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Developing Countries Should Guard Against Being Marginalized in Modernization
Developing countries should keep alert against being marginalized in the process of modernization, some Asian ranking officials said Friday at the Asia High-Level Symposium on Threats, Challenge and Change being held in Hangzhou,capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province. At the symposium, which opened Friday, 11 members of the panel of eminent persons on UN reform and the UN's role as well as some 33 senior officials and renowned experts and scholars from nearly 20 countries held wide discussion on the threats and challenge brought by modernization to the world peace and security, and reached broad consensus. Participants shared the view that modernization brought about new and more complicated challenges for the international community and international situation. The present world is not only challenged by traditional security factors, such as conflicts and war between countries, but also menaced by non-traditional security elements, including terrorism, cross-border crimes, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, abject poverty and AIDS, they said. These traditional and non-traditional security factors are interrelated rather than isolated, which has increased the complexity of the international security situation, they said. Under the trend of modernization, the security situation of all the countries and regions is closely related and, therefore, they said they should take collective measures to cope with the threats and challenge. Many participants said that for most developing countries, poverty still remains the most pressing issue. Due to the challenge posed by modernization, the domestic economic and social development of a number of developing countries is in an unfavorable condition, they said. Some participants noted that the developing countries should promote the balanced development of economy, society and culture. Meanwhile, they said, the developed countries should show their readiness to intensify assistance to the developing countries. Participants all held that the United Nations, as a universal and authoritative international organization, plays a positive role in maintaining peace and boosting development in the world, and should play a bigger role under the new situation. Some eminent persons also acknowledged that challenges faced by different countries are different owing to varying domestic situation. However, all challenges should be treated equally and not with double standards. Since the international situation has undergone drastic changes, according to some participant, the UN itself should advance with the times, enhance its work efficiency and strengthen its function. The three-day meeting will also hold discussions on collective actions against the threats and challenges, as well as the UN's operation, coordination and reform.
From Xinhua News Agency 04/03/2004
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Pacific Heads Back Region Unity Plan
Pacific leaders have backed a regional plan for aiding collapsing economies and fighting international security threats. Prime Minister John Howard welcomed the Pacific Island Forum's adoption of the "Pacific Plan" in Auckland yesterday and pledged $1 million to support it. The plan will see a more powerful forum, whose head - former Australian diplomat Greg Urwin - will be responsible for intervening in regional crises like the collapse of the Solomon Islands. A series of studies will be made to work out details, with a report to be presented to regional leaders by August. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said the Pacific Plan charted a way for the region to "deeper and broader regional co-ordination and co-operation". Fijian Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase said the move was an important first step towards a European Union-style administration. A Pacific Union "was an option, we should not rule it out", he said. Mr Qarase also said the region and individual nations had a duty to eliminate or minimise corruption. Mr Howard supported the attack on corruption, pleased by the forum's backing of his calls for greater integration and better governance. But a Pacific Union was ambitious, he said. "You've got to crawl before you walk on something like this and maybe you'll be content to crawl for a long time," he said. "The most important thing is for every country in the region, particularly the poor, small ones, to accept that the only way forward is to pool their resources, and you just won't get anywhere otherwise." The review, endorsed by the leaders, said integration was needed if the region was to avoid decline and international marginalisation. Globalisation threatened the region with risks such as transnational crime and terrorism, it said. It stressed that co-operative security mechanisms must have teeth so the forum and region could respond to government breakdown, insurrection and other emergencies. Economic decline, ballooning populations and the spread of diseases such as AIDS posed big risks to the region, it found. The leaders agreed to plan further integration of regional transport, security and law enforcement and to investigate benches of judges to operate region-wide. But many smaller nations jealously guard prestigious institutions, such as airlines, which Australia believes should be merged. The leaders released an Auckland Declaration saying that the "serious challenges facing countries of the region warranted serious and careful examination of the pooling of scarce regional resources". It said the key goals of the forum were economic growth, sustainable development, good governance and security. (by Mark Forbes)
From http://www.theage.com.au/ 04/07/2004
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ADB, SAARC Sign MoU to Strengthen Cooperation
BSS, Manila - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that aims to strengthen cooperation between them. The MoU, signed by ADB Vice-president (Operation 1) Liqun Jin and Saarc Secretary-General QAMA Rahim at ADB Headquarters in Manila, will help promote mutually interested regional programmes, projects and help establish linkages with other regional initiatives, said an ADB press release. In line with the agreement, ADB plans to provide a regional technical assistance in helping the Saarc Secretariat for identification of priority cooperation areas and in realisation of the regional cooperation agenda as outlined in the Islamabad Declaration. Through the agreement, ADB hopes to play a catalytic role in identifying and promoting regional cooperation initiatives in partnership with the Saarc Secretariat. ADB is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region through pro-poor sustainable growth, social development, and good governance. In 2003 it approved loans and technical assistance amounting to US$6.1 billion and US$177 million.
From http://www.thedailystar.net/ 04/14/2004
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ASEAN Re-Launches Program to Boost Regional Tourism
JAKARTA - The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Thursday re-launched a program aimed at boosting intra-ASEAN tourism traffic and getting ASEAN residents to visit more than one ASEAN country for their holidays. The ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) said the so-called ASEAN Hip-Hop Pass, which will run until March 31 of next year, is a one-year promotion program will offer competitive prices for intraregional travel by citizens of ASEAN-member countries.
From Kyodo News 04/16/2004
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Sustainable Environment Key to Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction in Mekong, Says First Atlas of GMS
MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Environmental degradation remains one of the most pressing challenges in the countries sharing the Mekong River - a region rich in resources but with a high poverty rate. With wise stewardship of the environment and natural resources, the countries can ensure sustainable livelihoods for their people. That is the message of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Atlas of the Environment, the first book of its kind celebrating the GMS, jointly published today by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). The Atlas provides comprehensive environmental information, the scarcity of which is a major constraint on sustainable development planning and decision-making in the subregion. About 250 million people, most of them in rural areas, inhabit the five countries and one province of the subregion: Cambodia, Yunnan Province of the People's Republic of China, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. Extensively illustrated by photographs, maps, remote sensing images, tables, graphs and text, the Atlas showcases the wealth of the region's natural resources - including water, minerals, energy, wetlands, forestlands, biodiversity, protected areas, agriculture and fisheries - and the efforts being made to tackle the region's environmental problems. It also discusses the relationship between the environment and the peoples of the GMS. In recent decades, the environment, along with poverty, has moved to center stage as a critical issue. There is now wider realization that these concerns are closely related and that poverty reduction and environment protection are mutually supportive in the long run. In the Foreword of the Atlas, ADB President Tadao Chino and UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer note that, "The Atlas clearly demonstrates how the countries of the subregion are bound by shared natural resources, the commonality of the challenges facing these countries, and the need for subregional cooperation in conserving the environment to enable them to pursue sustainable development goals." They also cite the commitment of the Leaders of the GMS countries to this objective as shown in their 2002 Summit declaration which said: "We must and will better protect our environment. We will take responsibility and leadership for the sustainable management of our natural and shared resources." The book forms part of a major effort to promote regional cooperation on the environment under the GMS Program, which ADB has assisted since the Program began in 1992. At the Atlas launch ceremony today, Mr. Chino called on all stakeholders in the GMS region to work hand in hand for the preservation of the environment for the benefit of future generations. ADB and UNEP are working closely with environmental issues and help provide for a sustainable future for the subregion.
From http://www.adb.org/ 04/19/2004
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N. Korean Official: Next 6-Way Nuke Talks Will Open at End of June
A senior North Korean official says the next round of six-way nuclear talks will take place around the end of June as scheduled. In an interview with Japanese media Saturday, Director of the North's Foreign Ministry's division for U.S. affairs, Jong Thae-yang, said he believes the next six-party discussion will open at the end of June as was agreed during the previous round of nuclear talks in February. Earlier on Thursday, in its first confirmation of Kim Jong-il's secretive trip to Beijing, North Korea's official KCNA news agency said that the North Korean leader and Chinese President Hu Jintao had agreed to try to resolve the nuclear dispute peacefully through talks with South Korea, the United States, Japan and Russia. The reports said that Pyongyang would take an active part in the six-party talks with patience and flexibility and make contributions to the dialogue's progress.
From http://rki.kbs.co.kr/ 04/25/2004
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CHINA: China to Issue E-Commerce Regulations
China is set to issue new regulations related to e-commerce this year. The move is aimed to better protect consumers buying goods online. The expected new regulation on electronic signature will support the validity of electronic documents and signatures as legal evidence of online purchases. Zhao Xiaofan, vice department director of State Council, said, "The State Council will discuss the rules on electronic signature this year. The regulations on contract, payments, advertising and consumer rights will also include rules on e-commerce." Currently, China has no official national regulations on e-commerce. This creates a lack of trust on online business. Eachnet, the largest auction portal in the country, has seen its business suffer due to the lack of regulations. To improve the business environment, the company submitted its own draft of regulations to the government for a reference. Netease executive Shao Yibo says China has 2.7 million e-commerce consumers, with a dramatic growth in the number from 2000. But the per capita consumption of online buyers is not even one tenth of that in the western countries. If a high degree of trust is created, and supported by related regulations, China's e-commerce can offer promising growth prospects.
From CCTV 03/29/2004
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New Policy on Auto Sector 'Ready in 3 Months'
A much-delayed new policy for China's fast-growing auto industry is expected within the next three months, according to a senior government official. "The new auto policy will surely be launched during the first half of this year," said Zhang Guobao, vice-minister of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). Zhang's confirmation refuted recent rumours about top industry decision-makers failing to agree on many issues. The NDRC, the main watchdog for China's auto industry, brought forth a draft of the new policy to solicit public opinion during the first half of last year. However, the new policy, slated to replace the 1994 legislation, is still trapped in bureaucratic red tape. Industry sources say decision makers are revising important sections of the draft to pave the way for a new policy. The portion of the draft relating to vehicles made by domestic producers with own intellectual property on designs and production should account for more than 50 per cent of total auto sales in China will be cancelled, according to sources. "It is meaningless for the government to jell such a target under the market-driven economy," said Jia Xinguang, chief analyst with the China National Automotive Industry Consulting and Development Corp. "The target is very ambiguous. It has already been fulfilled if it refers to all types of vehicles made in China, including those used in the agricultural sector," Jia said. "If it only refers to passenger cars, it is impossible to achieve the target by 2010," he added. Foreign brands now account for 90 per cent of total passenger car sales in China. Almost all of the world's major automakers, such as Volkswagen, General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Honda, PSA Peugeot Citroen, DaimlerChrysler, Nissan and BMW, have built car manufacturing plants in China, which has the potential of becoming the world's biggest auto market. The government will also amend the new policy to allow foreign automakers to market their vehicles made in and exported to China in the same channels, sources said. Foreign automakers loudly complained last year about the policy draft's stipulation that they would have to separate vehicle sales channels. The stipulation attempted to increase foreign automakers' costs in China and protect local manufacturers as overseas-made vehicles would flood in thanks to the nation's tariff cuts on imports and the expected removal of import quotas. China will remove vehicle import quotas next year and slash its tariffs to 25 per cent in 2006 from about 34-37 per cent at present according to its commitments to the WTO. "But the stipulation violates market rules and also cannot shelter domestic manufacturers in real terms because their fundamental weakness is a lack of strong development capabilities and brands," Jia said. Most Chinese automakers, including the nation's top three - First Automotive Works Corp, Dongfeng Motor Corp and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp - are assembling foreign models because of this weakness. However, the requirements regarding the equity structure of Sino-foreign car joint ventures - the most sensitive issue in the industry - will remain unchanged. The Chinese side must control a stake of at least 50 per cent in joint ventures with foreign partners. Jia called on the government to take a step back from regulating the auto industry too much, with rules such as what new model manufacturers should introduce and how much they should invest. "What the government should do is create equal conditions for players in all forms of ownership in the auto industry, to make unified rules about vehicle safety and emissions, and to protect consumers' interests," he said. Sales of new vehicles made in China shot up by 34 per cent year-on-year to 4.39 million units last year, including almost 2 million passenger cars. (by Gong Zhengzheng)
From http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ 03/31/2004
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White Paper on Human Rights Published
China's State Council Information Office published on Tuesday a white paper detailing the nation's progress in human rights protection over the past year. The white paper, entitled China's Progress in Human Rights: 2003, provides a plethora of facts and figures detailing the past year's efforts and achievements in safeguarding the basic human rights of the Chinese people and providing legal guarantees of these rights.It also covers China's exchanges and cooperation with the international community in this field.
From China's State Council Information Office 03/31/2004
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Wage Rule Helps the Disadvantaged
Workers in China, including all the migrant workers flooding into the nation's cities, are now entitled to enjoy a new minimum wage under a revised regulation issued by labour authorities at the beginning of March. Along with the regulation announced by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the government also made public detailed guidelines to be used to calculate wage levels in different regions, taking into account the basic living expenses, local living standards and other indicators. The ministry has also suggested that a proper minimum wage should be between 40 and 60 per cent of the average income of the people in any given region. According to the now revised regulation, which was first set in 1993, if enterprises pay workers less than the set regional minimum levels, they will be fined five to 10 times the least sum of wages they should have paid. But the regulation, which has instituted a round of increases in minimum wage levels nationwide, has drawn criticism as well as praise from the public.
Mounting income gap
Critics see it as another attempt by the government to curb the mounting income gap, but fear that it will also exacerbate the country's unemployment problem. Nearly all of the cities in the country have already set their minimum wage levels in accordance with the revised regulation. This was accomplished through reviews by and negotiations between local labour bureaux, the trade unions and enterprise associations, employers and employees. The original regulation has increased minimum wage levels as workers have faced increasing expenses over the years since its adoption, says Wang Zhihong, deputy director of the ministry's Department of Wage Management. "We must increase the minimum wage level because workers must use some of their income to buy insurance," says Wang. The government is now setting up a social security system and workers and enterprises will share the cost of this social insurance. Safeguarding the interests of part-time workers who have no fixed hours of employment or workplaces is another aim of the revised regulation. "Traditional" jobs have fixed hours and locations, but with "non-traditional" jobs, the hours, days or even seasons of work can vary from employer to employer. China's top leadership has recently been pushing for a more flexible employment system to accommodate the country's huge body of unemployed workers. Experts say the country's labour authority previously focused only on protecting the rights and interests of traditional workers. As a result, those working in non-traditional jobs have been getting unreasonably low pay or have had their rights infringed upon."The country needs laws and regulations to set a minimum wage in such cases and to protect those workers against exploitation," says Wang. Official statistics indicate that 145 million Chinese worked without fixed hours, wages or other conditions last year. Only 14 per cent of these people earned more than 500 yuan (US$60) per month, while only 10 per cent had signed employment contracts with their employers. The ministry explained that the minimum wage does not include overtime pay or any special wages for working under extreme conditions, such as intense heat or dangerous environments. It also does not include benefits such as insurance, free meals and housing subsidies and so on. Trade unions also stand firmly behind the revised minimum-wage regulation. Ding Dajian, a senior official with the All-China Federation of Trade Unions says her organization has been working out a mechanism to ensure prompt payment of wages for unskilled workers, especially migrant rural workers. "I'm glad to know that migrant workers are protected by the regulation," says Ding. "We hope specific articles will be added to the regulation to guarantee prompt payment of labourer's wages, including those earning minimum wages."
Monthly or weekly pay
What unionists want to see added to the regulation is the following: First, like every other worker or employee, migrant workers should be paid monthly or weekly. Second, payment of wages can be delayed only on the condition that trade unions agree, and the delay period should be no more than two weeks.Despite the efforts of the government and trade unions, some job hunters say they don't care about the regulation.Random interviews conducted by China Central Television (CCTV) with 10 migrant workers in Beijing indicated that the migrants knew nothing about the regulation that could protect them from violations of their interests. All of them earn about 500-800 yuan (US$60-96) per month. Li Chao, 18, says she has worked as a housekeeper in Beijing for two years since graduating from junior high school in her hometown in Henan Province. Over the period she has had six different employers and her pay has fluctuated from 400-600 yuan (US$48-72) per month. "I didn't know there was a regulation guaranteeing a minimum wage, and even though I now know, I don't know how to deal with employers who violate the regulation," she says, adding that all she wants is a job that allows her to enjoy a basic standard of living. The Beijing Labour and Social Security Bureau says the minimum wage rate in Beijing was raised 30 yuan (US$3.6) to 495 yuan (US$59.8) per month at the beginning of this year. The new rate applies to all the employees of companies, institutions, government departments and other organizations. Before January 1st, the minimum level had been 465 yuan (US$56) a month, and the city adopted a minimum wage in 1994, when the government required employers to pay their employees at least 210 yuan (US$25.3) per month. Nearly all the cities and counties of the country have set minimum wage levels in a bid to protect the rights of workers. But some researchers say the government should be careful about the negative side of the issue. "The minimum wage should be eliminated. Government has no obligation nor the power to determine a person's value in the job market," a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences told China Daily on condition of anonymity. He says that if government forces a business to pay more than a person's market value, somebody else is going to be paid less than they are worth to compensate for that person's gain. "Workers' wages should be determined by competitive market forces, not government-imposed mandates." He says the regulation and consequent wage hikes could work to the detriment of low-skilled and young wage earners. Legislation to raise the minimum wage is no answer to poverty. Instead, it will increase poverty. "Economists believe that raising the minimum wage could instantly eliminate tens of thousands of jobs. But He Fan, another renowned researcher with the academy, an influential think tank for the government, says in a market economy, the role of the government is to make the society more fair and equal. "As China becomes increasingly market-orientated, the income gap has widened and government should guarantee a basic living standard for those at the bottom of the employment ladder," says He.
From China Daily 04/02/2004
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One Country, Two Systems Principle Cherished: Hong Kong
Both the Government and the Central Authorities highly cherish the One Country, Two Systems principle, Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Stephen Lam says. However, changing Hong Kong's political structure is not an issue covered in the principle of a 'high degree of autonomy'. Speaking on a radio talkshow today, Mr Lam said according to the Constitution and the Basic Law, the Central Government has the ultimate power to make decisions on Hong Kong's constitutional development. Mr Lam said Hong Kong also has the right to participate in the process of introducing political changes and any constitutional changes cannot be implemented without the support and consent of local residents. He reiterated the National People's Congress Standing Committee's interpretations on Basic Law Annexes I & II will offer a solution to our divergent views on constitutional reform and enable the Constitutional Development Task Force to proceed with its work. The Central Government will consider Hong Kong people's interests and the committee will carefully study the report submitted by the task force. On the Police handling of the protestors outside the Central Government Office yesterday morning, Mr Lam said Hong Kong is a peaceful society and everyone should handle issues in a calm and considerate manner. Noting Police are professional and disciplined, he said it is difficult to have an operation that satisfies everyone and the Government will review the issue carefully. He said the Government is willing to listen to the views of various sectors, and the task force has met with student representatives this morning.
From http://www.news.gov.hk/ 04/03/2004
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China to Pass Foreign Trade Law Amendment
The draft amendment to the Foreign Trade Law, submitted for deliberation for the third time, is expected to be passed during the ongoing meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) from April 2 to 6. The draft amendment, which has been deliberated twice, overhauls the current Foreign Trade Law, passed in May 1994. During the group discussion meetings in the afternoon, most members of the NPC Standing Committee said that the draft amendment had satisfied the demands proposed by them in the last two deliberations and agreed to submit it for vote at the meeting. Individuals can also be operators of foreign trade, and some restrictive qualifications on foreign trade operators will be removed, under the submitted draft. The draft adds two chapters on protection of intellectual property and foreign trade investigations and some provisions about restrictions on imports and exports, safety exceptions and others. In order to respond promptly to sudden changes in foreign trade and provide better service to the operators, the draft also suggests establishing an early warning system, a public information service system, a statistics mechanism and publicity about illegal operations. Compared with the only punishment in the current law -- withdrawal of operation credit -- the draft strengthens sanctions against illegal operations through adopting more severe punishments, from criminal penalties to administrative penalties and cancellation of operators' qualifications.
From China Daily 04/05/2004
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Four Reasons Why China Will Not Revalue RMB
BEIJING -- Aside from political pressures from the US, there's really no reason for China to appreciate its currency. Four fundamental conditions that exist today will prevent China from floating the renminbi. First, restrictions on the Chinese travelling to the US and other major countries restrict investment and spending opportunities. Second, the floating rate of housing mortgages and the lack of individual credit lending system reduce China's control on inflation and lending. Third, the high income tax rate has created near zero profit for export industries that can easily move factories to other countries when labour costs or the renminbi become too high. Lastly, and most importantly, the income gap between the roughly 900 million rural population and the 500 million urban population has widened to an unprecedented 1:4 level, with the average rural real income less than 1,900 yuan (US$230) per year. If not resolved or controlled, any of these four conditions can create disasters for the Chinese economy.
Excerpted from www.chinaview.cn 04/05/2004
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State of Emergency Law to Set Basic Rights
New state of emergency legislation should carefully balance government power and individual rights, legal experts say. The word "emergency" usually refers to an unforeseen combination of circumstances or the resulting state that calls for immediate action to maintain public order and ensure the safety of people's lives and property. However, extraordinary measures usually involve varying restrictions on citizens' rights and freedoms. The fourth amendment to the country's 1982 Constitution, passed last month, replaces the term "martial law" with "states of emergency," paving the way for new legislation on this issue. The Constitution says the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislative body, has the power to declare a state of emergency throughout the country or in particular provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities directly under the auspice of the central government. After that decision is made, the President of the People's Republic of China is entitled to proclaim the state of emergency, according to the Constitution. The Constitution also stipulates that the State Council has the power to proclaim a state of emergency in parts of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the administration of the central government in accordance with the provisions of law.
From China Daily 04/05/2004
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China Drafts Electronic Signature Law
China's top legislature discussed on Apr.2 a draft law that grants electronic signatures the same legal effect as handwritten signatures and seals in business transactions. The eighth meeting of the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress which opened in Beijing Friday, deliberated the draft law on electronic signatures for the first time. "As a predominant means to ensure the security of electronic transactions, on-line signatures have seen widespread application in recent years," said Cao Kangtai, director of the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council, in his report to the top legislature. "But problems have occurred since China has not legitimized the electronic signatures, hindering the growth of China's e-commerce and e-government." Cao said the draft law would make electronic signatures as legitimate as handwritten signatures. A legal electronic signature should identity the signer and confirm file content. As Internet trade requires a reliable third party to identify the signers, the credibility of the on-line certifying organizations is significant for the transaction security. Cao said China drafted the market access system for on-line certifying centers in the draft law to ensure the security of e- commerce. The State Council started lawmaking process last April, pooling experience from experts and legislation from developed nations. Statistics show that China has some 4,000 websites dealing with e-commerce and over 70 on-line certifying centers. China's Internet Data Center (IDC) estimates that domestic revenue from e-commerce amounted to 60 billion US dollars in 2003.
From China Daily04/05/2004
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Interpretations of Basic Law 'timely, necessary': Editorial
The official People's Daily describes the interpretations of clauses of the annexes of the Basic Law of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) as an important move for the central government to implement the policies of "One Country, Two Systems" and the Basic Law itself, and maintain long-term stability and prosperity in Hong Kong. In a commentary published Wednesday, April 7, 04, the newspaper says the interpretation by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) is helpful for the Hong Kong people to have a comprehensive and correct understanding of the Basic Law, in the interest of properly handling the issue of constitutional development in Hong Kong in accordance with the Basic Law. The NPC Standing Committee has been cautious in exercising its authorized power of interpreting the Basic Law, as it takes into account the interpretations and opinions of various social strata, sectors and various sides. The commentary says that the NPC Standing Committee has consulted the Committee for the Basic Law of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, heard comments from the NPC deputies and the Standing Committee members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Hong Kong, and heeded the opinions of various circles in Hong Kong collected by the HKSAR task force on constitutional development, as well as the opinions of the task force itself. Interpretations of Clause 7 of Annex I and Clause 3 of Annex IIof the Hong Kong Basic Law by the Standing Committee is timely and necessary, it says. The interpretations make it clear that it falls under the authority of the NPC Standing Committee to decide whether the provisions concerning selecting of the Chief Executive and forming of the Legislative Council need to be amended or not, and the related bill or amendment to the law can only be tabled by the HKSAR government to HKSAR legislative council, according to the commentary. The interpretation conforms to the stipulation of the Basic Law that the Central Authorities have the right to decide from the very beginning to the end on constitutional development of the HKSAR, the commentary says. The commentary points out that interpretations have clarified different understandings of the clauses of the Basic Law by Hong Kong society. The specific clauses can only be understood correctly when all the provisions of the Basic Law on the relations between the Central Government and HKSAR, the legal status of HKSAR and related stipulations are taken into account, the commentary says. With regard to the different understandings of the clauses by people in Hong Kong, the commentary says the fundamental reason is the different understandings of the relationship between the Central Government and the region. The high-degree of autonomy for Hong Kong has been authorized by the Central Authorities, the constitutional structure of HKSAR is provided for by the Basic Law formulated by the NPC, and local government has no authority to decide or change its constitutional system, says the commentary. Hong Kong compatriots are urged to safeguard the authority of the Basic Law and the Interpretations by the NPC Standing Committee, and properly handle the constitutional development in Hong Kong according to the Basic Law and the Interpretations so as to promote the democratic system that suits the actual conditions of Hong Kong step by step, and lay a sound social and political foundation for long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong.
From http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ 04/06/2004
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China's First Film Law Ready to Debut
China's first-ever film promotion law should be drafted by lawyers and senior decision-makers by May, and the final version is expected to be implemented next year. The film promotion law is being drafted by lawyers and senior decision-makers within China's motion picture industry. The law will reportedly address issues such as the protection of film-makers' rights and the creation of an open, fair and healthy film market. It will allow greater involvement of private and overseas money in the production, distribution and screening of films. Many insiders are cautiously optimistic about the effect the law will have on China's fledgling film industry.
From CIR 04/07/2004
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Chinese Top Legislature to Deliberate New Bankruptcy Law in June
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) Tuesday held a lecture on the enterprise bankruptcy law for preparation of the new draft law preliminary deliberation in June, 2004. Wu Bangguo, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said at the lecture that the new bankruptcy law will be an important law for improvement of socialist market economic system. The current bankruptcy law, promulgated in 1986, is only applicable to state-owned enterprises and cannot meet the demand of China's reform and opening-up as well as development of market economy, said Wang Liming, lecture speaker and professor with the People's University of China.
From Xinhuanet 04/07/2004
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Beijing Seeks Multilateral Northeast Asian Security
BEIJING - It's time to promote the establishment of a Northeast Asian regional security mechanism. The nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula is of increasing concern to Northeast Asian countries. The two rounds of six-party North Korea nuclear talks brought together key regional governments: China, Russia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Republic of Korea (ROK), and Japan - as well as the United States. And the discussions have kindled a gleam of hope for the establishment of a multilateral security system in the region. Many people say that the six-party talks, a special multilateral arrangement aimed at defusing the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula, could develop into a general system to ensure security in Northeast Asia, if these meetings were to become a systematic and regular event. The progress already made in the talks demonstrates that a permanent multilateral regional security system could help solve even the most sensitive security problems. Northeast Asia should not base its security measures on bilateral frameworks any longer, according to many analysts. A multilateral security arrangement would offer a more effective and complementary guarantee of regional peace and stability. The regional security arrangement could coexist with alliance-oriented bilateral security relations. Constructing a multilateral security framework in Northeast Asia is not a new idea. Countries such as Russia and Japan suggested setting up a Northeast Asian security mechanism after the end of the Cold War. Countries in the region have also conducted security dialogues at various levels with their neighbors. But a systematized regional security arrangement has remained a distant prospect. The threat of instability in Northeast Asia is very real. The Korean nuclear issue and the Taiwan question remain unresolved, and these two serious issues, if not properly handled, could cause regionwide instability. The ROK and even Japan are exhibiting strong desires to explore more self-reliant foreign policies, while the influence of the "peaceful rise" of China increasingly is being felt. On the other hand, the US has never veiled its worries about the alleged intention of China to recover its traditional centrality in the region. With regional security issues unresolved and no long-term development plans established, peaceful development in Northeast Asia cannot be brought about through the wishes of any individual country, according to many observers. Regional peace and stability can only be achieved through the collective and objective actions of countries in the region. In other words, neither self-help (China is a good example) nor military alliances are enough to face a changing security environment in the region. (by Pang Zhongying)
From http://www.atimes.com 04/09/2004
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New Policy Eases One-Child Restrictions
Shanghai, China's largest city is set to implement a new population policy beginning Thursday that will make it a bit easier for certain locals to have a second child. The new Shanghai population and family planning regulation, which was approved by Shanghai People's Congress late last year, stipulates that a husband and wife who both are single children themselves can have a second child. The new policy also cancels a four-year interval period between the first and second child, which was set down by old provisions. Originally, only a couple in a second marriage could have another child if one of the spouses did not already have one. The new regulation removes such a prerequisite. It means a newly organized family can have one more child even if the couple have children from earlier marriages. Under the old regulation, if one member of a couple in rural areas is disabled to such an extent that it affects his or her labour capabilities, the family can have a second child. Under the amendment, such a right now will be extended to urban families. The loosening of the restrictions opens "a small crack" in the old family planning policy in Shanghai, one of the most densely populated areas in China, local media have reported. The policy readjustments -- though only small in scope -- indicates more humanitarian care. On the other hand, it also represents decision-makers' concern for the city's aging population, pointed out Zhang Henian, deputy director of the Institute of Population and Development Studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. Zhang noted that city government needs to further loosen certain population policies in Shanghai's suburbs while continuing to control population growth in the city's congested downtown areas. "To refine the city's population distribution is urgent, yet it will be a long process," Zhang added. The city's family planing authority, however, emphasizes that the new regulations do not mean to "greatly loosen restrictions on second births." "They are not to encourage more childbearing," said Xia Yi, vice-director of Shanghai Municipal Population and Family Planning Commission. "The one-child policy will remain the basis for the new regulation." Shanghai's population was estimated at around 17 million at the end of 2003, including 3 million migrant workers who reportedly lived in the city for at least six months. Immigration has made an exclusive contribution to the city's population growth as the local aging population witnessed negative natural growth for 11 consecutive years, according to commission statistics. In another development, the city has set up a population forecasting system to reduce fluctuations in birth rates. Under the system, the city's family planning commission will provide one to two periodic forecasts every year on local birth rates, which will help local families better plan their child births and avoid peaks in education and employment. (by Da Yong)
From http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ 04/13/2004
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State to Liberalize Rice Purchasing Prices
China announced Thursday its decision to further liberalize purchasing prices of grain, and set minimum purchasing prices of three varieties of rice for protecting the interests of rice growers and spurring rice production. The State Development and Reform Commission said that licensed grain trading companies may purchase grain at market-driven prices after new grain comes into market. But it has set the minimum prices for medium indica rice produced this year, long-grained non-glutinous rice, which will be 1.44 yuan per kg. The minimum price of japonica rice was set at 1.5 yuan per kg while the price of early indica rice is 1.4 yuan per kg, according to the decision. An official with the commission said selected grain trading firms will be ordered to purchase grain when market prices drop below the State-set minimum prices for major cereal.
From Ce.cn 04/16/2004
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Ministry Issues Measure on Investment
The Ministry of Commerce issued the Administrative Measure on Foreign Investment in Commercial Areas on Friday, which incorporated China's promises to the World Trade Organization. The measure will replace a pilot rule on foreign-funded commercial enterprises implemented in 1999. The measure made it clear that China will lower its restrictive conditions for foreign-funded commercial enterprises according to its WTO commitments. The commercial industry's opening to foreign investment will turn into a normal procedure rather than a pilot trial, the measure says. It also states that China will abolish joint-venture requirements and end restrictions on the location and number of foreign-funded stores after December 11 this year. They are currently required to operate through joint ventures in which they can hold a maximum 65 per cent stake. And the stores can only open in major cities. Since the commercial area opened to foreign investment, some US$3 billion has been poured into 270 foreign-funded commercial enterprises with 2,200 outlets. But the measure did not involve articles to punish law-breaking foreign investors in the commercial sector, which the Ministry proposed in the draft. The draft said law-abiding foreign retailers would be permitted to expand, while a one-year curb on expansion would be imposed on those who had violate the regulations. Chronic violators could be banned indefinitely from expanding their operations. Many foreign giants opened stores illegally by skipping over the central government and making deals with local government. Many domestic commercial companies have piled pressure on the government to curb the illegal expansions by laying out such rules. But the new measure just mentioned that foreign investors can open new stores only if it fits with the city's commercial layout. The ministry has asked the major cities to submit their plans for commercial layout before the end of this year. Huang Guoxiong, a professor from Renmin University, said most foreign investors have amended their behaviour. For example, Carrefour was allowed to open new stores this year after it slashed its stake in three supermarkets in China to abide by government caps on foreign ownership. (by Dai Yan)
From China Daily 04/17/2004
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No Barriers on Constitutional Change: Hong Kong
Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Stephen Lam says the Constitutional Development Task Force has not set any barriers for constitutional changes. Speaking on a radio talk show this morning, Mr Lam reiterated that the nine guiding principles for amending the methods for selecting the Chief Executive and for forming the Legislative Council come from the task force's analysis of the views it collected in the past few months. Mr Lam said when the National People's Congress Standing Committee endorses the Chief Executive's report, the task force will immediately study ways to amend the related selection methods. It will consult the Legislative Council and the public on the issue and the related draft bill will be introduced to LegCo when a community consensus is reached. Mr Lam is confident the task force has enough time to finish its work by 2007. He stressed the task force's second report and all the views it collected in the past three months have been included in the Chief Executive's report submitted to the committee. Mr Lam said the results of the opinion poll, which say 60% of respondents want to have universal suffrage in the 2008 LegCo Election and 50% want to have universal suffrage in the 2007 Chief Executive Selection, have also been submitted to the committee.
From http://www.news.gov.hk/ 04/17/2004
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China Strengthens Agricultural Laws
China is strengthening laws related to agricultural production in order to boost the industry. So far, China has implemented 20 laws governing agriculture, land contracts, fishery and grassland usage. These laws play vital roles in protecting the rights of 900 million Chinese farmers. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress notes that in five years time, more laws will be issued to protect farmers and their interests.
From crienglish.com 04/22/2004
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JAPAN: Koizumi Pledges Passage of Pension Reform Bills
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Thursday reiterated his determination to have government-sponsored pension reform legislation enacted during the ongoing Diet session. He made the pledge before a plenary session of the House of Representatives, which began deliberations on the contentious bills amid opposition demands for more comprehensive pension reforms than those the government has put forward. Koizumi said the bills constitute "drastic reforms" to keep the battered pension system afloat by setting the lower limit for benefits and the upper limit for premiums and increasing the government's contributions to the state pension scheme. Under the government's proposal, premiums for the corporate employee pension program will be raised to 18.3 percent by fiscal 2017 from the current 13.58 percent, while pension benefits will not fall below 50 percent of the active generation's annual take-home pay. But Koizumi also reiterated his support for the future integration of the existing pension programs for the self-employed and unemployed, salaried workers, and the mutual-aid pension covering public servants. This measure was advocated by the Democratic Party of Japan, the main opposition force. "It's worthwhile to hold consultations on such a fundamental issue" as pension integration, Koizumi said in response to a question from DPJ policy affairs chief Yukio Edano. "But it must be discussed separately from this pension reform legislation." Edano said the government-sponsored bills are "undesirable and deceptive" because they delay correction of the fundamental problems of the current pay-as-you-go pension system, which is on the verge of collapse amid the rapid graying of Japanese society. Koizumi said, "These bills serve the purpose of drastic reform and realize the ruling coalition's pledge (in the November general election to carry out comprehensive pension reforms), so I'd like the Diet to approve it without delay." He said that integration of the three pension schemes would require between one and two years of consideration and even longer for implementation. (by Tetsushi Kajimoto)
From The Japan Times 04/02/2004
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Policy Goals of the Ministry of Finance of Japan
Policy Goal 1: Maintain Stable Public Finance.
Policy Goal 2: Realize Fair and Equitable Taxation.
Policy Goal 3: Utilize the Fiscal Investment and Loan Program Appropriately and Effectively.
Policy Goal 4: Manage National Assets, Liabilities and Treasury Appropriately and Maintain Credit to the Nation's Currency and Credit.
Policy Goal 5: Maintain Trade Order and Promote the Sound Development of Trade.
Policy Goal 6: Promote Stable and Sound Development of the International Financial System and Economic and Social Development in Developing Countries.
Policy Goal 7: Ensure the Appropriate Management of Corporations, Operation, etc. under the Jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance.
From http://www.mof.go.jp/ 04/08/2004
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Japan Bets New Internet Standard to Drive E-World
TOKYO: The World Wide Web is just about 15 years old, but already it is showing signs of wear as growing demand for Internet addresses and everyday functionality challenge the limits of the technology behind the Web. In the not-so distant future, for example, computers and mobile devices will likely communicate easily and securely with refrigerators, light switches and other appliances. Much of that can already be done with today's technology, but some industry insiders say the current Internet standard falls short of being able to meet the full potential of such functionality. It's time, they say, for an upgrade. Companies led by Japan's Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp and KDDI Corp believe the solution is a nascent next-generation standard: Internet Protocol, version 6 (IPv6). The advanced technology allows for virtually an unlimited number of Internet addresses, making it possible for every home appliance or device to be given its own address. The networks will be more efficient and architecturally simpler than current networks, which only allow for four billion addresses - not even enough for every person on Earth - and require a labour-intensive net of technology to manage them. Security features, such as encryption, are also built directly into the IPv6 standard, unlike the current version, where security was added as an afterthought. "As broadband networks become more common, we believe it will open the door to new services and devices beyond Internet surfing and e-mail such as smart appliances that will require more secure networks than are available now," said Satoshi Ishiyama, vice president at NTT Communications, the broadband arm of NTT. Global appeal: Japan is not the only country focused on IPv6. In Asia, China, Taiwan and South Korea have also announced intentions to upgrade to the advanced standard over the next several years. In the United States, the Department of Defense has said it would phase out purchases of current standard-based network equipment and switch entirely to IPv6 by 2008. However, Japan has been the forerunner in the field, helped in part by the government's so-called "e-Japan" policy, which aims to create a ubiquitous network that will allow any device or thing - be it an appliance or a box of cereal with a tiny tracking chip - to communicate via the network. IPv6 devices are expected to start entering markets later this year. The government estimates that new emerging businesses and services taking advantage of the technology will be worth 84.3 trillion yen ($809 billion) by 2010. "Right now, Internet communication is subject to limitations of the network structure," said Jun Murai, a Keio University professor, who led the development of the Internet in Japan and is spearheading the development of IPv6. "The structure of communications should be developed by society... Our job is to develop a technology that's as open and flexible as possible so when doctors, farmers, entertainers, or ordinary people have needs, we can meet them." Getting started: For now, the biggest challenge for Japan's two-largest telecoms carriers, NTT and KDDI, is to kickstart the momentum. The two companies both say their IPv6 networks are essentially ready.
From http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/ 04/12/2004
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Govt Draws Guidelines on Getting IT Services
The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry has drawn up guidelines to be introduced this fiscal year for ministries and agencies when selecting suppliers for computer systems and other information technology products. The guidelines were created partly to make it easier for small venture firms with excellent technologies to take part in government procurement bids for IT products, an area traditionally dominated by big companies. In the past, small venture firms have been have been caught in a catch-22 situation, effectively barred from the government procurement market because they do not have a track record of successful bids. But clearer standards of what services are required is expected to widen opportunities for venture firms if they have the desired technologies. The guidelines clarify standards to be used when evaluating the performance and quality of IT services when signing contracts, with the aim of making the process more transparent. Points for evaluation include how many leading-edge functions can be installed in the system offered by a bidder, and also the predicted time required to get the system back up and running in the event of a system crash. Under the guidelines, when signing a contract, ministries and contractors will decide upon points of service to be evaluated so as to set a level for quality of products and services to be supplied. By continuously evaluating a system's performance, the ministries can determine the adequacy of the cost-performance of the procured products and services. The guidelines also aim to introduce a system under which procurement prices can fluctuate depending on past performances of contractors. Contractor companies also will benefit from the guidelines as they will not be asked to provide a higher level of services than initially scheduled due to ambiguous goals in contracts. The government has been facing surging costs in procuring computer systems and other IT products, resulting in an inflexible distribution of budgets. In light of this, the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry set up a panel of IT firms and experts to draft the guidelines. The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry then submitted the panel's report to a liaison council of procurement officials of ministries and agencies and obtained their agreement for the guidelines.
