The World Opinion

Tag: government

  • Government Urges Edible Oil Processors To Hold Retail Prices Despite Duty Hikes, Assures Ample Stock at Lower Tariffs | Economy News

    New Delhi: The government has asked edible oil processors not to hike retail prices following a recent increase in import duties, as there is an enough stock of cooking oils that were shipped at a lower duty.

    The food ministry said the stocks imported at lower duties would easily last 45-50 days, and therefore the processors should refrain from increasing maximum retail prices (MRP).

    Last week, the Centre implemented an increase in the basic customs duty on various edible oils to support domestic oilseed prices. Effective September 14, 2024, the basic customs duty on crude soyabean oil, crude palm oil, and crude sunflower oil has been raised to 20 per cent from nil, making the effective duty on crude oils to 27.5 per cent.

    Additionally, the basic customs duty on refined palm oil, refined sunflower oil, and refined soyabean oil has been increased from 12.5 per cent to 32.5 per cent, making the effective duty on refined oils to 35.75 per cent.

    On Tuesday, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra chaired a meeting with the representatives from the Solvent Extraction Association of India (SEA), Indian Vegetable Oil Producers’ Association (IVPA) and Soyabean Oil Producers Association (SOPA) to discuss the pricing strategy.

    “The leading edible oil associations were advised to ensure that the MRP of each oil is maintained till the availability of edible oil stocks imported at 0 per cent and 12.5 per cent Basic Customs Duty (BCD) and take up the issue with their members immediately,” an official statement said.

    “The central government is also aware that there is close to 30 lakh tonnes stock of edible oils imported at lower duty which is sufficient for 45 to 50 days domestic consumption,” it added.

    India imports a large quantity of edible oils to meet domestic demand. The dependence on imports is more than 50 per cent of total requirements.

    The decision to hike import duties is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to bolster domestic oilseed farmers, especially with the new soybean and groundnut crops expected to arrive in markets from October 2024, the food ministry said.

    “The decision follows comprehensive deliberations and is influenced by several factors: increased global production of soybean, oil palm, and other oilseeds; higher global ending stocks of edible oils compared to last year; and falling global prices due to surplus production.

    “This situation has led to a surge in imports of inexpensive oils, exerting downward pressure on domestic prices. By raising the landed cost of imported edible oils, these measures aim to enhance domestic oilseed prices, support increased production, and ensure that farmers receive fair compensation for their produce,” the ministry explained.

    India imports palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia, while the country imports soyabean oil from Brazil and Argentina. Sunflower oil comes mainly from Russia and Ukraine.

  • Executive mulls style for staggered opening of faculties following all Covid protocols

    By way of PTI

    NEW DELHI: The union executive is operating on a style for staggered opening of faculties for bodily categories following all COVID-19 comparable protocols, assets stated on Thursday.

    Faculties were closed in maximum portions of the rustic for bodily categories after the emergence of the brand new Omicron variant of the virus.

    Scholars were most commonly attending on-line categories, barring some temporary classes in between, for just about two years now because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    “As folks were challenging for the outlet of faculties, the union executive is operating on a style for staggered opening of faculties following all Covid comparable protocols,” a highly-placed supply stated.

    ALSO READ: Common marketplace approval granted for Covishield, Covaxin to be used in grownup inhabitants

    A delegation of oldsters led through Chandrakant Lahariya, an epidemiologist and public coverage specialist, and Centre for Coverage Analysis president Yamini Aiyar, had met Delhi’s Deputy Leader Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday to publish a memorandum signed through over 1,600 folks challenging that the universities be reopened.

    An identical calls for were made in every other states as effectively, although some other phase of oldsters has been favouring the continuation of on-line categories.

    The Delhi executive had really useful reopening of faculties within the nationwide capital, however a choice in this was once postponed until the following assembly through the Delhi Crisis Control Authority on Thursday.

    It has grow to be essential to forestall additional harm to the social and emotional well-being of youngsters, Sisodia had stated on Wednesday.

    ALSO READ: 2,86,384 new COVID circumstances in India, 573 deaths; energetic infections decline to 22,02,472

    Saying that on-line training can by no means change offline training, Sisodia had stated the federal government had closed faculties when it was once no longer secure for youngsters, however over the top warning is now harming scholars.

    After being in short reopened, faculties in Delhi had been once more closed on December 28 ultimate 12 months in view of the 3rd wave of COVID-19 pushed through the Omicron variant.

  • No vital docu on WhatsApp, no need of smartphones in conferences: Centre’s new pointers

    All ministries were requested to take 'pressing steps' to stop such violations and to apply the conversation safety insurance policies and pointers strictly.

  • US Guy Charged With Secretly Helping Egyptian Pursuits

    WASHINGTON (AP) — A New York guy has been arrested on fees that he labored as a secret and unregistered agent of the Egyptian govt, together with by means of sharing data with American cops about political fighters of President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, the Justice Division mentioned Thursday.

    Pierre Girgis, a 39-year-old twin nationwide of Egypt and the US, is charged with performing as an agent of a overseas govt with out notifying the Justice Division, and with conspiring to take action.

    It used to be now not in an instant transparent if he had a attorney who may just touch upon his behalf.

    A six-count indictment made public Thursday says Girgis acted on the “course and keep an eye on” of Egyptian govt officers between no less than 2014 and 2019. Prosecutors say he used his connections with U.S. regulation enforcement to gather private data that used to be shared with Egyptian contacts.

    Girgis, who lives in Ny, may be accused of arranging conferences between Egyptian and American cops, and of arranging for Egyptian officers to wait police coaching within the U.S.

    In April 2017, in line with the indictment, Girgis shared with a regulation enforcement officer in the US details about an el-Sissi activist that he had gained from an Egyptian govt reputable. Months later, prosecutors say, he despatched an id card for a definite person that he’d gained from an Egyptian govt reputable to a U.S. regulation enforcement reputable, after which shared with Cairo questions that he’d gotten from the American reputable.

    A piece of writing on Inc.com describes a tourism-promoting shuttle to Cairo for approximately 100 New York Town and Nassau County, New York, law enforcement officials that used to be co-organized by means of a Pierre Girgis, whom the piece known as a Capital One banker of Egyptian descent. Within the article, Girgis is quoted as pronouncing the shuttle “carried a very powerful world message of hope and cooperation.”

    A spokeswoman for the financial institution didn’t in an instant go back a message in the hunt for remark, however an individual accustomed to the case who used to be now not approved to speak about it by means of identify showed on situation of anonymity that he labored for the financial institution.

    The Justice Division has in recent times stepped up its legal enforcement of statutes that mandate the registration with the Justice Division of people that act within the U.S. as brokers of a overseas govt.

    “The Division of Justice won’t permit brokers of overseas governments to function in the US to pursue and gather details about critics of the ones governments,” Assistant Lawyer Basic Matthew Olsen, the Justice Division’s most sensible nationwide safety reputable, mentioned in a remark.

    Related Press author Larry Neumeister in New York contributed to this document.

    Apply Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP