Modi to visit Ramallah on February 10, will be first ever Indian PM in Palestine

Agencies
February 5, 2018

New Delhi, Feb 5: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a historic visit to Palestine starting Saturday. During his visit, he will hold a meeting with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Apart from visiting Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the prime minister will also go to the Palestinian capital, Ramallah.

In July 2017, he was on a three-day visit to Israel on a special invitation from his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, however, he did not visit Palestine then.

Modi will be in the UAE on February 10 and 11 and will address the sixth World Government Summit in Dubai. This will be Modi's second visit to the UAE after August 2015.

According to authorities and business leaders, this visit of the Prime Minister signifies the special importance that India attaches to its ties with the oil-rich nation and will help in furthering cooperation in diplomatic, economic and security issues.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi?s second visit to UAE is an indication of the special importance we attach to the India- UAE relationship," India's Ambassador to the UAE Navdeep Singh Suri said.

According to him, the visit builds in the momentum that has developed since India hosted Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed as chief guest on Republic Day in 2017.

Besides bilateral engagements, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to address members of the Indian community at the Dubai Opera House.

"During the year, we have seen major UAE investments into India, a significant increase in defence and security cooperation, a transformation in our energy ties from a buyer-seller relationship to a strategic partnership.

"For the community, the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi will be great news," Suri said.

Echoing Suri's sentiments, the UAE ambassador to India Ahmed Al-Banna said the visit "tells us the direction that India and the UAE have in mind and also the characteristics of our respective leaderships."

"The leadership has put us on a challenging and interesting track where the relationship is very important, on many sectors, and our leaders are pushing to rewrite future plans for both nations," Al-Banna said.

While Ambassador Suri highlighted the trade and investment component of this rapidly-evolving relationship, Ambassador Al-Banna chose to emphasise on the connectivity aspect of it.

"There are 1,076 flights a week between India and the UAE, which is the largest operation of its kind. More than 50 per cent of Indians, who travel outside India to different destinations, such as Europe or America, use Dubai and Abu Dhabi as their transit hub," he said.

It is obvious that both sides are banking on prime minister's visit to go over and above the 17 bilateral agreements signed in January 2016, and 14 agreements in February 2017.

With an eye on India, some leading Gulf businesses with Indians at the helm see this as realisation of long-held dreams.

Yusuffali MA, chairman Lulu Group International and member of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, said India had been on an aggressive forward march with regard to attracting FDIs.

"The recent report by leading rating agencies and financial institutions have all lauded India?s fiscal policies and ease of doing business, so obviously India does look like a hot destination for investment.

As far Indo-UAE business relationship is concerned, it is at all time high with both countries being each other's top trading partner," Yusuffali said.

According to him, till recently India was seen as an investment destination only, but of late UAE has been trying to woo Indian businesses to invest and set up operations here.

"This move shows the kind of confidence UAE has on Indian economy and I am sure business houses in both countries will be eagerly looking forward to this visit to open up new areas of co-operation," Yusuffali said.

Manoj Prasad, Executive Chairman, of DIFC-based investment banking firm, Que Capital Limited, believes this visit truly signifies the seriousness among top Indian leadership toward making an ever growing relationship between two countries more meaningful.

"The ambition is obviously growth to which both countries have already started contributing, be it through India investing in infrastructure or the bilateral investment fund which is in the process of being setup," says Prasad.

According to him, businesses among the two countries have witnessed unprecedented growth in recent years.

"The comfort and mutual respect for leaders of both the countries are clearly visible and the visit of Prime Minister Modi to the land with highest NRI diaspora in the world would further enhance it," he said.

A wide spectrum of companies stands to gain from improving bilateral relations facilitating business climate on both sides, he said.

Kulwant Singh, the founder and managing director of Lama Hospitality group, feels the visit signifies that we are serious about our relationship and take our commitments, business associations, joint opportunities, and strategic tie-ups seriously.

"We see the formula of successful businesses matching with the perfect platform of opportunities available in India. With the new budget in place, NRIs will have huge opportunities in sectors like healthcare, education, and infrastructure," Singh said.

Prasanth Manghat, CEO and Executive Director, NMC Health Plc, says the visit will not only develop his outreach to the Arab world but also offer a prospect to further the strategic partnerships in the region.

According to him, the visit is seen by many as cementing the close relationship Modi shares with the UAE leadership, also furthering cooperation in diplomatic, economic and security issues.

"At the ground level of delivery, the strategic partnership is being expanded and the UAE has announced plans to invest USD 75 billion over a decade to meet India?s infrastructure needs," he said.

Indian expatriates in the UAE actively participate in projects toward the development of the UAE and this visit will help further evolve the deep and historic relationship shared between the two countries, said Mehirr Nath Choppra, CEO Qasbah Group.

"It would certainly help to get an overview of the projects that have been announced in the past and their current status so serious players can set their timelines accordingly," Choppra said.

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Agencies
June 21,2020

New Delhi, June 21: Diesel prices rise to record high after 60 paise hike in rates, petrol up 35 paise; rates up by Rs 8.88 and Rs 7.97 in 15 days.

Petrol price in Delhi was hiked to Rs 79.23 per litre from Rs 78.88, while diesel rates were increased to Rs 78.27 a litre from Rs 77.67, according to a price notification of state oil marketing companies. 

In Bengaluru, petrol will be costlier by 37 paise at Rs 81.81 per litre, while diesel will cost 57 paise more per litre at Rs 74.43.

Rates have been increased across the country and vary from state to state depending on the incidence of local sales tax or VAT.