From http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/ 04/13/2004
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Oil Pollution Law Passed
TOKYO - The Diet on Wednesday enacted a law requiring shipowners to have insurance for oil damage their vessels cause, a measure likely to result in barring access to Japanese ports of North Korean ships, most of which have no such insurance. The Law on Liability for Ship Oil Pollution Damage, passed by the House of Councillors, was conceived following a 2002 accident in which a North Korean freighter ran aground off Ibaraki Prefecture and was left abandoned, causing oil pollution damage.
From Kyodo News 04/14/2004
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Bill Passed to Toughen Immigration Control in Japan
TOKYO - The House of Councillors passed a bill Friday to toughen measures against illegal immigrants in Japan and eliminate a restriction on the period during which foreign nationals may apply for refugee status. The legislation to revise the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law was immediately sent to the House of Representatives for enactment.
From Kyodo News 04/18/2004
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Waste Disposal Law Revised to Ban Sulfate Pitch Storage
TOKYO - The House of Councillors enacted a revised waste disposal law Wednesday to ban the storage and transport of sulfate pitch, a harmful substance produced when fuel oil is mixed with kerosene to make illegal gas oil in a bid to dodge taxes. Violators may face up to five years in prison or 10 million yen in fines under the revised law. The ban comes after a number of dumping cases involving sulfate pitch were found in mountainous areas. It is designed to enable law enforcement authorities to take measures against illegal dumping at an early stage.
From Kyodo News 04/21/2004
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China Envoy Urges Japan to Think over History
TOKYO - Chinese Ambassador Wu Dawei urged Japan on Wednesday to think of a way to resolve issues relating to World War II, referring specifically to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to war-linked Yasukuni Shrine. Wu said he has discussed the issue with the Japanese premier from time to time but have not found common ground toward resolving it. Wu also said Japan does not seem to place great value on its relations with Asia, saying Japan appears "not to lend its ear one bit to the criticisms of neighboring countries" and that this has deeply hurt the sentiments of people in these countries.
From Kyodo News 04/22/2004
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Guideline for Bioremediation to Be Compiled
TOKYO - The government has decided to compile a guideline on how to use bioremediation technology, which aims to clean up soil and water using microorganisms, government sources said Saturday. At present, the Environment Ministry and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry have their own guidelines for its use, preventing the technology from spreading, they said.
From Kyodo News 04/24/2004
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SOUTH KOREA: Government Pledges Program to End Prostitution from 2007
Red-light districts will be closed up in phases beginning 2007 and the earnings of brothels will be seized from this September. The Office of the Prime Minister announced these and other measures to combat the sex trade Wednesday, proclaiming its determination that it would no longer tolerate the trafficking in women's bodies. "The government will enact a special law next year to provide the legal ground for the closure of brothels and begin to shut down 69 red-light districts across the country in phases from 2007, starting with those in juvenile-protection and residential areas," said Gender Equality Minister Chi Eun-hee. The government will step up its administrative supervision on entertainment businesses to prevent prostitution and seize entire earnings of business owners who are found to have arranged these illegal transactions. In addition, counseling centers will be established near red-light districts to help women who are forced into prostitution and to provide expanded legal assistance. To prevent trade in juvenile prostitution, the government also plans to revise a law and publicly identify those who hire minors and force them to work as prostitutes.
From http://english.chosun.com/ 03/31/2004
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New Internet Anti-Libel Law Unenforceable for Now: NEC
An article of the revised election law stipulating that Internet users must use their real names has been set-aside in the upcoming general elections. The article aims to prevent anonymous posts slandering specific politicians or political parties. The National Election Commission (NEC) announced that it will delay adopting the Internet real-name system and focus on guidance in the April elections. This is because the definition of targeted Internet mediums is ambiguous and a real-name authorization system connected with credit information companies or the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs has not been completely established. According to the revised election law, which was promulgated on March 12, the Internet real-name system was supposed to take effect from April 12. As the enforcement of the Internet real-name system became difficult to enforce due to inadequate preparation, the National Election Commission decided to just issue warnings to violators instead of fining them. An official at the NEC said that the Internet real-name system is necessary because illegal activities are rampant on the Internet. The system will be complemented and fully enforced from the next election, the official added. Pundits are strongly criticizing the NEC for its failure to fully enforce the system. Meanwhile, some Internet users have strongly opposed the system, saying that it might violate freedom of expression. The NEC said that it sent official documents to the Webmasters of each political party asking for their cooperation, such as voluntarily deleting slanderous messages, in order to prevent cases of Internet libel, which appear especially at the final stages of campaigning.
From http://english.chosun.com/ 04/12/2004
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Finance-Economy Minister Says Gov't to Continue Policies
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance-Economy Minister Lee Hun-jai said Friday, ''The government will maintain its existing economic policies regardless of the election results,'' and revealed that, "I will consistently promote economic policies for continuous growth as it was planned in the beginning of the year." At the weekly briefing to the press, Lee said, "The [policies of the] Uri Party did not differ much from the government's policies before the general elections and many of its campaign pledges were similar to the direction of the government." Lee said about the entry of the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) into the National Assembly that, "The DLP will be an important opportunity to draw a stroke in our country's political history. Since they now have seats in parliament, I believe they will make responsible suggestions." About the application of economic policies from now on, Lee said, ''The emphasis will remain focused on investment, job creation and market stability, and will be more concerned on strengthening competitiveness." He also commented that now is the time to be concerned with the economy and livelihood of the people and said, "We will use policies to control price instability if needed, and will implement stabilizing policies for real estate as well." Lee also added that explanatory sessions for foreign investors will be held soon in areas like New York and he will accelerate efforts to increase the confidence of Korea. About controversy over delays in selling of Woori Bank, Lee said, "Woori Bank will be privatized for sure as it was originally scheduled."
From http://english.chosun.com/ 04/16/2004
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Ruling Party Pushes for Revision of Japanese Sympathizer Bill
Uri Party lawmakers -- including Rep. Kim Hee-sun -- vowed Monday to push for a revision of a bill saying that some stipulations of the Japanese sympathizer bill overly restrict the scope of pro-Japanese activities to be investigated. This bill identifies Koreans who collaborated with Japanese authorities while the Korean Peninsula was under colonial rule when the 17th Assembly opened. These lawmakers led the bill, which passed in early March and is expected to take effect from September, through legislation Immediately after the bill was passed, Kim stated that when the new Assembly opens, he would submit a revision that would change the stipulations that restrict or reduce the scope of those who can be investigated as colonial sympathizers. In particular, the law is expected to be amended so that officers below the rank of lieutenant colonel who served with the Japanese military may be investigated. This is expected to once again cause controversy, with some claiming that it's aimed at late President Park Chung-hee, who was a first lieutenant in the Japanese army.
From http://english.chosun.com/ 04/19/2004
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There's a Reason People Are Worried About Leftist Policy
The government is holding investor relation (IR) sessions in Hong Kong, London and New York from April 23 to 30. This is to placate foreign investors who are nervous that there may be changes in economic policy following the general election. Even Han Duck-soo, Minister of Office for Government Policy Coordination, said, "Government policy won't move to the 'left' just because the Uri Party secured a parliamentary majority and the Democratic Labor Party made it into the National Assembly." Yet for the Minister of Finance and Economy to meet with foreign investors and give an economic talk about market principles and economic growth will not reduce their insecurities. Ahead of the IR sessions, the government must ponder the fundamental reason why it is there is concern both here and abroad that government policy might move to the left. This is because since the start of the Roh administration on year ago, economic policy has been inconsistent with many cases that were opposed to the principles of a market economy. The president himself has lit the flames of class tension and anti-business emotions with comments about "the social power imbalance between labor and management" and "people who came out of good schools and succeeded in society" (i.e. late Daewoo head Nam Sang-guk), so there is even less to say. In particular, in the realm of labor policy, this administration has consistently wavered between the "principle of law" and "dialogue and compromise." This has resulted in our large corporations being put in a position where they have nowhere to turn, even when unions launch illegal strikes. It's being openly circulated that the government has made a secret agreement with the unions so that even if the corporations give into 100 percent of their demands, they would still go on strike. In the end, we have businesses running into problems that are disguised as peace between management and labor. That's why our capitalist corporations are fleeing to China, a socialist nation. Foreign investors can see right through to our economic realities and internal condition. It's a matter of urgency that the administration first clarifies its vision and direction and rebuilds trust through policies with substance, not slogans. Unless it does this, no matter how many IR sessions it holds, it will simply be wasted effort.
From http://english.chosun.com/ 04/19/2004
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DLP Tells Lee to Adopt Pro-Labor Policy
Democratic Labor Party (DLP) on Wednesday called on Finance-Economy Minister Lee Hun-jai to eliminate discrimination between regular and non-regular workers, and to create economic policy favorable for laborers. During Lee's courtesy visit to his office, Kwon stressed that his party is intended to push for these issues to protect laborers in economic policy. ``The government should change the status of non-regular workers in the public sector to regular workers, so that it can spread over those in the private sector,'' said Dan Byung-ho, DLP's lawmaker-elect, who was also on hand. In response, Lee said, ``I am well aware of negative views held by the labor unions. However, I think we can produce tangible fruit by having a dialogue.'' Lee also asked Kwon to encourage the labor unions to participate in a regular channel of consultations between labor, management and government to talk about labor issues. ``Though I served as head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the KCTU will decide whether to join or not,'' Kwon replied. During the 20-minite talk, Lee was bombarded by DLP officials on what they say management-oriented economy policy at the expense of laborers. Kwon said to Lee who left the party office earlier than expected, ``I was preparing for a `war' with you on labor matters, but I will do it later.'' As the DLP won 10 Assembly seats in the Thursday's general elections, concerns rose if the labor party's emergence affects the government's basic economic policy. Lee, in fact, came under fire from the DLP and labor unions in February when he stepped into the office as minister as he announced his intention to increase non-regular workers to create jobs in the face of high unemployment. The labor party had locked horns again with the economy ministry when Lee upheld that Korean economy needs now growth among other things while the party focuses on equal distribution of resources rather than growth. ``Our basic goal is to carry out economic growth based on a market economy,'' Lee said in a press conference a day after the election ended when asked on possibility of change in economy policy toward from growth to distribution. (by Yoon Won-sup)
From http://times.hankooki.com/ 04/23/2004
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Ministry to Revise Law to Crack Down Spam Mail
The Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) announced on Wednesday (April 21) that it would revise the law to root out the use of spam mail, and that it has already taken preliminary steps for the revision. When the law is revised, it would prevent advertisers from transmitting information to individuals through telephones or fax without their consent or posting on Internet bulletin boards in advance. Even if there is advanced consent to receive ad messages, they nevertheless cannot be sent between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. under the revised law. The new law will also toughen restrictions against technical measures intended to encourage spam mail, as well as attempts to collect, sell, distribute and use e-mail addresses. Any violations will be subject to 10-30 million won in fines, the ministry said. With its particular focus on protecting young people, the revised law will also subject all attempts to send harmful messages to young people to 2-year prison terms or a fine of 10 million won. The law will also require a new panel designed to settle cyberspace defamation disputes to be set up within the Information and Telecommunication Ethics Committee. Failure of information security consultation companies to provide due services would also result in a fine up to 30 million won under the revised law. The ministry plans to conduct hearings on the proposed revisions as required by the law. Once the hearings are completed, it will submit the draft (The "Draft Revision for the Promotion of Telecommunication Networks and Protection of Information) to the National Assembly for legislation before the end of this year. The new law is expected to go into force sometime during the first half of 2005.
From http://www.korea.net/ 04/23/2004
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MONGOLIA: Draft Laws on Fighting Against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing
In addition the terms to over-supervise financial entities' operations, the draft law also did not define the word "terrorism". Another user asked "Where did this Tg 25 million figure come from? " For instance, does "multiple transactions" suspect one of money laundering after wiring US$ 5,000 five times? According to the article 7.1.6, if one bid on internet auctions with someone unfamiliar, it will be considered as a suspicious transaction. The next question is whether it is possible to control each transaction when e-commerce is growing these days.
From Open Government Newsletter #4 03/29/2004
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INDONESIA: Constitutional Change Needs Referendum
The Constitutional Commission has scrapped the authority of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to amend the Constitution, arguing that the MPR as an institution will no longer exist. "We have agreed to scrap the authority of the MPR (to amend the Constitution) because it will no longer be a permanent body, but a joint session between the House of Representatives and the Regional Representatives Council," Commission deputy chairman Albert Hasibuan told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. Under the proposal, amendments to the Constitution should be made through a national referendum and endorsed by a joint session of the House and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD). The commission was established by the Assembly last year to synchronize changes to the 1945 Constitution, which, according to experts, were rife with short-term political interests. Any recommendations or changes to the Constitution, however, will still require approval from the Assembly in order to take effect. Decisions made by the commission may be overturned by the Assembly. Currently, only the Assembly has the authority to amend the Constitution, allowing political interests to intervene in amendment attempts. Following the adoption of a bicameral system through a series of constitutional amendments last year, the MPR, as it is now known, will be replaced by a joint session of the House and DPD, the Indonesian version of the United States Senate. Apart from reducing the authority of the MPR, the commission is also proposing to cut the power of the newly established Constitutional Court. Based on existing regulations, the court has the authority to review legislation that is against the spirit of the Constitution, settle disputes between state institutions, resolve election disputes and dissolve political parties. The commission, however, propose to limit the authority of the Constitutional Court to reviewing legislation and regulations, while handing over other powers to the Supreme Court. "We are still debating this issue," Albert said. Surprisingly, the commission, which consists of 31 experts, also plans to scrap articles on human rights from the Constitution and to propose an article to declare international conventions as part of Indonesian legislation. The commission proposes to discard articles on human rights, saying that these overlap with others. While discarding these articles, the commission proposes a single article to read: "The state protects and promotes human rights and human liberty". International and regional conventions will take effect after being ratified by Indonesia. Albert, however, stated the proposal to discard articles on human rights was still being debated by commission members. Changes proposed by the Constitutional Commission - Article 3 (1): MPR has the authority to amend the Constitution after a nationwide referendum. - Article 19 (2): The tenure of House members should be five years; they can be reelected for one more term only. - Article 22D (1): The DPD has the right to submit bills and deliberate the drafts with the House. - Article 24C (1): The Constitutional Court has the authority to review legislation that contravenes the Constitution. - Article 28A (1): The state protects and promotes human rights and human liberty. International and regional conventions will be taken into effect after being ratified.
From http://www.thejakartapost.com/ 04/07/2004
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Constitution to Include Free Press
In a bid to provide stronger legal grounds for press freedom, the Constitutional Commission has proposed the inclusion of the issue in the newly amended 1945 Constitution. Albert Hasibuan, deputy chairman of the Constitutional Commission, said over the weekend that all commission members had agreed to put freedom of the press, along with freedom of organization and of expression, in the Constitution. The wording that the commission members agreed to put in the draft reads: "Freedom of organization, freedom of expression and freedom of the press are guaranteed and shall be regulated further by laws". "The inclusion of freedom of the press in the Constitution is definitely needed because it is very important," Hasibuan told The Jakarta Post here on Saturday. The commission was set up last year to synchronize changes to the 1945 Constitution, which according to experts are riddled with short-term political interests, and thus some legislation has become contradictory. The work of the commission, however, would still be brought to the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), which has the final say on all constitutional amendments. It will convene next month. Hasibuan said the inclusion of press freedom in the Constitution is meant to encourage anyone affected by press reports to exercise their rebuttal rights without taking the case to the court. Media groups accused of libel have often been charged under the Criminal Code, despite the presence of the Press Law that provides room for anyone affected by press reports to use their right to present their side of a story. The use of the arcane Criminal Code libel laws, according to Hasibuan, a noted human rights activist, was a serious threat to freedom of the press. The inclusion of press freedom in the Constitution is expected to trigger amendments to existing laws, including the Press Law, to oblige anyone who objects to media reports to use their rights to counter the news article and seek out-of-court settlements to any press disputes. Hasibuan said anyone who believes that a press report contained defamatory material should make clarifications instead of bringing the cases to court. "If the press commits a violation, it must be settled by the proper procedures," he said. Article 5 (1) of the Press Law states that the press must publish articles with respect to religious norms, ethics and the presumption of innocence. The press must provide the public the right to make clarification/rebuttal. Commission member Hadimulyo, meanwhile, said he hoped all existing laws relating to the press would be adjusted to the new stipulation. "The existing laws must be adjusted with stipulations in the Constitution," he said, adding that the 31-member commission would soon finish its final draft. Hadimulyo and Albert said they hoped revisions to the existing laws must include detailed procedures for the out-of-court settlement. Albert, meanwhile, suggested that the public and state apparatus would use the Press Law instead of the Criminal Code to settle cases relating to the press. The Press Council had called on the Supreme Court to issue a circular obliging judges to use the Press Law to deal with cases involving the press.
From http://www.thejakartapost.com 04/12/2004
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Govt Centralizes Investment Permits
President Megawati Soekarnoputri has signed a decree centralizing permits and facilities for foreign and domestic investment to end the confusion resulting from the regional autonomy program. The decree, signed under the National Coordinating Investment Board (BKPM), was made available to the public on Thursday. It aimed to help guide investors to the relevant authorities and make the country a more attractive place to invest in, the decree's wording said. "In an effort to improve the effectiveness of attracting investors to Indonesia, it is deemed necessary to streamline the investment service system through a one-roof investment service method," the decree said. The ruling will remove the powers of regional leaders to grant investment approvals, permits and other facilities. Governors, regents and mayors were earlier granted these powers under the regional autonomy program. The move is likely to encourage further investment in the country, which has been struggling to attract investors since the post-crisis era. Since the start of regional autonomy in 2001, foreign investors have complained about the large number of confusing permits and levies, both legal and illegal, imposed by regional governments. According to BKPM data, foreign direct investment approvals in the first two months of this year had declined by about 70 percent compared to the same period last year.
From http://www.thejakartapost.com/ 04/16/2004
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Law Enforcers Pledge Internal Reform
In a bid to win back public trust, the country's law enforcement institutions inked on Friday an agreement on how to begin internal reform. Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan, Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Attorney General M.A. Rahman, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar, National Law Commission chairman J.E. Sahetapy and the chief commissioner of the newly established Anti-Corruption Commission, ...., witnessed the signing of the agreement. The eight-point agreement covers issues ranging from the improvement of handling cases, simplifying procedures for law enforcement and developing a transparent and accountable budget management system among law enforcement institutions. Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir said the agreement would entail a tremendous undertaking by the law enforcement institutions. "Improvement of our legal institutions cannot be accomplished overnight as it involves many aspects, including the unraveling of some deep-rooted practices," Bagir told the audience. However, Bagir said the reform drive would not touch on the issue of the so-called "court mafia". "We will deal only with cases at hand and the mafia is something intangible and difficult to validate," he said after the signing ceremony. Indonesia has been constantly ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world by international rating agencies. The executive director of the Partnership for Governance Reform, a non-governmental organization that helped facilitate the summit, H.S. Dillon, said the meeting was another milestone in the country's legal reform. "Today is a day when those who are supposed to do the cleaning have pledged unto themselves that they must clean themselves first," Dillon said. The law summit was the third when law enforcers met to discuss how to uphold the supremacy of law. The first two summits were held in January and October 2002. On March 31 this year, the Supreme Court assumed oversight of the courts from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, ending 40 years of government dependence by the courts. Despite the three summits and other legal reforms, there has been little tangible progress in the institutions' attempts to curb corruption and uphold respect for human rights. The judiciary still hands down controversial decisions that violate the public's sense of justice, the latest example being the acquittal by the Supreme Court of House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung in a multimillion-dollar graft case last month. Analysts have said that legal reform is the most important step to safeguard the reform movement, which began in 1998. Earlier, the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute expressed concern the summit could undermine the independence of the courts and further entrench the court mafia. It stressed that although coordination between all legal institutions and professions was crucial, institution had to act independently of the others.
From http://www.thejakartapost.com/ 04/17/2004
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Govt Prepares New Rules on Investment in Power Sector
The government is drafting a regulation for investment in the country's power sector to ensure that future power projects are in line with the national electricity plan. "Power projects in the future should be in line with a supply-demand balance and financial capability," Director General of Electricity and Energy Utilization Yogo Pratomo said at a discussion on power investment on Friday. Yogo explained that state-owned power firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN)) would draw up a list of power projects in its power supply plan, which would be based on the government's 2004 to 2013 National Electricity Plan. "PLN will then choose which projects will be handled by them, based on their financing capability and which projects are to be offered to investors through competitive bidding," Yogo said. The regulation on private power projects aims to prevent past failures with independent power producers (IPPs). Before the late 1990s regional economic crisis, the government allowed private investors to build their own power plants and to sell power to PLN. This was made without clear planning, in terms of both demand-supply aspects and financing capacity. There were 27 IPPs that obtained licenses to build power plants. But the projects were allegedly marred by collusion, without a transparent bidding process, forcing PLN to pay a high price for the power. Following the crisis, the government was forced to delay the projects, leaving it in lengthy disputes and negotiations with the IPPs. Last year, the government managed to renegotiate the power price with 26 IPPs. However, it lost a legal battle with U.S.-based power firm Karaha Bodas Company (KBC) last February and has to pay US$290 million in compensation. "These projects (the IPPs), were not in the government's plan. Thus it was not clear who established them," Yogo said. Based on the National Electricity Plan, Indonesia needs an additional power capacity of 23,443 megawatts (MW) to boost the capacity of existing power plants to 54,528 MW by 2013. It needs an investment of US$23.4 billion, and another $7 billion to $8 billion for the construction of transmission and distribution facilities. The plan is based on a number of assumptions, including average annual economic growth of 4 percent to 5 percent, and population growth of 0.9 percent. Yogo added that in the future the government would not provide a government guarantee for the investors. Any commercial risks would be born by the investors. "The government would not be involved in the business-to-business negotiation," Yogo said. He said this was aimed at preventing the government from being involved in a commercial dispute and ending up paying huge claims.
From http://www.thejakartapost.com 04/24/2004
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MALAYSIA: Guidelines to Tackle Cyber Crime
Police have drafted a set of guidelines for investigating officers in view of the many new laws gazetted on cyber crime, said CID director Datuk Musa Hassan. He said the guidelines would streamline investigations by the commercial crime division to tackle such crimes. He added that commercial crimes were committed mainly by syndicates now, unlike in the past, where they involved individuals. Musa said that among the rampant cyber crimes committed were the misuse of computers and hacking into someone else's computer system. "In the past, we were conducting investigations by relying only on the experience of our senior officers from the division. High quality investigations will help increase and enhance the credibility of the police in general," he told reporters here after opening a workshop for commercial crime investigating officers yesterday. Among the new Acts gazetted pertaining to cyber laws are Computer Crimes Act 1997, Digital Signature Act 1997, and Communication and Multimedia Act 1998.
From http://thestar.com.my 04/09/2004
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New System to Cut Waiting Time at NRD Offices
Advance "bookings" for appointment slots with the National Registration Department (NRD) are among measures under study to cut waiting time for MyKad applications, said Deputy Home Affairs Minister Datuk Tan Chai Ho. He said the move was in anticipation of increased applications at NRD offices nationwide in the run-up to the December 2005 deadline for free MyKad. Tan added that the "booking system" was already on a trial run at the Johor Baru NRD office and the Government would monitor its efficiency before introducing the system at other branches. "Some of the most common complaints against the NRD are the long queues and waiting for hours during the application for MyKad. "To reduce waiting time, the public can go to the NRD office booking counter to fix a time slot convenient to them and later turn up as scheduled without having to wait in the queue," he told reporters after visiting the NRD branch here yesterday. Under the system implemented at the Johor Baru office, applicants have to be present to make the bookings. There is a limit of 100 advance bookings a day. Tan said some nine million Malaysians have yet to apply for MyKad and the NRD anticipated a rush closer to the deadline, thus contributing to congestion at NRD offices in the coming months. He said 25 new NRD branches would be opened nationwide this year to cope with the surge and the growing population, adding that five would be in the Klang Valley. He said NRD staff at "busy" branches would also have to work during lunch hour, do overtime and work on Sundays. "We have identified branches that are usually crowded and directives will be issued to these branches to stay open during lunch time to serve the people. "They also have to work overtime to ensure all the applications received that day are processed. "More NRD offices will operate on Sundays," he said, adding that only the headquarters in Petaling Jaya is open on Sundays now. In Seremban, Home Affairs parliamentary secretary Datuk Abdul Rahman Ibrahim called on local leaders and village headmen to remind those who have yet to collect their MyKad to do so. He said they could help NRD officials to identify and advise applicants to collect their MyKad. He said the NRD had been directed to obtain permission from state secretaries in all the states to enable the department to do this. "This is among the proactive measures outlined to avoid uncollected MyKad from stacking up at NRD offices," he told reporters after making an official visit to the state NRD headquarters yesterday. An estimated 240,000 MyKad are still uncollected nationwide. Applicants, who after being notified fail to collect their MyKad after three months, will be slapped with a RM100 fine. Abdul Rahman said more mini NRD offices would be opened for the convenience of applicants nationwide. For instance, he said that in Negri Sembilan, a new NRD branch in Senawang would start operations in June.
From http://thestar.com.my/ 04/16/2004
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Guidelines on Islamic Management Out Soon
The Prime Minister's Department will document guidelines on implementation of Islam Hadhari (Islamic management) soon. Its minister Datuk Dr Abdullah Md Zin said the move was to help Malaysians understand the concept. He said the guidelines covered various aspects like education, development, administration, economics, moral and ethics. "We are getting feedback from several ministries, agencies and universities before its full implementation," he told reporters after opening the one-day seminar on Islam Hadhari at the International Islamic University here yesterday. Parliamentary secretary Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim, Special Affairs Department Director-General Datuk Zainal Abidin Abdul Kadir and IIU Rector Prof Dr Mohd Kamal Hassan were present. Dr Abdullah said the guidelines were almost ready and would be fully implemented soon. He said the Malaysian Islamic Advancement Department would act as the secretariat while other agencies like Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia Foundation and Institute of Islamic Understanding would facilitate its implementation. Dr Abdullah said the Prime Minister's Department would also introduce the guidelines at the National Council for Islamic Affairs meeting to be held soon.
From http://thestar.com.my/ 04/18/2004
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PM Launches Five-Year Integrity Plan to Bring Back Values
A comprehensive plan to change the "ugly Malaysian" image by promoting a values-based society with a clear sense of morals has been launched, signalling the start of a serious effort to make integrity and honesty a way of life. Saying it was pointless to have a Malaysian society that was rich materially but devoid of moral values, ethics and integrity, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched the five-year National Integrity Plan (NIP) aimed at promoting an accountable and corrupt-free society. The Prime Minister said modernisation had, to a certain extent, corroded the values system of Malaysian society. This could be seen, among others, from the corrupt acts, lack of civic consciousness on the roads, lack of regard for the environment and public amenities and unfriendly counter service, he said. "We want to develop a Malaysian society that is ethical, imbued with a strong sense of right and wrong and equipped with a moral compass to show the way forward. "Ultimately, we want Malaysians who are able to brave the challenging times ahead with fortitude and strength of character and come out tops when faced with grave problems and great obstacles," he said when launching the plan at the Putrajaya Convention Centre here yesterday. The plan, launched less than six months after Abdullah took office, has identified five targets to be achieved between 2004 and 2008. They are to: - REDUCE corruption, irregularities and abuse of power effectively; IMPROVE the public delivery system and overcome red tape; IMPROVE corporate governance and business ethics; STRENGTHEN the family institution; and IMPROVE the quality of life and well-being of society. Abdullah said that for the first time, integrity was being looked at closely and in an integrated manner. The Prime Minister said that in order to meet the targets, a National Integrity Institute (NII) has been set up to monitor and co-ordinate programmes for NIP including research, training and setting up a database on integrity and ethics. He also announced the appointment of Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Samsudin Osman as NII chairman, adding that the president and board of directors would be made known soon. The institute, he said, would be independent and would have its own office and staff. "Some people will question the extra allocation for this purpose but we must ask ourselves whether we approve of corruption, hate it or whether we abuse our power. "We should know that we must avoid doing this. If each one of us takes an oath and we tell ourselves (not to commit it), then it does not cost money. It depends on us," Abdullah added. Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Cabinet ministers, Mentris Besar, Samsuddin, MPs and members of the diplomatic corps. The Prime Minister said the Government was aware of the general perception that corruption was getting worse and that there were stories circulating on corruption cases or misappropriation of funds involving corporate figures and politicians. "This should not happen. We must take punitive action and recently, after thorough investigations, several corporate figures, politicians and government officials were charged with corruption. "This shows the Government is serious in fighting corruption. The principle behind every punitive action is justice and fairness. As such, we should be fair to the accused so long as he is not proven guilty," he said. Citing a study done two years ago in which at least 15% of some 7,000 respondents admitted to being involved in corruption, Abdullah said it was a worrying trend. "A materialistic mentality, taking the easy way out and a desire to get rich quick is fast becoming a culture among Malaysians," he said. The Prime Minister said he has instructed the Anti-Corruption Agency to investigate all cases without fear or favour and to speed up its work without having to sacrifice meticulousness.
From http://thestar.com.my/ 04/24/2004
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PHILIPPINES:GMA Signs Law Improving Tax Collection Efficiency
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today enacted two bills expanding the jurisdiction of the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) and institutionalizing the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution system in the country. The signing ceremony was held on the occasion of the oath-taking of the new Court of Appeals and Sandiganbayan justices this afternoon at the Rizal Hall of Malaca?ang. The signing of the two bills into law was witnessed by Senate President Franklin Drilon, Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr., Sen. Francis Pangilinan and Congressmen Raul Gonzales, Marcelino Libanan, Aleta Suarez and Salacnib Baterina, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. The act expanding the jurisdiction of the Court of Tax Appeals, elevating it to the level of a collegiate court with special jurisdiction and enlarging its membership, amends for the purpose certain sections of Republic Act 1125 as amended, otherwise known as the law creating the Court of Tax Appeals. Docketed as House Bill 6673, authored by Reps. Suarez, Libanan and Exequiel Javier, and Senate Bill 2712, authored by Sens. Drilon and Ralph Recto, the new law seeks to improve the tax collection efficiency of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bureau of Customs and other collecting agencies of the government by lodging both the criminal and civil jurisdiction over tax cases with the CTA. It would also effectively enhance and maximize the development of jurisdiction and judicial precedence on tax matters which is of vital importance to revenue administration. Under this new law, the CTA shall be of the same level as the Sandiganbayan and its judges bearing the new titles as justices. The act institutionalizing the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system in the country has been docketed under House Bill 5654, authored by Congressmen de Venecia, Libanan, Baterina and Oscar Rodriguez, and Senate Bill 2671, authored by Senators Pangilinan, Noli de Castro, Manuel Villar and Joker Arroyo. It seeks to bring justice nearer to the people by providing for the alternative method of settling disputes between and among the litigants in appropriate cases. Before the enactment of this law, traditional access to the court system has been hampered by several factors such as vacancy in the judges positions in the judiciary; lack of prosecutors, public attorneys or adjudicators, heavy caseload of the existing courts; and high cost of litigation as a result of delay in the disposition of cases. It was noted that lengthy proceedings are not only costly but also tedious, creating more avenues for graft and corruption in the process. The ADR system provides a cogent solution to the said problems as it involves conciliation, mediation, early neutral evaluation, mini-trials and arbitration. While there are existing mediation processes already available to party litigants, these, however, are limited in scope and application. The institutionalization of the system covers a wide range of dispute resolution mechanisms for efficiency and better administration of justice. With the establishment of the Office for Alternative Dispute Resolution, a more participative, innovative and less costly procedures for settling disputes will now be in effect as the system also consists of practices in mediation and arbitration which are consistent with international practices. The Supreme Court and the Department of Justice are amenable to the proposal in view of the many benefits of the ADR system. The Office for Alternative Dispute Resolution will be an attached agency to the Department of Justice.
From http://www.gov.ph/ 04/02/2004
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GMA Working on No-Cash Benefits for Workers
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's immediate concern now is to find ways to provide workers with "non-cash benefits" to ease the burden of day-to-day living. Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said, in an interview with Radyo ng Bayan this morning, that the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is helping the President formulate measures on the provision of non-cash benefits to the workers. Bunye cited as example of such non-cash benefits the discounted price of diesel products sold to drivers of public utility vehicles (PUV) by a network of gas stations nationwide. He noted that the discount on sale of diesel products helped convince a large group of PUV drivers/operators not to join the recent transport strike. These are the kinds of benefits, giving discount or monitoring of prices so as not to affect the ordinary family, that the President had in mind, he said. Bunye said that the Macapagal-Arroyo administration also continues its program of selling goods, including medicines, at cheap prices. Twenty categories of medicines, particularly drugs needed for daily maintenance dosage, are now sold by government hospitals at half their usual prices, he said. In response to the President's call for help in bringing medicines within reach of the ordinary Filipinos, Unilab and Glaxo are now manufacturing quality drugs and selling them at lower prices, he said.
From http://www.gov.ph/ 04/12/2004
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SINGAPORE: Government to Introduce New Limited Liability Partnership Act
The Government will introduce a new Limited Liability Partnership Act. This, after it accepted almost all the recommendations of a study team on this new company category. Limited Liability Partnership offers all its members limited liability while allowing them to retain the flexibility of operating the new form of business structure as a traditional partnership. Among the recommendations accepted by the government is that such a partnership has to appoint at least one designated compliance officer to be responsible for all regulatory filings and submissions. The government also agrees that there should be no limit to the number of partners a Limited Liability Partnership can have. It adds that the Inland Revenue Authority will study the details on the tax treatment of this new form of partnership and announce them when ready.
From http://www.channelnewsasia.com 04/05/2004
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Singapore to Set Up Commission to Oversee Competition Law
Singapore is now one step closer to enacting its very own competition law. This will prevent companies from engaging in restrictive anti-competitive business practices like price fixing and controlling production quota. The law will also discourage any mergers and acquisitions that may substantially reduce competition here. Should any company feel it is unfairly pushed out of a market, it will also have an avenue to air its grievance. A Competition Commission will be set up to ensure all companies adhere to the law. And companies found to have crossed the line will be fined up to 10 percent of their total turnover in Singapore for up to 3 years. There is also protection for "whistleblowers" or employees who decide to spill the beans on their errant companies. They will be given some immunity from punishment, or they may receive lesser penalties. The government is seeking feedback on the draft bill, which will be tabled in Parliament later this year . The deadline for submitting feedback is May 15th.
From http://www.channelnewsasia.com/ 04/12/2004
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THAILAND: PM Seeks to Calm Land Law Concerns
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday promised a House-Senate committee to review a land-management bill that many Buddhist monks and their followers see as an attempt to grab temple land for the benefit of business. Speaking both as the government head and the leader of the largest political party in the House of Representatives, Thaksin said he would ensure the final version of the Land Management Bill was fair to all parties involved. The law would allow authorities to redesignate land, including that owned by Buddhist temples. Thaksin said the legislation was aimed at making the best use of land and could stop the government paying huge compensation to owners of land appropriated for government projects. "Don't believe the allegations that the law would allow removal of temple halls to make way for shopping malls," Thaksin said during his weekly radio programme. He said that the bill's original version had been changed during Senate deliberations, with clauses added to cover temple land and property. "Some Buddhists are worried that the law may allow the government to take control of temple land because certain clauses are not clear enough. What I say is they should be rewritten for clarity, or some even dropped if necessary," Thaksin said. Democrat MP Alongkorn Polabutr said yesterday he feared the legislation would make it easier for land-developers to grab temple land for their projects. Last week a network of Buddhist organisations petitioned the government and two chambers of Parliament to revise the bill before further deliberation. It expressed concern temple properties might be developed without the consent of the monasteries. Under the bill, provincial-level land panels will be authorised to oversee the development of temple properties, bypassing monastic administrators.
From http://www.nationmultimedia.com/ 04/18/2004
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Land Bill: Temples Set to Be Excluded
The government yesterday indicated it would exclude temple property from its controversial land management bill. However, Buddhist communities, who have opposed the bill, are planning to push ahead with a major street protest against the legislation. As opposition to the bill threatened to snowball into another political crisis for the government, the Interior Ministry said yesterday it was ready to drop all clauses or terms related to temple land from the draft legislation. "Although we thought the bill would benefit temples, we will take out all those clauses, since the parties concerned aren't happy with them," said Deputy Interior Minister Pramuan Ruchanaseeri. "If you don't want it, that's fine by us. The case is closed now and the government won't be pestering them about it." Government whips are to meet today and are expected to exclude temples from the bill to avoid rejuvenating one of the biggest scandals to have plagued the prime minister. The bill has been passed by the Senate, but an upper House move to introduce key changes to the draft has opened the way for a joint review by both Houses, thus giving the government the opportunity to erase controversial points. Critics said the bill would give the government increased powers in relation to the use of temple land, opening the way for possible abuse. Buddhist monks, academics and religious scholars have been up in arms about the bill largely as a result of the Alpine Golf Club scandal. The luxurious golf course and club house, owned by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's business empire, was built on a piece of land donated to a temple thanks to dubious regulatory changes introduced by the Interior Ministry. Key leaders of groups opposed to the bill plan to rally thousands in protest outside Parliament today. The protest was expected to go ahead despite the government's apparent retreat. "We are still not convinced by assurances given by officials, including the prime minister himself," said Phra Rajakavi, secretary-general of the Thailand Buddhism Protection Centre. Thaksin, who on Saturday promised a parliamentary review of the bill, continued to defend the "principles" of the draft yesterday. "There has been some crazy suggestion that temple land will now be used for construction of department stores. It's another case of people not hearing things properly and causing misunderstandings," he said. The prime minister insisted the bill would not allow temple land to be tampered with, and that the Sangha Supreme Council - the country's top ecclesiastical governing body - would have to sign off on any decision affecting temple property. Critics, however, point to the Alpine golf course and clubhouse as clear proof of the extent of damage relaxing rules can cause. "When you build a golf course on temple land, what do you expect? Public trust?" asked Democrat leader Banyat Bantadtan.
From http://www.nationmultimedia.com/ 04/19/2004
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VIET NAM: Govt will Reduce Blocks on Investment
The ministries of Finance and Planning and Investment will make amendments to Corporate Income Tax and Value Added Tax to clear obstacles for foreign enterprises by May 2004. Announcing this, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Investment(MPI), Nguyen Bich Dat, said that by the end of the year, the MPI and relevant ministries would submit to the National Assembly a general investment law to apply for both domestic investment and FDI, and a new enterprise law for all business. "The Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs will submit a decree to loosen the restriction on the number of foreign workers available to enterprises, especially businesses specialising in high technology, education and health sector," said Dat. "The Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment are being asked to amend policies to encourage investment in the building houses for lease or sale." In the second quarter of this year, the Finance Ministry will proclaim preferential tax policies for foreign invested enterprises (FIEs) converted into joint stock companies, Dat added. To reach the target of US$3.3 billion from FDI this year, Director of MPI's Foreign Investment Department Phan Huu Thang said that MPI and provinces should speed up investment promotion. "The promotion has helped provinces and cities make a significant success in attracting FDI over the past years," says Thang. "Apart from Nghe An Province, two provinces of Thai Nguyen and Quang Binh will organise seminars on attracting FDI in the next quarter" Over the past years, almost all provinces have spread out the red carpet to welcome foreign investors, Thang said. According to MPI, the country attracted over $710 million registered capital from FDI in the first three months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 25 per cent. One hundred and twenty new projects were licensed and 29 projects increased their capital. The total investment capital implemented in the first quarter was about $550 million, an increase of 15 per cent against the period in 2003. He said the country still had a lot of work to attract more FDI this year. "If the growth of registered and implemented capital of FDI does not increase in the next three quarters, the country will not achieve the target of $3.3 billion," Thang said. "As a result, the registered and the implemented capital will be $2.86 billion and 2.2 billion, respectively, if the present rate of increase continues." According to MPI, revenues of foreign-invested enterprises in the first quarter reached $3.9 billion, a year-on-year increase of 18 per cent. Nine projects with the total registered capital of over $500 million are waiting for licenses. Last year, Viet Nam and Japan signed an agreement of investment protection and two countries also had a joint initiative of improving the investment environment to attract more FDI to Viet Nam. In addition, co-operation with Singapore has also improved Viet Nam's investment environment.
From http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/ 04/06/2004
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National Assembly Standing Committee Plans New Legislation
The National Assembly's Standing Committee set an agenda for the next 10 days at the first meeting of its 18th session on Monday in Ha Noi. Chairman Nguyen Van An presided over the opening, attended by Vice President Truong My Hoa. Delegates discussed and agreed to the Government-proposed amendments of the Law on Credit Organisations, presented by chairman of the NA Economic and Budget Committee Nguyen Duc Kien. Chairman An invited delegates to contribute their ideas on a number of other laws up for amendment: Child Protection, Care and Education; Corporate Bankruptcy; Inland Waterway Transportation and Publishing. The Standing Committee, Council of Ethnic Minorities, and other NA committees will present their revised working regulations. Delegates will also hear recommendations for amending the Law on Complaint and Denunciation which will expire at the end of the first quarter this year. Participants will also finalise a list of authorised district-level courts under Article 170 of the Code of Criminal Procedures, 2003. The session is expected to adopt several new ordinances.
