Page 48 - Nirmala Sitharaman

SFIO carrying out detailed probe into Sahara group companies: FM Sitharaman

The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) is carrying out a detailed probe into the matter related to the Sahara group companies and further action will be taken after its report, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in the Lok Sabha on Monday. To a query on why all investors of the Sahara group companies have not come forward to claim refunds, Sitharaman said the entire affairs of the Sahara group are being monitored by the Supreme Court and the government is acting as per the directives of the apex court. "It is true that only small investors have come forward to claim the refunds. The SFIO is investigating the entire matter. It is also looking into why all the investors have not come forward to claim the refunds and where are they," she said during Question Hour. The minister said after the detailed analysis of the SFIO the whole picture will be cleared and action could be taken. She said there were 3.7 crore investors in the Sahara group companies and so far 19,65

FinMin asks state-owned general insurers to focus on profitable businesses

The finance ministry has asked state-owned general insurance companies to focus on profitable businesses and not to chase top-line but aim for improving profitability. The government has recently infused Rs 7,250 crore in installments in three public sector general insurance companies -- National Insurance Company Limited, Oriental Insurance Company Limited, and United India Insurance Company. "We have been monitoring performance of state-owned general insurance companies and as a result they have started looking up. So, we will watch their performance this year," Financial Services Secretary Vivek Joshi told PTI. Hopefully, he said, these companies may not require any further capital infusion, which is why the Budget has not made any provision. These three general insurance companies have improved their financial performance significantly, he said. For instance, he said, Oriental Insurance has earned Rs 18 crore profit in FY24 as against a loss of Rs 5,000 crore a year ago, while

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to address RBI board on August 10

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to address the Reserve Bank of India's central board on August 10 and highlight key points of the Budget FY25, including the fiscal consolidation roadmap. The post-budget meeting has been scheduled for August 10 where the finance minister will address the board members and talk about announcements made in the Budget 2024-25 that strike a fine balance between growth, employment, and fiscal prudence, sources said. It is customary for the finance minister to address the Reserve Bank of India board after the budget. Unveiling the Budget on July 23 in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said the total receipts other than borrowings and the total expenditure are estimated at Rs 32.07 lakh crore and Rs 48.21 lakh crore, respectively, for 2024-25. The net tax receipts are estimated at Rs 25.83 lakh crore, she said, adding that the fiscal deficit is estimated at 4.9 per cent of the GDP. The gross and net market borrowings through dated securities dur

After 'derailment min' jibe, Vaishnaw says focus is on railways, not reels

Ashwini Vaishnaw's strong response came after Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi criticised him for not taking moral responsibility for train accidents and called him the 'derailment minister'

Abolish tax on life, health insurance premiums: Gadkari writes to FM

Gadkari said in his letter that he is writing to the finance minister following a memorandum from the Nagpur Divisional Life Insurance Corporation Employees Union

Budget a fine balance, takes care of all segments, says FM Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said the Union Budget strikes a fine balance between growth, employment, and fiscal consolidation, and promotes cooperative federalism. Replying to the discussion on the Union Budget 2024-25 and Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Budget in Rajya Sabha, the minister said the government is on track to achieve the pre-announced fiscal deficit target of 4.5 per cent by 2025-26. Sitharaman, also a former defence minister, said the Agniveer Scheme to recruit people in the age group of 17.5 to 21 years, is aimed at keeping the armed forces fit, young and battle-ready. The minister, who presented her seventh Union Budget, also said the economic document proposes unflinching support for cooperative federalism. "I would like to underline that our unflinching commitment to cooperative federalism. The total resources proposed to be transferred to the states in 2024-25 are estimated at Rs 22.91 lakh crore. This actually entails an increase of R

Budget with BS: 'We are in one of the biggest market booms', says Motilal Oswal's Raamdeo Agrawal

Latest updates: Catch all the updates on the analysis of the Union Budget for FY25 here

Budget 2024: Capital gains tax, climate change key concerns of Generation Z

Budget 2024: Young India is keen to hear announcements related to skill development for the youth, steps taken to counter climate change and reforms in the capital gains tax structure

