Amended Indo-Swiss DTAA might be in place

Amended Indo-Swiss DTAA might be in place by end-2011: Pranab:The protocol signed by India and Switzerland to amend their existing Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement so as to facilitate information sharing on black money stashed away in Swiss banks may come into force by the end of this year, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said."We have signed a protocol amending the existing Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement with Switzerland last August. As per their law and Constitution, their international agreements are to be ratified by both houses of Parliament and local authorities. "The ratification by the two houses are over. Ratification by local authorities may be over by the end of this year," Mukherjee told newsmen at India House in London on Monday evening. being asked whether former Telecom minister A Raja had consulted him on the 2G spectrum issue, Mukherjee, who was heading the Group of Ministers, said: "I was involved in resolving the issue -- spectrum to be vacated by Ministry of Defence.There were divergent views. I was heading the External Affairs Ministry and I resolved the issue by making the Defence Ministry to vacate certain quantum of spectrum," he said.Asked whether the government would be investigating the Rupert Murdoch issue in India, Mukherjee said: "If we receive any complaints in India we will look into them. What happens in other countries is left to them to decide."The High Commissioner of India to the UK, Nalin Surie, and Deputy High Commissioner Rajesh Prasad were also present on the occasion.