From http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn 04/20/2004
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INDIA: Vajpayee Releases NDA Manifesto, Promises a 'New India', More Reforms
New Delhi: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Thursday released NDA's election manifesto, which promises development, good governance and peace. Flanked by BJP President M Venkaiah Naidu and NDA convener George Fernandes, Vajpayee released the manifesto at a crowded press conference, saying that the alliance led by BJP had fulfilled the promises it made to the people in 1999 elections. Before requesting the Prime Minister to release the document, Fernandes said that NDA had implemented every part of the 1999 agenda and "we have fulfilled the assurances we had given to the country. "The results are there for everyone to see.... The new agenda would be an agenda for development, good governance and peace," Fernandes said. Prominent leaders present on the occasion were: Finance Minister Jaswant Singh, Health Minister Sushma Swaraj, BJP General Secretary Pramod Mahajan, Nationalist Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, Akali Dal leader Prakash Singh Badal, JD-U leader Digvijay Singh and Kerala Congress (M) leader P.C. Thomas. Releasing the document, the Prime Minister said that whatever had been promised by the NDA six years back for good governance had been achieved to a large extent. Vajpayee said he was also happy that the alliance had fulfilled its pledge to provide stability, development and progress. The manifesto is also an expression of the strong bonds among the allies and their partners, he said. It will ensure a decisive turn towards achieving the goal of a "new India" which will be acknowledged as a developed nation and a superpower. Promising to step the pace of development, Vajpayee said during the six-year tenure of the NDA regime, it was felt that there was tremendous potential for undertaking this task. "The world thinks that India is ready for a giant leap in this direction," he said. On the NDA pledge to provide one crore jobs a year, he said this had been fulfilled to a great extent and would be pursued with renewed vigour. He said the interests of the minorities, Dalits, Adivasis and other backward classes would well looked after and a comprehensive strategy would be put into operation to bridge the development divide between rural and urban areas. "I am happy and satisfied to release this common manifesto of the NDA -- satisfied because we have implemented most of the promises we had made earlier and happy because it gives us renewed confidence to work for the betterment of the nation", the Prime Minister said.
From http://www.expressindia.com/ 04/08/2004
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SRI LANKA: President Kick-starts Constitutional Reforms
President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga presided over the first round of discussions on constitutional reforms Friday, attended by close advisors and legal consultants. The Presidential Secretariat said yesterday that in what was seen as the first step towards implementing the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Manifesto, the first chapter of which details UPFA's pledges on constitutional reforms, President Kumaratunga in a three-hour preliminary round of discussions kick-started the proposed reforms, at the President's House. Among those who participated at the discussions were Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, M.M. Zuhair, Jayampathy Wickramaratne, Prof. Ranjith Ameresinghe, R.K.W. Gunesekera, Dr. Gamini Keerawella and Nigel Hatch. President Kumaratunga is due to meet the newly elected political leaders and constituent party representatives shortly, to discuss the political process of effecting constitutional reforms. The UPFA Manifesto sought the people's mandate to formulate and promulgate a new Constitution since the 1978 Constitution had caused problems for effective governance. The last two years in particular, saw the present constitutional scheme casting a heavy shadow on political stability adversely affecting the country's economic development. This, the manifesto pointed out was due to the' inherent difficulty of securing the stipulated majorities in Parliament to bring about constitutional reforms. The mandate sought was to overcome this inherent obstacle by convening a Constituent Assembly consisting of the newly elected Members of Parliament, and enacting a new constitution that will derive its form and validity from the expression of the political will of the people, as expressed in nearly 106 or two thirds of the islands' 160 electorates and 14 or two third of the islands' 22 electoral districts. The manifesto also pointed out that the new Constitution will be placed before the people at a Referendum before enactment. The people's mandate granted at the April 2 General Election will be further reinforced through a Referendum to be held for the purpose, government sources said. President Kumaratunga pointed out at Friday's consultation that none of the Constitutions including the 1948 Order-in-Council, the 1972 Constitution, the 1978 Constitution or the 13th Amendment which devolved power to the provincial councils, had been approved by the people voting thereon, whereas the proposed new Constitution will, for the first time ever, be placed before the people prior to enactment. "Political stability is vital for securing permanent peace and economic development. We need to accelerate economic development. We must keep pace with other regional economies which had gone ahead of us, whilst our country had frittered away valuable development hours on political trivialities," she said.
From http://www.dailynews.lk/ 04/13/2004
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President Issues Guidelines: Code of Conduct for Ministers, Deputies
President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has issued guidelines for compliance by Ministers and Deputy Ministers to act in conformity with the Code of conduct expected from them.
Use of official vehicles
The use of official vehicles should be kept to a minimum to avoid allegations of abuse of public resources. Therefore, a Minister will be entitled to use vehicles on the following basis:
* Two official vehicles
* Two vehicles for use of security personnel
Personal Staff:
No member of the family (i.e. spouse, children, brothers and sisters) or other relatives is employed as members of ministers' personal staff. Only educated young people should be considered for such appointments.
Security Personnel
The number of security personnel that would be assigned to each minister or deputy minister will be as determined by the Inspector General of Police. No additional police officers or private security personnel should be employed for security. A code of conduct for security personnel will be issued in due course.
Foreign Travel
The Ministers of the former government went on foreign trips 10-15 times a year. There was public criticism against these foreign visits which cost the taxpayers a considerable amount of money. Ministers of the UPFA government should not undertake more than a maximum of four visits abroad per annum. These official visits should be undertaken for very important official assignments and the delegation accompanying the Minister should be kept to a minimum.
Appointments and Transfers of officers in Ministries or Departments
Appointments to senior positions in ministries and departments should be done in consultation with the President.
No officers should be transferred out of ministries or departments during this year without first discussing with the President the need for such transfers.
Appointments to corporations and statutory bodies
Appointments of chairmen and board of directors and working directors of public corporations and statutory boards coming under the ministry should be done only after consulting the President.
Office Maintenance
No unnecessary expenditure should be incurred in effecting improvements to the offices used by ministers or deputy ministers. As far as possible, government buildings should be used to house the ministry office and departments and no private buildings should be rented for such purposes unless it is absolutely necessary.
The President in a letter to all ministers and deputy ministers states:
"At the recently concluded General Election, people have given a very clear mandate to the UPFA and it is our duty to dedicate ourselves to the task of fulfilling their aspirations. In this context, it is important that you commit yourself to work individually and collectively to implement the action plan agreed upon by the constituent parties of the UPFA. "It is also necessary to keep in mind that the people who voted the UPFA into power expect its leaders to be exemplary both in private and public life. There were many allegations of misconduct against several ministers of the former government, and I have no doubt that you would always act in an upright manner so that there would not be room for such allegations."
From http://www.sundayobserver.lk/ 04/18/2004
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MALDIVES: Maintaining Justice of Utmost Importance for Maldives Stability
MALE - President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom last week said that the concerted efforts of everyone who were active in the judicial and legal spheres of the Maldives, to uphold justice in accordance with the principles of the Islamic Shariah or law, were of the utmost importance for the continued stability and development of the country. Gayoom made this statement in his speech at the Graduation Ceremony of the Diploma in Shariah and Law course, which was conducted by the College of Islamic Studies on Wednesday night. Highlighting that major reforms in the judicial and legal spheres were underway, the President pointed out that the increasing of access to lawyers at the investigation stage had brought enormous satisfaction to those accused of criminal offences, as well as to their families. Further, the President said that granting the accused the opportunity to speak in their defence during court proceedings was an important right, and that this was normal practice in all countries. He added that, the accused had a legitimate right to seek the assistance of lawyers in their defence in court. The President noted that, over the years, Arabic and Islamic education had played an integral role in the educational domain of the Maldives. Highlighting that the College of Islamic Studies had a central role to play in advancing and promoting the standards of Arabic and Islamic education that is provided in the country in the future, the President noted that the benefits of the College would be felt on a national level. On this point, he stressed the importance of seeking the cooperation of higher education institutions of friendly Islamic nations, in designing courses of that standard at the College of Islamic Studies. The President was presented with a commemorative plaque, by the Dean of the College of Islamic Studies, Ibrahim Rasheed Moosa, on behalf of the administrators and staff of the College, as well as the participants of the Diploma in Shariah and Law course. The President presented certificates and awards to the graduands of the third round of the Diploma in Shariah and Law course. Zubair Mohamed was placed first among the course participants. The second place went to Adam Asif, while Abdulla Shatheeh was placed third. Speaking during the ceremony, the Minister of Education, Dr. Mahmood Shougee, said that it was a great honour and pleasure that the President had lectured the Diploma in Shariah and Law course, and that he had attended the graduation ceremony to personally present the certificates and awards. He noted that the educational domain in the Maldives would not be complete without Islamic education. In his welcome speech at the ceremony, the Dean of the College of Islamic Studies, Ibrahim Rasheed Moosa noted that, being the very first higher education course to be offered at the College of Islamic Studies, the Diploma in Shariah and Law course was the first milestone in the academic life of the College. Highlighting that this dream was today becoming a reality, he noted that the President had earlier this year taken the visionary step of elevating the Institute of Islamic Studies to the status of a College, and renaming it the College of Islamic Studies. Further, the Dean of the College pointed out that the participants of the Diploma in Shariah and Law had showered praise and gratitude to the President, for the manner in which he had conducted the course lectures that he had presented. The vote-of-thanks was delivered at the graduation ceremony, on behalf of the graduands of the course, by Shujau Usman. Highlighting that the President was indeed the most popular lecturer during their course, he thanked the President. He also thanked all the lecturers and course administrators.
From http://www.haveeru.com.mv/ 04/17/2004
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NEPAL: Govt. Issues TADA Ordinance
KATHMANDU - As per the Constitution of Nepal 2047 BS, King Gyanendra has issued the Terrorist And Disruptive Activities (TADA) Control and Punishment Ordinance 2060 Saturday. The king as per the suggestions and accords of Ministerial Cabinet passed the TADA Ordinance 2060, office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers said today.
From http://www.kantipuronline.com/ 04/10/2004
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PAKISTAN: The National Assembly Approves NSC Bill
ISLAMABAD - The National Assembly (NA) passed the National Security Council (NSC) bill with a majority amid rowdy protests by opposition parties on Wednesday evening. The amendment was moved by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and supported by all allied parties of the government. In the amendment, all the proposals, advice and suggestions of the NSC will be referred to parliament for a final decision. "Any proposal on an issue deemed to be of national importance and which requires implementation shall be referred by the NSC to the NA or Senate for appropriate action," the MQM amendment reads. It was proposed in clause 5 of the bill relating to the functions of the NSC. Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said the Senate would take up the NSC bill on Friday. The NA witnessed pandemonium on the NSC issue during the morning session. Pakistan Muslim League President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan exchanged harsh words, forcing Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain to adjourn the proceedings. When the house resumed proceedings in the afternoon, the opposition asked the speaker to give the mike to Imran Khan so he could respond to certain remarks made by Chaudhry Shujaat. However, the speaker did not allow Imran Khan to speak and initiated a second reading on the NSC bill amid desk thumping by opposition members, particularly by Aitizaz Ahsan of the Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians and by Liaqat Baloch of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), who kept asking the speaker to allow Imran Khan to speak Law and Justice Minister Raza Hayat Hiraj proposed that the house be adjourned to accommodate the opposition, but most of the treasury members objected to his proposal. The agitating opposition members gathered around the speaker's podium and demanded that Imran Khan be allowed to speak. The speaker put on the headphones and completed the second reading and the house passed the NSC bill. Opposition members tore apart copies of the bill. MMA lawmakers who had submitted amendments to the NSC bill did not move their amendments and the speaker dropped them. During the morning session, the row between Imran Khan and Chaudhry Shujaat erupted during the discussion on the NSC bill. Imran Khan opposed the bill, saying the NSC was not good for the country's security. "The US can manipulate Pakistan very easily if all the power is concentrated in the hands of one man. If the power is delegated to an individual, as envisaged by the NSC, then demands from US officials like Condoleezza Rice and Zalmay Khalilzad will increase and endanger Pakistan's security," he said. Chaudhry Hussain stood up in defence of President Pervez Musharraf. He said Imran Khan was not a child when the Legal Framework Order was introduced the first time. "Imran Khan has talked about the deprivation of the smaller provinces, but Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali belongs to a smaller province," he said. "Imran Khan now talks of democracy. He is the same Imran Khan who asked President Musharraf to do away with the concept of parliament and appoint him as prime minister when the western world, including the US, liked him," he added. Imran Khan stood on a point of personal explanation and said there was a wide difference between him and Chaudhry Hussain. "The main difference between him and me is the huge burden of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) files on Chaudhry Shujaat. He defends President Musharraf to save his skin from the NAB," he said.
From http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/ 04/08/2004
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Pakistan Begins Diplomatic Offensive to Join ARF
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has begun a 'diplomatic offensive' to join the Association of South East Asian Nations Regional Forum (ARF) ahead of its three-day session beginning June 30. The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is the principal forum for security dialogue in Asia and draws 23 countries from the Asia Pacific region. Sources told Daily Times that the Government of Pakistan gave high priority to joining the ARF. "The Asia-Pacific Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is vigorously pursing 'East Asia Vision' to promote diplomatic, economic and trade ties with the ASEAN nations. "Although Pakistan has a dialogue partnership with these counties, it wants to upgrade this relationship to a full partnership", sources added. Last month, Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar visited three members of ASEAN consisting of Malaysia, Laos and Cambodia under the new diplomatic offensive. He also visited the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand from March 28 to April 5 for mustering support for Pakistan's entry into ARF. "Pakistan is using multi-dimensional means to lobby for its membership and has instructed its ambassadors to win support for Pakistan's ARF membership", sources said, adding Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, in his forthcoming trips to Laos, China, Cambodia and Thailand would press these countries to vote for Pakistan's entry to ARF. Asked if there were any chances of success, sources said: "ARF members supported Pakistan's candidature last time but India thwarted Pakistan in its attempt to join ARF. However, due to the existing thaw in India-Pakistan relations, it is unlikely that India will oppose Pakistan's membership this time." Sources said that ASEAN states believed that Pakistan's membership would help them fight terror and improve efforts to bring and peace security to the region. On reports that the Indian government was opposing Pakistan's joining, sources said: "If that happens it will be a negation of peace moves by India and tarnish India's image in the West." (by Shaukat Piracha)
From http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/ 04/16/2004
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KYRGYZSTAN: President Signs Bills into Law
President Akaev's press service announced on 31 March that the president signed a number of important bills into law on 28 March, akipress.org reported on 31 March. Akaev signed bills amending the Criminal Code, establishing narcotics controls, and changing laws on notaries. The changes to the Criminal Code were necessitated by the new drug law, which establishes the legal status and functions of the state's antinarcotics agency. The changes to notary legislation concern the licensing and operations of private-sector notaries. DK
From http://www.rferl.org/ 04/01/2004
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KAZAKHSTAN: Constitutional Council Approves Election Law
Kazakhstan's Constitutional Council has approved a draft law that amends the country's basic law on elections, Interfax-Kazakhstan reported on 9 April. President Nursultan Nazarbaev sent the draft law, which has already garnered parliament's approval, to the council on 2 April to check its compliance with the Kazakh Constitution. Council member Anatolii Kotov commented on the ruling, saying, "[The draft law] expands openness in all stages of the election process and ensures its financial transparency." He concluded that the draft law's provisions "do not run counter to the constitution either in content or in the procedure in which it was adopted." Critics have charged that the draft law does not contain sufficient measures to prevent administrative interference in the electoral process; opposition politicians have urged the president to veto it. DK
From http://www.rferl.org/ 04/13/2004
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Kazakh Lower House Ratifies Single Economic Space Treaty
The Majilis, or lower house of parliament, on 21 April ratified a previously signed treaty to form a Single Economic Space (SES), Interfax-Kazakhstan reported. The treaty now heads to Kazakhstan's Senate, or upper house of parliament, for approval. Russia and Ukraine ratified the treaty on 20 April, and the fourth signatory to the SES, Belarus, is expected to address the issue of ratification soon. The SES is intended to harmonize customs and other legislation to facilitate trade and macroeconomic development among member states. DK
From http://www.rferl.org/ 04/22/2004
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UZBEKISTAN: Regulations on Inflow and Outflow of Cash National Currency
Regulations "On the order of inflow and outflow of cash national currency of the Republic of Uzbekistan", approved by the Resolution of the Board of the Central Bank and State Customs Committee of Uzbekistan dated 1 March 2004, entered into force on 26 March 2004.
From http://www.uzreport.com/ 04/10/2004
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AUSTRALIA: PM Vows to Jettison Redundancy Decision
The Federal Government has vowed to throw out an Industrial Relations Commission decision to make small business liable for redundancy pay for sacked workers. It said the ruling had put jobs at risk. In a move aimed at holding the support of the Coalition's key small business constituency and elevating industrial relations as an election issue, Prime Minister John Howard said the Government would introduce legislation to overturn the decision. "We see no reason why this additional cost burden should be placed on small business," he said. "If it is left untouched, it will result in fewer jobs in small business." He told the Victorian Liberal Party state council meeting in Hawthorn: "I want this to be seen as a strong and powerful signal to the small business community of Australia that we have not lost our commitment to them, we have not lost our stomach for the fight on behalf of small business." Mr Howard said the Government was disappointed by the commission's decision to remove the 20-year exemption for businesses with fewer than 15 workers. The commission said workers in small firms could receive up to eight weeks' pay after four years' service. It found that small businesses were able to cope, noting that 70 per cent of those that had cut staff were profitable. It said those that could not afford the payments could seek an exemption. The Government's move was welcomed by employer groups but criticised by unions and the ALP. Democrats workplace relations spokesman Andrew Murray, who will decide whether the legislation is passed in the Senate, signalled that the Government faced a tough battle to win his support. "We'll be extremely wary of overturning something that's been arrived at by an independent body after many months of consideration," Senator Murray said. Opposition workplace relations spokesman Craig Emerson said it was a stunt by Mr Howard. "The umpire's made its decision," he said. "John Howard and his Liberal bully boys haven't liked the decision, they've run onto the field, biffed the umpire and said they're going to change the rules of the game." ACTU secretary Greg Combet said he could not recall a previous decision to legislate to overturn a commission ruling, and vowed to campaign against Mr Howard's position. "It's treating the Industrial Relations Commission with contempt," he said. "He's really spitting in the face of almost half the Australian workforce with his decision." "He's refusing to accept the decision of an independent umpire, and that decision was made after the Commonwealth Government had run its case." Australian Industry Group chief executive Heather Riddout said she applauded the Government's move. The commission ruling made it less attractive to hire permanent staff and would further encourage casual staff, she said. Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Peter Hendy said small business faced a $190-million-a-year bill for redundancy payments. He said the exemption was necessary to preserve jobs and prevent insolvencies. Small Business Minister Joe Hockey said small businesses could not cope with the same obligations as big business, and faced a payout of $8000 for a tradesperson and $5000 for a shop assistant employed for more than four years. (by Phillip Hudson)
From http://www.theage.com.au/ 04/04/2004
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New Power Urged in Safety Laws
Union safety officers may be empowered to enter non-union workplaces and shut down dangerous premises. The proposal is in the first review of Victoria's occupational health and safety laws in 20 years. The review report, by Chris Maxwell, QC, also urges tougher penalties for workplace safety breaches, jail terms for serious first-time offenders and a code of conduct for company officers. To the relief of employer groups, the review has not called for a new offence of industrial manslaughter. There were 27 workplace deaths and 32,096 WorkCover compensation claims lodged last year. Mr Maxwell said yesterday that it was inappropriate that jail terms were given only to repeat offenders. He wants prison terms for first offenders guilty of "high-level culpability". He said right of entry powers for accredited union safety officers should not be seen as a way to boost union membership or as an industrial weapon in non-union workplaces. But it was important that employees elected health and safety officers. Overseas evidence showed such officers were vital. Mr Maxwell said only half of Victorian workplaces had safety officers and this exposed small business to risk. Workplaces that did not elect safety officers because of ignorance or hostility from managers needed to be able to rely on "roving" union safety officers for their welfare. He said the review would not worry safety-conscious employers. "The only thing this report targets is workplace safety." He said the Industry Commission found nine years ago that fines for safety breaches in Victoria were much lower than in NSW and Queensland. It was up to the Victorian Government to determine new fines by examining penalties in other states. Mr Maxwell said his was not "an ivory tower report" but one based on a consensus between employers and unions. Although the 1985 health and safety act was fundamentally sound, changes were needed to make it work more effectively. He said changes would clarify the safety responsibilities of employers and incentives should be detailed to encourage compliance. The role of WorkCover inspectors should be expanded to allow them to give employers simple safety advice. Australian Industry Group Victorian director Tim Piper said the report seemed "reasonably balanced at first blush". But he was worried by the proposed boost to union power. "We recognise that unions have a role to play but there are issues there. We don't want health and safety to become an industrial issue," he said. Trades Hall Council secretary Leigh Hubbard welcomed the call to appoint roving safety inspectors and to improve union rights of entry, but lamented the lack of industrial manslaughter laws. He said the review failed to recommend a union right to prosecute, which exists in NSW and Queensland. Premier Steve Bracks said the Government would allow some months for consultation before ruling on the report. (by Paul Robinson)
From http://www.theage.com.au/ 04/07/2004
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City Calls for Ban Exemption
Melbourne Lord Mayor John So has called on the State Government to exempt the city for Easter trading restrictions amid growing concern over the impact of the controversial laws. Cr So said many tourists were attracted to Melbourne on Easter Sunday but the complex trading laws would force many city shops and the department stores to close. These restrictions were disappointing, he said, and turned the Easter break into a "missed opportunity" to show off the city to country and interstate visitors. Opposition Leader Robert Doyle attacked the laws as "embarrassing" and a "mess". "This is unworkable. We should scrap the whole lot and go back to where we were," he said. "Easter Sunday is a big trading day for all sorts of businesses, whether you have fewer than 100 employees or more than 100 employees. "Why should you be able to buy fruit from the little fruit shop in Glenferrie Road but you can't go into the supermarket next door? It just doesn't make any sense." His comments came after the Australian Retailers Association and the Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry this week also called for the laws to be scrapped. City traders contacted by The Age yesterday predicted the CBD would be a "retail wasteland" on Sunday because without the shoppers attracted by the department stores many smaller traders could not afford to open. Judy Katz, owner of Card & Caboodle shops in the Block Arcade in the city and Chadstone Shopping Centre, said she would be forced to close both her shops on Easter Sunday. "The city is going to feel like a ghost town. Without Myer and David Jones no one comes. If all your neighbours are closed there is just no point," she said. Ms Katz said smaller traders had also been hard hit by Saturday becoming a public holiday. "It is going to cost me about $120 extra per person. Instead of $17.80 (an hour) for a casual, I have to pay $35.60. That is a huge extra cost," she said. Premier Steve Bracks was yesterday unmoved by the criticism and said Easter Sunday restrictions would remain. He said the Government had acted to relax the trading rules after complaints from businesses last year and a greater number of shops would be allowed to open this year. "I think we've struck the right balance between the need for people to do things as they want to on a weekend . . . and the need of families to have some respite, some change, some pause over what is, in a Christian nation, an important part in our calendar," he said. Since last year exemptions have been expanded to include hardware stores, nurseries, service stations, chemists and fast food chains, leaving large retailers as virtually the only businesses forced to close. Most shopping centres complexes are expected to close on Easter Sunday because big retailers that employ more than 100 people cannot open. Centre managers said that without foot traffic from large anchor tenants, such as Myer, David Jones and Coles, small retailers would be wasting their time going to work. Catherine Daw, retail manager of Chadstone Shopping Centre, said that with the stores closed visitors to Melbourne would simply find other ways to spend their money. (by Misha Ketchell)
From http://www.theage.com.au/ 04/08/2004
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PM Calls for Alliance to Aid Children
Prime Minister John Howard has called for a new "social coalition" between governments, welfare groups and communities while earning widespread praise for his $365 million plan to help vulnerable children. Welfare groups applauded the proposed spending, most of which will go to organisations that provide early intervention help. The package is the first stage of the Government's election pitch to families. Expected plans to follow are new child-care places and a budget measure to counter Labor's proposed $3000 baby payment to new mothers. Mr Howard said the Government had consulted widely with experts to shape the concepts of social coalition and early intervention. "Intervening early, saving young lives from years of unhappiness, of low motivation, of educational failure, of abuse, of inevitable resort to crime and anti-social behaviour is an important goal," he said. "You can't leave it all to the Government, but the Government can't vacate the field and leave it to welfare organisations." There is strong evidence that children who suffer abuse, neglect or distressing family breakdown are more likely to commit suicide, turn to crime or drug addiction, drop out of school and experience long-term unemployment. The Stronger Families and Communities Strategy directs $365 million over four years to organisations, including: $110 million to welfare groups in needy areas, such as East Gippsland. $70 million for early childhood programs and support for parents, such as a parenting website and the National Aboriginal Sports Corporation. $60 million for small projects such as a Collingwood community centre run by Jesuit Social Services. A $125 million boost for child care, including financial incentives to set up child-care services in needy areas and an "in-home" child-care scheme for remote areas. The early intervention approach won bipartisan support, with Labor's family and community services spokesman, Wayne Swan, welcoming the "modest measures". "We have to invest in our families up front or we will pay much more down the track," he said. But the Government was withholding 28,000 child-care places until closer to the election to score political points, he said. Child health expert and former Australian of the Year Fiona Stanley, who Mr Howard named as a big influence, said all politicians had begun to see the importance of early intervention. "I'm just delighted this is so high on the agenda," Professor Stanley said. "It's good to see Howard taking such leadership . . . and Latham is showing leadership with his talk about families." Mission Australia spokeswoman Marie Leech said the social coalition approach had worked well in the charity's early intervention program "Pathways to Prevention", a partnership with Griffith University, the Queensland Government, the Westpac Foundation and the Barnes Foundation. "Not long ago, it was unheard of for a politician to be talking about early intervention, so to now have the Prime Minister speaking very strongly about it is a major, major step forward," Dr Leech said. Australian Council of Social Service president Andrew McCallum said the Government had listened to the welfare sector. "It's what the sector has been asking for for some time." (by David Wroe)
From http://www.theage.com.au/ 04/08/2004
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Latham Offers a Vote on Republic
MARK Latham last night set out an aggressive timetable for Australians to vote as early as 2007 to become a republic, under a detailed reform program offering voters the chance to transform the constitution and potentially usher in a directly elected president. If Labor won government, a plebiscite would be held 12 months into office asking voters whether they wanted a republic. If the answer was yes, a second plebiscite would be held a year later asking voters to choose their preferred model with a a referendum scheduled for the federal election at the end of Labor's first term. The Opposition Leader, who favours the direct election of a president, said: "I don't want a constitutional convention or Malcolm Turnbull telling us what to do." "If we're going to have an Australian president personally I think we should be directly electing that person. The president would belong to us and the people would have a say about that. "It will be up to the people to decide which model they want but my own personal view and vote would be for direct election of an Australian president." But David Flint, national convenor of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy, hit out at Mr Latham for choosing a plebiscite model instead of an initial referendum. Professor Flint accused Mr Latham of a "abdication of leadership". "If he wants a republic he should say this is the sort of republic I want," he said. "It is silly for him to flop around. I think it's a waste of time going through the plebiscite to do this." The Australian Republican Movement last night backed Mr Latham's ambitious timeframe. ARM national chairman John Warhurst said he was "absolutely delighted" and he believed Australians would strongly support Mr Latham's approach. "It's an issue that is popular with a lot of people," Professor Warhurst said. "The broad thrust of what he is saying is in tune with what the ARM believes." In 1999 a referendum on the republic was defeated when Australians voted against the model of a two-thirds majority of parliament to select the president. Mr Latham set out his timetable in a voter's forum with electors from the marginal seat of Macarthur, in Sydney's outer south-west, which will be broadcast on SBS tonight. (by Emma-Kate Symons, Steve Lewis)
From http://theaustralian.news.com.au/ 04/20/2004
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Push for $3bn Lift to Public Schools
EVERY child attending a public school will secure an extra $300 in federal funding under a proposal by Labor states to deliver a $3 billion boost to the nation's neediest schools. The plan to shift the balance of commonwealth spending back towards public schools will be presented to Education Minister Brendan Nelson by a united block of Labor states at this week's Ministerial Council on Education Training and Youth Affairs. For the first time, students attending public schools would be guaranteed the same base funding level from the commonwealth as the richest private schools - $830 a year for each primary school student and $1099 a year for high school students. Accusing the commonwealth of cost-shifting to the states, the states' schools blueprint also calls for an additional $26 million to assist refugees with intensive English language studies and extra support to help schools meet requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. NSW Education Minister Andrew Refshauge, who will chair the meeting, told The Australian yesterday that public school students deserved a "fair go." "We're just asking for the smallest amount paid to a private school student to go to a public school student," he said. "We want a fair go. We don't want students in public schools to be poor cousins because of the tight-fisted nature of the federal Government." Students at public schools at present receive only between $539 and $802 a student from the Howard Government, reflecting overall spending of $7.2billion on public schools and $20billion for private schools over the next four years. Flagging the ALP's federal election priorities to boost spending on public schools, the states' funding plea mirrors Labor leader Mark Latham's pledge to develop a compact with the states to boost overall spending on public schools. But Opposition education spokesman Jenny Macklin stopped short yesterday of committing a Latham government to meeting the states' $3 billion demand. "Labor is committed to significantly increasing the funding available to government schools, and will announce the specific amount when we release our schools policy prior to the next election," she said. Private schools would be guaranteed that commonwealth funding would not be cut under the ALP plan, but a new needs-based funding model would redistribute funding from some wealthier independent schools towards low-fee, struggling private schools. However, Dr Nelson warned the states' plan also hinted at plans to strip private schools of $2 billion in funding guarantees for institutions that should have lost money if a "no disadvantage" test were not applied to the funding model. "It will be very difficult for Mark Latham and Jenny Macklin to convince the Australian public this is not also their agenda for state schools," he said. "Despite getting record GST windfalls ... they are now simply wanting to hand over a significant proportion of their responsibility for state schools." (by Samantha Maiden)
From http://theaustralian.news.com.au/ 04/20/2004
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Lib Plan to Undermine Public Trust in Latham
THE Howard Government has launched an orchestrated campaign to undermine public trust in Mark Latham, to capitalise on political research showing growing voter concern about his grasp of policy detail and leadership inexperience. Coalition ministers yesterday stepped up their attack on the Opposition Leader over claims that during a major address on Tuesday, laying out his vision for a new national identity, he lifted lines from a 1997 Bill Clinton speech. Peter Costello, who led the attack over the similarities in the speeches, accused Mr Latham of plagiarising the former US president, claims rejected by Mr Latham as "ludicrous". Liberal Party pollsters are picking up growing unease among voters over aspects of Mr Latham's political style. The qualitative polling - based on small focus groups - suggests the leader is vulnerable to claims that he does not think issues through thoroughly and is sometimes scant on policy detail. "He jumps all over the place and isn't up to speed on the detail," is how one figure described the view of Mr Latham. But Labor returned fire over the plagiarism claims, accusing John Howard of "double standards and hypocrisy". Opposition finance spokesman Bob McMullan said the Prime Minister owed the public an explanation as to why he had quoted key lines from a Kenneth Pollack publication when he outlined the case for war in Iraq during a speech to the National Press Club last year. "He quoted word for word from this book as if they were his own thoughts and his own ideas and he has been exposed monumentally," Mr McMullan said, accusing Mr Howard of a "basic case of plagiarism". Mr Howard, in his speech, talked of the horrors of Saddam Hussein's regime - including the practice of gouging out the eyes of children - to justify the Government's support for the US-led campaign. A spokesman for Mr Howard denied any plagiarism: "There is absolutely no comparison. These were statements of fact about Saddam Hussein's regime." Mr Howard's aides claimed that his original speech had included a footnote acknowledging the source of the quotes, from Mr Pollack's book The Threatening Storm: The Case for Invading Iraq. But this was deleted from the speech subsequently distributed to reporters and published on his website. Mr Latham denied he had lifted lines from the Clinton speech. "I didn't refer to that speech in any shape or form in the preparation of my speech on Tuesday," Mr Latham said. (by Steve Lewis, Jeremy Roberts)
From http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/ 04/23/2004
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NEW ZEALAND: National Gets Hands on Budget Papers
Papers on the Government's centrepiece "Future Directions" Budget package have been released to the National Party in what National says is an embarrassing error. A primary objective of the package is to improve work incentives for families with children in the $25,000 to $45,000 income bracket, the papers say. The package is to include an increase in the family tax credit, which thousands of families get through a scheme administered by Inland Revenue. National says the papers, marked "withhold", came in a bundle of documents on the minimum wage released under the Official Information Act from Labour Minister Paul Swain's office. National deputy finance spokesman John Key said the release of the papers was embarrassing because they revealed details of the Budget, due to be delivered on May 27 by Finance Minister Michael Cullen. A spokeswoman for Mr Swain said last night that after speaking to his staff he was "not convinced" the papers had come from his office. The papers are a report to the Cabinet on the interaction between the recently raised minimum wage and the Future Directions package, and emails between Labour Department officials. A spokeswoman for Dr Cullen said the papers were from mid-January and were dated. The package had been finalised "very recently" and National was brave to assess a large and comprehensive package on the basis of a small amount of information. Dr Cullen has indicated the package would be worth about $1 billion and be aimed at low to modest income earners. Mr Key said the papers proved the package would be "beneficiary biased" and would offer no incentives for people to move from welfare into work. "The lot of a family whose primary income is a benefit will be enhanced as a result of this Budget. "Therefore, the probability of encouraging those which now represent 300,000 New Zealanders off that lifestyle will be reduced." The papers contain candid emails between Labour Department officials usually kept from the public's eye. Mr Key said the papers revealed a debate between the offices of Dr Cullen and Social Development and Employment Minister Steve Maharey. The former wanted a higher standard of living for families irrespective of income while the latter wanted to send the right messages to families about work. "The reality is the Future Directions package is not about encouraging people off welfare to work. "It's about increasing the overall income of all families no matter how they derive their income." The papers also reveal the Labour Department estimated the increase in the adult minimum wage to $9 an hour from April 1 would result in 300 to 800 job loses. (by Kevin Taylor)
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 04/06/2004
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National and Act Trash Government Foreshore Policy
The National Party today described the Government's foreshore and seabed policy as a "gigantic fraud" which will allow Maori greater control and create a new grievance industry. Party leader Don Brash said it was a public relations exercise which delivered neither security nor certainty. "It paves the way for dual management over our coast, with the words 'ancestral connection' merely substituted for the contentious concept of customary title," he said. "There are significant new powers for the Government to award 'ancestral connection' leading to co-management and ticket clipping. "It paves the way for an extension of the Maori Land Court and will undoubtedly open the door on a whole new Treaty grievance industry." Dr Brash said the reality was that any resource consent that would adversely affect a customary right would be declined. "Maori would get new rights for consultation and rent seeking, while special Resource Management Act provisions would give greater weight to the Maori point of view," he said. "Clearly, this represents the Government's long-held belief that there are two standards of citizenship within New Zealand." The ACT Party's response was similar. Its Maori affairs spokesman Stephen Franks said ancestral connection orders would be available for any Maori group that can show an "association" with an area of coastline. "It will give rights to interfere in local government, in perpetuity, and can only poison relations long-term between neighbours," he said. "It is a form of inherited political power that most of us thought ended when squires no longer ruled." Mr Franks said ancestral connection had nothing to do with common law. "It is purely a political device to get peace in our time."
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 04/07/2004
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Policy on TV Violence Close
Television New Zealand expects a new policy reducing the amount of violence it broadcasts will be completed within three weeks. Acting Minister of Broadcasting David Benson-Pope told Parliament TVNZ executives met yesterday to draft a plan for limiting screened violence and the state broadcaster might share it with other television companies. In particular they would address the concerns of a recent report which criticised the amount of violence included in programme promotions. A $300,000 study released last week identified promotions, including those broadcast throughout the day or early evening when children may be watching, of particular concern. The study named Sky Television's Nickelodeon cartoon network as the worst offender, screening an average of 13 violent incidents each hour. TV One showed fewer violent moments than other channels, an average of two an hour, and both TV2 and TV3 averaged between 6 and 8 incidents an hour. Mr Benson-Pope told Parliament yesterday TVNZ, whose charter includes a clause on television violence, was now reviewing its policies. "TVNZ has acted promptly and is drafting a new policy detailing processes for addressing the issue. "TVNZ is looking at sharing its plan with other broadcasters." He agreed with Green MP Sue Kedgley that a state broadcaster had a special responsibility to ensure it did not screen potentially harmful television content. (by Helen Tunnah)
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 04/08/2004
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National Plan to End Abuse Urged
Therapists are pushing for a co-ordinated national plan to protect children from sexual abuse. Experts in the field, who finished a three-day conference in Auckland at the weekend, want child sexual abuse to be considered a public-health issue, like HIV-Aids and problem gambling. The director of the Safe community therapy network, John McCarthy, said many agencies worked in sexual abuse treatment and they were doing fabulous work. "But there's no overall co-ordinated strategy about where we are all going so there's no plan that will stop sexual violence towards children. "What we need is a public health strategy talking about primary prevention so we get messages out to mums and dads and people who care for children about how to stop children being sexually abused - what behaviours to look for that are worrying, in adults, in teenagers and in children. "Then secondary prevention, treating the perpetrators and intervening quickly ... then tertiary prevention, when you intervene with people who have been sexually victimised. "It's not enough to be patching up abused kids and rehabilitating offenders." His call for a public-health plan was supported by Professor Mary Koss, a sexual violence expert from the Arizona College of Public Health. She said sexual abuse victims could be dogged by the effects throughout their lives. These included taking more sick days off work than others, more medical and mental healthcare visits, and riskier sexual behaviour leading to more teen pregnancies and sexually-transmitted infections. Justice Minister Phil Goff acknowledged that more needed to be done to educate the public about the nature and effects of sexual abuse. Better tools were needed to pick up early signs of problem sexual behaviour in children and adolescents, to intervene before it was too late. In speech notes for the conference he said he would soon unveil a plan to reduce community and sexual violence. A steering group would help to find gaps, such as any unmet need for community- and prison-based services to identify, assess and treat sex offenders. But Mr Goff also pointed to the successes of some treatment programmes, better co-ordination of how offenders were handled in the community and the plan, under a bill introduced last year, for more restrictive post-prison monitoring of child sex abusers at higher risk of re-offending. Of the people who went through the community-based treatment programmes Safe and Stop, only 5 per cent reoffended - half the rate of the untreated comparison group. (by Martin Johnston)
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 04/19/2004
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Treaty Education Plan Faces 'PC' Inspection
The Opposition is promising close scrutiny for "political correctness" in one of Labour's most sensitive policies, a Treaty of Waitangi education programme, which finally gets started today. State Services Minister Trevor Mallard will launch a treaty information website, the first part of a campaign promised by Labour before it came to power in 1999. So vulnerable is the Government on the issue of the treaty, however, that it has had a very long and slow preparation. But Mr Mallard hinted in Parliament before Easter that the treaty campaign might be more of a history lesson than a gift of ammunition to Opposition parties. One of the lead advertisements for the programme would ask: "Did you know how close we came to speaking French?" But National state services spokesman Murray McCully said: "I can promise it will be getting the most careful scrutiny." The Maori Affairs and Treaty Negotiations ministers were originally given until last March to develop the programme. But within a month, Mr Mallard had been put in charge and a unit established within the State Services Commission. "Clearly, the Government decided that a combination of Margaret Wilson and Parekura Horomia on a public information programme on the treaty was too lethal a cocktail for the electorate," said Mr McCully. Today's launch, said Mr McCully, would be "the first indication of whether he is going to bring at last some common sense to this area and eradicate the political correctness that drives the bureaucrats and ministers who have been there before". Associate Maori Affairs Minister Tariana Turia told Parliament she had been involved in the programme's policy development but not its operational aspects. She had asked Prime Minister Helen Clark to remove from the next official register her delegation's responsibility for the Treaty of Waitangi public information programme. The information programme will run for three years and has a budget of $6.47 million. The treaty formed a part of a Massey University survey on national identity published earlier this year, showing that: * 75 per cent believed the treaty created division between Maori and non-Maori. * 55 per cent thought the treaty should not play an important part in Government decision-making; 40 per cent thought it should. * 60 per cent disapproved of the Government's handling of treaty issues, 20 per cent approved, and 20 per cent were undecided. * 50 per cent believed the Government was honouring its treaty obligations. * 60 per cent believed it was taking too long to settle claims and 75 per cent wanted a time limit set. (by Audrey Young)
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 04/19/2004
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PNG: Government Announces Stocks Issuance Programme
Finance and Treasury Minister Bart Philemon has announced the start of the 2004 Inscribed Stocks issuance programme in line with the budget financing plans. Philemon said yesterday that a minimum of K200 million would be issued this year with maturity dates of Nov 15, 2005 and Nov 15, 2006. The Minister said Cabinet last Friday had endorsed the Inscribed Stock tender programme, which would include four issues with May 19 targeted for the first tender. The dates for the three subsequent tenders will be announced at least one week prior to the time of tender,?he said, adding that the coupon rate for the tenders has been set at 12.5%. The Treasurer said the Government has been undertaking a comprehensive review of the domestic debt portfolio over the past 12 months as part of its broader plans to strengthen the fiscal policy framework. The inscribed stocks programme is aimed at minimizing the debt burden and risks of government debt, being a key objective of the Governments debt management framework,?he said. Philemon said the Government is also looking at a number of programmes for the domestic debt market. One such programme involved examining the scope for introducing a debt servicing programme later in the year to enable participants and investors to switch from existing Inscribed Stocks and Treasury Bills to the new Inscribed Stocks. This would assist in developing the market and creating an environment to improve secondary market liquidity,?he said. The challenge for the Government is to help create an investment environment and culture to ensure instruments, as such, are readily traded in the secondary market, thus reducing both costs for the Government and risks for holders of these instruments. The Treasurer said he recognised the need for continued open dialogue with the financial markets and investors alike to maintain corporate trust by taking a bipartisan approach in gauging their views and support for the Government objective of re-activating the medium to long term government securities market. He said the Government sees the role of the private sector as an important element in the creation of a secondary market.
