Higher gold prices to weaken jewellery demand growth: ICRA
Kolkata, May 7: Higher gold prices and tightened credit availability are expected to weaken growth in jewellery demand by 2-4 per cent during 2018, a credit rating agency said on Monday.
"The agency expects the jewellery demand growth to weaken by 2-4 per cent for CY2018 (Calendar year 2018), owing to higher gold prices and subdued financing environment. The industry continues to remain susceptible to the regulatory risks, which has affected both demand and supply," ICRA said.
However, over the medium to long term, it expects the gold jewellery retail industry to record a 6-7 per cent volume growth, supported by stable rural and wedding demand, cultural affinity for gold, rising disposable income and favourable demographic profile.
"Gold prices have increased steadily in the last three months, which coupled with lesser number of auspicious days impacted jewellery demand. Also, financing to the gems and jewellery sector has been under increased scrutiny in the recent months following reporting of fraud by few lenders on their exposures to the sector," its Vice President K. Srikumar said.
According to him, lenders are more cautious on the sector with increasing due diligence and checks on credit and inventory quality.
"We expect the tightened credit availability to affect the working capital position of jewellery retailers, especially the unorganized ones," he said.
In contrast, gold jewellery demand for CY2017 grew by 12 per cent in volumes and 9 per cent in values amid headwinds in the form of higher tax rates post GST, inclusion of jewellery sector under the ambit of Prevention of Money Laundering Act albeit for a brief period and continued preference for other asset classes due to better returns.
The agency also said it expects the industry revenues to grow by 8-9 per cent in FY2019 supported by stable wedding and festive demand. The growth is seen declining compared to FY2018 with elevated gold prices and supply side concerns amid cautious lending environment.
"Over the medium to long term, the industry revenues are likely to settle at 7-8 per cent growth led by socio-economic and cultural factors that are unique to the Indian market," it added.
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Trouble ‘Miyas’ everywhere only then they will leave Assam: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Says “Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP are openly against them, we are saying it openly
New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that four to five lakh “Miya voters” would be removed from the electoral rolls in the state once the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists is carried out. He also made a series of controversial remarks openly targeting the Miya community, a term commonly used in Assam in a derogatory sense to refer to Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an official programme in Digboi in Tinsukia district, Sarma said it was his responsibility to create difficulties for the Miya community and claimed that both he and the BJP were “directly against Miyas”.
“Four to five lakh Miya votes will have to be deleted in Assam when the SIR happens,” Sarma said, adding that such voters “should ideally not be allowed to vote in Assam, but in Bangladesh”. He asserted that the government was ensuring that they would not be able to vote in the state.
The chief minister was responding to questions about notices issued to thousands of Bengali-speaking Muslims during the claims and objections phase of the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls in Assam. While the Election Commission is conducting SIR exercises in 12 states and Union Territories, Assam is currently undergoing an SR, which is usually meant for routine updates.
Calling the current SR “preliminary”, Sarma said that a full-fledged SIR in Assam would lead to large-scale deletion of Miya voters. He said he was unconcerned about criticism from opposition parties over the issue.
“Let the Congress abuse me as much as they want. My job is to make the Miya people suffer,” Sarma said. He claimed that complaints filed against members of the community were done on his instructions and that he had encouraged BJP workers to keep filing complaints.
“I have told people wherever possible they should fill Form 7 so that they have to run around a little and are troubled,” he said, adding that such actions were meant to send a message that “the Assamese people are still living”.
In remarks that drew further outrage, Sarma urged people to trouble members of the Miya community in everyday life, claiming that “only if they face troubles will they leave Assam”. He also accused the media of sympathising with the community and warned journalists against such coverage.
“So you all should also trouble, and you should not do news that sympathise with them. There will be love jihad in your own house.” He said.
The comments triggered reactions from opposition leaders. Raijor Dal president and MLA Akhil Gogoi said the people of Assam had not elected Sarma to keep one community under constant pressure. Congress leader Aman Wadud accused the chief minister of rendering the Constitution meaningless in the state, saying his remarks showed a complete disregard for constitutional values.
According to the draft electoral rolls published on December 27, Assam currently has 2.51 crore voters. Election officials said 4.78 lakh names were marked as deceased, 5.23 lakh as having shifted, and 53,619 duplicate entries were removed during the revision process. Authorities also claimed that verification had been completed for over 61 lakh households.
On January 25, six opposition parties the Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI, CPI(M) and CPI(M-L) submitted a memorandum to the state’s chief electoral officer. They alleged widespread legal violations, political interference and selective targeting of genuine voters during the SR exercise, describing it as arbitrary, unlawful and unconstitutional.
