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Saturday,
November 10, 2001,
Chandigarh, India  
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Punjab to lift 37 lakh
tonnes of sugarcane
‘China’s
flights to India soon’ IT
rationalisation on the cards
BILT to
divest 25 pc stake in Phoenix
Rice
millers yet to receive payment SEBI bars
Anand Rathi for two years Frito-Lay festive boxes
for Divali
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India adamant on new WTO agenda
Doha, November 9 Hours before the opening of the Doha Ministerial Conference, the WTO today admitted the absence of consensus among member countries on launching a new round of trade negotiation in view of the concerns of developing countries, including India. “There is a balance of unhappiness” among the developing as well as the developed countries about the Draft Ministerial Declaration (DMD), WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell said quoting Director General Mike Moore. Sources close to Mr Moore told UNI that Commerce and Industry Minister Murasoli Maran is not yielding ground “and this remains the main stumbling block for the launch of a new round.” India has been upset about the fact that both the USA and the EU have struck deals on a bilateral basis with countries to break the LMG. The USA and the EU are also said to have come to a give-and-take understanding on issues like agriculture and anti-dumping. The USA has agreed to go slow on agriculture while the EU is said to have decided not to press on with the issue of anti-dumping. This would mean that there will be a tremendous pressure on India to yield to Singapore on issues of investment and competition policy. Trade sources said India will have to work hard to come up with a quick fallback position. New Delhi may be asked to compromise on issues and therefore they will have to press for a trade-off on several implementation concerns like Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and anti-dumping. However, officials of the CII have advised Mr Maran that India should not yield easily on investment and competition policy. The Indian team, led by the Commerce and Industry Minister, is having hectic discussions. “We have had bilateral talks with Tanzania, Singapore and Cuba,” Mr Maran told Indian reporters in his suite at the Sheraton, the main venue of the Doha Ministerial Conference. Notwithstanding India’s refusal to accept a new round of negotiations, Pakistan seems to be waivering on services. However, “on agriculture we are with India”, delegates from Islamabad said. The Ministerial Conference is formally opening this evening with the address of Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and the statement of WTO Director General Mike Moore.
Delegations number down
The WTO members have sent only 2,600 delegates to a ministerial gathering opening in Doha today, down from 4,000 participants initially expected, the meeting’s organisers said. The USA worried most about security for its delegates in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks and the war against Afghanistan, has sent a small 51 member delegation to the encounter.
UNI, DPA
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Punjab to lift 37 lakh tonnes of sugarcane Ludhiana, November 9 At present, nearly 20 lakh bags of sugar are stocked in the state mills as compared to 10 lakh bags stocked during the corresponding period last year. It has adversely affected the financial position of the sugar mills. However, the official sources claimed that the government had made adequate arrangements to finance the mills by providing bank guarantees. Prof P.S. Rangi, a marketing expert at Punjab Agricultural University ( PAU) here disclosed that the area under sugarcane cultivation had increased to 1.20 lakh hectares this year as against 1.08 hectares during the previous year. The average sugarcane yields in the state are also expected to increase to 640 quintals per hectare. He admitted that international sugar prices were not currently in favour of the domestic producers. Allaying the claims of critics that sugar production in Punjab was uncompetitive in comparison to Maharashtra and UP, he asserted that in a study submitted to the Centre, he had pointed out that the actual cost of sugar was equal to that in Maharashtra as the crop in Punjab was produced in 11 months against 17 months there. However, sources in the Budhewal sugar mill here said the cooperative mills in the state were passing through a critical phase due to high stocks, levy and restrictions on the sale of molasses. The market rate of molasses was about Rs 200 per quintal as against Rs 62 per quintal fixed under the government quota. Dr B.S. Tiwana, Chief Cane Development Officer at the mill,
said: "The state government has not increased the sugarcane prices from Rs 100 per quintal, though the Haryana Government had announced new rates at Rs 105 per quintal. So a section of farmers may sell their produce in the neighbouring state.’’ The Sugarfed official
said, "The farmers are already getting free supply of electricity and water, a major input in sugarcane cultivation, so there is no need of increasing prices at this stage. |
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A healthy way to smoke Ahmedabad, November 9 Mr Natu
Bhavsar, a businessman in Gujarat's principal city, manufactures cigarettes sans tobacco. His cigarette is, instead, filled with
tulsi (basil), honey and turmeric. The unique cigarette is sold under the brand name "Nirdosh," meaning "without fault". Mr
Bhavsar, 65, has a modest annual turnover of Rs 4.4 million though he exports his product to the USA, Germany, Italy, Sri Lanka and some other countries, besides selling it in the domestic market. "Nirdosh" has caught the fancy of India's tinsel town too. "Indian movie star Govinda, who was once addicted to smoking, was so excited by the concept that he met me. Later, he also helped an actress to get rid of the habit," Mr Bhavsar claims. Starting out as a cigarette vendor in a roadside kiosk, Mr Bhavsar expanded his business to sell
"paan,"a betel leaf-wrapped digestive. "I was a chain smoker of
'beedi' (leaf-rolled cigarettes). Such was the addiction that I could not leave it even while I was seriously ill. My wife used to nag me to shun the habit but I was helpless," says Mr
Bhavsar. "Since I was myself addicted to smoking, I did not realise I was selling poison to the people. Gradually, I developed various symptoms of tobacco-related diseases. "One of my friends, Mr Rasik
Parikh, an Ayurveda teacher who later became the vice-chancellor of Gujarat Ayurveda University, said: "If at all you have to smoke, why don't you roll up an Ayurvedic cigarette?'" "This intrigued me," Mr Bhavsar says, adding, "I started wondering if a smoker could switch over from a tobacco cigarette to a harmless one." He spent nearly two years studying Ayurveda. He travelled across the country, talking to Ayurveda teachers. Eventually, he developed the cigarette and experimented it on himself. On his initial experiences, Mr Bhavsar says: "My cigarette tasted better than the normal tobacco cigarette. After a few days I realised it had cleared my body of the cough and rejuvenated my nervous system." It was in 1972 that Mr Bhavsar began manufacturing "Nirdosh" in Ahmedabad. It has since been slowly gaining in popularity.
