What is new
No Alternative to Taxation Spinning on WTO-OECD axis in Sight
- Published on 25 May 2016
(Image Courtesy:WTO)
The world’s tax system revolves between WTO and OECD just as the earth rotates on an axis between the North and South poles. Well, something on these lines might emerge as staple text in the economics books for schools in the coming years.
The basis for this visualization is the de facto emergence of World Trade Organization (WTO) as World Tax Organization (WTaxO) for indirect taxes over the last two decades. Similarly, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is coming in full bloom as the informal WTaxO for direct taxes.
This visualization is also influenced by two new developments. First, a detailed paper titled ‘Is the WTO a World Tax Organization? A Primer on WTO Rules for Tax Policymakers’ issued by International Monetary Fund (IMF) in March 2016 for the benefit of revenue administrations. The Primer “examines the extent to which World Trade Organization (WTO) rules impinge on policymakers’ freedom to formulate tax policies” including the ones relating to a few segments of direct taxes.
Second, the title of the World Bank’s conference -‘Winning the Tax Wars: Global Solutions for Developing Countries’ to be held during 23-24 May 2016 at Washington. The conference’s one session is captioned ‘Tax Competition, Tax Coordination and Tax Cooperation in a Globalized World’.
#PoMoneModi = Shame on all for Tribals’ Plight
- Published on 15 May 2016
(A tribal home in Kerala-Image Courtesy CAG)
Does #PoMoneModi (get lost Modi) campaign actually reflect hurt Malayalee pride? Would this campaign have trended on Twitter, had PM quoted official guesstimates on infant mortality rates (IMRs) for all tribes that would put Somalia in better light than India?
Does #PoMoneModi embody certain groups’ deep-rooted hatred for Prime Minister Narendra Modi? (He loves to operate as a star campaigner for BJP and thus provide fodder for anti-Modi campaigns! ). Was #PoMoneModi driven by argumentative Indian’s tendency to get into debate without doing home work?
The answer to these issues would become clear if we dig out bitter truth about the plight of tribals in Kerala and elsewhere across the country. And the unpleasant facts would equally expose the Centre where BJP is carrying on with UPA’s policy paralysis on tribals. The facts would also shame Kerala Government and those who like to shoot from the hip.
Let us start with the crux of #PoMoneModi. IMR in Kerala is 12 per 1000 live births, as compared to national average of 40, according to latest Sample Registration System (SRS) 2013 under which health indicators (HIs) data is collected by Office of Registrar General of India. SRS does not collect data for scheduled tribes (STs) or scheduled castes (STs) as separate groups.
Mr. Modi did not contest this or any of the other health indicators for God’s own country that are better than national average. Nobody can deny the fact Kerala is role model for other states as far as human development indicators are concerned.
In spite of this, a deliberate attempt was made to twist Mr. Modi’s observation that “infant mortality rate among the scheduled tribe community in Kerala is worse than Somalia” as comparing Kerala with Somalia. Such blatant distortion can only be done by persons who are allergic to facts or by ones who have inane dislike for Mr. Modi.
Kejriwal, Read History on Delhi Statehood & Abort Draft Bill
- Published on 12 May 2016
(Image Courtesy: Delhi Tourism)
What is common between late Lala Deshbandhu Gupta, a freedom fighter, and Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister? A lot.
Mr. Gupta humiliated and ridiculed Dr. B.R. Ambedkar while belligerently pitching for Statehood for Delhi in the Constituent Assembly during the late forties. Mr. Kejriwal is repeatedly insulting India’s first OBC Prime Minister with a national mandate, Narendra Modi, in his quest for more power that he would get as Chief Minister of fully fledged Delhi State.
Both the activists preferred Delhi citizens’ right for self-determination to the national unity. Mr. Gupta, however, ultimately let nationalism prevail over regionalism as we find later in this column. Can Kejriwal see Delhi through the prism of national unity and thus limit his demand to seeking control over municipal corporations & other utilities controlled by the Centre?
This throwback from history is relevant to Mr. Kejriwal's recent tweet that he would soon release draft Bill for Delhi's full Statehood. He is again raking up one of the most flogged governance issues. Over-flogged because it was intensely studied and wisely disapproved by Constituent Assembly, States Reorganization Commission (1954), Balakrishnan Committee (1989), Parliament's Standing Committee on Home Affairs (December 2003). Two ex-PMs, Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri, disapproved statehood proposal to sustain and promote national integration.
Before elaborating the issue - Delhi as national capital (representing interest of all states & Union) versus Delhi as a fully fledged State like Bihar, see how Mr. Gupta insulted Dr. Ambedkar, the chief architect of Indian Constitution and champion of social justice. This will put in perspective Mr. Kejriwal’s repeated slurs on the office of Prime Minister.
Fix Accountability of both Political Executive & Civil Services
- Published on 02 May 2016
(Image Courtesy: PIB)
The Neta-Babu cozy ties have lately come under fresh phase of strain. And the strain is serious one to merit scrutiny. This will show how civil servants and ministers have jointly derailed or sidetracked vital administrative reforms over the decades. And both have thus taken the public for a ride!
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month did loud thinking on declining accountability of officials to elected representatives of people. Replying to debate in Lok Sabha on President’s budget session address to Parliament, he sought the cooperation of the Opposition to devise means to increase accountability of the executive.
Without cooperation of all MPs, he believed, this challenge can’t be overcome. “The government of the day would get abused, second government would come and the executive would continue to have merry time,” Mr. Modi bemoaned. (translated from his Hindi speech)
Delhi Chief Minister, Avind Kejriwal, outdid PM while delivering a lecture on civil service day on 20th April 2016. Mr. Kejriwal pitched for a bureaucracy that is totally committed to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that swept to power with brute majority.
He recollected suspension of two officials of DANICS cadre by Delhi Government and the resulting one-day protest leave availed by cadre officials in December 2015. And he thundered: “We can tolerate anything but we will not tolerate politics. If you are interested in politics, then resign, contest elections and confront us.”
Referring to a letter sent to him by a very senior Delhi Official, Mr. Kejriwal reportedly said: “This officer wrote that the permanent bureaucracy is the government, the minister is not the government. Bureaucracy is the government.”
Well, it is not for the first time that he has berated bureaucracy.
In December 2015, he had described the officials’ protest leave as an act of “goodaism”. He warned bureaucrats that his government would throw them out of Delhi if they did not follow their orders. He also did loud thinking on replacing generalist bureaucrats with professionals and experts to bring innovations in governance.