From http://www.pacificislands.cc/ 04/20/2004
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The Costs of Corruption: $1,000,000,000,000 and Counting
More than $1 trillion dollars (US$1,000 billion) is paid in bribes each year, according to ongoing research at the World Bank Institute (WBI). Daniel Kaufmann, the Institute's director for Governance, says this US$1 trillion figure is an estimate of actual bribes paid worldwide in both rich and developing countries. "It is important to emphasize that this is not simply a developing country problem," Kaufmann says. "Fighting corruption is a global challenge." The $1 trillion figure, calculated using 2001-02 economic data compares with an estimated size of the world economy at that time of just over US$30 trillion, Kaufmann says, and does not include embezzlement of public funds or theft of public assets. It is extremely difficult to assess the extent of worldwide embezzlement of public funds, "but we do know it is a very serious issue in many settings." For example Transparency International estimates that former Indonesian leader Suharto embezzled anywhere between $15-35 billion from his country, while Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines, Mobutu in Zaire and Abacha in Nigeria may have embezzled up to $5 billion each. Kaufmann notes that a calculation of the total amounts of corrupt transactions is only part of the overall costs of corruption, which constitutes a major obstacle to reducing poverty, inequality and infant mortality in emerging economies. WBI research shows that countries that tackle corruption and improve their rule of law can increase their national incomes by as much as four times in the long term, and child mortality can fall as much as 75 percent. "We have found what we label as the '400 percent governance dividend'," Kaufmann says.
From http://web.worldbank.org/ 04/08/2004
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International Community's Reaction to S. Korea's General Election
The international community watched closely as the pro-government Uri Party came away with a solid victory in Thursday's 17th general elections. In Washington, government agencies and the media said the U.S. is focusing on any changes that might take place in pending bilateral issues due to the parliamentary shake-up. However, U.S. experts and media shared the view that the election outcome would not affect the half-century South Korea-U.S. alliance and Seoul's plan to dispatch troops to Iraq. Peter Beck, director of research at the Korea Economic Institute of America, dismissed concerns that the victory of the "liberal" Uri Party could change South Korea-U.S. relations, saying there is a broad bipartisan support in South Korea regarding the significance of Seoul-Washington relations. In London, BBC news said the Uri Party's triumph clearly showed South Koreans' opposition to President Roh's impeachment, which was passed by the opposition-dominated parliament on March 12. The Financial Times said the election result had eliminated uncertain political factors and would lead to positive effects in the market economy. In Tokyo, the media said the results of the parliamentary race were a virtual vote of confidence for President Roh. Kyodo news agency and the Asahi Shimbun newspaper forecast that the Uri Party's victory would bring about liberal diplomacy and closer ties with North Korea. Meanwhile, China and Taiwan extensively covered the results of South Korea's general election, saying the contest was a showdown between generations and ideologies, unlike past elections which were mainly characterized by political regionalism. Arabic television station, Al Jazeera, called the Uri Party's win "dramatic," saying the election result has broken the conservatives' four-decade grip on parliament.
From http://rki.kbs.co.kr/ 04/16/2004
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CHINA: Transparency the Way to Go
It is a wise move to boost the government's transparency on how public taxes are spent, but there is still a long way to go, said an article in Beijing Youth Daily. An excerpt follows: Local authorities in Beijing recently issued a public report about how they spent taxpayers' money on road maintenance and automobile purchases. It is said to be the first time the municipal government has made such information available. However, it also indicates that before this report, taxpayers had little knowledge of how their money was being used or if it was being used for what the government claimed it was being used for. There have always been people who have requested more transparency into government spending. However, the concept of "taxpayer" is far from being established in China. Issuing the report was a welcome progress made by the municipal government. But much is desired to satisfy people's right to know and eliminate the doubts over the exact way the taxes are used. For example, the report only gave big numbers without detailed information. This does not tell the public the real situation. Also, it cannot be used by the public to supervise the government's job and credibility. Therefore, the report becomes no more than a stance for improving transparency, instead of real evidence that the government is committed to keeping the public informed about it's spending habits. According to Premier Wen Jiabao, the government will not work at its best without public supervision. Withholding more detailed, accurate and traceable information from the public certainly does not mean working at its best. It is likely that the government had the figures ready, then it should make them public as soon as possible. At least, the local people's congress should hear a report on it, which is an indirect way to inform the public. Posting them on a governmental branch's website is another good alternative. Though not every taxpayer is interested in reading and checking these figures, the government should make sure all those who want to do so have access. Furthermore, offering detailed reports concerning the usage of taxes is not only a responsibility of the government, it is an effective way to win the public's trust and their understanding into the government's job.
From chinadaily.com.cn 03/30/2004
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Nation Quickens Spread of E-Gov't
The government staff still love to work in the real world despite mounting calls for e-government services. A State Council report shows that government services are still delivered mainly face-to-face or on paper, despite the mushrooming number of governmental websites in recent years. The findings obtained after a three-month study show that only 5.2 per cent of China's government websites are frequently used. Nearly half of the 11,764 governmental websites are simply one-way mirrors, the State Council Informatization Office said in the report, meaning that more interaction is badly needed. Facing the situation, the State Council will take the lead in e-government service. A State Council official who wanted to remain anonymous, said that central government departments will deliver documents and meeting notes through the web by the end of this year while a long-awaited central-government portal will be launched this year. China had approximately 600,000 approved websites by the end of 2003, up 60.3 per cent from 2002, said the report on Internet resources in China, which was produced by the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC) with authorization from the central government. However, about 90 per cent of the websites are in the more developed provinces, showing a growing gap between rich regions and less developed regions, the report said. Beijing, South China's Guangdong Province, East China's Zhejiang Province and Shanghai are the top four for the number of websites, accounting for 56.8 per cent of the total. In western China, however, many governmental officials face cyber difficulties. Wang Gang, a 30-year-old assistant for a county head in Sichuan Province said his daily business has always been done face-to-face or on paper. "I have no basic knowledge of the Internet and I cannot e-mail," Wang told China Daily when asked to conduct an online interview this week. The report also showed that all government websites are in Chinese while only 14.8 per cent have English pages and 3.0 per cent include Japanese. The lack of content in foreign languages has also brought complaints from foreigners. Canadian businessman Mark Justine, said there is no English version in some websites of cabinet departments, not to mention agencies at provincial or local levels. "That makes it difficult for me to read them," said Justine. But some cities are leading the way. Northeast China's coastal city of Dalian has set up Chinese, English, Japanese and Korean versions of its governmental website. Zhao Xiaofan, director of the State Council Informatization Office said the Internet in China has developed rapidly despite its late introduction. Even in the early 1990s "Internet" was still an alien word to the public. Zhao said the e-government initiative would promote democracy by providing residents with more digital connections, such as e-mail, and simplifying election procedures by, for example, allowing voting online. "What's more, they can make administrative work more transparent and efficient by networking government departments and introducing Intranets and so on," said Zhao. He said the Chinese Government has shown great enthusiasm for information technology as part of the country's modernization drive. The government also set ambitious goals for Internet usage and information technology development in the 10th Five Year Plan (2001-05). By the end of 2005, China should have a broadband network that combines Internet, telephone lines and cable TV networks while the number of Internet users will reach 150 million or more than 11 per cent of the population. (by Fu Jing)
From http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ 04/05/2004
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Officials Required to Perform Duties Well
Beijing's Dongcheng District government officials had better start taking public service seriously - if that haven't already. Tuesday, the government announced that if officials receive complaints from residents or enterprises three separate times, they could face demotion or be transferred from their current posts. If the problems still occur, the problem employees could get the ax. The new regulation applies to officials, no matter how high up the organizational chart they are. The directive - which went into effect this month - is meant to improve the way the government deals with complaints from the public and other entities. The district also opened a special complaints office on Monday to oversee citizen complaints, the first such office in the nation's capital city. The office is mainly responsible for accepting complaints about environmental protection, health, urban layout, industry and commerce, urban management, public security and transportation. It will also investigate complaints filed against city employees. The Beijing municipal government also plans to establish a similar office to receive complaints over local officials, but a timetable has not been fixed. If officials repeatedly receive bad marks from the public over their work after they are demoted or moved, the new regulation states, they could face dismissal. Sun Yingjie, office director of the Beijing Dongcheng District Personnel Bureau, said yesterday that her bureau will join with the district supervision bureau to investigate any official to confirm whether a citizen's complaints are really valid. The official vowed to confirm within 10 working days after a complaint is received if the employee was at fault. People who put forward complaints will be notified afterwards of the results. Officials have the right to appeal their punishments to the district personnel bureau, according to Sun. Sun's bureau is the organization that drafted the regulation and is responsible for its interpretation. "Up to last Thursday when the regulation became effective, we so far have not had to deal with irresponsible officials," she said yesterday. Forbidden behaviors for governmental staff are listed. If a person or company asks permission for a project according to law, governmental staff are forbidden to refuse to delay dealing with the item. Police officers who use illegal force or fail to provide legal warrants will also be punished. "I will be more cautious in my work to try my best to satisfy taxpayers," Wang Maozhen, an official with the Dongcheng District government said on Tuesday.
From China Daily 04/07/2004
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Government Think-tank Unveiled
How might grass-roots complaints and suggestions reach top government decision-makers in a quicker and more efficient way? How can State Council leaders and high-ranking government officials keep in close touch with all sections of society and the public? The State Council Counselors' Office, as a government advisory and consultant body, has pledged to play a bigger role in carrying public common concerns and complaints to top decision-makers. "The establishment of government counselors' offices was a pioneering concept in New China when the nation was founded in 1949,'' Cui Zhanfu, director of the State Council Counselors' Office, said Thursday in Beijing. Now, the country has 41 government counselors' offices at different levels. More than 1,000 scholars, specialists and celebrities are on staff and are influential and highly capable of participating in State affairs, Cui said. As counselors, their common appointment term runs five years, and many make constructive proposals and soundly advise governments. He Kaiyin, a counselor with East China's Anhui Province government and a researcher on agricultural issues, has helped promote the launch of the reform of rural fees into taxes in 2000. In his late 60s, He has set his foot on many farmlands and villages in the province in recent years and become a spokesman for rural people. He has called for the establishment of a unified taxation system and opening up of the grain market. "Since income from selling grains fail to cover costs and the fees and tax burdens on farmers have become increasingly heavy, farmers have become the poorest group in the country and have to pay taxes for the rich,'' He writes in one of his reports. His reports and studies have led to State Council inspectors' visits to certain rural areas and trials in which fees were transformed into taxes in Taihe County of Anhui Province in 1994. The State Council has also received many important references and advice from government counselors. For example, following some counselors' advise, the State Council issued an emergency regulation for the management of medical trash during the outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) epidemic last year. Hired by governments as individual researchers -- representing no parties or departments -- government counselors have an express way to reach top decision-makers, more freely and faster than people from other "think tanks" and consulting departments, Cui said. Governments also organize study trips for those counselors to see key research projects.
From China Daily 04/09/2004
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Rules Required to Guide Rural Elections
Village heads are often called "zhima guan," which means they are about as insignificant as a sesame seed. That's why many people were stunned to hear that a farmer in North China's Shanxi Province spent 1.94 million yuan (US$230,000) to get elected to the position. When Wang Yufeng, 32, entered the competition a year ago, the campaign for the position of head of the village committee of Laoyaotou in Hejin City was turned into a battle of bids, with Wang and the two other official candidates offering to pay each of the 1,300 villagers once they got elected. The sums offered ranged from 200 yuan (US$25) to 2,000 yuan (US$250). Wang won the election in the end and paid every resident of the village, including babies, 1,800 yuan (US$210) as he had promised. The money came from his earnings in the transportation business and loans from his relatives, he said later. His two runners-up spent a total of 145,500 yuan (US$17,530) each to become vice-chairmen of the village committee. The payments bewildered not only the people in the poverty-stricken but coal-rich village, but also many law experts when they heard the story a few months later. While some classed it as bribery, since it involved "trading votes for money," others argued that Wang had not violated the law, although personally they did not approve of the practice. "He gave money to all the villagers instead of only those who voted for him," said a fellow villager. "And he gave the money after the election instead of prior to the process." But Shi Weimin, a political researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) who has been following the development of democratic village elections in the country, insists that Wang's promise of giving money was "out-and-out bribery." "Democratic elections should not allow money-for-vote exchanges," Shi says. "Paying money for votes is a violation of democratic principles." In the words of Fang Ning, also a CASS political researcher, the payment of money, in any way, can alter the outcome of elections, which are supposed to be strict, open and fair, by making it possible for the cheque-payer to control the election process. Caught in the controversy, Wang lost his position at the end of 2003, with the discipline department of Hejin city ruling last November that the election was at least tainted with bribery, if not a sheer case of bribery, and thus was invalid. The money Wang had distributed was retrieved and confiscated by the local government, while the township officials and the Party branch of the village who had monitored the election were penalized for their connivance in the bribery-tainted election.
Timely warning
Wang's case, a record in the history of village elections in China in terms of the huge amount of money involved, is not an isolated incident. With a new round of village committee elections in progress in 220,000 villages throughout China this year, with over 300 million villagers involved, sporadic reports of money-for-vote deals, though not as spectacular as Wang's case, have surfaced in Hebei and Shaanxi provinces. These cases have aroused the government's concern. The Ministry of Civil Affairs, which administers and oversees grassroots self-government organizations including village committees, issued a circular at the end of March, urging local governments to make sure that village committee elections are healthy, fair and clean. It defines all vote-targeted actions involving money, goods or other forms of payment, transacted either by candidates themselves or through their agents, as bribery, and demands that effective measures be taken to stop such practices. Hailing it as a timely warning, Shi Weimin points out that the circular alone is not enough for long-term effective prevention of bribery in village elections. "We need to put in place a more scientific and comprehensive legal system to guide the development of rural grassroots democracy," he said. Though provisions for direct elections were written into China's Constitution as early as 1982 and the Organic Law on Village Committees was put into effect in 1998, so far there are no detailed and functional regulations on bribery in village elections. "The recent occurrences of money-for-vote cases in village elections indicate there is a loophole in our legislation," Shi says. "We need a set of laws to regulate the election process and the behaviour of both voters and candidates, with clearly defined punishments for possible violations. Such regulations would carry more weight than a single administrative circular." The legal system to guide the development of rural grassroots democracy, however, should not stop at the level of village elections, he says. "What is even more important is the design of legislation for post-election supervision of village committees and their heads and members." He pointed out that now many candidates are eager to run for the position of village head, Wang's case being an example, precisely because of the profits that can be made after they are elected.
Powerful supervision
According to Qiao Xinsheng, a professor of law at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law based in Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, village committees, though neither administrative bodies nor government-funded institutions, are authorized under current laws and administrative regulations to control rural public resources including land and collective enterprises in their villages. Winning these village elections, Qiao observes, means acquiring control of huge amounts of assets, and for those money-driven candidates, it is cost-efficient to buy the position, even at a high price, as in Wang Yufeng's case. He suggests that village committee's control over public resources, the very thing that stirs candidates' greed, should be reduced or even eliminated and turned over to local governments. Shi disagrees with Qiao on this point, maintaining that village committees, as self-government organizations of rural people, should control village public resources. The key rests in the establishment of an effective supervision mechanism over village committees. "Without a powerful supervision mechanism, village committees may be tempted to abuse their power and get involved in corruption," Shi says. Xiao Tangbiao, a professor with the Jiangxi Administration School in East China's Jiangxi Province, says that village committees with unlimited power will eventually make village elections meaningless. So he is calling for the establishment of a healthy interplay between village committees, meetings of village representatives, a watchdog body elected by villagers to supervise their village committees, and villagers' assemblies. Xiao says that villagers or voters need a guarantee and legal guidelines that tell them where and how they can lodge complaints and start legal impeachment procedures if they are dissatisfied with election procedures and the behaviour of village committees after they are elected. It is unavoidable that there exists unfair play like bribery, Xiao says, especially in a country where grassroots democracy is still very new. Only in the early 1980s did China begin direct elections of village committees, self-government organizations in the countryside, to replace governance by People's Communes of the era of the planned economy. The 20-odd years of development of the election mechanism, says Shi Weimin, has served as a workshop for the democratic process, in which farmers have learned how to exercise their rights and how to get involved in the political process through elections. When the village election mechanism was first initiated, Shi says, there were doubts that poorly educated farmers might not know what to do with rights they were given and thus would hinder the construction of democracy in the countryside. However, facts show that education background is not a decisive factor in the shaping of people's political awareness, as farmers across the country have demonstrated an increasing enthusiasm for involvement in the election process. "Of course, there will always be some problems, sometimes even big ones like the case of Wang Yufeng, but the problems will scale down when we put them into the context of rural democracy development," Shi says. "The promotion of direct elections among our 768 million rural dwellers demonstrates itself a great leap forward in the country's democratic construction."
From http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ 04/12/2004
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Macao to Pick Election Members
The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government has chosen June 27 as the date for selecting members of the Election Committee, who will choose the SAR's next chief executive. The announcement was made in the form of an executive communique endorsed by incumbent Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah. According to the Chief Executive Election Law, which was passed by the Macao Legislative Council earlier this month, the committee will comprise 300 members to represent four mainstream sectors of Macao's society. The industrial, commercial and financial sectors is the biggest, with a total of 100 members. The second group has 80 members representing four sub-sectors, namely culture with 18 members, education with 20 members, professionals with 30 members and sports with 12 members. The third sector comprises 80 members among three sub-sectors, namely labour with 40 members, social services with 34 members and main religions with 6 members.The fourth sector comprises Macao's 12 deputies to the National People's Congress -- the national legislature, 16 representatives of the local legislative, and 12 representatives from Macao's members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's political advisory body. Apart from the fourth sector and the representatives of religious organizations, who are free to choose their own method of selecting their representatives, the election of the other members of the committee will be based on Macao's traditional system of indirect elections involving representatives of specifically registered community, labour and business associations. There are about 2,000 such legal associations and organizations in the SAR, with 500 of them elective societies. They are highly representative in the city with a population of 448,500. Under the election law, which is closely based on the Macao Basic Law, the election of the chief executive by the Election Committee must be held at least 60 days before the office holder's term expires. Ho's first five-year term ends on December 19.
From Xinhua 04/13/2004
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68 Officials Punished for Deadly Accidents
Punishments of those responsible for three serious accidents that killed more than 300 in recent accidents were reported to the public after a State Council meeting Wednesday in Beijing, while leaders urged that prevention work to prevent similar accidents be strengthened. Two children, whose eyes were harmed by the toxic fumes from the fatal gas blowout, are seen in Chongqing. Investigations showed that all three accidents were caused by slack management and imperfect safety measures and that relevant officials should be held accountable. As suggested by the investigation teams, 68 people found responsible face punishments, among whom 13 will be turned over to judicial bodies. Another 55 will receive party or government disciplinary actions. The most deadly of the three accidents occurred on December 23, 2003 in rural Kaixian County in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality when a China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) gas well exploded and released toxic gas. As many as 243 villagers were poisoned to death and a large number of animals were killed. Another accident happened in Beijing's suburban Miyun County on February 5 at 7:45 pm in Mihong Park, where thousands of people were celebrating the traditional Lantern Festival, which falls on the fifteenth day of the first Chinese lunar month and is regarded as the last day of Spring Festival. One spectator stumbled on a bridge, resulting in a stampede that caused many others to fall and be trampled to death. Many of the victims were crushed and suffocated by the crowd. In all, 37 died. A fire engulfs the Zhongbai Commercial Plaza in the city of Jilin in Northeast China's Jilin Province, killing 53 people and injuring 71 others. The last major incident had seen 53 victims killed on February 15 by a fire at the Zhongbai Department Store in Jilin City in Northeast China's Jilin Province. The deadly blaze started at 11 am on the second floor of the department store, where crowds of people were doing weekend shopping. It also injured 70. The State Council meeting accepted CNPC General Manager Ma Fucai's resignation, after he accepted blame. Ma had been asking to resign since the natural gas well blowout occurred. The meeting, chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao, also demanded that Beijing municipal government, Jilin Province and the CNPC levy severe punishment on those responsible for the three accidents. The meeting covered punitive actions to be taken against those deemed responsible for three major accidents last year, including the gas blast at CNPC's facility near southwestern China's Chongqing that killed 243 people. The State Council blamed CNPC's slack management on safety controls during production as the major reason for the disaster. Ma is replaced by Chen Geng, currently deputy general manager of CNPC and president of PetroChina. Jiang Jiemin, the deputy governor of Qinghai Province, is named as deputy general manager of CNPC. Jiang, 50, had worked as the assistant general manager of CNPC, and vice-president of PetroChina before he moved to Qinghai last year. Both Chen and Jiang have been working in the oil industry for three decades. Chen said at an internal company meeting that the company should work together to push through its development plan. China National Petroleum Corp has said it plans to double its revenue to US$83 billion by 2010 by expanding the overseas oil and gas business and boosting natural gas production. The company plans to increase its total oil production to 133 million tons by 2010, as compared with 118 million in 2002. Overseas production will be the major force for boosting production. By 2010, the natural gas output is expected to triple to 70 billion cubic metres over production in 2002. Shares of PetroChina dropped 3.1 per cent to HK$3.88 yesterday on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Analysts said the impact of the management reshuffling at CNPC is unlikely to rock PetroChina's performance. But they also said production costs may increase as the company spends more to reinforce its supervision of production safety. (by Xie Ye/Guo Nei)
From http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ 04/14/2004
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China Strengthens Government Accountability
When accidents happen, people often ask if and how they could have been prevented. But an equally pressing question is, who should take responsibility? Some experts say it should be top officials -- calling for enhanced government accountability. Two high-ranking officials have recently resigned for negligence after two fatal accidents. Although we can't know if it was voluntary or under pressure from their bosses, the public has welcomed the moves. One Beijing citizen said, "This is good news for legal improvement in the long run in China. Officials should take responsibility for accidents like these." His view is shared by an expert who says it's important for government officials to realize negligence is more damaging than corruption. Liu Suhua, Ph.D in Chinese Communist Party School, said, "Negligence has long been a big problem. Danger can come at any moment. You can't anticipate or calculate the severity of the danger or the extent of the losses." Liu says it's a radical shift in thinking for government officials to realize that their power comes from the people. And with power comes responsibility. He also proposed, "China must establish a government accountability system. If something bad happens because an official does something he shouldn't or he doesn't do something he should, he must give up his office." An incompetent official's resignation or removal can't make up for the loss of the victims and their relatives, but it does reveal who is responsible. For those working under dangerous conditions, it's the duty of the officials in charge to do everything possible to prevent accidents. People have a responsibility for their actions. For government officials, the public servants, negligence and indifference towards their work will no longer be tolerated. If they don't take it upon themselves to step down, they'll be dismissed.
From CCTV 04/19/2004
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Cancellation of Decree an Encouraging Sign
A draft regulation by the Beijing municipal government was cancelled recently because of public opposition after it was posted on the government website to solicit citizens' input. The draft, which was on the supervision and management of construction enterprises from outside Beijing, stipulated harsher punishment for enterprises that violate relevant regulations. For example, it specified non-Beijing enterprises' duty of preventing cases which may lead to social unrest. If they fail to abide by the rule, they would be subject to heavy fines or even deprived of their right to participate in the bidding on local projects. The move was partially aimed at stemming the wild default of payment for farmers-turned-workers in the urban areas. Denied their due payment, some workers have resorted to extremist means to protect themselves. Eight people, after seeing the draft on the Internet, expressed their strong opposition. They said the regulation, if implemented, would constitute a discriminatory policy toward non-Beijing enterprises. The move, they argued, was not appropriate considering China has joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) and promised to treat all enterprises equally according to the WTO rule of non-discrimination. They also contended that since there are already laws and regulations concerning payment default, it makes no sense for the Beijing municipal government to stipulate a separate regulation targeted specifically at firms outside the capital. The dissenters were right. Although it would help solve the problem of payment default, the draft regulation failed to include local enterprises to put the two kinds of enterprises on an equal footing. The government's cancellation of the draft indicates the authorities realized the indiscretion and moved to quickly rectify it. But the case shows the local government is yet to be fully conscious of and adapted to its new role in modern times. In a market economy it is the natural obligation of a local government to respect the interests of all market players within its jurisdiction. And it is not only a matter of equality. Without an open attitude to embrace foreign enterprises, local economy may suffer a lack of vitality. Provincialism will not do in sustaining local development. Although the improper regulation has been stopped, the local government still needs to seriously reflect on its role to avoid a similar mistake. Despite this, we can still sense some progress in the management of public affairs by the Beijing municipal government. This is the first time a local motion was stopped in such a way. In the first place, it reflects the government's will to respect public opinion. Since the spread of the use of the Internet, the posting of draft laws and regulations on the official website has become a routine practice, which in itself is a sign of the government's willingness to better solicit public views in deciding public affairs. What is more arresting this time is that despite the small number of people - only eight - who expressed their opposition, the government took their views seriously. It shows as long as opposition is on the right side, the government is willing to seriously consider dissenting opinion. In this way, the rights of market players, no matter how small a group, can be ensured.
From chinadaily.com.cn 04/20/2004
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JAPAN: Pay Transparency for Secretaries
The Diet's system of public secretaries -- which allows each legislator to hire three aides at taxpayers' expense -- has proven to be deeply flawed, as shown by a recent spate of pay scandals in which a number of legislators were accused of misusing their secretaries' salaries. Now, belatedly, the ruling and opposition parties have put together a reform package designed to close the system's loopholes. The package is designed to eliminate a root cause of pay embezzlement: the widespread practice among Diet members of hiring their relatives as public secretaries. The plan in the works would bar legislators from employing spouses as public secretaries. This does not go far enough, however, because it leaves the door open for the employment of other relatives, such as sons and daughters. Public secretaries, classified as special national civil servants, are paid from state coffers. As such, they also serve the legislature, not just individual legislators. It can be argued, therefore, that the hiring of "kinship secretaries" should be prohibited without exception. A total prohibition is preferable as it would prevent pay fraud and help restore the public's confidence in politics. In the final analysis, however, it is individual legislators, not rule changes, that make the system tick. In short, what really counts is how they treat their secretaries. As de facto employers, lawmakers have a decisive advantage over their secretaries. Therefore, if they paid their public assistants the respect due to them, they would find it impossible to even consider pocketing their salaries. The reform package is based on recommendations submitted last autumn by an advisory panel to the speaker of the Lower House following alleged pay fraud by two former Lower House members, Mr. Joji Yamamoto and Ms. Kiyomi Tsujimoto. The proposals -- which had received mixed reactions from both politicians and parties -- gained a greater sense of urgency after a similar scandal involving a former Lower House veteran, Mr. Kanju Sato, came to light in March. The panel report called for a total ban on the hiring of "spouses and relatives within three degrees of kinship." The Democratic Party of Japan agreed to the ban, because Mr. Sato, a former DPJ heavyweight, had been arrested in the scandal along with his wife, who had served as his first secretary. But the Liberal Democratic Party -- which has many members who want to groom their sons and daughters as their successors -- opposed the measure. It is not necessarily wrong to hire a relative as a public secretary. The elder sister of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi works as his full-time policy secretary. Indeed, there is no compelling reason to overly restrict the hiring of secretaries as long as their work and pay are duly accounted for. In light of recurring irregularities, however, strict restrictions similar to those proposed by the panel seem in order. Sons and daughters, if they need on-the-job training, can serve as private secretaries. DPJ legislators in both houses had a total of 62 kinship secretaries as of January 2004, according to the party's Web site. A few members had two of their relatives (such as spouse and daughter, or son and brother) listed as first and second secretaries. The DPJ, along with the LDP and other parties that have also agreed to the partial ban, should have proposed comprehensive ways to make the system more transparent and accountable. The scandals have also revealed that secretaries' salaries were not always paid into their bank accounts. The report says matter-of-factly that secretaries should directly receive their salaries. Making such an obvious statement is in itself an admission that something is definitely wrong with the ways in which secretaries are paid. Many legislators, however, do not support the direct payment method. They are calling for a pooling formula whereby the salaries of three public secretaries would be paid in a lump sum to each legislator, who would then split the sum into individual salaries at his or her discretion. This formula, they say, would make it possible to even out pay imbalances between public and private secretaries and to hire more secretaries for the same amount of money. That, however, smacks strongly of expediency. A group of Lower House secretaries says the "pool-and-split" method would not only result in lower pay per capita but also increase legislators' discretionary authority over pay allocation. Secretaries are concerned, with good reason, that they might find themselves in a more subordinate relationship with the lawmakers they serve.
From The Japan Times 03/31/2004
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New Diet Offices to Be Built for Y150 Bil
TOKYO - Diet members are about to get a state-of-the-art workplace as the construction of three new buildings housing more than 700 offices is expected to start in fiscal 2006 at a price tag of 150 billion yen. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's government has earmarked about 710 million yen for design of the office buildings in the budget for fiscal 2004 which started this month. The secretariats of the two houses are expected to soon present the building plans to lawmakers. The 13-story buildings will house the 480 members in the House of Representatives and the 247 members of the House of Councillors. There will be two for the lower house and one for the upper house and they will have a total floor space of 300,000 square meters. Anticipating an increase in the number of female lawmakers, the two lower house buildings will have day care nurseries. The current office buildings, which were erected around 1963, are getting worn out and some say they are not equipped to deal with a wired world. Even heavyweights in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party have to deal with cramped spaces. Some have stacks of cardboard boxes lining the hallways and make visitors line up outside their offices. In 2001, an advisory panel reported to the lower house speaker that lower house members were in dire need of a new office building. The Finance Ministry was initially reluctant to give the go-ahead but finally agreed based on the Private Finance Initiative, which is aimed at using private-sector funds for improvements of social infrastructure. This would not require the government to issue bonds to finance the construction of the buildings. But a secretary of a veteran lawmaker has criticized the plan especially because there are discussions on revising the Constitution to make the Diet unicameral legislature, as he wondered, "What are they going to do with the three buildings to be built at a cost of 150 billion yen on the pretext that the two chamber system will continue to exist? To begin with, what has happened to the question of moving capital functions to places outside Tokyo?" Such sentiments have been making the rounds in Nagatacho, the center of the country's political world, even though the idea has not been formally announced. There are also calls for building just one high-rise for all the lawmakers. Even though the current layout of the buildings is inconvenient because they are located 130 meters apart, the new plans do not change this design. Officials at the prime minister's office have said that a helipad would be necessary if the building is a high-rise. And one idea suggests linking the new building with moving walkways.
From Kyodo News 04/01/2004
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Koizumi Wants Diet to End Current Lawmaker Pension System
TOKYO - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Wednesday the Diet should pass a bill to abolish a privileged pension system for lawmakers at its current session adjourning June 16. Koizumi's remark indicated his hope to take advantage of the abolition of the system to lead Japanese voters to accept a pending pension reform package that would force them to pay higher pension premiums and receive lower pension payments, analysts said.
From Kyodo News 04/07/2004
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By-Election Campaigning Starts
TOKYO - Campaigning for the April 25 by-elections kicked off in three prefectures Tuesday as a prelude to the House of Councillors election in July with the ongoing hostage crisis in Iraq and pension reforms top issues. The dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) should get the upper hand in Hiroshima and Kagoshima prefectures, while it will wage a close battle with the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) in Saitama Prefecture, according to lawmakers and Kyodo News analyses.
From Kyodo News 04/13/2004
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Lower House Members' Assets Average Y52 Mil
TOKYO - The average value of assets held by 478 House of Representatives lawmakers elected last November is 51.9 million yen excluding stocks, according to a Kyodo News survey based on their asset declarations that was released Monday. The figure is down about 15.4 million yen from the previous survey in December 2000 involving reports by parliamentarians newly elected or who retained their lower house seats in the general election held in June that year.
From Kyodo News 04/19/2004
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Defense Agency to Upgrade Regional Bureaus
TOKYO - The Defense Agency plans to upgrade its eight regional defense facilities administration bureaus into "regional defense bureaus" to facilitate cooperation with local authorities in case of attacks by other nations on Japan, agency sources said Tuesday. The eight upgraded bureaus will directly supervise 50 regional liaison departments of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) in the restructuring program planned in line with a set of bills currently in the Diet aimed at augmenting contingency legislation enacted last year, the sources said.
From Kyodo News 04/21/2004
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Kumagai Barred from Running for Office for 5 Years
TOKYO - The Tokyo High Court ruled Wednesday former New Conservative Party (NCP) leader Hiroshi Kumagai, 63, cannot run for a House of Representatives seat from his constituency in Shizuoka Prefecture for five years because an aide was convicted of vote buying in last November's general election. The court endorsed prosecutors' demand for the ban after the aide accepted a court ruling convicting him of buying votes in the lower house election in violation of the Public Offices Election Law.
From Kyodo News 04/21/2004
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3 Cabinet Ministers Haven't Been Paying Pension Premiums
TOKYO - Three cabinet ministers admitted Friday they have not made mandatory payments into a national pension system for certain periods, at a time the Diet is discussing a bill to add to people's pension premium burden and cut payments to maintain Japan's pension systems. The three ministers are Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Shoichi Nakagawa, Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications Minister Taro Aso and Defense Agency Director General Shigeru Ishiba. They apologized for the nonpayment and agreed to address the issue in a session of the welfare committee. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi played down the disclosure, saying they have simply forgotten to pay.
From Kyodo News 04/24/2004
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Japan's Koizumi Gets 63 Percent Approval Rating in Yomiuri Poll
Bloomberg -- Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and his Cabinet have a 63 percent approval rating among Japanese voters, according to an opinion poll by the Yomiuri newspaper. The approval rating, based on Koizumi's performance since he assumed his post in April 2001, is 12 percentage points higher than that in two earlier surveys taken on the one-year and two- year anniversaries of the creation of his Cabinet, it said. In the latest poll, 35 percent didn't approve of Koizumi's performance, it said. About 32 percent wanted him to serve as prime minister until his term as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party ends in 2006 and 17 percent for as long as possible, the newspaper said. On Koizumi's leadership, 57 percent of respondents said he hasn't accomplished much in office and 38 percent that he has, according to the survey. The poll of 3,000 eligible voters was conducted nationwide between April 17 and 18, with 1,872 or 62.4 percent responding. The newspaper didn't provide a margin of error for the survey.
From http://quote.bloomberg.com/ 04/24/2004
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SOUTH KOREA: 17th General Election Final Voter Turnout
The voter turnout offered obvious indication that Koreans took more of an interest in this general election than the last time, especially with so much hinging on it, including the future of President Roh Moo-Hyun's leadership. According to the National Election Commission's tally, more than 21.5 million or 60.6 percent of the country's 35.5 million eligible voters exercised their voting rights. This figure is 3.4 percent higher than four years ago for the 16th general election when the voter turnout was 57.2 percent. The higher turnout came mostly in the larger cities including Seoul and Busan where voter turnout jumped as high as six percent from the last general election in 2000.
