Asia to Halve Extreme Poverty by 2015: Report

“Asiais on track to halve extreme poverty by 2015, reflecting the impact of the region's dynamic economy on the lives of its nearly four billion people, according to a joint report released Monday. The report by the Asian Development Bank and the UN Development Program (UNDP) said Asia was also set to achieve goals in primary education coverage, gender parity and fighting the deadly AIDS virus. The findings were set out in an update on the region's progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. …” [Agence France Presse (10/08)/Factiva] AFX writes that “…However, there is uneven progress within countries and many of the less developed economies need global support to plug some of their key development gaps, the report said. …if the countries in the region that are either slow or regressing, were able to speed up and meet the MDG targets by 2015 then some 196 million people would be lifted out of grinding poverty. The region's greatest failures lie in addressing the issues of child mortality, nutrition, improving maternal health, and providing safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, the ADB stated. The most serious problems are in South Asia where most countries are off track,particularly with child and maternal health indicators. …” [AFX (10/08)/Factiva] AP notes that the region “…had over 1 billion people living on less than $1 day in 1990, but that number has now dropped to 641 million, according to the latest estimates … Chinahas made the biggest headway, with one in three Chinese living in poverty in 1990, compared to one in 10 today, the report said. But other countries were lagging behind, among them the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the report showed. Among the region's 55 developing countries, only half had made their data available, the report said. …”[The Associated Press (10/08)/Factiva]

From http://web.worldbank.org/ 10/08/2007

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ADB, UN Release Report on Asia-Pacific Development Goals

The Asian Development Bank and the United Nations have released a joint report in Bangkok on the development of the Asia-Pacific region. The report says the Asia-Pacific region is forging ahead on many of the Millennium Development Goals, but there has been uneven progress within its economies. The region is well on track and ahead of its peers in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa in its target to reduce extreme poverty by half by the target year 2015. China is a good example. The report notes that the region's greatest failures lie in addressing issues such as child mortality, nutrition, improving maternal health, and providing safe drinking water and sanitation facilities. The most serious problems are in South Asia where most countries are off track, particularly in child and maternal health. Pietro Gennari, UN Econ. & Social Comm., Aisa & the Pacific, said, "One of the challenges we face......." The report warns that environmental pressures in land degradation, poor water management, rising pollution and carbon dioxide emissions could push more people into poverty. The "Millennium Development Goals" forms a blueprint agreed in 2000, by the world's nations and leading global development institutions.

From http://www.cctv.com/english/ 10/09/2007

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World Bank Chief Says Globalization Must Be 'Inclusive'

“World Bank President Robert Zoellick said Wednesday that globalization must be ‘inclusive and sustainable’ if it is to help combat crushing poverty around the world. In a speech at the National Press Club, marking his first 100 days in office, Zoellick said the World Bank should seek to foster such goals while guarding environmental protections. … Leading advocacy groups appeared to generally welcome Zoellick's remarks. ‘President Zoellick understands that the Bank's raison d'etre is to fight poverty and he has put out a comprehensive blue print to making it happen,’ said Bernice Romero, Oxfam's chief advocacy Director. …” [Agence France Presse/Factiva] Reuters reports that “…His speech offered a clearer direction for the institution based on six themes, which he will discuss with the Bank's 185 shareholder countries at meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington next week. The themes include sharpening the focus on combating poverty in poor countries, addressing the needs of states emerging from conflict, strengthening support for the Arab world, and stepping up assistance to emerging economies that include powerhouses like China, India and Brazil. His speech also broke from the past by acknowledging that the Bank needs to step up its role in helping to develop an international framework for climate change and ensuring that countries are able to grow while also protecting their environments. …” [Reuters/Factiva]

FT notes that “…The speech …positioned him as a hard-headed multilateralist who is committed to the Bank but determined to deliver more effective results. …At its best, he argued, the Bank could mobilize public and private, financial and human resources to achieve results. … Zoellick said it was the Bank's mission to overcome these obstacles to inclusion in the world economy and allow what Oxford Professor Paul Collier called the ‘bottom billion’ to share in its benefits. … He embraced the UN Millennium Development Goals… as ‘our goals’ and made it clear they could not be achieved without many billions of dollars in extra aid. He added that, in addition to social development, the poorest countries needed help to ‘build infrastructure for higher growth’. The Bank's role was ‘not to finance the investments by itself’ but to act as a catalyst for capital and policies through a ‘mix of ideas and experience’ backed by financial resources. …” [The Financial Times (UK)] AP writes that “Zoellick urged wealthy nations on Wednesday to commit themselves to an ambitious increase in the amounts of money they provide to help the world's poorest countries. He said the Bank had set an example by announcing last month it would contribute $3.5 billion of its profits from lending to middle income countries and from its private investment division to a trust fund that lends to poor countries, many of them in Africa. …

Zoellick is negotiating with member governments… to raise $39 billion for…the International Development Association. …” [The Associated Press/Factiva] IHT adds that “…Zoellick said 70 percent of the world's poor lived in countries that were prospering, and that aid was needed to help them deal with environmental problems, energy shortages and other internal problems that bred instability. … Zoellick …also noted that one of his biggest challenges was to raise money from donor nations over the next three years for the 81 poorest countries, defined as those with a per-capita income of roughly less than $1,000. …” [The International Herald Tribune] BBC News reports that “…Zoellick said it was vital that the World Bank and the IMF showed that ‘multilateralism can work much more effectively’. He added that while globalization offered tremendous opportunities to all countries, the accompanying dangers of ‘exclusion, grinding poverty and environmental damage’ for rural and indigenous populations, particularly in Africa, could not be ignored. …” [BBC News (UK)] Dow Jones, Market News International, PBS Online News Hour Transcript, USA Today, Xinhua The Wall Street Journal, Le Figaro (France), ANSA (Italy), AWP Swiss News,La Nacion (Argentina), Agencia Lusa (Portugal), O Estado de Sao Paulo (Brazil), O Globo (Brazil), AKIpress (Kyrgyzstan), Business Times Singapore also report on the 100 days speech.

From http://web.worldbank.org/ 10//11/2007

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Development Banks Agree Emerging Market Governance Policies

Development banks representing collective assets of $1,000bn will today agree a common set of corporate governance policies to tackle corruption and promote the private sector in emerging economies. The agreement between 31 so-called development finance institutions (DFIs) is intended to hammer out an approach on how to weave corporate governance into investment criteria. Corporate governance benchmarks are still applied piecemeal by each DFI, and have generally taken a back seat to environmental and social considerations when such institutions set conditions on companies in which they invest. Arthur Arnold, chief executive of The Netherlands Development Finance Company, known by the Dutch acronym FMO, said corruption was “development's biggest enemy”. (by Jeremy Grant in Washington)

From http://www.ftchinese.com/ 10/19/2007

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CHINA: Approve Five-year Plan for Environment Protection

China's State Council has approved in principle a five-year environmental protection plan that sets out guidelines, major tasks and measures for the government to tackle pollution. The plan, approved during an executive meeting presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday, has put "pollution control and prevention" as its focus with the aim of achieving the environmental protection targets set by the government last year. The government set goals in its five-year plan to reduce energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 20 percent and major pollutant discharges by 10 percent in the 11th five-year plan period ending 2010. "China is suffering from increasing conflicts between economic and social development and constraints in resources and energy," the State Council said in a circular.

The tasks laid out included: Accelerating economic restructuring to create an industrial system that will aid resource conservation and environmental protection, along with the control of inappropriate development activities. "Techniques, facilities and backward production measures that lead to too much waste of resources and serious pollution must be eliminated," the circular said; Improving supervision, management and law enforcement of pollution; Advancing environmental science and technology through innovation to improve environmental protection capability; Enhancing cooperation between government departments and local governments to better resolve trans-regional environmental problems; Reinforcing environment education to enhance the public's awareness of eco-system protection. "A mechanism should be established to encourage government, enterprises, and non-government forces to invest in pollution control projects," said the circular. China's environment watchdog said at the beginning of this year that the country failed to reach its pollution control goals last year as the economy grew faster than expected.

From http://www.chinaview.cn 09/26/2007

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China Puts Brakes on Property Investment

China wants to cool the country's overbought property market with new rules that require buyers to offer a down-payment of 40 percent for second properties. The down-payment required for commercial properties such as offices has also been raised to 50 percent from 40 percent. Further, mortgage rates for second homes and commercial properties must now be at least 1.1 times the benchmark lending rate. Domestic property prices have been rising fast in China and commercial banks are facing higher risks in the volatile market. The Central bank is concerned there may be a surge in bad loans if the frenzied buying continues. Chinese banks have been completely banned from providing loans to developers who have been hoarding land or houses. Real estate which has been vacant for more than three years will no longer be acceptable as collateral for bank loans. China has since 2005 taken many steps, including interest rate hikes and imposing taxes, to curb rapidly rising real estate prices amid concerns of a dangerous bubble in the sector.

From http://www.calcuttanews.net 09/28/2007

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China to Intensify Implementation of Court Rulings

The people who resist the implementation of court rulings with violence would be detained by courts or investigated by the public security departments if the behaviors are severe, according to a newly released circular. The circular, co-issued by the Supreme People's Court (SPC), the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), and the Ministry of Public Security, required to intensify the implementation of court rulings to ensure the legal rights of the people involved. The behaviors of organizing people to besiege, seize or attack law enforcement people, snatch or destroy legal documents, law enforcement vehicles and other facilities, and other behaviors of using violence or threats against law enforcement people, would be considered as resisting the implementation with violence, said the circular. Other problems, including transferring, hiding or deliberately destroy properties to prevent the rulings from being executed, refusing to carry out the rulings after receiving the verdicts, and taking advantage of government posts to prevent the law enforcement, should also be tackled, the circular said. Chinese courts found that last year, 2.13 million civil court rulings had not been carried out by the due date. Almost half of those rulings have still not been implemented.

From Xinhua News Agency 09/26/2007

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China's Landmark Property Law Takes Effect

China's landmark Property Law that provides equal protection to both state and private properties was put into effect on Monday. The law approved by the national legislature in March after repeated revisions and unprecedented eight readings is seen as a significant step in the country's efforts to further economic reforms and boost social harmony. The 247-article law stipulates that no units or individuals may infringe upon the property of the state, the collective and the individual. "The law will inspire people's enthusiasm to create wealth and is helpful for them to fully enjoy the fruit of reform and opening-up," said Xu Xianming, president of the China University of Political Science and Law. To give equal protection to private property by law is in accord with the Constitution, the proposition of the Communist Party of China and people's common requests, according to Wang Liming, a professor of Renmin University of China who participated in the legislation process of the law. However, the bill had met with doubts and opposition from people who argued private property should not be leveled with state property.

In response, senior legislator Wang Zhaoguo said during the parliamentary full session in March that it will be impossible to develop the socialist market economy or to uphold and improve the basic economic system of socialism if equal protection is not secured. "Under China's socialist market economy, all players enjoy the same rights, observe the same rules and bear the same responsibilities," said the vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature. To address public concerns over fraudulent acquisitions and mergers of state property, the law stipulates that illegal possession, sharing, and destruction of state property is prohibited. Those who cause loss of state property shall bear legal liability, according to the law. The concept of improving the protection of private property was first brought up at the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held in November 2002. In March 2004, the NPC adopted a major amendment to the Constitution, stating that people's lawful private property is inviolable.

From http://au.news.yahoo.com 10/02/2007

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Anti-monopoly Law Has No Effect on Foreign Investment

An official with China's top legislature says the government will maintain its policy of encouraging foreign investment unchanged after the passing of the country's first anti-monopoly law. The official with the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress said the necessary security checks on foreign investment in domestic enterprises would pose no obstacles to the utilization of foreign capital. The legislature passed the anti-monopoly law on Aug. 30 and it will come into effect on Aug. 1, 2008. The law requires checks on mergers of foreign and Chinese enterprises to ascertain whether they affect national security. "China has already established basic checks on foreign investment through regulations," the official told Xinhua. A regulation issued by the State Council authorized government departments to initiate checks if the foreign firms "jeopardize national security or public interests" or "employ Chinese developed technology".

Another rule jointly published by six ministries and departments requires foreign companies to submit to checks if they take control of a joint venture in one of China's key industries. "Checks on mergers of foreign and domestic firms are practiced by many countries," the official said, adding the law was following international practice. "The anti-monopoly law will intensify regulation of the market and help to provide a better market environment for both domestic and foreign investors," he said. The official said the law would prevent SOEs in monopolistic industries such as petroleum, telecommunications, mail services and tobacco from abusing their market dominance to lower services and disregarding the public interests. China joins more than 80 countries in adopting an anti-monopoly law.Drafting of the law began in 1994. Experts said China's socialist market economy had matured in the last decade, and the current market circumstances made the introduction of an anti-monopoly law imperative.

From Xinhua News Agency 10/04/2007

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China Adopts Draft Regulation on Administering Pension Insurance

China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC), the country's insurance industry regulator, adopted in principle at its meeting of chairman and vice-chairmen on September 30 the draft Measures for Administering Pension Insurance Business of Insurance Companies. A CIRC official said the regulation is aimed to strengthen supervision over the pension insurance business, standardize related business activities and protect the legitimate rights and interests of the insured and the beneficiary, pursuant to the guidelines of the State Council, China's cabinet, on the reform and development of the insurance industry. The draft regulation has stipulations on pension insurers, product management and operational management related to pension insurance, and management of enterprise annuities. It will be promulgated for implementation after further revisions and improvement.

From http://au.news.yahoo.com 10/08/2007

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China's New Rule on Drug Registration Takes Effect

The Administrative Measures for Drug Registration newly amended and announced by the State Food and Drug Administration of China took effect on October 1. The new rule raises the threshold on registration application, encourages development of new drugs, puts strict supervision on the launching of drugs, and also intensifies restraints on the power to approve drug registration. Encouraging drug innovation and development of new drugs aims to prevent low-level repetition.

From http://au.news.yahoo.com 10/08/2007

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Law Targets Work Discrimination

The Employment Promotion Law, to take effect on January 1 next year, is expected to boost employment by banning job discrimination, a senior labor official said Monday. The law highlights the government's role in ensuring equal opportunities in a fair employment environment and combating work discrimination, Zhang Xiaojian, vice-minister of labor and social security, said in an online interview. The nine-chapter and 69-article law, adopted in August by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, has a chapter explicitly outlining the government's responsibility for employment aid. He said the enterprises - labor-intensive small-and-medium ones in particular - that hire people with living difficulty will be subject to tax reduction and exemption and social security subsidy under the new law. Disadvantaged people, too, will be entitled to three years of tax reduction and exemption and micro-credit loans in entrepreneurial activities.

Meanwhile, seniors unable to start their own businesses and are not otherwise employed will be offered public welfare posts such as patrollers and cleaners and receive work subsidies as well as social security funds accordingly from local administrations, Zhang said. He asserted that the law will urge all levels of government to "significantly expand communities' public welfare posts" for those individuals identified as the most needy. Likewise, free professional education and training will be prioritized for children from zero-employment households. A lifelong training system of employment and re-employment for urban and rural workers alike, already set up with packages of national training plans for employees and professional training instructors, will be strengthened by the law's enactment. Earlier reports also said the law would oblige employers to offer training to their recruits. In effect, the relevant content on improving such a training mechanism is "the most important aspect of the lawand will prove vital to China's long-term employment situation in the future," Zhang said.

From China Daily 10/10/2007

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China Plans to Formulate 6,000 National Standards in 2007-2008

China will formulate more than 6,000 new national standards in the 2007-2008 period, said Liu Pingjun, head of the Standardization Administration of China during his inspection tour in east China's Fujian Province. According to Liu, many of the country's standards are too old. More than 9,500 standards are working out of their service time, failing to get in-time amendments and renewals, and some of them have been used for more than 20 years, which is far behind developed countries which renew standards every 3-5 years. Liu said that the formulation of new standards shall give full consideration to the interests of the state and consumers. The work shall depend on experts on technical standards and specialized standardization committees. Liu disclosed that the country will increase specialized standardization committees from the present 700-odd to more than 2,600 in 2010. At the same time, the country will increase funds in the standardization work. Expenditure on standards formulation and amendments increased from 73 million yuan (US$9.7 million) in 2005 to 300 million yuan in 2006.

From http://au.news.yahoo.com 10/16/2007

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China to Amend Law to Promote Energy Conservation

Under heavy pressure to harness rampant energy consumption, China's top legislature on Wednesday began deliberating a draft amendment to the law that suggests work carried out by local government officials in energy conservation should be integrated into the assessment of their political performance. The draft amendment to the Law on Conserving Energy, tabled to lawmakers for the second reading on Wednesday, bears several revisions and changes in wording from the first reading in June this year. "The way in which energy saving goals are accomplished will be made a part of the performance rating of local governments and their leaders," says the draft amendment. Local energy saving standards in the construction industry must be stricter than those set by the central government and industrial associations as energy saving on buildings is closely related to the local geographic situation, according to the draft. Relevant local standards "must be sent to the relevant cabinet departments for the records," the draft added. "Revising the current energy saving law is necessary and the draft amendment is basically practicable," said the legal committee under the National People's Congress in a written explanation. Under a five-year plan to 2010, China pledged to cut energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 20 percent, or four percent each year. But, the consumption actually fell by just 1.23 percent last year.

The draft, which almost doubles the articles of the original, details measures to avoid energy waste, improve energy efficiency and cut pollution emissions. It says Chinese cities will gradually replace antiquated central heating with modern household heating systems that can be individually regulated. Official statistics show that construction accounted for 27.5 percent of China's total energy consumption in 2005, transportation 16.3 percent and government buildings 6.7 percent. China has built 1.06 billion square meters of energy efficient buildings, but the figure represents only seven percent of the total floor space of existing buildings in urban China, statistics from the Ministry of Construction show. Other energy-saving measures include strict control of the indoor temperature of public buildings and restrictions on decorative lighting for large buildings. The State Council, the cabinet, in early June issued a circular, ordering the temperature of all air-conditioned public rooms in government buildings to be kept at no lower than 26 degrees Celsius. The draft also says that the Chinese government encourages the development, production, selling and use of environmentally-friendly vehicles and new types of automobiles propelled by new clean fuel, in an effort to save energy and cut emissions. The draft amendment is likely to be put to the vote at the five-day session.

From http://www.chinaview.cn 10/24/2007

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JAPAN: Okinawa May Defeat Textbook Censorship

Education minister Kisaburo Tokai indicated Tuesday his ministry may let history textbook publishers continue saying the army forced civilians to commit mass suicide during the 1945 Battle of Okinawa. The ministry had issued orders in March to strike such references, prompting a massive public outcry in Okinawa. "If textbook publishers apply for revisions (to retain the references), we may screen them again," Tokai said, adding he has ordered the ministry to deal with the issue and try to soothe Okinawa's outrage. Responding to Tokai's statement, some publishers already started preparing to revise their textbooks to reinsert the references on the army's role in the mass suicides, sources said. The furor stems from the ministry's regular textbook screening process in March, in which it told publishers of high school history texts to rewrite references suggesting the embattled Imperial army forced or told civilians to kill themselves and their loved ones with hand grenades supplied by the military.

Okinawa's anger spilled over Saturday when 110,000 people staged a protest rally in Ginowan, demanding the ministry retract its instruction to the publishers. A statement adopted at the rally said, "It is an undeniable fact that the mass suicides would not have occurred without the involvement of the Japanese military and any deletion or revision of (the description) is a denial and distortion of testimony by many people who survived the incidents." The rally was the largest in Okinawa since the prefecture was returned to Japan by the United States in 1972, according to organizers. Okinawa was the only inhabited part of Japan that experienced ground fighting during World War II. Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima told reporters he will visit Tokyo on Wednesday and directly demand that the government make the retraction. "The ministry appears to be changing its attitude now," Nakaima said. "I want to visit Tokyo as soon as possible and convey our stance to the government." Although Tokai said he wants to quell Okinawa's anger, he earlier indicated it would be difficult to retract the instruction because it would be perceived as "intervention by politics into textbook screenings." But he did not comment on whether politics played a role in the ministry's March instruction that publishers rewrite references on the mass suicides and mass murder-suicides of civilians in Okinawa.

The solution is likely to center on "voluntary steps" by textbook publishers to reinsert the references in question — a face-saving solution for the education ministry. Several publishers have begun consultations with textbook authors and will file applications as early as this month to make revisions once they have decided on the new descriptions, the sources said. The publishers said they are hoping to be able to begin work on printing the new textbooks in November as they will be used in the academic year starting next April. In a related move, Tetsuo Saito, policy chief of New Komeito, the ruling coalition ally of the Liberal Democratic Party, and other lawmakers paid a call on Tokai on Tuesday to ask the education ministry to retract its March instruction. Four opposition parties — the Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party and Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party) — agreed to present a joint draft resolution to the Diet demanding a review of the textbook screening process itself.

From http://search.japantimes.co.jp:80/cgi-bin/ 10/03/2007

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New Immigration Law to Go into Effect Nov. 20

The government decided at a Cabinet meeting Friday to implement the revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law from Nov. 20, requiring all foreign visitors aged 16 or older to be fingerprinted and photographed when they enter the country. Under the law, if foreigners refuse to have their fingerprints taken or supply other information, the government may deport them. Between 6 million and 7 million people will be subject to the measure each year. Special permanent residents, such as ethnic Koreans, and diplomats will be exempted from the law. (The Yomiuri Shimbun)

From The Yomiuri Shimbun 10/06/2007

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Gov't to Present New Refueling Bill Oct 17

TOKYO — The government plans to present a bill for a new law to continue Japan's contentious refueling mission in the Indian Ocean to parliament Oct 17 at the earliest, key officials in the government and ruling coalition indicated Wednesday. "There is no change in the government's plan to approve the bill at the cabinet level after taking into account deliberations by the budget committees of the lower and upper houses, so we intend to decide the matter at the cabinet on or after next Wednesday afternoon," Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said at a press conference.

