18/03/2015
Direct Tax:
Signing of tax pact with US under FATCA gets nod
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the signing of an inter-governmental agreement between India and the US seeking to impose higher withholding tax on Indian companies on their US income, if they do not provide information about their clients to the US government. The agreement under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) will enable exchange of information on cases of tax avoidance through overseas entities. Read more at:
http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/signing-of-tax-pact-with-us-under-fatca-gets-nod-115031701332_1.html
Banks show sharp growth in advance tax collections for Q4
Banks have shown healthy growth in their advance tax deposit this quarter, with the highest payer, State Bank of India, depositing Rs 1,750 crore, 20 per cent higher than in the corresponding period of the previous year. According to sources, ICICI Bank and YES Bank have shown 32 per cent and 30 per cent jump in their tax deposit to Rs 1,295 and Rs 260 crore, respectively, in the quarter. Advance tax numbers are significant, as they are used by analysts to reverse-calculate profit before taxes. Read more at:
http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/q4-advance-tax-collections-hint-at-a-mixed-quarter-for-india-inc-115031600772_1.html
SEBI:
Sebi to act against companies with no woman director
Market regulator Sebi will take 'necessary' action against listed firms which fail to appoint at least one woman director on their Boards by the end of this month, Parliament was informed today. The capital markets watchdog had issued guidelines in February last year asking companies to appoint at least one woman director on their boards by October 1, 2014 which was later relaxed to April 1, 2015. Read more at:
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/sebi-to-take-action-against-cos-with-no-woman-director-govt-115031700585_1.html
Fraudulent Investment Websites Under Sebi Scanner: Report
A large number of fraudulent websites, luring investors with promise of high and quick returns in stock market, have come under the scanner of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and may have to soon shut shop and pay huge penalties.Sources said that over 50 such websites have come to the notice of the regulator, including through complaints filed by investors and whistleblowers, and penal action has already been initiated against those running illicit operations. Read more at:
http://profit.ndtv.com/budget/fraudulent-investment-websites-under-sebi-scanner-report-747087
GIFT City regulations top Sebi board meet agenda
The Sebi board will meet on March 22 to finalise regulations pertaining to the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT). A revision of the debt-to-equity conversion pricing formula and viability study of optionally fully convertible debentures (OFCDs) are also on agenda, said three people familiar with the matter. Finance minister ArunJaitley will address the board meet on Sunday. Among other things, the eligibility criteria for service providers, tax rate and legal framework for the GIFT City will be discussed. A tax rate of 0-3% has been proposed to encourage entities to establish business. Read more at:
http://www.financialexpress.com/article/markets/indian-markets/gift-city-regulations-top-sebi-board-meet-agenda/54325/
Sebi seeks details of trades done in Pipavav Defence stock prior to stake sale
Market regulator Sebi has asked stock exchanges for details of trades done in the PipavavDefence stock prior to the company's recent announcement of stake sale to Reliance Infrastructure, said a senior exchange official. Sebi is probing whether some market participants had built positions in the stock, aided by prior knowledge on the matter. Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/sebi-seeks-details-of-trades-done-in-pipavav-defence-stock-prior-to-stake-sale/articleshow/46589277.cms
RBI:
Reserve Bank's rigidity on liquidity holding back lower rates
The Reserve Bank of India's decision to keep liquidity stance as it is while reducing interest rate partly explains why the half-a-percentage point reduction in the key policy rate is not benefiting borrowers. On the contrary, bond yields are higher than what they were before January 15 surprise interest rate-cut. The RBI's cap on lending to banks at just 0.25% of the net demand and time deposits at the repo rate may well be the reason why rates are not easing immediately. Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/banking/finance/banking/reserve-banks-rigidity-on-liquidity-holding-back-lower-rates/articleshow/46591067.cms
RBI further restricts gold imports
The Reserve Bank of India yesterday late evening asked the banks not to sell gold imported on consignment basis to jewellers on outright basis. The clarification is expected to tighten gold imports. On 18th February the central bank allowed banks to import gold on consignment basis and also allowed them to provide gold metal loans to jewellers. However, banks were found importing gold on consignment basis and selling that to jewellers against full payment. Read more at:
http://www.business-standard.com/article/markets/rbi-further-restricts-gold-imports-115031700347_1.html
Economy & News:
Tender cancellation issue hits PM Modi's Smart City project
The NarendraModi government's ambitious smart city project has run into a hitch with the last-minute cancellation of its first major tender — to hire a consultant — amid allegations of "conflict of interest". International consultancy firm McKinsey "unofficially" helped out the urban development ministry in preparing the groundwork for the Rs 7,000-crore project and one of its consultants even authored a key tender document for the selection of the consultant, said people in the know. Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/tender-cancellation-issue-hits-pm-modis-smart-city-project/articleshow/46602293.cms
Two months on, banks still clueless about Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
Nearly two months after the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana was launched, bank branches are still awaiting guidelines on the small savings scheme for girls. Sukanya accounts can be opened in post offices and designated banks. While post offices have witnessed a deluge of investors and opened close to 1.8 lakh accounts in the past two months, banks remain clueless about the scheme. Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/two-months-on-banks-still-clueless-about-sukanya-samriddhi-yojana/articleshow/46603208.cms
MHA cancels licenses of 1142 NGOs and associations including Osmania University
Beginning what is expected to be a comprehensive crackdown on NGO's and associations accepting foreign funds without complying with the regulation of filing annual returns, the Home Ministry has cancelled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licences of 1,142 associations in erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh. Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/46600062.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
Ignoring Raghuram Rajan's 2005 prediction was a big mistake: IMF chief Christine Lagarde
Showering praise on Raghuram Rajan, IMF chief Christine Lagarde today said not listening to his prediction of 2008 credit crisis was a big mistake of the multilateral funding agency. Rajan, now the Reserve Bank Governor, was the Chief Economist and Research Director at the IMF during 2003-2006. He is credited with correctly forecasting in 2005 an impending global financial crisis at the annual meeting of prominent economists and bankers at Jackson Hole, US. Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/46600576.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the signing of an inter-governmental agreement between India and the US seeking to impose higher withholding tax on Indian corporates on their US income, if they do not provide information about their clients to the