From http://english.chosun.com/ 04/16/2004
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S Korea Begins a New Era of Liberal Rule
South Korea began a new political era on Friday after ending decades of conservative control of parliament. Thursday's election victory by the pro-government Uri party brought the National Assembly into line with President Roh Moo-hyun's left-leaning administration, promising strong legislative backing for Mr Roh's programme of social and economic reforms. However, before the liberal hegemony can begin, Mr Roh must escape an impeachment case brought last month by the outgoing opposition-controlled parliament. The former human rights lawyer is suspended from office, awaiting a constitutional court ruling on charges of illegal electioneering, corruption and economic mismanagement. Chung Dong-young, Uri's leader, called for the defeated opposition parties to withdraw the impeachment, arguing his party's victory represented a vote of confidence in Mr Roh. Uri had sought to make the election a referendum on the impeachment, which it portrayed as a bid by conservative forces to thwart Mr Roh's liberal reforms. "The public has passed its judgment," said Mr Chung. "Now, the ruling and opposition parties should jointly find a political solution to the dispute." However, Park Geun-hye, leader of the conservative Grand National party, which lost control of parliament on Thursday but secured a sizeable minority of seats, said it was too late to halt the impeachment. "We will await and respect the decision of the constitutional court," she said. Goh Kun, prime minister, who has taken over presidential duties, called for the impeachment crisis to be resolved as soon as possible because the power vacuum threatened the country's economy and credibility. The constitutional court has until September to decide Mr Roh's fate but the comments by Mr Goh intensified pressure on the court's nine judges to reach an earlier decision. While the court is supposed to rule on the legal merits of the case, most analysts expect the judges to take account of Thursday's election result and overturn the impeachment within weeks. Any other outcome would risk plunging South Korea deeper into political turmoil, including the possibility of social unrest. Ahn Chung-si, professor of politics at Seoul National university, said the election marked an ideological and generational shift away from the conservative, corruption-scarred elite that had dominated political and economic power since the military rule of the 1960s and 1970s. "It is a continuation of the transfer of power that started with Mr Roh's victory in 2002," he said. "The question now is, how will the president use his increased power when he returns to office? Does he take a consensual approach? Or will he use his control of parliament to push through radical policies? If he chooses the latter it could worsen ideological and generational divisions." Conservatives have warned that liberal control of government would damage the economy by shackling businesses, indulging militant labour unions and redistributing wealth. They also accuse liberals of sympathising with communist North Korea and weakening the military alliance with the US, putting national security at risk. However, Chung Eui-yong, senior policy adviser to Uri and former South Korean ambassador to the UN, said Uri was not as radical as its critics alleged. "We have a wide political spectrum in the party but the mainstream is centrist," he said. "Our policies will be based on two principles: democracy and market economics." Many foreign investors welcomed the result because it reduced political uncertainty by making Mr Roh's return to office more likely. (by Andrew Ward)
From http://news.ft.com/ 04/16/2004
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Women Have Greater Say in Parliament
No one was surprised when women lawmakers swept 39 of the 299 seats in the 17th National Assembly, the largest number in Korean political history, in a "pink-leader" revolution. Some women won in landslide victories, like Grand National Party leader Park Geun-hye, daughter of former president Park Chung-hee, who beat Yoon Yong-hee of the Uri party in Daegu Dalseong district. But some had to hold their breath until the last moment, like Han Myung-sook of the Uri Party who defeated Hong Sa-duk in a closely-contested region, the Goyang Ilsan district. Han beat Hong by just 2,350 votes. Homemaker Park Yeon-hee, 34, could not hide her happiness. "Women really showed them. Politics will change, beginning from today. Politics has needed wives, mothers and daughters in it for years now," she said, hugging her three-year-old daughter tightly. More than 10 percent of the seats were expected to be filled by women before the election, meaning more than 30 females within the National Assembly. The forecast was correct, as there will be 13 percent in the new assembly. Son Bong-scuk, an elected member of the Millennium Democratic Party, and a former chairwoman of the Korean Institute for Women and Politics, said while she was campaigning many unprivileged people told her they were tired of party strife. "Many had told me that they expected women lawmakers to be different. I will try not to forget their expectations and contribute to making a better society where the underprivileged can get a good night's sleep." GNP member Kim Hee-jung, 33, was the youngest person elected this year. "I had asked people to see my potential. Being young, I am not ready-made like the other candidates, but I will carry out my duties in a new, developing way," she said. In one pre-election poll, 80 percent of people nation-wide said they would vote for a female candidate if she seemed capable. And many people did vote for women candidates, but details of voting patterns in Thursday's election are not available yet. "I voted for Kim Jin-ae, a woman candidate from the Uri party, for two reasons; her party and her gender. I believe women lawmakers will go far toward solving the problems in Korean politics," Lee Jung-man, 36, said as he left a polling station at Yongsan district, a central area of Seoul. Graduate student O So-young also said she voted for a woman candidate. "I picked Lee Sun-hee of the left-wing Democratic Labor Party. I went to her campaign rally and saw that she has strong potential for representing women," she said. Like Lee and O, many people hope that more women lawmakers in the National Assembly will contribute to the country's political development, expecting that female politicians would lead to less political corruption as this is partly exacerbated by regional and school connections. Many also hope that women will create a new political environment free from vulgar verbal and physical attacks. But some people are critical about an over-optimistic outlook for the so called 'pink-leader era', meaning the arrival of softer, feminine politics. They wonder whether these women lawmakers will satisfy people's expectations, and whether they really represent their gender. A representative of the feminist group, the Korean Women's Political Solidarity, Cho Hyun-ok, explained her concerns: "Women politicians who say 'I am not a woman, I am a politician' worry me. Female politicians seem cleaner compared to male politicians because they have shorter experience, not because they are more moral than men. If they want to be 'politicians', not female politicians, that only means they want to enter a world of politics already formed by men. With those views, women won't contribute to better politics. They will merely become 'politicians'." "Being women may seem advantageous now, but they must remember they have more jobs to do than men. If politics don't change, people will blame them for not contributing to any changes. And if they don't work actively for women's rights, they will loose the hearts of the women who voted for them," Cho added. Professor Chang Pil-wha, teaching women's studies at Ewha Womans University, had similar worries. "Women seem to be on firm ground at the moment, but what if this was just another way parties took to win more votes? 'Politics' have to change, not the gender of lawmakers," she said. And many may have voted for women because Koreans are sometimes considered emotional, according to analysts. Neurologist Lee Jin-mo, 52, said that beside social reasons, there could be a medical reason for people wanting more women politicians. "Interestingly, nearly 70 percent of Koreans have developed the right-side-brains more than the left-side-brains, meaning they have their emotions better developed than their logical minds. I see this as a possible reason for people wanting more woman politicians," said Lee. "Political participants have become younger and more sentimental. Thus, people want politics to be more touching. Clever as they are, politicians realized that adding women's sentiments could be a way of making politics gentle, touching people's hearts," he said. Expressing his personal opinion, Lee said, "Critical people might see emotional, gentle women as incapable politicians. The GNP and MDP's main faces, Park Geun-hye and Choo Mi-ae have already shown enough tears and emotion in campaigning. Women politicians must keep in mind that an overly emotional politician will loose support." Regardless of the criticisms, the proportion of females in the National assembly has been growing steadily, with three in the 14th, nine in the 15th and 16 in the 16th assemblies. Park Hong-in, an accountant at Jung Ee-hyun's office in Seoul, said more female lawmakers in the new National Assembly were a result of women's steady efforts. "There is no such thing as 'men's territory'. More women in the National Assembly will surely contribute to gender equality," said Park. (by Shin Hae-in)
From http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ 04/17/2004
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Elections Extend Democracy in Korea
In last week's National Assembly elections, the Uri Party achieved success, earning the majority of contested seats. The Grand National Party showed its resilience in opposition. The Labor Party now has legislative representation. This election shows the strength of Korea's commitment to democracy. There are a number of positive results from the election. They should be remembered in the months that lie ahead. There also are several suggestions for the parties and for President Roh Moo-hyun. First, 60 percent of the people voted. This surpasses typical U.S. voting results in legislative elections. Of course, the sense of urgency was strong, given the impeachment of Roh and the associated competition between parties, but extensive participation remains a bedrock condition for effective governance. South Korea is showing commitment to the ideal of voter participation. Second, the new election system has increased the representative quality of Korea's National Assembly. The vast majority of winners were not incumbents. The idea of rotating officeholders is another key indicator of democratic resilience. The two-ballot system awarded 56 proportional seats based on the second ballot and saw the election of 10 representatives for the Labor Party and delegates from six parties in total. In addition, 39 women won seats. Korea's electoral process is maintaining a functioning party system and prioritizing gender equity, both of which advance democratic values and practices. Third, the National Election Commission reforms are impressive. The ban on patronage gifts of money and food, the proscription of large rallies, and the provision of rewards for citizen informants are being enforced. A number of candidates have been investigated, and some will be charged for corruption. A number of successful candidates may even lose their offices if found guilty. No effective rule of law can function without enforced sanctions. In this area, the vigor of enforcement, as opposed to the number of potential candidates and winners disqualified, is a barometer of democratic commitment. In terms of suggestions, the election may be interpreted as a reaction against excessive partisanship. The public does not unequivocally support either party's policies or perspective.
The major lesson elected officials should take from the results are that Koreans value pluralism in the party process. The Uri Party, even with its majority share of legislators, should not overreach the public's mandate. Second, the election may also be read as an advisory referendum on impeachment. The Constitutional Court's deliberations are independent, though it would be folly to suggest that judges do not think of the public as one factor in their deliberations. The public's vote seems to have been a statement against the actions bringing on impeachment. The people may not want to see Roh impeached. The Court will proceed, and it should, given the fact that an impeachment has occurred. Few in America enjoyed the proceedings involving former Presidents Nixon and Clinton. Commitment to democratic process requires that the processes be followed, even when embarrassing. However, even this situation can invigorate Korean democracy in the final analysis. At the same time, the election should indicate to Roh and others the need to be much more measured in their pursuit of populist leadership. The election was no clear vindication of Roh, his leadership, or his policies. After all, he is not a member of the Uri Party, or any other party. Prior to the election, Roh was presiding over a ``divided government'', but he at times ignored this limitation, preferring to assume that his popularity could dominate the opposition. Playing to one's principles is no excuse for hubris with regard to democratic process. In order to govern effectively, Roh should respect the role of party political constraints on executive leadership. The Korean people seem to have said that they want a return to greater political normalcy. (by Bernard Rowan, associate professor of political science at Chicago State University)
From http://times.hankooki.com/ 04/23/2004
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MONGOLIA: Discussion Held on E-government in Mongolia
The Prime Minister N. Enkhbayar conducts a live public discussion on the national radio on specific topics. He discussed about the development of information technology sector on the 19th of this month. The PM stated that the information technology has become the main tool of socioeconomic development and the priority of market competitiveness in many countries. For Mongolia the sector has been developing rapidly and has produced 14.5% of GDP this year, which is three-fold compared to last year. Every province center is connected by digital technology internet network and there are over 220,000 users. The PM added that the government has founded the National Information Technology Park and developing E-Government Program through 2010. Under the Program, the government is aiming to reduce state bureaucracy and improve efficient service as well as active public involvement in state affairs in order to establish a well informed society.
From http://open-government.mn/ 03/22/2004
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Mongolian Parliamentary Election Will Take Place on June 27
The plenary session of the State Great Khural on last Thursday has discussed about the announcing the date set of the election and its expenses. The State Great Khural must set the election date 75 days prior to the expiry of its sovereignty according to the election law. The 2004 Parliamentary election date set of Sunday, June 27 was ratified by the parliament. Tg 696.5 million was approved for election campaign, the figure was calculated with fluctuation of inflation and fuel prices.
From http://open-government.mn/ 04/09/2004
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INDONESIA: Unemployment Splits Top Officials
The government has dismissed unemployment data and projections from the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) as inaccurate and misleading, saying it had launched various programs to cope with the unemployment time bomb. Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea insisted that the government could not accept the data on unemployment released recently by the BPS and predictions made by Bappenas, which he said had discredited the government and could heighten public unrest. "President Megawati never listens to the BPS's data on unemployment or Bappenas forecasts on the labor market in the coming years as they are out of touch with reality. It's as if the government has done nothing to cope with the unemployment problem," he told The Jakarta Post. The BPS data was inaccurate and misleading as the surveys were conducted randomly and using the wrong methodology," he added without elaborating. The two agencies are not directly accountable to the government. Bappenas recently published its 2005 government work plan (RKP) with a prediction that the number of fully unemployed would increase to 11.2 million in 2005 from 10.8 million in 2004 and 9.1 million in 2003, while the number of disguised unemployed, that is, people who worked less than 35 hours per week, would rise to almost 49 million in 2005 from 42 million in 2004 and 38.5 million in 2003. The unemployment rate has been growing by two percent, or between two million and three million annually, with many of them being high school and university graduates. The BPS also predicted that the work force would increase to 95.5 million in 2005 from the current 91 million. Forty-four percent, or 42 million, of the work force was employed by the agricultural sector, 13 percent by manufacturing with the remaining 42 percent being accounted for by other sectors and the unemployed. Minister Nuwa Wea said the government had instead asked regental and municipal administrations to collect their own data on unemployment, and to design strategies to help create jobs. The minister, accompanied by two directors general from his ministry, said that according to data collected by the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration, the number of the jobless this year was only 9.6 million, with the figure up to January 2003 being 9.1 million, and the remaining 500,000 being those of the 2.5 million new job seekers in 2003 who could not find work. "Last year, the government successfully ensured a livelihood for almost 2 million job seekers. Of this two million, more than 400,000 were enrolled in the resettlement program at home, more than one million were sent overseas or found employment in manufacturing, and the remaining 600,000 found employment in the informal sector," he said, adding that the government had intensified its resettlement and entrepreneurship programs, as well as its lobbying of developed countries to attract foreign investors to Indonesia. Foreign investment rose by 212 percent in January this year while domestic investment was up by 108 percent. "These new investments are expected to give jobs to around 10,000 workers," he added. Nuwa Wea conceded that the government had failed to attract many foreign investors to Indonesia, saying this was due to security disturbances, the absence of legal certainty and rampant illegal fees in the regions.
From http://www.thejakartapost.com/ 04/10/2004
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Ministry of Finance Reshuffles Tax Office
The Ministry of Finance has embarked on a major reshuffle in the Directorate General of Taxation in a bid to improve the public image of the tax office. Minister of Finance Boediono on Wednesday installed 29 new senior officials, mostly consisting of new heads of tax offices in various provinces. The minister, however, retained Hadi Purnomo as the Director General of Taxation despite earlier reports that the two had been at odds over the future of the tax office. "We hope the new officials will be able to improve the public image (of the tax office), and carry out their jobs well," Boediono said in a speech. The tax office is regarded as being among the most corrupt state institutions in the country. A top official at the ministry had also earlier complained about the ministry's limited powers to supervise the tax office. The tax office has been under pressure to boost tax revenue, which has become the main source of financing for the state budget amid a declining dependency on foreign loans. This year, the tax revenue target is set at Rp 260.2 trillion (US$30.59 billion), or the equivalent of around 13 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Meanwhile, Hadi said that during the first quarter of this year, his office had collected around Rp 51.5 trillion in tax revenues -- a 15.1 percent increase over the same quarter last year. He said that the higher revenue was mainly linked to improved compliance after the tax office threatened to send tax evaders to jail without trial. So far, two businessmen have been put behind bars without trial for alleged tax evasion. First quarter tax revenue consists of Rp 27.5 trillion in non-oil and gas income tax, oil and gas tax of Rp 4.4 trillion, value added tax of Rp 17.2 trillion, land and building tax of Rp 1.9 trillion, and other taxes amounting to around Rp 380 billion. Elsewhere, Hadi said that the government had proposed to increase the tax threshold to Rp 12 million from the current Rp 2.8 million level. The proposal was contained in the new taxation bill.
From http://www.thejakartapost.com 04/15/2004
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Police Announce Major Reshuffle
The Police announced on Thursday a major reshuffle within the institution, which included the replacement of 20 middle-ranking to high-ranking officers. "The tour of duty is standard practice in any institution. It's part of the cycle, there's nothing wrong with it," deputy police spokesman Brig. Gen. Soenarko D.A. said. The changes also include the replacement of several high-ranking officers who are retiring, such as the appointment of Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Didi Widayadi as the deputy chief of operational affairs to replace Insp. Gen. I Dewa Gde Astika. National Police chief Gen. Dai' Bachtiar has also appointed Central Kalimantan Police chief Brig. Gen. Ramli Darwis as Criminal Investigations Department (at National Police Headquarters) chief, a position left vacant by Brig. Gen. Hary Setiabudi, who died of heart attack in March. This is the second reshuffle for the first half of this year. The first reshuffle took place in early March involving five high-ranking officers of the detective and criminal division. The position of retiring Comr. Gen. M.A. Erwin Mappaseng was filled by Comr. Gen. Suyitno Landung Soedjono, the then deputy chief of the detective division. 1. Insp. Gen. Didi Widayadi Old Position : Central Java Police chief New Position : National Police's deputy chief of operational affairs 2. Insp. Gen. I Dewa Gde Astika Old Position : National Police's deputy chief of operational affairs New Position : Retiring 3. Insp. Gen. Basyir Barmawi Old Position: National Police spokesman New Position: Governor, Police Academy 4. Ins. Gen. Insmerda Lebang Old Position : Governor, Police Academy New status : Central Java Police chief 5. Insp. Gen. Paiman Old Position : Expert staff on social and political affairs at the National Police headquarters New status : National Police spokesman 6. Brig. Gen. Ramli Darwis Old position : Central Kalimantan Police chief New status : Criminal Investigations Department (at National Police Headquarters) chief of identification 7. Sr. Comr. Ardjunan Wailan Old Position : Middle ranking officer within National Police Headquarters New status : Central Kalimantan Police chief 8. Brig. Gen. Djosua PM Sitompul Old position : Central Kalimantan Police deputy chief New status : Principal, National Police School 9. Brig. Gen. Muhibbin Old Position : National Police Bureau chief of research and development New status : Central Java Police deputy chief
From http://www.thejakartapost.com/ 04/23/2004
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MALAYSIA: Subsidies to Be Restructured
The Government plans to restructure subsidies given to hardcore poor farmers and fishermen to help them overcome financial constraints. Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Government would not remove the subsidies but they would be given in various forms. "There is a need to continue to help poor farmers and fishermen although the World Trade Organisation demands that member countries stop providing subsidies to farmers," he told reporters after delivering a talk entitled Stimulating Agriculture And Agro-Based Industry Development at Universiti Putra Malaysia here yesterday. "This is a sensitive issue but our farmers are living in poverty. We have to help them as they face constraints including their ability to buy fertilisers or build drainage and irrigation systems. "If they don't survive, we won't have sufficient food supply," Muhyiddin said. He added that Malaysia was not the only country implementing the policy. Muhyiddin said Japan, Taiwan and the United States provided aid to their farmers, which meant that agriculture and food security was important for these countries too. On how long the Government intended to provide such subsidies, Muhyiddin said: "We cannot provide a timeframe as there is still a high percentage of those living below the poverty line. We will evaluate the matter from time to time, according to sectors." He said the related agencies under the ministry had identified the percentage of farmers and fishermen who were still under the hardcore poor category. "At least 8% of farmers in the country are hardcore poor and 8% of fishermen earn below RM500 a month. "The Prime Minister has given us five years to overcome the problem of hardcore poor," said Muhyiddin. Earlier, he said the Government was preparing a master plan to develop an agriculture college in Kedah to increase the number of agriculture entrepreneurs and professional workers.
From http://202.186.86.35/ 04/11/2004
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State Government to Decide the Council President Post
Seberang Prai Utara district officer Datuk Abdul Ghani Ariffin will not report for duty today as Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) president because his appointment had not followed administrative procedures, Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said. He said the state government did not recognise Ghani's appointment by the Public Services Department as the procedure contravened the Local Government Act 1976. Deputy State Secretary Md Aris Ariffin would remain as acting MPSP president until the state executive council decides on the new appointment. Dr Koh was clearing the air over the double appointments of the council president. The council had been without a president since the retirement of Datuk Ismail Mamat on March 16, but on Monday it had two. Md Aris took his oath as MPSP president at 10am that day, but five hours later, Abdul Ghani received a transfer order from the PSD to the post. Speaking to reporters after the swearing-in of the state assemblymen at the state assembly yesterday, Dr Koh attributed the confusion to a technical glitch. nbsp; Asked about a report that the Federal Government had overturned the Penang government's decision, he said that there was no question of this happening. The report had quoted Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as saying that Ghani would replace Ismail. Najib said Md Aris was only covering the duties of the president. Dr Koh said it was clearly stated in the Act that the council president would be appointed by the state authorities. He will usually ask the PSD through the state secretary to make its recommendation, and the PSD will first ask the officer concerned if he would agree to accept, should he be chosen by the state authorities. The state executive council will make a decision and forward its choice to the Yang di-Pertua Negri for approval to make it official. After that, the PSD will write to the state secretary to appoint the officer. On whether Ghani would still be considered for the post, Dr Koh said that no decision had been made yet. In Petaling Jaya, Najib said the appointment of the council president was the prerogative of the Penang government. Speaking to reporters after witnessing the signing of contracts at the Defence Services Asia exhibition, he said: I do not want to get involved, but the appointment is done by the state. I do not want to confuse the state. Ghani, when contacted, said he did not expect the issue to be blown up this way, But being a civil servant, I will abide by whatever decision made by the state. nbsp; He said he received a call from the PSD yesterday telling him not to report for duty as council president and that he would be holding his present post until further notice. Md Aris, who was present at the assemblymen's swearing-in, declined to make any comment.
From http://202.186.86.35 04/16/2004
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Reshuffle of 14 Senior Civil Servants
Former Selangor state financial officer Datuk Mohamed Adzib Mohd Isa, who was appointed Selangor state secretary, was among 14 senior civil servants involved in a reshuffle effective between April 1 and tomorrow. In a statement issued yesterday, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Samsudin Osman said Mohamed Adzib, 55, succeeded Datuk Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, who was appointed Internal Security Ministry secretary-general. Former director of the Research and Planning Division of the Public Services Department, Dr Malek Shah Mohd Yusoff, 52, was made the new National Institute of Public Administration director, replacing Datuk Zulkurnain Awang who was moved to the Federal Territories Ministry as secretary-general. Former Ipoh Datuk Bandar Datuk Sirajuddin Salleh, 52, was made deputy secretary-general (management) of the Defence Ministry, taking over from Datuk Siti Azizah Sheikh Abod who was appointed Arts, Culture and Heritage Ministry secretary-general. Former secretary of the Health Ministry's Human Resource Management Division, Dr Mohd Nasir Mohd Ashraf, 51, was appointed the Higher Education Ministry's deputy secretary-general I. Dr Nasir's previous position was taken over by former deputy director (administration and security sector) of the Organisation Development Division in the Public Services Department, Ahmad Kabit, 50. Senior director of the Management Services Division in the International Trade and Industry Ministry, Datin Rodiah Meor Sulaiman, 52, was moved to the Higher Education Ministry as the deputy secretary-general II. Former senior principal assistant secretary of the Communications and Multimedia Division in the then Energy, Communications and Multimedia Ministry, Mohamad Nadzim Shaari, 54, was made Perak deputy state secretary II (administration), succeeding Datuk Mahsun Taib who had retired. Former deputy director of the Policy Planning branch of the Research and Planning Division in the Public Services Department, Thomas George M.S. George, 52, was made the division's director. Former special duties officer to the Chief Secretary to the Government, Mohd Ibrahim Abu Bakar, 52, was appointed deputy secretary-general (resources) in the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry. Federal Territory and Klang Valley Development Division secretary in the Prime Minister's Department, Abu Bakar Abdullah, 49, was made deputy secretary-general in the Federal Territories Ministry while former Management, Development and Finance Division secretary in the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry, Patimah Zohro, 52, was made the ministry's deputy secretary-general II.
From http://202.186.86.35/ 04/17/2004
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Terengganu Civil Service Undergoes Major Reshuffle
The state government has reshuffled 27 senior state officers the first major exercise since the swearing-in of Datuk Idris Jusoh as Mentri Besar on March 25. Heading the list is state Islamic Affairs commissioner Datuk Engku Mohamed Engku A. Rahman who has been transferred as officer with special functions at the state secretariat. Deputy State Secretary (administration) Datuk Muhamad Mukhtar @ Mohd Mukthar Ismail has been promoted to the vacant post of state Land and Mines director. The new deputy state secretary (administration) is Kemaman Municipal Council president Mat Razali Kassim. Deputy Land and Mines director Hashim Mamat has taken over Mat Razali's previous post. Adzlan Mohd Dagang, has been appointed Kuala Terengganu Municipal Council council president replacing former PAS Ladang assemblyman Dr Sulaiman Abdullah. Hulu Terengganu district officer Datuk Mustafa Sidek was appointed Dungun district officer replacing Datuk Muhatar Abdullah who was appointed state secretary on March 31. Majlis Agama Islam dan Adat Istiadat Melayu (Maidam) chief executive officer Wan Zahari Wan Ngah has been appointed the new Besut district officer. He replaces Ibrahim @ A. Aziz Yaacob who has taken over the vacant post of Yayasan Islam Terengganu director. Setiu district council president Harun Che Rawi has been appointed as Setiu district officer replacing Mohd Alim Muda who has been appointed Maidam's new chief executive officer. It is learnt that the transfers are effective from today.
From http://thestar.com.my 04/20/2004
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SINGAPORE: Public Sector will See Fewer Job Losses This Year
Fewer jobs are expected to be lost in the public sector this year than in 2003, says NTUC Secretary General Lim Boon Heng. Speaking at a public sector union event on Saturday, he says the figure will definitely be lower than last year's. Public sector agencies like the IRAS and the Sports Council are looking at retrenching some of their workers. Many of these jobs are going because of increased reliance on IT - which means that fewer people are needed to fulfill administrative functions. But there will be no drastic cuts in public sector jobs. Mr Lim said: "I don't think that we need to scare people, for all the civil servants to say there's going to be a big retrenchment exercise in the public sector. I think a bit of trimming here, a bit of trimming there is what we may expect. "With the economy picking up, everyone is expecting the unemployment situation to get better. But Mr Lim says this might not happen immediately. This is because he expects a time lag from when the economy recovers to when jobs are created. And on the issue of wage reform, he is advising companies to think in the long-term. He said: "There may be some companies who are short-sighted and think that because the economy is recovering they do not need to do wage restructuring but they'll be mistaken because when times are good, it's also a time when you should look at how to change, because change is easier. When you have to change because you have no choice, then it's much more difficult." And while companies like SIA need to restructure to remain competitive, Mr Lim does not think that further retrenchments are on the cards for the airline. This is because wage costs make up less than 20 percent of its operating costs, so it should be looking elsewhere to trim costs. However, the same cannot be said for SATS - 50 percent of its operating costs come from labour. SATS will also face pressure on costs with the entry of a third ground handling operator later this year. And so Mr Lim says SATS may find it harder than SIA to avoid some retrenchment.
From http://www.channelnewsasia.com 04/10/2004
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Cabinet Changes Likely in Late May Before PM Goh Decides When to Step Down
Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong will make changes to the Cabinet, likely to be in May, before he steps down later this year. But he is keeping Singaporeans guessing if he will be speaking as Prime Minister at the National Day Rally on 22nd August. Speaking at a PAP conference on Saturday, he said: "You know, over the years, I have grown to enjoy the National Day rallies. I am especially looking forward to this year's rally, it being a milestone rally." That statement to PAP cadres got reporters quizzing the Prime Minister exactly what he meant. "It is a milestone and I used the word to reflect both, it can be my last National Day Rally, it can be the first National Day Rally for the new Prime Minister, that's why it's a milestone. If it's my last, I am looking forward to it, if it's not my last I'm going to enjoy it." However there is a practical reason to not naming a date as Mr Goh has a trip to meet US President George Bush next month, and other planned trips in June. "If I give a date now, I go overseas, they say oh you are on your last week of prime ministership, they will be very polite, that's the reason why I will not be deciding until I have done my job," said Mr Goh. However he confirmed that a cabinet reshuffle is definitely on the cards, and that is when older leaders are expected to make way for younger ones. When that is done, PAP MPs will be asked to pick or endorse their new leader - most likely Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. After that, Mr Goh will pick a date for the hand-over. He said he has no reason to hurry or worry as the core of the next team of leaders is already in place.
From http://www.channelnewsasia.com/ 04/24/2004
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VIET NAM: Reform Faster to Combat Crime, President Tells Judicial Agencies
President Tran Duc Luong has called for further judicial reform to bolster the fight against crimes like corruption and economic frauds to increase people's trust in the Party and Government. "Judicial reform is an integral part of the renewal policy to build a State governed by the rule of law," he told a meeting in Ha Noi on Wednesday to review the execution of the Politburo's resolutions on key judicial tasks. He hailed the painstaking efforts of the Party and People's Committees at different levels, especially judicial agencies, to disseminate the laws and other legal documents and raise people's sense of responsibility towards the law. "Close co-operation among the police, procuracy and courts have ushered in positive changes to the judicial system and improved the quality of trials," Luong said. He appreciated the joint efforts of various judicial agencies to step up the struggle against assorted crimes under the Criminal Procedures Code and reduce wrongful prosecution and arrest. According to a Ministry of Justice report, last year the procuracy dropped prosecution of 115 defendants who had been wrongly charged while the police called off investigation of 241 cases for similar reasons. In addition, 12 law enforcement officials were prosecuted on charges of violating the Criminal Procedures Code like using false documents, forged testimonies and ill-treatment of suspects in custody. Adversarial practice, strictly observed by lawyers and prosecutors, at court trials is another step of development in the judicial reform, the president said. He called on judicial bodies to make greater use of reconciliation to handle disputes, grievances and litigation. "The judicial reforms have enjoyed warm support from the public and its success relies largely on the ethical and professional standards of the officials engaged in investigation, prosecution and trial," he told the conference. Luong also pointed to shortcomings in the judicial system, like the gap between central and local agencies as well as between the investigation, prosecution and trial processes. To redress the problem, the president asked judicial bodies to invest more in personnel training and equipment needed for fulfilling their tasks. The conference also heard reports presented by Politburo member and permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, secrectary of the Party Central Committee and director of its Internal Affairs Commission, Truong Vinh Trong, and Minister of Justice Uong Chu Luu. Among others attending the conference were Phan Dien, member of the Politburo and Secretariat and leaders of relevant central and local bodies.
From http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/ 04/15/2004
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PHILIPPINES: Sect, Power Brokers Likely to Decide Election
A religious sect and a handful of powerful political families could hold the key to the outcome of the Philippine presidential election, where President Arroyo holds a narrow lead, analysts said. Mrs. Arroyo rose nearly four points to lead Fernando Poe, a hugely popular matinee idol with no political experience, by 35.3 percent to 30.8 percent, according to the Manila-based Social Weather Stations' (SWS) poll of 1,400 likely voters Friday. With Mrs. Arroyo ahead by such a narrow margin of the mainly Roman Catholic nation's 43.3 million-strong electorate, an important player is the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ), headed by the hermit priest Era?o Manalo. Wooed by all serious politicians in the Philippines, the Iglesia's 1.2 million members usually vote as a single bloc for the candidate Manalo endorses-which could be enough to swing the result on May 10. "The most important voting group in the country is the [Iglesia], because it has a religious voter discipline," said political risk consultant Jose Leviste of Manila-based Polistrat International. The sect, which draws its followers mainly from the poorer levels of society, was crucial in delivering victory to deposed President Joseph Estrada in 1998. "This election will now depend on about 30 political families and the Iglesia factor," said Antonio Gatmaitan, head of the Manila-based think-tank Political Economy Applied Research. In each province of the archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, powerful families call the political shots through patronage and economic clout, and winning them over could deliver victory to either Mrs. Arroyo or Poe, he said. Analysts said top among these power brokers was opposition kingpin Eduardo Cojuangco, chief executive of brewer San Miguel Corp. and leader of the Nationalist People's Coalition, considered a swing party in this year's contest. "I thought the most important political party in the Philippines is [Cojuangco's party] because it has party discipline," Polistrat International's Leviste said. So far, Cojuangco has stayed neutral-at least in public-after deciding against a run at the presidency. Gatmaitan said Poe has yet to woo the provincial political clans, who he said are best placed to deliver the votes of the undecided and the wavering. "There are no mysteries to these people," Gatmaitan said. "These are the pros who know how to make a candidate win in their respective places." If Poe fails to win over Iglesia ni Cristo and the political clans by the first week of May, then Mrs. Arroyo will cruise to victory, analysts said. Reli German, who ran the Estrada campaign, predicted that the Iglesia would watch to see which candidate had the momentum in the final days of the presidential race and then decide who to back. The chief of poll company SWS, Mahar Mangahas, said the race was likely to remain tight in the coming weeks as some 31 percent of votes were still wavering. Mrs. Arroyo has benefited because of the effective withdrawal of another candidate, Raul Roco, who saw his poll numbers nearly halved to 8.4 percent after he abruptly flew to the United States last week for medical treatment. "It's still a very tight race," because Mrs. Arroyo's lead is barely above the margin of error for the polls, Mangahas said.
From http://www.manilatimes.net 04/26/2004
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BANGLADESH: PM Assures More Steps for Govt-NGO Partnership
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Tuesday assured more steps for consolidating government-NGO partnership in various areas of national activity, including spread of education. "Assistance of all is required-government alone cannot achieve desired success," she said talking to a delegation of Global Campaign for Education (GCE), an apex body of more than 1000 NGOs working for expansion of education around the world. She reminded the delegation that her government provided highest budgetary allocation for the education sector as it thinks 'education is development'. The 14-member delegation of preparation committee to observe Global Action Week, being observed April 19-25 by the Global Campaign for Education, included Executive Director (ED) of Gono Swakkhorota Obhijan Rasheda K Chowdhury, Sayeedul Alam Kajal of CAMPE, ED of BRAC Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, Shishir Sheel of PET, ED of UCEP Aftabuddin Ahmed, ED of RDRS Kamaluddin Akbor, ED of Ahsania Mission Kazi Rafiqul Alam, Country Director of Action Aid Nasreen Huq, Taleha Rahman of Democracy Watch, Coordinator of Surovi Jasmin Akhtar and Eram Marium of BRAC. Prime Minister's political secretaries Harris Chowdhury and Mosaddek Ali, and principal secretary Dr Kamal Siddiqui were present on the occasion. The delegation lauded various steps taken by the government of Khaleda Zia for expansion of education in the country. They said that the programmes of the present government created mass enthusiasm and many of those, including free education and stipend for girls, were appreciated the world over. Appreciating the stress laid on English, the delegation also stressed the need of proper training for improving the skill of teachers and setting up of a yardstick for the standard of education in the country. They lauded the success of the government in ensuring timely supply of books for free to the students of primary schools. In this regard, they requested the government to provide free books in similar manner for the schools run by the NGOs which the prime minister assured of giving due consideration. They thanked the government for giving importance to vocational training, technical training and setting up of more technical centers in the country. The NGO lineup also urged that the physically handicapped should have equal opportunity of getting education with the normal students instead of going to special schools. Khaleda Zia said the government had no problem and more efforts would be made in this regard while the NGOs should also help in creating more awareness. Recalling a similar meeting with the prime minister last year, the delegation reminded of their proposal for providing the tribal children education in their own ethnic language.
From http://www.bangladesh-web.com/ 04/22/2004
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BHUTAN: Cleaning Up Civil Engineering
The minister for works and human settlement, Lyonpo Kinzang Dorji, warned that corrupt officials will be met with the most stringent punishment. "The engineering profession today is seen to be corrupt at worst and incompetent at best," he said. "We cannot compromise the integrity and image of the ministry and engineering profession for the benefit of a few corrupt individuals." Speaking to more than 150 Bhutanese civil engineers and architects at the first annual engineering conference in Gedu, the minister said that the image of the engineering profession in the country was in need of a "great deal of enhancement". Alarmed by the increased pace at which criticism was hurled at the engineering profession, particularly at the largely perceived as corrupt construction industry in the country, the three-day (April 1-3) conference, "towards quality infrastructure", was seen as a culmination of the ministry's concerns to seriously mop up the system. It was also to prop up fallen confidence. The conference noted the acute absence of qualified technical people to look after construction projects. It brought to light the much neglected dzongkhag engineering cells which were parentless but responsible for the implementation of various development plans in the dzongkhag, and believed by many to have suffered the bureaucratic limbo for years. Dzongkhag engineers were ignored and denied training opportunities their colleagues at the headquarters enjoyed and they were under-staffed. In some dzongkhags, a single junior engineer had to look after as many as 20 different projects belonging to different ministeries and agencies. Insufficient travelling and daily allowances restricted their mobility and they were denied pool vehicles. Lyonpo Kinzang Dorji said that these issues needed to be tackled at the central and at the highest level. For a start the royal civil service commission had approved the engineering cells to be merged under the ministry of works and human settlement. Unclear rules, lack of coordination between contractors and agencies, and deficiencies in the contract and tender documents, long recognised as a troublesome area, also needed attention. Contract documents were not legally enforceable and certain clauses were relegated to personal interpretations. The code of conduct and ethics among contractors and engineers required redemption. Given the shortcomings, the conference at Gedu drew up various resolutions aimed at a system clean up. Some were already in the process. The ministry plans to establish a training unit that will identify training requirements and ensure equal opportunities to engineers. The construction development board (CDB) had been reconstituted with a new secretary and members including senior government officials and prominent businessmen to give CDB the "weight and authority to discharge its duties effectively". CDB has started revising the eligibility criteria of the different classes of contractors. Existing rules were fraught with loopholes and manipulated. "The new criteria will be monitored continually and closely so that contractors can be upgraded or downgraded constantly based on their performance," Lyonpo Kinzang Dorji said. The practice of "underquoting", cited as a major reason for poor quality construction, will be stopped. The minister said that the authority that accepted and awarded works at unreasonable rates were as guilty as contractors who quoted such rates, adding that the proliferation of underquoting was possible because of the authority's "inability or reluctance to reject sub-standard works". The deficiencies in the procurement manual with terms such as "lowest bid" and "lowest evaluated bid", which are prone to manipulation, and the often disputed issue of rebates offered by contractors in their bids will be taken up with the finance ministry to be corrected. The ministry will include bonus clause in the contract document to encourage contractors to improve quality and timely completion of works. Establishment of a full-fledged regional material testing laboratories to detect duplicate construction materials is also in the offing. Later this year, a Construction Act with building and legal codes will be drawn up. Meanwhile, engineers called for a greater recognition of their profession and also raised their expectations in monetary allowance like their counterparts in teaching, medicine, audit and judiciary were enjoying. The public, on the other hand, welcomed the revamp. "We hope that it is taken beyond rhetoric and that the construction sector will be truly transformed," said one observer. (by Kencho Wangdi)
From http://www.kuenselonline.com/ 04/10/2004
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INDIA: Put Congress in Opp Again
HYDERABAD - Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee breathed fire at the Congress and asked the people to give them yet another term in the Opposition. "That is what I want the people to do - give another chance for the Congress to sit in the Opposition", the Prime Minister told a public meeting in Rajahmundry today. "Just as fish cannot bear the thought of being out of water, Congress cannot think of being out of power. If the people ask you to be in the Opposition, be in the Opposition and do a good job. In politics, fish should also know how to swim in government and Opposition waters. If any fish is impatient and arrogant, the elections give an opportunity to the people to throw them in the Opposition. That is what I want the people to do". He charged the Congress with being discordant in times of national need. "You know how the Congress had a discordant tune during the Kargil War, which was also seen when we conducted the Pokharan tests in May 1998. Now after six years the Congress is taking credit for that. Congress has not developed a democratic approach to politics. It has not learnt to function as a constructive Opposition", he said. He drew a parallel between the Kumbh Melas and elections to blast the Congress again. "Elections are like the Kumbh of Indian democracy. The crucial difference is the Kumbh comes once in twelve years, and elections come every five years. You saw how the Congress destabilised governments in recent times. Between 1996 and 1999 there were three Lok Sabha elections. Congress party hand is the hand of destabilisation. Whoever joins hand with that hand comes to grief". The BJP-led NDA shattered the myth that the Congress alone could provide a stable government. "We have given India not only a stable government, but a result-oriented government. Congress says we have been a non-performing government. When confronted with facts and figures, they say the credit goes to the Congress governments. This is pettiness. This is small mindedness", he said. He accused the Congress of indulging in false propaganda. "Congress is deceiving the youth. They are trying to show that there is no employment in the last five years and that the NDA created this problem. The fact is we have inherited this problem from the Congress, just as we inherited many more problems due to Congress misrule". He said this is the time for continuity for the NDA at the Centre and the TDP in AP. "In short we are seeking a renewed mandate on our performance so far and our programmes for the next five years", he said.
From http://thestatesman.net/ 04/07/2004
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Congress Announces 8 More Candidates for LS Polls
Haryana CLP leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former HPCC Chief Dharampal Malik and Kuldeep Singh, son of PCC chief Bhajan Lal, were among the eight candidates for the Lok Sabha elections anounced by the Congress in New Delhi on Monday. While Hooda has been nominated from Rohtak (Haryana) seat he once represented, Malik would be contesting from Sonipat in the state, AICC general secretary Oscar Fernandes said in a statement. Kuldeep Singh has been fielded from Bhiwani where Chief Minister, Om Prakash Chautala's son Ajay Chautala and former Chief Minister, Bansilal's son, Surendra Singh are also in the fray. Inderjeet Singh, Son of former Union Minister Rao Birendara Singh has been nominated from Mahendergarh. Zahidi, a Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh is being fielded from Fatehpur Lok Sabha seat, once held by former Prime Minister VP Singh. Shivpal Singh Yadav (Unnao) is another candidate from Uttar Pradesh whose name was cleared by the Central Election Committee. AICC Secretary Selja (Ambala-sc) and Atma Singh Gill (Sirsa-sc) are among other candidates cleared by the party. There are 10 Lok Sabha seat in Haryana where polls are slated to be held on May 10. This is the first list of six candidates for the State released by the party.
From http://www.hindustantimes.com/ 04/12/2004
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SRI LANKA: Lankans Go to Polls
Sri Lankans will go to the polls today to elect 225 people's representatives to Parliament. The General Election, the 13th in Sri Lankan Parliamentary history, will begin at 7 am in 10,670 polling booths in 22 districts across the country. Polling will end at 4 pm. Nearly 12.89 million voters are eligible to participate in this year's poll, conducted according to the 2002 electoral list. There are more than 400,000 new voters. Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake and IGP Indra de Silva have urged voters to cast their votes early to ensure a free and fair election. Political party leaders have also appealed to their supporters to ensure a peaceful election. Results of the postal voting, which took place on March 24 and 25, are expected to be announced later tonight on radio and TV, followed by full results of individual electorates. Full district-wise results and the composition of Parliament will be known by tomorrow afternoon. Counting will take place at 1,023 centres. Twenty four political parties are fielding 3,361 candidates. The 192 independent groups are fielding 2,337 candidates. The total number of candidates - 5,698 - is a record in Sri Lankan elections history. Only 4,943 candidates contested the 2001 (December 5) election. The two main contenders are the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and the United National Front (UNF). Among the other parties in the fray are Jathika Hela Urumaya, Eelam People's Democratic Party, New Left Front, Democratic United National Front, Ruhunu Janatha Party, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, Swaraj Party and the Sinhalaye Maha Sammatha Bhumi Puthra Pakshaya. V. Anandasangaree of the TULF is contesting as an independent candidate from Jaffna. Only 196 Members of Parliament will be directly elected by the people through Proportional Representation. The rest will be drawn from the National Lists of parties according to the number of votes received. The new Parliament will meet on April 22. More than 40,000 public servants and 64,000 police personnel are on election duty, at polling booths and counting centres. Tight security will prevail at polling stations and counting centres to prevent any untoward incidents and malpractices. Sealed ballot boxes will be transported to counting centres amid tight security. Two policemen will be assigned to each polling station. Mobile patrols will also be maintained. The Armed Forces will be called in to assist police where necessary. Colombo has the biggest number of voters (1,467,751) from 15 electorates. Gampaha has 1,327,145 voters from 13 electorates. The least populous district is Vanni with 226,604 voters from three electorates. Moneragala has 262,742 voters from three electorates. Arrangements have been made for the nearly 250,000 voters in uncleared areas to cast their vote in government-controlled areas. President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga called the election on February 7, after dissolving Parliament. Nominations were accepted from February 17 to 24. Six nominations papers of recognised political parties in Matara, Hambantota, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Badulla districts were rejected. Five nominations papers of independent groups from Colombo, Kandy, Trincomalee and Kurunegala were also rejected. The campaigning for the poll began in earnest after the nominations period. Both President Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed rallies around the island. The other parties also held rallies in many parts of the country. Political parties and independent groups were also allocated free airtime on State-owned radio and television. All forms of campaigning ended by yesterday. Over 1,445 polls-related incidents had been reported to police up to yesterday. Four polls-related killings took place in Batticaloa district. The poll will be monitored by both local and foreign observers. At the last General Election, the UNF obtained 4.086,026 votes (96 seats from direct vote) while the People's Alliance received 3,330,815 (66 seats). The JVP received 815,353 (13 seats) votes and the Tamil United Liberation Front, 348,164 (14 seats). The SLMC received 105,346 votes (four seats).