From The Yomiuri Shimbun 10/11/2007

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Government Sets Targets for Men to Work Less

The government has come up with a long list of numerical targets to let men in their 30s to 40s work less and spend more time with their families. The draft targets, if formalized, will become part of the action guidelines for helping the public balance work and private life. The government expects the guidelines to help increase the slumping birthrate as well. One target is to halve in 10 years the percentage of workers who put in 60 hours or more a week from 10.8 percent in 2006. Another goal is to raise the percentage of male workers who take child-care leave to 10 percent, up from the current 0.5 percent. The draft guidelines were to be presented Thursday to a task force under a high-level council working on the issue. The council consists of representatives from labor and management, Cabinet ministers and other experts. The guidelines, as well as the "work-life balance" charter setting out general goals, are expected to be adopted in November.

The government will consider measures to achieve the targets included in the guidelines and seek cooperation from business organizations and labor unions. The draft charter emphasizes that it is essential to review the nation's working style to maintain the vitality of society. The numerical targets are aimed primarily at lightening the workload of men in their 30s and 40s. To make up for the reduced work, the government has set employment-rate targets for women and elderly people. For example, the government aims to have 69-72 percent of women between 25 and 44 in the work force in 10 years, up from the current 65 percent. For people in the age bracket between 60 and 64, the employment-rate targets, also in 10 years, are 79-80 percent for men and 41-43 percent for women, up, respectively, from the current 67 percent and 39 percent. The government also aims to raise the percentage of women in employment after their first childbirth to 55 percent in 10 years, up from the current 38 percent. In 2006, men with a child under 6 years old spent an average of one hour a day on child care and household chores. The government's target in 10 years is 2 hours. In addition, the government plans to have workers take 60 percent of their paid leave in five years, up from the current 47 percent. It also wants to double the percentage of telecommuting workers from the current 10 percent.

From The Asahi Shimbun 10/18/2007

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NORTH & SOUTH KOREA: Leaders of Two Koreas Sign Peace Declaration

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun (L) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il shake hands after they sign the peace declaration.South and North Korea Thursday (Oct. 4) agreed to support international talks on North Korea's denuclearization and to arrange a meeting of concerned parties to establish a peace regime to replace the fragile armistice, which ended the 1950-53 Korean War. In a joint declaration signed by South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-il at the end of a three-day summit in Pyongyang, the sides also agreed to end military hostility and significantly expand inter-Korean cooperation in politics, the economy, denuclearization and other pending issues. The agreement, formally named "Declaration on the Advancement of South-North Relations, Peace and Prosperity," comes just one day after Pyongyang agreed Wednesday on detailed measures for the declaration of its nuclear programs and the disablement of its nuclear facilities by the end of the year under a denuclearization deal signed in February.

By signing the document supporting the nuclear talks, the North Korean leader for the first time personally committed to the North's denuclearization. The leaders of the Koreas also called for a summit of heads of relevant countries to officially end the Korean War. The United States and China, which respectively fought alongside the South and the North in the conflict, are signatories to the armistice, which left the Korean Peninsula technically at war. "Roh and Kim shared the understanding about the need to put an end to the existing armistice mechanism and build a lasting peace mechanism. To that end, they agreed to cooperate with each other in arranging the meeting of the heads of state of three or four parties directly concerned with the Korean Peninsula and declaring the end to the Korean War," said the joint declaration. Roh and Kim also agreed to hold talks at the prime ministerial level in Seoul next month to discuss detailed measures to implement the agreements in the joint declaration. The two Korean leaders also agreed to create a special peace zone in the disputed inter-Korean maritime border area in the West Sea and decided to hold defense ministerial talks in Pyongyang in November to discuss the maritime border issue.

At the talks, the South's defense minister and his North Korean counterpart will discuss plans to designate a joint fishing area and transform it into a "peace zone" to prevent accidental clashes in the West Sea. The two ministers also will discuss military confidence-building measures to include military guarantees regarding various inter-Korean cooperative projects. Moreover, the Koreas agreed to frequently hold summit talks to discuss pending bilateral issues. "The South-North summit is a driving force for peace on and the stability of the Korean Peninsula and the development of relations between the two Koreas," said an official accompanying Roh. "The South agreed to use the words, "to occasionally meet," considering the North's position that it can't use the expression "regularly scheduled meetings" because the inter-Korean relations are not relations between two different nations. However, the North's wording is interpreted as its agreement to hold summits routinely," said the official.

At the signing ceremony held at the Baekhwawon State Guest House in downtown Pyongyang, the two Korean leaders drank a toast in a festive mood to celebrate the adoption of the joint declaration and posed for the camera. North Korean leaders Kim then hosted a farewell luncheon for Roh, first lady Kwon Yang-suk and the South's official delegates, at the same state guest house. "South and North Korea agreed to closely cooperate with each other in the efforts to put an end to hostile military relations and ensure detente and peace on the Korean Peninsula," said the joint declaration. "Two Koreas agreed not to antagonize each other but to ease military tension and settle disputes through dialogue and negotiations. Both sides agreed to oppose any war on the peninsula and faithfully honor the commitment of non-aggression," said the document.

The two leaders agreed to make joint efforts to ensure the smooth implementation of the "September 19 joint statement" and the "February 13 agreement" made at the six-party talks on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. "The two leaders reconfirmed the spirit of the June 15 joint declaration and frankly discussed all issues related to boosting the inter-Korean relations and achieving peace on the peninsula and co-prosperity," said the declaration. Roh and Kim concurred on the need to push for humanitarian cooperation projects and further expand the reunions of separated Korean families. To this end, they agreed to station representatives of the two sides at the Permanent Reunion Center in the North's Mount Geumgang upon its completion and hold regular family reunions. The South and North also agreed to positively cooperate in the case of emergencies, including natural disasters, based on the principles of fraternal love, humanitarianism and mutual assistance. They agreed to streamline their respective legal and institutional devices and promote dialogue and contacts between various sectors, including the legislatures of the two sides, to develop inter-Korean relations in a unification-oriented directions. The two Koreas decided to refrain from interfering in each other's internal problems and solve inter-Korean problems in conformity with the spirits of reconciliation, cooperation and unification.

In the economic and industrial fields, Roh and Kim produced a number of landmark accords calling for drastically expanding cross-border investments and joint industrial projects.Most notably, the two leaders agreed to establish a "special area for peace and cooperation in West Sea" covering the Haeju area, near the inter-Korean border, and waters off its surrounding areas and construct an inter-Korean joint shipbuilding complex in Nampo, near Pyongyang. The special West Sea area, for instance, will be designed to push forward undertakings, including the creation of a joint fishing zone, construction of special economic zone, economic use of Haeju Port, direct passage of civilian vessels through the sea in front of Haeju, and joint utilization of the mouth of the Han River. The declaration calls for rapidly expanding the South-invested industrial park in the North's border town of Gaeseong and launching cross-border freight transportation via an inter-Korean railway between the South's Munsan and the North's Pongdong. South and North Korea agreed to jointly repair and maintain the North's dilapidated expressway linking Kaesong and Pyongyang, as well as the North's railway between Kaesong and Sinuiju on the North's western Chinese border.

As part of a bilateral agreement to boost relations in the fields of tourism, history, language, education, culture, sport and art, the Koreas agreed to open a direct air route between Seoul and Mount Paektu, allowing South Koreans to tour the scenic North Korean mountain on the North's northeastern border with China. Pyongyang also agreed to allow South Korea's Olympic cheering contingent to the 2008 Beijing Olympics to use the North Korean railways for their overland trip to the Chinese capital next year. South and North Korea agreed to re-energize economic cooperation and make their sustained development on the principles of ensuring common interests and co-prosperity and meeting each other's need with a view to ensuring balanced development of national economy and achieving common prosperity," said the joint declaration. "Both sides agreed to encourage investments for economic cooperation and energetically push forward the construction of economic infrastructure and development of resources and grant various kinds of preferential treatment and special privilege to suit the peculiarities of cooperation undertakings between compatriots," it said.

From http://www.korea.net/News/ 10/04/2007

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Two Koreas Make Peace and Prosperity Pact

In a wide-ranging peace and prosperity pact, the two leaders also promised regular meetings of defence officials, the construction of a new highway, the resolution of a territorial dispute over a sea border, and the resumption of rail freight services for the first time since the war. The agreement was less ambitious than the deal reached after the first summit between the two sides in 2000, but it built on some of the key elements of the South's "sunshine policy" of gradual engagement to open up and enrich their reclusive and impoverished neighbour. Critics said the push for a formal peace treaty was vague and largely symbolic. Mr Roh will leave the presidential office in March. Mr Kim depends on the military to maintain power. The US has insisted it will only consider a peace treaty after North Korea has verifiably decommissioned its nuclear weapons programme. But it came at a time of rare optimism over the peninsula. Yesterday, North Korea agreed to dismantle its nuclear plant in Yongbyon and to provide an inventory of fissile material by the end of the year. Within two weeks, a US-led team of experts will visit Pyongyang to oversee the disabling process. In return, North Korea expects Washington to remove it from a list of pariah nations that allegedly sponsor terrorism, establish diplomatic relations and provide energy aid. That deal - thrashed out at six-nation talks hosted by China - was welcomed across the region as a most positive step towards easing tension on the peninsula. "We appreciate the agreement, which specified the steps North Korea must take toward the end of the year toward its denuclearisation," the Japanese prime minister, Yasuo Fukuda, said today. However, huge obstacles remain, including North Korea's demand for a light-water nuclear reactor and its reluctance to allow an intrusive weapons inspection regime. (ByJonathan Watts)

From http://www.guardian.co.uk/ 10/04/2007

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Experts Analyze 2007 Inter-Korean Summit

Following are general comments from seven experts that have closely examined the Oct. 2-4 South-North Korean summit. Ahn Byung-min: West Sea Zone, the region's new potential Ahn Byong-min, director of the Center for North Korean Transport Studies at the Korean Transport Institute summarized the 2007 summit as the talks that advanced establishment of an inter-Korean economic community. Ahead of the summit, he proposed the two Koreas agree to jointly develop highways and other transportation routes, stressing that peace and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula depends on development of logistics. Ahn particularly credited the idea of forming a special peace and cooperation zone in the West (Yellow) Sea that would encompass Haeju, Nampo and the surrounding region to form a brand new "West Sea Belt" to foster new potential for Northeast Asia. On the two leaders' agreement to launch freight rail services between Munsan and Bongdong, promptly complete the first-phase construction of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and embark on the second-stage development project, he pointed out that the two Koreas have finally agreed on a project that promises joint usage.

"It used to be one-time projects in the past. Now I can see that the latest talks have truly specified ways for forming an inter-Korean economic community." "The 27 km-long cargo freight line from the South Korean town of Munsan to North Korea's Bongdong will prove a great advantage for the Gaeseong Industrial Complex which had trouble delivering their logistics," he continued. "Previously, the freight was delivered only through vehicles. (This latest move) is a basis for building military confidence between the two Koreas." "The construction of railways and highways that link the two Koreas will also translate into profits for South Korean companies as the North is home to some highly sought minerals like iron mangensite." Ahn stressed the significance of the Korean leaders discussing a variety of land, sea and air routes.

Kim Young-yoon: Agreement that combines peace and trade Kim Young-yoon, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, believes that if South Korea's aid to the North proves good for both Koreas and the North's changed attitude contributes to peace on the peninsula, that alone would be sufficient reason to express great satisfaction in the latest summit. "The most notable thing about the 2007 Joint Declaration is that the two Koreas combined peace and trade in their agreement," Kim said. "The two leaders prevented possible conflicts within the West Sea region through a promise of economic cooperation," he pointed out. "This is a change of paradigm, to agree on economic cooperation for peace." "It's meaningful for the two Koreas to agree on a special zone, given the need to change the existing framework of their relationship." "Because the latest Joint Declaration included many details related to economic cooperation, I believe it is quite an achievement," Kim said. "I'm also happy to see that the North and South are preparing to systemize the agreement to assure full implementation." The direct flight route between Seoul and the 2,744-m Baekdusan, the majestic North Korean mountain on the border with China, also got Kim's attention: "Once the air route is established, it will mark a new era of tourism there. It could even help overcome China's push for its Northeast Asian Project." The Northeast Asian Project is a Chinese government-backed campaign to rewrite history by describing ancient Korean kingdoms that bordered China as actually being Chinese.

Choi Cheong-young: Practical details in joint declaration Choi Cheol-young, professor of law at Daegu University said you could notice progress just by glancing at the Joint Declaration from the 20007 summit. "The Joint Declaration back in 2000 consisted of six provisions, each formed of a single sentence. Now we have a new declaration with eight provisions which is again divided into sections for more details," Choi said. "If the past was all about politics, the new one is about agreement for practical implementation.... It seems like we can warrant a full implementation just by looking at the declaration." "I, too, would say it's a change in paradigm to take an economic approach to an issue regarded as matter of security. The summit transformed conflicts like the one involving the (Yellow Sea) maritime border -- the Northern Limit Line -- through economic cooperation." Choi concluded, "I believe at this rate, with the two Koreas sharing views on an economic community, this could really lead to both sides building trust and moving toward the path to reunification."

Kim Yeon-chul: Unprecedented, three-way virtuous cycle Kim Yeon-chul, professor at Korea University's Asiatic Research Center, said the latest summit reflected the progress in ties between the Koreas at large, greatly complimented their previous agreements, and made new agreements. The two leaders also discussed issues and agendas in need of more talks. The research professor stressed the importance of a virtuous cycle between the two Koreas and the United States, concluding that such a cycle has already begun. "For the three-way virtuous cycle, I was referring to the six-way talks, North-U.S. relations and South-North relations," he said. "In the Six-Party Talks, the process of denuclearization is proceeding smoothly. In North-U.S. relations, the U.S. is seriously considering removing the North from the list of terror-sponsoring nations. As for inter-Korean relations, the recently made Joint Declaration holds much significance." "The three-way virtuous cycle is taking place for the first time since the Cold War. We should never miss this golden opportunity, and in this sense, it's important that we implement the agreements made at the 2007 summit," he said.

Cheong Seong-chang: Practical approach to reunification Cheong Seong-chang, a researcher at the Sejong Institute pointed out that both South and North Korea have taken quite a practical approach to the issue of reunification. "For one thing, the Joint Declaration made no mention of the term 'low-level federation' knowing that some in South Korea are skeptical toward the expression. This alone shows that the two Koreas are serious in pursuing progress." Cheong added that the agreements to hold an inter-Korean defense ministerial-level meeting, elevate the inter-Korean Economic Promotion and Cooperation Committee to the vice-premier level, and hold more frequent summits are certainly one step ahead of the June 15 Declaration back in 2000." Just before Roh departed for Pyongyang, Cheong had urged the president -- via the official government website Gukjeong Briefingto -- to stress the need to regularize the inter-Korean summits for the sake of advancing the reunification process even if the North found it hard to say yes.

Koh Yoo-hwan: Systemization of inter-Korean ties a big achievement Professor Koh Yoo-hwan from Dongguk University's North Korean Studies program focused particularly on systemization of inter-Korean relations. "The latest summit became a chance to upgrade inter-Korean relations through systemizing the encounter and seeking a new engine for further development," he said. "It is also quite meaningful for the two leaders to pursue ways to declare an end of the war on Korean Peninsula through three- or four-way talks," he went on. "As the summit took place after the parties in the six-way talks agreed on the disabling of the nuclear facility in the North, (an expanded summit) would greatly contribute to resolving nuclear matter as well," he said. Regarding the pursuit of joint agreements, Koh said not all things could be realized at once. "Such tasks like economic cooperation projects will now go to the next administration and will need the consent of the National Assembly in accordance with the law," he said. "It will be hard even for the next administration to shun such responsibility as someone's got to do this anyway."

Baek Seung-joo: New confidence in inter-Korean relations "The local press tends to be stingy with compliments," Baek Seung-joo, chief researcher of the North Korean Studies Division at the Korean Institute for Defense Analysis, said. "Otherwise, the summit was a success, and we did really well. I believe this will evoke new confidence in inter-Korean relations for our people." Adding that follow-up talks among the two militaries are important, Baek said the achievements of the 2007 summit would be clearer after the defense ministerial-level talks slated for November take up various guarantee measures for future inter-Korean projects.

From http://www.korea.net/news/ 10/12/2007

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SOUTH KOREA: Govt. Should Promptly Ratify KORUS FTA to Best Utilize It

This year marks the 125th anniversary of the Korean-American Treaty of Amity and Commerce in 1882. In 1956, three years after the Korean War, the two countries signed the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation again. At the start of the 21st century, the Korean government negotiated the first comprehensive trade negotiations with the U.S. completed on an equal footing in the 120-year-long history of two-way trade between the countries. After the start of KORUS FTA negotiations in February 2006, the Korean government faced severe pressure from both pro- and anti-FTA groups. But fortunately, Korea and the U.S. reached a deal in early April this year after one year of tough negotiations and signed the historic free trade agreement on June 30. The KORUS FTA, if ratified by the two countries, will create a huge economic bloc, nearing the size of the European Union and North American Free Trade Agreement. It will enhance Korean companies competitiveness and upgrade the domestic economy.

To realize the economic benefits and tangible outcomes, ratification of the KORUS FTA should be made as early as possible. Considering the FTA's benefits of tariff and non-tariff barrier reduction, Korea should stake positions in the U.S. market before others do to see maximized benefits. The Korean government submitted the free trade deal to National Assembly for approval on September 7. Some analysts recommend postponing approval, saying Korea approve the deal before the U.S. Korea's ratification of the FTA will put pressure on the U.S. to do the same and could put an end to calls to renegotiate the parts on automobiles and other sectors. Peru, Panama and Columbia had completed all domestic preparations before the U.S. in their bilateral free trade agreements. The presidents of Columbia and Panama even paid visits to the U.S. to win approval. Peru invited a U.S. senator to explain its preparations on labor and the environment.

To realize the economic benefits of the KORUS FTA, Korea should go through the agreement's signing, ratification and utilization. Signing and ratification are not enough; domestic industries and customers together should make the best use of it. So, when the FTA wins both countries approval, Korea should expand its exports to the U.S., utilizing its enhanced price competitiveness, and consider moving manufacturing back to Korea to meet the place-of-origin requirements. Korea has finished only a third of the KORUS FTA journey with the signing. We have confirmed people's willingness to win the FTA through long negotiations and gone through elaborate review by lawmakers and experts as to the FTA's effectiveness. It is not desirable to waste further time with unnecessary controversies. (By Lee Hee-Beom)

From http://www.korea.net/news/ 09/26/2007

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INDONESIA: Minister, Lawmakers Get Together on First Ever Waste Management Bill

The House of Representatives has asked the government to promote the use of high-tech waste treatment plants to deal with the country's major waste issues. Members of the House's Commission VII overseeing environmental issues on Wednesday met with the State Minister of the Environment Rachmat Witoelar to discuss the waste management bill. Legislator Isma Yatum from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said a region producing 1,000 tons of waste per day should set up a waste treatment plant. "Building waste treatment plants should become the responsibility of regional administrations," Isma said in a written speech representing the party. Most cities in Indonesia today rely on sanitary landfill methods to handle their garbage. But the method is prone to various environmental and health problems. The PDI-P also asked the government to include tough sanctions against violators once the House passed the waste bill into law this year -- which would see it become the first ever waste law for Indonesia. "The bill must put up sanctions and set a special team to monitor its implementation in the field," Isma said. The House set up early this year a special committee to deliberate the bill, which was proposed by the government.

Some 26 legislators out of 50 lawmakers attended the meeting, which was called to gather input on the bill from each House faction. The United Development Party (PPP) joined PDI-P in calling for the use of waste treatment facilities. Asfihan of the Democratic Party said the bill should include financial incentives to communities recycling their own waste. "We need to provide financial incentives such as soft loans or tax reductions for the communities," he said. Garbage, largely consisting of massive amounts of household waste, has been one of the most sensitive issues in the country's urban areas. Jakarta and other large cities, such as Bandung, have been facing garbage problems for many years. Minister Rachmat said about 80 percent of the waste disposed at final dumpsites came from households. "The use of high-tech waste treatment plants is very expensive for certain areas," Rachmat said. "We will put a priority on the 3R concept to reduce garbage to dump sites." The 3R concept includes reduce, reuse and recycle principles. The waste management bill requires residents to limit, reduce and manage their garbage and prohibits people from dumping garbage anywhere they choose. The bill also stipulates organic garbage should be sorted from non-organic garbage before being collected.

Another highlight of the bill is the provision of a hefty fine of Rp 1 billion or a 3-year jail term to be given to those who import waste materials, such as used electronics goods, into Indonesian territory. Earlier in June, the special committee invited environmentalists and experts as well as Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso to discuss the waste bill. The Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) said the bill should regulate producers of consumer goods to use recyclable packaging to help reduce household garbage. Sutiyoso asked the committee to include law enforcement in the bill to attract external investors interested in constructing waste treatment plants. Sutiyoso cited the Bojong incident in Bogor, West Java, where hundreds of villagers closed an incinerator plant before it began operation in 2005. The plant was designed to process garbage sent from Jakarta.

From http://www.thejakartapost.com 10/04/2007

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House Finally Endorses FTZ Emergency Regulation

Plans for the development of the Batam, Bintan and Karimun free trade zones (FTZs) can now proceed as scheduled after the House of Representatives finally endorsed the government regulation in lieu of law (emergency regulation) amending the 2000 FTZ law at a plenary session Tuesday. This means that the emergency regulation has now been converted into a law. Under the emergency regulation, the government can designate an area as a FTZ by way of government regulation rather than having to have a special law passed by the House, as was the case in 2000 when it established Sabang island, Aceh, as a free trade zone. "With the amendment, we now have a legal foundation for improving the investment climate, particularly on Batam, Bintan and Karimun islands -- something that has assumed the greatest urgency for us," Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said in her speech to the House on Tuesday. The government had argued that the country's attractiveness as a foreign investment destination was under serious threat from increased competition from neighboring countries, such as Malaysia and the Philippines, which have established their own free trade areas. For that reason, the government issued the emergency regulation in June, which paved the way for the establishment of Batam, Bintan and Karimun islands in Riau Islands province as FTZs.

