Mahajan for postponing zero-duty deadline

Union minister for communication and information technology Pramod Mahajan has recommended that the zero duty regime to be postponed to 2005, as per India`s commitment to World Trade Organization (WTO) under the Information Technology Agreement (ITA), from the existing internal target of 2003, reports The Financial Express.

This is part of the budget proposals submitted to finance minister Yashwant Sinha by Mr Mahajan on January 17, 2002. Mr Mahajan has asked for the benefit given to private sector telecom companies under section 80IA of the Income Tax Act to be extended to public sector telecom service providers like Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) and BSNL in order to ensure level playing field.

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