CHINA: 1st National Regulation on Lotteries to Be Issued
China is expected to issue its first national regulation on the supervision of the fast-growing lottery industry next year to stamp out fraud, which has been on the rise since the country launched its first lottery two decades ago. Legislators will draw on the experience of other countries and regions to work out the regulation and make explicit stipulations about each aspect of lotteries, such as the distribution, sales, announcement of results and fund management, an official with the Legislative Affairs Office (LAO) of the State Council said. "Other countries and regions always make laws first before developing the lottery industry, while China has acted to the contrary," Ding Feng, deputy head of LAO's Department of Political Science and Law, Labor, Social Security and Legislative Affairs, told a symposium held in Shanghai. "Lack of laws and regulations on lottery supervision has become a significant factor that has impeded the sound development of the industry," he said. Lotteries have generated huge economic and social returns in China in the past two decades. China had issued a total of 363 billion yuan (49 billion U.S. dollars) worth of lottery tickets by the end of last year, and more than a third of the money was spent on public welfare, such as the development of public sports facilities, education and health care for the handicapped.
Buying lottery tickets has also given common Chinese people the chance to get rich. Last week, a player, yet to be identified, from the northwestern province of Gansu won the country's largest ever individual lottery prize of 102.7 million yuan. The winner bought 20 identical "Double Colour Ball" tickets issued by the China Welfare Lottery at a cost of 40 yuan. But the industry has also encountered growing problems such as fraud and other malpractice. Last month, a 36-year-old lottery vendor in the northeastern Chinese city of Anshan was jailed for life for taking advantage of a flaw in the Welfare Lottery "3D" system to cash 28 million yuan in lottery tickets illegally. A couple of months ago, two bank employees in the northern city of Handan were sentenced to death after being convicted of the country's largest ever bank theft involving 50.95 million yuan, which was spent on lottery tickets. In 2004, several people were found guilty of manipulating a scratch-and-win sports lottery in northwestern city of Xi'an and were sentenced to varying terms in prison. During the fraud incident, a contractor of lottery tickets cheated his way to top prizes -- a BMW and 120,000 yuan - by marking lottery tickets and employing four people to falsely claim the prizes.
The real lottery top prize winner Liu Liang, a young migrant worker, finally received the prize that was due and accepted apologies from local sports authorities. Calls for publishing regulations or even a law on lottery supervision have been voiced repeatedly in recent years. At present, China has only a provisional regulation on the management of lottery distribution and sales, which was issued by the Ministry of Finance in 2002. "But it's only a departmental regulation," Ding said. Actually, China has begun drawing up a national regulation more than a decade ago and it has been delayed year after year due to divergences among different government departments, such as the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Civil Affairs and General Administration of Sport. "The regulation is expected to be issued next year, a result of the growing public attention and acceleration of the legislation process," Ding said.
China has stepped up efforts to crack down on fraud in lotteries. Last month, four government ministries -- Finance, Public Security, Civil Affairs, Information Industry -- and the General Administration of Sport jointly launched a campaign to crack down on illegal lottery selling on the Internet to fight lottery-related fraud. "Internet-based illegal lottery selling is on the rise in recent years, posing a threat to the operation of the lottery market," said a bulletin issued by the ministries. The bulletin listed some of the illegal activities, such as selling private lotteries under the name of state-run lotteries, providing illegal channels for sports gambling and underground Mark Six and lottery-related fraud. The China Welfare Lottery Administrative Center and the sports lottery administrative center of the China General Administration of Sport are the only two legitimate lottery sellers in China and they are both state-run.
From http://www.chinaview.cn 12/02/2007
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China Releases Draft Energy Law
Print story Email to a friend Font size:BEIJING, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- China's new law could hit the country's oil companies hard, analysts said. By increasing costs, large state-owned oil companies will take a hit and put many of the smaller oil firms out of business. The draft law -- published by the National Energy Leading Group -- was released for public comment Monday, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The final energy law will likely take effect in 2009, said Ye Rongsi, senior law expert and part of the team that drafted the legislation. The draft, the fourth version of an energy bill since 2006, stipulates that the government will establish a partially market-based energy-pricing system that will reflect supply and demand, as well as environmental costs. It does not, however, mention the establishment of a ministry of energy, a key suggestion of many energy experts. The public-comment period ends Feb. 1, 2008.
From http://www.upi.com 12/04/2007
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China to Tighten Monetary Policy in 2008
China will shift its monetary policy "from prudent to tight" in 2008, state media said Wednesday, to prevent its already hot economy from overheating and to try to contain accelerating inflation that threatens social stability. Xinhua News Agency said the decision was made at a closed-door economic conference, which the country's Communist Party leaders hold every December to draft policy for the coming year. It said the conference decided to "strictly control the volume and granting pace of loans so as to better regulate domestic demand and balance international payments." Chinese authorities have raised interest rates and taken other measures to try to curb lending and slow investment in shopping malls, factories and office buildings. Beijing worries that a glut of unneeded projects could lead to defaults on bank loans, causing a debt crisis. The meeting of the Central Economic Work Conference also highlights the balancing act that Chinese leaders need to perform as they seek to cool inflation and excess investment without stifling the growth needed to lift millions from poverty. China's sizzling economy is expected to grow by 11.5 percent this year, with a government think tank recently predicting just a marginal slowing next year to about 10.8 percent. The consumer price index, meanwhile, hit 6.5 percent in October, tying the highest rate in a decade, and well above the government's target of 3 percent.
Real estate and stock prices have also soared. The Shanghai stock market's main index, which has fallen back since hitting a record in mid-October, is still up 88.5 percent this year. Xinhua said with prudent fiscal policy and tight monetary policy, China aimed to accomplish "two prevents" next year: "To prevent economic growth evolving from rapid to overheating, and prevent price hikes shifting from a structural one to evident inflation." President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao both delivered speeches at the three-day conference that ended Wednesday. To cool lending, the central bank has hiked interest rates five times this year, bringing the benchmark rate on one-year loans to the current 7.29 percent. It has also raised banks' reserve requirements ¡ª reducing the amount available for lending ¡ª eight times this year. The central bank issued a statement Wednesday saying it would "continue to strengthen and improve the economic control, further implement tight monetary policy, (and) take forceable measures to strengthen the management of liquidity." The State Information Center, a research institute under China's economic planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission, forecast an inflation rate for 2008 of 4.5 percent, just slightly below its 4.7 percent estimate for 2007. It also said China's global overall trade surplus would continue to grow, hitting $328.4 billion in 2008, up 22.5 percent from its forecast for this year's trade gap of $268 billion, which would be 51 percent higher than the gap last year.
From http://news.yahoo.com 12/05/2007
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Rules on Supervision of Insurers Tightened
China's insurance regulator issued rules to tighten supervision over insurers to ensure they're financially sound in order to bring the industry in line with international practices. Companies will be required to submit their solvency ratio each quarter and annually, the China Insurance Regulatory Commission said in a statement on its Website. The ratio, a measure of risk, compares the company's capital to the required minimum to cover possible payments on policies. Insurers with a solvency percentage of less than 100 will be forced to either increase their capital or limit shareholder dividends, the regulator said. They may also be limited in the approval of new branches and products and face curbs in what they can pay managers and claim as expenses.
