Governance hit

Apropos ‘Delhi governance tussle’ (August 1), there does not appear to be any light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to amicably resolving ongoing tussle between the Centre and the Delhi government.

In fact, soon after the centre taking recourse to the ordinance route to undo the Supreme Court judgment, Delhi CM Kejriwal started seeking support from the Opposition parties. He participated in the Opposition conclave in Bengaluru and will likely attend their next meeting in Mumbai.

However, the Bill introduced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Lok Sabha, carries three key amendments to the aforesaid ordinance. But with no early resolution in sight, the governance of Delhi is at stake.

SK Gupta

New Delhi

Online gaming

With reference to the article, ‘Some pragmatic options on taxing online betting’, the GST Council’s re-think on the 28 per cent tax proposed for online gaming portals is welcome. Being $1.5 billion industry it not only generates significant employment but contributes to economic growth of the country as well.

The decision to bring online gaming under the highest tax bracket had more of a moral basis than economic. The writer is right in suggesting a 5 per cent GST for the larger good of all stakeholders.

Bal Govind

Noida

Robust measures

This is with reference to the article, “Ensuring benefits of digital transformation are accessible to all”. Digital transformation is now a critical component of success. Transformations succeed when they are incremental, cost effective and sustainable, Digital transformation initiatives require robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard organisational digital assets, intellectual property, and sensitive customer information.

Companies will continue to invest in cybersecurity measures to ensure the protection of their digital assets. As digital transformation accelerates, business must train and upskill their employees. With digital technologies constantly evolving, organisations need to ensure that their employees possess the skills and knowledge to keep up with these advancements.

P Sundara Pandian

Virudhunagar (TN)

Climate matters

This refers to “New climate in monetary policy” ( August 1). The entire world is passing through an unprecedented heat wave with the adverse impact caused by El Nino and burning of oil, coal and gas leading to perilous climatic conditions. This calls for a standard ESG reporting frameworks to be put in place as part of monetary policy. While there could be some commonalities in investment styles between traditional and ESG investing, environment, social and governance factors act as three pillars in latter.

Financial institutions should increasingly assess balance sheets of companies by considering elements like carbon/toxic emission levels, eco-friendly issues and sustainable governance standards adopted by companies in ensuring greener India.

But some companies do indulge in ‘green washing’ falsely claiming that they meet environmental standards to gain unfair competitive advantage. Monetary policy framework need to identify such elements to be truly effective in ensuring a greener planet.

Srinivasan Velamur

Chennai