Economics 2
Economics 2
Economics 2
Semester:
Semester: Third
Third Semester
Semester
Name
Name of
of the
the Subject:
Subject:
Economics-II
Economics-II
Marginal Efficiency of
Capital
1
SYNOPSIS
• Introduction
• Marginal efficiency of capital.
• Factors effecting MEC
• MEC and interest rates
• How companies maintain Capital using MEC
• Case study
• Conclusion
2
INTRODUCTIO
N
Irving Fisher was first economist to make use of concept
MEC
in 1920.
He gave it a name Rate of return over cost.
I. amount of profit
II. cost of capital asset
3
MARGINAL EFFICIENCY OF
CAPITAL
The marginal efficiency of capital (MEC) is that rate of discount which
would equate the price of a fixed capital asset with its present discounted
value of expected income.
In short, MEC is the internal rate of return of an extra unit of
capital.
The theory of marginal efficiency indicates that investment
decisions will be influenced by:
I. The marginal efficiency of capital
II. The interest rates
4
MEC CURVE
5
Factors Affecting the Marginal Efficiency
of Capital
Cost
of
Capita
l
Technologic Demand
al for
Innovation
Marginal goods
Expectatio
ns and
Efficienc Marginal rate
of Tax
confidence
y of
Capital
Availability
of
Finance
6
Factors Affecting the Marginal
Efficiency of Capital
1. The cost of capital:
7
Factors Affecting the Marginal
Efficiency of Capital
2. Demand for goods and services
If tastes and preferences change and demand for a good increases,
then the increased demand is likely to increase profitability.
3. The marginal rate of tax: If the marginal rate of tax is increased then the net
return on an
investment will fall, reducing the marginal efficiency of capital.
8
Factors Affecting the Marginal
Efficiency of Capital
5. Expectations and confidence
If people believe that growth in economy is slowing and
•unemployment may rise in the foreseeable future, then
demand in the economy may contrast.
6. Technological change
•Innovation in products or processes may increase
the potential size of the market or help to drive
down costs.
9
MEC AND
INTEREST RATES
An investor while taking an investment decision makes a comparison
between MEC and rate of interest.
when ROI is less than MEC (ROI<MEC) investor make more
investment.
When ROI is more than MEC (ROI>MEC) no investment will be
made.
When ROI is equal to MEC (ROI=MEC) investor stop making
any more investment.
10
HOW COMPANIES MAINTAIN
CAPITAL USING MEC
EXAMPLE:
• Suppose the price of machine is 30000.Duration of life of machine is 10
years, expected income during this period is 60000.
NOW
*100= 10%
11
CASE
STUDY
• This is case is about Nike which is a popular brand in sporting apparel
division.
• Nike generated 2.81billion$ in operating income on revenue
of 20.9billion$ in FY 2014 end of may.
• Nike planning on expansion in to fashion apparel segment.
• 2.5billion$ is capital investment (marginal capital) they are
going to invest.
• Expected market share will be at 2% in first year.
• Gross profit margins are expected to be a 23% of revenues.
• Total time period is 12 years.
• Nike has used MEC for taking decision on expansion plan investment .
12
School of Thoughts
13
School of thoughts
• Classical Economics
• Keynesian Economics
• Monetarist
• New Classical Economics
• Real Business Cycle
• New Keynesian Economics
14
Classical Economics
• Inspired by
– David Hume
– Adam Smith
– Thomas Malthus
– David Ricardo
– Etc.
• The main idea is “invisible hand”. The
most effective market system is the
market without government intervention.
The outcome will be efficient.
15
Classical Economics
• Aggregate supply
– Prices and wages can adjust quickly and
fully.
– Households and firms learn reasonably
and quickly about economic
environment.
– The economy is always fully-employed.
– The position of AS changes because of
capital stock, technology, or skill of
labor.
16
Classical Economics
• Aggregate demand
– The classical theory centers on the
quantity theory of money
MV = PT (1)
With M = the quantity of Money in the
circulation
V = the transaction velocity of money
P = price level
T = volume of transaction
17
Classical Economics
• Aggregate demand
- Assume that T = Q (real output), with Q
is fixed at the fully employed level. Also,
the short run V is fixed.
- Therefore, (1) becomes:
M V PQ
A change in money supply only affects
the price level.
