Why women in South Asia are ‘financially flawed’

Why women in South Asia are ‘financially flawed’

About a month ago (23-24 March) policymakers, private sector actors and civil society representatives from across South Asia, and local and international researchers, came together in Kathmandu to explore ways to use data and evidence-based policy to promote women’s economic empowerment. The four represented nations—Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan—have had varied experiences in this context. […]

Fuel Prices to fluctuate daily from May

Fuel Prices to fluctuate daily from May

New Delhi: From May 1, petrol and diesel prices will change every day in sync with international rates, much like what happens in most advanced markets. Here’s progress! Pondicherry, Vizag, Jamshedpur, Udaipur, and Chandigarh will kick off the new rate regime. State-owned fuel retailers Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan […]

Govt to write off 16 percent of ‘tax due’ cases!

Govt to write off 16 percent of ‘tax due’ cases!

New Delhi:  Some 21,54,000 people owe the government less than Rs 100 in tax. As a ‘one time measure’, the government has decided to write off their outstanding taxes ( 21.54 lakh taxpayers who owe Rs 100 or less). These small tax payers form about 16 percent of all ‘tax due’ cases. This was stated […]

Bangladesh welcomes First Indian Cargo Ship

Bangladesh welcomes First Indian Cargo Ship

Dhaka: The first container ship from India has arrived in Bangladesh’s Panagon river port under the Coastal Shipping Agreement signed in 2015, allowing direct cargo vessel movement between the two countries (Feb 18). The ship, ‘Shonartori Nou Kalyan-1’ reached the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal at Keraniganj yesterday with 65 containers on board, bdnews24.com reported. At […]

Workers to be paid via cheque, digi- transfer

Workers to be paid via cheque, digi- transfer

New Delhi: The Congress and other opposition parties supported a bill, under which specified industrial units will have to pay salaries and wages to workers through cheques or by electronic transfer to their bank accounts, and facilitated its passing in  the Lok Sabha (Feb 7). “The initiative is aimed at promoting the welfare of workers,” […]

Stern penalty for cash transactions over INR 300,000

Stern penalty for cash transactions over INR 300,000

New Delhi: From April, if you accept cold cash in excess of three lakh rupees, you may have to forfeit the entire amount to the government as ‘penalty’. So says Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia.  Now, Mr Hasmukh (whose name translates into ‘smiling face’)  has  probably wiped the smile off several faces! In a bid to […]

Parl Committee Questions ‘Cashless’ Security

Parl Committee Questions ‘Cashless’ Security

New Delhi: Is all this shoving the country towards a cashless economy really safe? That’s the question thrown up by a Parliamentary Standing Committee. Is data transfer on these new ‘pockets’ and ‘wallets applications really safe, or will new users find that their bank accounts are broken into by hackers? Do we have proper laws […]

Looking Back at RBI’s 2016

Looking Back at RBI’s 2016

Bombay (Mumbai), Dec 28 (PTI) First, it was outspoken Raghuram Rajan and then old Rs 500/1,000 notes, including those bearing his signature — 2016 saw them exit the Mint Street riding such big waves of controversies that their ripple effect is bound to be felt in the new year. Rajan was replaced by a low-profile Urjit […]

Nepal bans use of new Indian banknotes

Nepal bans use of new Indian banknotes

Nepal Rastra Bank on Thursday (24 November) banned the use of India’s new currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 denomination, terming them “unauthorised and illegal”. These two currency notes were issued by the Reserve Bank of India recently after old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination notes were withdrawn. Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) […]

‘Seized cash’ in Police Stations: headache for cops!

‘Seized cash’ in Police Stations: headache for cops!

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation move has an unexpected victim: the police department. Why? Because the police department literally has stacks and stacks of 500 and 1000 rupee notes in safes at their police stations. The ban on currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 has left the police confused. What is to be […]

Winter session of Parliament to expedite GST rollout

Winter session of Parliament to expedite GST rollout

The winter session of Parliament will start on November 16. It will be a month-long session that will end on December 16, the cabinet committee on parliamentary affairs. In its legislative push for the upcoming winter session of Parliament, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is focusing on laws addressing social and economic issues. Besides three […]

Pakistan’s ‘Best performance’ award fake?

Pakistan’s ‘Best performance’ award fake?

The  International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission chief to Pakistan Herald Finger has denied the reports that IMF had given Ishaq Dar as “Finance Minister of the year 2016 for South Asia award” . Addressing newsmen via video link, Herald Finger clarified that the organisation had no link with the magazine who gave the Award to […]