefit of reduction in electricity bill will be extended to the end-user. The chief executive officer of IT Parks, Kerala, has been entrusted to look into the matter of subsidising electricity tariff and charges to be re-assessed for April, May, and June 2020. The requests of tenants/clients who have taken land on long-term lease from IT parks will be given up to six months of additional time for commencement or completion of building over and above the deadline as per the agreement.
Concessions on penalty in this regard will be evaluated and recommended by an expert committee comprising of chief executive officer, IT Parks Kerala (convener), managing director, Kerala State IT Infrastructure Ltd (KSITIL), chief executive officer, Kerala StartUp Mission (KSUM) and director, Kerala State IT Mission.