Accountancy
Temple talk
SINCE it is fashionable nowadays to talk about temples, the local branch of accountants decided to include in its agenda an item that read ``To discuss the building of a place of worship (PoW).''
Right to remain silent
THERE is a growing tendency in the workplace to move away from traditional salary packages of set wages and annual leave to provide more flexible benefit packages that can be varied to suit the needs of individual employees. Private medical cover, dental
expenses, maternity benefits, child-care costs and pension choices are just some of the more common benefits on offer. But do employers who provide their staff with a wide variety of benefits take on further obligations to assess which of these benefits
are most suitable for individual employees?
On the right scent
N. R. Moorthy on the implications of the newly-introduced provisions on shelf and red-herring prospectuses in the Companies Act.
Editorial
Fertiliser muddle
THE fertiliser industry, especially the urea segment, is headed towards uncertainty with all quantitative restrictions on imports slated to go from April 1, 2001. The only protection against cheaper imports will be through duties but there will be pressu
res to cap the duty limits or at least for their phased reduction to around 25 per cent.
Miscellaneous
Changing face of Arab women
IN WHAT was surely a historic occasion in the Arab world, nine First Ladies took part in a three-day convention in Cairo last fortnight. Hosted by Suzanne Mubarak -- and attended by high-profile Queen Rania of Jordan; Suha Arafat, wife of Mr Yasser Arafa
t, the Palestinian President; the Sudanese President's wife, Fatima Bashir; and Lebanon's First Lady, Andree Lahoud -- the conference expressed strong support for Palestinian women who, as in any global conflict situation, have been bearing the brunt of
the unrelenting conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
Celebration time
IT IS time for balloons and streamers now that the festive season is here, but what on earth were they doing on a serious business channel last week? Well, it turned out that CNBC India was celebrating its birthday on December 7; it was p
recisely a year since they launched their India programming, and they were looking very happy about this, indeed.
Politics
Misplaced priorities
EVEN as there is talk about downsizing of the Government in a bid to reduce unnecessary expenditure, the political leaders of the country do not seem to realise the wasteful expenses that are incurred on stalling Parliamentary proceedings.
Raking up Ram Mandir issue -- The Vajpayee gambit
HOWEVER much one might despise politicians, at least some of them should be given the credit for a finely honed and precisely tuned sixth sense enabling them to have an uncanny clairvoyant feel for what will or will not muster with the people at large. T
his is what makes them make moves whose significance may escape those not similarly gifted, and which, indeed, may seem inexplicable or even suicidal at that point in time.
Power
Energy Summit-II -- Making power a viable sector
THE ELECTRICITY Bill 2000, which is supposed to be a comprehensive piece of legislation, is being discussed and may be introduced in Parliament shortly. Before that, the Power Ministry is keen that all the States are on board as far as the provisions in
the Bill are concerned. The unions, however, are up in arms, describing the Bill as draconian. This lack of consensus has been at the root of the jerky progress of the country's power sector reforms.
States
God's country
KERALA is called `God's own country', and no one knows why. But what is the reality? Of late, Kerala has been finding itself splashed prominently on the front-pages of newspapers -- because of the allegedly increasing atrocities on women.
