Chitrabhanu Kadalayil is deputy comment editor at The National
July 29, 2021
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s two-day visit to India has come at a particularly stressful time for New Delhi.
Even as the country recovers from a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, there are already fears of an oncoming third wave. Floods and landslides have left more than 150 people dead and at least 100 missing in India’s west. The farmers’ protests against sweeping reforms legislated last year have regained momentum after a period of lull that coincided with the second wave. And if these challenges aren’t daunting enough, a 150-year-old boundary dispute between two states in India’s north-east has led to the deaths of six policemen and one civilian.
While dealing with these ground realities, the Indian government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also having to contend with allegations made by opposition parties of corruption and overreach on various issues, during Parliament’s current – and rather chaotic – monsoon session. The cacophony has been so consuming that four potentially contentious population control bills scheduled for proposal days ago have, at least for now, slipped out of the national conversation.
In their very essence, some of these bills – if passed – could threaten to undermine the spirit of India’s constitution. One bill seeks to set up a national population planning authority and a committee in each district to “encourage and promote family planning”, whatever that entails. Another one mentions the need to “revitalise efforts towards promoting the small family norms of up to two children per eligible couple”. Even if one were to ignore the fact that 168 out of the 540 MPs have more than two children, the language around the original framing of these prospective bills signals an appetite for coercion as a means to control population growth.
But it isn’t just Parliament that could be discussing these bills in the near term. A few states have sought to jump the population control bandwagon. The Uttar Pradesh state legislature is currently discussing what could be the most coercive bill yet. India’s most populous state – of about 220 million – has proposed denying government jobs, promotions, subsidies and the right to contest local elections to anyone who has more than two children. Other states, including Gujarat and Karnataka, are mulling similar proposals.
Populist attempts to control population growth are not new, of course. Since 1990, at least 12 states have tried some version of the two-child policy and failed. But that hasn’t dissuaded politicians from persisting with what several experts believe is the wrong way to go about fixing a problem that is already on its way to being solved. Indeed, India’s population growth has been slowing over the past four decades, with fertility rates having come down across the country. Uttar Pradesh’s own fertility rate nearly halved from 4.8 in 1993 to 2.7 in 2016. The same government pushing the bill expects it to reduce even further, to 2.1 by 2025.
Experts have warned about a number of long-term psychological, sociological and economic downsides to enacting such laws in a coercive manner. Many such as Poonam Muttreja, the executive director of the Population Foundation of India, have pointed to how they could deny women agency and possibly even increase sex-selective abortions – especially as many parents continue to have a preference for sons.
The Uttar Pradesh government, headed by Yogi Adityanath, is pushing a new population growth control law.
Opposition parties allege that the BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh is using this bill as a dog whistle ahead of next year’s crucial election. There has long been a perception in India that Muslims, comprising less than 15 per cent of the country's total population, are determined to increase their numbers – even though there are no statistics to back this assertion.
Whether the dog-whistle theory is true or not, the bill does help to create the impression that this Uttar Pradesh government, elected with a record majority in the 2017 election, is doing whatever it takes for the state's development – particularly as it tries to mitigate public perception that its pandemic response has been inadequate.
What is ironic about these attempts to legislate population control – at a time when other solutions, such as education, economic development and social mobility, are already working – is that Indian politicians seem to be inspired by China’s now-defunct one-child policy. If true, this would be surprising.
For one, with that country’s population ageing, and given the aforementioned effects of such a policy on society, Beijing chose to reverse it in 2015 after 36 years. Secondly, Indian perceptions about China, which have ranged from awe to suspicion to derision to envy depending on the times, are at an all-time low right now. According to the 2020 Mood of the Nation poll conducted by the India Today media group, up to 84 per cent of Indians said they could not trust China; this figure is, no doubt, an outcome of last year’s fatal clashes at the border. Why then, it is fair to ask, would Indian politicians want to be seen copying China?
People shop at the crowded Ranganathan street in Chennai this month. India's population growth has slowed in recent decades. EPA
Mr Blinken, currently in India to co-ordinate strategies in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific, may appreciate all the ongoing noise in New Delhi as being typical of India’s robust domestic politics; it may even remind him of politics back home. America’s top diplomat has often stressed the need for countries that share certain values with the US to band together to confront such challenges as Covid-19, climate change and, yes, a rising China. The subtext for “shared values” is, of course, the system of government prevalent in these countries: the US and India are both democratic republics.
The secretary of state’s past remarks haven’t just arisen from personal conviction. The Biden administration, it seems, wants to frame America’s competition with China as an ideological battle between two systems of government and, by extension, two ways of life. And as much as US-India relations are about aligning strategic, military and economic interests, both countries have sought to further this “democracy rules” narrative.
But Indian politicians' interest in failed policies, the hurried passage of the agriculture bills without adequate consultation with farmers’ groups, and the tendency for governments at various levels to shut down dissenting voices are all problematic for the country's image and for the narrative it is trying to create.
In his remarks yesterday, Mr Blinken acknowledged some of these challenges. At a roundtable with civil society, he said both Indian and American democracies were "works in progress" and that successful democracies include "thriving civil societies". He added that a vibrant civil society is needed to make democracies more open, inclusive, resilient and equitable. India should pay heed.
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