At least 20 companies would be interested in investing up to $1.8 billion in the islands if they were awarded FTZ status, the government had said, while warning that a failure to endorse the emergency regulation would mean a loss of investment and some 88,000 jobs. After much debate during a number of working meetings, all of the factions in the House agreed to support the government's stance, except for Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the National Mandate Party (PAN). PDI-P spokesperson Hasto Kristianto said that the investment crisis had been created by the government itself, which he claimed had deliberately postponed introducing bills for the designating of Batam, Bintan and Karimun as FTZs. "What the government needs are strategic and focused policies, not shortcuts that could led to even greater problems," Hasto argued. The problem, Hasto said, concerned consistency with other legislation and the Constitution, which clearly states that the boundaries and rights of regions must be provided for by law. He also said that the substance of the emergency regulation contravened article 9 of the 2004 Local Government Law and article 31 of the 2007 Investment Law, which provided that the rules governing the operation of FTZs must be stipulated by law.

Based on the these reasons, Hasto said, his party would challenge the endorsement of the emergency regulation in the courts. Unlike the PDI-P, PAN spokesperson Drajad Wibowo said that his party was still pondering the issue. "Considering the potential for conflict with other laws, I think we would have a pretty strong case in the courts. But we're still thinking about it," Drajad said. Speaking to reporters after the House plenary session, Justice and Human Rights Minister Andi Matalata said that even though a court challenge was likely, the emergency regulation had been endorsed by the House and now had the power of law. Riau Islands governor, Ismeth Abdullah, warmly applauded the House decision, saying that a large number of firms were ready to invest in the new FTZs. "There are plenty of positive signals already. We will prove to everyone that the development of Batam, Bintan and Karimun will deliver the goods as expected," he said.

From http://www.thejakartapost.com 10/10/2007

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RI Drafting Regulation on Peatland Use

The government is drafting a presidential decree on peatland management to help combat global warming, as peatlands store a huge amount of greenhouse gases. Senior advisor to the forestry minister on partnership affairs, Sunaryo, said recently the first-ever decree on peatland management will tighten supervision on the use of peatlands across the country. The decree -- expected to be issued early next year -- will also prohibit the use of fire to clear vegetation in peatland areas. "Under the decree, the central government will control the use of and permits for peatlands in the country," Sunaryo said. The draft says governors or regents must report the use and condition of peatlands in their respective areas to the coordinating minister for people's welfare. The coordinating minister will then report directly to the President. "In doing so, we can control the hefty stock of carbon dioxide (CO2) stored in the peatlands while reaping the economic benefits of the land," he said. Currently, the management of peatlands is at the will of local administrations. Under the draft, peatlands less than three meters deep will be permitted to be used for cultivation as well as for forestry, agriculture, industries, mining and residential areas. "However, these activities must avoid the use of fire in clearing the vegetation in peatland areas," Sunaryo said.

Indonesia has about 20 million hectares of dense, black tropical peat swamps -- formed when trees, roots and leaves rot -- that are natural carbon storage spots. A hectare of peatland is predicted to store between 3,400 and 4,000 tons of CO2. However, peatland emits a larger amount of CO2 when burned. CO2 emissions cause global warming. A report from Wetlands International in 2006 said Indonesia's peatlands emit around 2 billion tons of CO2 a year, far higher than the country's emissions from energy, agriculture and waste, which together amount to 451 million tons. The Wetlands International in its report, Peatland degradation fuels climate change, placed Indonesia as the world's third largest emitter after the U.S. and China. The decree draft states that those involved in peatland activities must also be responsible for preserving the ecosystem. "In Kalimantan, peatlands are the main source of water retention. Peatland damage could pose serious problems to the water supply," Sunaryo said. He said the government would in the future ban the use of peatland for residential purposes, particularly in areas where residents rely on wood for cooking. "There are many residential areas in Kalimantan located near peatlands, such as in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan. The area is actually prone to fires," he said.

The government is also drafting a proposal on cutting carbon emissions by preserving the country's forests and peatlands, which is to be discussed at the climate change conference in Bali in December. The government hopes to decrease forest and peatland emissions to be eligible for carbon trading. The Kyoto Protocol obliges rich nations to cut emissions by 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-2012. However, emission cuts from forests and peatlands are not included in the Kyoto Protocol. The Bali conference, which will be attended by 189 countries, is expected to discuss a new scheme to cut emissions from forests and peatlands and eligibility for global carbon trading.

From http://www.thejakartapost.com 10/16/2007

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MALAYSIA: Sabah to Proceed with Contentious Land Acquisition Law

A contentious amendment to the state’s Land Acquisition Ordinance is set to become law with the Sabah Government insisting again that the legislation would not be subject to abuse. Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman said the state would ensure that government agencies would not abuse this amendment for personal interest and that the amendment passed by the Sabah Legislative Assembly on Sept 25 was strictly for public services and utilities. The amendment to Section 2 of the Ordinance among others defined the term “public purpose” by substituting the words “or any corporation incorporated directly by the written law” to “any corporation incorporated directly by written law or by private enterprise, or otherwise howsoever”. Musa said in a statement here Sunday that there were similar land acquisition provisions in the peninsula and Sarawak. “The government is not irresponsible as to take the people’s land for the personal interest of its agencies,” he said adding that that certain groups should not make statements about the amendment that would confuse and mislead the people. He said the amendments were necessary to ensure there were no unnecessary delays in the acquisition of land for public service and utility projects such as electricity and water supply schemes which had run into problems in the past.

“This is because some land owners are uncooperative and demand unreasonable land compensation,” he said, adding that the government would then be blamed for any delays in these projects. Musa’s remarks came a day after Sabah Federation of Chinese Associations chairman Datuk Sari Nuar urged the state to abort the amendment that he said could be subject to abuse. Sari said land acquisition was a “sensitive” issue and the amendment only exacerbated the people’s worries about the matter. He said there were instances when private land was acquired but owners had yet to receive any compensation even after several decades of waiting. State Land and Survey Department director Osman Jamal said the amendment did not change the structure of land acquisition but merely clarified the definition of certain terms. Asked to explain further the meaning of “private enterprise or otherwise howsoever”, he said: “Say the government wants to provide electricity to all of Sabah with an approved allocation of RM500mil and the project is awarded to Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) to implement. “The construction of high voltage wire to Tuaran would be passing through people’s land and SESB would write to Land and Survey Department their intention to acquire the land. When this happens, it means a private company (SESB) wants to acquire the land to implement a government project for the people,” he added.

From http://thestar.com.my/ 10/07/2007

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Government to Introduce Standard Poverty Line

A standardised poverty line will soon be introduced for the whole country, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said. He said the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) has agreed in principle on a uniform line following a decision to standardise it earlier this year in efforts to eradicate hardcore poverty. “The Cabinet is waiting for the EPU to submit a paper on the matter before making a decision,” he told reporters after a visit to Kampung Tawas New Village here yesterday. The Cabinet felt that the poverty line in Peninsular Malaysia should be the same as that for Sabah and Sarawak, Ong said. “There should not be different levels for every state,” he said. Ong, who is also MCA president, added that all 144 local councils had been directed to register the poor under their jurisdiction. “We want to know who and where the poor are,” he said.

The ministry had various avenues to help the poor, such as offering free bus rides for children and school uniforms under its urban poverty programmes, he said. He said his ministry had given out RM500mil to 450 new villages in the country since 2000. In his speech, he urged the people to support the Barisan Nasional because its leaders were able to help the community in times of need unlike “others who are only good at scolding the Government and making a lot of noise.” Later, Ong witnessed committee members of Malaysia Businessman Sports and Recreation Club taking their oath at a restaurant here. Present at the event was Malaysian Bond girl Datuk Michelle Yeoh, whose father Datuk Yeoh Kian Teik is club president.

From http://thestar.com.my/ 10/19/2007

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PHILIPPINES: Gov’t to Spend P10B to Fight Poverty

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday said the administration will mobilize P10 billion to uplift areas and communities plagued by extreme poverty. The amount will include the $120-million initial amount she ordered the China Projects Oversight Panel to earmark for anti-poverty programs and projects to be identified by local government units in coordination with the National Anti-Poverty Commission, Catholic bishops and non-government organizations. The panel was created by Arroyo last month at the height of the controversy over the now cancelled national broadband network project won by China's ZTE Corporation. The body is tasked to "oversee projects" funded through China’s official development assistance program. Arroyo said local government units with a high incidence of severe hunger and/or high unemployment will get top priority for these projects, which will be launched next year. "I order the Cabinet to already undertake preparatory work on [anti-poverty] programs and projects in 2008 as approved by the House of Representative, to ensure speedy implementation next year," she said. And after consulting senators, Arroyo said agencies may also publicize undertakings the Senate is likely to be pass without major revisions, for which some P5 billion may be earmarked.

From http://archive.inquirer.net 10/15/2007

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SINGAPORE: New Accounting Rules May Result in Property Stock Trading Volatility

Listed property developers may experience some volatility in the trading of their shares, if a proposed change to real estate financial reporting standard is implemented. The International Accounting Standards Board has been consulting the industry on whether developers should book profits when they sell a new property in advance or when the project is completed. A similar consultation by the local Council on Corporate Disclosure and Governance was done last month. Property developers in Singapore sell condominiums as they build them. They receive progressive payments from buyers and report their revenue and profits each quarter. But if the new real estate financial reporting standard is implemented, developers can only book their profits and revenue at the end of each project rather than progressively. Assuming it takes 18 months to build a new property from scratch, the developer will record zero profit for this project in the first year and have a spike in revenue and profit at the end of the second quarter in the second year. Accountants say the change was proposed because the accounting bodies believe properties should be viewed as goods and not services. If the ownership of the goods has not been transferred to the buyer, the developer or seller cannot, theoretically, claim he has sold it. So, even if he has received partial payment, he should not record it in his books as revenue and profit.

Channel NewsAsia understands that developers have submitted their feedback to the Council on Corporate Disclosure and Governance through the Real Estate Developers Association of Singapore (REDAS). REDAS declined to comment on the issue. But Dr Ernest Kan, a vice-president at the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore, said: "The feedback has been mixed. In fact most of them will feel that the current standard seems to be more reasonable, because many of these contracts straddle across the accounting period and normally it lasts more than 12 months, some 18, 24 or even 36, 48 months. So it makes the numbers very volatile, and many developers felt that it's not a logical way of accounting for something." Some developers also argue that a property is built in parts and therefore can be sold in parts. They also say constructing a property can also be viewed as the sale of a service rather than as a good. Dr Ernest Kan said: "So for the retail investors, if they don't quite appreciate that, they'd be wondering: should I buy shares in this company, when every quarter when I look at the announcement, there's no revenue, no profit. Is it something that's worth buying? Whereas during the year, when they see big numbers, then they'd think, 'great, this company is doing very well', without knowing that they had just completed a contract in the quarter." But experts say the market will eventually adjust and factor in the new accounting rules. The changes are likely to be effected next year.

From http://www.channelnewsasia.com/ 10/05/2007

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More Plans to Help Lower Income and Elderly Flat Owners

HDB will increase the supply of rental flats and build more two-room flats under its Build-To-Order (BTO) and Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme to help lower-income families. So far, 539 units have been launched for sale under both the BTO and Balloting Exercise (BE). Among these, 355 units were offered under the BTO scheme. The take-up rate has been high. The first batch of 86 units was launched last July in Fernvale Vista at Sengkang and 74 units have been sold. Another 164 in Fernvale Vista Phase II and 105 units at Punggol Vista were offered in May 2007 and Aug 2007 respectively. Selection has not been completed at Fernvale Vista Phase II and has not started for Punngol Vista. The flats built under BTO will only be completed in 2011. To meet the demand for those who need flats urgently, HDB converted five-room flats at Blocks 990A-C in Jurong West Street 93 into two-room flats. Executive flats at Block 302B in Anchorvale Link were also turned into two-room and three-room flats. Out of the total of 184 converted two-room units offered for sale, 177 units have been sold and the buyers have already taken possession of the flats. Another group that will be helped is elderly flat owners. HDB said it has launched more studio apartments to meet their needs. It has also provided options to let them unlock the value of their flat. HDB is currently working with the CPF Board on how to implement the lease buy-back scheme. As at September 30, NTUC Income has received 57 applications. Of these, 17 have been approved and 27 were withdrawn by the applicants.

From http://www.channelnewsasia.com/ 10/17/2007

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Rule of Law in S'pore Has Helped Social Cohesion

The rule of law has served more than just a social function in Singapore; it has kept law and order, but more importantly has helped Singapore tackle contemporary terrorism, which exploits and misuses religion. This was the view of Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar, who was speaking at an International Bar Association conference on Friday. In a densely populated city of 4.7 million, with a multi-racial and religious make up, the rule of law has served Singapore well, said DPM Jayakumar. Speaking at the IBA conference, he shared with delegates Singapore's experience of finding the balance between individual and societal rights. During a question and answer session, the issue of individual rights was brought up by members of the floor. Among them was Chee Soon Juan, a member of the opposition from the Singapore Democratic Party. He questioned the panel about using the legal system to silence political opponents and the right to public assemblies. In response, DPM Jayakumar said all political parties are subjected to the same rules on public gatherings. Professor Jayakumar, who is also the Law Minister, said this was recently tested last year when three people were prosecuted for posting remarks which were considered racist and derogatory by other races. Their comments were posted on blogs and online forums.

The Deputy Prime Minister said Singapore also takes a strong stand on maintaining law and order. There are strict laws and punishments, especially when dealing with drug traffickers. During his speech, Professor Jayakumar also highlighted the dilemma in balancing different interests, especially when dealing with terrorism. He said that in Singapore, this was not a theoretical issue but a real one, especially when authorities uncovered the plot by the Jemaah Islamiyah in 2001 when they tried to mount attacks in Singapore. Professor Jayakumar said, "Is the rule of law violated when governments crack down on jihadist web sites, monitor internet chats, or intercept cellphone communications? Terrorism is in effect a flagrant disregard of the rule of law. "The terrorist suicide bomber not only does not mind death, he believes death will bring martyrdom and rewards in afterlife. If the law does not produce a response that upholds law and order, the law becomes irrelevant." He said the way Singapore has approached the rule of law may be unique from others, but it has served the country well in strengthening the social fabric. But each society and government must decide and find that balance themselves. Another panelist at the IBA conference, Sylvia Lim, who is a member of the opposition Workers' Party, gave delegates her observations about the Singapore legal system. She said that while it has attained high marks in international rankings, there are areas to improve on.

These include the area of criminal law, where she cited examples when the burden of proof shifts to a defendant and it is not an easy task to prove his or her innocence. This is especially so when the accused is in custody, away from legal counsel. As for the new internet media, Ms Lim believes the Singapore government is trying to grapple with the issue as well, as seen in the last general election, when the internet community was able to post pictures and speeches of opposition rallies while the coverage of the opposition in the mainstream media was more subdued. But she told delegates she is encouraged by the Singapore government's efforts to address the issue of the internet media.

From http://www.channelnewsasia.com/ 10/19/2007

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THAILAND: Organic Laws to Be Presented for Royal Endorsement

Organic laws under the Constitution of 2007 were scheduled to be presented to His Majesty the King for approval Wednesday, according to Government spokesman Yongyuth Mayalarp. He said the three organic laws, involving electoral processes, political parties as well as elections of MPs and naming of senators which had already been passed by the National Legislative Assembly were scheduled to be forwarded to His Majesty Wednesday before they are promulgated to take effect on October 10. A royal decree for a general election, already scheduled for December 23, is speculated to be issued by Oct 24 in accordance with Article 296 of the Constitution which calls for the scheduling of the race to Parliament within 90 days or within January 7, following approvals by His Majesty of the organic laws. Formation of a post-election government is expected done within February 10 so that members of a future Cabinet could be sworn with His Majesty by February 17, the government spokesman said. Meanwhile, 26 bills are being currently scrutinised by the Council of State within the October 15 deadline before they are forwarded to the Cabinet and then to the National Legislative Assembly for approvals. All government agencies and ministries were instructed to speed up the drafting process for any other bills as the term of the current Surayud Chulanont government is ending in months ahead.

From http://etna.mcot.net 10/03/2007

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Cabinet Nods for Retail Business Bill

The Cabinet on Tuesday gave a green light to a draft bill on retail business which, if passed into law, would require hypermarket operators to seek permission from the authority before opening new branches – a move aimed at creating fair trade competition between transnational hypermarkets and locally-owned businesses. Director General Yanyong Phuangrach of the Internal Trade Department said the draft bill stipulates that hypermarket giants like Makro, Tesco Lotus, Carrefour and Big C, must seek permission before opening a new branch on an area exceeding 1,000 square metres and with sales volume of over one billion baht. The bill also covers small outlets of hypermarkets like Lotus Express. The stipulations would not be retroactive but operators have to inform the authority of any new branch under construction. After the bill is passed into law and enforced, the Commerce Ministry will issue a ministerial regulation outlining relevant details including the distance of a hypermarket from a city centre and its business hours. The bill authorises a central body on retail business policy to set the regulations and issuance of lincences to hypermarket operators. Small retailers have repeatedly called on the government’s intervention after their businesses have been hurt by the rapid expansion of hypermarkets throughout the country.

From http://etna.mcot.net 10/16/2007

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Emergency Rule Provisions Approved by Thai Cabinet

Thailand's Cabinet Tuesday approved legislation regarding internal security circumstances under which a prime minister is empowered to act as chief of the Internal Security Operations Command in times of emergency in any given area. Government spokesman Chaiya Yimwilai said the new bill will empower the prime minister to head ISOC, whereas the Army commander in chief will become deputy chief of the national security agency with the Royal Thai Army chief of staff acting as secretary of the agency. However, such an active role for the prime minister would occur only when an unusually untoward situation anywhere in the country turns from bad to worse, or develops into a crisis beyond the capacity of ISOC, which is subject to the Prime Minister's Office. Only in such a situation will the prime minister be required to cope directly with emergencies and crises affecting national security under the new law.

Under normal circumstances, ISOC is run by the military and the security agency automatically falls under the command of the prime minister in times of emergency. Deputy Prime Minister Sonthi Boonyaratkalin said the new law, which had earlier gone through a public hearing, apparently reduces the role of the military when it comes to dealing with emergencies. Meanwhile, emergency rule has been extended for another three months in the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, plus four districts of Songkhla, effective from October 20 through January 19 next year. It remains to be seen whether or not martial law as currently imposed in 11 provinces might be lifted anytime soon, said Gen. Sonthi. The deputy prime minister in charge of national security added that the matter, currently handled by the National Security Council, might not even be considered by the Cabinet next week.

From http://etna.mcot.net/ 10/16/2007

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Cabinet Approves Plan to Build Red-line Rail Route

The cabinet on Tuesday approved the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) plan to build the red-line Bang Sue-Rangsit mass transit route with a total investment of Bt59.89 billion. Government spokesman Chaiya Yimwilai said construction of the project would take four years starting from 2008 after the government approves the investment scheme and the blueprints in December this year. Terms of reference for the bidding will be completed in March next year and bidding will open in May. It is expected the construction of the 26-kilometre rail route would begin in October next year. However, the cabinet meeting backed the Transport Ministry's additional proposal to extend the rail route by 10 kilometres from Rangsit to Thammasat University (Rangsit Campus) with an investment of Bt3.89 billion. Assistant government spokesman Chotichai Suwannaporn said the budget for the project would come from the state budget, contributions to the State Oil Fund, and in the form of a loan from Japan Bank for International Corporation. He said the Finance Ministry would discuss with the Energy Ministry an approach to the budget allocation and exact figure of the spending. The Finance Ministry has been assigned to negotiate with JBIC for an additional loan to finance the project.

From http://etna.mcot.net 10/17/2007

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BANGLADESH: Anti-graft Drive to Be Stepped Up

Communications Adviser Maj Gen (Retd) M A Matin yesterday said the government would expedite the anti- corruption drive in the coming days conducting it more effectively. "The taskforce is fully aware of how to deal with anti- corruption cases correctly and speedily," the adviser told a press briefing at his Secretariat office here. Matin, also chairman of the national coordination committee (NCC) on serious crimes control drive, said conducting anti-graft cases would be easier for the taskforce members in future as they earned good experience dealing with such cases in the last nine months.

From http://nation.ittefaq.com/ 10/25/2007

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Govt to Amend CrPC Before Freeing Judiciary

The law adviser, Mainul Hosein, has said the government wants to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure before the separation of the judiciary. The government had taken initiatives to amend the CrPC to give some judicial power to executive magistrates, he told the news agency after a meeting with the Supreme Court registrar, Iktedar Ahmed, at the adviser’s office. The law secretary, Kazi Habibul Awal, was also present. Mainul said the meeting discussed how the amendments could be made and added that he would meet the chief justice in a few days. The judiciary will be separated on November 1, the issue needs to be settled before that. We have to run the administration. He said the matter would be finalised after discussion with the chief justice.The adviser on Tuesday told reporters after a meeting that executive magistrates would have judicial powers in some cases. The powers included maintaining law and order through summary trials, conducting anti-adulteration and eviction drives, visiting examination halls and conducting mobile courts under powers stipulated in sections 260 to 265 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The separation of the judiciary from the executive is a new phenomenon. Laws will be amended to remove the problems. The laws will have to be amended time and again if necessary. The separation of the judiciary is a continuous process. Work on the issue needs to continue after November 1. The adviser said at Tuesday’s meeting. After returning to his court office, the Supreme Court registrar said the adviser had sought cooperation of all to separate the judiciary from the executive branch. He, however, claimed that he did not discuss further amendment to the amended CrPC.The separation of the judiciary is now under process. The Supreme Court will give the next order in this regard on October 31. If the court wants it can take the matter into cognisance then. The Supreme Court on September 18 directed the government to complete all steps for separation of the judiciary including arranging court rooms for judicial magistrates by October 28. It also ordered the government to inform the court about the progress on October 29.

