There has been a move to ‘regulate’ e-commerce market place. E-comm players are blamed for deep discounting and predatory pricing’. Some of the e-commerce giants have been summoned and asked to share data on Sellers, GST compliance and compliance to the ‘spirit’ of FDI. The ‘Draft Social Security Law’, is considering extension of social benefits to the ‘gig workers’ and ‘platform workers’. The recent OECD proposal to tax multinationals, especially the big internet companies, is more or less, in line with India’s proposal on taxation of digital companies. The GST regime has decided to deny refunds to back office entities of MNC’s, terming this as ‘non-export’ and hence service to the same entity. The GST regime has also directed large companies to put a value on logos and brands being used by subsidiaries and charge a fee with an 18% GST. A recent move by the investigative agencies to express judgement about the quality of legal advice is a serious breach of confidentiality. Under law governing evidence, confidential communication between a lawyer and client is protected from extraction as evidence. Did someone mention that India has slipped 10 places to 68th on Global Competitiveness Index?