IANS |
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‘China’s flights to India soon’ Beijing, November 9 “China will soon start the flight,” Jagmohan told PTI on phone from southwest Chinese city of Kunming. Describing his talks with China’s Minister of Tourism, he Guangwei, as “fruitful,” Jagmohan, however, said no specific dates have been announced for the inaugural flight. Official sources said two major Chinese airlines are keen to start direct flights to India and have completed feasibility studies. However, Air India was not in a position to start flights to China in immediate future due to non-availability of aircraft, the sources said. Though a bilateral agreement on air services is already in place there is no direct commercial flight between the two countries due to several reasons, including lack of adequate traffic and non-availability of aircraft. Guangwei, who is also the Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), assured that Beijing would consider adding India as a designated tourist destination for its tourists. Jagmohan, on his maiden visit to the communist state to take part in the ongoing China International Travel Mart, 2001, in kunming, was optimistic about cooperation with China to promote its tourist circuits. India has decided to place increased focus on East Asia, which has vast potential to attract tourists to the country, Jagmohan said. As part of this effort, the Minister said he participated in the WTO General Assembly last month and held talks with like China and Japan.
PTI
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IT rationalisation on the cards New Delhi, November 9 He said the government was also expected the Anomaly Committee report by this month end. He pointed out even though 35 per cent marginal rate of tax exists in the corporate sector, the effective rate of collection is only 10 to 12 per cent because of the large number of exemptions being given. Addressing an international conference on tax management, organised by FICCI, Dr Narayan said a committee is also examining further ratinalisation of indirect taxes. While the excise duty was rationalised last year, a number of areas remain untouched. He said “definitely Customs duties would move downwards and that is the way we are look at”. The Customs duty tariff would get reduced and the government was aiming at a peak tariff rate of 20 per cent. On the question of value added tax, he said it would be made applicable by April 1, 2002, but it will not be a comprehensive VAT. |
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Rice millers yet to receive payment Jalalabad, November 9 In a press note issued here today he said the rice millers delivered rice into the Central pool through the FCI which made payment to the Punjab Government. But due to the diversification of these funds the amount had not reached the millers. In the Ferozepur district only, millers had delivered rice amounting to Rs 70 crore but the payment of Rs 6 crore had been received so far. Due to the crisis the millers were in a dilemma because they were not in a position to give payment to farmers who were badly in the need of money for the sowing of Rabi crop. As rice millers of Jalalabad, Ladhuka and Fazilka have made bulk purchases of paddy this year and if the payments are not made without a further delay it would affect the Rabi crop. District Food and Supply Controller K.C. Kajal admitted that the treasury was not issuing letter of credit. therefore the payment could not be given. But he was hopeful that the situation would improve soon.
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SEBI bars Anand Rathi for two years
Mumbai, November 9 The market regulator has also suspended his two firms, Anand Rathi Securities and Rathi Capital and Securities for nine months from the same date but let off Rathi Global Finance as it was found not doing any business and had surrendered its membership of
OTCEI. Another firm, Navratan Capital and Securities which was also banned from trading in March, has also been let off and no penalty was imposed as it was under the control of Gupta family and not under the Rathi family, SEBI said in its order.
PTI |
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Frito-Lay
festive boxes for Divali Chandigarh, November 9 According to Mr Manu Anand, MD, Frito-Lay India, “There has been a perceptible change in the gifting preferences of consumers. Lehar is set to play the perfect catalyst this festive season as well.” Frito-Lay worldwide is the world’s largest snack food company and is part of the $ 22 billion PepsiCo Group of companies.
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BoP cuts rates Diemould India Duracell Plus Verka Pizza New BP scheme |
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