Month: December 2020

By Lee Kah Whye

The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) on December 8, posted a media release asking for public feedback with regards to a proposed Singapore-India Commercial Cooperation Framework Agreement between Singapore Airlines (SIA) and TATA SIA Airlines Limited, the company that operates Vistara. The two parties entered into this agreement on February 13 this year before the full impact of COVID-19 pandemic was felt by the airlines’ industry.

The CCCS, which regulates competition in Singapore, received a joint application from SIA and Vistara seeking a decision on their proposed cooperation on November 30. The cooperation includes prorate arrangements and expanded code sharing to grow traffic between India and Singapore as well as between India and “certain agreed markets”.

Singapore established the CCCS in 2005 for the purpose of enforcing and investigating unfair trade practices, which have an adverse effect on competition, resulting in unreasonable pricing practices. Its mission is to make markets work well to create opportunities and choices for business and consumers in Singapore. It has the power to stop anti-competitive activities and impose financial penalties.

As of September 2019, SIA operated air passenger services to more than 63 destinations in 32 countries and territories using a fleet of 125 aircraft.

Vistara is a joint venture between Tata Sons and SIA with Tata owning 51 per cent of the airline and SIA the remaining 49 percent. It is positioned as a premium airline, which was launched with the stated goal of redefining air travel in India with a “personalised flying experience.” Service commenced on January 9, 2015 with a flight between New Delhi and Mumbai, and its maiden international flight was between New Delhi and Singapore on August 6, 2019. This was followed soon by flights between Mumbai and Singapore. Pre-COVID, with a fleet of 45 planes, it flew to 39 destinations, out of which seven are international. As of June 2019, it had a 4.7 per cent share of the domestic carrier market, making it the 6th largest domestic airline.

Although scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain halted since March 23 due to the pandemic, scheduled domestic passenger flights resumed in India on May 25 after being suspended for two months due to the lockdown. At that time, carriers were permitted to operate not more than 33 per cent of their pre-COVID domestic. International flights under the Vande Bharat Mission have been flying since May and flights under bilateral air bubble pacts since July.

In their submission to the CCCS, Vistara and SIA declared that pre-COVID, they had 16 overlapping origin-destination routes, both direct and non-direct between Singapore and India, which could be merged. However, they believe the “aggregation in passenger shares” is not significant in the overlapping routes and will unlikely have any actual adverse effect on competition.

The passenger shares and volume between Singapore and Bhubaneswar, Singapore and Guwahati, Singapore and Gao, and Singapore and Port Blair indicate there will “unlikely be any actual adverse effect on competition.” The airlines also argue that there are many existing competitors on the overlapping routes and the barrier to entry is low should other airlines wish to compete on these routes.

They two airlines further claimed that the proposed cooperation will result in significant consumer and economic benefits and efficiencies. They say that with the cooperation, there will be an increased likelihood that the reinstatement of capacity will be expedited once COVID travel restrictions are lifted. Furthermore, connectivity between Singapore and India will be improved, which will benefit both countries’ aviation and tourism sectors, increasing the potential for parties to add capacity and improve fare availability. In addition, inventory and pricing coordination will lower prices due to cost consolidation. They added that more competitive fares will eventuate because of reduced double marginalisation.

The cooperation will also bring significant benefits to both SIA and Vistara’s corporate account customers and benefit members of both airlines’ frequent flyer programmes.

“The agreement will further strengthen SIA’s and Vistara’s existing partnership and enable them to offer seamless services to their customers by harmonising efforts incapacity planning, sales, marketing, joint fare products, customer services and operations,” SIA said in a statement.

The competition commission will be looking into how the proposed collaboration, which may result in a reduction of flights and seat capacity, will affect consumer choices as well as ticket prices. With airlines struggling to survive, it is yet unknown how the travel industry will emerge from the coronavirus induced downturn, and how many airlines will emerge unscathed.

Companies, who are getting used to video meetings, are likely to reduce corporate travel, the target market for SIA and Vistara. A post COVID world may see air travel demand reduced along with fewer airlines in operation. This will certainly impact the tie-up between Vistara and SIA as well as the travellers on the routes affected by the this. Much is unknown at this stage.

This feedback exercise will run until December 21. (ANI)

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder and leader Altaf Hussain on Sunday said that the Pakistani Army wants to wipe out the Mohajirs but asserted it will be impossible to wipe out millions of Mohajirs.

