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OECD’s Double Standards on Race To Bottom on Direct & Indirect taxes
- Published on 18 July 2021
(Image Courtesy: ioc.unesco.org)
It is time to straighten out the idiom – “Heads I win; tails you lose”. This expression should now be reworded as: Head I win; tails I win too in the global taxation arena. The trigger for this forthright message is the Group of seven rich countries (G7’s) latest success to revise rules of the game in globalized economy to suit its interests.
The G7 oversaw Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) into clinching a global lop-sided tax reforms pact on 1st July 2021. Lop-sided because it is silent on certain developing countries’ 15-years quest to levy customs duty on digital transmission of specified products.
The dichotomy in reforming global direct taxes and indirect taxes has become sharper and alarming after this agreement. More on this delayed indirect taxation reforms a bit later.
The agreement, among other things, moots 15% global minimum corporate tax (GMCT) on multinational Corporations (MNCs) of specified size in e-commerce domain. The preliminary pact is titled ‘Statement on a Two-Pillar Solution to Address the Tax Challenges Arising From the Digitalisation of the Economy’.
Comfortable with Colonial Legacy of DM but Uneasy with Britishers-designed Parliament
- Published on 23 June 2021
(PM-DMs meeting, Edited Image Courtesy: PIB)
Humble Covid-19 and Pradhan Corona Warrior Narendra Modi ji have put district magistrate (DM) on the Centre Stage in pandemic management. DMs have issued countless orders under Disaster Management Act, Epidemic Diseases Act and other relevant laws to rein in citizens from joining infection chain.
With second wave waning, it is time to review and pitch for reforming institution of DM. It was created by East India company in 1772 as District Collector; also known as Deputy Commissioner.
Ironical it is, that Modi Government is comfortable this colonial legacy. It is however, feels uneasy with perception that Britishers-designed Parliament was not built for Independent India.
Apart from three designations, the executive head of district wears other hats too. This IAS cadre official wields power under more than 50 central and State laws. He heads many district committees and institutions. DM’s workload keeps rising with the launch of new central and state schemes and new laws.
No wonder some of the DMs don’t know well all the laws and names of committees they preside over. This fact was discovered by 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) in its 15th Report on State & District Administration released in April 2009. Why has NDA Government not revisited the Report’s valuable recommendations that were trashed by UPA?
Covid-19 Shakes Many Visionary Slogans Coined for New India
- Published on 23 May 2021
(Image Courtesy: PIB)
“Leadership is About Tackling Adversity and Also Looking Beyond It.” Enlightening is this headline. It perked up an Insight on Covid published by Prime Minister’s personal website narendramodi.in on 29th May 2020.
It should stimulate national introspection as to why many things went horribly wrong during the pandemic. We should debate, without playing the blame-game, as to why many mistakes of the first wave recured with vengeance in the second wave.
As put by the article, “It is said that the true character of people comes out during adversity. It is similar for leadership. Providing leadership in times of normalcy may not be a challenge but it is difficulty that differentiates the best and the rest. Worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a test of leadership. In this test, India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have set an example”.
It adds: “The clarion call of self reliance or ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’, followed by a series of historic steps taken over a period of five days, will be remembered by history as a turning point in India’s history.”
The second wave of corona virus infection has indeed put to test the public, the leadership and the institutions. The virus has also rocked vision embedded in catching slogans & schemes such as EK Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, One Nation One Market, Aatma Nirbhar Bharat, Transforming India, Swachh Bharat, Ease of Living and Ease of doing business.
Covid has indeed cast its shadow on several other grandiose slogans coined during the last seven years. The more one reads the news reports from the ground zero; the stronger becomes the evidence of fragility of slogans-driven march towards New India.
No doubt, the second wave continues to bring out the best and innovative initiatives from certain stakeholders for coping with pandemic dynamics. Steel and other process industries, equipped with captive gaseous plants, focussed their efforts on production of medical oxygen, sacrificing their normal business.
Covid-19 Torpedoes Premature Jubilation Over its Imminent Defeat
- Published on 18 April 2021
Let Truth Prevail About Vaccines – the Deemed Drivers of Economic Revival
(Image Courtesy taxindiaonline.com)
“We are in the end game of the Covid-19 pandemic in India, and to succeed at this stage, we need to follow 3 steps: Keep politics out of the Covid-19 vaccination drive, trust the science behind Covid-19 vaccines, and ensure our near and dear ones get vaccinated on time”.
The Union health minister Harsh Vardhan stated this on 7th March 2021 while addressing an annual event of Delhi doctors.
Exactly a month later, Dr. Vardhan found himself outwitted by Covid. It mutated with gay abundance at home and abroad by availing prolonged lockdown as a public-funded hospitality.
The variants of Novel Corona Virus have successfully challenged the efficacy of the vaccines especially in India. Hundreds of doctors, nurses & support hospital staff, leave aside other vaccinated persons, are down with covid disease across the country.
Even vaccinated doctors, who religiously wore masks, found themselves infected. Some suffered serious ailments with at least one - a 62-year well-known doctor, dying even after admission to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Unfortunately, news about fully vaccinated healthcare workers catching infection is being under-played by the mainstream media for obvious reasons. About 1000 healthcare workers in Lucknow tested positive for Covid over two to three weeks, causing manpower crisis in hospitals.
In a hospital at Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh, a gardener was assigned the job of taking swabs as covid had infected many employees, leading to staff shortage.
All such cases of vaccinated persons need to be probed scientifically to know what is wrong with the first-generation vaccines.
Corona Virus is, no doubt, back in the driving seat of governance on many fronts excluding elections to state assemblies and local governance bodies. Covid is having a major say in both the Government’s decisions and its inactions.