From Shanghai Daily 12/05/2007
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HK to Present Competition Law Bill
The government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region hopes to introduce the fair competition law bill into the Legislative Council in the 2008-09 legislative session, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Frederick Ma said yesterday. Speaking about the government's plan, Ma said the SAR would publish a consultation paper outlining the main scope of the legislation to consult the business sector again in the first quarter of 2008. Meanwhile, the business sector expressed their satisfaction about the city's business environment adding that there was no need for a competition law. Speaking after attending a competition law seminar, Ma said the government would conduct another round of public consultation in plain language instead of a white bill. "We will consult the public again," he said. "As I have mentioned, some small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have doubts about the competition and feared the introduction of a competition law would affect their operation and increase their costs." Earlier, Ma delivered a keynote speech to the seminar, saying the government was still considering if the future regulator should have the power to determine whether or not an infringement had taken place and to impose sanctions where appropriate.
Also, the government would decide whether or not the competition law should regulate mergers, he added, as most overseas competition laws include merger controls. Allaying fears of the SMEs, Ma said: "SMEs have very little to fear as they stand to gain from the competition law, which checks abusive or anti-competitive practices by bigger firms." Lawmaker Jeffrey Lam representing The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce in LegCo, said Hong Kong's business environment had always been very open and liberal. "There is no need for a competition law in Hong Kong," said Lam, who is also a member of the Liberal Party. "If the government really wants a law, the Chamber hopes it is a very clear enactment that checks anti-competitive behaviours only. "The SMEs worry that the competition law would not help them as far as litigation is concerned. In fact, they are more concerned with monopolistic situations in certain sectors by several big enterprises."
Mark Williams, associate professor of School of Accounting and Finance of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, who organized the seminar, said Hong Kong would be the last developed economy in the world to have a general competition law. He said the future regulator should have the power to investigate if anti-competitive behaviours had taken place, while mergers control is an integral part of all competition laws in the world. Priscilla Lau, associate professor from the Department of Business Studies of the same university, stressedthe need of a competition law in Hong Kong. Without a competition law, the local market, which is so small, will be monopolized. This would leave very little space for the SMEs and limit the job opportunities they could offer, she said.
From China Daily HK edition 12/11/2007
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Enforcement Regulations for Corporate Income Tax Announced
China's State Council, or the cabinet, has announced regulations aimed at helping to enforce the country's new corporate income tax law. Premier Wen Jiabao has signed a State Council order to approve the promulgation of the regulations which were published on Tuesday. The regulations, to take effect on Jan. 1, 2008, replace two earlier regulations promulgated by the government more than a decade ago. It will be the first time since 1978 that China puts domestic and foreign firms on an equal footing in income taxation in an effort to promote fair competition.
From http://www.chinaview.cn 12/12/2007
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China Marks Out Zone for Sustainable Development
A cluster of cities in central China has been designated the country's latest experimental zone, this one for energy saving and environmentally friendly programmes, state media reported on Monday. China has a history of marking out zones for preferential policies which, if successful, are then rolled out across the country. Its most famous were the "special economic zones" of the south which launched the country's market reforms 30 years ago. Now the Hunan cities of Changsha, Zhuzhou and Xiangtan -- late chairman Mao Zedong's hometown -- as well as the Hubei capital of Wuhan, will be targeted to lead China's drive to make its breakneck economic growth more environmentally sustainable. The cities must "as quickly as possible form systems and mechanisms beneficial to energy saving and environmental and ecological protection", the People's Daily cited a notice from the National Development and Reform Commission as saying. Hunan governor Zhou Qiang said the three cities there were chosen because they were part of China's industrial heartland and a lack of resources and environmental pollution have impeded their development. Their locations in central China mean the cities could give a boost to central government efforts to spur growth in that part of the country, the China Daily cited Zhou as saying.
From http://www.alertnet.org 12/17/2007
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New Rules to Prevent Large-scale Cutbacks
The authorities here in the capital of Guangdong Province introduced a new regulation on Friday to prevent employers from retrenching large numbers of workers before the end of the year. Between now and December 31, any company that intends to dismiss more than 20 workers or reduce its staff by more than 10 percent must apply to the labor department for permission, the Guangzhou labor and social security bureau told China Daily yesterday. The regulation is designed to better manage large-scale cutbacks and ease the implementation of the new Labor Contract Law, the bureau's vice-director Chen Jianlong said. The regulation recognizes that most employment contracts expire by the year-end, he said. "Dismissing more than 20 employees or cutting staff by more than 10 percent in the name of contract expiration violates the regulation," Chen said. The new rule applies to all enterprises under the municipal government, private firms, government departments, public institutions and social associations, he said. Exemptions are possible for companies facing bankruptcy or deemed to be undergoing reorganization by the courts. Those defined as "ailing enterprises" by the government are also eligible for exemption. The labor and social security bureau will adopt strict measures to prevent ineligible companies from firing large numbers of workers, he said. Those that violate the regulations will be unable to suspend coverage of dismissed workers' insurance.
From China Daily 12/18/2007
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HK to Fully Launch Anti-spam Laws
The Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance will be fully implemented on Dec. 22, Director- General of Telecommunications of the Hong Kong government Marion Lai announced here Thursday. People who want to decline unsolicited commercial electronic messages, also known as spam, can register their phone or fax numbers onto three do-not-call registers. The three registers -- fax, short messages and pre-recorded phone calls will be launched in phases on Dec. 22, Jan. 8 and Jan. 25 respectively to ensure smooth operation. Protection will start from the 10th working day from the registration date. Lai said that with the ordinance's full launch the existing interim measures to tackle unsolicited electronic messages will be withdrawn. Those who have registered their numbers on the office's existing not-to-call list for rejecting junk faxes will have to register their numbers onto the do-not-call register for fax. People can also make unsubscribe requests direct to individual message senders.
Commercial electronic message senders are reminded to: provide accurate sender information and unsubscribe facility in a message; honor recipients' unsubscribe requests; not send messages to any phone or fax numbers listed on a do-not-call register unless consent has been obtained from the recipient; not withhold calling line identification information when sending pre-recorded telephone calls and fax messages; and not use misleading subject headings when sending email messages. The Telecommunications Authority will issue enforcement notices to senders who have contravened these rules. Failure to comply with enforcement notices warrants a 100,000 HK dollars-fine (about 12,853 U.S. dollars) on first conviction, and up to 500,000 HK dollars on subsequent conviction.
From Xinhua News Agency 12/21/2007
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New Rules Strengthen Work Safety
The Communist Party of China's (CPC) disciplinary watchdog will punish more severely those who fail to maintain safety in production to prevent accidents in workplaces. Officials will be demoted, sacked or even expelled from the CPC if they take advantage of their posts to influence purchase, public biddings or accident probes, according to the new 10-point rules released by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) Thursday. Those who try to save people responsible for the accidents, too, face severe punishment. This is the first time the CCDI has specified its disciplinary punishments. It reflects the CPC's resolve to fight corruption, CCDI deputy chief and spokesman Gan Yisheng said. People also face punishment for: Granting approval to companies that fail to meet work safety standards, certifying unqualified units and/or people, and lifting the ban on firms breaking work safety regulations; Failing to take effective steps to clear hidden dangers, forcing employees to work overtime, taking risks at work, or allowing unqualified people to work; Providing dangerous materials including poisons and explosives to unregistered or unqualified companies.
