Maharashtra finance minister Mahadeo Shivankar on Monday indicated additional tax burden in the annual Budget of the state for 1999-2000 to meet the heavy expenditure on various projects. However, ``I would try to do Justice to all sections ofthe society'', he told reporters after a meeting with eminent economists and journalists at his official residence in Mumbai. Shivankar said he had called the meeting to invite suggestions from the experts in the field.

Assocham on changes in exim policy:
The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has suggested that the new exim policy should be dovetailed to the Budget's accent on reviving the flagging business sentiment and allow duty free licences to be freely clubbed and made applicable from the date of issue. In a memorandum to the commerce ministry, chamber president K P Singh pointed out that currently, exporters are penalised for non-fulfilment of export obligations underindividual licences, although, in overall terms, they may have performed laudably.

Singh noted that whereas earlier all duty free licenses wereallowed to be clubbed, albeit in exceptional cases, such as allowance is now available for advance licences only. The words `in exceptional cases' have been done away with to liberalise clubbing in the interests of streamlining procedures and avoiding over canalisation. However, in cases where companies need to club licences other than only advance licences like for SIL as hitherto permissible, the amended version is restrictive.

First of its kind centralised landfill system:
A centralised secured landfill facility, first of its kind in the country, and a common effluent treatment plant have been developed by small industrial units in Ankleshwar to counter the growing problems of environment in this large chemical industrial zones between Vapi and Bharuch in South Gujarat. As a gesture of responsbile corporate citizens, United Phosphorus and JBChemicals set up two speparate companies called Enviro Technology Limited and Bharuch Enviro Infrastructure Limited to construct the common affluent treatment plant.