The commerce ministry has tightened the norms for obtaining registration certificates for wheat exports with a view to curbing fraudulent practices such as submission of improper documents by traders.
Tag: Piyush Goyal
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India, Australia ink economic cooperation and trade pact to boost ties
By PTI
NEW DELHI: India and Australia on Saturday signed an economic cooperation and trade agreement under which Canberra would provide duty free access in its market for over 95 per cent of Indian goods such as textiles, leather, jewellery and sports products.
The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement was inked by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan in a virtual ceremony, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.
It is 2 out of 2 in 2022!After the momentous India-UAE CEPA, India & Australia walk the talk and sign the historic Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement.We are opening new gateways for our businesses and people to take the fast-lane to greater prosperity. #IndAusECTA pic.twitter.com/9eiH0Up7Qa
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) April 2, 2022
This is truly a watershed moment for India-Australia relations, Prime Minister Modi said. Morrison added that the pact will further deepen Australia’s close ties with India. “The agreement will help in taking bilateral trade from USD 27 billion to USD 45-50 billion in the next five years,” Goyal said.Australia is offering zero duty access to India for about 96.4 per cent of exports (by value) from day one. This covers many products which currently attract 4-5 per cent customs duty in Australia.
Labour intensive sectors which would gain immensely include textiles and apparel, few agricultural and fish products, leather, footwear, furniture, sports goods, jewellery, machinery, electrical goods and railway wagons.
Australia is the 17th largest trading partner of India, while New Delhi is Canberra’s 9th largest partner. Bilateral trade in goods and services stood at USD 27.5 billion in 2021. India’s goods exports were worth USD 6.9 billion and imports aggregated to USD 15.1 billion in 2021.
Major exports by India to Australia include petroleum products, textiles and apparels, engineering goods, leather, chemicals and gems and jewellery. Imports mainly include raw materials, coal, minerals and intermediate goods.
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BJP’s policy can’t be understood by a party that thinks for a family only: Piyush Goyal
By PTI
LUCKNOW: Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday took a swipe at the Samajwadi Party saying the BJP’s policy cannot be understood by a party that thinks “for a family only”.
At a press conference here, he alleged the Samajwadi party ran a government of goons, mafias and criminals and it is only the BJP which can think about the interest of the 24-crore people of the state.
Goyal said the Yogi Adityanath government has done a remarkable job in all fields, including agriculture, industry, infrastructure, health and education, and asserted that Uttar Pradesh will leave a mark as a “golden state”.
However, “our policies cannot be understood by the party which only thinks for its family”, the Union minister said.
Goyal lauded the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre and of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the state.
He asserted that Adityanath has not only established the rule of law and brought massive investment in Uttar Pradesh but also provided employment to lakhs of youth.
The entire country will remember the contribution of the Adityanath government in creating an environment of industrial development, Goyal said and claimed that investment of more than Rs 3 lakh crore has come in the state in the last five years.
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Opposition rejects Modi government’s invitation to resolve issue of Rajya Sabha MP suspension
By PTI
NEW DELHI: There is no resolution in sight for the stalemate in the Rajya Sabha over the suspension of 12 MPs as a united opposition on Sunday rejected the government’s outreach to resolve the logjam.
Top sources in the opposition said they will not attend the Monday morning meeting convened by Leader of the House Piyush Goyal as invitations were sent to leaders of the four parties whose MPs have been suspended and not to the entire opposition.
Responding to a letter from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi inviting the four parties, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said “select invitations were unfortunate”.
The government’s invitations have gone to the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena and the CPI(M), sources said.
The meeting was convened at 10 am on Monday as the Winter Session of Parliament enters its final week.
“We will not attend tomorrow’s meeting with the government as the opposition stands united in its fight,” a senior opposition leader told PTI.
Kharge said he received a letter on Sunday evening asking leaders of the four parties, whose members in the Rajya Sabha have been suspended, to the meeting.
“All Opposition parties are united in the protest against the suspension of the 12 MPs. We have been requesting from the evening of November 29 itself that either the chairman of the Rajya Sabha or the Leader of the House Piyush Goyal should call leaders of all Opposition parties for a discussion to break the stalemate,” he said.