"Dereliction of duty on the part of some government officials and official-businessmen nexus are behind many of the accidents," Gan told a news briefing. The new rules, along with the legal and administrative penalties, will make it "feasible" to haul up anyone suspected of being responsible for an accident. "But that does not mean the CPC disciplinary penalties will be a substitute for legal punishment. Anyone who violates the law has to face the law," Gan said. State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) Director Li Yizhong said nepotism at the local level has hindered bringing "people responsible for workplace accidents to justice". For instance, the 11 people responsible for the November 2005 coal mine accident in Qitaihe, Heilongjiang Province, in which 171 people were killed, have not yet been punished. The Legal Evening News has quoted the victims' lawyer, Na Guohai, as saying: "Protectionism at the local level is responsible for the delay in the case."
The government has been trying to ensure safety at workplaces and prevent accidents. As a result, the number of accident deaths dropped 13.8 percent in first 11 months of the year. But fatal accidents still take place. Three coal mine accidents in Shanxi Province alone have claimed 159 lives this year. Major accidents in other sectors such as fireworks plants, and metal and non-metal mines and construction sites have been rising, too, since November. Gan urged disciplinary departments at all levels to implement the new rules without being lenient with corrupt officials.
From China Daily 12/22/2007
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JAPAN: New Bill Raises National Public Servant Wages
TOKYO ¡ª The average annual salaries for national public servants will be raised in the current fiscal year from April, marking their first wage hike in nine years, as the Diet passed a bill to amend the relevant law on Monday. But the bill did not include hikes in bonuses and one of the special allowances for senior servants as the government decided in October to leave them unchanged in opposition to a National Personnel Authority recommendation calling for an overall wage increase. The House of Councillors cleared the bill at a plenary session, completing the legislative process following the approval from the House of Representatives Nov 8.
From http://www.japantoday.com/ 11/27/2007
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Japan Vows to Give Maximum Support to IDA
¡°Japan will provide as much support as possible when the International Development Association (IDA) replenishes its capital next year, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Wednesday. Fukuda made the comments in phone talks with World Bank President Robert Zoellick. Japan plans to put up about 350 billion yen to the World Bank unit in charge of assistance to poor countries, including African nations. ¡¡± [Jiji Press (Japan)/Factiva] Kyodo News adds that ¡°¡During Wednesday's telephone conversation, Fukuda sought cooperation from the World Bank for the G8 summit to be held next July in Hokkaido, and the fourth meeting of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, or TICAD, in Yokohama next May, the officials said. Zoellick said the World Bank would like to cooperate on issues related to climate change and support of African countries¡¡± [Kyodo News (Japan)/Factiva] In related news, Nikkei Report notes that ¡°The Japanese government on Tuesday pledged $10 million, or about 1.1 billion yen, for the forest preservation fund the World Bank plans to establish to counter global warming. ¡By supporting the fund, Japan will encourage developing nations to participate in a post-Kyoto Protocol greenhouse emission pact.¡± [Nikkei Report (Japan)/Factiva]
From http://web.worldbank.org/ 12/05/2007
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Defense Minister Wants Complete Review of U.S. Base Costs
TOKYO ¡ª Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba indicated Friday he sees a need for high-level talks with the United States for a comprehensive review of Japan's outlays to host U.S. military facilities. "I discussed with U.S. Defense Secretary Gates the issue of the base hosting costs Japan will shoulder in the future...I want to review comprehensively what the costs should be," Ishiba told a press conference. But Ishiba said no schedule has yet been decided on the envisioned work to reexamine the amount of Japan's burden-sharing costs, which will total 217.3 billion yen for the current fiscal year through March 2008. The Japanese government is faced with a domestic pressure to reduce the budget of the host-nation support in the face of massive national debt, while Washington is urging Tokyo not to pare the budget. Ishiba said it was "progress" that the United States accepted a cut of at least 800 million yen in Japan's costs to cover the utilities fees for U.S. bases under a three-year agreement starting fiscal 2008, although the amount was much smaller than Japan had initially sought.
From http://www.japantoday.com/ 12/14/2007
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Diet Approves Extension to Jan. 15 for Refueling Bill Passage
Diet to be extended to Jan. 15 for refueling bill passageThe House of Representatives votes to extend the current Diet session through Jan. 15, pav... The Japanese parliament approved Friday an extension of the current session through Jan. 15 on the strength of the majority held by the Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition, a move that will pave the way for passage of a bill to enable Japan to resume antiterrorism refueling activities. The rare second extension was authorized in a House of Representatives plenary session. The Democratic Party of Japan and other opposition parties objected to the extension, raising the chances of a confrontation in the divided Diet that could lead to a general election. At the plenary session, DPJ lawmaker Taizo Mikazuki called for Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to dissolve the lower house, instead of extending the Diet session, citing a series of scandals over defense equipment procurement and massive loss of pension records. LDP lawmaker Takamori Yoshikawa said, meanwhile, the extension cannot be helped, while urging the opposition parties to immediately proceed to hold a vote on the refueling bill in the opposition-controlled House of Councillors. The current session was convened Sept. 10 but stalled for around three weeks when then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe abruptly stepped down. The session was first extended Nov. 9 through Dec. 15 on a majority vote of the LDP and its coalition partner the New Komeito party. The antiterrorism bill has passed the lower house but is expected to be voted down in upper house, where the DPJ-led opposition forces form a majority. But the governing coalition is determined to override any rejection of the bill by the upper house through a second vote in the lower house using its two-thirds majority. Holding a second vote, however, may anger the opposition bloc, which could see such a move as defying the will of the upper house, with DPJ lawmaker Mikazuki telling the plenary session that he cannot tolerate ''the tyranny of majority'' of the ruling bloc.
The opposition parties may move to introduce a censure motion against Fukuda in the upper house, a move that would raise pressure on him to dissolve the lower house for a general election. The latest 31-day extension is unusual in that it is a second extension and the Diet will sit through the year-end and New Year's period. The last time a Japanese parliamentary session continued beyond the end of the year was in 1993-1994, when bills related to political reform generated intense heat. Prior to the plenary session in the afternoon, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said at a press conference that the government wants to ''definitely'' pass the refueling bill so Japan can fulfill its ''minimum responsibility as a member of the international community.''The ruling bloc will continue to call for the DPJ to proceed to a vote on the bill in the upper house by the end of the year, reflecting concern among its lawmakers that a further delay could lead to increasing political confusion. On the national budget for fiscal 2008, the coalition is planning to stick to the current timetable of compiling it by the end of this month. Even if the upper house were to delay a vote, the ruling bloc could still hold a second vote on Jan. 12 or later in line with constitutional provisions to have the bill passed. Japan suspended the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean in support of U.S.-led antiterrorism operations on Nov. 1 when a special law authorizing the mission expired after the ruling and opposition parties failed to reach an agreement to extend the law. Fukuda promised U.S. President George W. Bush during talks with him in the United States last month that he will do his utmost to win approval of the bill in the divided Diet.