From http://www.newagebd.com/ 10/25/2007

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INDIA: Government Updates Rural Job Scheme Programme

The Government of India announced the extension of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), which guarantees 100 days of wage employment to rural households, to all districts in the country, for performing manual labour at minimum wages. Now, the NREGA scheme will cover all the remaining 265 districts from April 1, 2008. With an initial allocation of INR 11,500 crore, the scheme was started in February 2006 in 200 most backward districts having high Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population. An additional 130 districts were notified in 2007-08 and the budgetary allocation went up to Rs. 12,000 crore. The NREGA was enacted as part of the UPA government's National Common Minimum Programme.

From The Hindu 10/01/2007

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Indian Communication Minister: New Guidelines on Spectrum Allocation

The Communication Minister, A Raja has said that the Government of India will issue a new set of guidelines for telecoms licenses and allocation of spectrum in the next 10 days. A Raja stated that a committee has been formed to scrutinise details of new applications and spectrum related issues. Currently, the Department of Telecom (DoT) is looking into the guidelines for spectrum allocation and other financial criteria like net worth of the applicant for the purpose of awarding new licences. So far, the government has received about 300 applications from nearly 30 companies to enter into the fast growing telecom sector. Various corporate houses and multinational companies including AT&T, Russian firm Sistema, Sterlite, Hindujas, DLF, Parsvnath, Videocon and others have entered the fray to get telecom licences.

From http://www.egovonline.net/ 10/05/2007

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Indian Govt. to Set Up Data Centres in 28 States

The Union Government of India is ready to set up large number of data centres across the country to provide technological underpinning for initiatives under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP). Once the cabinet approves the project, the implementation is expected to take six to eight months. The state data centre proposal is part of the NeGP Plan to provide digital services to citizens. Under the proposal, the Ministry will incubate centres and other initiatives like service portals in all 28 states. These centres will provide4 secure data storage facilities, online delivery of services, disaster recovery, remote management and service integration. The final number of data centres needed in each state will depend on the size of the state. Under the new norms, each data centre will be operated, managed and controlled by government staff with assistance of outside experts. Private suppliers will provide physical infrastructure, while government will provide software and service infrastructure.

From http://www.egovonline.net/ 10/10/2007

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Cabinet Approves Measure to Provide Equal Status to Lakshadweep STs

NEW DELHI: Children born to people hailing from Lakshadweep in any other part of the country could now enjoy the same benefits as those born on the island if they settle permanently there. The Union Cabinet at its meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday gave its approval to a Constitutional amendment that would provide for the facility. As per the proviso, to be inserted in Part I of the Schedule of the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes), a person shall be deemed to be "ordinarily resident" in the island if he has been ordinarily residing there or is in possession of a house there. "This will benefit the children of the Scheduled Tribes of Lakshadweep, who have been residing away from Lakshadweep due to medical, educational or job requirements etc. resulting in their children having been born in the mainland," Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi told reporters after the meeting. The Cabinet also gave its ex-post facto approval for signing of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. India signed the Convention at a special ceremony organised by the French Government in Paris on February six, 2007. This was done with the approval of the Prime Minister, Dasmunsi said. An Agreement on Environmental Cooperation between India and Morocco was also approved by the Cabinet. The agreement aims at supporting and encouraging the exchange of views and cooperation in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development.

From http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ 10/25/2007

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PAKISTAN: Interim Government Next Month

LAHORE: A caretaker government will be installed next month in a major commitment to holding general elections in early 2008, the information minister announced on Tuesday. The national parliament will be dissolved on November 15 and an interim government formed by President Pervez Musharraf in the run-up to the polls, scheduled for early January, said Mohammad Ali Durrani. “The interim government will be formed after consultation with opposition parties.” he said. The provincial assemblies would also be dissolved and caretaker chief ministers appointed, Durrani said.

From http://www.pakistanlink.com/ 10/16/2007

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IRAN: Constitutional Package Passes from the Parliamentary Commission

Provisional articles 18 and 19 of the constitutional amendments package subject to referendum approval on Oct. 21 were removed during a parliamentary meeting yesterday. The request by the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) to withdraw the entire package was rejected. Articles 18 and 19 regulate the presidential election procedure. Parliament Constitution Commission Chairman Burhan Kuzu said that although there was no urgent need to to remove the articles, it was required in order to bring an end to the ongoing debates over the election of the Republic's president. Tayfun icli from the Democratic Left Party (DSP) said that amending the constitution based on individual decisions is inappropriate and pointed to the fact that many have already voted at the country's border gates since Sept. 12. He added that a legislative body cannot interfere in the election process and said that the provisional articles which regulate the election procedure should not have been removed.

Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said there was no objectionable situation in passing the proposal since a similar practice was carried out in 2001. CHP Konya Deputy Atilla Kart meanwhile accused the government of driving the country into chaos during the presidential election process. “The government acted with a mentality of political retaliation,” he said and criticised the MHP for supporting the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). “A political mentality supporting the dictating attitude of the AKP is growing,” he said. Kart said that if the referendum was approved, there would no longer be a constitutional basis for the election of the president, noting that a legitimacy problem would arise over President Abdullah Gül's decisions so far. The CHP claimed that the referendum would set the government back YTL 200 trillion while Sadullah Ergin of the AKP said that the Supreme Election Board (YSK) announced the expected cost of the referendum to be YTL 103 trillion.

From http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/ 10/09/2007

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KYRGYZSTAN: Premier Assumes Control of New Food-Security Body

Prime Minister Almazbek Atambaev issued a decree on October 10 assuming control of a newly formed "food-security" body, according to the 24.kg website. Formally known as the Food Security Council, the new state body is empowered to deal with a sharp rise in prices for basic foodstuffs and other essential commodities, and incorporates an undetermined number of representatives from various state ministries and agencies. The decree officially tasks the body with "providing the public with essential foodstuffs and stabilizing the situation on the food market." Although nominally headed by Atambaev, the Food Security Council will be run on a daily basis by the staff of the department for economy, trade, tourism, and entrepreneurship within the prime minister's office. On October 9, Atambaev announced to the parliament that the state will provide flour to some 300,000 low-income families at reduced prices, Kyrgyz television and AKIpress reported. The low-cost flour is to be distributed to eligible families based on a list prepared by the Labor and Social Development Ministry. RG

From http://www.rferl.org/ 10/11/2007

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Kyrgyz President Signs New Constitution, Sets Date for Parliamentary Elections

President Kurmanbek Bakiev on October 23 formally signed the recently modified constitution and announced that new parliamentary elections will be held on December 16, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported. The ceremonial signing of the new constitution came just minutes after the Central Election Commission certified the results of the October 21 national referendum, in which voters overwhelmingly approved the government's proposed constitutional amendments (see "RFE/RL Newsline," October 22 and 23, 2007). On October 22, Bakiev dissolved the 75-seat parliament, a move necessitated by the new constitution's modifications to the structure of the legislature (see "RFE/RL Newsline," October 22, 2007). The new parliament will consist of 90 deputies, all elected on the basis of party lists, ITAR-TASS reported. RG

From http://www.rferl.org/ 10/24/2007

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KAZAKHSTAN: Kazakhstan Signs Multinational Telecom Deal

Following a meeting in Astana, officials of the state-owned KazakhTeleKom firm on October 22 concluded a multinational agreement with Chinese, Russian, and Uzbek telecommunications operators, Kazakh television reported. The agreement calls for the expansion of telecommunications links between the four countries' networks and includes a protocol forging a new joint expansion of the Kazakh hub connection to Uzbekistan, to be implemented by Uzbekistan's state-owned Ozbektelekom telecommunications company. With the technical expertise of British Telecom, the new partners also agreed to construct new telecommunications lines with Chinese and Russian companies. RG

From http://www.rferl.org/ 10/24/2007

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TURKMENISTAN: Turkmenistan Lifts Restrictions on Foreign Investment

According to a newly amended law on foreign investment published in the official Turkmen press on October 12, Turkmenistan has lifted several important restrictions on foreign investment, including a new provision granting "foreigners" the right to purchase local companies, financial securities, and land, AP reported. Noncitizens were previously only allowed to make such purchases through partnerships or joint ventures with local state-owned companies. RG

From http://www.rferl.org/ 10/15/2007

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AUSTRALIA: High Court Opens Government Procurement to Competition Law

The High Court today upheld the ACCC's appeal against findings by the Full Federal Court that Baxter Healthcare Pty Ltd was protected from the operation of the Trade Practices Act 1974 by Crown immunity. On the basis of this judgment, all transactions by companies are subject to prohibitions in the Act against anti-competitive conduct. At trial and on appeal, the Federal Court held that if the State health purchasing authorities with which Baxter was dealing were entitled to Crown immunity, Baxter was entitled to 'derivative' Crown immunity and was protected from the proceedings brought by the ACCC. In doing so it applied a line of judicial authority based on the High Court's decision in Bradken from 1979. The majority of the High Court*** noted that the Act had changed since the time of the decision in Bradken and held that the principle in that case regarding Crown immunity and the Act no longer accurately represented the state of the law. The premise acted upon by the Federal Court, that the Act would not apply to Baxter in relation to the formation or performance of a contract was unwarranted. The State Governments of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia took the position that companies contracting with them should be exempted from the Act.

The majority of the High Court was of the view that: "[the] construction urged by the respondents imposes a very extensive qualification upon the Act's object of promoting competition and fair trading in the public interest, in the name of the protecting of the capacities of the Crown, a qualification strikingly at odds with the way the Act deals with governments when they themselves carry on a business." With the High Court making it clear that Crown immunity does not apply to Baxter the matter now returns to the Full Federal Court to consider the underlying issue; whether Baxter's conduct did constitute a misuse of market power or had the purpose, effect or likely effect of substantially lessening competition. "Government procurement comprises a significant part of the economy," ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, said. "Today's decision of the High Court makes it clear that companies supplying government have the same rights and responsibilities that are applicable to companies supplying the private sector."

From http://www.accc.gov.au/ 10/08/2007

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New Law Will Allow Vic Channel Deepening

The Victorian government will introduce new laws in parliament on Tuesday to clear the way for a controversial plan to dredge Melbourne's Port Phillip Bay. Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas said the Ports Services Amendment Bill would clarify the way ports manage dredged material, restructure the way ports collect fees and offer tough new measures for exclusion zones to keep out environmental protesters. Victorian Planning Minister Justin Madden is yet to approve the channel deepening project. Mr Pallas said the laws were needed regardless of the approval to improve Victorian shipping operations. The Port of Melbourne wants to deepen the bay's shipping channels to allow access to larger, heavier ships. Opponents say the dredging will create health risks and irreparably damage the bay.

From http://www.theage.com.au 10/09/2007

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NSW Govt to Reveal Native Species Protection Plan

The New South Wales Government is today releasing what it says is Australia's first detailed plan to help native species survive global warming. Continuing temperature rises will change the environment for threatened species. Some will expand their range, but feral weeds or animals may also compete more heavily for food and space. Some animals will be harder hit, like the mountain pygmy possum, which will no longer have the freezing alpine environment it needs to survive. The Department of Environment and Climate Change has reviewed the latest science and devised plans which include more feral species control, wildlife escape corridors, or greater water flows according to the size of the threat which climate change might bring to native wildlife.

From http://www.abc.net.au 10/20/2007

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SA Govt Announces $24m Water Rebate Scheme

South Australian householders will be encouraged to take advantage of a series of rebates as part of a new State Government scheme to help conserve the state's water supplies. Premier Mike Rann and Water Security Minister Karlene Maywald stood on the banks of the Murray River to make the announcement. Mr Rann says $24 million in rebates will be available to people who install water-saving devices. The Government is increasing the rebate for low-flow shower heads to t$30, offering $50 for every $150 spent on water-efficient garden products and incentives for dual-flush toilets and water-smart washing machines. From next year, discounted home water audits will also be available. Ms Maywald says the package brings South Australia into line with other states and is forecast to save five billion litres a year by 2010. Mr Rann says the incentive scheme aims to save about five billion litres of water over the next three years. "The incentives include for instance $100 for home water audits to look at how a household can reduce water and energy consumption, up to $200 for rebates for new washing machines with four star ratings and also up to $150 for dual flush toilet rebates," he said.

From http://www.abc.net.au 10/21/2007

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Howard, Rudd Outline Aims for Government

Kevin Rudd and John Howard have outlined their aims for the next three years if they are elected Prime Minister, in what is expected to be the only debate of the federal election campaign. The Prime Minister won the coin toss, forcing the Labor leader to begin with his two-minute opening statement. Mr Rudd told the audience chosen by the Coalition and Labor it is time for a new direction in Australia. "The greatest risk which our nation faces is this: the Coalition being returned to office and nothing, repeat nothing, changes," he said. "Right now I've put before the Australian people a long-term plan for the nation's future. I fear Mr Howard's put before them a short-term strategy to win the election. "Working families I talk to say to me they are under real financial pressure," he said. "They have deep concerns about the future of the nation." Mr Rudd says if he is elected, he intends to take our nation in a different direction. He pledged to abolish WorkChoices, ratify Kyoto, implement an education revolution, find an exit strategy for Australian combat forces from Iraq and take action on the housing crisis. But John Howard says Mr Rudd has a pessimistic view of Australia's future. "I agree with Mr Rudd on one thing, and that is that this election is about the future of our nation," he said. "But my view of the future is very different from Mr Rudd's, and it is based upon the fact that I have a fundamentally optimistic view about Australia's future."

Tempers flared on both sides during the debate. Both leaders got a grilling on a range of topics, including industrial relations, tax reform and leadership, but it was public education funding that got them both hot under the collar. "You've been in for 11 years, the changes you've just referred to..." Mr Rudd said. "No the last point I made Mr Rudd, I corrected your improper use of that OECD report and talking about 11 years doesn't alter the fact that you were trying to mislead the Australian public," Mr Howard replied. "Mr Howard, your officials are represented in the OECD if there was a great problem with it I would have thought they'd put forward additional information to the OCED," the Opposition Leader said. "No, that's pathetic," said the Prime Minister. Both were questioned about their stance on the war in Iraq, and Mr Howard revealed in two days time, Australian force commanders will begin discussions with their coalition partners about the evolving role for those forces. Mr Howard says the Liberal Party's aim with WorkChoices is to aid the economy. He says wages have gone and up and the number of strikes have not been as low since 1913. Mr Howard says Mr Rudd wants the unions to return to a controlling role in work places and says Mr Rudd has to prove he is an economic conservative. "It's understanding tax, understanding economics, it's practising what you preach," he said.

Mr Rudd said many opportunities had been squandered by the Government. In response to the Mr Howard's claim that some 70 per cent of Mr Rudd's frontbench were former union officials, Mr Rudd said the Liberal Party was made up entirely of Liberal Party staffers and lawyers. Mr Rudd said on climate change, Mr Howard did not have a plan for the future and not having a plan was dangerous for the environment and the economy. "We need a plan of action, not a list of excuses about why it's so hard," he said. But Mr Howard said we needed to act on climate change in a sensible, measured fashion that did not do damage to the economy. He also announced that if re-elected, the Coalition would establish a climate change fund after 2011. It will be funded by revenue from the auction of permits for carbon offsets. He said its priorities would be to invest in clean energy technology and to support households who are most affected by the higher prices after a carbon price is set. The debate is expected to be only one of campaign, although Labor is still pushing for two more over the remaining five weeks.

From http://www.abc.net.au 10/22/2007

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NEW ZEALAND: Minister Takes Action to Safeguard Sustainability

Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton has taken decisive action to protect the sustainability of key fish stocks in setting catch limits for this coming fishing year. New limits have been set in nearly every corner of New Zealand’s fisheries, including in the deep water, inshore environment and in freshwater fisheries, affecting commercial and recreational fishers alike. These limits will apply from 1 October 2007. “I have taken a careful and considered approach to setting catch limits in all these fisheries,” Jim Anderton said. “Where fisheries information suggests I need to act, I have. This means increased catch limits in some fisheries and decreased catch limits in others. This reflects my desire, and statutory responsibility, to actively manage the sustainability of this natural resource. “Orange roughy catch limits are being reduced by 38% in one area, 10% in another and a third area is being effectively closed all together. I have significant reservations about the quality and reliability of the scientific stock assessment of orange roughy fishery on the Chatham Rise and I have directed the Ministry to get this reviewed before next season. “I have decided to reduce catches in the hoki fishery by 10% and request the fishing industry to reduce catch on the western stock by nearly 50% of current levels. To cushion the economic impact of this reduction on the industry I have suggested a modest increase in the fishery on the eastern stock, which appears to be well above that which is sustainable target level.

“All indicators in the South Island red cod fishery suggest this stock is at a low level. Accordingly I have reduced the catch limit by 63%, with further reductions possible. I have similar concerns about South Island flatfish and have reduced this catch limit by 47%. These are both important commercial species that show ongoing levels of poor catch. “I also want to bring about a clear improvement in the North Island eel fishery by 2014 and have therefore decided to reduce commercial catch limits by between 13 and 78 percent. The recreational and customary allowances remain unchanged for all stocks, reflecting the cultural importance of these fisheries to New Zealanders. “The good news is that tarakihi and school shark stocks around the top half of the North Island appear to be in good shape and because of this I have made modest increases in catch limits to provide for greater utilisation. “I have also spent time re-setting deemed values, the price per kilo fishers are charged for catching more fish than they have entitlement for, to ensure catches remain with limits. Correct deemed values are critical for the integrity of the Quota Management System. They are as important to the sustainability of a fishery and its economic value, as setting catch limits themselves.

“For example, a more appropriate deemed value rate for hoki, together with my hoki catch limit decisions, are the two key elements to improve the rebuild prospects for this fishery. “In response to my decision to increase deemed value rates there may be a tendency for some irresponsible fishers to try and avoid liability by discarding unwanted fish. This is a criminal act and guilty fishers face large fines and potential forfeiture of quota and vessels. I have asked MFish to step up efforts to detect any possible illegal discarding. Project Protector vessels, and the existing helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft will be deployed to detect possible offending. “I know some of my decisions will have social and economic implications – particularly where I have reduced catch limits. And hoki, particularly, has been difficult for me, as I know hoki cuts may mean job losses in some South Island regions. “However, I am committed, as we all must be, to the ongoing sustainability of all New Zealand’s fisheries. My decisions reflect this commitment. While some may see these decisions as failures of our fisheries management system, I believe it demonstrates quite the reverse. This is the quota management system responding decisively to information, or the lack of, on stock status, in order to maintain the long-term integrity and sustainability of the fisheries management system.”

From http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ 09/25/2007

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Public Transport Management Bill Tabled

The Government has tabled legislation to enable regional councils to provide better public transport services, Transport Minister Annette King said today. "Improved public transport services are vital to achieve our goal of sustainability. This legislation will give regions the tools to improve public transport services so that they provide better value for money for users, local and central government, and taxpayers," she said. Ms King said regional councils can already negotiate on standards for services they contract with operators to provide. “This Bill will also give regional councils the power to set standards that all commercial services will be required to meet over time. These will apply to scheduled bus and commuter ferry services nationwide, but not to long-distance coach and ferry services (such as the Interislander) or rail, school services provided by the Ministry of Education, or taxi operators.” The main objectives of the Public Transport Management Bill are to give regional councils greater powers over non-contracted services (the Bill calls these commercial public transport services); to help regions get the best value for money while achieving an integrated, responsive and sustainable transport system; to encourage fair competition and an open market for all PT service providers; and to clarify the role of Regional Public Transport Plans.

"The changes will enable regional councils to require operators to meet quality and performance standards for commercial public transport services which could include emissions standards or more accessible vehicles. Operators could also be required to integrate services, fares and ticketing. “The Bill will also enable operators to maintain their existing commercial public transport services without change, where this is deemed appropriate by the regional council, or for the council to opt to group services together if this best suits the needs of the region and its community.” Ms King said the changes follow a review of current public transport legislation by a working group, comprising representatives of central government and local government and public transport operators. The Bill will now be referred to the Select Committee where there will be an opportunity for the public and stakeholders to make further submissions. There will be a link from midday to the Bill on: www.transport.govt.nz

From http://www.beehive.govt.nz 10/02/2007

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Government Introduces Biofuels Legislation

The government will introduce the Biofuels Bill into Parliament next week, which will bring into force the biofuels sales obligation. "We’re introducing biofuels so that our transport sector can be more environmentally-friendly and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, while also starting to wean ourselves off our dependence on oil," Energy Minister David Parker said. Mandatory biofuel use will begin in New Zealand next year, and will comprise 3.4 percent of fuel company sales by 2012. Biofuels may be sourced from New Zealand, or from overseas. New Zealand sources are likely to include initially tallow (animal fats) and, in the future, wood-waste, syngas derived from biomass, or algae grown on sewage ponds. The Minister said the legislation included a clause that enabled environmental sustainability standards to be developed.

"The government wants to ensure biofuels used in New Zealand come from sustainable sources," David Parker said. "We want to take care not to create a new environmental problem as we fix another. There are legitimate concerns that some biofuel production causes the destruction of rainforests, causing greenhouse gas emissions and loss of biodiversity, or competes unduly with food production." "That’s why we are going to explore, with the help of industry, rules to avoid that outcome." David Parker said the introduction of biofuels was among a number of strategies the government was using to reduce fossil fuel use in the transport sector, including greater energy efficiency, improved technology, consumer awareness, and the introduction of electric vehicles.