18
Classical Economics
• Implications of Classical Economics
– Money supply changes has not effect on
current output, only affect price.
– Changes in government expenditure has no
effect on current output.
– Changes in the overall level of taxation do not
affect current output.
– Changes in marginal tax rates can cause
current output to change.
– Policy tools will not affect output and
employment but add instability.
– Let market work properly is the best thing the
government can do.
19
Neoclassical Economics
• The main decision problem is
resource allocation, not economic
growth.
• Price is determined by preference of
consumers, not purely on production
cost (which is claimed by traditional
classical economists).
• “Marginalism”, use marginal value to
analyze economic problems.
20
Keynesian Economics
• Motivated by the great depression
• Keynes published “The General
theory of Employment, Income, and
Money” in 1936.
• The classical economics cannot
explain the great depression since it
considers only LR equilibrium and
expects a temporary disequilibrium
to be adjust quickly.
21
Keynesian Economics
• Keynesians believed that the cause of the
great depression was due to a combination
of events that led to great uncertainty,
huge decreases in investment, and
economies being stuck in an
unemployment trap.
• “In the long run, we are all dead”
• Government intervention is needed to help
an economy to go back to the steady
state.
22
Keynesian Economics
• Aggregate supply
– Wages and quantities do not adjust
immediately (wage/price rigidities in the
short run).
– Involuntary unemployment could occur.
– When prices are rigid, all necessary
information are not transmitted to
market participants; hence, market
might not work well.
23
Keynesian Economics
• Aggregate demand
– The main tool used by Keynesian
economists is IS-LM model.
– LM is flat and IS is steep; therefore,
• Liquidity trap, the change in money stock
would have little effect or no effect at all on
the interest rate.
24
Keynesian Economics
• Implications of the Keynesian model
– The economy is unstable.
– The economy takes a long time to adjust
to shocks and go back to the steady
state.
– AD is the main determinant of output
and employment.
– Fiscal policy is preferred to monetary
policy.
25
Monetarist
• Inspired by
– Friedman (1912)
– Brunner (1916)
– Meltzer (1928)
• Friedman did not believe the
Keynesian view that money had little
or no impact.
26
Monetarist
• The important of money
– The only times that major economic
contractions occurred were when the
absolute value of the money stock fell.
– From evidences, changes in money cause
changes in money income.
– Monetarists believe that money is a
substitute for a wide range of real and
financial assets, but not single asset could
be a close substitute for money. So
interest rate affect money demand.
27
Monetarist
• Monetarists thought that LM is flatter
and IS is steeper than in Keynesians.
• Fiscal policy would lead to a large
amount of “crowding out” of
investment and have little impact on
total output.
• There is no liquidity trap.
28
Monetarist
• Philips curve
– The second wave of monetarism deal with
Philip curve.
– Philip curve is published in 1958 using UK
data. It shows the inverse relationship
between money wage and the rate of
unemployment.
– The Keynesians draw the conclusion of
this finding to support their idea of a
permanent trade-off between inflation
and unemployment.
29
Monetarist
• Philips curve (cont’)
– To justify Keynesian policy, the workers
must have “money illusion”.
– Friedman argued that money illusion
occurs in the short run only. In the long
run, there is no trade-off between
unemployment and inflation and the
evidences seem to confirm this point of
view.
30
Monetarist
• Implications of monetarist
– Monetary policy is more effective than fiscal
policy.
– No long-run trade-off between inflation and
unemployment.
– The market system was not perfect, the
government would only make things worse.
– Fiscal policy could only influence the
distribution of income and the allocation of
resources (crowding out effect).
– The only way to increase output permanently is
to make market work better.
– Adaptive expectation.
31
New Classical Economics
• Initiated by
– Lucas
– Wallace
– Sargent
– Barro
• Initiated because of:
– Theoretical : introduce microeconomic
foundation in macroeconomics instead of AD-
AS model.
– Empirical: inconsistencies between Keynesian
and Monetarist and what actually happened in
1970s from oil price shocks, “Stagflation”.
32
New Classical Economics
• Rational Expectation
– Stagflation is inconsistent with adaptive
expectation (backward-looking).
– John Muth developed “rational expectation”,
which is forward looking expectation.
– It features: - people would look to the future.
- people use information wisely.