From http://home.kyodo.co.jp/ 12/14/2007
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SM-3 Interceptors Added to Japan's Emergency Defense Guidelines
TOKYO ¡ª Japan revised its emergency missile defense guidelines Monday so that it could use the sea-based Standard Missile-3 to intercept a foreign missile, following a successful test of the high-tech missile in space earlier this month. Previously, the guidelines only covered interception by the ground-based Patriot Advanced Capability 3 missiles in the lower range of Japan's two-layer missile shield system. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's Cabinet endorsed the revision Monday.
From http://www.japantoday.com/ 12/24/2007
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Tax Transfers from Rich Areas to Rural Poses Problems
On the surface, the ruling coalition's tax reform package for fiscal 2008 contains a number of promising proposals, including the transfer of local corporate tax revenue from better-off prefectures to fiscally distressed rural areas, a new system to let people combine stock investment returns with dividends when declaring taxable income, preferential treatment for small and medium-size firms, and tax deductions to promote the use of ethanol in fuel. On the closely watched consumption tax issue, however, the ruling parties failed to make any detailed or specific proposals for hiking the levy. They only hinted at the likelihood of a future hike being the primary source of revenue for financing the rise in social security spending, including the scheduled increase in the government's contribution to the basic pension scheme.
Behind the ruling alliance's reluctance to debate a consumption tax hike is the divided Diet, where the Upper House is being controlled by the opposition camp for the first time in decades. Yuji Tsushima, head of the Liberal Democratic Party's tax panel, repeatedly called for public discussion on choosing between reducing welfare spending or increasing the tax burden. But given the possibility that the Lower House might be dissolved for a snap election in the course of deliberating new antiterrorism legislation, many LDP lawmakers feared the loss of voter support if words spread of an upcoming tax hike. In any case, the next step is for the government to put the coalition's proposals into legal steps. But it is doubtful that one of the measures ¡ª the transfer of local corporate tax revenue between regions ¡ª will produce the desired effects, mainly for the following three reasons. One is that revenue from the local tax ¡ª imposed on businesses situated in certain areas ¡ª is to be transferred to other areas in which taxpayers have nothing to do. Even as a temporary measure, this runs counter to the principles of local taxation and ultimately may be considered unconstitutional.
The 5 percent consumption tax is in fact a combination of the 4 percent national tax and a 1 percent local tax. An LDP panel discussing steps to address the urban-rural gap also called for expanding the local share of the consumption tax to 2 percent. But the Finance Ministry rejected the proposal and instead argued that parts of local tax revenue should be redistributed among various regions. But a move like that could destroy the decision-making hierarchy of the tax system, making it unclear who makes the decisions on what portions of the tax. Although the step is being proposed as a temporary measure, it might become permanent if it entails legislation to change the portion of local taxes up for redistribution into national tax. Would it be possible in the United States to move part of the tax revenue in a certain state to another state? This is a sign that the principle of local autonomy has not taken root firmly enough in Japan. The coalition's tax package also called for implementing the so-called hometown tax payment, which allows an urban resident from a rural area to claim local tax deductions after agreeing to make donations to his or her hometown to support its depleted finances. This scheme depends on the voluntary goodwill of individual taxpayers and it will be difficult to make any estimate of its financial impact.
The second problem is that tax grants and subsidies from the central government to municipalities have traditionally been ineffective at revitalizing rural economies. In fact, it is exactly this kind of support that has sustained many inefficient businesses and organizations that would otherwise have been weeded out long ago. Transferring tax revenues to rural areas could simply be repeating the same mistake. Under the principle of local autonomy, prefectures and municipalities are responsible for raising the money needed to cover their own expenses. Local governments must make self-help efforts to streamline the public sector and raise local tax rates to make ends meet. What is needed is a way to efficiently distribute national tax revenue so that Japan can truly revitalize its local economies. Skimming revenues from urban areas might provide temporary relief to rural municipalities, but it will also allow them to delay the efforts needed to put their house in order.
The third problem is that the decline in urban productivity that might result from diverting tax money to rural areas will bring down overall productivity as well. The reality is that, in an international comparison, Japanese cities lag behind many of their rivals not just in the west, but elsewhere in Asia, in terms of such basic infrastructure as roads and airports. Shifting a portion of urban tax revenue to rural areas could exacerbate this problem. Revitalizing the Japanese economy as a whole ¡ª and finding a way to solve its debt-ridden public finances ¡ª will be impossible unless the international competitiveness of its major cities improves. (by Teruhiko Mano)
From http://search.japantimes.co.jp/ 12/24/2007
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NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA: First Train in 56 Years Crosses Border Between Two Koreas
The first regular freight service for over half a century began Tuesday operating across the heavily fortified border between South and North Korea. The daily freight service is the first tangible result of an inter-Korean summit in October between President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. The two leaders agreed on a package of cross-border economic cooperation projects including the train operation. The last regular rail operation was in 1951, a year after the three-year Korean War broke out. The freight service, agreed upon at the inter-Korean prime ministers' talks last month, will connect South Korea with the joint industrial complex in Gaeseong, in the North. Earlier this month, the militaries of both Koreas signed a written security guarantee for the cross-border service at working-level talks in the truce village of Panmunjeom, clearing a major hurdle for the agreement. The new service is expected to slash the cost of transporting products to and from the business complex, just north of the border, considered a major achievement of Seoul's ``sunshine'' policy of engaging the North over the past decade. Several South Korean firms are operating in the economic zone, dubbed a testing ground for mixing South Korean capitalism and technology with North Korea's cheap labor. Previously, trucks moved raw materials and finished goods back and forth across the border. South Korean officials hope the cargo train service will lay the groundwork for a regular train service for passengers and the railway will be linked through North Korea to the Trans-China and Trans-Siberian railroads.
A 12-car train carrying curbstones and other construction materials left left South Korea's Dorasan Station at 8:20 a.m. and arrived at North Korea's Panmun Station 20 minutes later. A joint ceremony was held at the North Korean station around 11 a.m. with the attendance of some 180 officials from both Koreas. The train returned to the South later in the day with goods including shoes, clothes and watches made at the industrial complex. ``We are reconnecting the last vein that has been severed for 56 years,'' Lee Chul, president of the Korea Railroad, told reporters at Dorasan Station. ``This looks like a humble start, but I hope this link will serve as a stepping stone for the inter-Korean railways to be connected to Europe through the Trans-Siberian railway.''Lee also expressed hope that South and North Koreans could travel together vial rail to Beijing to cheer for next year's Summer Olympics. Trains will run daily on weekdays from Dorasan Station in Munsan to Panmun, carrying up to 10,000 tons of cargo on each run. The train service begins at 9 a.m. and returns from the North Korean station at 2 p.m. Trains are restricted to a maximum speed of 60 kilometers per hour when traversing the closely guarded frontier. The original agreement was to connect a 25 kilometer section of track from Munsan to Bongdong in the North, next to the industrial complex, but the plan was modified because of the lack of loading facilities at Bongdong Station, according to Unification Ministry officials. In May, two trains crossed the border on two reconnected tracks on the western and eastern sides of the peninsula in a one-off test run. The two Koreas are technically still at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.