From http://www.beehive.govt.nz 10/03/2007

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New Transport Laws Introduced

Transport Minister Annette King says the Land Transport Amendment Bill, tabled in Parliament today, provides tougher laws for people who drive under the influence of illegal drugs and greater protection of personal information held on the Motor Vehicle Register. Ms King says there was considerable public concern expressed about drugged drivers in the See You There – Safe As consultation campaign last year, and the Bill introduces a compulsory roadside impairment test. Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven says: “The penalties for this new offence have been aligned with the penalties for drink driving, sending a clear message to people who think that they can get away with drugged driving. The new compulsory roadside test will give the police greater powers to catch these people.” Ms King said the Bill also aims to improve protection of personal information held on the Motor Vehicle Register. The Register is administered by Land Transport New Zealand and contains the names and addresses of all persons and organisations registered as owners of motor vehicles. “In the past, the system has been open to abuse. For example, angry motorists in the aftermath of road rage incidents have used the register to trace and harass the other driver. Professional car thieves have also used the register to target high value cars. Owners of motor vehicles have also been subjected to unwanted approaches from direct marketers,” said Ms King. “The Bill removes the current obligation of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to release information to anyone who asks for it. Instead requests for information will be dealt with either under the Official Information Act or through an authorised-access procedure.” Mr Duynhoven says the Bill also implements measures to improve the quality of owner information held on the Motor Vehicle Register by tightening up current requirements to register change of ownership and dealing with the problem of vehicles with no known owner.

From http://www.beehive.govt.nz 10/03/2007

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Arbitration Amendment Bill Passed by Parliament

Associate Justice Minister Clayton Cosgrove has welcomed the passing of the Arbitration Amendment Bill by Parliament last night, saying its reforms will enhance arbitration as a means of private dispute resolution in New Zealand. "The legislation will improve the workability of the Arbitration Act 1996, and strengthen parties control over the arbitral process. Having a more efficient arbitral process can also reduce the demand for judicial involvement in resolving civil disputes,” Mr Cosgrove said. The Arbitration Amendment Act implements the Law Commission’s 2003 report Improving the Arbitration Act 1996, which recommended a small number of technical changes. Mr Cosgrove said the changes improve consumers' protection in their transactions with traders. "In the past consumers signing consumer arbitration agreements when purchasing items could be locked into arbitration should a dispute arise. The Arbitration Amendment Act enables the consumer and trader to decide, after a dispute has arisen, whether arbitration is the most appropriate form of dispute resolution."

The Arbitration Amendment Act also clarifies the law around confidentiality of arbitral proceedings. Mr Cosgrove said the timing of the legislation provided an opportune time to bring the Arbitration Act up-to-date with international best practice. "The Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration, developed by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law and on which the Arbitration Act is based, has recently been changed. These changes have been incorporated into the Arbitration Amendment Act, thereby ensuring New Zealand remains current with international best practice." "Alternative dispute resolution such as arbitration is an increasingly popular choice for New Zealanders in resolving disputes, as it can be faster, and less formal than the courts process, and it also enables ongoing business relationships to be maintained," Mr Cosgrove said. "The improvements in the Arbitration Amendment Act will therefore be of great benefit to New Zealanders."

From http://www.beehive.govt.nz 10/10/2007

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Minister Proposes Amendments to BDMRR Bill

Internal Affairs Minister, Rick Barker has written to the Government Administration Select Committee with a proposal to amend the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Amendment Bill. The amendments seek to address the concerns some members public and interested parties had about allowing legitimate public access to information held by the Births, Deaths and Marriages registry - while still protecting private and personal information from abuse. "The Bill was written in the strongest possible way to protect the public from identity fraud and misuse of personal information. My letter to the Committee now seeks to balance those protections against the need for transparency and access to records for legitimate purposes," Mr Barker said. "The new proposals would allow access to records and safeguard private information by; requiring applicants for certificates and printouts to present adequate identification, creating an ‘access register’ so people can find out who has accessed their records, and enabling a person to request that their records not be disclosed to the public. "This approach is consistent with the Bill’s original policy intentions and also maintains generally open public access to the information. "The level of public interest in this Bill has been encouraging and I stated from the outset that I would consider all workable suggestions that sought to strike an appropriate balance between ensuring that individuals and families have their personal information protected against abuse, and allowing appropriate access to the information for legitimate purposes. "I look forward to continuing to work with the Committee, the public, and other interested parties to progress this important piece of legislation," Mr Barker said.

From http://www.beehive.govt.nz 10/10/2007

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Strategy for Sustainable, Secure Energy

Prime Minister Helen Clark and Energy Minister David Parker today launched the New Zealand Energy Strategy, which sets the country firmly on a path towards clean, renewable energy. “The New Zealand Energy Strategy puts our country on an ambitious but achievable pathway towards greater sustainability, and a secure energy future,” Helen Clark said. “It’s important that New Zealand plays its part in tackling climate change. We need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions from energy use. This strategy, and its companion document, the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, help us do that.” David Parker said that the New Zealand Energy Strategy sets out the government’s vision for a sustainable, low emissions energy system, and an action plan to make that vision a reality. “It sets out how we will deliver secure energy at affordable prices to support economic development, while at the same time being environmentally responsible and reducing carbon emissions from our energy production and use,” David Parker said.

“We’ve already announced a target of generating 90 per cent of New Zealand’s electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025. “The emissions trading scheme will help us achieve that. In addition, we’ll be considering regulatory options through the Electricity Act to limit new fossil fuel base-load generation over the next ten years. “We are also preparing a national policy statement on renewable energy to provide guidance to local authorities when they’re considering renewable energy projects.” David Parker said the NZES also includes the target of halving domestic transport emissions per capita by 2040. The use of renewable energy from biofuels will increase, and New Zealand aims to be a world leader in electrically powered vehicles. As well, major investments in public transport are being made. The Energy Strategy was launched alongside the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy. Work on that strategy has been led by Jeanette Fitzsimons, Government Spokesperson on Energy Efficiency and Conservation. Helen Clark and David Parker said that the measures outlined in the two energy strategies would support and complement the recently-announced emissions trading scheme.

From http://www.beehive.govt.nz 10/11/2007

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Improving the Law of Trusts

Associate Justice Minister Clayton Cosgrove says a new Bill to improve the law relating to trusts will make the administration of trusts easier while also protecting the interests of trust beneficiaries. The Trustee Amendment Bill - which had its First Reading in Parliament today - includes proposals made by the Law Commission in its 2002 report Some Problems in the Law of Trusts. Mr Cosgrove said the reforms will benefit many New Zealanders, from those who have a home in family trust to those who act as trustees for charitable trusts working in the community and those for whom assets are held in a trust on their behalf. “Administering trusts has become an increasingly complex task that involves specialised and technical knowledge. The Bill changes the powers and obligations of trustees to enable them to carry out their duties effectively, while ensuring that beneficiaries’ rights are protected,” he said. Key elements of the

Bill’s proposals include: Expanding trustees’ collective power to delegate decision-making powers in order to better manage the affairs of the trust. The Bill, however, does not permit delegation of certain fundamental trustee powers such as appointing trustees or deciding how the capital or income of the trust is to be distributed. Requiring trustees to seek direction from the High Court where the trustee considers that advice or direction from an advisory trustee or protector conflicts with the terms of the trust, any law, or exposes the trustee to any liability. This will make the trustee take action where they know advice or direction is wrong or objectionable and not in the best interests of all beneficiaries. Widening the insurance powers of trustees with respect to trust property. Requiring trustees to notify each beneficiary of their legal entitlements to end the trust and call for a transfer of the trust property.

The Bill also proposes a change to the Administration Act 1969 and related legislation clarifying that payments to administrators are remuneration for services and not a gift for estate purposes. Mr Cosgrove said the new Bill does not radically change the law but rather modernises it. “The Bill implements simple improvements to the administration of trusts by modifying trustees’ powers and obligations.” Mr Cosgrove extended his thanks to the Law Commission for its work, which seeks to improve the law for all New Zealanders.

From http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ 10/16/2007

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Liquor Reforms Balance Regulation and Responsibility – Government

The Government today announced proposals to address youth drinking and to tighten the rules around alcohol advertising. The announcement follows two reviews: one into the sale and supply of liquor to minors and the other to review the regulations around alcohol advertising. Justice Minister Mark Burton said the review into the sale and supply of alcohol to minors identified several key issues, including a permissive drinking environment and attitudes by parents and peers, as well as unsupervised consumption of large quantifies of alcohol by minors. The proposals arising out of this review focus on delaying the onset of youth drinking, ensuring that youth who drink do so in a manner that minimises harm, and ensuring that young people whose drinking is harmful receive appropriate help, Mr Burton said. “The Government believes this set of proposals is a constructive mix of legislative changes and measures to improve attitudes to limit young people’s access to alcohol. Parents’ overall responsibility in guiding their children is maintained.” “A key proposal is to reduce blood alcohol content limit to zero for drivers under 20 who do not hold a full licence,” said Mark Burton “Youth, alcohol, and cars are often a lethal combination. Inexperienced drivers are particularly at risk of alcohol-related crashes,” said Mark Burton.

From http://www.beehive.govt.nz 10/17/2007

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Land Transport Management Amendment Bill 2007

Transport Minister Annette King has tabled legislation designed to maximise the performance of the government land transport sector and its impact on the New Zealand economy and environment. The Land Transport Management Amendment Bill 2007 will implement the recommendations from the Next Steps Review of the Land Transport Sector. The review, conducted by the State Services Commission, was released in May. Transport Minister Annette King said today the Bill will create a new funding and planning system for land transport, introduce full hypothecation, or dedication, of fuel excise duties to the National Land Transport Fund from 1 July next year, and create the framework for a new Crown entity. The legislation will also enable the levying of a regional fuel tax, a tool available to regions for priority projects that would not otherwise get adequate funding within the desired timeframe, she said. The tax can only be used to provide new public transport infrastructure and new roading projects. The maximum tax will be ten cents per litre, with a limit of five cents per litre available for roading projects.

In Auckland, a ten cent per litre fuel tax could raise $120 million a year. “In accordance with the Next Steps recommendations, land transport projects and services, including State highways, will now be included in a single regional programme which will only need to be prepared, and consulted on, once every three years. These changes will allow New Zealand to develop integrated solutions to our increasingly complex land transport challenges, while reducing the number of plans and simplifying consultation. The changes will also enable greater input to land transport programming by local government,” Ms King said. “The regional plans will be prepared within the context of clearer national priorities. This will be achieved through a Government Policy Statement to be issued every three years, which will help achieve greater alignment between national and regional priorities. “Combining the functions of Land Transport New Zealand and Transit New Zealand will create one organisation accountable to one board, ensuring improved focus on value for money for land transport activities and an appropriate balance of land transport activities. The new entity will be called the New Zealand Transport Agency,” she said.

From http://www.beehive.govt.nz 10/18/2007

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Anti-terror Law Change 'Fascist'

Plans to beef up anti-terror laws have been called fascist by ACT's leader as minor parties from the Left and Right joined forces to condemn the changes. In a rare show of unity on a national security issue, ACT, the Greens and the Maori Party were the only dissenters as Parliament moved toward strengthening the Terrorism Suppression Act despite calls to hold off for the outcome of last week's terror raids. Opponents say the Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill threatens civil liberties because it gives the prime minister too much power to decide who is a terrorist and could be applied to legitimate direct-action protesters. The bill makes several changes, including removing the need for the High Court to review terrorist entities designated under the act but not on a United Nations list. The review power will shift to the prime minister, who also decides which non-UN groups are listed, though no such designations have been made. Though ACT supported the original legislation in 2002, leader Rodney Hide said removing High Court oversight was a step too far. "We can't defend our freedoms that we cherish by adopting fascist policies." Green MP Keith Locke said the bill opened the door to governments using the law to curb legitimate peaceful protest.

The creation of a new offence of committing a terrorism act, punishable by a maximum of life imprisonment, was also unnecessary because existing criminal law could tackle domestic terrorism. "Why should someone trying to save dolphins or native snails, if they ever happen to turn violent, be subject to more years in jail than a violent gang member with no social conscience?" Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell continued the party's criticism on last week's raids, and said that the bill was a fresh attack on Maori civil liberties. But Justice Minister Mark Burton said the bill was needed because present law required the High Court to review all terrorist designations every three years. More than 400 United Nations-listed groups were up for review next month, and it was impossible for the court to assess their status. The bill will see all the groups stay designated till the UN takes them off its registers. It passed its second reading by 109-12 just before the House voted to remove the crime of sedition, ironically on the grounds it could be misused to stop legitimate protest.

From http://www.stuff.co.nz 10/25/2007

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World Bank Prods Japan to Maintain Foreign Aid to Fight World Poverty

“Japan should not be shortsighted about foreign aid even though it is under budget constraints, and should remain committed to lifting millions of people around the world out of poverty… Praful Patel, the World Bank's Vice President for the South Asia, said in a recent interview with Kyodo News. … Patel, who made a two-day visit to Japan through Tuesday, said he hopes that Tokyo will reverse its declining trend in ODA, saying Japan should continue to play a leading role in assisting developing countries including those in South Asia. He said to keep providing aid to the South Asian region … will serve Japan's interests as well, citing benefits for the private sector. … The 300-400 million Indian people will have demand for consumer products, including products made by Japanese firms, Patel said. ‘It will be a huge market opportunity,’ he said. Boosting foreign aid to South Asia will also help stem the growth of extremism and terrorism, and eventually lead to ensuring stability and peace in the region, the World Bank executive said. In addition, the region is geopolitically important for Japan, he said. The sea lane that runs through the Indian Ocean needs to be safe and open for the Japanese economy, he pointed out. Thanks to foreign aid by Japan, other donor countries as well as multilateral aid organizations including the World Bank, South Asian countries have seen a remarkable progress in reducing poverty recently, Petal said. At the same time, Patel said the region still needs more funds to resolve problems such as malnutrition and infant mortality.” [Kyodo News (Japan)/Factiva]

From http://web.worldbank.org/ 10/02/2007

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Judicial Corruption Fuels Impunity, Corrodes Rule of Law, Says Transparency International Report

French language version of Global Corruption Report launched in Cameroon Corruption is undermining judicial systems around the world, denying citizens access to justice and the basic human right to a fair and impartial trial, sometimes even to a trial at all, according to the Global Corruption Report 2007: Corruption in Judicial Systems, the French-language edition of which was issued today in Yaoundé, Cameroon, by Transparency International, the global coalition against corruption. “Everyone loses when justice is corrupted, in particular the poor, who are forced to pay bribes they cannot afford,” affirms Maitre Charles Nguini, President of TI Cameroon. “Fighting judicial corruption means an end to impunity for the corrupt.” Judicial corruption: citizens are the victims Judicial corruption usually falls into two categories: political interference in the judicial process by the legislative or executive branch, and bribery. Those with least means are hit hardest as they can least afford to pay bribes and have the fewest alternatives.

In Africa, perceptions of judicial corruption are discouraging: in seven out of eight African countries covered by TI’s Global Corruption Barometer, a survey of public perceptions of corruption in different domestic institutions, a majority of respondents perceive the judicial system to be corrupt; Cameroon tops the list with more than 80% of citizens perceiving the judiciary as corrupt. Among African countries surveyed an average of one respondent in five who had contact with the judicial system reported having paid a bribe. Petty bribery and political influence in the judiciary erode social cohesion: one system for the rich and another for the poor fractures communities. “Bribery not only puts justice out of the reach of ordinary people and compromises the impartiality of judges; it also undermines the justice system’s role as a check on power that promotes accountability. The judiciary must be a force against corruption, not the source of it”, said Casey Kelso, TI Regional Director for Africa and the Middle East.

Fromhttp://www.transparency.org/ 10/03/2007

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CHINA: Fewer Procedures Make an Efficient Government

The State Council on Wednesday decided to scrap 128 administrative procedures for examination and approval and amend 58 in order to cut government red tape. The decision was made during an executive meeting presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao. "The elimination and adjustment of the 186 administrative procedures is conducive to smoothing relations between the government and markets, government and enterprises, government and society and government and the public," said a circular from the State Council. Since October 2001, the State Council has pushed a comprehensive reform of administrative procedures for examination and approval, and scrapped 1,806 items subject to examination and approval, said the circular. The circular gave no details of the procedures that had been amended or scrapped. The reform had laid a solid foundation for the government that could more effectively administer public services and social order, it said. "Many redundant and excessive procedures have been eliminated," it said, adding the government should deepen the reform, strengthen supervision over administrative and approval rights and build a government ruled by law.

From Xinhua News Agency 09/27/2007

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Gov't Helps Released Prisoners Find Jobs

A job fair aimed at criminal offenders who have recently been released from prison and minor offenders doing community service was held by a district government in Beijing on Thursday. Some Beijing-based enterprises and more than 70 released inmates and minor offenders attended the job fair which was jointly sponsored by Huairou District's Justice Bureau and the Labor and Social Security Bureau. Nine job seekers signed work contracts at the fair and 20 others made oral agreements with seven companies. Their posts include warehouse keeper, security guard and printer. A job seeker surnamed Zhang, who was previously convicted of rape, has just been released from prison and he was the first person at the job fair to sign a contract with his employer. Liu Dianjun, general manager of Goumen Welfare Metal Processing Factory said employees in his factory are always given equal treatment whatever their backgrounds. Their salaries range from 1,000 yuan to 1,500 yuan. In China's already-crowded employment market, it is always difficult for released prisoners to find jobs. Mi Baiyang, director of the justice bureau of Huairou District, said, "We should treat the released prisoners and minor offenders equally and ensure that they can live independently, so as to promote stability and harmony."

From Xinhua News Agency 09/29/2007

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Gov't to Fund Rural Culture Centers

The Chinese government will allocate almost four billion yuan (US$533 million) to "culture centers" in poor rural areas for the 11th five-year plan period ending 2010, said State Councilor Chen Zhili on Thursday. The fund would be used to build or expand 26,700 rural culture centers nationwide, said Chen at a national televised conference. "By 2010, every village in China will have a culture center," she said. It has been the biggest central government investment in rural cultural infrastructure projects since the country's opening-up almost three decades ago. Chen stressed "high quality" must be ensured in building rural culture centers, which usually contained libraries, small stadiums and theatres, and should offer education, information, recreation and sports facilities. The culture centers should be non-profit and provide "affordable" services to the rural public, Chen said.

From Xinhua News Agency 09/28/2007

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Reward System to Fight Piracy

China's National Copyright Administration (NCA) on Wednesday launched a system to reward information on piracy. An organization or individual who provides information that leads to a prosecution would receive a reward of up to 100,000 yuan (US$13,000), the NCA said in a press release. But the reward could exceed 100,000 yuan for informants who made critical contributions to a case with national significance or involving an unusually large sum of money, the statement said. "If there are two or more tipsters on one case, they will decide how to share the reward or just divide it evenly," it said. The administration has established a tip-off processing center with a hot line -- 12390 -- and email address: jubao@ncac.gov.cn. The center would keep the identities of informants confidential unless they agreed to publicity, the NCA said. Those who contributed to investigating a piracy case would also be rewarded with up to 100,000 yuan for an organization and up to 10,000 (US$1,300) to an individual. Chinese authorities have carried out successive campaigns against piracy. The NCA, the police and Ministry of Information Industry are conducting a campaign against on-line piracy from August to October.

From Xinhua News Agency 09/27/2007

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Shanghai Fund Open to Public Scrutiny

Local residents will be kept informed about the use of their pension fund through a new information system to be set up next year. This is another measure aimed at better managing the fund following a scandal last year. Shanghai Municipal Government sources said on Wednesday new measures will be drafted on the management of the social security fund. An information transparency system will also be introduced. "By opening government information to the public, citizens will have a better idea of the income and expenditure of the fund," Bao Danru, the spokesman of the Shanghai Labor and Social Security Bureau, said. The management of the pension fund will also be subject to public scrutiny, Bao said. The social security fund was established by the central government in August 2000 to tackle the problem of an increasing aging population in the country. However, in Shanghai, the fund was embezzled and misused for the building of highways and other construction projects. Sources said this had happened because of inadequate laws, lack of transparency and public supervision. Last year, the Shanghai Municipal Government announced new measures would be introduced to safeguard the fund. "All items of the social security fund will now be placed in a special financial account and no money will be directly paid out from the account. Any spending from the fund will have to be approved and done according to the law," Bao said.

From China Daily 09/28/2007

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China Builds 2,448 Disease Prevention, Control Centers

The Chinese government has spent 10.5 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) in building 2,448 disease prevention and control centers across the country since 2003 and linked them with computer networks, Minister of Health Chen Zhu said on Saturday. "The most visible effect is that we are more capable of monitoring and acting against epidemics," Chen said. A disease prevention and control center at county level, the lowest level of the network, is able to report a case of serious epidemic like AIDS to the central government through a computer network. While continuing to improve the network against epidemics, Chinese government plans to pay more attention to daily killers like cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome, Chen said. Metabolic syndrome is a set of diseases caused by metabolic disorder, including adiposity, diabetes and high blood pressure. As these diseases become more common, China needs to work out preventive programs to curb their development, Chen said, "or we may see Chinese caught by 'modern diseases' soon after they get rid of malnutrition."

From Xinhua News Agency 10/07/2007

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Countryside, Rural People a Top Priority

The central finance department will continue increasing its support to the country's rural areas, sources from a meeting of the political bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee said. The Xinhua News Agency on Saturday cited a political bureau meeting as saying that the country should further muster up strength to solve the problem of its poor agricultural infrastructure and the sluggish development of rural areas by "increasing input in agricultural sectors and rural areas". The report, which comes just days before the Party's 17th National Congress on October 15, the most important political gathering in China which will set guidance for future development, suggests Party leaders are concerned about the urgency needed to improve farmers' lives, analysts said. An anonymous official from the Ministry of Finance said that the central government has made financial support for rural areas a major priority.

