The Coalition has voiced concerns about Beijing-aligned tech companies lobbying politicians and departments without declaring their activities on a register set up to combat foreign interference. or signup to continue reading In September, executives from Chinese surveillance giant Hikvision travelled to Canberra to sway public officials ahead of the passage of major new cyber security legislation. Details of a contract with Labor-linked lobby firm Hawker Britton were declared in the government's foreign influence transparency register, which was set up as part of a broader package of laws introduced by the Turnbull government in 2018. The opposition's spokesman for home affairs, James Paterson, said other entities with links to foreign states should publicly declare their lobbying activities. "Hikvision's decision to register on the foreign influence transparency scheme blows away the excuses for other Chinese-headquartered companies with close connections to the Communist Party for their failure to do so," he told ACM "Huawei, DJI, TikTok, Dahua, BYD, and WeChat should all be transparent about their attempts to influence public policy in Australia and their close relationships with the Chinese government." Under foreign agent registration laws, individuals and organisations who undertake certain activities on behalf of a foreign government or related entity are required to publish it on a public register. A parliamentary committee called for sweeping changes to the laws this year after it found significant flaws in the scheme, pointing to a low number of registrations and minimal levels of compliance. It's understood the Attorney-General's Department is considering the changes but changes are not imminent. Hikvision, whose largest shareholder is owned by the Chinese government, launched its lobbying efforts as the government prepared to pass its overhaul of cyber security laws The tech giant and its competitor Dahua had following concerns over national security. The ban followed similar moves from governments in the US and the UK, which blacklisted Hikvision after it was implicated in Beijing's treatment of Muslim minority groups in China. A media representative from Hawker Britton told ACM the lobbying group had met its legal obligations to declare its relationship with the firm under the transparency scheme. The Department of Parliamentary Services, the entity responsible for provisioning services in Parliament House, said its representatives did not meet Hawker Britton and Hikvision during the visit in September. Home Affairs was unable to say whether its officials met Hikvision because it does not hold a department-wide diary. The Department of Defence and the Department of Infrastructure refused to say whether their officials held meetings the lobbyists. The Attorney-General's Department did not respond before deadline. Independent senator David Pocock, who has joined crossbenchers to call for an overhaul of the federal lobbying system, said there needs to be greater transparency about which companies are influencing decision-makers. "We need ministerial diaries to be published. A public register of sponsored pass holders and who sponsored them as well as including in-house lobbyists on the register," he said. Darren Halpin, a professor of political science at the Australian National University who researches lobbying at a federal level, said a growing appetite for clearer lobbying regulations is unavoidable. "I think it's inevitable there will be some firming up of house rules. In the past, it's mostly been scandal-driven and that's been the impetus to sort of fix these systems," he said. "It's not a question specific to Australia, the whole agenda around transparency and influence in politics is top of mind of most institutions because citizens are concerned about the quality of democracy, and decisions that are made and how they are being made." Eleanor Campbell is a political reporter based in the Parliamentary Press Gallery. You can reach her at eleanor.campbell@austcommunitymedia.com.au. Eleanor Campbell is a political reporter based in the Parliamentary Press Gallery. You can reach her at eleanor.campbell@austcommunitymedia.com.au. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. 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Zomato said last week that it received a notice from the goods and services tax authorities demanding Rs 803 crore in unpaid tax including penalty and interest for the period between 2019 and 2022. This issue pertains to a contention between food delivery platforms and the government, on whether the aggregators are liable to pay tax on the delivery fees collected by them. ET explains: What is the latest development? The tax demand came after the GST authorities sent a show cause notice to Zomato in December last year , seeking reasons on why it should not be taxed the amount. The authorities decided to raise the demand after taking into consideration the company’s response. Why is Zomato being asked to pay such a large amount in tax? 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The GST authorities are of the view that delivery is classified as a service and so the fees collected by Zomato during this period is liable to be taxed. