Reliance Industries halts US lobbying for 4th straight quarter

Reliance Industries has kept its lobbying activities among US lawmakers on hold for the fourth quarter in a row, after having paid nearly $2 million to its lobbyist here in past few years.

Mukesh Ambani-led RIL group continues to retain a lobbyist in the US, where it began lobbying in 2009 for its business activities and other causes. Since then, RIL has paid about $1.9 million (over Rs 10 crore) to its lobbyist, Barbour Griffith & Rogers LLC (BGR).

However, the latest lobbying disclosure report filed with the US Senate shows "no activity" by BGR on behalf of its client RIL for the fourth consecutive quarter in the last three-month period ended September 30, 2012.

BGR still maintains its registration in the US as RIL's lobbyist and is therefore required to file quarterly disclosures about its activities regarding this client as per the US regulations.

In the first eight quarters of its lobbying activities (from 2009 to 2010) in the US, Reliance Industries had paid $190,000 every quarter, while the payments made to BGR later dropped to $120,000 in the last three quarters (between January to September 2011) when some lobbying work was done.

As per the quarterly lobbying disclosure reports filed with the US Senate, Reliance Industries has been one of the major Indian entities lobbying for its cause among the US lawmakers for the past few years.

Incidentally, BGR also happens to be the lobbyist for the Indian government.

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