DoT For Gradual Drop In Long-Distance Call Rates

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has opposed any immediate steep hike in rentals as proposed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. It favours a more progressive reduction of long-distance call charges. These issues will be addressed in a formal response to the TRAI’s second consultative paper on tariffs, which will be forwarded to the regulator shortly. At DoT, criticism has been directed at the steep reduction in charges for leased lines. While DoT officials admitted that the current tariffs for leased lines are steep, they said TRAI’s proposed caps are far too low.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) today indicated its unwillingness for an immediate roll back of the measures taken by it on August 20 to curb the volatility in the foreign exchange market. According to top bankers who attended the RBI- sponsored annual conference of heads of forex departments / international divisions of authorised dealers here on Thursday, the central bank felt it was not the right time to withdraw these measures. However, the RBI was open to reviewing these measures at an “appropriate time.”

The Commerce Ministry has set up a cell to co-ordinate all activities pertaining to anti-subsidy and anti-dumping investigation. An official release said that the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce, Mrs. Rathi Vinay Jha, who is heading the Directorate of Anti-Dumping and allied duties in the Ministry, has been designated as the nodal officer of this cell. She is being assisted by Joint Secretary and legal officers of the Commerce Ministry. – The Hindu Business Line