1. GOVERNMENT BEGINS WORK ON MERGERS OF INSURANCE COMPANIES: The Finance Ministry has started the process for appointing a consultant to take forward the merger of three general insurance companies – National Insurance Company, United India Insurance Company and Oriental India Insurance. The consultants thus appointed will prepare a road map and then the government will invite bids. But merger and listing would not be possible in this fiscal as mergers of such huge scales take a long time.
2. INDIA NOW IS THE SIXTH WEALTHIEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD: According to a report by Afr-Asia Bank Global wealth Migration Review, India is the sixth wealthiest country in the World with a total wealth of $ 8,230 billion. United States of America is the wealthiest country in the world with a total wealth of $ 62,584 billion. China stood second with $ 24,803 billion and Japan was at the third position with $ 19,522 billion. Other countries in the top 10 wealthiest list include United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Canada France and Italy.
3. FINANCE MINISTRY TIES UP WITH 40 ENTITIES TO EXTEND MUDRA FUNDING: The Finance Ministry has announced that it has tied up with 40 entities including Flipkart, Swiggy, Patanjali, Make My trip, Zomato Meru cab, Muthoot, Edelweiss, Amazon, Ola, Big Basket and Amul etc, for extending loans to small entrepreneurs under Mudra Scheme. Under the scheme these companies will identify small entrepreneurs who need loans and underwrite them and will extend loans to them under the Mudra Scheme.
4. OVER 2,100 COMPANIES SETTLE Rs 83,000 CRORE BANK DUES: The fear of losing control over their companies and assets has prompted promoters, who have defaulted on repayment of loans to banks, to settle their dues of around Rs. 83,000 crores involving around 2,100 companies before action was initiated under the newly enacted Insolvency &Bankruptcy Code ( IBC).
5. HDFC BANK ACHIEVES Rs. 1,000 CRORE THROUGH DIGITAL LENDING: HDFC Bank has clocked Rs. 1,000 crore per month through digital platforms across products and expects it to go up further with its launch of an online platform for loan against mutual funds. The bank has launched this new product offering loan against mutual funds in association with CAMS, which controls 65% of market share. The bank has an approved credit limit of Rs. 10,000 crore on loans against mutual funds and insurance policies. The digital alternative will reduce the time taken to pass the loan to just three minutes as against the current the current time of up to 6 days.
6. DIRECT TAX COLLECTION FOR FY 2017-18 SEES 19.3% GROWTH: The government’s direct tax collection has gone up by 19.3% to 6.95 lakh crore. Net Direct tax collected so far represents 69.2% of the total revised direct taxes. Gross collections (before adjusting for refunds) have increased by 13.3% to Rs 8.21 lakh crore during April 2017 to January 2018.
7. SBI REPORTS RECORD LOSS OF Rs. 7,718 CRORE IN MARCH QUARTER: State Bank of India reported a loss of Rs. 7,718 crore ($ 1.1 billion) in January-March quarter of FY 2017-18. This is because of the provisions made for bad loans after a change in banking regulations. SBI had posted a loss of Rs. 2,416 in December quarter.
8. INTEREST ON PROVIDENT FUND FIXED AT 8.55% FOR 2017-18: The government has fixed 8.55% as the rate of interest for PF accounts for 017-18, the lowest rate since 2012-13 fiscal. Around 5 crore PF account holders will be affected by this. The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) had provided 8.65% interest for 2016-17, 8.8% in 2015-16 and 8.75% each in 2013-14 and 2014-15. In 2012-13 it was 8.5% , thus at 8.55% for 2017-18, it is the lowest since FY 2012-13.