From http://www.dailynews.lk/ 04/02/2004
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Governing Party Lacks Majority in Sri Lanka
EW DELHI - President Chandrika Kumaratunga's alliance won the most seats in Sri Lankan parliamentary elections held Friday, but it does not have the simple majority needed to form a government, election officials confirmed Sunday. They also said that despite complaints of irregularities in at least two districts, any call for a new election would be rejected. Ms. Kumaratunga's United People's Freedom Alliance won 105 seats in Parliament, with 45.6 percent of the vote. It would need 113 seats in the 225-member Parliament to form the government. The United National Front of the incumbent prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, won only 82 seats, with nearly 38 percent of the vote. Voters repudiated the party despite a two-year cease-fire between Mr. Wickremesinghe's government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who have been fighting for a homeland for Sri Lanka's Tamil minority for two decades. The war has left 64,000 dead. But voters indicated in pre-election polls and interviews that they were as concerned about their own economic situations as they were about the peace efforts. Some also expressed concern about the lack of resolution and stalled peace talks and echoed Ms. Kumaratunga's assertion that the government was ceding too much to the Tigers. She dissolved Parliament in February, paving the way for an electoral showdown with Mr. Wickremesinghe. The Tamil National Alliance - a proxy for the Tigers - won 22 seats, with almost 7 percent of the vote, making it the third-largest party in Parliament. Recently, the Tigers have split into two factions, one in the north and the other in the east, in Batticaloa. Four of the seats the Tamil alliance won are in Batticaloa, and it is not clear which faction will have the winners' allegiance. The Jathika Hela Urumaya, a party of Buddhist monks, won nine seats and almost 6 percent of the vote. The Buddhist party, which represents the ethnic and religious nationalism of the country's Sinhalese majority, would appear to be the most likely candidate for a coalition with the Freedom Alliance, which includes another hard-line Sinhalese nationalist party, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. (by Amy Waldman)
From http://www.nytimes.com/ 04/05/2004
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Corruption, Peace and Development - Top Agenda of Newly-appointed Prime Minister Rajapakse
Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse yesterday stressed the necessity of implementing an accelerated program to solve burning issues faced by the people of the country. "It is our duty and responsibility to form a Government free of corruption, ensure peace and development without causing hardships to the people," the Prime Minister said participating in his maiden function since assuming office at the Sambuddhaloka Viharaya, Colombo Fort. "We will commence our work as soon as possible," he pledged, emphasising that there is a responsibility cast on the new Government to ease the burden and pressure on the people and to ensure for them a prosperous future. "My foremost wish is to build a society where all communities, ethnic and religious groups can live in harmony," he said. Earlier, the Prime Minister recalled the relationship the Rajapakse family had with the Sambuddhaloka Temple. "It was my uncle George Rajapakse as the then Minister of Lands who donated this land to build this temple. From then, my family had a close relationship with this temple," he said. Prime Minister said the people had given a clear mandate to the Freedom Alliance due to the destruction caused to the country during the last two years. "Therefore, we have a great responsibility to safeguard this country, bring peace and development to the country and also to implement our election manifesto," he said. Rajapakse paid his gratitude to the people for voting the Freedom Alliance for a clear change in the country. "I am thankful to the masses for the confidence they have in us," he said. (by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi)
From http://www.dailynews.lk/ 04/07/2004
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Thirty-one Ministers Take Oaths Before President
The thirty-one Ministers and Deputy Ministers of the United People's Freedom Alliance Government were sworn in before President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga at the President's House yesterday. The Secretary to the President W.J.S.Karunaratne assisted at the ceremony where the family members and friends of the cabinet members and the senior party members were present. The thirty one Ministers and their portfolios are as follows: - Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa - Minister of Highways, Anura Bandaranaike - Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Promotion, D.M.Jayaratne - Minister of Post, Tele Communications and Udarata Development, Amarasiri Dodangoda - Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs, Nimal Siripala de Silva - Minister of Healthcare and Nutrition, Mangala Samaraweera - Minister of Ports and Aviation, A.H.M.Fowzie - Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Lakshman Kadiragamar - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle - Minister of Trade, Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Maithripala Sirisena - Minister of River Basin Development and Rajarata Development, John Seneviratne - Minister of Justice and Judicial Reforms, Sumedha G.Jayasena - Minister of Women's Empowerment and Social Welfare, Sarath Amunugama - Minister of Finance, Milroy Fernando - Minister of Christian and Parliamentary Affairs, Jeewan Kumaratunga - Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Pavithra Wanniarachchi - Minister Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa - Minister of Plantation Industries, Tissa Karaliyadde - Minister of Indigenous Medicine, Dinesh Gunawardene - Minister of Urban Development and water Supply, Douglas Devananda - Minister of Agricultural Marketing Development, Hindu Affairs and Tamil Language Schools & Vocational Training (North), Ferial Ashraff - Minister of Housing and Construction Industry, Eastern Province Education and Irrigation Development, Susil Premajayantha - Minister of Power and Energy, Athauda Seneviratne - Minister of Labour Relations and Foreign Employment, S.B.Navinna - Minister of Regional Infrastructure Development, Piyasena Gamage - Minister of Skills Development, Vocational and Technical Education, J.B.Thennakoon - Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government, Felix Perera - Minister of Transport, C.B.Ratnayake - Minister of Estate Community Infrastructure, A.L.M.Athaulla - Minister of Infrastructure Development in the Eastern Province, Reginarld Cooray - Minister of Information and Media, Tissa Vitarana - Minister of Science and Technology,
The names and the portfolios of the Deputy Ministers are as follows: - Mangala Samaraweera - Deputy Minister of Education, Dinesh Gunawardene - Deputy Minister of Education, Salinda Dissanayake - Deputy Minister of River Basin Development and Rajarata Development, Maheepala Herath - Deputy Minister of Transport, Jagath Pushpakumara - Deputy Minister of Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation, Chamal Rajapaksa - Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries, Dilan Perera - Deputy Minister of Ports and Aviation, D.M.Dassanayake - Deputy Minister of Livestock Development, Kumara Welgama - Deputy Minister of Power and Energy, T.B.Ekanayake - Deputy Minister of Highways, Pandu Bandaranayake - Deputy Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs, Mahindananda Aluthgamage - Deputy Minister of Power and Energy, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene - Deputy Minister of Healthcare and Nutrition, Mahinda Amaraweera - Deputy Minister of Urban Development and Water Supply, Jayaratne Herath - Deputy Minister of Public Security, Law and Order, Cegu Issadeen - Deputy Minister of Information and Media, Dayasritha Tissera - Deputy Minister of Ports and Aviation, Duminda Dissanayake - Deputy Minister of Skills Development, Vocational and Technical Education, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya - Deputy Minister of Finance, Rohitha Abeygunawardene - Deputy Minister of Post, Tele Communications and Udarata Development, M.I.Anwar Ismail - Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Development in the Eastern Province, S.M.Chnadrasena - Deputy Minister of Estate Community Infrastructure, Premalal Jayasekera - Deputy Minister of River Basin Development and Rajarata Development, Chandrasiri Gajadeera - Deputy Minister of Housing and Construction Industry, Jayatissa Ranaweera - Deputy Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government, Bandula Basnayake - Deputy Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Gunarathne Weerakoon - Deputy Minister of Regional Infrastructure Development, Lasantha Alagiyawanna - Deputy Minister of Transport, Siripathi Suriyarachchi - Deputy Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Siripala Gamlath - Deputy Minister of Agricultural Marketing Development, Rohana Dissanayake - Deputy Minister of Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation
From http://www.sundayobserver.lk/ 04/11/2004
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MALDIVES: 5-Member Advisory Committee Appointed for People's Special Majlis Elections
MALE - President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on Tuesday appointed a five-member committee to advise the Commissioner of Elections on matters that he so requires in the conduct of the upcoming election for the People's Special Majlis, as provided for by the Law on Public Elections. The committee consists of Ismail Fathy, Zahiya Zareer, Ali Husssain Didi, Mohamed Muizzu and Mohamed Yoosuf. The People's Special Majlis is being convened under the Constitution of Maldives and the Law on Public Elections to consider amendments to the Constitution.
From http://www.haveeru.com.mv/ 04/14/2004
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President's Office Directs All Government Offices to Cooperate with Parliament Committees
MALE - The President's Office has directed all government offices to extend their full cooperation in giving information on their activities to the committees of the People's Majlis (parliament). The statement was released in a Directive of the President's Office. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, in his annual Presidential Address at the official opening of the Majlis, noted that the need for increasing the role of the parliament in the political and national life of Maldives had come to the fore during his post-election call on members of the general public to submit to him proposals on priorities for national reform. Gayoom announced, as part of the parliamentary reform package, that arrangements were being made to facilitate parliament committees to conduct interviews with various offices of the government and gather information on their activities.
From http://www.haveeru.com.mv/ 04/14/2004
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Cabinet Deliberates on Framework for Assigning Designations to Government Employees
MALE - The Cabinet on Wednesday deliberated on the framework for assigning designations to government employees. Members exchanged views on a paper presented by the Public Service Division of the President's Office on the existing framework for allocating different designations in government offices. Members also discussed ongoing efforts to further strengthen matters related to government employees. They spoke on the importance of promoting family ties in our society. They noted that, in recent times, the age-old national tradition in the Maldives of caring for one another was sadly on the decline, and that, as such, it was important to reinvigorate these practices through the school curriculum and the strengthening of family relationships.
From http://www.haveeru.com.mv/ 04/15/2004
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Assistant Executive Directors Appointed at Ministry of Finance and Treasury
MALE - Ismail Shafeeq of Galolhu Grey Villa and Mohamed Ahmed of Henveiru Iruvai, have been appointed as Assistant Executive Directors at the Ministry of Finance and Treasury. Among other changes to government posts, Director Generals were appointed at the Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Marine Resources and at the Maldives Customs Service. The appointees were Mohamed Zuhair of Maafannu Naghmaa and Ibrahim Shiyam of Henveiru Melaim, respectively.
From http://www.haveeru.com.mv/ 04/19/2004
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NEPAL: NHRC Accuses Govt of Interfering in Its Works
KATHMANDU - National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Thursday has accused the government of trying to interfere in its works by trying to include security personnel in its fact-finding mission. A statement issued by NHRC said the Home Ministry in a letter accused the commission of "preparing on sided report that portrayed excesses by security forces among the national and international sector that malign the image of security forces." It also added that the Home Ministry has asked the commission to compulsorily include security force officer in any of its team investigating cases of human rights abuses. The statement said the NHRC was taking the issue seriously and the letter was illegal and interfered in its works. It said the letter had also undermined the impartiality and independence of NHRC.
From http://www.kantipuronline.com/ 04/01/2004
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PM Thapa Pledges Government Commitment to Hold Elections
KATHMANDU - In his message, Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa said his government is seriously working to create atmosphere where elections can be held. He added all existing problems can be resolved through the verdict of the sovereign people. Prime Minister Thapa called on all, including political parties, to assist the government to make the elections successful. Similarly, President of Nepali Congress, Girija Prasad Koirla has called for unity to protect democracy and save the country from the crisis. General Secretary of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxists-Leninist), Madhav Kumar Nepal called for widening of the agitation as it was for the establishment of peace, democracy and full sovereign rights of the people. President of Nepali Congress (Democratic), Sher Bahadur Deuba said unity among constitutional forces could resolve the crisis and called for support from all sectors.
From http://www.kantipuronline.com/ 04/13/2004
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PAKISTAN: Musharraf Rejects Call to Stay as Army Chief
ISLAMABAD - President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday rejected a call from within his ruling coalition to stay on as head of the army despite a pledge to step down by the end of the year. The deal, sealed by a constitutional amendment, ended a stand-off with the opposition that had virtually paralysed parliament after October 2002 elections. Several members of PPP (Patriot) met Musharraf on Monday and urged him not to stand down as army chief. But Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said Musharraf would stand by his promise. "I am speaking on behalf of the president, who has said that he will stand by the 17th Amendment," Ahmed said, referring to a constitutional provision that binds Musharraf to quit either as president or army chief by the end of 2004. "The president has categorically said...he will retain one office by the end of December 2004," Ahmed told a news conference. Musharraf declined to comment in an interview with the BBC, first aired on Tuesday before Ahmed's briefing, when asked if there were circumstances in which he would not step down as head of the army as planned. "I wouldn't like to comment on it at all," he said. "But I am certainly cheesed off with the MMA's attitudes after the agreements that we had reached with them. They are not participating with us on my vote of confidence which they had promised and also on the National Security Council." MMA parliamentarians have refused to support Musharraf both in a vote of confidence and in a vote creating the National Security Council. The NSC, an advisory group to be headed by the president, is still awaiting approval by the upper house of parliament. Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal and other members of PPP (Patriot) met Musharraf on Monday and urged him not to stand down as army chief. "Keeping in view the international situation, particularly the hunt against al Qaeda, we think he should continue as chief of army staff," Iqbal said. Iqbal's stance has drawn strong criticism from the opposition. Ahmed quoted Musharraf as describing the debate as "unnecessary" and "unfortunate".
From http://www.brecorder.com/ 04/14/2004
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Six Temporary Justices Appointed
KATHMANDU - Chief Justice of Supreme Court, Govinda Bahadur Shrestha in recommendation of Judicial Council, has appointed six senior lawyers as temporary justices of the Supreme Court. Among those appointed are five Chief Judges of appellate court and a senior advocate. Sharada Prasad Pandit of Biratnagar, Sharada Shrestha of Rajbiraj, Arjun Prasad Singh of Dhankuta, Harijung Sijapati of Patan, Badri Kumar Basnet of Janakpur Appellate Courts and former Attorney General Balaram KC. With this appointment, the number of Justices at Supreme Court has reached 20. According to the Constitution of Nepal 1990, temporary justices can be added or removed as per the requirement.
From http://www.kantipuronline.com/ 04/15/2004
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Acharya Resigns from Press Council
Chairman of the Press Council of Nepal, Kedar Nath Acharya handed his resignation on April 16 to the Information and Communications Minister, reports said adding it has not yet been formally accepted. Acharya is reported to have resigned from his post citing "an inappropriate environment to work". Acharya, a former justice of the Supreme Court, was appointed Chairman at the Press Council on December 3.
From http://www.nepalnews.com.np/ 04/22/2004
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Salaries of Govt Employees to Be Increased
ISLAMABAD - President General Pervez Musharraf stated on Thursday that salaries of the Government employees would be increased in the new financial year. "The Government will pass on Rs 50 billion increase in revenue collection this year (to Rs 510 billion) to the government employees with another pay raise this time," he said. The President informed a conference on UN convention against corruption that the Government has been doing its best to increase the emoluments of government employees both to provide them a better quality of life and reduce instances of corruption. "The salaries of the Government employees in developing countries and in Pakistan are barely enough to make both ends meet -- we must address this situation through governmental action." The first increase in the salaries of the Government employees, he said, cost the national exchequer Rs 25 billion while a second increase in their emoluments last year, cost Rs 14 billion. He said the Government is for trickling down the benefits of economic revival on the people to materialize a reasonable living for them.
From http://www.paknews.com/ 04/22/2004
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AFGHANISTAN: Karzai Decides to Cut Size of Cabinet
Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday that he has ordered a reduction in the size of his cabinet and a clarification of the responsibilities of each ministry, a shakeup that could face deep resentment from the country's fractious ethnic and regional groups. Mr. Karzai made the announcement at the opening of a three-day gathering of representatives of international donor countries in the capital, Kabul. "I have come to the conclusion that the size of the cabinet is too large," he told the gathering. He said that Vice-President Hedayat Amin Arsala and two ministers would come back with recommendations in two weeks on how to pare it down. He also announced plans to overhaul the system of selecting sub-cabinet level posts in an effort to make them more transparent. Cabinet posts have been used in the past to reward allies or appease powerful regional warlords who demand a voice in national government, and any shakeup is sure to be met with resistance. Several sensitive ministries that currently are run by a patchwork of politically appointed ministers and subministers, most notably the Defence Ministry, could be effected by the change. Defence Minister Mohammed Qasim Fahim is an ethnic Tajik, while his first deputy, Abdul Rahim Wardak is Pashtun. Other deputies come from the Hazara and Uzbek minorities. Under the new plan, the deputy positions would no longer be political appointments. "The president's preference is that below the minister they should all be professional people," a senior government official told Associated Press following the speech. The official said the plan would result in a "significant" reduction in cabinet posts, though he stressed that the final number has not yet been decided. There are currently 30 cabinet-level positions. The official pointed to overlap in several ministries, including Transportation, Public Works and Aviation, all of which deal mostly with transportation issues. The official said the plan will have to first be approved by the current cabinet before taking effect. In his speech, the president once again thanked donor countries for their support. Representatives of some 40 donor countries and international organizations were at the opening of the forum on Tuesday. "In a world filled with ever more sophisticated threats and dangers, none of us can afford to break this natural alliance against militant fanaticism and terror," said Foreign Minister Abdullah, who like many Afghans uses only one name. "Contributions toward Afghanistan's welfare and stability are in essence contributions toward regional and global security, and a worthy investment against future spending."
From http://www.myafghan.com/ 04/20/2004
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AZERBAIJAN: Congress Will Be Established Today
Azerbaijani diaspora organizations from about 30 European countries will gather in Berlin today to found Azerbaijani congress for Europe. Azerbaijani officials and public figures will address the conference to consider the issues facing Azerbaijanis throughout the world. The congress is believed to help consolidating ethnic ties of Azerbaijanis who live in European countries. That would serve as moral and political integrity base for them. Once created the congress will reside in Berlin.
From http://www.bakutoday.net/ 04/17/2004
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IRAQ: Defense Ministry Announces Appointment of Top Generals
Iraqi Defense Minister Ali Allawi announced the appointment of three top generals to the Iraqi armed forces on 18 April, according to a Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) press release posted on the organization's website (http://www.cpa-iraq.org) on the same day. General Babkir al-Zibari, a Sunni Kurd, will serve as senior military advisor. Al-Zibari served in the Iraqi Army until 1973 when he joined the Kurdish peshmerga and reorganized the Kurdish resistance movement into a regular military force. General Amr al-Hashimi, a Sunni Arab from Baghdad, will serve as the chief of staff of the Iraqi armed forces. Al-Hashimi served as a major general in the former Iraqi Army. He retired in 1997 and subsequently served as a member of the Baghdad City Council. As chief of staff, he will act as commander of the Iraqi armed forces, the press release said. Lieutenant General Daham al-Asal, a Shi'a Arab, will serve as deputy chief of staff. He formerly served as a major general under the Hussein regime. The CPA also announced the reestablishment of the Iraqi Air Force in a 17 April press release. KR
From http://www.rferl.org/ 04/19/2004
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IRAN: Iran to Split Largest Province into Three
Iran's parliament voted on 18 April to divide its largest province, Khorasan, into three parts to improve budget allocations and make the government of the province more efficient, local news agencies reported. Located in the northeast of the country bordering Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, it is to split into Northern, Southern and Razavi Khorasan, aljazeera.net reported. Talk of such a move provoked violence in 2001 and 2002 by residents fearful of losing benefits, aljazeera.net added. But "necessary measures have been set out to prevent clashes," ISNA cited the deputy governor of Khorasan for police and security affairs as saying on 18 April. Hussein Ansari-Rad, a legislator from Khorasan, told parliament on 18 April that creating new provinces will upset people and increase bureaucracy and costs, ISNA reported. VS
From http://www.rferl.org/ 04/19/2004
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KAZAKHSTAN: New Structure of the Presidential Administration of RK
A new structure of the presidential administration has been approved by a decree of the head of state Nursultan Nazarbayev, KZ-today has been informed in the press service of the head of state. As per the decree, the administration consists of the head of presidential administration, assistants to the president, first deputy and deputies head of presidential administration - heads of departments. The administration also includes the secretary of the Security Council, advisers to the president, the presidential chancellery, the department for interior policies, the organisational control and HR department, the state law department, the department for economic policies, the secretariat of Security Council, the presidential protocol, the presidential press service, the presidential representation in the parliament. Besides, the new structure includes a special presidential representative in Almaty, a special presidential representative in "Baikonur" space centre, as well as the Centre for foreign politics.
From http://www.gazeta.kz/ 04/01/2004
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TURKMENISTAN: President Fires Ministers, Top Officials
President Saparmurat Niyazov fired two ministers and a number of other officials on 22 April for "serious deficiencies in their work," turkmenistan.ru reported the same day. Yazguly Kakaliyev was dismissed from his posts as economy and finance minister, head of Turkmenistan's Khalkbank, and director of the State Service on Foreign Investments. Niyazov blamed Kakaliyev for wage arrears to state employees. Education Minister Mammetdurdy Sarykhanov and his deputies were also sacked. Khydyr Saparliyev was appointed the new education minister. Also fired were Altymurat Rejepov, chairman of the Turkestan Bank; Sonagul Ataev, chairman of Garashsyzlyk Bank; and the directors of the Altyn Asyr and Miras television networks. DK
From http://www.rferl.org 04/23/2004
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AUSTRALIA: Minister Williams to Quit Politics
Communications Minister Daryl Williams, who was attorney-general for more than seven years and is the only Western Australian in the Howard cabinet, will quit politics at the election. Mr Williams, who turns 62 this year, had indicated to Prime Minister John Howard previously that he might not run again and confirmed this in a phone call on Sunday. He said yesterday he wanted to devote more time to his family. A moderate who in later years found himself at odds with the party's small-l liberals over the Government's harsh anti-terrorism legislation after September 11, 2001 attacks, Mr Williams is also criticised by colleagues for being the least "political" of ministers. In last year's reshuffle Mr Howard replaced him with Philip Ruddock, who has given a sharper political edge to the attorney-general's job, putting it in the front line of the Government's attack on Labor. One Liberal source said Mr Williams had gone into Parliament to be attorney-general and was "a fish out of water" in another portfolio.Mr Williams has had a much lower profile than his predecessor, Richard Alston, in the short time he has held the communications portfolio. The biggest legislation in that portfolio, on Telstra and media ownership, is blocked in the Senate. But Mr Williams said he hoped to see "a few goals" kicked in the portfolio between now and the election, including on media ownership legislation, anti-siphoning regulation to protect sport on free-to-air TV and the planned review of digital TV. He was "not without hope" of getting the Senate to agree to changes to free up restrictions on media ownership. His decision to leave had been "an organic process". A spokesman for Mr Howard said last night the PM "fully understood" Mr Williams's position. Mr Williams said he was "not sure all my colleagues appreciate what demands are made on a minister from Western Australia". In a typical week, he was only at home from Friday night to Sunday morning. Mr Williams will continue as a minister until the election, as Peter Reith and Michael Wooldridge did until they retired at the last election. He said he had not thought too much about what he would do after politics and had not ruled out going back to the bar. Asked whether he would like a judgeship, he said: "I think if I had aspired to be a judge, I would have been a judge by now." As to a future appointment to the High Court he said: "There are no vacancies on the High Court." Mr Williams, the third longest-serving federal attorney-general, behind Billy Hughes and H. V. Evatt, was promoted from the outer ministry to cabinet in 1997. He has been the only WA cabinet minister in the Howard Government and has held the safe seat of Tangney since 1993. Opposition spokesman Lindsay Tanner called on Mr Howard to replace Mr Williams as Communications Minister. Otherwise Mr Howard "will be confirming the arrogance of a tired government that has run out of ideas". There is likely to be a vigorous fight for Tangney preselection, where there is factional manoeuvring involving supporters of former Liberal powerbroker, Noel Crichton-Brown, who still exercises influence in the party, despite having been expelled some years ago. Legal colleagues yesterday struggled to describe Mr Williams's legacy to the administration of justice in Australia. His greatest achievement was establishment of a Federal Magistrates Court, according to the President of the Law Council of Australia, Bob Gotterson QC. Mr Gotterson also praised Mr Williams for being a driving force in nationalising the laws governing the legal profession. Victorian Attorney-General Rob Hulls yesterday farewelled his former Commonwealth counterpart as a "decent bloke but a hopeless politician". He criticised Mr Williams for "emasculating" the country's legal aid service. In his first term of office, Mr Williams slashed the country's legal aid budget by $100 million, later restoring $60 million of those funds. (by Michelle Grattan)
From http://www.theage.com.au/ 04/06/2004
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Officers Angry at Bugging Law Switch
Police fear that new laws about to be passed in the Victorian Parliament could damage investigations into Melbourne's underworld war. The changes, under the Surveillance Devices (Amendment) Act 2004, were designed to provide a national standard for police using bugging equipment, but detectives say the laws will harm investigations of organised crime and corruption. A confidential police report seen by The Age claimed the act would harm investigations. "The reality is that the ability to provide electronic and technical surveillance support to major investigations conducted by Victoria Police will be reduced," it said. But the Government said it was prepared to conduct an urgent review of the bill before it was passed later this month. According to senior police sources, under the new laws Victoria Police will not have the same surveillance powers as those granted to the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Crime Commission. Detectives say there are three areas where Victorian police lack the power of their federal counterparts to act without Supreme Court warrants: Police standing in the street cannot take surveillance photos into a darkened, or partially draped room because of "a presumption of privacy". An undercover policeman or an informer can tape a conversation with a suspect but the conversation cannot be transmitted to a listening post. Senior officers cannot authorise an emergency bugging operation even where there is a reasonable belief that vital evidence is about to be destroyed. An internal police review of the law has concluded that investigations into organised crime, including the gangland war, are likely to be damaged. "We feel that the legislative reform in Victoria is overly restrictive and the Government does not even want to provide the opportunity for the Supreme Court to allow the wider police use of surveillance devices in even the most serious of cases - we find this quite disturbing given the current series of violent homicides that are unique across the Australian policing environment." Police say they were told the legislative changes were expected to strengthen the law. But the report said: "The proposed Surveillance Devices (Amendment) Act 2004 will provide no enhancements and considerable impediments to police operations within Victoria." "Victoria Police has been poorly serviced by this process of legislative reform." A spokeswoman for Premier Steve Bracks said the Government was prepared to change the bill if police could establish the new law would hamper investigations. "We stand ready to assist the police in any way possible to carry out their investigations and if that means we have to amend the bill before the house, we can do that," she said. Police rely heavily on electronic bugging and tracking devices to help solve organised crime. It is known that two suspects in the underworld murders were arrested after evidence was gathered through electronic surveillance. Police Association secretary, Senior Sergeant Paul Mullett, called on the Government to delay the bill. (by John Silvester)
From http://www.theage.com.au/ 04/07/2004
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Boost in Powers to Probe Police
Premier Steve Bracks, facing growing allegations of serious corruption in the Victoria Police, has made a commitment to boost the powers and funding of the state Ombudsman to help identify and prosecute corrupt officers. Mr Bracks is believed to have told the new Ombudsman, George Brouwer, of his intentions at a meeting at Treasury Place yesterday. Under the planned changes, the Ombudsman would gain: New powers to initiate his own investigations instead of having to act on complaints or overseeing existing internal police inquiries. The right to compel non-police to answer questions relating to police corruption allegations. The power to apply for court warrants to conduct raids and searches and seize evidence. About $1 million in extra funding for his office. The move to boost the Ombudsman's powers came as Mr Bracks and Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon yesterday rejected calls for a royal commission on the police. But Ms Nixon acknowledged the need for a new approach to corruption, and raised the options of an independent crime commission or increased powers for the Ombudsman. Some Government MPs also indicated support for an independent commission. Ms Nixon, who interrupted a holiday to deal with controversy over police corruption and underworld killings, said a crime commission, similar to the one that operates in NSW, could lead to further breakthroughs against corruption. "It's time the Government considers, as they are, expanding the Ombudsman's powers as well as perhaps a crime commission," Ms Nixon said. "NSW has had one for a long period of time. If that's what we need it would not only deal with criminals, it would deal with police officers who are criminals as well. "Ms Nixon said she was determined to remove corrupt officers. She also denied any wrongdoing after accusations that an informer she had brought from Sydney passed information to the underworld instead of detectives. "I have done nothing wrong at all, I have nothing to be concerned about and I am not corrupt in any way and never have been," she said. Ms Nixon said she was concerned police information was being leaked to the media to undermine investigations. "We want to focus on this issue, we're not going to let it go and we are going to continue to focus on corrupt police officers," Ms Nixon said. Ms Nixon defended her decision to take holidays a day after crime patriarch Lewis Moran became the underworld's 24th victim last week. "I have a great deal of confidence in the senior management of Victoria Police, particularly the crime department and Purana taskforce," she said. She also confirmed that an officer was being internally investigated after a career criminal told police a detective gave him a gun that was later used in a gangland killing. As Mr Bracks yesterday continued to rule out a new independent body to investigate corruption allegations, some Labor MPs said an investigation was necessary to boost public confidence in the police. The MPs said an investigation should be conducted either by a better-resourced Ombudsman or by a standing corruption commission. None suggested a royal commission. Several backbenchers said the public did not want police investigating other police. "We need a structure that has a degree of separation from the police . . . a standing body to look at it," one MP said. On Mr Bracks's refusal to establish an independent inquiry into police corruptionHe said a properly resourced independent integrity commission should be established within the office of the Ombudsman. (by John Silvester, Andrea Petrie, Richard Baker)
From http://www.theage.com.au/ 04/08/2004
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Liberal Elder Urges Bigger Role for Mps
Government backbenchers in Canberra can sometimes be irrelevant and only serve to make up numbers, says veteran Liberal Bob Charles, who has called for a shake-up of the committee system to give MPs more influential work. Mr Charles, who has held the Melbourne seat of La Trobe for 14 years and will retire at the next election, wants committees to be given the power to scrutinise legislation and set their own inquiries without ministerial permission. "One of the problems, it seems to me, with our peculiar parliamentary form of democracy is the fact that those of us who sit in the house are to a degree irrelevant. We're just numbers, we're there at division bells," he said. Mr Charles, who never became a minister but is a respected elder of the party, has been chairman of the joint committee of public accounts and audit for seven years. It was set up in 1913 by statute and can set its own inquiries. The Howard Government gave it a veto over the appointment of the auditor-general. "The committees in the United States Congress have powerful positions and they are listened to," says Mr Charles, who was born in the US state of Kentucky. "All our committees should have the power to set their own references." On Mr Charles's watch, the Public Accounts and Audit Committee has looked into corporate collapses such as HIH and One.Tel, defence issues such as the Collins class submarines, the over-the-horizon radar and Coastwatch. The 14 recommendations from the Coastwatch inquiry were all accepted by the Government and three of them - to increase the number of surveillance flights, the number of patrol vessels and put a long-range surface-wave radar in the Torres Strait - cost over $300 million a year. "That's real backbench participation on policy," Mr Charles says. He warns new MPs the back bench can be a lonely place and Parliament House is too big. "Look at the size of this office," he says. "You could die here in one of these things and no one would know for a couple of days." Mr Charles also believes backbenchers can have the most influence when they are in opposition. "Political parties develop their policies in opposition and the basic framework of what you believe in and how you can try and move the country forward is set in opposition and it doesn't change much." Mr Charles, 67, who says he has no idea what he will do after the election, rejects the popular view that the public has lost respect for its elected officials. "It really isn't right. If you go out in the community, people want to meet you, they want to interact with you, they want to talk with you, they want to tell you the things they think and they want to hear what you think and there's a great deal of respect for members of Parliament," he says. "There's this dichotomy between what we read in published polls about our reputations in the community and what in fact we find on the ground." (by Phillip Hudson)
From http://www.theage.com.au/ 04/11/2004
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Farmers Want Drought Relief Reform
Farmers will urge state and federal governments to dramatically overhaul the rules they must meet to receive much-needed drought relief. The farmers will meet with agriculture ministers from around the country at a special drought conference in Canberra. National Farmers' Federation president Peter Corish said the conference was an opportunity to make positive changes to the way drought relief was allocated and administered. Problems had arisen because in many cases relief had not been handed out to those most in need, he said. Mr Corish noted that less than half the $1 million the federal government allocated for drought relief in 2002/03 had been spent. "We are calling on the state governments and the federal governments to put politics aside and really look at the way drought relief was administered and distributed in the last drought and make the changes which we see are absolutely necessary to ensure that the money actually gets where it's needed and that's on the ground with farmers and in rural communities," he told the Nine network. "The eligibility criteria currently for drought relief is somewhat prohibitive in many cases and farmers that really need the money, rural communities that are in fact desperate, are not getting that money. "So we are urging change in the hurdles that farmers actually have to jump to get access to the money." Mr Corish said the relief program could be improved to ensure that all players knew where the money came from and the responsibilities of state and federal governments in providing it. "We are asking them to again put the politics aside, agree on a process that will give us the outcomes that we desperately need," he said.
From http://www.theage.com.au/ 04/14/2004
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Staff Urged to Promote Minister
State public servants have been asked to generate media opportunities and positive announcements for the Bracks Government's youngest minister, Jacinta Allan. According to an internal document obtained by The Age, bureaucrats in the Department of Education and Training were asked last month for help in preparing a "comprehensive plan" of media events for Ms Allan, the Education Services Minister. A memo written by the department's general manager of communications, Mary-Anne Thomas, called for bureaucrats to submit ideas as quickly as possible so a report could be sent to Ms Allan by April 1. The bureaucrats were asked to provide ideas for media events on topics ranging from "facilities milestones", head lice, bullying, and quality of teacher training to "roll-out of recycled computers to schools". Other suggested topics for Ms Allan, 30, included sex education, primary welfare officers, energy reduction, school council milestones and programs for building "resilience" in students. Opposition education spokesman Victor Perton said yesterday it was appropriate for the department's communications staff to have been reporting back to Ms Allan on April Fool's Day. Mr Perton said he was concerned that the department's staff were being forced to waste their time on providing media ideas for their political masters when Victorian schools were suffering from maintenance shortfalls and many other problems. He said Ms Allan, who has her own press secretary and access to at least another 20 media advisers in Mr Bracks's media unit, should be visiting more schools to see what life was really like for many students. "But how would you know what the situation was when your view on education comes from bureaucratic briefings out of No. 2 Treasury Place?" Mr Perton said. Last year the Government sacked 275 public servants from the department as part of a restructuring that it said was designed to avoid duplication of responsibilities. A spokesman for Ms Allan said yesterday the minister regularly visited schools across Victoria. He said that Ms Allan was unsure exactly what Mr Perton was "whining and carping" about and that she was simply keen to publicise positive things occurring in government schools. A report last year by Auditor-General Wayne Cameron identified a $120 million shortfall in the maintenance budgets of Victorian schools. (by Richard Baker)
From http://www.theage.com.au/ 04/14/2004
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States May Pool Health Funding
A RADICAL plan to pool federal and state health funds into a single account for each state - in an attempt to end blame-shifting, waste and duplication - will be considered by the nation's health ministers in Canberra tomorrow. The Australian Healthcare Reform Alliance will present the detailed plan to the ministers group. Federal Labor has renewed its support for the idea. At a meeting of the alliance in Canberra yesterday, former senior public servant John Menadue suggested the Howard Government was willing to consider such a move, but that some states might not be. But federal Health Minister Tony Abbott was wary last night, saying he was reluctant to create an extra layer of bureaucracy. "Creating a third entity that will not be accountable to the people risks making a bad situation worse," he said. Alliance chairman John Dwyer said the group would press health ministers to consider the idea - and further measures to address the chronic medical workforce shortage - during a presentation tomorrow. Labor health spokeswoman Julia Gillard backed the idea. "This would effectively end destructive cost-shifting and ... layers of bureaucracy and cost-shifting could be deposited in the wastepaper basket of history," Ms Gillard told the National Press Club. The debate came as doctors slammed Howard government plans to slash indexation of funding for regional GP groups - known as divisions of general practice - that run health prevention programs and medical education. But Mr Abbott said the divisions were effectively being subject only to the same "efficiency dividend" as all public sector agencies. The estimated savings - of up to $10 million per year - will be poured instead into a fund that will reward the highest-performing groups. The Australian Divisions of General Practice and the Australian Medical Association condemned the move, saying it would mean the loss of staff and programs. "This risks strengthening the strong and neglecting the weak - incentive money should not be taken from indexation funds - its robbing Peter to pay Paul," ADGP president Rob Walters said. (by Misha Schubert)
From http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/ 04/22/2004
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Police Shut NAB Forex Fraud Probe
AUSTRALIAN Federal Police have abandoned their inquiry into alleged fraudulent activities by traders at the centre of the $360 million National Australia Bank currency options scandal just three months after they were called in. Bank sources said the AFP probe had been subsumed into the parallel inquiry by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission, which is focusing on potential breaches of the Corporations Act. While there are shades of grey in terms of the legal definition of fraud, the AFP's involvement - never properly explained by the bank - related to NAB's suspicion that fraud had occurred. A no-charges outcome would be highly embarrassing for the bank's new chief executive John Stewart, who in February said the investigations would "probably find fraud". But ASIC is focusing on Corporations Act provisions which require directors and certain employees to "act in the best interest of their employers". Failing to act honestly carries a jail term of up to five years. State-based fraud charges have flowed from ASIC investigations in the past, however. Last week the NSW District Court sentenced Froggy Group founder Karl Suleman to one year's jail for fraudulently obtaining luxury cars and yachts. However, some NAB insiders believe that given the complexities of the affair, the traders are unlikely to face serious charges the longer the investigation drags out. ASIC's deputy executive director for enforcement, Jan Redfern, said the two bodies were "working together" and said it did not make sense to have separate inquiries. An AFP spokesman was unavailable for comment. David Bullen, the only one of the four traders to speak out publicly, has maintained that NAB executives knew the traders were breaching trading limits which eventually cost the bank $360 million. While scathingly critical of the bank's risk controls, the PricewaterhouseCoopers and Australian Prudential Regulation Authority reports found no evidence of anyone else knowing about the traders' attempts to conceal their trading activity. Mr Bullen is pressing ahead with plans to publish a book of his short-lived career at the bank and NAB does not plan to prevent its publication. The book, Fake My Life as a Rogue Trader, is due to be released next month ahead of a May 21 shareholders meeting brought on by the fallout from the currency options scandal and which will decide which directors are forced off the board. While Mr Bullen's account no doubt will be eagerly read by the investigators, the general manager of publisher John Wiley, Shaun Casey, said the book was more about "how he worked hard and played even harder". It would also dwell on how Mr Bullen "interacted" with fellow traders Luke Duffy, Gianni Gray and Vince Ficarra. "It has all been totally legalled," she said. "We are not going to publish anything which is in any way critical of the NAB." A NAB spokesman said that while the bank's lawyer had held discussions with the publisher, it did not expect to block publication. (by Tim Boreham)
From http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/ 04/24/2004
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States Ban School League Tables
STATE education ministers have warned they will block any move to rank schools' performance, declaring that league tables are "inappropriate" and must be banned. Despite the states publicly calling for parents to get more information, a document obtained by The Weekend Australian reveals Queensland and NSW have launched a push to restrict what information is released. It warns of "inappropriate use ... such as the publishing of league tables by the media". At a political showdown of education ministers in Sydney yesterday, the states forced federal Education Minister Brendan Nelson to dump plans to tie up to $31 billion in commonwealth funding to national literacy and numeracy benchmarks. Schools that fail to make the grade over targets for reading, writing, spelling and numeracy will not be financially penalised despite Dr Nelson's previous warnings. Instead, schools will simply be asked to demonstrate they are "trying" to achieve the benchmarks. "No school will be penalised for not meeting literacy and numeracy standards," Dr Nelson said after the Ministerial Council of Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs yesterday. "But I can assure you we will continue to stand by the principle that if a government or non-government school isn't trying to improve reading, writing and numeracy ... we reserve the right to say to them, 'look, if you are not prepared to teach our kids how to read then we will withhold funding'." The leaked document also suggests that plans to introduce national testing for English, mathematics, science and civics and citizenship be delayed until common "statements of learning" are developed by the states. It further demands that information provided to parents must be approved by the states. But schools will be forced to offer plain language report cards and uniform national starting ages. State education ministers yesterday hailed the withdrawal of threats that schools would lose funding if they failed to meet numeracy and literacy benchmarks as a backdown by Dr Nelson. Labor states had warned any such proposals were "draconian", penalising struggling schools with large numbers of low-income families. NSW Education Minister Andrew Refshauge said league tables were not the answer to providing parents with more information. "They don't tell us how each student and each teacher has improved," he said. (by Samantha Maiden)
From http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/ 04/24/2004
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Plan to Cut Price of Power
SUMMER power prices in South Australia may stabilise by 2007 following a decision by energy supplier AGL to consider building a $100 million back-up generating plant in the state's mid-north. AGL has formally lodged a development application with the regional council in the town of Burra to build a second plant at the gas-fired Hallett power station. The new plant, which would kick in at times of high electricity demand, would add an extra 250 megawatts of capacity. The company will look at a series of concerns with the proposal, with any decision still more than a year off. "We will be considering the economic viability of building the plant and that process will take us through to December 2005," general manager Sandy Canale said yesterday. "It means that in those periods of peak demand, it will assist in ensuring there is sufficient capacity there, and should help stabilise prices during those periods of peak demand. "We need to be definite that there is a demand for the capacity, that there is a need to invest in that capacity here in South Australia." If the review approves the project, the plant would take between one and two years to build, bringing it on line for the summer of 2006 or 2007. Energy Minister Pat Conlon welcomed the move, saying it was the first step towards achieving better coverage for times of peak demand. Electricity prices peak in summer with periods of hot weather leading to heavy use of air conditioners. (by Andrew McGarry)
From http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/ 04/27/2004
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NEW ZEALAND: Government Offers Carrots for Green Energy Projects
Renewable energy projects totalling 240 megawatts have been awarded subsidies under the Government's climate change policy. The Government has offered help for projects that reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, payable not in cash but in carbon credits - internationally tradeable rights to emit greenhouse gases. Projects announced already include 94MW of new windpower, said Climate Change Minister Pete Hodgson. Contracts already signed but not yet announced would add another 140MW in the form of hydro-electric, geothermal, co-generation and windpower developments. Assuming those projects went ahead, they would generate about a third of the electricity that Meridian Energy's aborted Project Aqua would have delivered, he said. "These projects all have a strong incentive to begin generating by January 2008, a year before the first power from Project Aqua was expected, as any delay beyond that date would mean fewer credits for the project owners," Hodgson said. To be eligible, a project must deliver verifiable savings of at least 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases during the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, 2008 to 2012. To cross the 10,000-tonne threshold would involve savings of about 3000MWh of electricity or 40,000 gigajoules of natural gas, 750,000 litres of diesel or 1000 tonnes of coal. Applicants have to estimate what the carbon credits will be worth and demonstrate that the project would not go ahead without the subsidy. If the Kyoto Protocol does not come into force the projects scheme will lapse. A further tender round is expected to be announced in next month's Budget. (by Brian Fallow)
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 04/02/2004
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Red Tape Halts Volunteer Taxi
Bureaucracy is driving a Whangarei volunteer transport service for the disabled off the road. Northland Parafed Trust president Ian Irvine said Whangarei Parafed had been operating for 29 years but would finish tomorrow because of new regulations and compliance costs. To carry on, the 11 volunteer drivers would have needed special licences, medical tests, first aid certificates and personal liability insurance. "I'm not expecting that of our guys. As volunteers it's just unfair to ask." Whangarei Parafed ran seven days a week, 365 days a year and never had a serious accident.
