EFTA Negotiations likely to be Concluded by Year End. Bilateral Trade Touches 20 Billion US $ . hri Anand Sharma, Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, in a business meeting with Mr. Johann Schneider-Ammann, Federal Councilor Minister for Economic Affairs of Switzerland, here today stated that, “India has always stood for an open, equitable, predictable, non-discriminatory and rule-based multilateral trading regime. India gives primacy to engagements in multi-lateral negotiations at the World Trade Organization. India is committed to successful conclusion of Doha Round and support multi-lateral and bilateral engagement with rest of the world”. He stressed that developed world is resorting to protectionist tendencies which hurt both developed and developing economies. The Minister informed, “In our lifetimes, we have seen a tectonic shift in global growth and investment patterns and while Europe and Americas dominated the economic discourse in the centuries we left behind, the 21st century is decidedly a different one in which emerging economies of Asia, Africa and Latin America are playing a much larger role. India which is home to a sixth of world’s population is finally beginning to realize its true potential on the global stage’.
MSME Minister Virbhadra Singh today said his ministry is in consultation with the Prime Minister office and other departments to make specific schemes for medium enterprises. The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister said enough schemes are there for micro and small industries, but there is no particular scheme for medium ones.
Sports Ministry has constituted a Committee under the chairmanship of Justice Mukul Mudgal, retired Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, to examine, in details, the comments and suggestions received from various quarters and make appropriate recommendations to fine-tune the draft National Sports Development Bill.
The government today said the total tax collections-both direct and indirect-for 2010-11 have exceeded even the revised estimate on the back of strong economic activities. “I am reasonably sure that we will cross Rs 4.50 lakh crore in direct taxes…I am reasonably confident that it (indirect tax) will be around Rs 3.43 lakh crore-Rs 3.44 lakh crore,” Revenue Secretary Sunil Mitra told reporters on the sidelines of an IPPAI conference.
Sunil Shinde, Pune Stud farm owner Hasan Ali’s charted accountant, today claimed to have received a threat letter asking him to name some political leaders and a 2G spectrum scam accused in connection with the money laundering case against Ali. “I received the letter in the morning and the letter said that I should hold a press conference and name the political leaders and an accused in 2G spectrum scam”, said Shinde.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) today cautioned public against any mail asking for bank account details of individuals in its name. “The Reserve Bank never asks for your bank account details. The RBI has clarified that it has not sent any such email,” the central bank said in a statement. The RBI said that it has noticed that individuals have been receiving mails from RBI which asks bank customers “to update their bank account details against online phishing”.
Gold and Silver rates as on April 1, 2011 (Mumbai) : Standard Gold Rs. 20,775; Pure Gold Rs. 20,875; Silver Spot Rs. 56,900
State-owned Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) today launched the Income Tax payment facility through ATMs for their customers. The process of income tax payment through ATMs is user friendly and would lead to higher compliance by spreading the tax net to cover individual taxpayers resulting in higher Direct Tax revenues, Revenue Secretary Sunil Mitra said after launching the facility here.
Leading India Inc representatives today made a strong plea to the Reserve Bank to review its rate tightening policy, saying the high cost of credit is having an adverse impact on growth. Quoting a recent study, industry body FICCI’s Vice-President and HSBC’s Country Head, Naina Lal Kidwai, said a majority of firms feel inflation and successive rate hikes in the key monetary variables “have started having a bearing on the industry’s performance.”
Reliance ADAG Chairman Anil Ambani today faced a Parliamentary committee which quizzed him on his company’s stakes in Swan Telecom and other aspects related to the 2G spectrum allocation to which he responded ‘freely’ but evaded replies on some contending the matter was sub-judice.