- people would not make
systematic errors.
33
New Classical Economics
• Incorporating rational expectations in
the AS-AD model
1. Imperfect information : Household
may not know the price level at the time
they make decision.
2. Parameterization of AS, Ls and Ld
curve: The curves are parameterized by
expectations of the values of the
exogenous variable.
34
New Classical Economics
• Implications of new classical economics
– Expectations are formed normally. They may
form wrong expectations, but once they have
learnt their mistake, they will no longer make
mistakes.
– Only unanticipated policies have an effect on
the output and employment.
– SR AS is upward sloping from imperfect
information.
– LR AS is vertical.
– Self-correcting economy.
35
Real Business cycle
• New classical fails to explain the
important empirical fact, deviations
from capacity output tended to be
prolonged and correlated.
36
Real Business cycle
• Important summary
1. Random walks : shocks to US output
is random walk so it did not revert back
to its trend.
2. Intertemporal substition : Instead of
AS-AD model, RBC tried to use
intertemporal substitution to explain
how shocks are transmitted into the
economy.
3. RBC still uses rational expectation.
37
Real Business cycle
• Important summary (cont’)
4. Market are always clearing.
5. Money is neutral.
6. Economic fluctuations are due to
supply side such as technological changes,
natural disaster, tax, input prices, etc.
38
New Keynesian Economics
• There are 3 main problems with new
classical
1. Unhappy / involuntary workers.
2. 1982 US recession.
3. Intertemporal substitution of labor
does not seem to be as large as RBC
suggested.
4. Hysteresis of unemployment.
39
New Keynesian Economics
• New Keynesian uses the new
classical model but introduces:
– Union models
– Contracts and staggering of price and
wage changes
– Menu cost and imperfect competition
40
New Keynesian Economics
• Implications of New Keynesian
Economics
– Market may not adjust quickly even with
rational expectation.
– Strong recession warrants government
intervention.
– Government should ensure that market
works smoothly as possible via
microeconomic policies.
41
Chanderprabhu Jain College of Higher Studies & School of Law
Plot No. OCF, Sector A-8, Narela, New Delhi – 110040
(Affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Approved by Govt of NCT of Delhi & Bar Council of India)
UNIT- II
Unit-II
Issues in Economic Development
Poverty in India
Concept of
Poverty
• Poverty in India has been defined as that
situation in which an individual fails to
earn income sufficient to buy minimum
means of subsistence.
(b) "currently available for work", i.e. were willing to accept a paid
employment or a self-employment during the reference period;
(c) "seeking work", i.e. had taken specific steps to seek paid employment or
self-employment. The specific steps may include e.g. registration at a public
or private employment exchange; application to employers; answering or
placing newspaper advertisements. his capacity.
Kinds Of
Unemployment
• Structural Unemployment
• Under-Employment
• Disguised Unemployment
• Open Unemployment
• Educated
Unemployment
• Frictional Unemployment
• Seasonal Unemployment
Structural
Unemployment
A longer-lasting form of unemployment caused by
fundamental shifts in an economy.
Structural unemployment occurs for a number
of reasons – workers may lack the requisite job
skills, or they may live far from regions where
jobs are available but are unable to move there.
Or they may simply be unwilling to work because
existing wage levels are too low. So while jobs are
available, there is a serious mismatch between
what companies need and what workers can
offer.
Underemployment can refer to:
• "Involuntary part-time" work, where workers who could (and would like
to) be working for a full work-week can only find part-time work. By
extension, the term is also used in regional planning to describe regions
where economic activity rates are unusually low, due to a lack of job
opportunities, training opportunities, or due to a lack of services such as
childcare and public transportation.
7. Inappropriate technology.
9. Immobility of labour.
UNIT
UNIT -- III
III
Unit-III
Public Finance
Meaning & Scope of Public Finance
Meaning of Public
Finance
• The word public refers to general people and the
word finance means resources. So public finance
means resources of the masses, how they are
collected and utilized. Thus, Public Finance is the
branch of economics that studies the taxing and
spending activities of government. The discipline of
public finance describes and analyses government
services, subsidies and welfare payments, and the
methods by which the expenditures to these ends
are covered through taxation, borrowing, foreign aid
and the creation of money.