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 04/07/2004
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Government to Provide $65,000 for Wrecked Farms
The Government plans to offer "new start grants" of up to $65,000 for farmers forced to leave their properties as a result of the February floods. The grants are to ensure that farmers are left with equity up to $65,000 family, as long as all institutions with a financial interest in the wrecked farms write-off all remaining debt following sale of the property. The new start grants -- which will be available to sharemilkers as well as property owners -- are to be developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and the Treasury department. The agricultural recovery programme run by MAF for farmers and foresters hit by the three-day lower North Island storm which began on February 15 will be separate to relief work by other agencies. The main help will be provided in two key areas: essential infrastructure, and crop re-establishment. "On-farm" infrastructure eligible for 75 per cent Government assistance will include: boundary fencing; essential access (tracks, races, farm bridges, culverts); re-establishing silt and water damaged pasture; re-establishing essential uninsurable water supplies (dams, reticulation, troughs); re-establishing essential drainage; re-establishing essential uninsurable stockyards, repairing effluent ponds , re-establishing "on-farm" flood protection . Crop re-establishment will be eligible for 90 per cent Government assistance are vegetable, process, orchard and arable crops, including forage cash crops, which were damaged by water or silt. Help for foresters will be in "facilitating" the use of skilled labour and equipment to enable harvest windthrown timber. To be eligible, farmers will have to be in one of the following district councils: South Taranaki, Central Hawke's Bay, Wanganui, Tararua, Ruapehu, Masterton, Rangitikei, Carterton Manawatu, South Wairarapa, Horowhenua, Kapiti. They must also have been "significantly affected" by the lower North Island storm between February 15 and 18, and earn 51 per cent of their gross income from farming, cropping, vegetable growing, forestry activities or any combination of these. Payments will only be made for non-insurable qualifying items, and farmers will pay the first $10,000 worth of spending, though only on the first payment request, not on each payment request that is made. In the repair or replacement of boundary fencing, each neighbour can apply for 50 per cent of the cost but where the boundary is along roads, railway lines and rivers and parts of the DOC estate excluded from the requirements of the Fencing Act the payment will be based on 75 per cent of the total cost. Funding for essential access will cover moving stock to stockyards or cowsheds; transporting machinery essential for crop establishment and harvesting or for pruning and harvesting of forestry, or to restore water systems and fencing and supplying supplementary feed. Re-establishing silt and water damaged pasture will cover three-quarters of the cost of re-grassing, and temporary pasture re-establishment, to be followed by permanent pasture when the soil is capable of being sown in permanent pasture, before autumn 2005. Where a farmer uses his own machinery, the work will be eligible for payment of labour at $15 hour and fuel. Re-establishing essential uninsurable water supplies includes: cleaning out of silt from dams, re-building dams, pipes and troughs. The government aid will also fund essential drainage, cinluding prevention of future floods, and cleaning drains, but not tile and mole drains and subsoil drainage, or drains covered by regional council community drainage schemes. Some on-farm flood protection works will receive support, inlcuding replacing stopbanks, but there will be no help for stabilising waterway banks with work not approved by the regional council or undertaken as regional council works, and flood protection work that is the responsibility of a regional council will not get money. Cleaning or replacement of effluent ponds will be paid. Crop re-establishment grants will cover cash crops, vegetable, process or arable crops including maize grown for sale, crops made unharvestable. In orchards , the aid will also cover silt and debris removal from around plants, and replacement of vines or trees. The forestry sector get help with essential infrastructure such as restoration of essential internal access tracks and boundary fencing, and support for transporting harvest equipment from outside the region to affected blocks. There will be funding for skilled labour for clean-up and harvesting activities using out-of-region forestry workers. Government support is also being provided to local government to enable full and urgent restoration of local roading to a standard for transportation of heavy equipment and logs. The government has approved $11.25 million for rates relief. The latest date for receiving payment requests will be 1 May 2005, with all payments to completed by 30 June 2005.
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 04/09/2004
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Government Reviews Security Fee for Business
Legislation slapping a $20 million fee on businesses to meet United States requirements for higher security standards is under review, Prime Minister Helen Clark told Parliament on Thursday. In its report on the Border Security Bill last month, the Government administration select committee left in place the "cost recovery" requirement. Questioned by New Zealand First MP Peter Brown, Helen Clark said a review was now underway. "In the next few weeks the Deputy Prime Minister will be issuing a consultation paper for discussion with industry to see whether the appropriate funding split is what we have at the present," she said. The present proposal would have industry picking up about a third of the costs of passenger clearance services. "It is a question about where the costs of new requirements fall," Helen Clark said. Mr Brown welcomed the comments. "Border security is a cost that should be met by the state because it is there to protect us all," he said. International bodies have pushed for tighter border control standards since about 3000 people died in terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. The new fee was expected to be introduced from July to recover approximately $8 million from the export sector, $4 million from importers and $8 million for security screening of goods trans-shipped through New Zealand.
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 04/10/2004
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Immigration Service Facing Wave of Corruption
The Immigration Service is struggling to cope with mounting cases of fraud and corruption, according to the service's records. Briefings to new Immigration Minister Paul Swain show that the service laid 248 charges for fraud or other crimes last year as immigration applications increased. Mr Swain said these charges did not relate to service staff. Last week, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters called for a clean-up of the service, after a review of its staff revealed a series of fraud allegations. Between 2001 and last year, there were 78 allegations of fraud involving 49 staff. Twenty-one cases were substantiated and 17 remain open. In other material released under the Official Information Act, the service painted a grimmer picture still. "As immigration work pressures have increased, the risk-management issues associated with fraud and staff integrity have also increased," the papers said. "Additional investigation resources permitted 248 charges to be laid during 2003 under the Immigration Act and the Crimes Act. "Of the 89 cases that have reached court, 50 have been dealt with, resulting in sentences ranging from fines to two years' imprisonment. Mr Swain said in a clarifying letter that the 248 charges were not related to staff. "Please note that this figure refers to fraud by immigration applicants or agents." Mr Peters said the main driver behind the fraud statistics was the "unprecedented" numbers of immigrants. "It has now been revealed that immigration staff were themselves involved in corruption and fraud," he said. "This raises serious questions about the type of people who have been allowed into the country by corrupt officials." Mr Peters called for a major review into all applications for residency or citizenship handled by the officials found to have failed their duty. The papers released to NZPA said there had been a significant increase in the resources deployed to combat fraud, with many decisions subject to audit. The previous minister, Lianne Dalziel, had ordered a review of internal investigations and these were being beefed up. The findings of the review included: * The service took allegations seriously and investigated all reports of such activity. * Further training and skilled resources were needed for the service to carry out investigations effectively. * There is no overall fraud management plan. * Pre-employment checks could include police background checks. The report suggested the development of a fraud policy and a fraud control plan.
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 04/13/2004
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Government Rejects Call to Ban Bounty Hunters
The Government has rejected calls to scrap a Maori and Pacific preschool enrolment scheme and claims to have shut loopholes through which it paid bounties of up to $2275 a child. It also promises not to give new contracts to organisations which brought the scheme into disrepute. But Act MP Rodney Hide says he cannot believe the Government intends ending a freeze on new contracts in Auckland and Northland, imposed after reports of rorts by agents claiming fees for non-existent children or those already at preschools. "The entire approach to preschool education for Maori has become mercenary - the funds should be spent on children's education, not just bums on seats," he said yesterday. His comments follow the release under the Official Information Act to the Weekend Herald and himself of Education Ministry files disclosing efforts by officials to rein in agents after audits found irregular fee claims. Those investigated included three interlinked Manurewa organisations which milked more than $1.5 million of the scheme's national outlay of $7 million. National has cited the scheme as another example of race-based funding, and several Maori educators contacted by the Weekend Herald expressed anger with the bounty hunters for giving Opposition politicians ammunition for alleged Maori-bashing. Although the Government says most contractors worked diligently to enrol 5280 youngsters who would otherwise not have received early education, Mr Hide says the figures cannot be trusted. The ministry is unable to tell how many youngsters stayed at preschools, or for how long, but said yesterday it had tightened a prototype contract to require minimum attendance of three months. Mr Hide is unmoved by the increased minimum, saying the scheme's whole rationale is "dopey". "Who would take education dollars and pay bounty hunters to enrol kids?" Mr Mallard said it was "sad but fairly typical that Act does not give a toss about the need to ensure kids get the chance to receive early education". "Between 2001 and 2003 the overall increase in participation was 3 per cent, which is good news," Mr Mallard said. (by Mathew Dearnaley)
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 04/17/2004
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Government Looks at High-tech Passport Test
The passport system may be beefed up to include sophisticated biometric tests in the wake of the arrest of two suspected Israeli agents accused of trying to obtain a fake New Zealand identity. Internal Affairs passport manager David Philp said yesterday that the department was looking at ways of tightening the system. "We are doing some work on biometric systems to see whether we can ensure that a person has only one passport," he said. "I don't want to comment on the detail of what we are developing, but we do continue to look for new ways of mitigating the risks of fraud." Mr Philp also indicated that the department was carrying out audits to see if any other passports had been obtained using similar methods to those allegedly employed in the case before the court. Two Israeli men believed by senior Government figures to be secret service agents appeared in the Auckland District Court last week charged with attempting to obtain a passport in the name of a wheelchair-bound cerebral palsy sufferer. A third man, Zev William Barkan, is on the run, having fled the country. His photo appeared on the passport application. Mr Philp said there was no evidence to suggest any other passports had been issued to Barkan under other fake identities. An Internal Affairs spokesman said New Zealand's passport was one of the best in the world, with world-class security features including an embedded photograph. But ironically, that would make it attractive to international fraudsters. "Fraudsters who want the benefits of a good passport are more likely to target this type of document," said the spokesman. Prime Minister Helen Clark told a post-Cabinet press conference yesterday that the Government took any threat to the passport system "extremely seriously" and would do whatever was necessary to safeguard its integrity. "It's important to put on record that the Department of Internal Affairs detected this fraud, which gives me a lot of confidence. "Notwithstanding that, we intend to have another look to see if there are areas where passport issuing could be strengthened," she said. "In the international climate post-September 11th, everyone wants to know their systems are good. In this case it was, but I think it is timely to have another look." Helen Clark said an "extraordinarily high" proportion of New Zealanders held passports compared with citizens of other countries, and the department dealt with hundreds of thousands of applications. "So there's quite a lot to look at, but they are certainly examining whether this was the tip of the iceberg or a one-off," she said. "This is an attempted fraud which was detected. What we now can learn from that is a little about the modus operandi of those who seek to defraud the passport system, so we need to think, are there things we could be doing in the normal certification of passport applications and photos which we are not doing? "We could well examine whether other countries have tightened up recently, and what we might learn from that." During a rare media briefing last month, SIS director Richard Woods said three people were denied citizenship - and therefore the chance to apply for a passport - in the 2002-03 year because of security concerns. He said having citizenship allowed an applicant to obtain a New Zealand passport, which was an "immensely valuable document" because the holder could travel without attracting much attention. Helen Clark yesterday rejected any suggestion that New Zealand might be viewed overseas as a soft touch. But, referring to Mr Woods' comments, she said a New Zealand passport was valuable to have. "That in itself might make it a target for those who want to misuse another country's passport. "What comforts me is that an Internal Affairs officer - and then his colleagues - were alert to the possibility of this being a fraudulent application." The department said it placed a high emphasis on careful vetting of applications. Applicants for new passports are checked electronically using birth and citizenship records and all applications are checked against death registers. New Zealand First law and order spokesman Ron Mark yesterday called for retrospective checks to ensure the international integrity of the passport system. Recent incidents emphasised that people would not hesitate to fraudulently use NZ passports for criminal ends. Fraud proof * New Zealand passports may be updated to include biometric features. * Biometrics uses personal characteristics such as fingerprints, iris or voice recognition to confirm identity. * The International Civil Aviation Organisation agreed last month on a standard that would require all newly issued electronic passports to have space for biometrics.
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 04/20/2004
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Mps Told Bill a Threat to Open Government
Parliament's most senior official, Clerk of the House David McGee, dropped a bombshell before a select committee yesterday, warning that the bill before it was a Trojan horse that would erode MPs' rights to get information from Government departments and Crown entities. Speaking about the Public Finance (State Sector Management) Bill, he also said another provision could reduce ministers' accountability to answer questions in Parliament and such "virus-like" provisions had to be eliminated from the law. And he referred to a proposal to abolish the use of "estimates of appropriation" (a detailed breakdown of the allocation of money within a particular area) in the Budget process as "post-modernism gone mad". National's deputy finance spokesman John Key said Mr McGee's submission had been "a bombshell" and National would almost certainly not support the act if the fears raised were not addressed. Mr McGee is a powerful and respected official, being the chief adviser to the Speaker and MPs on procedures and responsible for the working and records of Parliament. He said the part of the bill allowing departments to withhold from the House information that could properly be withheld under the Official Information Act was "a serious danger to parliamentary accountability". Departments and other agencies were obliged to co-operate with the House and select committees. That relationship rested on constitutional grounds, not on the Official Information Act. "I regard these provisions as a Trojan horse that will give departments and Crown entities plausible reasons for treating parliamentary requests for information as official information requests," he wrote in a written submission. "The House would be at risk of being denied information on legal grounds rather than operating on the high ground of having an expectation that it cannot be legally (as opposed to politically) denied information that it considers it requires." The bill aims to abolish the concept of estimates - detailed explanations of how money is spent by departments - and replacing it with a system that would give ministers greater flexibility in achieving stated outcomes. But Mr McGee asked the committee to rethink the elimination of estimates. "I think parliamentarians need a core document that is something that elaborates on what is in the appropriation bills they are asked to consider, that isn't too detailed so that you don't get lost in details but actually have something you can latch on to as parliamentarians, and beyond you, the public, in terms of explaining what is going on in the financial authorities you are being asked to vote. "I urge you to restore the centrality of the appropriation process, and to keep the concept of estimates. It seems to me that an estimates process without estimates is sort of post-modernism gone mad." Mr McGee also warned the committee that a new type of clause was "creeping into legislation", legislating for what is already a convention - ministerial accountability. Mr McGee argued that the convention already holds ministers politically accountable to the House for their officials acts and for the general conduct of their departments. "There is no need to legislate for this. There is a danger if you endorse a legal statement of ministerial responsibility to Parliament that will be used as an argument for denying political responsibility. I wouldn't have a bar of it." (by Audrey Young)
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 04/21/2004
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Survey Reveals Common Factors Among Successful Japan Firms in Asia
(TOKYO) -- Asian markets are assuming ever greater importance in Japanese companies' global business strategies as they have become an important engine for propelling their earnings upward. The companies are now pondering how to make successful moves in Asia outside Japan in order to boost their overall earnings. While many Japanese firms made active direct investments in the rest of Asia in the 1990s, their activities there now appear to have entered a new phase. According to a quarterly survey released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on March 26, sales by Japanese firms based abroad saw double-digit growth in Asia for the sixth consecutive quarter in dollar terms. The rate of sales increase in Asia has been persistently higher than those registered in North America and Europe. Segment information offers some clue as to which type of companies are particularly profitable in Asia. Segment information is business-by-business or regional business data Japanese companies disclose through their financial statements. Regional data reveals sales and operating profits made by a given firm in regions such as the U.S., Europe and Asia. Analysis of companies expanding operations in Asia based on such regional data compiled by Nikkei Economic Electronic Databank System (NEEDS) shows that firms making good profits in Asia share several characteristics. Companies surveyed here include 104 firms tracked by the Nikkei 500 Stock Average excluding those in the financial sector. The 104 firms compile data regarding their business activities in Asia and their business years end on March 31. The current survey looks at their business results for the six-month period ended September 2003. Companies that are making good profits in Asia have been selected using the following four criteria: 1) Operating profit in Asia outside Japan totals at least 1 billion yen; 2) The operating profit margin in Asia outside Japan totals at least 5%; 3) Operating profit made in Asia outside Japan is equivalent to at least 30% of profit made in Japan: and 4) Earnings and other data specific to Asian markets given in segment information (Such data are not given as data pertaining to "Asia, etc." or "Asia and others.") Asia in the current context includes China, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, India and Sri Lanka. Of the 104 companies, 21 met all of the four descriptions given above. These 21 firms have been ranked in terms of the ratio of operating profits made in Asia to that generated in Japan. Electronics and machine parts makers topped the rankings. Minebea Co Ltd, which ranked top, posted operating profit worth 6.6 billion yen in Asia, 260% higher than the profit made in Japan, as the miniature ball bearing manufacturer enjoyed brisk parts sales to Japanese, US and European makers of home electronics products and telecommunications equipment that are operating in Asia. The profit margin in Asia came to 5.3% in contrast to 1.8% in Japan. Asahi Glass Co Ltd, which came third in the rankings, posted 17.6 billion yen in profit in Asia, double the amount made in Japan, because of strong sales of chemicals and film used in digital consumer electronics equipment sold through its Asian subsidiaries. The profit margin in Asia is almost 15%, which contrasts with less than 3% in Japan. Fujikura Ltd, which placed second, posted profit worth 3.5 billion yen in Asia in contrast to 1.7 billion yen made in Japan. Fujikura is a major electric wire and cable manufacturer. Both Asahi Glass and Fujikura have benefited from booming sales of digital electronics equipment. The top three firms boast much higher profit margins in Asia than in Japan. They also saw net losses in the year ended March 2003 but their earnings have recovered on the strength of their Asian businesses. Firms in the automotive industry were also prominent in the rankings, making up about half of the 21 companies. Keihin Corp, which ranked fifth, is an affiliate of Honda Motor Co Ltd, whose mainstay products include carburetors. Thanks to brisk sales by its subsidiaries in countries such as China and India, the company made 2.4 billion yen of profit in Asia, which is slightly higher than its domestic profit. Honda Motor saw profits worth 24.1 billion yen in Asia, which is equivalent to about 30% of its profit in Japan. Besides finished vehicle makers such as Yamaha Motor Co Ltd and Suzuki Motor Corp, Koito Manufacturing Co Ltd, NHK Spring Co Ltd and Sanden Corp also made the list. Kansai Paint Co Ltd saw marked growth in its Asian business because of good paint sales to carmakers in the region. Japan's automotive businesses are said to enjoy a high level of competitiveness in the global market and the reason for their strength might lie in its expansionary business strategy in Asia. A third category of companies that did well in the rankings include such highly profitable firms as Rohm Co Ltd and Hoya Corp. Rohm finished fourth with Asian profit worth 28.4 billion yen, which is 30% higher than its domestic profit. Its profit margin in Asia is 21% as against 20% in Japan. The specialist manufacturer of custom-made LSIs has shifted such mainstay operations as chips and displays to Thailand, the Philippines and China, thereby reducing costs. Hoya, Japan's largest optical glass producer, generated profit of 6.6 billion yen in Asia, which is about one-third the profit made in Japan. Its profit margins in Asia and Japan are both about 20%. Of the so-called BRICs, or the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China, the latter two countries are developing into some of the largest markets of the world. Many economists expect China and India to serve as main engines for growth for the Asian markets alongside Japan. When that comes to pass, Japanese firms' strategies for Asia will likely enter another new phase, with Asia constituting an even more important part of their segment information. (by Takehiko Kato)
From http://neasia.nikkeibp.com/ 04/16/2004
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IMF Urges Asian Economies to Reform
WASHINGTON: Asia's economies will maintain their world-fastest growth rates this year but many governments in the region may have to tighten their macroeconomic policies as inflation begins to creep up, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Wednesday. The IMF's twice-yearly World Economic Outlook said Asia's "emerging economies" will grow at a combined average of 7.2 percent this year compared with a world rate of 4.5 percent. It groups China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore into its "emerging Asia" classification. "Growth is expected to remain high in 2004, based on the continued momentum of domestic demand and the strong outlook for the global economy," the IMF said in its assessment for the region. "The balance of risks in the short run is on the upside, with the possibility of favourable surprises to exports and capital inflows." The IMF warned, however, that credit growth may increase financial imbalances in countries with the strongest economic expansions, particularly China. "With growth accelerating and some financial imbalances emerging, many countries may need to gradually tighten macroeconomic policies in the coming year," it said. "While inflation is still generally low, it is turning up, so policies may need to be adjusted pre-emptively, given the lags before policy changes have their full effects." The IMF again urged Asian nations enjoying strong economic growth to allow greater flexibility in their exchange rates. "(This) would allow monetary policy to be geared more toward domestic stabilisation, reduce susceptibility to external shocks, lower the risks of future financial crises, cut the costs of holding foreign reserves, and improve consumption and investment opportunities." The IMF said China would remain the fastest growing economy in the region with 8.5 percent growth for 2004, much higher than the government's target of about 7.0 percent and the World Bank's forecast of 7.7 percent. South Asia is expected to grow at 7.0 percent, with India's economy outpacing its neighbours at 7.2 percent. Pakistan is forecast to grow at 5.4 percent and Bangladesh at 5.8 percent. In Southeast Asia, the IMF expects Thailand to grow at 7.0 percent, Malaysia at 5.7 percent, Indonesia at 4.8 percent and the Philippines at 4.5 percent. The newly industrialised Asian economies of South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore will grow at an average 5.4 percent this year, well up from 3.0 percent in 2003. South Korea and Hong Kong will each grow at 5.5 percent, Singapore will grow at 5.0 percent and Taiwan at 4.9 percent. In a special section analysing whether emerging Asia had now become the engine of world growth, the IMF emphasised the fact the region's share of world trade had increased from 8.0 percent in 1978 to 19 percent in 2002. "Emerging Asia accounted for 44 percent of world GDP growth in 2002 and for 24 percent of export growth in the rest of the world," the IMF said. However it cautioned Asia remained heavily reliant on exports to advanced countries. "For emerging Asia to expand its contribution to world growth, the region will need to further nurture domestic demand growth," the IMF said, "In particular, structural reforms will be required to strengthen and deepen financial markets, improve public and private sector governance, and increase competition, as well as raise the labour productivity of the large rural populations in China and India".
From http://www.brecorder.com/ 04/22/2004
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Nations Join Forces on Tax Avoidance
An international task force to combat tax avoidance is to be set up by the US, Australia, the UK and Canada. The task force, which is expected to be based in New York, will focus on tax avoidance schemes employed by business and take joint action against such schemes. News of the plan, which is expected to be confirmed by ministers soon, emerged as the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank began in Washington. Senior tax officials from the four countries involved have been meeting over the past two days in Williamsburg, Virginia. With the public finances of many developed countries under pressure, they share an interest in cracking down on tax avoidance - the efforts of companies and individuals, acting within the law, to reduce their tax bills. The task force will share techniques in analysing corporate structures and tax avoidance schemes, and monitor industry trends and the activities of tax advisers, many of whom have international operations. This is a new approach to get close co-operation among tax authorities on day-to-day tax administration and information-sharing. It is hoped other countries, including France, will join to broaden information sharing. The US is acknowledged as the leader in combating the avoidance of direct taxes. A senior UK tax official said: "If the avoidance industry in the UK think we are getting tough they should try their luck out here [in the US]." Tax planning schemes in the US must be reported to the tax authorities so they can decide whether they are legitimate. A similar scheme is being introduced in the UK. The meeting of the Group of Seven leading economies that accompanies the IMF and World Bank meetings is expected to reflect an easing in tensions over currencies, owing to the strong performance of the US economy and falls in the value of the euro. The G7 is expected to repeat its call for greater currency flexibility in Asia. The US will attempt to focus the discussion on the need for stronger growth in Europe. Another focus will be the impact of rising US interest rates on emerging markets. Informal discussions at the meetings have been dominated by the EU's nomination of Rodrigo Rato, former Spanish finance minister, to be the IMF's next managing director. (by Ed Crooks in London and Andrew Balls in Washington)
From http://news.ft.com/ 04/23/2004
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CHINA: A Simple Idea on Corporate Governance for China - A Letter
Dear Sir,
I'm not sure whether this is the right email address I should post and address this idea to. However, I'll try anyway hoping that it will reach the right party eventually.
Corporate governance has become a big issue facing China's leadership today. This issue has long been troubling China's body corporate and the Government and if not handled correctly and soon, could cause much damage to China's economy not only in the long term but also short term as well. Now, to be sure, corporate governance is also a much talked about issue and problem in Western developed economies as well highlighted recently by events at the likes of Enron and WorldCom just to name a few. However, due to the existence of such body corporate as the SOEs, this issue takes on a peculiar significance in China. Anyway, I'm not here to go into a long discussion on corporate governance but rather to suggest a time-tested simple idea to at least partially address this issue.
Rather than introducing laws, rules and regulations to directly address the issue, which can still be subject to much human abuse, here, I'm talking about the Central Government introducing an efficient taxation regime to encourage the practice of high corporate dividend policies by body corporate in general - perhaps as high as a 90-95 percent payout ratio, to address the issue. In other words, I'm suggesting that the Central Government should look into giving or creating tax incentives to corporations that commit to undertake to distribute most of their unallocated surplus earnings or profits as dividends to their investors be they shareholders or stakeholders. Please note that I'm talking about unallocated earnings. For example, corporate tax can be waived or much reduced for corporations committed to payout most of their profits as dividends. This has the following ramifications:
1) All allocated surplus profits (which is not distributed and allocated for capital expenditures or working capitals etc.) must now be vetted, justified and approved by shareholders in advance and fully supported by detailed capital and/or expenditure budgets. This has the effect of preventing bad or improper governance practices, abuses as well as wasteful expenditures by management. More importantly, this will also promote better and more efficient utilization of resources thus giving investors a better return.
2) Unallocated profits are to be distributed. This will benefit investors or shareholders and also allow for better and more efficient investment allocations, thus benefiting the economy as a whole in the long run.
3) More tax revenue for the Government in the long run due to more efficient resource allocations and a more efficient economy. Higher individual consumption or potential consumption will also mean more tax revenue for the Central Government.
4) Promotes investors, stakeholders and shareholders participation and democracy, allowing for better supervision, checks and balances. The important thing to mention here is that this is all done in the name of self-interest through the market mechanism rather than due to any dictate from authorities.
5) Promotes transparency of corporate affairs and management practices allowing for better investment decisions and judgments by investors as well as lenders.
6) Promotes overall corporate efficiency and employee/employer relationship. The fact that management (and indirectly also employees) must justify each year fund allocations will greatly enhance corporate efficiency.
7) Other obvious collateral benefits as well.
Now the idea does have its problems too. The funding process for practicing corporations will be cumbersome thus resulting in higher funding costs. It may entail certain inconveniences and inflexibilities on the part of management. So the idea is not for everybody such as start-ups, innovative techno-ventures that call for rapid expansion etc. However, overall the benefits should far outweigh the concerns in the long term. The fact that it forces management to practice far stricter corporate discipline and planning and saves the Central Government huge resources in disciplinary actions should benefit society at large.
The above is a simple idea but I believe workable and easy to implement. Yours truly,
Fred Wu
From China.org.cn 04/02/2004
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Gov't Buying Rule Draws Attention
China will draw on the international common practice to define whether software products and services are domestic, an important factor for software vendors to win favourable treatment in the country's government procurement, said a senior government official. "Certainly we will take into consideration the international common practice when stipulating the rules on government software procurement," Ding Wenwu, director of the Electronics and Information Products Management Department of the Ministry of Information Industry (MII), told China Business Weekly last week. The rules Ding referred to concern government procurement of software products and services. According to Ding, the policies will be rolled out probably later this year, after the Government Procurement Law's implementation rules are announced, which is expected in June, reported 21st Century Economic Herald. Currently in many developed countries including the United States, software products and services with a locally added value accounting for more than 50 percent of the original value are considered domestic in government procurement, Ni Guangnan, academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told China Business Weekly. However, China will not necessarily copy the US practices, he said. And as no final results have come out, Ding declined to elaborate. Although the Government Procurement Law took effect on January 1 last year, only general principles indicate whether domestic products, projects and services should be favoured in government procurement, but there are no detailed rules available. Foreign software vendors in China have been watching China's rule-making concerning government software procurement closely, in particular, the definition of domestic software. Because software products falling into this category will be favoured in government procurement, an effective means widely adopted abroad to promote domestic industries, said Ni. Many experts have suggested, in previous legislative proposals, a 50-per-cent ratio of locally added value to the original should be the dividing line for domestic and foreign software, he said. It is encouraging news for domestic software vendors, most of which are weaker in developing core technology with intellectual property rights, experts say. According to Ni, domestic vendors of operating systems (OS) and office software are expected to be big winners if such rules are followed. Domestic leading vendors of these two product categories are able to meet the government's demand. In particular, as the Chinese Government is fighting against Microsoft's Windows monopoly in personal computers (PCs), domestically-made Linux OS software are "very likely" to be favoured, said Ni. Major domestic Linux developers include Red Flag Software Co Ltd and China Software and Service Co Ltd. Linux is an open-source, cheaper software standard OS that can be copied and modified freely, compared with Microsoft's Windows OS, which is based on proprietary programming. Consequently, domestic vendors offering cross-platform office software capable of running both Windows OS and Linux OS are most competitive, including Kingsoft, Evermore and China 2000, said Ni. But foreign vendors should not be worried about being excluded from the software procurement list, he stressed. As domestic vendors are not competent enough in some categories, such as database software, the government still has to adopt certain foreign products, Ni explained. Kerry Zhang, deputy managing director of Oracle China, told China Business Weekly last week that no matter how domestic software is defined, the rules will have little impact on Oracle's business deals with the government. Oracle has been good at database software and enterprise management software, which no Chinese counterparts are able to challenge in government procurement, he explained. Moreover, Oracle has been in close cooperation with the government in promoting Linux OS, he stressed. Oracle Corp is the world's No 1 enterprise software company. Meanwhile, foreign software vendors should not count on expanding their investment in China to obtain favourable treatment in government procurement, experts suggested. "Usually laws on government procurement give definitions to domestic products and services, instead of companies," said Ni. To judge whether a product is domestic or not is based on its locally added value or other factors. To calculate that of a company is much more complicated, due to diversified ownerships -- Sino-foreign joint ventures, share-holding companies or others, he explained. Expanding investment in China, either in production or research and development, will not directly lead to higher ratio of the locally added value to original value. Therefore, such moves do not help much in winning government deals, said Ni. The Chinese Government spent 34.5 billion yuan (US$4.16 billion) in IT procurement last year, in which software products and services contributed 5.05 billion yuan (US$608.4 million), according to CCW Research, a leading domestic market research firm. For this year, government procurement in IT sector is expected to reach 40 billion yuan (US$4.82 billion), up 15.9 percent year-on-year, CCW Research predicted.
From China Business Weekly 04/06/2004
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Capital Reduces Licensing Items
The Beijing municipal government said on Tuesday it plans to eliminate 174 local administrative licensing items -- more than 50 per cent of the items that currently require government approval. Topping the list is cancellation of the employment identification card for people from areas outside the capital who are seeking a job in Beijing, according to a Xinhua report. The move is in accordance with the Law on Administrative Licensing, which takes effect on July 1. As well, former farmers no longer need official permission to change from rural to non-rural residence registration when they are hired by a company based in urban Beijing. The Beijing municipal government began to clear unnecessary administrative licensing items last August when the Law on Administrative Licensing was adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Departments of the local government have reported 2,037 administrative items in total that need to be cleared and 1,663 are confirmed to be within the range of the administrative licensing items according to law. Of that number, 19 per cent are set by the Beijing municipal government and the rest are set by the central government. Of the 308 local administrative licensing items, 174 have been cancelled, 98 will be maintained,30 items have been combined with others and six have been altered to temporarily require permission. The cancelled items that are free from administrative licensing are mainly those that can be regulated by the market or decided by enterprises. Mayor Wang Qishan has ordered all departments and government at the district or county level to revise working procedures that are not in accordance with the Law on Administrative Licensing. The law aims to regulate the establishment and implementation of administrative licensing, as well as ensuring legal interests of residents and organizations.
From chinadaily.com.cn 04/08/2004
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Public Health Emergency Response System Takes Shape
A public health emergency response system has begun to take shape in China and will be further fortified, said Vice Minister of Health Gao Qiang recently in Beijing. In line with guidance from the central authorities, Gao said, the nation has made remarkable progress during the past year in building a comprehensive rapid response system for public health emergencies that includes disease control, surveillance and data collection, emergency medical aid and service supervision subsystems.
Rapid Response Command Center.
The Ministry of Health has established an office that will open a rapid response command center during public health emergencies. Local health departments have generally developed similar mechanisms for severe epidemic outbreaks to coordinate resources for research, emergency aid and provision of response suggestions to local Party organs and governments.
Emergency Plan.
In accordance with the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases and the Regulation on Public Health Emergencies, the Ministry of Health and local governments have developed emergency plans for public health crises. The State Council is evaluating and improving these plans to cope with various kinds of public health crises.
Surveillance and Data Collection Network.
The Ministry of Health has established a unified national public health information platform and a disease information system that incorporates severe epidemic monitoring and reporting, food-related health incident reporting, severe environmental pollution reporting and radioactive health incident reporting. The epidemic reporting subsystem connects the national, provincial, municipal and county-level disease prevention and control organizations as well as other health institutions at various levels.
Disease Prevention and Control.
The Ministry of Health and the State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC) have worked out a plan to reinforce the national disease prevention and control network. The central government and local governments will jointly contribute 6.8 billion yuan (US$821.56 million) to establish local disease prevention and control institutions, which are to be completed by the end of 2004. The SDRC has allocated 63.4 million yuan (US$7.66 million) for the first phase of the 760,000-square-meter National Disease Prevention and Control Center, construction of which will begin this year.
Emergency Medical Aid.
The central and local governments have jointly contributed 11.4 billion yuan (US$1.38 billion) to establish an emergency medical aid network. The central government provided half of the funds, which is to be used in China's underdeveloped central and western regions. Construction of municipal-level epidemic hospitals or wards and some emergency aid centers has already begun, with the entire subsystem scheduled to be in place nationwide within three years.
Medical Service Supervision.
The Ministry of Health worked with various other departments to develop the Regulations on Building the Medical Service Supervision and Enforcement Mechanism. It is designed to eliminate such problems as overlapping jurisdiction between enforcement authorities, misuse of authority and weak supervision.
Interdepartmental Coordination.
The State Development and Reform Commission has established an emergency materials production and reserve system, and the Ministry of Finance has set up an emergency fund. An epidemic monitoring and reporting system has been deployed throughout the civil aviation, railway, transportation and agriculture departments. Other departments and local governments have established accountability systems for emergency prevention and control as appropriate for their situations. (by Alex Xu)
From China.org.cn 04/12/2004
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Corporate Citizenship Poll Launches in Hong Kong
The Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education is conducting a telephone opinion survey to assess public perception and expectations of 'corporate citizenship'. The committee will promote the 'corporate citizenship' concept in phases this year to instil a sense of civic responsibility among corporations. It believes this will enhance social participation by young people. Interviewees, aged 18 to 64, will be selected randomly from residential telephone directories. The committee appealed to interviewees to co-operate. Each interview will take only few minutes to garner data for formulating future promotion campaigns. Mercado Solutions Associates have been commissioned to conduct the survey which ends on April 20. Results will be ready in mid-2004.
From http://www.news.gov.hk/ 04/13/2004
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China Develops New Pilot Model of Poverty Reduction
More and more local farmers are benefiting from a pilot model of poverty alleviation, which, by receiving government-sponsored training programs and moving to cities to work in the secondary and tertiary industries, allows them to gradually shake off the poverty and start to live prosperous lives. Fang Ju'e, a 43-year-old rural women, said in an interview with Xinhua here Thursday that she has worked as a housekeeper in the nearby city of Wenzhou, and now can earn about 700 yuan (about 84. 64 US dollars). "I realized I could also contribute to my family economically like the male family members do, which makes me very proud of myself," Fang said, hoping that her monthly income could increase to 1,000 yuan after finishing the second phase of education on housekeeping. Liu Xiao, an 20-year-old rural girl, has the same ambition as Fang. She said she would like to be a driver in cities. "I know cities badly need drivers like me, so I'm very confident of finding a good job in cities with a monthly salary ranging from 800 to 1,500 yuan, which is close to the average monthly income of the urban resident," Liu said. According to official information, Quzhou city kicked off its pilot poverty reduction campaign last year. Within the pilot model, the local government is responsible for providing free training opportunities for the farmers who had little benefit from farming activities. Farmers have free choice in their training content, and after they finish all the training programs and qualify from the examinations, the local government would also help them to find job vacancies in cities, said Cai Qi, a Quzhou municipal official. The latest official statistics showed that housekeepers and security guards from Quzhou underdeveloped rural areas are getting popular in nearby cities like Hangzhou, Ningbo and Wenzhou. By the end of this year, 135,000 local farmers had received training programs and the average annual income reached 3,980 yuan, up 10. 71 percent over that of the previous year, among which, 64 percent of the income growth is created by those farmer workers. Zhang Youyun, a senior consultant with the International Labor Organization, said that the key to the success of the pilot model is based on the correct evaluation of local conditions. They have realized that what makes the local farmers impoverished is their lack of skill and education, Zhang said, adding that the partnership established between the production institutions and farmer workers within the model's framework also contribute to develop the local economy and protect farmer's interests. To address the poverty issue and boost economic growth, China needs initiatives like this, Zhang noted.
