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Corporate Economy Expressions Markets Leisure 15 January 1998   Centre urged to unveil entitlement rates for passbook-scheme items The Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) has urged the government to soon announce entitlement rates for items under the Duty Entitlement Passbook (DEPB) scheme. The scheme, announced under the export-import policy for 1997-2002, has about 471 items.   Excise raid on audio cassette makers The excise department in Mumbai raided the premises of pre-recorded audio cassette manufacturers for duty evasion of Rs 60 lakh. The search operations revealed that two units engaged in the manufacture and clearance of pre-recorded audio cassettes -- Sagarika Acoustronics Pvt Ltd and Vijayata Audio World -- were evading excise duty. Plans afoot to make India a trading centre for rough diamond The Union commerce ministry has formulated a strategy that seeks to introduce a private bonded warehouse scheme to make India as a trading centre for rough diamonds. The intention is to ensure easy access of raw materials at competitive prices compared to those imported from secondary markets and to give a boost to gold jewellery export. More FDI flow towards better labour standard regions: Experts Foreign direct investments flow more toward the countries with high labour standards, according to American experts. Experts feel that the US policies should be directed towards maintaining open markets and encouraging the economic growth of those developing countries which are its trade partners.   Stage set for import of crude, petro products from Qatar A memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the Qatar ministry of energy and industry and the ministry of petroleum and natural gas has created an amiable bureaucratic framework for import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by Petronet. LNG and long-term import of crude and petroleum products by the Indianoil Corporation (IOC). US inflation rate lowest since 1960s The underlying rate of US inflation fell to its lowest level in more than three decades in 1997., a stunning performance in a year when the unemployment rate tumbled and labor markets were stretched tight. The Consumer Price Index minus the volatile food and energy components -- called the "core" CPI -- rose just 2.2% in 1997, down from a 2.6% rise in the previous year and the smallest gain since 1.5 per cent in 1965.     We intend to make department tax-payer friendly   Are dhoops, agarbatties taxable as perfumes?   LIC policy gives competition to PPF, NSC   Germany to augment vocational training   CDC to host national consultancy congress   Pune, Maharashtra chambers cross swords over service tax   Shiv Sena urges centre to release open-sale quota of wheat