“The army wants to eliminate the Mohajirs, it can kill a few people but cannot wipe out the millions of Mohajirs… We will now work together with the Sindhi brothers for the rights and freedom of Sindh,” he expressed these views while addressing the party workers and the people on Sunday and called for unity and solidarity of the permanent residents and the joint struggle for the independence of Sindh.

“We chose the word “Mohajir” for our identity. Now this is our identity which is a reality and cannot be denied,” he added and further said that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in collaboration with the Army implemented quota system in Sindh on the basis of urban and rural.

“Foundation for segregation and division in Sindh was laid through this quota system and higher education and government jobs were denied to Mohajirs. Whether it is the Police or other government departments, the number of Mohajirs (employed) in it is negligible,” he continued.

The MQM founder stated that “our elders” broke India in the name of Islam and made Pakistan but raised the question as to who got the benefit of making Pakistan.

“Jawaharlal Nehru (first Prime Minister of India) was ready to give 27 per cent share in power to the Muslims of India but those who migrated to Pakistan are not given even 2 per cent share,” the founder pointed out.

While advocating for the independence of Sindh from the draconian rule of the Pakistani Army, the MQM founder said that the life and death of the Mohajir is associated with Sindh.

“I would advise the Mohajirs that we live in Sindh, our life and death is associated with Sindh, we became Sindhis on the basis of affiliation with it and we have to fight for the independence of Sindh together with our Sindhi brothers, we need the independence of Sindh and not the province,” he said.

Hussain said that in ‘independent Sindh’ there will be equal rights for Mohajirs and Sindhis and Sindhi brothers will openly recognize the rights of Mohajirs and their rights and “if Mohajirs are not given equal rights then Sindh will be abused.”

“If the Sindhis and Mohajirs do not recognize each other wholeheartedly, it will be the detriment of the motherland of Sindh,” the founder said further.(ANI)

Filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala’s upcoming action-comedy ‘Bachchan Pandey’ has now roped in actor Pankaj Tripathi to its star-studded cast.

The action-comedy has the likes of Akshay Kumar, Jacqueline Fernandez, Arshad Warsi, and Kriti Sanon on-board already.

Film critic and movie trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to Twitter on Monday and confirmed the news.

“BACHCHAN PANDEY… #PankajTripathi joins the cast of #BachchanPandey… Stars #AkshayKumar, #ArshadWarsi, #JacquelineFernandez and #KritiSanon…,” he tweeted.

“Shoot begins Jan 2021 in #Jaisalmer… Directed by #FarhadSamji… Produced by #SajidNadiadwala.”

Directed by Farhad Samji, the film will be reportedly shot in places like Gadisar Lake and Jaisalkot.

Akshay’s eponymous character in the film ‘Bachchan Pandey’ is a gangster who aspires to be an actor, while, Kriti Sanon will essay the role of a journalist, who harbours dreams of becoming a film director.

Arshad Warsi has been roped in to play the role of Bachchan Pandey’s friend.

The action-comedy also marks Nadiadwala’s 10th collaboration with Akshay. (ANI)

The ongoing farmers’ protest is set to intensify as the heads of all farmer unions agitating against the Centre’s new farm laws will observe a one-day hunger strike on Monday.

A protester from Lakhimpur Kheri at the Ghazipur (Delhi-UP border) said, “When we take our sugarcane trolleys to mills, it happens that we skip meals for 24 hours. We are prepared for fast.”

The number of farmers at the Ghazipur border is increasing while the protesters continue to stay in the cold weather conditions here.

The fast will be observed from 8:00 am today till 5:00 pm. The farmers here told that they have a habit of fasting this way. Some farmers also asserted that when they go to sell crops, they have to stay hungry for one or two days.

Gradually, the population of farmers is increasing at the Ghazipur border, where earlier there used to be only two to three tents of ration, today it has increased to at least eight to ten tents at the protest site without the lack of food supply.

Alleging that the Central government is working in favour of the corporate sector, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait on Sunday reiterated that farmers will not end the agitation till the three recently passed agriculture sector laws are repealed.

“The farmers are here with full preparation to stay. The completion of the construction of godowns before the laws were passed shows that the plan is something else. The farmers’ name is on the files and inside the files, the documents belong to traders. This will not go on in India,” Tikait said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said, he will hold a one-day fast on Monday in support of farmers.

He also urged his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) volunteers as well as people of the country to join in.