Definition
• According to Findlay Shirras
• “Public finance is the study of principles underlying
the spending and raising of funds by public
authorities”.
• According to H.L Lutz
• “Public finance deals with the provision, custody and
discursement of resources needed for conduct of
public or government function.”
• According to Hugh Dalton
• “Public finance is concerned with the income and
expenditure of public authorities, and with the
adjustment of the one to the other.
Nature of Public Finance
• Nature of public finance implies whether it is a science or
art or both.
• Public Finance as Science
• Science is the systematic study of any subject which studies
relationship between facts. Public finance has been held as science
which deals with the income and expenditure of the government’s
finance.It studies the relationship between facts relating to revenue
and expenditure of the government.
• Arguments in support of Public Finance as Science:
• Public finance is systematic study of the facts and principles
relating to government expenditure and revenue.
• Principles of Public finance are empirical.
• Public finance is studied by the use of scientific methods.
• Public finance is concerned with definite and limited field of human
knowledge.
• Public Finance as Art
• Art is application of knowledge for achieving definite objectives. Fiscal
Policy which is an important instrument of public finance makes use of
the knowledge of government’s revenue and expenditure to achieve
the objectives of full employment, economic development and
equality. Price stability etc. To achieve the goal of economic equality
taxes are levied which are likely to be opposed. Therefore it is
important to plan their timing and volume. The process of levying tax
is therefore an art. Study of Public finance is helpful in solving many
practical problems. Public finance is therefore an art also.
• From the above discussion it can be concluded that public finance is
both science and art. It is positive science as well as normative
science.
• It is a positive science as by the study of public finance factual
information about the problems of government’s revenue and
expenditure can be known. It also offers suggestions in this respect.
• It is also normative science as study of public finance presents
norms or standards of the government’s financial operations . It
reveals what should be the quantum of taxes, kind of taxes and on
what items less of public expenditure can be incurred.
Scope of Public Finance
• Public finance not only includes the income and expenditure of the
government but also the sources of income and the way of expenditure of
various government corporations, public companies and quasi
government ventures. Thus the scope of public finance extends to the
study of independent bodies acting under the government’s direct and
indirect control. The Scope of public finance includes:
• Public Revenue
Public finance deals with all those sources or methods through which a
government earns revenue. It studies the principles of taxation, methods
of raising revenue, classification of revenue, deficit financing etc.
• Public Expenditure
Public expenditure studies how the government distributes the
resources for the fulfillment of various expenses. It also studies principles
that the government should keep in view while allocating resources to
various sectors and effects of such expenditure.
• Public debt
It deals with borrowing by the government from internal and external
sources. AT any time government may exceed its revenue. To meet the
deficit, government raises loans. The study of public fiancé focuses on the
problems of raising loans and the methods of repayment of loans.
• Financial/Fiscal administration
The scope of financial administration is wider. It covers all the financial
functions of the government. It includes drafting and sanctioning of the
budget, auditing of the budget, etc. Financial administration is concerned with
the organization and functioning of the government machinery responsible for
performing the various financial functions of the state. The budget is the
master financial plan of the government.
• Economic Stabilization and Growth
In the present times, public finance is mainly concerned with the economic
stability and other related problems of a country. For the attainment of these
objectives, the government formulates its fiscal policy comprising of various
fiscal instruments directed towards the economic stability of the nation.
• Federal Finance
Distribution of the sources of income and expenditure between the
central and the state governments in the federal system of government is
also studied as the subject matter of the public finance. This branch of public
finance is popularly known as Federal Finance.
Public & Private Finance
• Public Finance: studies income and
expenditure activities of the state or
government.
• Private Finance: studies income and
expenditure activities of the private
individuals and private entities.
Similarities
Ta
x
Direct Indirect
Tax Tax
Direct Taxes
A direct tax is that tax whose burden is borne by the same
person on whom it is levied. The ultimate burden of taxation
falls on the person on whom the tax is levied. It is based on the
income and property of a person.
• Corporation Tax
• Income Tax
• Wealth Tax
• Gift Tax
• Property Tax
Indirect Taxes
An indirect tax is that tax which is initially paid by
one individual, but the burden of which is passed
over to some other individual who ultimately bears
it. It is levied on the expenditure of a person.