From http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/ 12/11/2007
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SOUTH KOREA: Roh Wraps Up Five Years of Overseas Summit Diplomacy
SINGAPORE, Nov. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun wrapped up his five-year overseas summit diplomacy on Wednesday by successfully completing his itinerary at the annual ASEAN Plus Three Summit now underway in Singapore. Since his arrival here on Monday, Roh has held a string of bilateral, trilateral and multilateral summit talks with leaders of the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and India. Agreements reached at the successive summits are mostly focused on expanding South Korea's economic, diplomatic and security relations with the regional countries, as well as boosting international cooperation for peace and stability in Northeast Asia. Roh's ongoing visit to Singapore marks his last overseas summit trip before stepping down in February, the presidential office said in a press release, noting the president has thus far traveled to 55 countries, including this city-state, on 27 overseas summit trips since his inauguration in February 2003."In terms of distance, Roh traveled 515,000 kilometers, equivalent to 13 globe-circling trips, over the past five years. He visited 66 cities in 55 countries and stayed abroad for a total of 168 days," said the presidential office. "Roh has held a total of 134 bilateral and multilateral summit talks during his overseas trips. His overseas summit diplomacy has been primarily intended to help widen South Korea's diplomatic horizon and seek international support for the peaceful settlement of North Korea's nuclear problem," said the office. During such overseas summits, Roh has also displayed his commitment to expand South Korea's free trade deals and secure energy and natural resources. Besides his overseas summit trips, Roh has held summit talks at home with 61 visiting heads of state during his tenure, it noted.
Notably, Roh has held eight rounds of summit talks with U.S. President George W. Bush, seeking to develop the South Korea-U.S. alliance into comprehensive, dynamic and reciprocal relations. He has also frequently met with leaders of China, Japan and Russia to help establish a new security regime in Northeast Asia. During a trilateral summit in Singapore on Tuesday, Roh, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda agreed to institutionalize and widen three-way cooperation for peace and stability in Northeast Asia. The three leaders also agreed to enhance cooperation for the settlement of North Korean nuclear problem and the establishment of a new multilateral security dialogue regime in Northeast Asia. In a notable development, the three leaders agreed in principle to regularly hold a trilateral summit outside the ASEAN framework for further discussions on expanding cooperation on climate change, quarantine and financial sectors, in addition to existing fields. On the same day, Roh and leaders of China, Japan and ASEAN agreed to redefine their annual ASEAN Plus Three Summit as a "main vehicle" to build an East Asian community, which will be similar to the EU-style political and trade bloc. During the 11th annual ASEAN Plus Three Summit, Roh proposed building an East Asian community as part of regional countries' efforts to harmonize growth and distribution for the sake of co-prosperity. As the prerequisite to the co-prosperity of East Asia, Roh emphasized the importance of regional peace and stability and explained the meaning of inter-Korean relations in regional security.
From http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/ 11/21/2007
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President-Elect Lee Pledges Deregulations for Businesses, Foreign Investors
Korean President- elected Lee Myung-bak speaks during a press conference at the Korea press center in Seoul on Thursday (Dec. 20). President-elect Lee Myung-bak, a former CEO, pledged Thursday (Dec. 20) to boost business sentiment through deregulations for foreign investors to revive the sagging economy. Lee of the conservative opposition Grand National Party won the election by the widest margin in decades with 48.7 percent of the vote, 23 percentage points ahead of his closest rival, pro-government liberal Chung Dong-young. Over the years, dissatisfaction with the Roh Moo-hyun administration grew because of economic problems and concerns about North Korea¡¯s nuclear ambitions. The gap between the rich and poor widened and real estate prices, taxes and youth unemployment skyrocketed. The annual 4-5 percent growth of the world¡¯s 13th largest economy could not satisfy voters, who were accustomed to much higher growth rates under past authoritarian regimes. "I am optimistic about corporate investment," Lee said in a press conference a day after his landslide victory, adding that the corporate environment will "totally change" under his rule. "There could be many conditions like deregulation, but the investment atmosphere will become different according to who becomes president," he said. "With candidate Lee Myung-bak becoming president, I believe the economic environment will totally change for entrepreneurs." Lee, credited with playing a role in Korea¡¯s meteoric growth as CEO of Hyundai Construction and Engineering from the 1970s through the early 1990s, presents a slew of pro-business policies. An administration led by Lee is expected to cut corporate tax, abolish restrictions on cross-affiliate investment among large business groups and strengthen crackdowns on illegal labor strikes. Such pro-business policies come from his main election pledge, "Korea 747 Vision," under which he seeks to expand the annual growth rate to 7 percent, double the per capita income to $40,000 and make Korea the world¡¯s seventh-largest economy within a decade. Lee also said he will organize a special body to devise incentives for foreign investors. "I will be starting to make contacts to explain that the Republic of Korea is a good place for investment," he said.
From http://www.korea.net/ 12/20/2007
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MONGOLIA: Elections Law Discussed
Ulaanbaatar, /MONTSAME/. A provision ensuring 30-percent quota of women among candidates to the parliamentary election is expected to exclude. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on State Structure discussed Tuesday draft amendments to the law on elections submitted by Z.Enkhbold and R.Nyamsuren, in accordance to which the above provision is excluded. Lawmakers backed neither a proposal by Ch.Sodnotseren to reduce the quota to 10 percent, nor a proposal by D.Arvin to retain the provision. If the upcoming elections are run by majoritarian elections system, several members of one party will ballot in one election constituency. In view of this, a proposal by S.Bayartsogt MP was backed to place names of candidates from one party alternately with others in voting papers. A draft law was also discussed here, according to which regional elections will run in April.
From http://www.montsame.mn/ 12/25/2007
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Rights of Employees to Be Protected
Ulaanbaatar, /MONTSAME/. A team of advocates has been deployed at the Confederation of Mongolian Trade Unions. In increasingly developing private sector the right to work has seriously been violated. Besides legal consultations, the Confederation of Mongolian Trade Unions has began offering advocate services to employees. The team consists of 14 advocates and lawyers.
From http://www.montsame.mn/ 12/25/2007
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INDONESIA: Govt Launches Emission Cuts Through Forestry
The government launched Thursday its emission reduction scheme from the forestry sector, which is expected to generate up to US$2 million annually through selling carbon stored in the country's tropical forests. Green groups were quick to criticize the mechanism, officially known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD), saying it will deprive indigenous people living in and conserving Indonesian forests of their rights to the land. "With the carbon price estimated at about $10 per ton, Indonesia can reap $2 million per year of positive incentives from the REDD scheme," Wahjudi Wardojo, head of research and development agency at the forestry ministry, said. The report explains, among others, strategic, methodological, monitoring and financial disbursement needed to apply the planned reduction emissions from deforestation and degradation in developing countries. Indonesia is home to 120 million hectares of rainforest, the world's third largest after Brazil and Congo. Under the scheme, formulated by a group of experts of the Indonesia Forest Climate Alliance (IFCA), 65 percent of the revenue generated from the carbon sale will go to the local communities living near the forests to encourage them to protect the forests. The government will secure the remaining incentives needed to monitor the implementation of the REDD.