From http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ 04/15/2004
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Bank of China to Eliminate Official Titles for Managers
The Bank of China (BOC) will take the lead to use new titles for managers and abolish those tinted with official characteristics in the latter half of this year. The announcement was made by Xiao Gang, president of the BOC, at the Spring Membership Meeting of the Institute of International Finance, Inc. (IIF), on Friday. Separating bank posts from official titles will help break the official rank standard or "official rank taken as the only criterion for judging one's social worth", which has long been used in the Chinese bank system, said Xiao. Managing staff in Chinese banks have long used titles similar to government departments, such as "Juzhang" or director general, "Chuzhang" or section chief and "Zhuren" or director. The BOC has over 100 director generals, over 500 deputy-director generals and over 1,000 section chiefs. After the reform, the bank will employ titles such as department manager, senior manager and assistant manager, said Wang Zhaowen, a spokesperson for the BOC. Obviously, it is a step in the right direction and the role transfer from officials to professional bankers will not only benefit the bank itself, but also help reduce China's financial risks, said IIF Managing Director Charles Dallara. After the State Council selected the BOC and the China Construction Bank for pilot reform as joint-stock banks, the BOC has been undergoing various reforms, especially in its personnel system, but it will result in no large-scale unemployment since all the redundant staff will be given new positions within the bank, said Xiao. With 92 years of history, the BOC is the most internationalized state-owned commercial bank in China and its profits overruns all other domestic banks.
From Xinhua News Agency 04/17/2004
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Economic Reform Focuses on 7 Fields in 2004
BEIJING -- To push economic reform ahead in 2004 based on implementing the decision of the Third Plenary Conference of the Sixteenth Party Congress, the instruction for China's economic reform for this year was issued recently by State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC). According to the guideline, this year will see the economic reform to be focused on the following seven fields.
1. Improve ownership structure and push reform on SOEs forward
Further adjust and improve the ownership structure, categorize the existing SOEs, and arrange the distribution and restructuring of state-owned economy. Push ahead the joint-stock transformation of SOEs. Absorb more foreign and private capitals into restructuring and reorganization of SOEs. Sectors with mixed ownership are greatly encouraged. Improve measures to facilitate the reform on industries including power, telecom, and aviation. Speed up to work out system reform schemes for mail and rail industries. Make better policy and legal environment for non-public sectors and encourage, foster and guide their development.
2. Deepen reform in rural areas
Make faster a reform of tax replacing fee system in rural areas. Deepen reform on grain circulation, Speed up reform on land use system. Provide perfect financial services for farmers. Build and improve a mechanism for transfer of surplus labor force from rural areas to non-agricultural sectors and urban areas. Give a new boost to economic development in rural areas.
3. Deepen system reform on finance, taxation, investment and price
Improve macro-control system. Conduct sweeping reform on state-owned commercial banks. Transform Construction Bank of China and Bank of China, as pilots, into joint-stock banks smoothly. Formulate reform program for car uses in government organs. Some sectors in the old industrial base in northeast China will pioneer the change of value added tax to consumption oriented from production oriented. Carry out reform schemes on investment system and work out measure for implementation. Issue implementation measures for reform on electricity pricing. Realize the reform program on domestic air transportation pricing in civil aviation sector. Perform more efficient control on, and to further lower, drug prices. Rectify and standardize charging in education and healthcare. Put various charging policies for employment and re-employment in place. Keep on practice of making prices and charges to the public.
4. Deepen administrative system refrom
Push the reform on administrative system and change the government function at a faster pace.
5. Build a modern market-driven system
Open the market wider and build a modern market system. This includes the continuation of a stable development of capital market. Improve the approving process for corporate bond issuance. Develop the futures market in a steady way. Develop property transaction with closer supervision over the deals. Step up efforts on exploring and improving the system of stock transfer under unified supervision. Speed up building a social credit system. Promote management system reforms on trade associations and chambers of commerce. Further improve the system for opening-up by establishing and perfecting the mechanisms for foreign trade promotion as well as for supervision, pre-warning and reaction for foreign trade.
6 Deepen the reforms on employment and income distribution system
Offer a perfect social security system. Weed out more systematic restrictions on reasonable labor flow. Accelerate the construction of a standardized labor market. Sum up experience of Liaoning Province on the trial for putting up a social security system and extend the experimentation to Jilin and Heilongjiang Provinces.
7.Advance social system reform
Push forward the system reforms on sci-tech, education, culture and healthcare to achieve a harmonious economic and social development. Reforms should be implemented or go deeper in industries for which reform schemes have already been ready, such as investment, grain circulation, power, telecom, etc. people responsible in the State Development and Reform Commission stressed. Those for which it takes time to work out reform plans should continue research, make progress by pilot reforms or other ways and present reform schemes as soon as possible. For reforms on some sectors, which are featured with wide involvement, deep interests, and high risks, arrangements should be made in line with the instructions of the State Council to conduct various trials and build up experience and fan out gradually.
From People's Daily 04/18/2004
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China Establishes Unemployment Regulation Mechanism
China is to establish an unemployment policy regulation mechanism in two to three years. The mechanism aims to keep the number of jobless below a certain number so as not to affect the country's economic development. To better analyse the unempolyment situation, an early-warning system for unemployment will also be set up. It is expected that some 14 million people will be out of work this year, during which the government is working to create some nine million jobs.
From crienglish.com 04/22/2004
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JAPAN: Time to Legalize Internet Campaigning
There are less than three months to go before the official start of campaigning for the House of Councillors election, meaning all political parties are heavily involved in preparing for the poll. Of course the election would be very boring if all the results were known in advance. To ensure this is not the case, the parties should do their utmost to field as many well-known and high-quality candidates as possible. Also of key importance is for every party to set out easy-to-understand explanations of their vision for the future of the country, based on specific proposals for domestic and foreign policy. Such efforts to boost public understanding of party policies will be of pivotal significance in increasing voter participation in politics. A key debate here is the issue of election campaigning using the Internet. No progress has been made in Diet deliberations on proposals to change the law to allow the use of the Internet in campaigns. Calls to legalize online campaigns first surfaced around 1996 when a House of Representatives election took place. Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) presented two bills to the Diet, in 1998 and 2001, ahead of an upper house election and a lower house election, respectively, seeking to revise the Public Offices Election Law to allow candidates to stage campaigns on their Internet sites. The Liberal Democratic Party, however, opposed the Minshuto proposals both times. The LDP argued that Internet electioneering would lead to an increased risk of election offenses. It claimed candidates would be vulnerable to the spread of false or malign information. As a result, the government announced in 1996 that the use of the Internet for election campaign purposes would remain a violation of the Public Offices Election Law. This situation is now absurdly anachronistic. The number of Japanese Internet users has ballooned year after year, reaching 106.12 million as of the end of January, according to the Public Management Ministry. As a means of information gathering and communication, the Internet definitely has become a part of everyday life. Whatever the law says, the Internet already has a major impact on election campaigns. A case in point is a slander spread on the Net about a female LDP candidate at the time of the lower house election last autumn. Although the candidate was subject to outrageous slander, she could not refute the charge on her own homepage because doing so is banned under the current election law. Unable to take any effective countermeasures against a slander that badly damaged her public image, the candidate was defeated in the election. Given that Internet use is now so prevalent, it seems only fair to allow candidates to use the Web to defend themselves against slander. The growing popularity of election manifestos is another major factor driving calls for legalization of Internet campaigning. A manifesto, or a set of policy pledges that a party is to carry out if it takes power, includes specific promises tied to numerical goals. The party that wins the election is supposed to do everything it can to make good on its promises, and will be judged by the voters on its success or failure in so doing. If it is deemed to have broken its promises, then electoral defeat and a change of government are almost certain. The idea of giving manifestos central significance in steering the nation's politics is a vitally important part of ending the political stalemate that afflicts this country. The problem, however, is that voters may not be so well-informed about the content of the various party manifestos. This is mainly because the way manifestos are distributed is currently highly restrictive. Under the current law, manifestos only may be handed out to voters at specified occasions such as election campaign speeches. Distribution on the streets or to individual voters' homes is banned. Such constraints must be lifted without delay. In addition, manifestos should be published on the Internet so that they may be consulted by voters at any time. A Public Management Ministry study panel on reforming election campaigns for the Internet age published its report in August 2002, calling for legalization of Internet campaigning. Other countries including the United States, Britain and France already allow it. The enforcement of the current Public Offices Election Law dates back to 1950, when Internet campaigning would have been unimaginable. The government interpretation of the law is that where it regulates "documents and images" this also covers material sent using the Internet. This interpretation can only be called an extreme anachronism. It should be remembered in this connection that the government in 2001 came out with an "e-Japan strategy," intended to make Japan "the world's most advanced country in terms of information technology within five years." This goal will never be achieved as long as the country fails to address the task of legalizing Internet campaigning. (by Yohio Okubo)
From http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/ 04/01/2004
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Gov't to Survey Aging Baby Boomers on Their Social Needs
TOKYO - The welfare ministry has decided to begin a large-scale, long-term survey in 2005 to track the health and living conditions of thousands of postwar baby boomers to analyze medical, nursing and pension needs as the generation heads toward retirement, ministry officials said Monday. As Japan is facing a rapidly aging society, the baby boom generation - in which 8 million alone were born from 1947 to 1949 - is expected as it ages to induce a significant burden on society.
From Kyodo News 04/06/2004
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Universities Get Y30.8 Bil for Research
TOKYO - The education ministry said Tuesday it will provide universities with 30.8 billion yen in subsidies for research projects in fiscal 2004. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology said the University of Tokyo is the top subsidy winner with 3,815 million yen for 26 projects in the year to March 31, 2005.
From Kyodo News 04/07/2004
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Sanyo to Adopt New Wage System
TOKYO - Sanyo Electric Co. will shortly introduce a new wage system that links annual salaries for managers to their performance goals set at the beginning of each business year, Sanyo officials said Monday. The new wage system will be applied to all 4,500 employees with positions of section chiefs or higher at Sanyo, its subsidiaries and affiliates, the officials said.
From Kyodo News 04/13/2004
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SOUTH KOREA: Education Ministry Dedicates Week to People with Disabilities
To commemorate National Disabled Persons Day today, the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development announced yesterday that the entire week would be dedicated to educating citizens about people with special needs. Following the designation of April 19-24 as "Teaching Understanding of Disabled Persons Week," 131 people - including special education teachers, specialists and ordinary citizens - will receive commendations from the minister of education for their services to the disabled. Children in public schools will learn about fellow students with disabilities as part of this week's educational events. Guest lectures, visits to special education schools, volunteer opportunities and writing contests are among the other events scheduled. Additionally, "The Morning Glory and Sunflower," an educational video for children produced by the Korea Institute for Special Education, and a video guide for instructors titled "Teaching About Understanding Disabled Persons" will be distributed to schools throughout the country. According to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, there are an estimated 1.45 million Koreans with special needs. Since 1977, the government has enacted measures to promote their welfare, including special education and employment laws. Koreans with disabilities are becoming increasingly active members of society, particularly in the political sector. Jang Hyang-suk of the Uri Party and Jung Hwa-won of the Grand National Party both hold seats in the National Assembly under the proportional representation system. (by Iris Moon )
From http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ 04/20/2004
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MONGOLIA: A Discussion on MP's Ethics Was Held
The Open Society Forum of Mongolian Open Society Institute coordinated a discussion in Tuv Province on the 24th of last month on issues related to the MP's ethics standard. MP D. Altai informed about the draft rules. She stated that while Mongolia has adopted a permanent Parliamentary Governance 10 years ago, there have been no ethics standard rules on Ethics Sub-Committees, Parliament Members and Government high officials. A working group, headed by Ms. D Altai, was founded in 2002 to develop the draft rules. Such a discussion was already held among scientists and researchers in Ulaanbaatar. But this time the public was provided with a chance to express their opinions. If the Parliament spring session, expected next week, resolves whether it is to be discussed, the next Parliament session will run the discussion on ethics standards for the Ethics Sub-Committee of the Parliament and Members of Parliament standards. The Working Group has submitted the draft rule on ethics standards for the Government high officials to the Cabinet for comments.
From http://open-government.mn/ 03/26/2004
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INDONESIA: State Universities Open Doors to the Rich
For the second year running, state universities across Indonesia will select new students based on the independent selection program (ISP), which allows well-off candidates with lower grades to get into college. Most of the 82,000 places in the universities for the next academic year, however, will be awarded based on the results of the National Admission Test (SPMB), which will be held nationwide between July 1 and July 4. Under the ISP, to enter the University of Indonesia (UI), wealthy students need only to score higher than the pass grade set by the university, have an average of seven on their high school reports, and be willing to pay an admission fee of between Rp 25 million (US$2,941) and Rp 75 million. By comparison, Indonesia's per capita income is about $900 per annum. "The high fees will be used to subsidize poorer students," said UI spokeswoman Diennaryati Cokrosuprihantono, or Dini, on Tuesday. The university has allocated 600 places under the ISP this year. The students admitted under the program will also have to pay Rp 7.5 million per semester, more than six times the fee for regular students. The Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) has set aside 500 places, or 20 percent of the total number of available places, for students willing to pay a once-off admission fee of Rp 45 million and who have passed the ITB examinations, which includes written papers and a psychological examination. Students can register for the examinations between April 26 and June 2, with the tests being held between June 8 and June 10. Some universities prefer not to set fixed admission fees. For example, Gadjah Mada University (UGM), which will hold its admission tests on April 25 and has been registering applicants since April 1, has asked the parents of all applicants to determine themselves how much they can contribute. An applicant said his parents had been asked for Rp 25 million for a place in the International Relations Department at the School of Social and Political Sciences. The university claims the funds will be used to cover the admission fees of poor students. "Poor students will have to submit a declaration on their economic circumstances from their schools, and sub-district and district heads," admission committee member Toni Apyanto Dharoko said. Following their newly found autonomy, state universities across Indonesia introduced special schemes in 2003 to allow the offspring of the wealthy to get into college. Despite protests, the universities insisted the money was needed to provide adequate services to students following a cut in government subsidies. "The money provided by the government only covers the civil servants' salaries," said Diennaryati. Students pay approximately Rp 2.5 million per year while in reality a student majoring in social studies, for example, should be paying Rp 18 million per year, she added. The requirements imposed by UI on those availing of the ISP would be strict, she argued. "Last year, only 218 of the 700 applicants were admitted, although our quota was actually 600 students," she said. Adang Surachman, ITB's deputy rector for academic affairs, said the institute would not compromise on its standards despite the special admission program. He said only 250 out of some 2,000 applicants from wealthy families had passed the admission tests.
From http://www.thejakartapost.com 04/08/2004
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Parties Pile on Pressure for Total Vote Recount
Seventeen of the 24 political parties contesting this year's legislative election are demanding the General Elections Commission (KPU) recount all ballots tallied electronically because they have had no way to monitor the process. "We want a total recounting of ballots at the district level with the involvement of all political parties," Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) leader Hidayat Nurwahid said on Friday. Emerging from a meeting with the leaders of the 16 other parties in Jakarta, Hidayat said the group wanted all the final results at polling-station level published in the mass media and on the internet to allow the public to scrutinize the numbers. Almost 42 percent of votes have been counted out of a possible total of over 147 million voters as of Friday night, five days after the legislative election began. Hidayat said the tranfer of data from the District Election Committees (PPKS) to the KPU computer system had not been witnessed by representatives from the political parties. Election rules state only manual ballot counting, not computer counting, is to be supervised by political parties. The meeting was attended by the Freedom Party leader Adi Sasono, the Socialist Democratic Labor Party (PBSD) head Muchtar Pakpahan and the Freedom Bull National Party (PNBK) leader Eros Djarot. Hidayat said the 17 parties had refused to sign any document to validate ballot counting at the district level until the KPU resolved its IT ballot counting problem. The parties plan to submit the complaint to the KPU on Tuesday. The 17 political parties include the Marhaenisme Indonesian Nationalist Party, the Socialist Democratic Labor Party (PBSD), the Freedom Party, the United Development Party (PPP), the United Democratic Nationhood Democrat Unity Party (PPDK), the New Indonesian Alliance Party (Partai PIB), the Freedom Bull National Party (PNBK), the Democratic Party, the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKP Indonesia), the Indonesian Democratic Vanguard Party (PPDI), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the PKS, Reform Star Party (PBR), the Pancasila Patriots' Party, the Indonesian Unity Party (PSI), and the Pioneers' Party. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and Golkar were among the seven parties that made no protest. Expressing a similar sentiment but stopping short of demanding a recount, the Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) has asked the KPU to be more transparent in its IT ballot counting. Panwaslu head Komaruddin Hidayat said the counting was also marred by a weak data delivery network. The public had no idea about the type of network used to deliver election results from the District Election Committees (PPK) to the KPU, he said. Worse still, the counting process had not been audited by an independent body thus lowering the credibility of the system. Komaruddin said the KPU should not use IT ballot counting to decide political parties' seats in the House of Representatives and other levels of government because it was invalid. Panwaslu member Rozy Munir said the IT ballot counting could not project the number of seats obtained by political parties as such data did not appear in the vote tabulation. Although a political party could win 500,000 votes nationwide, it might not get a seat in the House if it failed to meet the election dividing number, or BPP, in its electoral districts. The BPP is a fraction of the number of voters who have exercise their rights in each electoral district over the total seats available in the district. Meanwhile, in an impromptu speech on Thursday, President Megawati Soekarnoputri urged the people to accept the election results. "It is natural for one party to get more votes than other parties," the President, who is also the PDI-P leader, said. Glitches in the ballot counting should be accepted as this was the first direct election in the country, she said.
From http://www.thejakartapost.com/ 04/10/2004
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Weak Supervision Nurtures Corruption at Tax Office
The weak supervisory system of the tax office is seen as one of the main factors for corruption among tax officials, which results in massive state losses and a poor business environment. A senior official at the Ministry of Finance who requested anonymity said the four institutions that supervise the tax office were toothless because their authority to investigate corruption was limited. "In general, the four institutions have the same type of tasks. But due to the lack of regulations, they don't have the adequate authority to follow up complaints from taxpayers over corruption by tax officials," the official said. Questions over the effectiveness of the supervision of the tax office arose after several businesspeople told The Jakarta Post recently that they had been extorted by tax officials. Businessmen B.Q. Vega and Widodo Latip have joined together in suing the tax office in the Constitutional Court and the administrative court, and are planning to report the extortion to the police. The Ministry of Finance's Inspectorate General, the National Ombudsman Commission (NOC), the State Comptroller (BPKP) and the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) are meant to supervise the tax office. Under current regulations, the BPKP and BPK only ensure the compliance of the tax office with tax regulations and its accountability in the use of state funds. The agencies do not have the authority to follow up on corruption reports from taxpayers. The lead in combating corruption at the tax office is meant to come from the Inspectorate General and the NOC. However, the NOC is completely toothless because it lacks the authority to investigate any reports or complaints from taxpayers. The chairman of the NOC, Antonius Sudjata, told the Post recently that based on its agreement it signed with the Ministry of Finance in mid-2002, the ombudsman commission could only forward taxpayers' complaints to the tax office, nothing more. "Our task is to receive complaints from taxpayers and then send them to the tax office to be settled," said Antonius, adding that thus far the NOC had only received 18 complaints. The Inspectorate General has more power than the NOC, as it can investigate reports of corruption from taxpayers and penalize those tax officials involved. However, the office cannot function effectively because it does not have the authority to seek evidence of corruption from taxpayers who file complaints. The office can only investigate he accused tax officials, without being able to confirm the results of the investigation with the complainants. The senior official from the finance ministry said that due to these limitations, the Inspectorate General planned to propose to the minister of finance that it be given wider authority, including the power to seek direct evidence from taxpayers. The Ministry of Finance's Inspector General Agus Muhammad did not deny this plan. Agus told the Post his agency had difficulty following up complaints from taxpayers as it was unable to collect facts directly from them without prior approval from the tax office. "The Inspectorate General has received hundreds of complaints from taxpayers, however, we are not allowed to directly seek further evidence from them. We only receive one-sided evidence from the tax office concerning the complaints," said Agus. The Inspectorate General found irregularities totaling Rp 753 billion (US$88.5 million) and $119,818 at the Directorate General of Taxation during the first nine months of 2003. In 2002, the office found irregularities totaling Rp 1.97 trillion and $3.83 million.
From http://www.thejakartapost.com/ 04/12/2004
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MALAYSIA: Serve Public Better, Councils Told
All local councils which have been upgraded must do more for the people, said Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting. Each council's work culture and management must be attuned to serve the people better, he said. "When a local council is upgraded, the people's expectations are higher. "So, before the people question why a particular local council is upgraded, it should provide better services to be on par with its status," he added. Ong's speech was read out by the ministry's secretary-general Datuk Lokman Hakim Mohd Jasan at the proclamation of the Hilir Perak District Council as the Teluk Intan Municipal Council by the Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah at the Dataran Menara Condong here on Sunday night. Also present were the Raja Permaisuri Perak Tuanku Bainun, Raja Muda of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah, Raja DiHilir Perak Raja Jaafar Raja Muda Musa and his wife Raja Puan Muda Raja Nor Mahani Raja Shahar Shah, Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Tajol Rosli Ghazali and his wife Datin Seri Kamariah Mokri. Ong said local councils should not adopt a wait-and-see attitude as they would not then be able provide efficient service. He said they should also consider public safety when approving projects and bringing development to areas under their jurisdiction. In his speech, Tajol Rosli said the Hilir Perak District Council had fulfilled the criteria of becoming a municipal council such as having more than 100,000 people under its jurisdiction. He said the number was estimated to increase to 162,000 people this year. The council's income had increased from RM10.6mil in 2002 to RM12.63mil last year, he added. "The upgrade also sees its administration area expanding from 126.9 square km to 152.87 square km," he added.
From http://thestar.com.my/ 04/06/2004
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Government Think-Tank to Help Eradicate Urban Poverty
The Government is setting up a think-tank to draw up action plans and integrated programmes to wipe out urban poverty in five years' time. Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said the think-tank would comprise non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and professionals who could provide input on how to deal with urban poverty. "The think-tank will include those from local authorities in charge of urban areas," he said after opening the International Buddhist Forum 2004 at the Malaysia International Exhibitions and Conference Centre (MIECC) in Seri Kembangan, near here, yesterday. Ong said it was Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who entrusted the ministry to co-ordinate programmes of all local authorities to eradicate urban poverty. "This role has already been given to the Housing and Local Government Ministry after the (recent) Cabinet restructuring," he said. Right after leading the Barisan Nasional to a landslide victory in the just-concluded 11th general election on March 21, Abdullah had said his priority was to fight poverty and reduce the poverty rate in the country significantly. Ong said co-ordinated programmes and an integrated approach would be formulated to overcome poverty. He said the programmes would include the provision of shelters for the poor and ensure that their children would not be deprived of education opportunities. "We have to look at their living conditions and whether their basic needs are being taken care of," he said. Describing the task as one of the important agendas and plans of the ministry, Ong said his officials would start their work very soon. "It's a new challenge and responsibility for the ministry. "We feel that a lot needs to be done to help the hardcore poor and those who are living below the poverty line in urban areas," he said. To a question, he said that although urban poverty was not very serious, the plan to eradicate the problem was in line with the Government's policy to have "zero hardcore poverty in urban areas." According to the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), those with a household income of RM529 and less a month in Peninsular Malaysia, RM600 in Sarawak and RM650 in Sabah are considered to be in the hardcore poor category. "That was in 2002. We'll establish what should be the new poverty line. "We will have to get a lot of experts and refer to the international standard," Ong said. Meanwhile, Social Strategic Foundation (YSS) executive director Dr Denison Jayasooria said a total of 69,000 or 2% of households in the country were regarded as urban poor in 2002, including 12,000 which were considered hardcore poor. The urban poor, he said, had an income of between RM529 and RM690 for a family of five while the hardcore poor earned only half the figure. Dr Denison welcomed the formation of the ministry's think-tank, saying it was timely. "Urban poverty is far more acute because of the complexities involved, like the deprivation of basic amenities, services, conditions of neighbourhood, quality of life and educational needs. "Urban poverty is interlinked to crime, violence, social ills and family problems, which are all considered urban unrest," he said in an interview yesterday.
From http://thestar.com.my 04/11/2004
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Higher Standards Set for Community Leaders
The trend of injecting new blood and establishing a professional image for the MCA will also involve councillors and village heads in Johor. The state MCA has set a higher standard for members to qualify for such posts, which are viewed as positions that act as a bridge between the party and the people. The candidates will have to undergo interviews and screening sessions that will ascertain the level of their knowledge, competence in various languages, and interpersonal and interaction skills. State MCA chief Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the three-day screening session would be held next month in anticipation of the state government's new round of appointments for city and municipal councillors and village heads. "We will introduce new blood in the line-up of MCA councillors and village heads which is in line with the party's rejuvenation efforts. "Candidates must be strong in Bahasa Malaysia, have a good general knowledge and understanding of a council's operation framework, loyal to the party and hardworking. "They must also have excellent interaction skills to build a good rapport with the people, community organisations, Chinese associations and Barisan Nasional component party members," he told reporters after chairing the first post-elections state MCA liaison committee meeting yesterday. Dr Chua, who is also Health Minister, said there were vacancies for 125 councillors and 100 village heads.
From http://thestar.com.my 04/11/2004
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Welfare Funds to Be Disbursed Quickly
The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry will ensure that its welfare allowances are easily accessible to target groups, Deputy Minister Datuk G. Palanivel said yesterday. He said although the ministry had tried to disburse funds to its target group quickly, there had been cases of people who waited between six months and a year before they received the aid. "The ministry's delivery mechanism needs to be more focused and well oiled so people will receive relief immediately. "The Welfare Department receives about RM250mil from the Government annually and these funds are for the needy. We want to ensure that the funds reach the target group fast," he told reporters after flagging off the 5th Hong Leong Foundation Charity Run at the Bukit Jalil Sports Complex here. He said the ministry wanted to be known as a government arm which focussed on community development. "We also want those receiving assistance to be productive while we give them financial assistance. This is because although we give assistance to families who have lost their sole breadwinners, we also want to provide relief to those who are temporarily disabled as they can become productive in the future," he added.
From http://202.186.86.35/ 04/12/2004
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Monthly Check on Complaints Against the Civil Service
The Cabinet will now monitor complaints against the civil service every month to speed up the process of identifying the main grouses and resolving them. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said previously the Public Complaints Bureau would look into grievances collectively once a year. Since 1999, complaints against the civil service had been on the rise. There were 1,435 cases in 1999 but it was 3,190 last year. There were 728 cases registered in the first quarter this year. Dompok said the Government believed that dealing with and resolving the complaints monthly would improve public services and stop the same problems from happening again. "We will highlight some of the cases, especially aimed at identifying recurring complaints, for the ministers' attention. The Cabinet will (then) know of the problems and resolve them quickly. "There is no need to wait for an annual report before taking action," he said after a visit to the Public Complaints Bureau's central region branch here yesterday where he was briefed by the bureau's director-general Datuk Mahadi Arshad. Dompok said the bureau was an important barometer of how the people responded to government initiatives to improve public services. The majority of the complaints were levelled at counter services, the land office, local authorities, the police and other government departments, said Dompok. Topping the list of complaints were late responses or failure to take action. The other complaints were on unjust action, lack of enforcement, dissatisfactory services, misconduct by civil servants, lack of public facilities, abuse of power, failure to follow procedures and weaknesses in policies and laws. However, there were also many complaints found to be devoid of merit. Out of 14,066 complaints received from January 1999 to March, 43.7% or 6,153 cases were without merit, while 6,780 cases (48.2%) were justified. Mahadi said some cases were rejected because the documents submitted were incomplete and the complainant did not respond within two weeks.
From http://202.186.86.35/ 04/14/2004
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BURMA: Work Coordination Meeting of National Convention Convening Commission, Work Committee and Management Committee Held
A work coordination meeting of the National Convention Convening Commission, Work Committee and Management Committee was held in the Pyidaungsu Hall in Nyaunghnapinkwin in Hmawby Township this morning. Present were Chairman of National Convention Convening Commission Secretary-2 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Thein Sein, members of the commission, Chairman of the National Convention Convening Work Committee Chief Justice U Aung Toe, members of the Work Committee, Chairman of Management Committee Auditor-General Maj-Gen Lun Maung and members. Joint Secretary of the National Convention Convening Commission Maj-Gen Khin Aung Myint of the Ministry of Defence acted as master of ceremonies. Chairman of National Convention Convening Commission Secretary-2 Lt-Gen Thein Sein delivered an address. He said it was the second meeting of the National Convention Convening Commission, Work Committee and Management Committee to discuss work done, being done and to be done relating to the National Convention.
From http://www.myanmar.com/ 04/19/2004
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Be Transparent, PM Tells Fund Managers
Unit trust managers must be transparent and trustworthy in handling investments, and at the same time expand the many products they can offer so that the people would have more choice, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said. The Prime Minister said fund managing companies must introduce more schemes to suit the needs and abilities of their clients, especially those in the lower income group. He also warned unit trust managers not to abuse public funds, saying that stern action would be taken against those who swindled the money. "Unit trust managers must also be diligent and provide the best services to their clients in view of the growing market of the unit trust industry. "Companies managing unit trusts must give the best to their clients and they must also uphold the principles of trustworthiness and sincerity. "Fund managers must also be prudent with their investments and must take the necessary measures to protect public money," he said when launching the 5th Malaysian Unit Trust Week organised by Permodalan Nasional Berhad at Dewan Milenium here yesterday. The fair, to be held until April 26, would provide the public with knowledge and information about the unit trust industry in the country. Abdullah said the unit trust was the alternative investment instrument for the lower and medium income groups to participate in mainstream economic activities. It was therefore important for unit trust managers to manage their funds to the highest level of professionalism and ability, he added. The Prime Minister said the people now had more options for investment as there were now 243 unit trust funds including 10 that were managed by PNB. "Unit trust funds allow the people to equally enjoy the country's wealth, and investors can minimise risks compared to investments in the stock exchange. "The unit trust assets grew by about 31% last year bringing it to about RM72bil. There are now 10 million unit trust accounts with about 100 billion units. "This is a remarkable achievement and I hope the unit trust industry will chart better growth in the future," he added. PNB chairman Tan Sri Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid said the company now managed 44 billion trust units with eight million investors. He also said that PNB had so far given out dividends amounting to RM39bil to its investors.
From http://thestar.com.my 04/21/2004
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Focus on Transparency and Integrity, Says Lam Thye
Transparency and integrity need to be focussed on to achieve the core objectives of the National Integrity Plan (NIP), the Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation said. Its vice-president Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, in lauding the plan, said: "The targets of reducing corruption, enhancing corporate governance, overcoming bureaucracy, strengthening the family institution and improving the quality of life are noble and warrants public support." Lee, in a statement issued yesterday, called for a mid-term review to access the performance and effectiveness of the five-year plan. The plan, launched by the Prime Minister on Friday, is to promote an accountable and corrupt-free society. The Business Ethics Institute of Malaysia chairman Dr Zainal Abidin Majid said the media should highlight public interest issues for the betterment of the people. He said a free press could act as a catalyst in uncovering shortcomings in the system, such as corrupt officials, abuse of power in the Government, red tape and delays in the public delivery system. However, DAP felt the NIP had major flaws, pointing out that the Government's target in improving Malaysia's current 37th placing to 30th in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (CPI) was "disappointing". Its national chairman Lim Kit Siang said: "There is no reason why the Government cannot accept DAP's proposal, submitted to the Anti-Corruption Agency last year, calling for a 10-year action plan for the country to be ranked among the world's 10 least corrupt nations." Lim also noted that the 22-page NIP made no references to an independent judiciary and an independent media.
From http://thestar.com.my 04/25/2004
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THAILAND: Bhokin Urges Local Officials to Improve
Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula yesterday called on local governments to improve their efficiency and root out corruption in order to ensure the success of decentralisation and to win the public's trust. "The 1997 Consti-tution has enshrined the decentralisation process. The central government is committed to working with local authorities, |but success depends on how each local government can respond to the challenge," he|said. Many Tambon Administration Organisations had not lived up to expectations and some might have to be merged to form a municipality, Bhokin said. He said local government leaders were obliged to close loopholes relating to public spending and local tax collection. The minister added that many local governments had failed to meet targeted tax revenues because of corruption and that some local leaders had earmarked funds for road construction in favour of certain private properties. In a bid to clear up jurisdictional confusion, Bhokin said the central government was reviewing relevant legislation aimed at eliminating overlapping duties among various forms of local government. The review, when completed, would clearly spell out the duties of TAOs, Provincial Administra-tion Organisations and municipalities, he said.
From http://www.nationmultimedia.com/ 04/06/2004
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Govt Forms Panel for Exam-Leak Inquiry
Education Minister Adisai Bodharamik yesterday bowed to political and public pressure by appointing a panel to probe the alleged university entranceexam leak. "I have received many complaints voicing suspicion over a possible leak. To dispel lingering doubts, I have authorised a probe panel to get to the bottom of the matter," he said. Adisai appears to have distanced himself from his subordinate at the centre of the scandal. He had earlier lent his full support to Higher Education Commission secretarygeneral Voradej Chandarasorn, who in an unprecedented move broke the seals on the test booklets before distributing them to test centres. In an attempt at damage control, Voradej asked retired educator Poj Sapienchai to look into the matter. The Poj report absolved Voradej of wrongdoing, but triggered claims it was a whitewash. Adisai said that although the Poj report insisted there was no exam leak, a second opinion was needed to silence the doubters. The Adisaiappointed panel comprises five members, led by retired bureaucrat Sumet Tantivejkul. The other members are Thienchay Kiranandana, Adul Wiriyavejkul, Pornnipha Limpaphayom and Polsan Positong. Thienchay is a former Chulalongkorn University rector and Adul is the incumbent president of the Thai Rectors Conference. Pornnipha is Education Ministry permanent secretary and Polsan is Voradej's deputy. Adisai said the Sumet panel had 30 days to complete its report, which would not impact on the announcement of exam results, tentatively scheduled for later this month or no later than May 2. Kamolphan Cheewapansri, chairwoman of the Parental Network, welcomed the formation of the Sumet panel. "At last the government has heeded our calls to scrutinise the testadministering process," she said. Kamolphan said Sumet was beyond reproach, raising hopes that the truth would be uncovered. The Parental Network had earlier attempted to pressure the government into launching a second probe by petitioning the Royal Palace to intervene. Chulalongkorn University academic Sompong Jitradab said Voradej should be removed from his post in order to pave way for the investigation. Sompong also said he was concerned over the makeup of the new probe panel, describing it as being dominated by Adisai subordinates Pornnipha, Adul and Polsan. He said panel members should comprise senior officials from independent organisations, such as the courts and the National Counter Corruption Commission.
From http://www.nationmultimedia.com/ 04/13/2004
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Outraged TU Lecturers Want Adisai Removed
The Thammasat University Lecturer Council (TULC) yesterday launched a campaign to have Adisai Bodharamik removed as education minister for his alleged failure to uphold the credibility and ethical standards of the university entrance exam system. Adisai on Tuesday transferred the secretary general of the Higher Education Commission, Voradej Chandarasorn, to a similar post at the Education Council amid public outrage over the alleged leaking of university entrance exam papers. The move incensed critics, who charged that the minister had not just defended the senior official, but rewarded him with a more powerful position. Several university academics shunned Voradej following the transfer, saying they felt uneasy about working with the new Education Council chief because of the central role he played in the exam leak scandal. Adisai said the transfer did not mean the accused was guilty of leaking the university entrance exam as charged. TULC chairman Kitisak Prokkati said after the meeting that the council would issue an open letter to the Thammasat University rector and the Council of University Presidents of Thailand calling on them to act to restore public confidence in university entrance exam. Kitisak said the council would step up pressure to have Adisai step down. Since the exam leak allegation broke out, he had not done anything to protect the ethical standards or credibility of the system, he said. "The Education Minister must be held responsible for his flawed performance,'' Kitisak said. Sompong Chitradab, lecturer of Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Education, said many lecturers from several universities had told him they had decided to boycott Voradej, saying they could not work with an official who is facing ethical charges. "The lecturers will push for a new selection method for the secretary general post at the Education Council. The person should be accepted by the public and the lecturers,'' Sompong said. Amornwit Nakhontap, lecturer of Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Education said he was one of the lecturers who would stop working for the Education Council. "I have strong suspicions that Voradej abused his power. From now on I will only contribute my research work directly to the Education Ministry,'' he said. The Education Council plays a key role in the country's education system, from drafting education reforms to mapping education strategies. Senate Committee on Education chairman Pong Lengee said that normally an official facing probe would be transferred to an inactive post. "Voradej's transfer case is very unusual. We want to know if the government wants to reward or punish him,'' Pong said. Meanwhile the Senate committee on women, youth and the elderly established a subcommittee to probe the exam leak case with members of the media, academics and outsiders - including students who had passed the entrance exams - and Forensic Science Institute deputy director Khunying Pornthip Rojanasunand. Senator Sophon Supapong said the committee wanted Pornthip because it needed her scientific investigative experience. "We have been using only emotion, not facts, to prove whether exams were leaked,'' he said. Senator Wallop Tangkananurak said the committee did not aim to interfere with an investigation panel led by Dr Sumet Tantivejakul but believed they would face limitations in their work. "We will work to ensure that the confidence in the university entrance exam is restored among parents and students,'' he said.
From http://www.nationmultimedia.com/ 04/22/2004
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VIET NAM: Party Central Committee Calls for Transparent Appointments
Democracy and transparency are crucial in selecting, appointing and promoting Party cadres, a member of the Politburo's Party Central Committee has said. "Only by doing so could the ruling party build up a strong, qualified and trusted contingent," Tran Dinh Hoan said at a national conference in Ha Noi last week held to review Party organisation work over the past two years. Hoan, who is also chairman of Central Committees Organisation Commission, said he had heard talk of "bargaining power" and "buying appointments" in some branches and localities but no specific cases had been identified yet. Hoan said serious discipline would be handed down to people engaged in trading power, regardless of rank. He underscored the important role the chief of a Party committee played in observing the Party's organisational statutes. "If the secretary is serious, fair and well aware of his colleagues there is no room for power trading," Hoan said. "Strong Party committees with virtuous and competent secretaries at the helm would be a solid foundation in the struggle against corruption, bribery, graft and other social ills," he said, criticising "buying power" as another form of corruption that had to be curbed. Hoan said reinforcing the Party apparatus by meting out penalties to Party officials found guilty of violating laws was necessary to improving the people's trust in Party leadership. He admitted, however, that achievements in training, evaluating and appointing Party officials still fell short of expectations and further endeavours were required. "Party cadre planning should be carried out carefully, regularly and systematically," he pointed out. Party officials to be promoted should have their self-evaluations processed in combination with comments from their Party committees, colleagues and local residents, he said. Evaluating cadres at district or higher levels would be done with votes of confidence. Nominating people to the Party leadership should be done by notifying relevant Party organisations, said Hoan. Hoan added it was necessary to prepare two or three candidates for an appointment or a promotion in compliance with the principle of democracy. He also asked Party committees to assess their members judiciously and assign them tasks suitable to their professional standards and abilities. "Rotation of cadres to different assignments and sectors is aimed at arming Party officials with practical knowledge needed in production and business management," the conference was told. Young Party cadres had gathered good theoretical knowledge from training courses but were short on practice, Hoan said. "Cadre rotation has enabled them to acquaint themselves with different working environments and gain practical experience." Most of the 23 high-ranking officials from ministries and other central offices, who had been sent to work in provinces or economic sectors, said they had gained much from new assignments.
From http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn 04/03/2004
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BHUTAN: Audit Practices of Royal Audit Authority to Be Reviewed
Thimphu - Two senior officers from the office of the comptroller and auditor general of India are in the capital to critically review the audit practices and management system in Bhutan. During their two-week stay in Bhutan, C V Avadhani, principal accountant general of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad and R Chaunan, accounting general of Nagaland will assess the standard and capacity for effective auditing in Bhutan. Meanwhile, Bhutan will be attending the 4th working seminar on performance auditing on e-governance' to be held in Moscow, Russia from April 19 to 21. Represented by the auditor general of Bhutan, Kunzang Wangdi and two other delegates, Bhutan will also attend the 13th INTOSAI (International association of supreme audit institutions) steering committee meeting from April 22 to 24. The royal audit authority is a member of the working group of INTOSAI standing committee on IT audit. INTOSAI supports the development of knowledge and skills in the use and audit of information technology and bilateral and regional cooperation among its 180 member countries. The 14th INTOSAI steering committee meeting will be held in Bhutan next year.
From http://www.kuenselonline.com/ 04/16/2004
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MALDIVES: New Standards for Employee Performance Appraisal to Be Introduced in All Government Offices
MALE - New standards of performance appraisal of employees in all government offices will be introduced this year. The President's Office Directive, in which this was communicated, notes that decision was taken after deliberating on the matter in the Cabinet Subcommittee on Administrative Matters. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in his inaugural address on the occasion of his assumption of office for a sixth term on 11 November 2003, identified five strategic areas of action for the term that lay ahead, of which instituting modern management practices, and re-orienting government departments to be more result-oriented was one. He elaborated that the aim was to raise levels of skills and initiative in the public service and strengthen the work ethic and discipline. The Directive also instructs government offices to identify, in cooperation with the Public Service Division of the President's Office, a focal point in the office, who is entrusted with administering the establishment of the govern | |
