The Hindu Business Line : Wednesday, February 19, 2003

`Duty cuts must to enthuse auto consumers'
A YEAR of modest growth but severe market competition may have muted the upcoming Union Budget's ability to impact the automobile industry. Unless, proposals contained therein are of big-ticket dimension. Over April-January this fiscal, total ... More

ECONOMY

Ministry hopeful of meeting tax targets
THE Finance Ministry is hopeful of meeting the budgeted tax collection targets for the current fiscal year, the Minister of State for Finance, Mr G.N. Ramachandran, said here today. He said that harsh action would have to be taken on tax evaders ... More

`India will be fastest growing economy in Asia by 2010'
DESCRIBING India as the "stealth miracle economy'' among the democracies of the world in the last two decades, Mr P.K. Basu, Director & Chief Economist, South East Asia and India, Credit Suisse First Boston, Singapore, today predicted that India ... More

Bengal steps up monitoring of new industrial projects
As per statistics published by the Union Commerce and Industries Department, between January and August 2002, West Bengal was among the top performers in respect of attracting industrial investment. More

FOREIGN TRADE

`Quarantine, inspection issues hamper trade with Australia'
MR Arun Jaitley, Minister of Commerce & Industry, has emphasised the need for boosting trade and investment between India and Australia from the current low level. At the Eight India-Australia Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC), here on ... More

PHARMACEUTICALS

Compulsory licensing for pharma sector — WTO meet fails to reach consensus
Solving the compulsory licensing hurdle would have a significant impact on the fortunes and market access of the pharma big-guns, particularly in the US. More

TAXATION

Bush's tax package no answer: Greenspan
ALAN Greenspan, the Chairman of the US Federal Reserve, is as Republican as they come. He was an early follower of Ayn Rand, the libertarian novelist and a sort of philosopher — lodestone for those espousing individualism and the virtues of ... More

Entry tax will distort VAT regime: Experts
LEADING tax consultants have said that with several States imposing entry tax to protect their revenues, VAT (value-added tax) regime might get distorted. At a seminar on VAT, Mr Gautam Doshi, partner at RSM & Co, and Mr Rohan Shah and Mr ... More

Groundswell against VAT
KOCHI: Protest against the implementation of VAT is gaining momentum in the State as more and more organisations and trade bodies are coming forward raising objections over the Bill. Traders owing allegiance to the Kerala Vyapari ... More

TEXTILES

Viscose spun yarn exports looking up — Erode's spinners in expansion mode
In the estimated 4,000/4,500 tonnes per month of 100 per cent VSF yarn exported from the country, Erode region's viscose spun yarn exports account for some 25 per cent or 1200 tonnes. More

READYMADE GARMENTS

Pvt co mooted to implement Madurai apparel park project
THE eligible beneficiaries of the proposed apparel park in Madurai were advised to promote a private company to carry out the implementation process. At a discussion on the proposed park, organised by the Madurai Textile Exporters' Association ... More

MINING & QUARRYING

Uranium deposits unearthed in Nalgonda
The initiative for mining lease is planned to be supported by a hydro-metallurgical plant that will process raw ore. More

DISINVESTMENT

Opposition grills Govt on profit-making PSUs' sell-off
THE Opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday mounted a fresh attack on the Government's decision to privatise profit-making PSUs. During a short-duration discussion in the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition members demanded that the Government ... More

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT

`Kerala has inked pacts for Rs 26,000 crore'
THE recently concluded Global Investors' Meet (GIM) in Kerala has sent a positive signal to the investing community and the State has signed MoUs worth Rs 26,000 crore, according to its Minister for Industries, Social Welfare and IT, Mr P.K. ... More

WTO

`US, EU should remove hurdles to Cancun meet'
INDIA has made it clear to the developed countries, especially to the US and the European Union that the onus of removing the roadblocks to the Cancun WTO Ministerial Conference in September this year is entirely on them. Briefing newspersons ... More

SOCIAL WELFARE

Agencies roped in for mid-day meal scheme
THE Andhra Pradesh Government has adopted a flexible decentralised approach by involving self-help groups (SHGs) and community-based organisations in rural areas and community development societies in the urban areas to ensure the success of the ... More

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

SHG initiative pays dividends
PUBLIC participation in rural planning has begun to pay dividends to small farmers in several villages of the State. Under a system introduced by the Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK), the public, Government officials, ... More

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