Market regulator Sebi has decided to outsource its investor helpline service to a third-party call centre, where at least 500 agents would be required to attend to investors’ calls on issues like IPOs and trading. The decision to outsource its investor helpline comes within weeks of Sebi deciding to rope in third-party agencies for processing and maintenance of investor grievances.
In a bilateral meeting with the Japanese Finance Minister at Hanoi, Vietnam today, the Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee expressed deep concern and sympathy over the recent natural calamities in Japan and extended all possible assistance. Shri Mukherjee said that India attach great priority to Strategic & Global Partnership with Japan and there is strong political consensus in India on the importance of advancing this partnership in all areas.
Before the onset of global crisis, we faced food and fuel price volatility. During the global crisis of 2008-09, with collapse of demand, we experienced a broad flattening of prices. And, as the world experienced recovery from the crisis, different parts of the world faced highly differentiated recovery and inflationary conditions. Till about a few months ago, the slow recovering advanced economies, with few exceptions, still faced low inflationary conditions, while fast recovering emerging economies faced higher inflation.
Large Indian firms may have to adopt international accounting norms, IFRS, from the next fiscal when the new direct tax regime comes into effect, bringing clarity on the tax structure for companies. In a meeting held recently, the Corporate Affairs Ministry and the Finance Ministry is learnt to have found a common ground on how companies would be taxed under the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
Joining the rate hike bandwagon, state-run lender Indian Bank today raised its lending rates by 50 basis points, within days of the Reserve Bank announcing an increase in its short-term lending and bank savings rates.
The Rajasthan High Court has criticised the bureaucratic approach of government officials in releasing retirement benefits. The single judge bench said the benefits must be given timely, without making the retirees run from pillar to post.
The Supreme Court today expressed displeasure over the tardy pace of probe by the Income Tax department into the tax evasion cases linked to 2G spectrum case, saying it wanted results. A bench of justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly directed the department to file a detailed report on action taken by it during the last three years when it got a complaint in this regard and began tapping corporate lobbyist Niira Radia’s telephone.
Due to unavoidable reasons the examination of Paper –3- Law, Ethics and Communication of Professional Competence Examination and Paper -2- Business Laws, Ethics and Communications of integrated Professional Competence Examination which were scheduled to be held on 5th May 2011 (Thursday) stand cancelled in respect of such candidates who have opted to write their examination in Hindi Medium. The fresh date of the examination for such Hindi Medium candidates will be announced separately and such candidates are advised to visit www.icai.org for updates.
Government has decided to impose a penalty on officials who do not accept postal orders as fees for getting information under the Right to Information Act. The Department of Personnel and Training has issued a circular in this regard.
Finance Minister Shri Mukherjee said that he met Vietnamese Prime Minister yesterday and requested him to resolve all the pending issues including setting up of a steel project in Vietnam by Tata Group of Industries. The General Secretary of Communist part of Vietnam, Mr. Trong said that he will discuss all the pending issues with the Prime Minister of Vietnam in order to get them resolved. Finance Minister Shri Mukherjee invited Mr. Trong to visit India in near future which will help in further boosting the relationships between the two countries.
