Page 11 - Banking Finance September 2020
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         erational stability (from 91 to 83), gov-  employees at any time even after they  The import restrictions placed on the
         ernment effectiveness (from 65 to 55),  have attained the age of 50/55 years  refined palm oil (RBD Palmolein) has
         and ease of resolving insolvency (from  or completed 30 years of qualifying  encouraged domestic processing as
         95 to 47), improved remarkably.    service, and not limit their 'perfor-  there has been a 23 per cent rise in
         Under business sophistication, indica-  mance review' to these two set mile-  crude palm oil (CPO) imports to
         tors such as expenditure financed by  stones laid down in the pension rules.  7,24,351 tonnes in August this year as
         business was not available last year;  Moreover, even government employ-  against 5,87,329 tonnes recorded in
         this time India came in at 48.     ees cleared to be retained in service as  the corresponding month last year.
                                            per FR 56(j) and Rules 48 of CCS (Pen-
         India also bettered its rank in both in-  sion) Rules, 1972, may face further  Last year Malaysia had shipped exces-
         tellectual property payments (27, from  review at any time during their re-  sive RBD Palmolien to India taking the
         29 in 2019) and research talent (38,  maining service.                advantage of lower duty concession,
         from 46 in 2019).                                                     the SEA noted.
                                            Government sources say the new rules
                                            seek to remove any ambiguity in inter- GST taxpayers to get more
         Domestic airlines can fly
                                            pretation of orders issued earlier. The  help in filing returns
         with 60% capacity: Govt            earlier orders were regarding Funda-
         The government has allowed airlines  mental Rule 56(j)/l and Rule 48 of the  Starting this month, GST taxpayers will
                                                                               have the assistance of auto-generated
         to increase flights up to 60 per cent of  CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972, which pro-  documents detailing tax liability and
         their total capacity, against the previ-  vide for review of performance of a  availability of input tax credit (ITC) to
         ous cap of one-third capacity, aviation  government servant after attaining 50/  make it easier for them to file their
         regulator Directorate General of Civil  55 years of age or on completion of 30  monthly summary returns (GSTR-3B),
         Aviation said. On June 26, the Centre  years of qualifying service, with a view  the Goods and Services Tax Network
         had allowed the airlines to operate a  to ascertain if he should be retained in  (GSTN) said.
         maximum of 45 per cent of their pre-  service or retired in public interest.
         covid domestic flights. A senior govern-  If a review cannot be undertaken due  Usually, the taxpayers face two main
         ment official said data has proved that  to non-adherence of set timelines due  issues while filing their GSTR-3B which
         air travel is the safest mode of trans-                               are related to their liability and ITC. Till
                                            to administrative exigencies, the up-
         port due to its controlled access and                                 now, taxpayers were required to com-
         complete traceability.             dated norms state in 'black and white'  pute these values but now the system
                                            that such review can be undertaken at  has been upgraded to enable linking of
                                            any time during his remaining service.  summary returns and the outward
         India in top 50 innovators         That the August 28 O.M. eliminated  supply return or GSTR-1.
         club                               the scope of ambiguity on whether the
                                            government servant is immune to a GST collections in August
         For the first time, India has broken
         into the Top-50 club on the Global In-  review of his performance and prema-  drop 12% to Rs. 86,449
         novation Index, riding on improve-  ture retirement.                  crore
         ments in many parameters.
                                            India's import of refined          Central and state governments col-
         Ranked 48th, India not only improved                                  lected Rs. 86,449 crore as Goods and
         by four positions since last year but also palm oil drops to nil for  Services Tax (GST) in August, a 12%
         found a place among top three most  the 2nd month                     decline from the tax receipts in the
         innovative countries in the lower                                     same month a year ago.
         middle-income economy band.        India's refined palm oil imports dipped
                                            to zero for the second consecutive  August GST receipts is just a tad below
         Govt: Can retire central           month in August this year as against  the Rs. 87,442 crore collected in July,
                                            2.57 lakh tonnes imported during the  signalling that the tax on consumption
         staffers prematurely               same month last year, according to  is stabilizing as the country comes out
         The Centre has made it clear it can, in  trade body Solvent Extractors' Associa-  of the lockdown restrictions and at-
         public interest, prematurely retire its  tion of India (SEA).         tempts an economic recovery. Official


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