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories At the heart of this issue is Section 9 (5) of the Central GST Act, which stipulates that platforms across sectors such as food delivery, ride hailing and ecommerce that aggregate businesses are responsible for collection and payment of the indirect tax on behalf of the suppliers of goods or services. Under GST laws, delivery of food is a service liable to be taxed at 18%, and the government is of the view that since the platforms have been collecting a service fee, they must pay the tax. What is the point of contention? Aggregators say that while they collect delivery fees from customers, it is passed on to the gig workers fulfilling those deliveries. “In a large number of cases, customers are charged no delivery fees or discounted fees...but the delivery partners are still paid as per a standard per km fee basis. That’s the burden the platform takes to drive growth,” a food delivery executive said. How long has this issue been in the making? Starting January 1, 2022 , online food ordering platforms that aggregate restaurants and arrange for food deliveries have been liable to collect and deposit GST on behalf of restaurants for sales made through them. However, at the time, no clarity was provided on the delivery fee component. Companies and industry bodies have been seeking clarity from the GST Council on the delivery fee component, on whether it is covered under the tax ambit. But nothing has emerged so far. How does this tax demand impact Zomato? The company said it will contest the tax demand. It will first appeal in the GST Appellate Tribunal, following which the matter could end up going to the courts. “This will be a long-drawn battle before any material outcome emerges,” a tax expert said. To put things into perspective, the tax demand of Rs 803.7 crore is more than the total profit made by Zomato since it became profitable in the April-June 2023 quarter. In the fiscal year 2024, Zomato posted a net profit of Rs 351 crore . For the first six months of the ongoing fiscal year, it posted a profit of Rs 429 crore. What could be the broader implications? While the final outcome of this matter could take time as the company as well the authorities undergo a likely appeals process, a legal precedence on paying tax for delivery fees collected on behalf of gig workers could open the gates for other services that employ gig workers for deliveries, such as online groceries, e-pharmacies, and hyperlocal logistics to be taxed. Is it just Zomato that has come under the tax scanner on this issue? Zomato’s Bengaluru-based rival Swiggy was also served a show cause notice last December on the same matter amounting to unpaid tax of Rs 326.8 crore. Swiggy is understood to have not received a demand notice yet.( MENAFN - Live Mint) Drones spotted across New Jersey have left residents puzzled and unsettled, with no official explanations offered as the mystery continues. Former CIA Operations Officer Laura Ballman weighed in on the strange sightings suggesting they could be part of a classified government exercise. Ballman, during an appearance on Fox News Live, described the drone activity as "extremely unsettling" and noted that recent statements from National Security spokesman John Kirby - affirming the drones are not operating illegally - suggest a US-government-related operation could be at play. "Deducing the statements from [National Security spokesman] John Kirby that these drones are not operating illegally, coupled with several op-eds that have been out there in the last 24 hours about the need to look at our detection systems, makes me think perhaps this is actually a classified exercise to test either evasion technology or detection technology in urban areas," Ballman was quoted as saying by the news website. Although she emphasized that she would be "shocked" if the CIA were directly involved, she expressed concern over the lack of transparency from the US government. Ballman said it is "troubling" that the reasons for these mysterious drone sightings remain undisclosed, leaving the public in the dark. The drone activity continues to raise questions as officials struggle to provide concrete answers, and residents demand clarity on what might lie behind the skies of New Jersey. Kirby had previously said the aircraft could be lawfully operated planes or helicopters mistaken for drones. "While there is no known malicious activity occurring, the reported sightings there do, however, highlight a gap in authorities," he told reporters Thursday, calling for Congress to pass new legislation to "extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities." Dozens of mysterious nighttime drone flights have been reported over New Jersey and the East Coast, raising concerns among residents and officials. The sightings began in mid-November and have since expanded to include Maryland, Massachusetts, and other states, with some drones spotted near key locations such as the Picatinny Arsenal - a US military research and manufacturing facility - and over former President Donald Trump 's golf course in Bedminster. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has taken action by writing to President Joe Biden to demand answers about the sightings. Additionally, New Jersey's newly elected Senator Andy Kim joined the investigation. The FBI is leading the investigation alongside other federal agencies and is calling on residents to share any videos, photos, or information that might shed light on the origins of these drones. Dozens of witnesses have reported sightings across the state, with initial reports concentrated along the Raritan River. Although reports of the drones have sparked fear and speculation, the outgoing Biden administration has sought to downplay the public's concerns. Officials have stressed that most sightings involve manned aircraft rather than potential threats and have found no conclusive evidence of a national security risk. However, frustration is mounting among Democrats, over the perceived lack of transparency and urgency from the federal government in addressing these concerns. Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the sightings , calling for transparency and immediate action. In a social media post last week, Trump questioned the government's role , stating:“Can this really be happening without our government's knowledge? I don't think so. Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down.” MENAFN15122024007365015876ID1108995435 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

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