Indonesia put on the table its REDD scheme for the first time on Tuesday during the Bali conference on climate change, demanding developed nations provide financial incentives to tropical forest countries in order to prevent forest deforestation and degradation. Forestry Minister, Malam Sambat Kaban said the REDD would serve as one of the financial sources for the country's sustainable forest management and efforts to combat human-induced climate change. The money generated from the REDD scheme could be used to support the government's priority policies in the forestry sector, including its anti-illegal logging drive, revitalization of the forestry sector; conservation of forest resources and the improvement of the welfare of local people living near the forests. "The REDD offers incentives to people to stay away from unsustainable forestry practices. The money can reach down to the poor people living nearby forests where many have been involved in illegal logging," he said. Indonesia and fellow 10 tropical forest nations Brazil, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Columbia, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Peru have set up a coalition to promote the REDD in the Bali conference. However, they remained divided over whether the financial incentives will be raised based on a market mechanism or from a fund-based mechanism. "Indonesia and Papua New Guinea want to apply both mechanisms while Brazil prefers the fund- based scheme," said Wahjudi. Indonesia hopes the Bali meeting can adopt the REDD for use by 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol expires.
From http://www.thejakartapost.com/ 12/07/2007
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MALAYSIA: Bill for Implementation of e-Tanah System Tabled
PETALING JAYA: The Government has tabled the National Land Code (Amendment) Bill 2007 in an effort to streamline land transactions and ownership. The Bill will see the implementation of the e-Tanah system in the peninsula once passed. The Bill, tabled last Wednesday by Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk S. Sothinathan, is expected to be debated during the current Parliament sitting which ends on Dec 19. The electronic land administration system (e-Tanah) is expected to cut transaction time in half, enable an online comprehensive land database collection and make the application and registration of titles more efficient. Copies of online land and grant forms were included as part of the Bill. Final land titles could also be issued without first issuing a temporary occupation licence, where it was deemed fit. The maximum penalty for the illegal extraction or removal of rock material including rock, sand and mud, will be increased from RM10,000 to RM50,000 and the jail term from one year to five years.
From http://thestar.com.my 12/09/2007
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PHILIPPINES: Big Visions for Cebu City in 2017
CEBU CITY, Philippines - A Cebu City worth striving for in 2010 is ¡°child friendly¡±, ¡°worry-free¡±, and ¡°flood-free¡±. It should be a center for quality education, a hub of inter-faith harmony and the proud host of a climate that is ¡°a haven for business and heavn for the community.¡± Aspirations like these were echoed in a summit that capped a month-long multi-sectoral consultation steered by the Cebu City government. The ¡°social experiment¡± was a first-of-its kind for the city, said Mayor Tomas Osmena, who listened to 11 sectoral reports at the Waterfront Cebu City hotel. He promised his administration¡¯s support for the visions drawn up by each sector. After each group identifies a lead person for its specific programs ¡°the city will match it with a representative from the city and a budget,¡± he said. About 1,000 participants attended 56 workshop groups spread over three weeks to craft the Cebu City + 10 Development Strategy. Osmena, Vice Mayor Michael Rama and city councilors listened to plenary reports by representatives from sectors of the children and youth , academe, faith, vulnerable and elderly, housing and environment, upland and coastal residents, workers, health, peace and order and security, professionals, and business and utilities sectors. They were asked two questions: What is your vision for your sector in the next 10 years, and what are the hindrances to achieving these goals?
¡°Obviously we cannot implement all these but we have already identified a playing field for us to sit down and discuss these concerns,¡± he said. A team will be set up to monitor annual progress of the goals set. The output of 56 workshop papers was boiled down to over a dozen reports by UP Prof. Felisa Etemadi and her research staff. The problem of fraternity and gang violence emerged a common concern of the youth sector, children, and academe, from elementary to college level institutions. Youth leaders aimed for a 50 percent drop in out-of-school youths, and called for the elimination of corruption in government and vote buying in elections. Gigi Ruiz, a representative for persons with disabilities, pressed for full implementation of national laws and local ordinances that would benefit her sector. She said they also needed better access to scholarships, livelihood opportunities, housing and medicine. For the business sector, Ted Locson of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said Cebu City has to be ¡°globally competitive¡± at the same time have a business sector ¡°that is endowed with corporate values like social responsibility and equity.¡± To encourage more investments, he said the government must streamlines business permit processing and be pro-active. The quality of life in Cebu as a community, he said, is also important otherwise business would not thrive.
His wish list included better port facilities, technology, more road networks, water and an alternative source of power. For traffic control, one vision called for establishing tThe Cebu City Traffic Operations Management as a department with 1,000 additional enforcers in its ranks. A representative of the peace and order sector said Cebu City police should have 200 patrol cars, a one-stop center center for the public to transact and an increase in the the monthly allowance from the city government to police from P1,000 to P5,000. They also requested for the installation of spy cameras, especially in crime-prone areas and the establishment of a unified call center that will act as the dispatch area for all the emergency responders. Both police and traffic enforcers have signified their need for continued retraining. Also, they emphasized a need to regulate the presence of gangs and fraternities in the city, increase barangay intelligence networking, reduce drug addition, and establish help desks, especially in crowded areas.
From http://archive.inquirer.net/ 11/30/2007
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DILG¡¯s Puno Issues Guidelines
Secretary Ronaldo Puno of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued guidelines and time periods in the issuance of development permits and barangay (village) clearances for housing projects. Puno said the city and municipal council should observe the time frame provided under Executive Order no. 45 that directs them to act on applications for development permits within 30 days from receipt of a complete application. Under the Local Government Code of 1991, the power to process and approve subdivision plans for housing purposes has already been assigned to cities and municipalities through their respective sanggunians (councils). The Code provides that the barangay council should act on the application for a barangay clearance, which is pre-requisite before the issuance of mayor¡¯s permit, within seven working days from its filing, and ¡°in the event that the clearance is not issued within said period, the city or municipal mayor may issue the said license or permit.¡± After the issuance of the barangay clearance, the applicant shall apply for a mayor¡¯s permit which should be acted upon by the city or municipal mayor within 15 days, as prescribed in Republic Act 6713. Puno ordered all the local officials to strictly observe the guidelines or face the administrative sanctions provided under EO 45 and Republic Act 9485 or the ¡°Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007.¡±
From http://archive.inquirer.net 12/04/2007
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SINGAPORE: SGX Proposing Two Measures to Deal with Minor Rule Violations
The Singapore Exchange (SGX) is proposing to introduce two measures to deal with those who flout its rules for the derivatives market. One is a composition fine system for minor to moderate rule violations. This will allow an offender to resolve a rule violation without going through the process of Disciplinary Committee hearings. In addition to paying a fine, the offender will also have to fulfil any accompanying terms to settle the matter. The SGX plans to channel the money collected to fund educational initiatives for market participants. The second measure is a minimum penalty for more serious and non-compoundable rule violations. These penalties will be imposed by the Disciplinary Committee. The general minimum penalty will begin at S$10,000. The SGX says the proposals will apply only to derivatives member firms, approved traders and registered representatives. This is part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the transparency and efficacy of its enforcement actions. SGX is inviting public comment on the two proposals.
