ISPs oppose hike in license fee
New Delhi: Internet service providers (ISPs) says telecom regulator TRAI's recommendation to hike the license fee, if accepted, could increase the cost of broadband services by up to 24 per cent.

Internet Service Providers Association of India President Rajesh Chharia said the minister for IT and communications Dayanidhi Maran had declared this year as the 'Yearof Broadband' with a target of nine million broadband subscribers by end of 2007.

However, TRAI's recommendation would hamper the growth of broadband in the country, he said.

He, however, welcomed the TRAI recommendation of reduction of FDI limit to 74 per cent, saying this will safeguard the domestic industry.

The regulator has also failed to address the rise of illegal telephony in the country, Chharia said.
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CAs can take up more tax audit assignments
New Delhi: The Central Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has increased the ceiling on the number of tax audit assignments that a chartered accountant can accept in a financial year either as partner or proprietor. The ceiling on tax audit has been increased from 30 to 45 per chartered accountant/per partner and each partner can undertake 45 tax audits. This comes after a prolonged debate within the ICAI, with some council members even suggesting that there should be no ceiling on the number of tax audits.

Officials said that the ceiling of 30 tax audits was fixed in 1988, when the number of practising chartered accountants was lower than at present. The need to maintain quality and also provide opportunity for younger members of the profession had prompted the institute to maintain the ceiling at 30 for many years.

Now with the number of auditable assessees going up and the introduction of VAT, more assessees are qualifying for tax audit. There is more computerisation. All this prompted ICAI to increase the ceiling.
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