Hundreds of farmers have been protesting on the outskirts of Delhi since late November 26 demanding the government to repeal the newly enacted farm laws.

However, the government has held six rounds of talks with farmers’ organisations including the meeting called by Union Home Minister Amit Shah offering changes to the laws and written assurances. (ANI)

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the 11 party opposition alliance, has announced that it will hold a long march to Islamabad by late January or early February to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

According to a Geo News report, Pakistani Muslim League (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz in her address at Minar-i-Pakistan on Sunday urged supporters to answer the call for a march to Islamabad, while Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari formally announced that PDM is now headed to the capital.

During the rally, Jamiat Ulema-e Islam (F) (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman was quoted as saying, “We will march towards Islamabad in late January or early February.”

He further said, “We will no longer allow the illegitimate government to rule. We will only rest after it is brought to an end.”

The next general elections in Pakistan are scheduled for 2023.

This was the first time in the recent history of the country that the PML-N held a public meeting at Minar-i-Pakistan, the first rally at this venue for its Vice President Maryam.

Similarly, it was Bilawal’s first appearance at a political gathering at Minar-i-Pakistan. His late mother, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, held a historic public meeting at Minar-i-Pakistan in 1986.

After the sixth power show held in Lahore, PDM called a meeting of top party leaders to discuss strategy for the next rally that will be held in Larkana.

According to a report by ARY News, the meeting would be attended by JUI-F chief, Maryam Nawaz, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and other leaders.

Anadolu News has reported that tens of thousands of opposition supporters rallied in Pakistan’s northeastern city of Lahore on Sunday, despite a government ban on public gatherings due to coronavirus. (ANI)

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General MM Naravane called on top Saudi Generals to discuss issues of mutual interest and defence cooperation as part of his second leg of the two-nation visit.

According to the Indian Army, it was for the first time that an Indian Army Chief visited the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

“Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane visited Ministry of Defence Riyadh and called on General Fayyad bin Hamid Ruwaili, Chief of General Staff CGS. He discussed issues of mutual interest and defence cooperation,” the Indian Army said in a tweet on Sunday.

It further said, “General MM Naravane COAS interacted with Lieutenant General Mutlaq bin Salim bin Al-Azima Commander of the Joint Forces Saudi Arabia and exchanged views on defence cooperation.”

The Army Chief had earlier visited the United Arab Emirates from 9 to 10 December 2020. In the UAE, he had called on senior military officials to discuss avenues for enhancing India-UAE defence relations.

He then travelled to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a two-day visit from December 13 to 14.

Last month, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar was in the UAE to discuss the advancement of strategic cooperation between the two countries as coronavirus crisis seems to ebb away with the imminent roll-out of COVID vaccine. (ANI)

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh targeted his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal for exploiting the ongoing agitation of the farmers to further the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) petty electoral agenda in Punjab with “blatant lies and brazenly false propaganda”.

Cornering Kejriwal, the Punjab Chief Minister went on to call the AAP chief a “shameless liar”.

“In sharp contrast to the Kejriwal government in Delhi, which had been thriving on Ambani crumbs and had been touting its power reforms under the Reliance-run BSES as its biggest achievement, the Punjab government had neither signed any agreement with Adani Power nor was even aware of the private players bidding for power purchase in the state,” Captain Amarinder said in an official release.

Responding to Kejriwal’s announcement that he will hold a one-day fast in support of farmers, the Punjab Chief Minister quipped: “In fact, the Kejriwal government that was shamelessly notifying one of the “black farm laws” on November 23, at a time when farmers were preparing to march to Delhi to protest these very farm laws. And now they are indulging in theatrics by announcing that they would be sitting on fast in support of the farmers’ hunger strike on Monday.”

He further alleged that Kejriwal and his party are “busy playing politics” while farmers are sitting outside the national capital for the past 17 days to seek justice.

“Do you have no shame? At a time when our farmers are braving the winter cold on the roads outside your city, and many of them are dying fighting for their rights, all you can think of is how to make the most of the opportunity to promote your political interests,” he said.

Pointing out that Punjab had been purchasing additional power to support farmers during the sowing season for years, Captain Amarinder said it was obvious that Kejriwal and his party “neither knew nor cared about what goes into sowing or what the needs of the farmers are”.

“From backstabbing the farmers by implementing one of the black farm laws, to trying to dump them in a corner of Delhi, Kejriwal had proved time and again that he was no friend of the farmers,” he added.

