World
India, US to keep talking about visa, double taxation issues
By Arun Kumar
Washington: India and the US have agreed to continue their engagement on the vexed issue of a totalization agreement for the purpose of avoiding double taxation of income with respect to social security taxes.
“There is steady progress on the issue,” Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Nirmala Sitharaman told Indian media Thursday even as she called the US insistence on a “comparable social security cover in India” as “unfair.” She was speaking after a meeting of the US-India Trade Policy Forum (TPF), co-chaired by her and the US Trade Representative, Michael Froman.
Indian workers have contributed over $6 billion towards social security and the figure keeps growing by about $1.5 billion annually. But in the absence of a totalisation agreement they don’t get the money back once they return to India.
Sitharaman said she had told her interlocutors in Washington that social security cover in India need not be comparable for the purposes of a totalisation agreement as in the Indian system it was the family which provided security to the jobless and the elderly.
India and the US have also agreed to continue their engagement on another issue of concern to India – the limitations on mobility of skilled professionals and issues concerning H1B and L1 visas, including the spike in rejection rates of L-1 visas.
Sitharaman said the US response to Indian concerns on the visa issue was positive. It had also assured India that the hike in visa fee was not discriminatory.
Sitharaman underlined the openness of India to understand the recently concluded Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement and its implications for bilateral and regional trade. At the request of India, USTR provided a detailed presentation on the TPP.
A Joint Statement on the Trade Policy Forum said the two sides reviewed substantive progress achieved in deepening bilateral trade and investment goals in 2015 and discussed plans to promote economic growth and job creation in both India and the US.
Sitharaman and Froman also discussed the status of US and Indian trade agreements with other countries and ways to ensure that bilateral trade and investment between the US and India can continue to grow.
TPF discussions focused on four broad work streams including Agriculture, Trade in Goods and Services, Investment in Manufacturing and Intellectual Property, according to an Indian Embassy release.
In the area of Agriculture, both sides noted forward movement in discussing plant and animal health issues and resolution of labelling and packaging requirements.
In addition, they agreed to work on enhanced market access for identified agricultural products, including Indian rice, mangoes, grapes, pomegranates, honey, marine products, etc.
Noting India’s concerns on the new Food Safety and Modernization Act implemented by the USFDA that mandates new compliance standards for food imports into the US both sides agreed to continue discussions on this.
In the area of Trade in Goods, India discussed issues affecting market access for pharmaceutical products and Indian Traditional Medicines (AYUSH).
India also raised concerns over the listing of Indian products by the US Department of Labour and its impact on Indian handicraft industry and exports from small and medium enterprises.
The US appreciated India’s liberalisation of FDI caps in the insurance, defence and railways sectors. Both acknowledged the importance of promoting a business friendly environment for attracting investment in manufacturing.
The US also welcomed India’s efforts to improve the ease of doing business through simplification of procedures, ordinance to establish commercial courts, single window clearance and other reforms.
Both sides noted the enhanced engagement in the area of intellectual property and discussions on patents, copyright, trade secrets, traditional knowledge, and standard essential patents.
The US welcomed the establishment of an IPR think tank to draft a National IPR Policy.
In the area of copyrights, both sides recognized the shared interests of their entertainment industries and agreed to schedule a workshop on promoting copyrights awareness and capacity building in the first quarter of 2016.
Both sides also noted their commitment to protecting trade secrets.
The tenth round of the TPF will be held in India in 2016.
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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