The country has rolled out a series of preferential policies to boost the development of its vast countryside, home to its more than 700 million rural people, including agricultural taxation reform to alleviate farmers' burden and direct subsidies to ensure gains from growing crops. The State has also exempted farmers from some taxes such as those in the slaughtering and animal husban-dry industry. Statistics from the ministry shows that the central coffers plan to invest 391.7 billion yuan (US$52 billion) in the development of its rural areas this year, an annual increase of 15.3 percent. To further encourage farmers to grow crops, billions of yuan have been allotted for agricultural subsidies for grain prices, seeds, and cultivation facilities. About 125 billion yuan of tax has been waived since the removal of a series of agricultural taxes in recent years, the official said. The results of these preferential policies were obvious, the official said, with statistics showing a fourth consecutive bumper grain harvest this summer.

From China Daily 10/08/2007

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China's State Council Appoints New Vice Ministers

The State Council, China's cabinet, announced the appointments of four senior officials here Thursday. Yao Zengke was appointed as Vice Minister of Supervision and Liu Qian as Vice Minister of Health, according to a press release. Zhou Xisheng and Zhou Shuchun were appointed vice presidents of the Xinhua News Agency, the statement said. Those who vacated their posts were Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council Lou Jiwei, Vice Minister of Finance Zhang Hongli, Vice Ministers of Health Wang Longde and Jiang Zuojun, Vice President of Xinhua News Agency Ma Shengrong, Vice Chairman of the National Council for Social Securities Fund Gao Xiqing, the statement said.

From http://www.chinaview.cn 10/11/2007

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China Steps Up Supervision over Agricultural Products

China has established more standards and testing organizations to enhance supervision over the quality of agricultural products, said an official with the Ministry of Agriculture on Sunday at the ongoing 5th China Agricultural Trade Fair. The official said China has introduced more than 800 national standards, 2,380 industrial standards and 8,000 local standards to make clear testing and inspection requirements of agricultural products. He said by now the nation has set up more than 2,000 state and local testing and inspection centers to keep close watch on the quality of agricultural products and provide technical support for farmers. Food safety has become a major public concern in China after a spate of food problems occurred. With the theme of "Green Agriculture, Harmonious Countryside", the four-day fair kicked off on Saturday in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, and attracted more than 1,600 food companies, mostly green food makers, from home and abroad, including 300 international purchasers.

From Xinhua News Agency 10/15/2007

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China to Launch Small-Scale Insurance Business in Rural Areas

China Insurance Regulatory Commission, the country's insurance watchdog, said that it would encourage large-scale commercial insurers to launch small-scale insurance, especially in rural areas. CIRC chairman assistant Chen Wenhui noted at an industrial conference that it is of great significance to launch small-scale insurance business, with China Life as the flagship in first participating in the business. China Life will enhance service quality while developing small-scale insurance products, said China Life board director Yang Chaoqiang.

From http://au.news.yahoo.com 10/15/2007

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China's Communist Party to Open National Congress

The 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opens here at 9 a.m. on Monday to map out China's all-round development for the coming five years. The congress, which is regarded as the most important political event in China in five years, gathers more than 2,000 delegates from 38 delegations nationwide. High on its agenda is a draft amendment to the Party Constitution to reflect the scientific outlook on development and new achievements in the Party's theoretical innovation and progress in practice. The congress will elect the Party's 17th Central Committee that will decide the CPC's new leadership lineup for the coming few years, spokesman for the congress Li Dongsheng said at a press briefing on Sunday. The congress, which will last for seven days till October 21, will also elect a new Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Li said. Representing more than 70 million CPC members, the delegates are strong in terms of vanguard nature and broadly representative, he said. The election of delegates to the congress went smoothly and more than 99 percent of grassroots Party organizations and more than 98 percent of individual Party members participated in the election.

The opening ceremony will be covered live by China's televisions, radios and websites. China's leading newspaper, the People's Daily, hailed the opening of the landmark party congress in an editorial on Monday. The gathering opens a new chapter in the history of the CPC, marks a new stage in the building of socialism with Chinese characteristics and presents a new outlook on the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, reads the editorial, entitled "Unswervingly follow the great course of socialism with Chinese characteristics". It says the congress, held at a crucial stage of China's reform and development, is of vital importance.

From http://www.chinaview.cn 10/15/2007

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China to Start New Round of Gov't Institutional Reform

China is expected to launch a new round of administrative reform aimed at improving coordination and collaboration between government departments by way of establishing greater departments with integrated functions. CPC Central Committee General Secretary Hu Jintao made the pledge of carrying out the reform last week in his report to the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). "The administrative reform is an important part of the efforts to deepen China's overall reform. We must lose no time in working out a master plan for it, with the focus on changing functions, straightening out relations, optimizing the setup and raising efficiency, and bring about a system which matches powers with responsibilities, divides work in a rational way, fosters scientific decision-making, and ensures smooth enforcement and effective oversight," said Hu. Jia Kang, head of the Research Institute of Fiscal Science attached to the Chinese Ministry of Finance, said further government institutional reforms are impending after the concept of establishing greater departments with integrated functions was made known to the public. Jia disclosed that the country had been experimenting with downsizing its five-tier financial system to three from central level down to the local level.

Setting up greater departments with integrated functions is thought to be an effective solution to the problems of overlapping organizations and functions and conflicting policies from different departments. Chinese analysts say greater departments with integrated functions may help address issues requiring administrative examination and approval, standardize procedures, and raise efficiency in policy implementation. Chang Xiuze with the National Development and Reform Commission called the reform as a "surgery" for the existing government institutional system. "The planned surgery demonstrates the CPC's determination to construct a service-oriented government, while striving to remove the ills of the old administrative system," said Chang. "The surgery will fully help implement the Scientific Outlook on Development." Scientific outlook on development, which was inscribed in the CPC Constitution at the 17th National Congress of the CPC that ended on Sunday, takes development as its essence, putting people first as its core, comprehensive, balanced and sustainable development as its basic requirement, and overall consideration asits fundamental approach.

"A higher degree of professionalism, highly elaborate division of labor and function overlapping led to a serious involvement of government departments in microeconomic operations, which has in turn weakened the government's public service and macro management function," said Chang. Fang Ning, deputy director of the Political Science Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said, "Problems of the old administrative system are too obvious to be neglected and the reform to concentrate several closely related functions under a bigger government department must be enforced." Fang cited pollution of the Songhua River caused by explosion at a chemical plant in 2005 as an example. He blamed a lack of coordination between closely related government departments, including water resources and environmental conservation, for the failure in curbing pollution of the Songhua River efficiently.

In that pollution incident, the Songhua River was seriously polluted when 100 tons of benzene-related pollutants flowed into the river. The contamination forced Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province, to temporarily suspend water supply to 3.8 million people. The pollution also raised concerns in Russia as the river empties into the Heilongjiang River at the border of China and Russia. China has carried out five rounds of government institutional reform since 1978 when the country started reform and the opening-up drive. The State Council now consists of 28 departments.

From http://www.chinaview.cn 10/23/2007

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4 New Members Enter China's Top Leadership

Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang entered the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Party's top leadership, on Monday. The four new members were elected at the first plenary session of the 17th CPC Central Committee. Xi, 54, and Li, 52, serve as Party chiefs in Shanghai and Liaoning respectively. Xi was a member of the 16th CPC Central Committee and alternate member of the 15th CPC Central Committee. Li was a member of the 16th and 15th CPC central committees. He Guoqiang, 63, is head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, and Zhou, 64, is minister of public security. Both He and Zhou were members of the Political Bureau of the 16th CPC Central Committee since 2002. Hu Jintao and four other members of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of the 16th CPC Central Committee have been reelected into the nine-member top echelon.

From Xinhua News Agency 10/22/2007

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JAPAN: Political Bodies Raise Y269.1 Bil in 2006

TOKYO — Political parties and organizations in Japan raised a total of 269.1 billion yen in 2006, down 7% from the previous year, marking the lowest level since the burst of the asset-inflated bubble economy in the early 1990s, a Kyodo News tally showed Friday. By political party, the Liberal Democratic Party posted 61.7 billion yen in income, maintaining the top position for the fourth straight year. The Japanese Communist Party ranked second with 58.8 billion yen, followed by the Democratic Party of Japan with 20.6 billion yen and the New Komeito party with 19.3 billion yen. Shizuka Kamei, acting leader of the People's New Party, topped the list with 445.58 million yen.

From http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/ 09/29/2007

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Fukuda Vows to Regain Public Trust Continuing MSDF Duty Also A Key Priority, Diet Is Told

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda vowed Monday in his first Diet speech to recover the public's trust in the government — a trust damaged by the money scandals swirling around members of the Cabinet of his predecessor, Shinzo Abe. The scandals and the pension record debacle led to the ruling bloc's huge upset in the July Upper House election. The new prime minister said his diplomatic priorities are to continue Japan's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean for antiterrorism operations in and around Afghanistan, to resolve the Pyongyang abduction issue and to continue pushing for North Korea's denuclearization. Fukuda, 71, promised to engage the opposition camp now that the Democratic Party of Japan is the biggest force in the Upper House thanks to the July election. It was the first time Fukuda has presented his agenda in the Diet since he was elected prime minister Sept. 25. The extraordinary session had been suspended for almost three weeks after Abe abruptly announced Sept. 12, at the onset of the session, that he was stepping down.Fukuda's moderate, even dovish, tone is in sharp contrast to his nationalistic predecessor, who used ideological slogans such as "leaving behind the postwar regime" and advocated changing the pacifist Constitution. Fukuda made no mention in his speech of revising the Constitution or allowing Japan to engage in collective self-defense. "Regaining trust in politics and the government is the (most) urgent issue," Fukuda told the Diet in the 23-minute speech. "Without the people's trust, it is impossible to realize any policy or necessary reforms." The remarks followed Fukuda's warning to his Cabinet last week to keep their hands clean over political funds.

On foreign policy, Fukuda said maintaining the Japan-U.S. alliance and cooperating with the international community is the basis of Japan's diplomacy. He said the most pressing issues are continuing the Maritime Self-Defense Force's mission in the Indian Ocean and seeking an early resolution of the North Korean problems. Fukuda said he will do his best to convince the public and lawmakers about the importance of continuing the MSDF mission, which expires Nov. 1, saying it is highly valued by other countries. He also pledged to do everything in his power to gain the return of any Japanese abductees still in North Korea and then work to normalize diplomatic relations. While making no direct reference in his speech, Fukuda has called for engaging in dialogue with Pyongyang rather than simply resorting to sanctions, in contrast to Abe's stance of putting more pressure on the North. Fukuda is also advocating closer relations with China and South Korea. Historical issues have often strained Japan's ties with its two neighbors. The pro-China leader said he will contribute to regional peace and stability together with Beijing by establishing relations that benefit both countries based on common strategic interests. While campaigning for the Liberal Democratic Party presidency, Fukuda made it clear he will not visit Yasukuni Shrine.

He pledged in his speech to further reinforce trust with South Korea, strengthen the economic alliance with member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and work to resolve the territorial dispute with Moscow over the Russian-held islands off Hokkaido. Fukuda said it was "extremely regrettable" that a Japanese video journalist in Myanmar was slain, reportedly shot at point-blank range by a soldier during a crackdown on the democracy movement. "I will promote active Asian diplomacy to let stability and growth take root" across Asia, he said. On the economic front, Fukuda promised to continue structural reforms the government has been promoting since Junichiro Koizumi became prime minister in 2001. "Reforms and a stable economy are two wheels of a car," he said. At the same time, he acknowledged that the rural-urban income disparity has widened because of structural reforms. He stressed he will not boost fiscal spending for public works but instead aim at tailor-made steps for each rural region. On the pension record-keeping fiasco, another cause of the LDP-led ruling bloc's defeat in the July election, Fukuda said it is important to check every citizen's pension premium payment record to ensure benefit payments are correct. But he did not state whether he will stick to Abe's pledge that the government will finish sorting out the mismatch of 50 million pension payment records by March. Fukuda, who indicated during the LDP presidential race that the consumption tax must be raised to pay for ballooning social security costs, did not mention Monday when a tax hike might take effect. He only said he will promptly open discussions to realize overall tax reforms, including the consumption tax. (By Hiroko Nakata)

From http://search.japantimes.co.jp:80/cgi-bin/ 10/02/2007

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Civil Service Reform Proposal Postponed

The government's study group on reform of the civil service has decided to postpone drawing up a proposal for a blueprint to reform the personnel system to January from mid-November. The decision was made at the fourth meeting of the study group, headed by Toshiba Corp. Chairman Tadashi Okamura, at the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday. The move apparently was made out of consideration for the Cabinet of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, which has put priority on building a consensus on policies with the ruling bloc of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito. Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said at the meeting: "People's attention is focused on when the study group will finish drawing up its proposals. But the [personnel] system will be in place for a long time, so I hope the members will discuss the matter carefully instead of hastily jumping to a conclusion." Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe set civil service reform as one of his pet projects. The government plans to submit to the ordinary session of the Diet next year a bill to implement the reform plan concerning the employment system for central government workers. Abe, therefore, set up the study group in July to discuss the content of the bill. The study group has discussed measures to develop human resources for executive posts and reviewed the current recruiting methods based on employment tests for different career tracks.

Wednesday's meeting was the first since the launch of the Fukuda Cabinet. Ahead of the meeting, Yoshimi Watanabe, state minister in charge of administrative reform, who promoted the reform of the civil service under the Abe Cabinet, indicated that the report will be delayed due to the need to coordinate opinions within the ruling bloc. Speaking on Tuesday afternoon after meeting Machimura at the Prime Minister's Office, he said, "We'll have to accept that because there are several issues on which a consensus needs to be obtained with the ruling bloc, the plan will inevitably fall behind schedule." Abe passed a set of bills related to civil service reform despite opposition from the ruling bloc. Therefore, the change in the relationship between the administration and the ruling bloc may influence the content of the proposal by the study group, observers said. Fukuda said during an interpellation session by party representatives Wednesday, "I'll turn the system into one that will enable government officials to maintain high morality, improve their capabilities and fulfill their duties with pride." He avoided phrases and expressions that might have ruffled bureaucrats' feathers. Machimura also indicated a need to change the course of reform policies started by the Abe Cabinet. He said during the study group's meeting, "I believe the fact that various proposals have recently been made as part of attempts to intimidate bureaucrats shows a lack of balance [in the group's views]." Bureaucrats blamed the Abe Cabinet for the trouble they had attracting capable personnel due to what they claimed was "bureaucrat bashing."

From The Yomiuri Shimbun 10/05/2007

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Local Govts Overtaxed to Tune of 859 Million Yen

More than 150 local governments were overtaxed on sewage works and other projects, with a total of 859 million yen excess consumption tax paid by the end of September due to the wrongful imposition of levies by 10 regional taxation bureaus and a taxation office nationwide, it has been learned. The National Tax Agency apologized for the overtaxation to one prefecture and 152 municipalities, explaining it was caused by "misunderstanding of the Consumption Tax Law." The agency has now started procedures to have the regional tax bureaus return the money to the local governments. Even specialists such as certified tax accountants have been saying the consumption tax, introduced in 1989, is difficult to calculate. Now mistakes made by the top professionals in the field illustrate just how difficult the law is to understand. The consumption tax is levied not only on consumer purchases, but also on local government spending. Special accounts set up by local governments for specific projects are treated as corporate entities. The consumption tax levied on local government is then calculated by subtracting the consumption tax it pays in undertaking the project from the tax it receives in revenues earned by the project. The law stipulates that if a local government special account set up for a certain project then borrows money from the local government's general account for use on capital spending, consumption tax paid on items such as construction costs covered with funds from the general account should not be subtracted when calculating the final amount of consumption tax to be levied on the local government. However, local government special accounts with taxable sales of 10 million yen or less are exempt from the tax--a reduction from the 30 million yen exemption threshold that applied until 2003. The law also stipulates that, if a local government special account has sales worth 10 million yen or less in the year that it borrows money from the general account then expenses can be the subject of tax subtraction, even after sales related to the project go above the 10 million yen threshold.

From The Yomiuri Shimbun 10/11/2007

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Schooling Reform Back in Focus: Fukuda to Continue with Abe's Education Rebuilding Council

The government has decided to resume the activities of the Education Rebuilding Council, by holding a general meeting and a joint sectional meeting later this month, that had been suspended due to the change in administration sources said. The government is aiming to include the proposals raised at the meetings in the council's third report, which will be produced this year. The council served as a symbol of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration. However after Yasuo Fukuda took the helm of government last month, a change of direction is expected over issues such as whether to introduce the so-called education voucher system--one of the proposals the council previously grappled with under Abe. Abe established the council in October 2006 to ensure hands-on involvement in the reform of education, while simultaneously circumventing bureaucrat initiative. In its two previous reports, the council proposed policies such as reconsidering pressure-free education, and increasing class hours by 10 percent.

The council comprises an advisory panel of experts under the direct control of the prime minister. Ryoji Noyori, a Nobel laureate in chemistry, serves as chairman. General meetings are attended by the prime minister, chief cabinet secretariat, education, science and technology minister and experts, while three sectional meetings, are attended only by the experts. The last general meeting was held on June 1, and the last joint sectional meeting on Sept. 12. Fukuda is scheduled to attend both the meetings scheduled for later this month. The main focus of the meetings will be the outcomes of issues initiated by Abe, and will touch upon whether to introduce the education voucher system; whether a third-party organization should evaluate schools and boards of education; and how much English should be taught in primary schools. The education voucher system is intended to enhance educational quality by introducing an element of competition. Students and parents would receive government vouchers to be used at the school of their choice. Schools would be subsidized by the government according to how many vouchers they held.

Council direction unclear It is seen as inevitable that the course of the Education Rebuilding Council will alter as a result of the change in prime ministers. Although Fukuda has expressed his intention to continue with education reform, he has not indicated which direction he will take, or how his own ideas will be reflected in the proposals. Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura on Tuesday expressed the government's intention to continue using the council as an "engine of reforms" under Eriko Yamatani, who was an advisor in charge of education reform issues under Abe before taking up the same role under Fukuda. "The fact that Ms. Yamatani was reappointed shows the Fukuda Cabinet also intends to promote the reform of education. As a person who has twice worked as the Education, Science and Technology Minister, I'll give the reforms my full support," Machimura said. As the council was the centerpiece of Abe's administration, it was doubtful whether it would continue to exist after Fukuda took office. A senior Liberal Democratic Party member said, "Shortly after announcing his resignation, Mr. Abe phoned Mr. [Bunmei] Ibuki who was the education, science and technology minister at the time to say, 'I urge that the Education Rebuilding Council be maintained under the next cabinet.'" With Abe's request in mind, Fukuda, Ibuki and other top officials decided to maintain the council.

This month, Yamatani visited Education, Science and Technology Minister Kisaburo Tokai and other Diet members who specialize in education to decide which items would be on the agenda. Various issues will be discussed for the third report, such as how to improve the quality of teachers and whether to change the system of spending six years in primary school, three years each in middle and high schools, and four years in higher education. However, the most contentious issue will be whether to introduce the education voucher system in the face of opposition from the Education, Science and Technology Ministry and private schools. Opinion also is divided among the council members. LDP members have given the issues a cool reception. A former education, science and technology minister said, "Issues left unfinished [by the Abe administration] were originally difficult to achieve." "We'll examine what to discuss at the council, and also review individual topics," said Yamatani. There is a possibility that the aims of the council will change dramatically in the future. Unlike his predecessor, it seems Fukuda does not feel any special attraction to education. Since his time as chief cabinet secretariat he has rarely revealed his educational policy line. Even in his policy speech, he only briefly touched on the issue saying, "Families, local communities and the government will work together as one to pursue education reform."

From http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/ 10//11/2007

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Gov't to Set Up Ministerial Meeting on Pension Blunder

TOKYO — The government decided Friday to set up a ministers' meeting led by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to beef up government measures to resolve the pension record-keeping blunders, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said. Machimura said he would like to hold the first meeting "as soon as possible," but it would likely to be after next week's House of Councillors Budget Committee session. The participants of the meeting will include Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe, and Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukaga, Machimura said.

From http://www.japantoday.com/ 10/12/2007

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Agricultural Industry Reform Said Crucial for Japan FTAs

Japan could be left behind in the global trend of free trade agreements unless it resolves the problem of its protected agricultural sectors, Keio University professor Fukunari Kimura stressed at the Sept. 28 East Asia symposium. Tokyo has signed FTAs with several countries, mainly with those in southeast Asia but also with nations outside the region such as Mexico and Chile. Japan is now set to conclude a pact with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations later this year, an agreement that would be the nation's first with a regional bloc. Professor Kimura described Japan's FTA strategy as "pragmatic — in both a good sense and a bad sense." According to Kimura, Tokyo has emphasized creating better business environments for Japanese firms operating in East Asia in its FTA strategy aimed at further promote cross-border production and distribution networks. This strategy has been successful to a certain extent in improving trade and investment rules, protection of intellectual property and securing channels of private-public sector communication in Japan's trading partners, he noted.

At the same time, Kimura pointed out, Japan's FTAs are often criticized abroad as being "dirty" or "not comprehensive" in terms of liberalization of goods trade because a number of items — including many farm products — have been exempted from the tariff cuts. In fact, the scope of liberalization offered by Japan is narrower than that pledged by most of Japan's FTA partners — unusual in that advanced economies tend to offer greater degrees of liberalization than developing countries, Kimura pointed out. Japan's FTA partners have so far accepted the uneven terms because of Tokyo's strong bargaining power and the expectation that agreements could lead to increased economic cooperation and investments from Japan, he said. However, Kimura warns that Japan cannot use such tactics with more advanced economies like South Korea or Australia. The FTA talks with South Korea have remained stalled for years. Negotiations launched in April with Australia are expected to have agriculture as a major stumbling block as Japanese farm lobbies oppose the inclusion of rice, wheat and dairy products in any deals with the major farming nation.

