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Need to educate HISAR, Mar 3: The three-day state level agricultural officers’ workshop began at Haryana Agricultural University here today with a call for sensitising farmnisation so that they can benefit from the globalisation of trade. The workshop organised to finalise the package of practices to be followed by the farmers during ensuing kharif season.....more Herbal
policy on DEHRA DUN, Mar 3: The Uttaranchal Government has decided to formulate a new herbal policy to increase its revenue and create employment for the hill people. According to Government sources, a Tripartite Herbal Directorate would be established to chalk out straties to tap the vast potential of herbs and spice cultivation to make them a major revenue earner for the new state......more Need
to identify right LUCKNOW, Mar 3: Hype over career in software and uncontrolled mushrooming of IT education outfits could result in a large number of unemployed youth says Bhasker Agarwal, CEO of US-based company ISSI.....more |
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America’s
millionaires WASHINGTON, Mar 3: Tradition demands that the American congress dance......more
Oppn
criticism of budget NEW DELHI, Mar 3: Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha asserted today the opposition......more PHDCCI suggests CHANDIGARH, Mar 3: Punjab Government should formulate a separate policy......more |
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Need to educate farmers on WTO stressed HISAR, Mar 3: The three-day state level agricultural officers’ workshop began at Haryana Agricultural University here today with a call for sensitising farmnisation so that they can benefit from the globalisation of trade. The workshop organised to finalise the package of practices to be followed by the farmers during ensuing kharif season, is being attended by nearly 300 farm scientists and officers of the Department of Agriculture, Haryana. It was inaugurated by Vinay Kumar, Vice-Chancellor of the host university. Kumar, in his address, suggested that efforts should be focussed on getting the Indian farmers to profit from their farm produce in the WTO era, for which, he said that farm research institutes and the Government would need to address some important issues. He said the farmers would be able to avail the opportunities of cross-border trade only when quality and price of their produce were competitive to the other countries. Suggesting biotechnology as key for enhanced crop quality and productivity, he asked the farm experts to develop technology that brings down the cost of cultivation. He said diversification of agriculture would be another option for higher farm returns. He expressed concern over dwindling investments in research and development and decreasing land holdings. (PTI) |
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Herbal policy on anvil in hill state DEHRA DUN, Mar 3: The Uttaranchal Government has decided to formulate a new herbal policy to increase its revenue and create employment for the hill people. According to Government sources, a Tripartite Herbal Directorate would be established to chalk out straties to tap the vast potential of herbs and spice cultivation to make them a major revenue earner for the new state. Efforts are being made by the Government to enhance research on the unique Himalayan hers found in the hill state and evolve measures to preserve the existing rare species of medicinal herbs. The proposed directorate would comprise a college for training in identification of herbs and a team of doctors to research on medicines to be prepared from the plants. At present, companies from outside Uttaranchal have a monopoly in the sphere of preparing medicines from the herbs found here. (UNI) |
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Need to identify right talent, says CEO ISSI LUCKNOW, Mar 3: Hype over career in software and uncontrolled mushrooming of IT education outfits could result in a large number of unemployed youth says Bhasker Agarwal, CEO of US-based company ISSI. Speaking to the press here today, Bhasker said there was an urgent need to identify the right talent and only then impart training otherwise it would mean wasted years for our youngsters, who could definitely shine in other areas suited to their aptitude. Issi, through its subsidiary, has already set-up a software development facility at Nirala Nagar Lucknow. Highly-skilled software engineers, trained by ISSI, are engaged here in development of world class software for US and domestic market. (UNI) |
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America’s millionaires
demand to be taxed WASHINGTON, Mar 3: Tradition demands that the American congress dance to the new President’s tune when he makes his debut. During his maiden speech, his own party’s factions in particular are expected to rise spontaneously at the slightest verbal cue to deliver their applause amidst jubliant cheers. The standing ovations are counted a stopwatch times the length of the cheering. Now George W Bush has had his very own chance to sample this "all rise" ritual - one that is not always without stress for cabinet members, Supreme Court justices and powerful representatives and senators. Not even the democrats could remain seated throughout, as Bush spoke of distributing billions of dollars to the people. But when he talked about scrapping the estate tax, the applause was so thin - even from republicans - that it amounted to a demonstration of disapproval. There is a reason behind this that seems fantastic: A growing movement among the rich and ultra-rich is exercising a kind of civil disobedience by demanding - in the name of social justice - to continue to be taxed. They say they certainly have enough money without needing to rely on a tax windfall that would destroy a democratic check against an aristocracy of wealth. In mid-February, 120 multimillionaires and billionaires led by Warren Buffet, George Soros, and William Gates Sr warned publicly of the effects the bush plan would have in an egalitarian society that is based on achievement, not heredity. America, the authors assert, has come closer to achieving a meritocracy than any other country. In their view, this realistic dream which preserves social peace may not be put at risk. Billionaire Warren Buffet said that repealing the estate tax would be a horrible mistake tantamount to "choosing the 2020 olympic team by picking the eldest sons of the gold-medal winners in the 2000 olympics". The media reported on the luxurious masochism of the super-rich with leniency and an admiration befitting America’s philanthropists, donors and benefactors. But it was not just some quirk of a select circle who could afford to do without for the sake of lofty goals. On the day George W Bush wrapped up his first speech to the congress, 400 of the wealthiest five per cent of Americans joined in the admonition. Their names and motives are posted on the website of the group responsible wealth (www.Responsible-wealth.Org). It seems noteworthy that these people are more clearly aware of the serious dangers posed by the ever-increasing gap in America between poor and rich than the new administration. What George Bush loathingly refers to as a "death tax" affects only two per cent of the wealthiest Americans. Owners of small businesses and farmers -allegedly the people whose wealth Bush wants to protect - are exempted from the estate