“This reasonable request of ours has not been agreed to. Further, inviting only leaders of four Opposition parties instead of inviting leaders of all Opposition parties is unfair and unfortunate,” Kharge said in his letter to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Joshi.
TMC leader Derek O’Brien tweeted, “Monday morning STUNT from a government who do not want Parliament to function.
Government calls leaders of the four Opposition parties whose 12 RS MPs have been arbitrarily suspended.”
“Government leaves other 10 Opposition parties out. Failed stunt. All opposition clear: First revoke arbitrary suspension,” he said on Twitter.
A similar letter has also been sent to Joshi by CPI(M) MP Elamaram Kareem.
“It is quite unfortunate that the government has delayed such talks with the opposition even after three weeks of the suspension. Even now the action of the government is not sincere as the meeting is meant for only the floor leaders of the suspended MPs’ parties,” he said in the letter.
“You are well aware that the entire opposition has been taking a unified stand on this suspension issue and all the opposition parties together requested the Chairman and government to hold such a meeting to resolve the stalemate from day one.”
He alleged that it is the government who delayed it and the decision of inviting only a section of the opposition party leaders for the meeting is “completely unfair and unacceptable”.
“If the government is sincere in resolving this issue, I would request you to convene the meeting of all opposition parties,” Kareem said in his letter to Joshi.
The Opposition parties have decided to meet on Monday morning to develop their joint strategy in Parliament during the last week of the Winter Session.
The Rajya Sabha has failed to transact any significant business as the opposition is unitedly protesting in the House leading to repeated disruptions over the issue of suspensions.
While the government wants the suspended MPs should apologise first, the opposition is saying that the suspensions be revoked without any apology.
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu had urged the government and the opposition to resolve the deadlock over suspensions and find an amicable solution.
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Ready to accept demand of revoking suspension of MPs if they apologise: Government
Opposition members continued to protest inside and outside the house and caused disruptions over the suspension of 12 MPs.
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Government’s decision to repeal farm laws will strengthen atmosphere of mutual harmony in society: Goyal
The announcement made on the holy day of Gurpurab shows that the government is committed towards farmers' welfare, the minister tweeted.
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Linking of WTO reforms by developed countries with S&DT unfair: Piyush Goyal
By PTI
NEW DELHI: Developing countries linking World Trade Organisation reforms with special and differential treatment (S&DT), being provided to poor and developing nations, is “unfair” and the trade body needs to reassess the way it has been conducting its affairs, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.
He also said that the world today also has to reassess whether certain countries are genuinely following global multilateral rules transparently and in a fair manner.
The S&DT allows developing and poor (less developed) countries to enjoy certain benefits, including taking longer time periods for implementing agreements and binding commitments, and measures to increase trading opportunities for them.
Currently, any WTO member can designate itself as a developing country and avail these benefits.
The US had submitted its suggestions to the WTO that states that self-declaration puts the WTO on a path to failed negotiations and it is also a path to institutional irrelevance.
India is of the view that the matter needs to be negotiated comprehensively in the WTO and a consensus-based decision needs to be taken on S&DT.
“I think the WTO needs to reassess the way it has been conducting its affairs. The problem is that developed world start with reforms (and) linked with whether S&DT should continue, that is the benefit that less developed countries and developing countries has over the developed countries little bit of benefits, most of it is any case dissipated and I think it’s so unfair,” he said at a CII event.
He added that to deprive countries, having low per capita income, from certain differentiated treatment, and put them on the same benchmark with countries having USD 60,000 – USD 80,000 per capita income as it is “grossly unfair”.
Goyal said that discussions can happen on the issue about which country should be considered developing and which should be developed and “I think the world should be open to discuss that”.
Further talking about sustainability, the minister said the developed world talks about the issue but have they done enough to meet the goals.
“I would request the developed countries introspect on what they have done,” he said. The 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12), the highest decision making body of the WTO, will take place from November 30 to December 3 in Geneva.
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Resolving farmer agitation issue not linked with UP elections: Piyush Goyal
By PTI
NEW DELHI: Union minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said the government is ready to talk with protesting farmers over three new farm laws but asserted that resolving the farmer agitation is not all related to the upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.
He also expressed confidence that the BJP along with its allies will again form the government in the state.
