Tag Archives: technology
New duties rain on Indians’ TV party
New duties rain on Indians’ TV party Muaz Shabandri / 21 August 2013 Travelling to India with a television set will soon become a thing of the past as the Indian government announced plans to impose custom duties on ‘non-essential’ imports. Non-resident Indians (NRIs) and Indian tourists going back to India with TV sets would be asked to pay a 10 per cent customs duty and 12.5 per cent countervailing duty as part of the new rules. The move is expected to discourage Indians from spending on non-essential products outside India. Till now, most Indian expatriates would carry a 32” or 42” TV in their free-baggage allowance as the Indian government was allowing a duty-free import of TV sets up to the value of Rs35,000. However, the new rules, taking effect from August 26, would affect NRIs. Television sales across the UAE are expected to dip by more than 20 per cent over the next three to six months. The availability of cheap television sets in the UAE, Thailand and Singapore had created a huge market from India as tourists took advantage of the price difference due to the baggage allowance. “The Indian consumers looked at TV sets as a nice gift for friends or relatives. It was one of the most popular products which one would take back to their home country,” said Ashish Panjabi, chief operating officer for UAE’s Jacky’s Group, a major electronic retailer. The LCD and LED TV sets by major brands like Samsung, LG and Sony are priced almost 30 to 40 per cent cheaper in the UAE market. The new rules are aimed at reducing the cost-benefit for retail consumers who will end up paying as much as they would for a TV set in the Indian market. Neelesh Bhatnagar, CEO of Emax Electronics, also expressed concerns over the decision to impose customs duties on TV sets as he said, “With the devaluation of the Indian currency, major electronic manufacturers will also have to increase prices of products in the Indian market.” Every day, more than 3,000 flat-screen TV sets land at Indian airports. The number increases to almost 10,000 during the sale season and Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) when special offers are provided to retail customers. The UAE is a popular tourist stop for Indian residents who look at Dubai as a shopping destination. Electronics and gold products are a hit with this consumer segment. “We have already seen a dip in the flow of Indian tourists coming to our stores. For any customer taking back an electronic product to their home country, they need to make a saving of at least 25 per cent. Warranty and installation issues also affect the buying sentiment sometimes,” added Bhatnagar. Sliding Indian rupee has forced economists and policy-makers to take corrective measures and reduce the current-account deficit (CAD). Taxes on gold imports were also raised for the third time in eight months, again targeting NRIs. The government increased the customs duty by 10 per cent from 8 per cent per 300 grams of the precious metal. P.K. Abdul Salam, executive director of Malabar Gold & Diamonds, said gold retailers in the UAE would definitely be affected as sales were expected to slump. “It will definitely affect gold sales in the UAE. The margin of difference when importing gold is very obvious now. Also, some states in India have local taxes which add to the end retail cost,” he said. Gold is hugely popular in India, especially during religious festivals and wedding seasons, as middle-income families look at gold as a safe investment. “People are now willing to send money rather than invest in gold because of the falling Indian rupee. It is a dull season and we are hoping sales would pick up during the festive seasons of Eid and Diwali,” added Abdul Salam. In January 2012, the duty on gold stood at 2 per cent. It has been steadily increasing since then, causing fears of an increase in gold smuggling. muaz@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Dogs being taught to use phones and tabs
Dogs being taught to use phones and tabs Staff Reporter / 21 August 2013 If you’re not already tired of being technologically outwitted by your toddlers, it could be about to get worse — an American dog school is teaching pets to use phones and iPads. Anna Grossman holds her iPad while her dog Amos touches the screen with his nose at her studio in New York. — AFP School for The Dogs in New York has been teaching clever canines to “use” the touch-manipulated devices for the past year. The dogs select either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ icons on the screen, with their noses. Dog trainer Anna Grossman wrote about the experiment conducted with several dozen dogs and their owners on the company’s website, explaining the tech idea came to her after she read a spoof article about a girl who had done the same thing. Grossman wrote the benefit of teaching the unusual trick was to get dogs to be more compliant in more serious matters. “The more silly behaviours your dog can learn to do reliably on cue, the better he’ll be at understanding you when you need to teach important stuff.” The trainers say one of the first things dogs learn at the school’s classes is how to touch things with their noses, goaded by the promise of an edible reward, which shows dogs “(they) can affect the outcome of (their) environment simply by touching something with (their) nose”. Grossman wrote teaching dogs “nose touches” was the first step to teaching commands such as to come or shut the fridge door. The social-media savvy school also offers dog lessons over Skype, pens a ‘Dog Blog’ and has a Facebook feed updating the hijinks of subscribers’ dogs. news@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Law to ban smoking in vehicles with children
Law to ban smoking in vehicles with children (Wam) / 20 August 2013 The anti-tobacco federal law, which will come into force next year, will ban smoking in private vehicles if a child younger than 12 years is present in the car. The Ministry of Health has announced the executive regulations of the anti-tobacco flaw, which were approved by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in the Cabinet’s Resolution No. 24 issued on July 21, 2013. The said resolution will come into effect six months from the date of its issuance. The regulations are part of the government’s efforts to establish an effective national anti-tobacco strategy to protect public health. The ban on the vehicles aims to protect children from being exposed to cigarette smoke. The law also aims to reduce smoking among youth. A study carried out in Abu Dhabi showed that 28 per cent of children aged 15 years and younger, are smokers, while 30 per cent of people aged 18 and above are smokers. The law bans any content that advertises tobacco products, such as newspaper advertisements, TV commercials and animations. It also bans importing tobacco products that are not in line with technical standards set by the UAE, and any violations regarding such imports can lead to a one year prison sentence and a fine ranging from Dh100,000 to Dh1 million, in addition to the confiscation of products. The law also provides specifications on the packaging of tobacco products. All products must now display a large warning label on the front to raise awareness on the dangers of tobacco, and not to mislead them. Violators will be fined Dh100,000 to Dh1 million, and the fines can be doubled if the offence is repeated. Tobacco products cannot be displayed near items marketed for children, or sportswear, health, food and electronic products. Tobacco products are also forbidden to be sold in locations that are 100 metres away from places of worship, and 15 metres away from kindergartens, schools, universities and colleges. Shisha cafes will also have to be at least 150 metres away from residential areas. The regulations also specify that these cafes’ working hours will be from 10am to 12pm. Shishas will not be served to customers younger than 18 years of age, and the cafes will be forbidden from delivering shishas to apartments. Growing or producing tobacco for commercial purposes will also be forbidden, and current manufacturing plants have been given a grace period of 10 years to sort out their situation, and tobacco farms have been given a two-year grace period. The UAE ratified the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), the first international treaty negotiated under the auspices of WHO, in November 2005. The UAE anti-tobacco law was drafted by the Ministry of Health in 2006. In December 2009, the UAE issued its own federal anti-tobacco law. Continue reading
