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RBI governor likely to hold interest rates

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New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is widely expected to hold interest rates at its monetary policy review on Tuesday.

According to the Export-Import Bank of India, the rising trend in inflation seen over the last two months and the rainfall deficits are expected to weigh over the considerations of weak economic performance.

“Consequently, policy rate cut by the RBI in its third bi-monthly policy appears bleak,” Exim Bank said in a report.

Consumer price-indexed (CPI), or retail, inflation rose to an eight-month high of 5.4 percent in June riding on costlier food, fuel and housing.

At its last review in June, RBI cut the repo rate, at which it lends short-term to commercial banks, from 7.5 percent to 7.25.

It was the third repo cut this year in June, while the central bank had indicated that there may not be any further cuts in the near term.

Making the first rate cut of the year in January, RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan had said that “the key to further easing are data that confirm continuing disinflationary pressures and sustained high quality fiscal consolidation”.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had extended in the budget the target deadline for controlling fiscal deficit to three percent, reasoning that insistence on a timetable to contain the deficit would harm growth prospects.

The targets for next three years have been set at 3.9 percent for 2015-16, 3.5 percent for 2016-17, and 3.0 percent for 2017-18.

Official data last week showed the fiscal deficit in the first three months of current fiscal already stood at Rs.286,000 crore, or 51.6 percent, of budget estimates for 2015-16.

Meanwhile, American research firm Moody’s Analytics, in a report last week, warned against the National Democratic Allicance government’s moves to tamper with the autonomy of the RBI in deciding on interest rates as potentially damaging for the economy.

“We believe that a government-elected panel undermines the RBI’s independence. Moving to the new model would severely dent the RBI’s competency: Credibility would be lower,
politics would drive decisions, and transparency would be reduced,” Moody’s said.

The government last month released the draft Indian Financial Code, which proposes to remove the RBI governor’s veto right in the monetary policy committee.

Besides taking away the RBI governor’s authority to veto interest rate decisions, the draft also proposed that the monetary policy committee would have four representatives of the government and only three from the central bank, including the RBI “chairperson”.

“Overall, we believe that tampering with the central bank’s independence would make it difficult to anchor inflation expectations. This would weigh on India’s economic
prospects, particularly financial market stability,” the report said.

“But given the criticism of the draft bill, it is unlikely to pass parliament,” it added.

Terming the measure as a “dangerous road ahead”, it said India’s monetary policy, with Governor Rajan at the helm, has been effective.

Jaitley, in his first full budget, had announced a monetary policy committee pact earlier with the RBI that will reduce the governor’s power to act alone. The
monetary policy committee and an official inflation target for the RBI are going to come about through the biggest post-Independence overhaul of the RBI Act, 1934.

However in May, in a big backtrack by the government, Jaitley withdrew from the Finance Bill the clauses pertaining to setting up of a public debt management agency
(PDMA) and the amendments to the RBI Act that would have taken away its powers to regulate government securities.

The United Forum of Reserve Bank Officers Employees had earlier written to MPs and chief ministers of various states that the changes, if implemented, would cripple the
functions of the central bank.

It said the proposed changes would curtail the authority of the RBI and render it totally ineffective in discharging its responsibilities on monetary policy, financial stability and targeting inflation.

Business

Apple is giving a huge discount on its gadgets: Details inside

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If you want to buy an iPhone and were waiting for a nice offer, then we have a piece of good news for you! Amazon Summer Sale May 2022 has begun and they are offering major discounts on various smartphones, laptops, and smart TVs, among others.

The sale is live now on the e-commerce platform with no-cost EMI options and exchange discounts on various products. In addition to this, Amazon has also partnered with several banks including ICICI, Kotak Bank, and RBL so that customers get instant discounts of up to 10% using their cards and EMI transactions.

Customers can easily enjoy this summer sale and get massive discounts on iPhones. They can also compare prices on Flipkart Big Saving Days Sale 2022 before making a purchase.

 

Amazon Summer Sale May 2022: Discount offer on iPhone 13 

Apple’s coveted phone model iPhone 13 in the 128 GB storage model will be available during the Amazon Summer Sale May 2022 for Rs 64,900. The MRP of the phone is Rs 79,900. This means that the customers will be able to enjoy a discount of up to Rs 15,000 on the purchase of the iPhone 13.

If you have an old iPhone in working condition then you will also be eligible to receive another additional discount worth up to Rs 17,000 on the iPhone 13.

Buy at Rs. 64,900 (MRP – Rs. 79,900)

Features of Apple iPhone 13 

The iPhone is powered by an A15 Bionic processor with 6 core CPU. Apart from this, it has 16 core neural engines. With the iPhone 13, up to 512 GB of storage will be available. The iPhone 13 has a 6.1-inch Retina XDR display with 1000 nits brightness.

The iPhone 13 has a 12-megapixel dual rear camera setup. This time a new wide-angle camera has been given, whose aperture is f/1.6. With this, there is support for sensor optical stabilisation. Night mode has been made better than before. The second lens is also 12 megapixels ultra-wide and has an aperture of f/2.4.

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