Proportional tax
Progressive tax
Regressive tax
Degressive tax
Proportional Taxation
A tax is called proportional when the rate of taxation remains
constant as the income of the tax payer increases. In this system all
incomes are taxed at a single uniform rate, irrespective of whether
tax payer’s income is high or low. The tax liability increases in
absolute terms, but the proportion of income taxed remains the
same.
Progressive Taxation
When the rate of taxation increases as the tax payer’s income
increases, it is called a progressive tax. In this system, the rate of tax
goes on increasing with every increase in income.
Regressive Taxation
A regressive tax is one in which the rate of taxation decreases as
the tax payer’s income increases. Lower income is taxed at a
higher rate, whereas higher income is taxed at a lower rate.
However absolute tax liability may increase.
Degressive Taxation
A tax is called degressive when the rate of progression in taxation
does not increase in the same proportion as the increase in
income. In this case, the rate of tax increases upto a certain limit,
after that a uniform rate is charged. Thus degressive tax is a
combination of progressive and proportional taxation. This type of
taxation is often used in case of income tax. This is the case of
income tax in India as well.
Canons of Taxation
Canon of Certainty
According to this canon, the tax which each individual is required
to pay should be certain and not arbitrary. The time of payment, the
manner of payment and the amount to be paid should be clear to
every tax payer. The application of this principle is beneficial both
to the government as well as to the tax payer.
Canon of Convenience
Canon of Economy
Every tax has a cost of collection. The canon of economy implies
that the cost of tax collection should be minimum.
Income exempt from Tax
Dividends paid by companies and mutual funds
Insurance proceeds from an Insurance company
Maturity proceeds of a Public provident fund (PPF
account)
Deductions from taxable income
Section 88 of the Income Tax Act 1961(rebate on certain
investments)
Section 80C deductions
Section 80D(Medical insurance premiums)
Interest on Housing loans
Conclusion
To conclude, we can say that the instrument of taxation is
of great significance on
Instruments of Fiscal
Policy
Fiscal policy
Discretionary
Non-discretionary
policy
fiscal policy
To cure To control
recession inflation Personal
Transfer
income
Increase in Raising taxes payment
taxes
Govt. to control
expenditure nflation
Corporate Corporate
Reduction Disposing of Income dividend
of taxes budget taxes policy
surplus
Concept of
Deficit
• Revenue Deficit = Revenue Expenditure – Revenue
Receipts
UNIT-IV
Liberalization, Globalization and Related
Issues
WHAT IS FDI
•Foreign direct investment (FDI) in its
classic form is defined as a company from
one country making a physical investment
into building a factory in another country.
FOREIGN INVESTOR
• Foreign Company has the following options to set
up business operations in India :
• By incorporating a company
under the Companies Act, 1956
• A wholly owned subsidiary
• Joint venture company - existing company
or new company with domestic partner
• As an unincorporated entity
• Liaison Office
• Project Office
• Branch Office
LIAISON OFFICE
or
• Lottery Business
• CCFI Route
AUTOMATIC ROUTE
• No need of Prior Approval From FIPB,RBI,GOI.
BUT
- Automatic up to 49%
- FIPB beyond 49% but up to 74%
The Government of India has established several foreign trade zone schemes to
encourage export-oriented production. These provide a means to bypass many of the
domestic economy's fiscal and infrastructural obstacles that otherwise make Indian
goods and services less competitive in international markets.
The most recent of the schemes is the Special economic Zone (SEZ), a duty-free
enclave with separately developed industrial infrastructure. Other schemes include
the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) and the Software Technology Park (STP), both of
which are designated areas for export-oriented activities. In addition, India allows
an individual firm to be designated an Export Oriented Unit (EOU).
All of these schemes are governed by separate rules and granted different benefits.
In May 2005, the Government of India passed new legislation called the “Special
Economic Zones (SEZ) Bill 2005” endorsing its commitment to a long-term and
stable policy for the SEZ structure which had previous been only an administrative
construct.
EPZ and SEZ differences
Conceptually, EPZs and SEZs are different – the
former is an industrial estate whilst the latter is an
industrial township. Despite criticisms that India’s
attempt to convert its Export Processing Zones
(EPZs) into SEZs is an insurmountable task, India
has gone full steam ahead. The SEZ and EOU/EPZ
schemes have a common philosophy and common
objectives. Therefore, by and large the procedures
are the same. The one critical difference is that
whereas the EOUs are ‘stand alone’ units the units
in the SEZ/EPZ are in a well defined enclave.