Also at the symposium, Masahiro Yonekura, a vice chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) and president of Sumitomo Chemical Co., stressed that FTAs with East Asia are crucial to Japan's sustained growth, especially in light of the challenges posed by globalization and Japan's declining birthrate. Japan should also pursue an FTA with the U.S., he advised, in order to serve as a bridge between the U.S. and East Asia. Kimura, however, warned that Japan must resolve the politically sensitive farm trade protection issue or risk being unable to make initiatives in the global effort for trade liberalization. Future FTAs with the U.S. or the European Union will be impossible if Japan fails to conclude a deal with Australia, Kimura stressed, and advised Japan to first do its "homework" concerning agricultural industry reform before talking about regional community building in East Asia. Political will must drive East Asian community Recent years have seen a rapid expansion in FTAs worldwide and Shujiro Urata, professor of economics at Waseda University's Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, said one of the reasons for this is that more and more countries have realized that domestic economic reforms implemented as part of free trade deals will act to accelerate growth.

Urata agreed that, for Japan, key questions needing to be addressed are farm industry reform and the labor market. He also pointed to a "competition" of various FTA arrangements for the whole of East Asia, with major economies such as Japan, China and South Korea each concluding or negotiating deals with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The question, he said, is whether this will evolve into a single region-wide FTA. Suthiphand Chirathivat, chairman of the Economics Research Center and the Center for International Economics at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, said the current competing schemes and tracks for East Asian regionalism, whether it is ASEAN plus three, plus six or an even larger membership, must be resolved. Suthiphand also said efforts will be needed to drive the process of regional cooperation and integration beyond the overlapping rules and commitments of different free trade deals. He pointed out that multiple rules of origin under a jumble of overlapping FTAs would be burdensome and could increase transaction costs. (By Takashi Kitazume Staff writer)

From http://search.japantimes.co.jp/ 10/13/2007

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Yasuo Fukuda, Ninety First Premier of Japan: Transparency in Political Funds - His Primary Act

Newly appointed Prime Minister of Japan Yasuo Fukuda made his first customary policy speech on Monday, October 1, at the beginning of the parliamentary session. The 91st Prime Minister of Japan had stated that his regime will cordially pursue dialogue with the opposition parties on important policy issues. His efforts and intentions are clear to get things done peacefully in the Parliament by working sincerely with the Opposition. He appealed to the Opposition to work with him to renew a controversial naval mission which supports US-led forces in Afghanistan on terror. The Japan Maritime Self Defence Forces supply free fuel in the Indian Ocean to the US and other joint forces, ships and jets operating in the war on terror. Besides the continuation of The Japan Maritime Self Defense Forces refuelling for the US-led anti-terrorism mission, the other issues are an early resolution of North Koreans, including the past abductions of Japanese nationals. Mr. Fukuda exclaimed that abduction is a serious human rights issue. He mentioned he would approach North Korea and make possible efforts to have a better relationship, Japan ruled the Korean Peninsula from 1910-1945. The opposition had stated that Japan should not be a part of the American war on terror. The Opposition is now holding the majority in the Upper House of Parliament, since the July 29 elections. It was a major step down by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

We have seen this situation in the Japanese Parliament during late Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, majority of the Upper House with ruling Liberal Democratic Party. But Mr. Fukuda says he will exert a diplomacy in which Japan contributes towards world peace through awareness of the responsibility that befits its power and growing trust from the world. Mr. Fukuda is also the Chairman of Japan - Sri Lanka Association, since April 1993. He is the eldest son of late politician, Takeo Fukuda, who was the 67th Prime Minister of Japan from 1976-1978. Mr. Yasuo Fukuda has been a member of Japanese Parliament since 1990. He was the longest serving Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan and served for three and a half years (1289 days), during the rule of both Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and Junichiro Koizumi. He is a very moderate politician and maintains strong links with Asia. Mr. Fukuda visited Sri Lanka in April 2006 and met with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. He also visited tsunami affected areas, Sigiriya and Kandy. On his earlier visits, he was the Japanese representative for the funeral of the late President J. R. Jayewardene in 1998 and again in 2000 for the late Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. He is the closest friend of Sri Lanka and attends all the Sri Lankan related festivals and functions in Japan. His wife Kyoko, two sons, Tatsuo and Shigeo and daughter, Ayako are also very fond of Sri Lanka.

Mr. Fukuda had graduated from Waseda University in Tokyo in 1959 with a degree in economics. After his university education, he commenced his career with one of the major Japanese petroleum refinery and rental companies, Maruzen Petroleum, which is now part of the Cosmo Oil Company in Japan. He had then entered the political field where he was Chief Secretary to his father, the then Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda in 1977 to 1978. From 1979, he had become a private secretary to his father and a member of parliament till 1989. He is committed to continue the policy of free market reform which was established by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and said that he will see to the various short-comings of the reforming policies that will make out an accurate prescription to solve each problem that has cropped up in the course of reforming the world's second largest economy which recovers from recession in the 1990s. He made a point in his policy speech, saying that now is an age to promote safety and eliminate worries in the people's lives by departing from the product first policy, for example, to think about pension issues, doctor shortages, food safety and increasing number of illegal workers. He also expressed his willingness to return brightness to agriculture, fishery villages and strengthen smaller businesses.

Mr. Fukuda looks forward for the alliance between Japan and the United States. Part of Japan's diplomacy will strengthen proactive Asian diplomacy especially with China and South Korea. This will resonate with diplomatic efforts in Asia. He stated that Japan and China together could contribute to peace and stability in Asia by building on mutual benefits and common interests. It is a constructive approach to Asia by forming ties with China, South Korea, Australia and India. It is a moderate approach by a recent Japanese leader. But concrete policy measurers are yet to be developed. He pledged in general terms to tackle income disparities; a key issue that the opposition has campaigned. An important question would be how can an administration which does not have the mandate and support of the Upper House, develop strong policy measures? (By Sisil Panditha)

From http://www.sundayobserver.lk/ 10/14/2007

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NORTH & SOUTH KOREA: Economic Cooperation Committee's Level to Be Upgraded

South and North Korea will soon upgrade the level of a joint committee to promote various cross-border economic projects envisaged by their top leaders during a summit, a government official said Sunday (Oct. 7). Last week, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il met in Pyongyang, only the second between the leaders of the two Koreas since they were split almost 60 years ago, and agreed to work towards permanent peace and economic cooperation on the Korean peninsula. Under the agreement, the two Koreas will create a new upgraded joint body, called the "South-North Economic Cooperation Joint Committee" co-chaired by deputy prime minister-level officials, said Lim Young-rok, the South's deputy finance minister. "The new committee will become a channel to comprehensively discuss overall economic cooperation projects," Lim said. The role of the new committee will be specified at a meeting of the two countries' prime ministers scheduled to be held in Seoul in November, Lim added.

The two Koreas created a joint body for economic cooperation, called the "South-North Economic Cooperation Promotion Committee," in 2000. The committee has met 13 times so far to support measures discussed at high-level meetings. In the historic agreement between the two Koreas, Roh and Kim agreed to open freight rail services between Munsan and Bongdong and promptly complete various institutional measures, including those related to passage, communication, and customs clearance procedures. They also agreed to "complete the first-phase construction of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex at an early date and embark on the second-stage development project." They also concurred on the need to set up a special peace and cooperation zone in the West Sea encompassing Haeju and vicinity in a bid to proactively push ahead with the creation of a joint fishing zone and maritime peace zone, establish a special economic zone, utilize the harbor of Haeju, allow the passage of civilian vessels via direct maritime route to Haeju and put the Han River estuary under joint usage. The two also decided to encourage investment for economic cooperation and actively push ahead the expansion of social infrastructure and resources exploration and prepare various privileges and preferential measures attuned to the peculiarities of inter-Korean cooperative projects.

From http://www.korea.net/news/ 10/07/2007

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SOUTH KOREA: Mobile Phone Vote Rekindles Public Attention

The unprecedented mobile phone voting used by the United New Democratic Party (UNDP) has drawn public interest as more people registered for the electoral college than earlier expected. A total of 240,289 people registered to pick the party's standard-bearer to take on Grand National Party (GNP) presidential nominee Lee Myung-bak in the Dec. 19 election. The voter turnout of 70.6 percent for the first round of phone voting on Tuesday also shows that the new system encouraged more citizens to join the race. In the previous four rounds of off-line voting, the turnout was a mere 19.2 percent. Apparently mindful of the influence of mobile voting, the three presidential contenders geared up to gain more support in the second vote conducted from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. A total of 75,000 people were eligible to vote. Former Gyeonggi Governor Sohn Hak-kyu said he was confident that he will win the mobile vote again, setting the stage for a come-from-behind victory, though he currently ranks second in the overall cumulative tally. The frontrunner, former Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, also expressed confidence that he will top the second mobile vote, saying that he could beat Sohn by a margin of at least three to four percentage points. Chung's camp said it will not be easy for Sohn to beat the frontrunner because he lags far behind.

In the overall tally, Chung leads the nomination race with support of 41.6 percent, with Sohn trailing at 32.6 percent. Former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, who is reportedly backed by President Roh Moo-hyun, places third with 25.7 percent. In the first mobile vote, Sohn won 7,649 votes or 36.5 percent of 20,938 eligible votes cast nationwide, whereas Chung garnered 7,004 votes or 33.5 percent, and Lee, 6,285 votes or 30 percent. During his visit to Daegu Thursday, former Governor Sohn vowed to seek compromise with reform-minded politicians to field a single candidate for the election, if he wins the nomination. To this end, he said he will try to meet with independent runner Moon Kook-hyun, presidential nominee Sim Dae-pyung of the People First Party and a candidate from the Democratic Party (DP). The third and last mobile vote is to take place no later than Oct. 14. The fifth and last off-line vote is scheduled to take place on Oct. 14 nationwide. The UNDP, launched in early August by former members of the now-defunct ruling Uri Party and some from the DP, plans to announce its presidential nominee at its convention on Oct. 15. (By Kim Sue-young Staff Reporter)

From http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/ 10/11/2007

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INDONESIA: Government Moving Ahead with Riau FTZ Plans

The government will set up a supervisory council and management agencies to oversee and manage free trade zones (FTZs) on Batam, Bintan and Karimun islands, as soon as the House of Representatives officially clears the legal basis for the concept. Coordinating Minister for the Economy Boediono said Friday the government would wait for the House's final decision on the current emergency law on FTZs -- slated for Oct. 10 -- and immediately advance work on the delayed FTZ plan afterward. "What we've all been actually waiting for is the legal basis (for the FTZs)," Boediono said. "And after the legal matters comes the work at the operational level -- we have to establish the council and agencies, select the appropriate people to run them." To avoid any management vacuum in the concerned areas, however, Boediono said the Batam Authority Agency would continue functioning as usual, managing the existing industrial zones in Batam. Plans indicate the FTZ supervisory council is to be comprised of the governor, representatives from the provincial council (DPRD), the pertinent ministries and other members to be proposed by the governor and selected by the President. The council will then set up and oversee the management agencies established for each of the three areas. The government had to postpone forming the supervisory council and management agencies in September, following a debate among legislators over potential conflict between a government regulation in lieu of law (emergency law) on FTZs and existing regulations.

The government enacted the emergency law -- which provides for FTZ creation through government regulation rather than law -- to speed up the formation of the FTZs, the subject of an agreement with Singapore last year. Emergency laws require approval from the House. The government argued increasing competition from FTZs in neighboring countries constituted a "state emergency". After having initially rejected the emergency law, the House is now a step away from passing it, with eight out of 10 factions agreeing with the government's arguments in a Thursday night hearing. The matter is slated for official resolution in a plenary session on Oct. 10. Besides setting up the council and agencies, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said in the hearing the government would identify the FTZ sea and airports as well as specify the fiscal incentives, trade policies and immigration procedures after the law was passed. Boediono said, in tandem with finding a legal basis for the FTZz, the government has continued to work out pending implementation measures with Singapore. "There's already a one-stop service office (for all procedures), though we still need to check to see how it's actually working, and then work on the planned human resources training," he said.

From http://www.thejakartapost.com 10/05/2007

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Govt Told to Offer Easy Health Access

Health experts are pressing the government to provide easier access to health services in order to meet the needs of the poor in Indonesia, as required by the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). "The government should not only provide the public with easy access to health services in terms of distance, facilities and adequate free treatment for those who cannot afford it," Hasbullah Thabrany, head of the Association of South East Asian Public Health Education, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. He added that the most crucial health problems included in the MDGs list were maternal and child mortality, with an emphasis on getting expectant mothers to get regular check ups. "Most of the mothers do not get checked during their pregnancies because they don't have enough money, so they don't know if there's something wrong with the pregnancy," Hasbullah said. Stand Up and Speak Out events to highlight the importance of the MDGs were held in 24 cities nationwide Wednesday. Laura Guarenti from the World Health Organization said that much was still to be done to reach the MDG maternal health targets. "The problems usually occur during and after the delivery process, and 65 percent of the process still happens at home," she told the Post. She added that besides maternal mortality, the death rate for newborns was also quite high.

"Access to emergency services for pregnant women and the procurement of obstetrical equipment are things that should be taken to reduce the maternal and infant mortality," Laura said. According to the United Nations Development Program, Indonesia's maternal mortality rate in 2004 was the highest among Southeast Asia countries, with 307 deaths per 100,000 live births. The MDGs for the health sector include the reduction of child mortality, improving maternal health and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. Other goals are to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and to empower women, as well as ensuring environmental sustainability. Azrul Azwar of the Medical School at the University of Indonesia said in order to reduce the number of malaria cases and communicable diseases, the government should focus on preventive action along with treatment. "The most important thing is prevention, which can be done through strengthening the function of public health centers, or puskesmas, and holding training programs involving the public," he said. Azrul added that instead of waiting for patients to come to them, health centers should also approach the public and hold effective campaigns on communicable and vector-carried diseases. Hasbullah said such campaigns must be conducted in more colorful ways so that the message got across. In 2004, Indonesia had the highest rate of malaria in Asia, with 1.9 million people infected.

From http://www.thejakartapost.com 10/18/2007

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MALAYSIA: Public Gets a Say in Star Rating System, Says Ka Ting

The people will have their say in the evaluation of local authorities for the star rating system. Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said the 144 local authorities would be given marks based on various factors. He said good governance would account for 20% of the marks, financial management and revenue (10%), capacity building and human resource development (20%), implementation of law, government policy and guidelines (25%), services to the community and clients (10% each), and implementation of ICT programmes and webpages (5%). A five star rating will be given to those getting 90 to 100 marks followed by four stars (75 to 89 marks), three stars (60 to 74 marks), two stars (46 to 59 marks) and one star (45 marks and below). Ong said the independent panel grading the local authorities would seek views from resident associations and other parties to find out the level of satisfaction among the people. He said the relationship and rapport between the local authorities and the public would also be taken into account.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had announced on Monday that a star rating system would be used to evaluate the overall performance of local authorities with the best performing ones to be accorded five stars and the weaker ones just one. He said an independent panel comprising people of high integrity would be grading the local authorities with the assessment done every two years. Ong said the star rating was aimed at improving the performances of local authorities and their delivery system. "We will monitor local authorities with low star ratings and suggest ways for them to improve" he told newsmen after opening a new fire station in Paya Terubong here on Thursday. He said the ministry had formed a central inspectorate to implement the system with assistance from the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu) and the National Integrity Institute. Ong said the rating system would start with the evaluation of the 11 city councils and city halls in the country in the first quarter of next year followed by the rest.

From http://thestar.com.my 10/04/2007

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Monitoring System Outdated

The system used to monitor price-controlled items is outdated and needs to be revised, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal. He said the prices of some controlled items had not changed in the last 10 years. “There is a need to conduct surveys on the prices of these items every three to five years. “This proposal will ensure that essential items are sold at reasonable prices, with enough stock in the market,” Shafie told reporters at the Hari Raya open house hosted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his Cabinet ministers at the Putra World Trade Centre here on Saturday.

From http://thestar.com.my 10/15/2007

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PHILIPPINES: New CICT Chairman Reports for Work, Says Exec

Ray Anthony Roxas Chua, the new chairman of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), finally reported for work, an executive of the agency told INQUIRER.net Monday. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced Chua as the new chairman of the CICT on August 3, 2007 in Cebu. "He's here," CICT Commissioner Tim Diaz de Rivera, currently acting as officer-in-charge of the agency, said in a text message early Monday. A staff member from the CICT said the new chairman made the rounds of the CICT offices, and was introduced to the agency's employees. Chua replaces former CICT chairman Ramon Sales who took an indefinite leave that led to his resignation for health reasons on June 2007. Chua is a graduate of Wharton and is in his early 30s. He was appointed by Arroyo because of his background in computer science. He is also affiliated with the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce Industry Inc. Diaz de Rivera has earlier said that Chua had delayed his coming to work for the CICT due to the need to "clear out some personal matters."

From http://archive.inquirer.net 10/01/2007

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Corruption Now a 'National Security Threat'

Corruption has become so widespread it has eroded public trust in President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's government and should now be considered a top security concern, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzalez said Thursday. Gonzalez said he would urge Arroyo's Cabinet to regard corruption -- and the country's chaotic political rivalries -- as top security threats that impede economic development and should be handled with a more comprehensive solution. "I'm raising corruption as a national security threat," Gonzalez said. "It has become the system in the country." He said that while the magnitude of corruption would not likely threaten the stability of Arroyo's government, it has eroded public trust in her administration and in crucial institutions like the Commission on Elections. Gonzalez also said the commission should be revamped "from the janitor to the top" to bring back its integrity before crucial village elections this month. Many elections officials have been accused of vote-rigging. In 2005, compact discs emerged containing purported phone calls between Arroyo and an elections commissioner, discussing how to ensure a million-vote victory margin for her in the 2004 presidential election. Both denied any wrongdoing. Gonzalez said he has begun a study of loopholes in government systems that allow graft, and has called on bureaucrats to help him.

Arroyo's government has been hit by a series of scandals in recent weeks, prompting opposition lawmakers to renew calls for her to resign. Early this week, two provincial governors, including a respected Catholic priest, said they each received a paper bag containing as much as P500,000 ($11,360; €8,000) from an unidentified government official while leaving the presidential palace, where they attended a meeting presided by Arroyo last week. Arroyo's aides denied her office handed over the money. She ordered the Presidential Anti-graft Commission "to investigate alleged bribe to determine who is responsible and to determine the source" of the money, her spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in a statement. Increasing pressure on Arroyo to explain where the money came from, influential Roman Catholic bishops on Tuesday said the revelations demonstrated the country's "moral bankruptcy, disappointingly being shown by our leaders." Left-wing activists, calling Arroyo the "bribery queen," drove around Manila's crowded financial district in a 25-car protest convoy Thursday, demanding that she resign amid a surfeit of unexplained scandals. The incident at the presidential palace happened as Arroyo faced a third impeachment complaint in Congress over her alleged failure to act on a reported attempt to bribe one of her Cabinet members in a major Chinese telecommunications deal. Arroyo has scrapped the deal. Arroyo survived two previous impeachment attempts over alleged vote-rigging and corruption when her House allies used their overwhelming numbers to crush the complaints on a technicality.

From http://archive.inquirer.net/ 10/18/2007

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De Venecia Calls on Arroyo to Set Up New Administration

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. Wednesday called on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to set up a virtually new administration made up of young and competent persons to cleanse “government and society” of corruption. De Venecia made the call a day after the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines decried the “moral bankruptcy” in the government and called on local officials to admit having received money from the Palace. “It must be credible. It must be a fairly large-scale and credible overhaul,” De Venecia told the Philippine Daily Inquirer when asked what would be the minimum factor in the anti-graft program that he had in mind and was wishing the President would adopt. He said his idea of a government of “moral revolution” would be contained in a letter he would present to Ms Arroyo next week. According to the Speaker, whose longtime relations with the President have been severely strained, what is needed is “a new government made up of competent men with integrity.” But when asked if he had certain persons in mind, he said: “I can’t mention names.

People might say that I’m lobbying for them.” He said an “impartial body” could suggest to the President who among her present officials should go and who should replace them. In a statement, De Venecia backed his remarks with a proposal to increase the Office of the Ombudsman’s budget by 50 percent.

“[This is] to bolster its investigative powers,” he said. He also reiterated an earlier proposal to subsidize political parties “to reduce political corruption.” “It’s the drug lords and the gambling lords, the jjueteng lords, who finance the candidates. So from Day One, they become corrupt. So the whole political process is rotten,” De Venecia said. He added: “The President of the Philippines can take the lead in moving to eradicate corruption in this country. [She can] cleanse the Cabinet, the government financial institutions. “When I say this, I mean I am not without sin. I am 70 and I want to leave a good legacy for my country, for my children and for my grandchildren. We must do something to lead our country from corruption, despair and poverty.”

From http://archive.inquirer.net 10/18/2007

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P203M Worth of Gov’t Hospital Equipment Defective

While Filipinos complain of a severe lack of health care facilities, P203 million worth of defective hospital equipment, as well as unused and expired medicines, are gathering dust in at least 15 government hospitals, according to the Commission on Audit. In its 2006 report on the Department of Health, government auditors blamed poor procurement planning and equipment maintenance for the sorry situation. CoA found P196 million worth of x-rays, ventilators, CT scans and other vital diagnostic machines and emergency equipment were just lying unused and "out-of-order." Auditors noted that some of the machines had never beeen used since they were acquired. Among the reasons given by hospitals in the CoA report were as follows: expensive repair costs, unavailability of spare parts in the market, skilled operators and technicians, and inadequate space and power supply. "These only prove that procurement was not properly planned and there was no preventive maintenance program that would have ensured that the equipment were regularly checked and maintained in good working condition," the CoA said. Based on the report, the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital has the most number of "out-of-order" hospital equipment costing over P40 million.

