The Hindu Business Line : Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Weak monsoon condition not yet established
THE untimely upper air circulation over central Uttar Pradesh may have slightly reduced the gravity of the current weak phase of the monsoon on the first two days but the system has become less marked during the past 24 hours. Rogue systems ... More

FOREIGN TRADE

Centre clears 47 more SEZs
APPROVAL has been granted for the setting up of 47 new SEZs based on proposals received from State governments and private promoters, the Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, has said. Of the 47 SEZs approved for establishment, three ... More

PETROLEUM

Increased oil, gas exploration — Offshore support cos get flood of orders
AS new tracts of sea bed off the country's coast are being taken up for offshore oil and gas exploration, a host of Indian and foreign companies engaged in providing a wide array of support services, ranging from underwater diving and ... More

Montek favours hike in petro product prices
FAVOURING a hike in petro product prices, the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, today said that in a scenario of sustained increase in global oil prices, it is essential to align domestic oil prices with ... More

PHARMACEUTICALS

Mumbai deluge: Drug cos look at alternative sites for warehouses
WITH the torrential rains a recent memory, drug companies are looking at alternate sites to relocate their warehouses from the outskirts of Mumbai. "Medicines are too critical an item to run such risks. The rain is a trigger and manufacturers ... More

POWER

All approvals for Udupi project received, says Nagarjuna Power
NAGARJUNA Power Corporation Ltd (NPCL) has said that it has got all the statutory approvals from the Union and the State governments for carrying out the work on thermal power project in Udupi district. A press release by Mr K.S. Balachandra, ... More

APERC norms on `other business'
HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) has notified a regulation on the proportion of revenues, from other businesses of the transmission and distribution licensees, to be utilised for reducing transmission ... More

Plan panel draft of energy policy in Sept
THE Planning Commission proposes to come up with a draft of the integrated energy policy in September this year, according to Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Commission. "Before we finalise it, we will invite comments from all ... More

TAXATION

Waiver of 4 pc VAT on ice sought
IN a memorandum submitted to the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers, the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has sought waiver of four per cent levy of value-added tax (VAT) on ice arguing that it has put ... More

VAT effect: Tea manufacturers may raise prices in AP
ORGANISED players in the tea industry, who generally have a uniform pricing pattern across the country, are contemplating to increase packet prices in Andhra Pradesh, if the State refuses to reduce the VAT (Value Added Tax) rate from 12.5 per ... More

AP Govt constitutes GoM
HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Government has constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to look into the issues related to `Work Contract Tax' and other issues raised by CESMA International Private Ltd, the contractors for the `Singapore Class ... More

SSI

KVIC amendment Bill introduced
THE Government today introduced in Parliament the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2005, which seeks not only to make the tenure of Chairman and members subject to the pleasure of the Central Government, but also limits ... More

KSSIA hails SME finance package
KOCHI: The Kerala State Small Industries Association has welcomed the fresh package of SME finance for doubling of credit with an annual growth of 20 per cent from banks to the SME sector. The association President, Mr Xavier Thomas ... More

EDUCATION

TN in pact with Microsoft for training teachers
MICROSOFT Corporation India and the Tamil Nadu School Education Department on Monday signed an agreement to provide training to teachers in the State by establishing and running an information technology academy in the city for a period of five ... More

Diploma in geospatial tech
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS) is starting a diploma course in `geospatial technology'. The six-month course, to be run in collaboration with Geotrans Technologies Pvt Ltd, will expose students ... More

FOODS & FOOD PROCESSING

Health Ministry wants hold over Food Bill
THE Health Ministry does not want to give up the entire control of regulation on food products to the Ministry of Food Processing industries. The Health Minister, Dr A. Ramadoss, has written to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, to allow ... More

PRECIOUS METALS

Panel pulls up Commerce Ministry over action taken on MMTC gold imports
THE Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU) has pulled up the Ministry of Commerce by expressing its dissatisfaction over the reply of the Government on its earlier recommendation pertaining to missing documents on import of gold by the super ... More

METALS

Domestic copper prices rise to record high
COPPER wire bar prices in Mumbai on Monday touched a record high of Rs 216 a kg on steady domestic demand and firm LME trend, a trader said. In the last three months, copper wire bar prices have increased seven per cent to Rs 216 per kg from ... More

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

PHD Chamber urges RBI to lower rates on export finance
IN a representation to Reserve Bank of India, the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry has brought to the apex bank's notice that it was imperative for the interest rate of export finance, both pre and post, to be further reduced by at least 100 ... More

NEWSPAPERS & PUBLISHING

Young World Quiz contest
HYDERABAD: The Hindu Young World Contest 2005 attracted an overwhelming response from students drawn from 165 schools here on Monday. The Hyderabad regional round, part of the nationwide Hindu Young World Contest, hosted 513 teams, ... More

EXPORTS & IMPORTS

`Steep air freight rates hurting flower exports'
THE country's immense potential for exporting flowers to Europe, the US, and Japan is largely unutilised due to the steep air freight and the lack of Government support, according to Mr K.S Ramakrishna, Managing Director of Karuturi ... More

Govt plans curbs on duty-free Lankan pepper
THE Union Commerce Ministry is seriously considering to impose quantity restrictions or some duty on import of pepper from Sri Lanka now done under FTA to arrest flooding in the domestic market. As part of this exercise, a high-level delegation ... More

Gem & jewellery, machinery lead export growth
FIVE commodities — transport equipment; petroleum, crude and products; machinery and instruments; gems and jewellery; and readymade garment-cotton, including accessories — that account for 42 per of the country's aggregate exports ... More

Input output norms notified for 17 new export items
THE Government has notified additional standard input output norms for 17 new export items. Of them, seven norms related to chemicals and allied products, three to engineering products, two to food products and the remaining five related to ... More

STANDARDS & BENCHMARKS

Listing of nutritional value on food packs to become mandatory
DO you know the amount of carbohydrates in a pack of potato chips? Or the proteins present in one serving of ready-to-eat pasta. Such information will now have to be available to the consumer soon. The Health Ministry is planning to make it ... More

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