Salient features of an SEZ
An SEZ is a geographically demarcated region that has economic
laws that are more liberal than the country’s typical economic laws
and where all the units there in have specific privileges.
SEZs are specifically delineated duty-free enclaves and are
deemed to be foreign territory for the purposes of trade
operations, duties and tariffs.
The principal goal is to increase foreign investment. Through the
introduction of SEZs, India also wants to enhance its somewhat
dismal infrastructural requirements, which, once they have been
improved, will invite even more foreign direct investment. As far as
trade and commerce are concerned, SEZs are regarded as
international territory.
Local raw materials bought by producers within SEZs are regarded
as exports whereas those goods that are produced in SEZs and
sold in the DTA (Domestic Tariff Area) are regarded as imports.
Objectives of SEZs
The objective behind an SEZ is to enhance
foreign investment, increase exports, create jobs
and promote regional development. To put in the
government’s own words, the main objectives of
the SEZs are:
(a)Generation of additional economic activity;
(b)Promotion of exports of goods and services;
(c)Promotion of investment from domestic and
foreign sources;
(d)Creation of employment opportunities;
(e) Development of infrastructure facilities.
EVOLUTION OF SEZs IN INDIA
In India, the first zone was set up in Kandla as early as 1965. It was followed by
the Santacruz export processing zone which came into operation in 1973.
The government set up five more zones during the late 1980s. These were at
Noida (Uttar Pradesh), Falta (West Bengal) Cochin (Kerala), Chennai (Tamil
Nadu) and Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh). Surat EPZ became operational in
1998.
The EXIM Policy, 2000 launched a new scheme of Special Economic Zones
(SEZs). Under this scheme, EPZs at Kandla, Santa Cruz, Cochin and Surat were
converted into SEZs. In 2003, other existing EPZs namely, Noida, Falta, Chennai,
Vizag were also converted into SEZs.
In addition, approval has been given for the setting up of 26 SEZs in various parts
of the country. Apparently, India is now promoting the EPZ programme much more
vigorously than in the initial phases of their evolution. Huge amounts of public
resources are being invested in the zones.
SEZs in India were announced by the government in March 2000.
To provide a stable economic environment for the
promotion of Export-import of goods in a quick,
efficient and hassle-free manner, Government of India
enacted the SEZ Act, which received the assent of the
President of India on June 23, 2005.
The SEZ Act and the SEZ Rules, 2006 (“SEZ Rules”)
were notified on February 10, 2006. Since then 15
SEZs including 8 EPZs (Export Processing Zones)
have been set up at Kandla, Surat, Mumbai, Kochi,
Noida, Chennai (3 SEZs), Visakhapatnam, Indore,
Jaipur and Jodhpur, Falta, Manikanchan, and Salt Lake.
The salient features of the Indian SEZ initiative further
include the following points:
•Unlike most of the international instances where zones are primarily developed
by governments, the Indian SEZ policy provides for development of these zones
in the government, private or joint sector. This is meant to offer equal
opportunities to both Indian and international private developers.
•100 per cent FDI is permitted for all investments in SEZs, except for activities
included in the negative list.
•SEZ units are required to be positive net foreign-exchange earners and are not s
subject to any minimum value addition norms or export obligations.
•Facilities in the SEZ may retain 100 per cent foreign-exchange receipts in Exchange
Earners’ Foreign Currency Accounts.
•100 per cent FDI is permitted for SEZ franchisees in providing basic telephone
services in SEZs.
• No cap on foreign investment for small-scale-sector reserved items which are
otherwise restricted.
•No import licence requirements.
• Exemption from customs duties on the import of
capital goods, raw materials, consumables, spares,
etc.
• Exemption from Central Excise duties on
procurement of capital goods, raw materials,
consumable spares, etc. from the domestic market.
• No routine examinations by Customs for export and
import cargo.
•Facility to realize and repatriate export proceeds
within 12 months.
•Profits allowed to be repatriated without any
dividend-balancing requirement.
•Exemption from Central Sales Tax and Service Tax.