The 15th daily increase in rates since oil companies on June 7 restarted revising prices in line with costs after ending an 82-day hiatus in rate revision, has taken diesel prices to a new high. The petrol price too is at a two-year high.

Over 63 per cent of the retail selling price of diesel is taxes. Out of the total tax incidence of Rs 49.43 per litre, Rs 31.83 is by way of central excise and Rs 17.60 is VAT. 

Petrol in Mumbai costs Rs 86.04 per litre and diesel is priced at Rs 76.69.

Prior to the current rally, the peak diesel rates had touched was on October 16, 2018 when prices had climbed to Rs 75.69 per litre in Delhi. The highest-ever petrol price was on October 4, 2018 when rates soared to Rs 84 a litre in Delhi.

When rates had peaked in October 2018, the government had cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 1.50 per litre each. State-owned oil companies were asked to absorb another Re 1 a litre to help cut retail rates by Rs 2.50 a litre.

Oil companies had quickly recouped the Re 1 and the government in July 2019 raised excise duty by Rs 2 a litre.

The government on March 14 hiked excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 3 per litre each and then again on May 5 by a record Rs 10 per litre in case of petrol and Rs 13 on diesel. The two hikes gave the government Rs 2 lakh crore in additional tax revenues.

Oil PSUs Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL), instead of passing on the excise duty hikes to customers, adjusted them against the fall in the retail rates that was warranted because of a decline in international oil prices to two-decade lows.

International oil prices have since rebounded and oil firms are now adjusting retail rates in line with them.

In 15 days of hike, petrol price has gone up by Rs 7.97 per litre and diesel by Rs 8.88 a litre.

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Agencies
June 21,2020

New Delhi, June 21: Diesel prices rise to record high after 60 paise hike in rates, petrol up 35 paise; rates up by Rs 8.88 and Rs 7.97 in 15 days.

Petrol price in Delhi was hiked to Rs 79.23 per litre from Rs 78.88, while diesel rates were increased to Rs 78.27 a litre from Rs 77.67, according to a price notification of state oil marketing companies. 

In Bengaluru, petrol will be costlier by 37 paise at Rs 81.81 per litre, while diesel will cost 57 paise more per litre at Rs 74.43.

Rates have been increased across the country and vary from state to state depending on the incidence of local sales tax or VAT.

The 15th daily increase in rates since oil companies on June 7 restarted revising prices in line with costs after ending an 82-day hiatus in rate revision, has taken diesel prices to a new high. The petrol price too is at a two-year high.

Over 63 per cent of the retail selling price of diesel is taxes. Out of the total tax incidence of Rs 49.43 per litre, Rs 31.83 is by way of central excise and Rs 17.60 is VAT. 

Petrol in Mumbai costs Rs 86.04 per litre and diesel is priced at Rs 76.69.

Prior to the current rally, the peak diesel rates had touched was on October 16, 2018 when prices had climbed to Rs 75.69 per litre in Delhi. The highest-ever petrol price was on October 4, 2018 when rates soared to Rs 84 a litre in Delhi.

When rates had peaked in October 2018, the government had cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 1.50 per litre each. State-owned oil companies were asked to absorb another Re 1 a litre to help cut retail rates by Rs 2.50 a litre.

Oil companies had quickly recouped the Re 1 and the government in July 2019 raised excise duty by Rs 2 a litre.

The government on March 14 hiked excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 3 per litre each and then again on May 5 by a record Rs 10 per litre in case of petrol and Rs 13 on diesel. The two hikes gave the government Rs 2 lakh crore in additional tax revenues.

Oil PSUs Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL), instead of passing on the excise duty hikes to customers, adjusted them against the fall in the retail rates that was warranted because of a decline in international oil prices to two-decade lows.

International oil prices have since rebounded and oil firms are now adjusting retail rates in line with them.

In 15 days of hike, petrol price has gone up by Rs 7.97 per litre and diesel by Rs 8.88 a litre.

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News Network
March 12,2020

Geneva, Mar 12: For the global economy, virus repercussions were profound, with increasing concerns of wealth- and job-wrecking recessions. U.S. stocks wiped out more than all the gains from a huge rally a day earlier as Wall Street continued to reel.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,464 points, bringing it 20% below its record set last month and putting it in what Wall Street calls a “bear market.” The broader S&P 500 is just 1 percentage point away from falling into bear territory and bringing to an end one of the greatest runs in Wall Street’s history.

WHO officials said they thought long and hard about labeling the crisis a pandemic — defined as sustained outbreaks in multiple regions of the world.

The risk of employing the term, Ryan said, is “if people use it as an excuse to give up.” But the benefit is “potentially of galvanizing the world to fight.”

Underscoring the mounting challenge: soaring numbers in the U.S. and Europe’s status as the new epicenter of the pandemic. While Italy exceeds 12,000 cases and the United States has topped 1,300, China reported a record low of just 15 new cases Thursday and three-fourths of its infected patients have recovered.

China’s totals of 80,793 cases and 3,169 deaths are a shrinking portion of the world’s more than 126,000 infections and 4,600 deaths.

“If you want to be blunt, Europe is the new China,” said Robert Redfield, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With 12,462 cases and 827 deaths, Italy said all shops and businesses except pharmacies and grocery stores would be closed beginning Thursday and designated billions in financial relief to cushion economic shocks in its latest efforts to adjust to the fast-evolving crisis that silenced the usually bustling heart of the Catholic faith, St. Peter’s Square.

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