States agree to uniform sales tax rates by Jan
All states and union territories will implement uniform floor rates of sales tax from January 1, 2000, and VAT from April 1, 2001.

HDFC Bank unveils debit card, to set up 100 ECD terminals
Trust HDFC Bank to come with a bright idea to give a boost to the payment-card industry in the country.

Banks asked to issue debit cards to select customers
The RBI has said that banks should issue smart or debit cards only to customers having a good financial standing and who have maintained the accounts satisfactorily for at least six months.


  Executive Briefing
  Bihar Governor sacks `under-age' minister
  NoF guidelines hit new finance firms' registration hard
  Sinha paints a grim picture of states, Centre financial health
  Weak reforms have hit economy hard -- S&P
  Medium-term outlook better -- Jalan
  Competition laws to be framed on British model
  Delhi in a spot over Beijing's move to cut tariff
  Mumbai I-T wing to miss mopup target
  New economic forces seen shaping euro-zone; inflation remains quite