Govt plans to revitalise agriculture export zones
New Delhi: The commerce and industry ministry plans to increase focus on the four agri dedicated export zones and fund the setting up of these funds.

The 60 approved agri export zones (AEZs), have not taken off as planned six years ago. The government in talks with YES Bank for three other zones in which it hopes to attract private investment. The four zones are in West Bengal, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Sikkim — for which the government plans to provide funds of Rs48.85 crore and is targeting is to make them functional by the end of the year.

The funds will be provided from a scheme called Assistance to States for Infrastructure Development of Exports.

A review by the ministry last year revealed that the zones had missed their export targets and investments were only half of the originally estimated Rs1,700 crore.

The zones are set up in agro-climatic regions that are known for a particular variety of farm produce. The infrastructure in the area, which included roads, storage, transport and other facilities, was to be developed by combining central and state schemes.
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Railway tickets to be available at ATMs soon
Mumbai: ATMs at railway stations will begin to provide long-distance railway tickets apart from cash. Six public sector banks have entered into an agreement with the railways to provide this facility in their dual-purpose ATMs to be installed in select railway stations across the country. The six banks are State Bank of India, Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank, Dena Bank, Union Bank of India and Bank of Baroda.

More than 1,000 such ATMs are proposed to be installed in railway stations.

As many as 190 ATMs are proposed to be installed at the railway stations managed by the Central Railway and 193 stations of the Western Railway.

The Western Railway had already discussed with banks the space to be allotted for the ATMs in nearly 80 per cent of the cases, an official said.
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Thriving BPO industry lead to shortage of CAs
Chennai: The growth of business process outsourcing (BPO) firms in accounting, finance and investment domains is exacerbate the shortage of chartered accountants according to director HR of Infosys Technologies TV Mohandas Pai.

The finance and accounting outsourcing was expected to touch $24.6 billion globally by 2010. In 2006, 30 per cent of all FAO work outsourced came to India, creating a demand for chartered accountants.

Pai speaking at a one-day seminar on BPO organised by Southern India Regional Council of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in Chennai on Saturday said there were more opportunities in India than there are qualified people and the demand for CAs is particularly high.

He said that according to one estimate, India would need 50,000 CAs a year by the end of 2010. Till 2005, about 5000-6000 CAs were graduating every year. This number has gone up to 9000-10000 in the last couple of years.

Pai said the number has to be much higher to meet the potential demand and added that the BPO sector as a whole is set to employ 5.45 lakh people to generate revenues of $8.3 billion in 2007. This is against 4.15 lakh people in 2006, generating $ 6.3 billion of revenues, and 3.16 lakh people in 2005 generating 4.6 billion of revenues.
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