The minister was replying to a question that if it is not necessary for the Centre to resolve the ongoing farmer protests at Delhi borders else it could have a bearing on BJP’s election prospects in Uttar Pradesh.
“UP election results will be very good. BJP along with its allies will again form the government with a good majority,” the minister said in Hindi at the Times Now Summit 2021.
Further, Goyal said, “Finding a resolution to farmer protests is not related to UP elections. Otherwise also, we want to resolve the issue and are even ready to talk to them tomorrow.”
He asserted that resolution to farmer protests is not at all related to UP polls.
Thousands of farmers are camping on Delhi’s borders since last November, seeking withdrawal of the new agriculture laws.
Protesting farmers should come forward for discussion, but that should be based on certain facts and logics, Goyal added.
On minimum support price (MSP) issue, he highlighted that the government has taken various measures in the last seven years including a decision to fix MSP at least 1.5 times of the production cost.
The government has raised MSP of various crops significantly and is also procuring record quantity of wheat and paddy.
He said the government has categorically stated in the parliament that the MSP system will continue as it is now and it will not be stopped.
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India to host G-20 summit in 2023; Goyal appointed sherpa for grouping
By PTI
NEW DELHI: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has been appointed as India’s Sherpa for the G20, an influential grouping that brings together the world’s major economies.
Making the announcement, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday that India will hold the G20 presidency from December 1, 2022, and will convene the G20 leaders’ summit in 2023 for the first time.
The next G20 Summit is scheduled to take place from October 30 to 31 under the Italian presidency.
“Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles, has been appointed as India’s Sherpa for the G20,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Prime Minister Modi has been leading India’s representation at G20 summits since 2014. India has been a member of the G20 since its inception in 1999. “India will be holding the G20 presidency from December 1, 2022 and will convene the G20 Leaders’ summit in 2023 for the first time,” the MEA said.
“India will be part of the G20 Troika (preceding, current, and incoming G20 Presidencies) from December 1, 2021 till November 30, 2024,” it said in a statement.
G20 brings together 19 of the world’s leading economies and the European Union, with its members accounting for more than 80 per cent of global GDP, 75 per cent of global trade and 60 per cent of the global population, according to MEA.
The G20 member nations are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
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Union Cabinet approves increase in Fair and Remunerative Price on sugarcane to Rs 290 per quintal
By ANI
NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet approved an increase in the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) on sugarcane to Rs 290 per quintal based on a 10 per cent recovery, informed Union Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday.
Briefing the media on Cabinet decisions here today, Goyal said, “The Union Cabinet has decided that the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) which is paid on sugarcane will be increased to Rs 290 per quintal which will be based on a 10 per cent recovery. When the recovery increases beyond 10 per cent, then on every point 1 per cent rise, additional Rs 2.90 is paid per quintal. Even if a farmer has less than 9.5 per cent recovery, their Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) will be Rs 275 per quintal.”
The Centre had in August 2020 increased the FRP by Rs 10, bringing the amount to Rs 285 per quintal. In 2019-2020, the government had fixed Sugarcane FRP at Rs 275 per quintal.
He further said, “Many farmers across the country have increased their recovery by using modern technology, implementing new practices on a large scale. We have been observing that the recovery in our country is improving.”
“Also last year, export was also at a record high. Our country has entered contracts of exporting 70 lakh tonnes of sugarcane, out of which 55 lakh tonnes has already been exported and the remaining 15 lakh tonnes is in the pipeline,” added the Union Minister.
With the amendment of the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966 on October 22, 2009, the concept of Statutory Minimum Price (SMP) of sugarcane was replaced with the ‘Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP)’ of sugarcane for 2009-10 and subsequent sugar seasons.
Under the FRP system, the farmers are not required to wait till the end of the season or for any announcement of the profits by sugar mills or the Government. The new system also assures margins on account of profit and risk to farmers, irrespective of the fact whether sugar mills generate profit or not and is not dependent on the performance of any individual sugar mill, according to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
In order to ensure that higher sugar recoveries are adequately rewarded and considering variations amongst sugar mills, the FRP is linked to a basic recovery rate of sugar, with a premium payable to farmers for higher recoveries of sugar from sugarcane.