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RBI can´t always bail out Banks should not be surprised when there is a sharp rise in bond yields. Rather, they should “know and understand this risk rather well,” said Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor Viral Acharya (pictured) to the association of bond investors, most of them being from banks.“Interest rate risk of banks cannot be managed over and over again by their regulator,” Acharya said on Monday, delivering as tern message to banks. “The regulator, in the interest of financial stability, is caught in such situations, between a rock and a hard place, and often obliges.” However, by taking advantage of the dispensation regularly, efficient price discovery in the government securities (GSec) market and effective market discipline on the GSec issuer was not happening. “Nor does it augur well for developing a sound risk management culture at banks.” The comment comes at a time when banks have been lobbying with the central bank to allow spreading their treasury l

Sebi mulls review of graded surveillance measures to improve transparency The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is reviewing the process to bring companies under the graded surveillance measure (GSM) with a view to improve transparency, said two people in the know. GSM aims to tackle the surge in stock prices of companies with poor fundamentals or low market capitalisation witnessing abnormal price rises, and which are not supported by a significant improvement in financial or operational performance. A little more than 700 firms have come under GSM since it was introduced in February last year. Experts reckon the criteria to select companies under GSM are not spelt out clearly and the mechanism is an overtly aggressive way of dealing with companies with poor fundamentals that are often targeted by fraudsters. “In the current form, GSM is dangerously vague and hatched in secrecy," said Sumit Agrawal, partner, Suvan Law Advisors. “Price discovery should be a f

SEBI  to recover Rs 70 bn by auctioning 11 PAN card Clubs properties in Feb Pancard Clubs mobilised Rs 70.35 billion from 51,55,516 investors from 2002-03 to 2013-14 via many holiday schemes Looking to recover over Rs 70 billion of investors' money, markets regulator Sebi has lined up as many as 11 properties of Pancard Clubs and its late CMD for an online auction next month at a total reserve price of Rs 2.53 billion. This is in addition to 11 properties of the company that were auctioned in December as well as on January 10 and their combined reserve price was Rs 5.52 billion. In a notice, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said that SBI Capital Markets will auction 10 properties of Pancard Clubs and one property of its late CMD, Sudhir Moravekar on February 14 at a reserve price of Rs 2.53 billion. The properties listed for sale include a four star hotel, land parcels and office space in Goa, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and West Bengal. Sebi said the bidders sh

Single GST form likely for service providers Service providers such as telcos, banks, insurers and airlines may need to file just one centralised form in respect of the goods and services tax (GST), which will substantially ease the compliance burden on service providers with a multi-state footprint. The GST Council is expected to consider on January 18 significant relaxation in the law and procedures, including a centralised registration facility to make compliance easier. It will also consider changes to input tax credit regime to allow credit for tax paid on rent a cab services, benefiting IT and ITES companies such as Infosys, Wipro and Genpact. "Council has a heavy duty agenda lined up.A number of issues dealing with compliances are likely to be taken up," said a government official privy to the deliberations. A panel set up by the GST Council has suggested modifications in the provisions of the law and relaxations in some procedures to ensure ease in compliance.

GoM on GST Network to meet on Wednesday A group of ministers( Go M ), headed by Bi h ar Deputy Chief MinisterS us hil Kumar Mo di, will meet on Wednesday to look into the technical issues faced by the goods and services tax network( GS TN ). This will be the sixth meeting of the Go M after being setup in September2017. The panel is likely to take stock of the functioning of the GS TN and also review the tasks assigned to the information technology(IT) behemoth Infosys for stream lining user experience on the portal. In 2015, Infosys won a Rs13.8 billion deal for developing and running the G ST N’ s back end office. TheGSTN, the IT backbone and portal for real time taxpayer registration, migration, and tax return filing under the G ST, had run into a snag when the first deadline for filing GS TR -3 B returns approached, forcing the Centre to extend the lastdate The Business Standard, New Delhi,  16th January 2018

I-T Dept may Go into Overdrive This Quarter The income-tax department will in all likelihood go into overdrive in the next three months with the Central Board of Direct Taxes — the apex body — alerting all senior tax officials that their performance is being “monitored at the highest level.” It will also give a renewed push towards imposing and recovering tax on .Rs  3 lakh crore deposit, which is suspected to be the quantum of unexplained cash parked with banks post demonetisation. “There will be searches, surveys, information verification, and follow-ups. Explanations on ‘cash in hand’ amounts are being sought from different kinds of assessees, and not just from large establishments and jewellers. We will be knocking on many doors even if our respective targets are met,” a senior tax officer told ET. This was broadly the message conveyed by the CBDT chief during a recent video-conference with tax officials.According to another person in the department, direct tax offices in v

Commerce Ministry panel's proposal to end MAT on SEZs under review The minimum alternate tax levied on special economic zones (SEZs) that hit fresh investments in the scheme is under review. A panel appointed by the commerce department had recommended removal of MAT for manufacturing units and zones to boost exports as well as job creation in the country. "The recommendations of the report are being examined," said a government official, who did not wish to be identified. A final call on the proposal will be taken in the budget keeping in view revenue implications and benefit that may accrue to the country in terms of manufacturing boost and jobs, the official said. Finance minister Arun Jaitley will present his fifth budget and the last full one of this NDA government on February 1. ET had earlier reported on the recommendations of the panel set up to review the SEZ norms. Tax experts said removal of MAT would boost business sentiment. "Ideally, MAT should n