Hundreds of farmers have been protesting on the outskirts of Delhi since late November 26 demanding the government to repeal the newly enacted farm laws. However, the government has held six rounds of talks with farmers’ organisations including the meeting called by Union Home Minister Amit Shah offering changes to the laws and written assurances. (ANI)

In the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21, Government continues to procure Kharif 2020-21 crops at its MSP from farmers as per its existing MSP Schemes, said Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution on Sunday.

“Paddy procurement for Kharif 2020-21 has progressed smoothly in the procuring States & UTs of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar with purchase of374.81LMTs of paddy up to 12.12.2020 against the last year corresponding purchase of 309.57LMT showing an increase of 21.07 per cent over last year,” the Ministry said in a press statement.

It said, Out of the total purchase of 374.81LMT, Punjab alone has purchased 202.77 LMT till the close of procurement season in the state on 30.11.2020 which is 54.10 per cent of total procurement in the country.

About 40.90 Lac farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing KMS procurement Operations with MSP value of Rs 70764.66 Crore, the Ministry said.

“Further, based on the proposal from the States, approval was accorded for procurement of 48.11 LMT of Pulse and Oilseeds of Kharif Marketing Season 2020 for the States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh under Price Support Scheme (PSS),” the statement read.

“Further, sanction for procurement of 1.23 LMT of Copra (the perennial crop) for the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala was also given. For other States/UTs, approval will also be accorded on receipt of proposals for the procurement of Pulses, Oilseeds and Copra under PSS so that procurement of FAQ grade of these crops can be made at notified MSP for the year 2020-21 directly from the registered farmers if the market rate goes below MSP during the notified harvesting period in the respective States/UTs by the Central Nodal Agencies through State nominated procuring agencies,” it said.

According to the statement, up to 12.12.2020, the Government through its Nodal Agencies has procured 154423.46MT of Moong, Urad, Groundnut Pods and Soyabean having MSP value of Rs 829.57 Crores benefitting 87024 farmers in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan.

Similarly, 5089 MT of copra (the perennial crop) having MSP value of Rs.52.40 crore has been procured benefitting 3961 farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu upto 12.12.2020 as against the last year corresponding purchase of 293.34 MT of copra.

In respect of Copra and Urad, rates are ruling above MSP in most of the major producing States. The respective State/UTs Governments are making necessary arrangements for commencement of procurement from the date as decided by the respective States based on the arrivals in respect of Kharif Pulses and Oilseeds, the press statement added. (ANI)

Addressing the sixth power show of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on Sunday via video link, Pakistan former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lashed out at the armed forces for its involvement in the political matter of the country and asked them to stop “political engineering factories in agencies”.

PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif asked who was answerable for the government’s failings, Dawn reported.

“He (PM Imran) says I won’t give an NRO. Who is asking you for an NRO? You and Aleema Khan got an NRO from Saqib Nisar yourself,” said Nawaz.

“They say, don’t take names? Tell me, what should we do? Is Imran Khan alone responsible for the predicament the country is in?”

Nawaz said that his “crime is that I speak the truth” and added that he was fighting for the people. He said that his “narrative” was the same as Quaid-i-Azam’s.

“Stop political engineering factories in agencies,” said the former prime minister.

Thousands of people thronged the Minar-i-Pakistan in Lahore to attend the sixth and last power show of Pakistan Democratic Movements, an 11 party alliance.

On their arrival at the venue, PDM leaders Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Maryam Nawaz, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari along with others were greeted by enthusiastic supporters who had gathered at Minar-i-Pakistan during the day.

This is the first time in the recent history of the country that the PML-N is holding a public meeting at Minar-i-Pakistan, the first rally at this venue for PML-N Vice President Maryam.

Similarly, it is PPP Chairperson Bilawal’s first appearance at a political gathering at Minar-i-Pakistan. His late mother, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, held a historic public meeting at Minar-i-Pakistan in 1986.

Addressing the crowd, Maryam, welcoming supporters to the gathering, said: “Who would say in their pharoah-like tone that the PML-N should dare and fill the venue?”

“To them, I say: Come and behold this full venue. The entire area surrounding the venue is full. Thousands could not find space here,” Geo News quoted Maryam as saying.

Maryam also urged the supporters to give a warm welcome to leaders of other provinces that have arrived. She said that Lahore will be the binding force for all provinces. (ANI)