Government

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Market crash-Part II: the RBI and government should join hands

In the previous article, the main problems facing the government and the RBI were listed –a falling rupee, slowing growth and rising inflation. What is needed at this stage is confidence-building measures rather than the fear-inducing steps taken, such as the one imposing capital controls. Foreign investors have been caught on the wrong foot in many countries, where they were prevented from taking their dollars out. They need to be reassured that option is not on the table. Continue Reading →

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UPA pulls the reforms rabbit out of its hat

Was it the harsh criticism of the government, especially the Prime Minister, in international circles that did the trick, or did the government just muster the courage required to the bite the reform bullet? The answer is unclear and perhaps the real story will be told in the coming weeks and even months.

 

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New Income Tax Code: lower rates, fewer exemptions

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee stuck to his promise made in his Budget speech and has put the draft Direct Tax Code in the public domain. The government is asking for comments, before it is introduced in parliament. Over the years, the Income Tax Act, 1961, has been supplemented by several amendments, interpretations and rules. Continue Reading →

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Indian government to issue C-bills

Short term borrowings are a part of any company’s life. These are needed to tide over temporary cash shortages or even to meet normal working capital needs. Since the needs are temporary, companies do not mind paying a slightly higher rate of interest. But when governments start dipping into the till to meet short term requirements, the consequences can be interesting, if not disruptive.
 

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High level ministerial team for infrastructure

Infrastructure projects in India are now being executed in half the time it took some years ago. Well, that may well be the headline a few years down the line, if the government succeeds in yet another effort to speed up infrastructure projects in the country. The government has set up a big committee of ministers to oversee the process of approval and execution of infrastructure projects.
 

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A new government: business as usual?

Business as a rule loves stability. They could not have asked for a better verdict from the 2009 elections. The UPA government has come back to power, much stronger with about 260 seats in a 543-seat parliament. In the previous election, it was much dependent on a number of smaller allies, hampering effective functioning especially on the economic front.

A tough economic situation…

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Booster Dose #5: the final attempt, and a weak one at that

The government is readying for elections. It has announced the final round of its fiscal stimulus package. With no signs of the measures taken till now leading to a recovery, the government is throwing everything it can at the slowdown. And, then it will leave the next government to clean up the mess –falling tax revenues, growing fiscal deficit and an economy that refuses to be kickstarted.
 

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No credit derivatives for India: global financial centre a distant dream

One drawback of the Indian corporate bond market is the absence of credit derivatives. Regulatory reluctance was a main reason for this phenomenon. This had changed over the years with strong lobbying from all interested parties and the government giving a go-ahead from its side. The government had made announcements to that effect in the 2006-07 Budget and even commissioned a report on making Mumbai a regional financial centre.
 

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