Agniveer scheme will keep our forces battle-ready, young: FM Sitharaman

During the Budget discussion in Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman slammed the Opposition for attempting to "politicise" Agniveer scheme

Parliament updates: Budget proposes unflinching support to cooperative federalism, says FM in RS

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha news updates: Here are the latest updates on the developments in the Parliament

Budget 2024 is an economists' Budget, says Citigroup MD Samiran Chakraborty

Focus of Budget 2024 is not restricted to railways, defence and infra, but expands to manufacturing and employment to aid human capital growth, said Citigroup MD at 'Budget with BS: The Fine Print'

Budget a right start to resolve jobs issues: Experts at 'Budget with BS'

At the 'Budget with BS' event in Mumbai on Wednesday, economic experts shared their perspectives on the recently introduced Budget during an insightful panel discussion with Business Standard

Centre may hike short term capital gains tax above 20% in future: Official

In the recently introduced Budget on July 23, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had raised the STCG tax on some financial instruments to 20 per cent

'Sheer desperation': Cong slams Sitharaman over her criticism of opposition

Blaming the Congress "propaganda" for deterring private investment is "sheer desperation", the party said on Thursday while hitting out at Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her remarks attacking the opposition. In an apparent attack on the Opposition, Sitharaman said conspiracy is being carried out to damage India's image and give a message to foreign investors that the country is not safe for investment. Hitting back at Sitharaman, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Private investment - domestic and foreign - in India, so very vital for accelerating India's economic growth, is still very sluggish and refuses to boom. This is inspite of steep corporate tax cuts and aggressive PR by the non-biological PM and his cheerleaders and drumbeaters." "Now the FM has come up with what she thinks is the answer to this puzzle. In the Lok Sabha yesterday, she blamed what she calls Congress propaganda for deterring private investment. This is sheer ...

Please remove GST on life, medical insurance premiums: Nitin Gadkari to FM

In a letter addressed to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Nitin Gadkari requested the removal of 18 per cent GST on life and medical insurance premiums.

Conspiracy to damage India's image of safe investment destination: FM

To make India developed, Sitharaman said it was necessary to be a big economic and strategic power

Govt mopped up Rs 98,681 cr from taxing LTCG in listed equities in FY23

The government has garnered Rs 98,681 crore from long term capital gains tax on listed equities in 2022-23, a 15 per cent growth over the previous year, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary gave details of collections from Long Term Capital Gains (LTCG) tax between fiscal 2018-19 and 2022-23 in the Rajya Sabha. The long term capital gains on equities and units of equity oriented mutual funds were brought in from April 2018. Such gains were taxed at 10 per cent, with gains of up to Rs 1 lakh annually being exempted. As per the details shared with the Parliament, Rs 98,681.34 crore was collected from LTCG in 2022-23, up 15 per cent over Rs 86,075.49 crore collected in 2021-22 fiscal. The collection was about Rs 38,589 crore in 2020-21, Rs 26,008 crore in 2019-20 and Rs 29,220 crore in 2018-19. To a question on whether the government is contemplating to abolish the LTCG tax on equities/mutual funds during 2024-25, Chaudhary said, "There i

Indians are Arjun, will break Modi's chakravyuh: Rahul Gandhi's fresh salvo

Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Centre waived off Rs 16 trillion debt of the industrialists but collected Rs 8,500 crore from the poor Indians, who are unable to maintain "even the minimum balance"

Parliament session all set to be stormy over Budget, coaching centre deaths

Congress Lok Sabha Whip Manickam Tagore has submitted an Adjournment Motion notice to discuss the delay in conducting Census 2021, which has delayed the implementation of women's 33 per cent quota

WATCH: Desh ka halwa bat raha hai, says Rahul Gandhi; Sitharaman face-palms

Addressing the Parliament on Budget 2024, Rahul Gandhi said the Centre failed social groups such as the farmers and youth, and double stabbed the middle class of India through 'tax terrorism'