From http://www.channelnewsasia.com 12/19/2007
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THAILAND: New Government Urged to Implement Taxing of Polluters
The Finance Ministry plans to call on the new government to accelerate collecting taxes levied on polluters, saying the move is necessary because the state spends up to Bt18 billion annually supervising and preventing environmental problems. Speaking at a seminar on "Legislation on Economics Tools to Cope with Environmental Problems and Water Pollution Taxation," Fiscal Policy Office director-general Pannee Sathavarodom said air and water pollution had increased to worsen environmental problem. The state must spend up to Bt18 billion annually overseeing and addressing the environmental woes. In response, the Finance Ministry and other agencies saw a need to present legislation of economic tools to cope with environmental concerns and punitive water pollution taxation which would help pay the state's costs incurred. The ministry had joined with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Chiang Mai University to study the environmental problem and find economics tools to prevent and reduce the woes.
It found the collection of tax fees on bonds pledged as collateral when entrepreneurs cause pollution is one effective way to help reduce environmental infractions. Companies which break the country's environmental laws must incur fines. Mrs. Pannee said the ministry would work together with the Revenue Department, local administrative organisations, and the Industrial Works Department to come up with a comprehensive measure. She added the environmental problem needed to be prevented and solved urgently. So, the ministry would call on the new government to accelerate deliberating the bill because it would become a master plan for issuing a royal decree to address various kinds of pollution, she said.
From http://enews.mcot.net/ 12/19/2007
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NLA Overwhelmingly Passes Internal Security Bill
BANGKOK, Dec 20 (TNA) - Thailand's military-appointed National Legislative Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to approve the much-criticised Internal Security Bill amid outcries from protesters gathering outside Parliament demanding that the NLA not pass the bill as only two days were left before the December 23 general election. But with a speedy deliberation, the bill sailed through with 105-8 votes and two abstentions. However, hundreds of protesters who earlier dispersed, vowed to collect at least 10,000 signatures to amend the law. Rights advocates and critics voiced concern over Thailand's Internal Security Bill which confers sweeping powers to the military to take very wide-ranging actions with little accountability, warning that the measure could violate international human rights standards as well as further jeopardise human rights in the country. The new law empowers the prime minister as head of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) and the Army commander as deputy chief of the top national security body to bar public gatherings, restrict citizens' freedom of movement, place anyone under house arrest and close down roads or transportation routes. The legislation was proposed by the interim government of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont installed after the then Army commander Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin staged a bloodless coup last year to oust elected then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who had been accused of corruption and abuse of power.
From http://enews.mcot.net/ 12/20/2007
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VIET NAM: Law on Domestic Violence Outlined
HA NOI ¡ª Viet Nam¡¯s newly-approved law to prevent domestic violence was explained at a two-day East Asia ministerial meeting in New Delhi that started Tuesday. Viet Nam National Committee for the Advancement of Women deputy chairwoman Tran Thi Mai Huong told the gathering that the abuse of women had become a global worry and must be prevented in all its forms. The deputy chairwoman called on all countries and international organisations to co-operate and exchange experience in order to implement effective solutions for gender equality and the defeat of domestic violence. Nine countries and international organisations were represented at the meeting. Host Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said India had committed 33 per cent of seats in the national parliament to women. More than one million women held important positions in municipal authorities and organisations. Gender equality was a strong and effective weapon against extremism as well as political and social unrest, he said.
From http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn 12/08/2007
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BANGLADESH: Strategy Set for Tapping New Manpower Market
The caretaker government announced 7-point strategy to ensure wellbeing of the Bangladeshi workers abroad and expand the manpower-export market worldwide, removing the prevailing hurdles, reports UNB. Foreign and Overseas Employment Advisor Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury Wednesday announced the strategies, which include exploring new manpower-export markets in the Scandinavian European and East European countries like Norway, Sweden and Romania. Among the strategies are also extension of existing markets in the Middle-East, including Libya, enhancing skills in the English language, exporting manpower from Monga-affected areas, ensuring proper utilization of remittances, introducing strong monitoring to check fraud in manpower export and working together with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the International Migration Organisation (IMO). Addressing a press briefing at the Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry, the advisor said the government adopted the strategies as it believes that the country''s prime foreign earnings would come from the manpower-export sector. During the briefing, Overseas Employment secretary Abdul Matin Chowdhury noted that until September this year, a total of 8,830 Bangladeshi citizens are in prisons in different countries across the world, either in police custody or under remand. Of them, 1,930 have been convicted. Of the convicts, the highest 636 Bangladeshi nationals are in Saudi jail.
Iftekhar Chowdhury said the Malaysian government is yet to inform its decision to suspend the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers. "But, despite that, everyday, on average, about 700 workers are leaving for Malaysia and the government is working on the issue so that the market could be resumed," he said. The advisor said that the caretaker government would deal with the manpower-export business in the new manpower markets taking lesson from Malaysian incidents. He said a South Korean delegation is arriving in Dhaka on December 9 to discuss manpower import from Bangladesh. He noted that an agreement would be signed between the Korean HRD and Bangladesh''s state-owned recruiting agency Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Service Limited (BOESL). "Korea will recruit about 3,000 workers. Those who are now in Korea will get priority in the recruitment as they have good experience in Korean language," he added. The diplomat-turned Advisor said that a total of 526,171 Bangladeshi workers have gone abroad for jobs since the present caretaker government assumed office in January 2007. He informed that so far a total of 764,903 workers have been issued outgoing permit in last 11 months, of which 2,38,000 are waiting to fly. "This figure is the highest in any time in the history." The country has received US$ 5.78 billion (Tk 40,323 crore) in remittance until November 22. "If the trend continues, the remittance flow will exceed US$ 6 billion," the Advisor said.
From http://www.newstoday-bd.com/ 12/06/2007
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Four Options on Anvil to Frame Tax Policies
The finance ministry is examining four options to deal with the taxation policy matters once the National Board of Revenue is relieved of tax policymaking job. The ministry, at the insistence of the International Monetary Fund, earlier decided to withdraw the power to frame tax policies from the NBR in October, which sparked off a lot of criticism among revenue officials and economists. The four options are now waiting for the approval of finance adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam, said finance and revenue officials. The first option is to set up a separate tax policy unit in the Finance Division to be headed by an additional secretary to the ministry. The establishment of a similar unit at the Internal Resources Division of the finance ministry is the second option. Two wings will be set up in the IRD under the proposed unit, which will be manned by the division¡¯s officials. An autonomous unit in the Finance Division, to formulate tax policies for the government, is the third option. The proposed autonomous entity might be manned by people from the government and the private sector. The fourth and last option is to establish a macro-economy and tax policy unit in the Finance Division, which will be headed by an additional secretary to the ministry, said sources. The ministry is likely to seek the opinion of the NBR¡¯s chairman, Abdul Majid, of the planned strategies and options of the finance ministry, they added. The revenue officials, comprising cadre officials from customs and income tax departments, opposed the government¡¯s move to withdraw the power to frame tax policies from the NBR. In a recent proposal they recommended the formation of a separate tax policy unit in the NBR. Two wings, the tax policy wing and the implementation wing, should be established under the planned functional unit in the NBR with sufficient manpower from both the customs and income tax cadres, said the proposal, which was submitted to the NBR¡¯s chairman recently. Officials in the Finance Division told New Age that the decision of separating the tax policy unit from the NBR is a modern concept, which should not give rise to reservations or face any opposition from any quarter. ¡®The NBR will be given only the responsibility to collect taxes as per the tax policies of the government,¡¯ a high official told New Age.