tax up to a million dollars. Even if you do not believe a word about the protesting millionaires’ socio-political concerns, the fact remains that repealing the tax would remove a decisive incentive for individual largesse vis-a-vis museums, foundations and cultural institutions of all kinds. One estimate by the treasury department says that US charities stand to lose up to six billion dollars per year if the mortal rich are no longer rewarded for turning to philanthropy as a way to avoid the internal revenue service. America’s 48,000 mega-rich families who stand to profit from the "death tax’s" abolition would instead look for other, less noble tax loopholes. One does not have to turn the petition from dad gates - who administers his son’s 20-billion-dollar foundation - and the other rich signatories into a parable of equal opportunity for America’s poor just to pay them respect. But neither do they deserve to be dismissed with a smirk. Even in a country like America - in whose "dream" social envy is always subordinate to social emulation - it is a warning signal when the rich start to fear that their contribution to society has become too measly to protect them from the people’s wrath. Indeed, this fear is also part of the background to the philanthropists’ public appeal.No one knows where the line between "example" and "enemy" is fixed. For now at least the curious call on the part of the rich has turned the debate over President Bush’s tax plans into an example for the world’s industrialised nations. (DPA) |
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Oppn criticism of budget will not cut ice: Sinha NEW DELHI, Mar 3: Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha asserted today the opposition criticism of reform measures in the budget will not cut ice with the people, saying "good economics is good politics." "Ultimately good economics is also good politics and certainly bad economics is not good politics," Sinha said, adding, that the NDA allies "are fully with us though the opposition is making the usual noises." Citing the recent Assembly bye-election results in which Congress suffered a severe setback, Sinha said political parties went around with the propaganda that the agricultural prices were down because of imports, which was not correct. "But it (propaganda) did not cut ice with the voters." On controversial proposals like labour reforms and privatisation in the budget, Sinha told India Today that "let me make one thing very clear. Opposition parties will try to take political advantage." "We shall reason with them (opposition parties). We shall argue with them. We shall try and build consensus with them," he said, adding," at the same time we will like to reach out to the largest constituency outside — people" as public opinion outside did influence the behaviour of political parties in Parliament. Sinha admitted that NDA could face problems in the passage of controversial economic legislations as the ruling alliance did not have a majority in the Rajya Sabha decided that it would not allow any progressive legislation to go through then clearly there will be a problem," he said. But "we are hoping to build a consensus and persuade the Congress to support policies to which it was wedded not only when it was in the Government, but also till recently as 1999 when its manifesto talked of many of these reforms." Sinha did not buy the argument that the budget had been prepared by Prime Minister’s Office and not by himself. "No, it is my budget. It has been prepared under the guidance of the Prime Minister, not the PMO," he said. Sinha said his fourth budget has tried to trigger growth by trying to spur both demand and investment. "By reducing taxes, I am trying to propel consumer demand. Through measures like lower interest rates and promotion of infrastructure, I should get higher investments," he said. He said he had also created the environment for low-lending rates by reducing interest rates on small savings and keeping the Government deficit down. (PTI) |
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PHDCCI suggests Punjab Govt to
set up CHANDIGARH, Mar 3: Punjab Government should formulate a separate policy for providing incentives to exporting units and set up special economic zones at appropriate locations in the state, the PHDCCI’s Punjab Committee here today suggested. In a note submitted to Punjab Finance Minister, Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, who is to present the State Government’s budget for 2001-2002 soon, the Commmittee Chairman, Amargit Goyal emphasised an environment conducive to enhancing production at internationally comparable productivity levels to encourage exports from the state. Such potential sectors should be identified in which exporting units areas with contributing substantially, he said, adding that the areas with concentration of export activity should be identified as export growth centres for providing more export related infrastructural facilities. The PHDCCI note, while stressing that exports, directly and indirectly helped the state economy pointed out that the Central Government in its EXIM policy, announced last year had made provision for a scheme for granting assistance to the states for development of export related infrastructure on the basis of their absolute export performance as well as on the basis of incremental one. The Central Government had announced the setting up Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to enable hassle free manufacturing and trading activity for the purpose of exports. The PHDCCI’s Punjab Committee in its pre-budget note to Punjab Government also suggested that for providing effective communication networking and looking after the day-to-day operational problems export promotional industrial parks with latest communication facilities should be established. Trade information centres should be established at important industrial centres for providing information regarding exports on continuous and regular basis, the PHDCCI said, adding that a nodal authority should be appointed to take up the problems of the exporters with the various authorities at the central and state levels. Suggesting single window for exports should be established as multiplicity of authorities creates problems for exporters, the PHDCCI said the exporting units should be made aware about international quality standards and they should be encouraged to obtain accreditation to ISO 9000 series of standards. It said to help the exporters to compete in the international markets the inputs for production of export goods should be exempted from state sales tax and purchase tax. If this is not possible then a system of reimbursement of state sales tax amount should be developed. Under this system drawback rates can be fixed in line with sales tax charged on inputs within Punjab and the amount should be refunded to the manufacturer on submitting the proof of export. After exporting the products the manufacturers can submit the claim supported with necessary documentary evidence on quarterly basis for refund of sales tax. To avoid the payment of sales tax and subsequent claim for refund of the same, the manufacturer can give the declaration at the beginning of the year giving details about the proposed inputs to be purchased from within Punjab during the year that can be exempted from sales tax on checking the records, it suggested. (UNI) |
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