1.   

Comm Min does away with 'origin of goods' proof for Re payment

Exporters who import goods and ship them to Iran after value-addition will not be required to produce 'goods of Indian origin' certificate for making rupee payments, the Commerce Ministry has decided. It has directed UCO Bank, entrusted with handling rupee payment to Indian exporters to Iran, not to insist on the 'Goods of Indian Origin' certificate. "The Department of Commerce holds the view that it is not necessary to examine 'origin of goods' as long as the exports are permissible by the export regime of the Government of India," Commerce Ministry said in a letter to UCO Bank.

2.   

Israel to help Goa in agriculture, dairy farming

Arrival of direct flights from Israel to Goa and vice versa, at least once a week, setting up of a tourism college in the state with a tie-up with Israel's tourism university, harnessing the Middle-Eastern country's expertise in dairy farming to nearly double Goa's milk production are some benefits Goa is set to reap after a state delegation led by deputy chief minister Francisco D'Souza visited Israel recently.

3.   

India-Thailand road link by 2015, trade to get boost

The multi-billion 1,632-km India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway, to be completed by 2015, would boost trade and business between the two Asian countries, Indian Ambassador to Thailand Anil Wadhwa said Sunday. Speaking on the sidelines of a function to mark the arrival of the 10th international flight of SpiceJet from Bangalore to Bangkok, Wadhwa said under the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation framework "we have invested $258 million on the highway that falls in our part".

4.   

Australian wheat prices rise, market eyes Indian supply

Australian wheat prices firmed this week as frost damage to east coast crops fed supply worries, while Asian millers are likely to snap up wheat cargoes from India, as it moves to cut prices. Australian prime wheat prices rose $12 a tonne to $297 free on board for December shipment and Australian prime hard wheat with 13 percent protein gained $10 a tonne to $355. Australian standard wheat was quoted at $291 a tonne FOB.