From http://www.newagebd.com/ 12/25/2007
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INDIA: Govt to Invest 20 Billion Dollars in ICT Sector by 2010
New Delhi, Dec 12 : To add further muscle to the telecom growth story, the Government will invest 20 billion dollars in the ICT sector by 2010, Union Telecom Minister A Raja said today. Addressing the inaugural session of India Telecom, 2007 Mr Raja said, ''In the telecom manufacturing itself there has been a commitment of more than 2 billion dollars and we expect fresh commitment of about 2 billion dollar in next one year.'' These investments will contribute significantly to employment generation and GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth, he added. Mr Raja, however, stressed on the need for achieving equitable and sustainable growth by taking the benefits to the common masses. The Minister informed that the decision of providing support from USO fund for mobile telephony and broad band services will open up the vast and untouched market in rural areas of the country that comprises 70 per cent of the population with aspirations to join the mainstream of the country and share the growth story of urban India in the ICT sector. Mr Raja said the goverment has also taken steps to create an environment for innovation through establishment of seven telecom Centres of Excellence in premiere technological institutes of the country in Public Private Partnership(PPP) mode taking all stakeholders on board.
From http://www.newkerala.com/ 12/12/2007
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Make Children the Focal Point of Every Policy, Says CRY
New Delhi: Fifteen years ago on this day (December 11), the Indian government ratified the UN Child Rights Convention. Little has changed since then insofar as the conditions of children in India is concerned says Child Rights and You (CRY), an organisation that works for children in India. Addressing the press, Ila Hukku, Director Development Support, said: ¡°It¡¯s time we asked the planners across the board to make the rights of young citizens a cross-cutting issue. It¡¯s time that the state moved on from a quick fix approach to address children¡¯s rights in each of its plans, from education to rehabilitation and from employment generation to social equity.¡± Earlier a film made by ¡®CRY¡¯s Volunteer Citizen Journalist¡¯, was shown. The film on Singur in West Bengal portrayed how violence during acquisition of land by the state government for the Tatas affected children. ¡°Year on year, statistics gives us a clear idea of how we are falling short on every front: whether in critical areas like education, health, protection or in less overt ones like gender and caste parity,¡± said the statement released by CRY. Ila Hukku lamented over the lack of political will even at the time of ratification. She said that in an undertaking that Indian government had given to the UN, it had placed conditionality.
Quoting from the undertaking she said that the government at that time had expressed its inability by saying that it was not practical immediately to prescribe minimum age for admission to each and every employment, as for several reasons children of different ages continued to work in India and therefore certain rights of child could only be progressively implemented. Fifteen years on, the conditions for children have hardly changed despite several flagship schemes and legislations to protect their rights and interests. It only reflects the continued lack of will and commitment, she added. ¡°There is only one kind of political consensus that actually seems to be emerging which is to de-politicise child rights. That child rights are not a political issue. They are something soft; they are something that you can get away with. By giving whatever you please, not by giving what is actually their entitlement,¡± she said. On the aspect of children facing discrimination on account of their socio-religious and economic status, R.B. Pal, General Secretary of Voice of People from the state of Uttar Pradesh, said: ¡°The discrimination that children face because they belong to marginalised and oppressed social groups is left unaddressed by the state as policies on child rights tend to take an academic view of the needs of a child.¡± CRY demanded that the state must make children the focal point and touchstone of every policy and plan made for the country and the voices of marginalised parents and communities must be taken into account while making these policies.
From http://southasia.oneworld.net/ 12/12/2007
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Govt to Introduce Gram Nyayalayas Bill in Budget Session
New Delhi, Dec 13 : The Centre will introduce a legislation in the budget session of Parliament for creating 6,000-odd Gram Nyayalayas to reduce the considerable number of pending cases in subordinate judiciary and deliver justice at the doorsteps of rural masses. The mobile courts will be presided over by a judicial officer in the rank of First Class Magistrate. The Gram Nyayalayas Bill was introduced early this year in Rajya Sabha. But the Upper House referred it to a Standing Committee for detailed scrutiny. A meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, today decided to introduce the Bill again in the Rajya Sabha with official amendments on the basis of the recommendations of the Standing Committee. ''Almost all the recommendations of the Standing Committee have been incorporated in the Bill being introduced in the Budget session,'' Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told mediapersons. ''The legislation would establish a system of judiciary which would be less expensive, free from protracted procedural wrangles, quick and available at the grass roots level, accessible to the common man and render justice to him as enshrined in Article 39 A of the Constitution,'' Mr Dasmunsi said.
From http://www.newkerala.com/ 12/13/2007
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Government Planning Ways to Tackle Mounting Plastic Waste
New Delhi, Dec 16: Concerned over the high amount of plastic being dumped into the environment and the consequent clogging of drains, the government is planning to promote recycling technology for used plastics as a parallel industry. The fertilizer and chemicals ministry is said to be keen on generating fuel from recycled plastic. Plastic is non-biodegradable and toxic and in monsoons it wreaks havoc in urban areas by clogging drains and water bodies as was evident in Mumbai's unprecedented flooding this year and last year when the storm water drains got clogged due to plastic littering. Now crucially, urban local bodies are being brought on board. An incentive scheme for urban local bodies which contribute significantly towards plastic waste management recycling is to be formalised, with the ministry of urban development being the nodal agency. Informed sources say the fertiliser and chemicals ministry is advocating developing awareness of the recyclable properties of plastic and eliminate its littering. While the recently released new petrochemical policy aims to increase per capita consumption of plastics, the ministry is equally keen to stress on plastic waste disposal and its effect on the environment. With environmental concerns on top of the government's agenda, the ministry wants a system of checks and balances to be instituted. The ministry is also keen to work towards a mechanism for industry contribution to the recycling of used plastic. At the same time, a policy on restriction on import of plastic waste is being reviewed in consultation with the ministry of environment and forests and the department of commerce, official sources said.
From http://www.newkerala.com/ 12/16/2007
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National Policy to Boost Adventure Tourism: Soni
New Delhi, Dec 17 : With concerns being raised about adventure tourists polluting natural resources, the Indian government plans to formulate a national policy to preserve these spots with the aim to boost this niche segment. Inaugurating the 6th Annual Convention of the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) on 'Indian Adventure Tourism - the Next Step' Monday, Minister of Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni said the focus was on giving "greater boost to adventure tourism".She said at a time when the entire world was talking about climate change and conservation of natural resources, it is important to formulate comprehensive guidelines for adventure tourism. "There is a genuine concern that adventure tourists are not only polluting the place but have little regard for conserving the existing natural resources," she said. Soni highlighted the fact that responsible tourism in any form will not only help to preserve natural resources but generate revenue for the betterment of the place and the local communities. Soni also agreed that the existing national eco-tourism policy needs to be revived in the light of the ongoing international debate on climate change. She released a special 30 |