PROBLEMS OF SEZs
1. Large scale and unjustified acquisition of land
2. Inadequate resettlement and rehabilitation policies and plans
3. Inadequate employment opportunities for local people through SEZs leading to loss of
livelihood
4. Increasing burden on natural resources and the environment and alienation of local
communities from these resources
5. SEZs contributing to real estate boom and creating real estate zones
6. Potential revenue loss from heavy subsidizing in SEZs
7. Concerns over the process of approving and implementing SEZs – where is local
government consultation and sanction?
8. No wider public consultation
9. Threat to water security 1
10.Bypassing local governments and ignoring local communities
11. Increases regional disparities
With so many complications involved, will this SEZ
finally materialise at all? And finally for what? What
kind of a development goal is one that will render
around 50,000 farmers landless (per SEZ), destroy
livelihood sources for a much larger number of
people, pull all the stops against exploitation of
labour and cause huge chunks of resources,
private and otherwise, to pass on into private
hands? Is the administration prepared for the huge
backlash of discontent, protest and social upheaval
that oppression on such large scale could trigger?
These questions are not going to be easy to
answer.
World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization, as an institution was
established in 1995. It replaced General Agreement on
Trade and Tariffs (GATT) which was in place since 1946.
India is one of the prominent members of WTO and is largely seen as leader of developing
and under developed world. At WTO, decisions are taken by consensus. So there is bleak
possibility that anything severely unfavorable to India’s interest can be unilaterally imposed.
India stands to gain from different issues being negotiated in the forum provided it engages
with different interest groups constructively, while safeguarding its developmental concerns.
In absence of such a body we stand to lose a platform through which we can mobilize
opinion of likeminded countries against selfish designs of west. Thanks to vast resources of
developed countries they can easily win smaller countries to their side. WTO provides a
forum for such developing countries to unite and pressurize developed countries to make
trade sweeter for poor countries. Accordingly, India remains committed to various
developmental issues such as Doha Development Agenda, Special Safeguard Mechanism,
Permanent solution of issue of public stock holding etc.
Apart from this, Dispute Resolution Mechanism of WTO is highly efficient. Chronological
list of cases in WTO can be accessed here. Countries drag their trading partner to this body
when action of one country is perceived to be unfair and violative of any WTO agreement,
by other country.
Cases of Complaints against India
India — Certain Measures Relating to Solar Cells and Solar
Modules (Complainant: United States)
India —Anti-Dumping Duties on USB Flash Drives from the Separate Customs
Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu(Complainant: Chinese Taipei)
India —Measures Concerning the Importation of Certain Agricultural
Products(Complainant: United States)
India —Certain Taxes and Other Measures on Imported Wines and
Spirits(Complainant: European Communities)
Cases of Complaints by India
United States —Countervailing Measures on Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel
Flat Products from India (Complainant: India)
Turkey —Safeguard measures on imports of cotton yarn (other than sewing
thread)(Complainant: India)
European Union and a Member State —Seizure of Generic Drugs in
Transit(Complainant: India)
Why India stayed out of Information Technology
Agreement-II in Nairobi?
As many as 53 WTO members agreed in Nairobi to a seven-year time frame to
scrap all tariffs on 201 IT products that account for an annual trade of $1.3 trillion.
Such a pact is touted to drive down prices of items ranging from video cameras to
semi-conductors. However, India had been opposing such an agreement on fears
that the deal would benefit only those countries (notably the US, China, Japan and
Korea) that have a robust manufacturing base in these products, and not India.
This Information Technology Agreement is being called ITA-II. Original ITA was
signed in 1996. New ITA aims at expanding lists of items covered and total
elimination of custom tariffs in 7 year framework. Since 1996 many new items
have creeped in electronics industry which remains outside the ambit of ITA.
Current dismal state of Indian electronic industry is often attributed to ITA of 1996.
This compelled India to keep certain electronic items tariff free which gave us
infamous ‘inverted duty structure’. Here, domestic products are charged to higher
excise duty than custom duty on imports. This put Indian manufacturers at serious
disadvantage in comparison to foreign vendors.
It is expected that by 2020 India will consume electronic items worth $ 400 billion.
As per current situation, out of this it is likely to import atleast goods worth $300
billion. Electronic hardware manufacturing is one of the main components of
‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ program. Hence India stayed away from ITA-II.
How India’s stand differs when it comes to services?
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