The report also noted that a CT scanner worth P29.8 million, a life-saving device for stroke victims, among others, has yet to be installed at the Batangas Regional Hospital since its delivery on Oct. 29, 2006. The Cagayan Valley Medical Center has some P25.5 million worth of equipment lying idle in its storerooms due to the "lack of accessories and untimely repairs." The Amang Rodriguez Hospital has roughly P28 million worth of deficient and unused machines with 44 percent of them labeled "defective." The government’s premier Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, located close to the Department of Health, also has about P12.4 million worth of idle or unutilized equipment and P9.22 million worth of defective machines. About P2.6 million worth of equipment there were deemed "not fully utilized." CoA also reported that P7 million worth of medicines and laboratory supplies either expired or remained unused in four hospitals in the country "wasting scarce government resources." An inventory at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center disclosed that P1.4 million worth of medicines expired because of its failure to adopt the "first-in, first-out" policy.

The Central Health Development office for Western Visayas accounted for P4.7 million of unutilized medical items, while the Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Metro Manila has P805,000 worth of "slow-moving" medicines. Other hospitals with unused equipment or expired medicines were the Dr. Jose Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Tondo Medical Center in Metro Manila; Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital in the Cordillera; Bataan General Hospital in Central Luzon; Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital and Talisay District Hospital in Central Visayas; the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu; Northern Mindanao Medical Center and Mayor Hilario Ramiro Regional and Teaching Hospital in Mindanao; and the Central Health Development office in Davao.

From http://archive.inquirer.net 10/21/2007

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Watershed in Good Governance

February next year will be a watershed not only in the reformation of our electoral system but also in the battle for transparency and accountability; in short, in good governance. Come Feb. 2, 2008, the chairs of the Commission on Elections, the Commission on Audit, and the Civil Service Commission will be due for replacements. Just as important, the chief of staff (COS) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines will retire on Feb. 9, 2008. Commissions on Audit and Civil Service. In two previous columns, I stressed the need for transparency and public participation in the selection process for the new Comelec leadership. This time, I am calling for the same degree of transparency and vigilance in the appointment of the new leaders of the COA, CSC and AFP. Like the Comelec, the COA and the CSC are essential democratic institutions. The Constitution safeguards their integrity and independence by detailing the qualifications of their chairs and members, ensuring their fiscal independence, guaranteeing their tenure, and enumerating their “power, authority and duty” which cannot be usurped, diminished or altered by any entity, not even by the president, the legislature or the judiciary. An independent and courageous COA chair will assure transparency and accountability in the expenditure and use of government funds and property in all public offices. A vigilant and no-nonsense COA head is indispensable in preventing and exposing graft and corruption.

COA reports constitute vital evidence in the prosecution of grafters and plunderers. On the other hand, a nonpartisan and capable CSC chief will assure the continuation of essential public services, despite the worst machinations of the political leadership. In many countries like the United Kingdom and Japan, the civil service is so entrenched and so dependable that no political leader dares to ignore or defy its recommendations and regulations. The incumbents, Guillermo N. Carague of the COA and Karina Constantino David of the CSC, have performed their jobs quietly and competently, befitting the dignity and importance of their offices. Their successors should do no less. Choosing the military’s top gun. Given that authoritarian rule is possible only with the support of a compliant military, the appointment process for the successor of Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., who will retire on Feb. 9, 2008, must likewise be conducted with utmost transparency. Openness is even more pressing in this instance because, unlike the heads of the Comelec, the COA and the CSC, the tour of duty of the AFP COS can be extended by President Macapagal-Arroyo.

True, the president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. However, the Constitution mandates the AFP to be the “protector of the people,” and not the guarantor of the whims of the chief executive. The choice of a new AFP chief of staff, or in the alternative, the extension of the tour of duty of General Esperon, can signal the purity (or impurity) of GMA’s intentions during her remaining term, and beyond. Credible officials for constitutional offices. Despite the ad nauseam criticisms hurled at the 1987 “Aquino Constitution,” still and all, at least one bright spot must be conceded: it has preserved enduring institutions, like the Comelec, the COA, and the CSC (as well as the Ombudsman and the Commission on Human Rights), that are calibrated to fulfill the Preamble’s noblest dream to “build a just and humane society” and to secure “the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law…” To fulfill this dream, what we need are visionary men and women who will lead these sacred institutions. Between now and February 2008 are three months that should be used in assuring that only the best and the brightest, the brave and the untainted are installed in these offices, and in the highest position in our military establishment. Of course, GMA is the key player in this effort. By agreeing to a transparent appointing process and, thereafter, by naming only the best and the brightest who pass the test of public scrutiny, she would rise above partisan wrangling and pave the way for her democratic legacy.

To accord GMA an unobstructed opportunity to ponder on this heritage, it may be prudent for all those who care—especially those in the media, the Church, the non-government groups, the academe—to grant GMA some breathing space and to critically collaborate with her in this effort to strengthen our democratic institutions through a transparent and participatory process of filling these vital vacancies with men and women of vision, gravitas and integrity. Last chance at good governance. Who knows, GMA may yet surprise her harshest critics by naming outstanding citizens to lead the Comelec, the COA, the CSC and the AFP come February next year. Thereafter, she would still have enough time—about two and a half more years—to turn the tide of pessimism in her leadership, and to be remembered for a legacy of economic development in the most vibrant democracy in all of Asia. However, if she fails our people’s expectations during the next three months and makes appointments that are calibrated solely to protect herself and to extend her hold on power, I think she will sink so deeply in self-gratification that even the patient people of goodwill—those of us who now are still willing to give her a last chance at good governance—will lose all hope in her redemption.

From http://archive.inquirer.net 10/21/2007

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SINGAPORE: Government Committee Looks at Energy Use in Each Sector

The government has formed a committee to study the energy use in each sector in Singapore. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was engaged in a discussion after delivering a speech on "Singapore in the 21st century" at a Nanyang Technological University forum on Thursday. In response to a student's question on climate change, Mr Lee said, "We just had a Cabinet paper to discuss energy intensity. There's a committee that looks into how much energy is used by each particular sector. "It is in our interest to do our utmost to keep the use of energy efficient. I really do not know how the outcome will be. I believe it's going to be a difficult problem for everybody."

From http://www.channelnewsasia.com 10/04/2007

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Set Payout Age for Compulsory Annuities at 80 but Raise Premiums

Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong has suggested setting the payout age for compulsory annuities at 80 instead of the proposed 85. He acknowledged that many Singaporeans are still resistant to the concept of compulsory annuities as they think they will not live beyond 85 years old. So he suggested lowering the payout age from the proposed 85 years old to 80. This way, Mr Goh said, it might win more people over to the idea of compulsory annuities. But premiums will be increased accordingly. "If given a choice, I would choose to pay a higher premium and an earlier payout age of 80. Like most Singaporeans, I am a little kiasu," said Mr Goh.A member of the public agreed with Mr Goh's idea, saying, "We don't mind paying a bit more premium, then we get (our payout) earlier, have more money to spend." But, another member of the public said: "80 (years old) is too late; some don't even live up to that age, so it's better for payouts to start earlier." Speaking on the sidelines of another event, Manpower Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen said the possibility of a lower payout age was discussed in the recent debate on CPF reforms. Dr Ng said: "People have different needs. Some people want to have a payout earlier - 80 as Senior Minister suggested, or even 75.

Some people want it later, so they have less dependence on longevity insurance." Dr Ng said the National Longevity Committee would consider the various options. Their report is expected to be out early next year. Mr Goh was speaking at the graduation ceremony for YAH! Community College which promotes lifelong learning. And, age was the last thing on the minds of the senior citizens who received their graduation certificates from the Senior Minister. To make learning even more interesting, the college has teamed up with China's Tsinghua University of Third Age to offer exchange programmes for students. This is something which the 200 graduates, including a 62-year-old, can look forward to. "I only have Secondary 2 education, so taking this course is like a dream come true, like graduating from university. I'm very happy. I used to be a quiet person, but now I've learnt to socialise more," said Mr Lee Keng Seong, a graduate of YAH! Community College.

From http://www.channelnewsasia.com 10/21/2007

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THAILAND: Coup Leader Quits Military Council

One year after staging a bloodless coup toppling elected government of prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, chairman of the coup-making Council for National Security (CNS), tendered his resignation Sunday, saying his mission has been accomplished, the council spokesman announced on Monday. CNS spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd told the media that Gen. Sonthi said in his resignation letter that he had completed his mission in accordance with the interim constitution of 2006 and would proceed with another mission concerning national security. However, the general did not elaborate on the mission in his letter. Col. Sansern also said Air Chief Marshal Chalit Pukbhasuk, Air Force chief, assumed control of the seven-member council during the interim prior to the next general election scheduled for December 23. Gen. Sonthi, who retired from the army top post on September 30, said earlier that he was willing to join the incumbent cabinet of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont overseeing the national security. The general, criticised for his alleged attempts to prolong the military role inside a post-election civilian government, was not available for comment so far. The prime minister said earlier Monday that he would announce a new cabinet reshuffle later this week after five ministers resigned. They had been found holding shares in excess of the five per cent as legally proscribed in the abolished constitution.

From http://etna.mcot.net/ 10/01/2007

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Thai PM Set to Announce Cabinet Reshuffle

Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont announced Monday that he will reshuffle his Cabinet later this week after five ministers tendered their resignations due to the controversial issue of excessive shareholdings in private companies, as disclosed by the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC). Prime Minister Surayud said in a Monday morning press conference that two more cabinet members – Deputy Foreign Minister Sawanit Kongsiri and Natural Resource and Environment Minister Kasem Sanitwong Na Ayutthaya resigned Monday. The list naming the new members will be presented to His Majesty the King this week for royal endorsement, Gen. Surayud said. Earlier three ministers – Interior Minister Aree Wong-araya, Information and Communication Technology Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom, and Deputy Commerce Minister Oranuj Osathananda – resigned after the NCCC named them for holding in excess of five per cent stakes in private firms, which violates the abolished 1997 Constitution.

The prime minister said he would bring in only a few outsiders to replace the portfolios because his interim government has little time remaining to work with the parliament. The upcoming general election is scheduled for December. Meanwhile, three other cabinet members – Education Minister Wichit Srisa-an, Public Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla and Deputy Finannce Minister Sommai Phasee – presented evidence clarifying their lack of intention to hide any information on their shareholdings. The trio said they had inquired earlier about the shareholding proportion rule with the Prime Minister's Secretariat and received no notification that they needed to reveal their equity holdings. The resignation of the two ministers leaves five cabinet positions vacant as three ministers charged earlier by the NCCC on the same charges had already resigned.

From http://etna.mcot.net 10/01/2007

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New Cabinet Endorsement Expected Wednesday

Prime Minister General Surayud Chulanont said on Tuesday he had already presented the revised cabinet list to His Majesty the King and that the Royal Command was expected to be announced Wednesday. Responding to questions about the Cabinet reshuffle after the resignations of five Cabinet members, Gen. Surayud said the reshuffle had been made and the new Cabinet line-up was now awaiting royal endorsement which was likely to be officially announced on Wednesday. As for the royal command appointing General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, former army chief and chairman of Council for National Security, as a new deputy premier, the prime minister said he had submitted retired Gen. Sonthi's appointment for royal approval on September 30. He added Gen. Sonthi would help him in security affairs while he himself would focus on the work of the Election Commission in the coming general election scheduled for December 23.

In what is being seen as his defence of the five Cabinet members who resigned after being found holding shares in excess of the legal limit of 5 per cent, Gen Surayud, speaking on national television Tuesday evening, clarified to the public none of the five realised the legal requirement and had no intention to violate the law. The premier said that all the five had set a good example for politicians. Even though they had done nothing unlawfully, as the relevant provision in the interim constitution of 2006 stipulated they were exempted from that legal requirement, they had shown their responsibility through resignation

From http://etna.mcot.net 10/02/2007

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PM Appointed as Interior Minister

Prime Minister Gen Surayud Chulanont is concurrently assuming the post of interior minister in place of Aree Wong-araya who earlier resigned under pressure. A royal decree undersigned by His Majesty the King named Gen Surayud interior minister in addition to his premiership, with immediate effect from Wednesday. Gen Surayud had earlier sought someone else to be named interior minister who would see to it that the general election, scheduled for December 23, will be held in a clean and fair fashion nationwide. The interior minister post was left vacant upon the resignation of Mr Aree, who had been found to possess corporate stocks of more than five percent or beyond the limit legally allowed for cabinet members. The former interior minister was among several others who had resigned from the Surayud cabinet for similar reasons involving their excessive holdings of corporate stocks.

From http://etna.mcot.net/ 10/03/2007

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BANGLADESH: Tk 1572 Cr Projects to Ease City Traffic Snarl

The government and the Dhaka City Corporation are going to implement four projects in the capital city at an estimated cost of taka 1,572 crore to ease the notorious traffic congestions. The projects are Hatirjheel coordinated development project, bridge over Gulshan-Banani lake project, two additional bridges on Dhanmondi lake project, and an addgrade road and two underpass projects. Of the four projects, Local Government Engineering Department will implement three—Hatirjheel coordinated development project at taka 1,461 crore, bridge over Gulshan-Banani Lake project at taka 12.47 crore, and two additional bridges on Dhanmondi Lake project at taka 8.5 crore—while DCC will implement the addgrade road and two underpass projects at taka 90 crore. LGRD and Cooperatives Adviser Anwarul Iqbal disclosed this at a press briefing in the conference room of the ministry on Sunday. The adviser said work order for implementation of the bridge on Gulshan-Banani lake project has already been given to Abdul Monem Ltd while the other projects would be put on ECNEC meeting for approval today (Monday). He expects that work on Gulshan-Banani lake project will begin soon. The adviser said under the Hatirjheel coordinated development project, a five-km attractive lake would be developed in Begunbari and Hatirjheel areas.

The government will acquire 245 acres of lands, including 134 acres under the court of award and different organisations and the rest 111 acres under individual possessions. Under the project, to be implemented in association with RAJUK and Dhaka WASA, two beautiful bridges will be developed that will link Maghbazar residential area with Tejgaon industrial area and Gulshan Avenue. It will provide facilities like car parking, recreation, plantation and passenger sheds. The adviser said the project provides for roads and footpaths from Panthapath (Tongi Diversion Road) to Bijoy Sarani (Rampura Road) on the north side of the lake. He said Panthapath would be linked with this project through a four-lane overpass. The bridge over Gulshan-Banani lake project will connect the Banani and Gulshan areas via two roads—road number 11 of Banani and road number 41 of Gulshan. Under the bridge on Dhanmondi lake project, two bridges will be constructed on the lake at road number 8A and 32. Besides, the DCC will implement a project in areas between Nakhalpara and Bijoy Sarani, under which an addgrade road will be constructed at a cost of taka 30 crore and two underpasses at taka 60 crore. The addgrade road will take six months and underpasses 18 months to be constructed. LGRD Secretary Safar Raj, LGED Chief Engineer Shahidul Hasan and other concerned officials were present at the briefing.

From http://www.newstoday-bd.com/ 10/08/2007

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Govt to Call Back Two Labour Officers from KL

The government has decided to call back two officers from the Bangladesh Mission Labour Wing in Kuala Lumpur and cancelled licences of four recruiting agencies amidst on-going row over employment of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, reports UNB. Foreign Advisor Dr Iftekahar Ahmed Chowdhury and Secretary of the Overseas Expatriates Welfare Ministry Abdul Matin Chowdhury disclosed the government action at a press conference at the Foreign Ministry. On October 3, the Malaysian cabinet decided to impose a temporary ban on fresh recruitment of workers from Bangladesh in the wake of serious frauds by recruiting agents of both the countries. This triggered protest and demonstration by Bangladeshi workers in Kuala Lumpur. "This is a temporary step," the Advisor said, quoting Bangladesh High Commissioner in Malaysia Major (retd) Khairuzzaman''s report. The Malaysian authorities told the High Commissioner that this breathing space (ban period) would help resolve the problems facing the Bangladesh workers. The Advisor said the Malaysian government gave clearance to 3,47,000 Bangladeshi workers, of them one lakh 92,000 already left for Malaysia. Remaining workers will also be able to join works in Malaysia. Chowdhury said everyday some 1,200 to 1,300 workers who have got the pre-ban clearance are going to Malaysia.

The Foreign Advisor, who also holds the Overseas Expatriates Welfare Ministry, and Secretary Matin were asked to identify the persons responsible for the plight of workers in Malaysia. Some 23 Bangladeshi workers who felt cheated already returned to Bangladesh from Malaysia. Secretary Matin recently led a delegation to Kuala Lumpur and held talks with officers of the Malaysian Home and Labour Ministries to resolve the problems. In reply to a question, Matin said Malaysia has agreed to extend entry visas from one month to two months while concerned companies will have to receive Bangladeshi workers within 24 hours of their arrival in Kuala Lumpur. Besides, job security and better coordination between the recruiting agencies of the two countries will have to be ensured. The Expatriates Welfare Secretary said the government will appoint lawyers in certain Malaysian provinces to ensure the interest of Bangladeshi workers as well as appoint three extra welfare officers to handle the labour issues. Matin said over Tk one crore 35 lakh were realized from recruiting agents and the money were given back to deprived workers. He said licenses of four recruiting agencies were cancelled, one agency was shut down and security money of six agents forfeited.

From http://www.newstoday-bd.com/ 10/10/2007

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INDIA: Corrupt Bureaucracy Eats into Share of Poor

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) is arguably the most progressive and radical legislation in the history of Independent India. If implemented in letter and spirit, this historic Act has the potential to transform the face of rural India. It would be a great tragedy if the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) ends up as another money minting machine for India's sarkari babus, i.e. the bureaucracy. Unfortunately, that is what has happened in the state of Orissa. Rupa Majhi, a poor Adivasi of Palsipada village in Kalahandi district, was actually given 21 days of employment and paid Rs.600 as wages during 2006-7. Majhi worked on a road construction project executed under the high-profile anti-poverty programme NREGS. But, on his job card, government officials falsely wrote that he had worked for 336 days. Majhi job card posted online on NREGS website has a third version of work and payment details. As per those entries, Majhi was given 102 days of wage employment and paid Rs.6310 as wages. So, out of Rs.6310, only Rs. 600 actually came in Majhi's hands. The remaining Rs.5710 which is more than 90 percent of the total wage payment has been siphoned off and misappropriated by the government officials. Chandra Majhi of Palsipada village has not received any employment under rural job scheme. But, in his job card (hard copy), there is fake job entry of 126 days. On the NREGS website, 108 days of employment and Rs.5940 as wages have been falsely shown in his name.

In this case, 100 per cent of the wages have been eaten up by the government officials. Orissa is one of the poorest states with a very high percentage of rural population living in abject poverty and chronic hunger. It is only logical to give top priority to this state in terms of fund allocation. Orissa was allocated Rs.890 crores under NREGS and the state was able to spend Rs.733 crore during 2006-7. As per the official records of the state government, it provided 799 lakh persondays of employment to 13,94,169 households during 2006-7 and no family was denied wage employment. In other words, every needy and demanding family in the state was given an average 57 days of wage employment during the year and not a single needy household was denied wage employment in 19 NREGS districts of the state. The Orissa government also claims that 1,54,118 families in the state completed 100 days of wage employment during 2006-7. But a random survey in 100 villages of Orissa has revealed that all these claims are bogus and manufactured only in official records in order to siphon off NREGS funds. The survey conducted in Orissa's six poorest districts has uncovered that of Rs.733 crores, more than Rs.500 crores has been siphoned off and misappropriated by the government officials. The Delhi-based Centre for Environment and Food Security (CEFS) conducted this survey in 100 villages from six districts of KBK (Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput) region - Bolangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Rayagada. I was the principal investigator and writer of this survey report.

Our back of the envelope calculations suggest that less than 200 lakh persondays of employment has been provided on the ground and more than around 600 lakh persondays of employment has been provided only in the pages of false job cards and fabricated muster rolls. Not more than 5 days of average employment has been given to each of the needy families in 19 NREGS districts of the state and large number of needy families were denied any employment. We could not find a single family in the 100 sample villages who had actually got 100 days of wage employment. 37 villages out of 100 sample villages have got no wage employment whatsoever. More than 40 villages had on an average of four to five times fake job and wage entries than their actuals. We found very few families who had got 20-40 days of wage employment. The rest of the families, if at all they have got any employment, it is mostly between 5 to 21 days. However, online job cards of most of these households have job and wage entries for 111 days, 108 days, 104 days, 102 days, 100 days, 96 days, 90 days, 84 days, 72 days, 65 days, 60 days, 52 days and so on, which are evidently fabricated. This is the way Orissa has spent Rs.733 crore. To put Rs.500 crores of siphoned NREGA funds in perspective, this amount of money would have given about 90 days of wage employment to about 10 lakh poor families of Orissa.

In other words, each of these 10 lakh poorest families would have got Rs.5000 as wages. This amount of Rs.5000 in the context of these poor and hungry families would have given 4-6 months of two subsistence meals or one meal for the whole year. Therefore, it is not just another financial scam, but the Orissa bureaucracy has literally robbed 10 lakh hungry families of one meal for the whole year. It is not surprising that during last one month hundreds of Adivasis have died in Rayagada, Koraput and Kalahandi districts of Orissa due to disease, and hunger. The provision of social audit included in the NREGA looks like a fraud on the rural poor of Orissa. There has been no social audit whatsoever in any of the 100 villages visited by us. There is zero accountability, total absence of transparency in the administration of NREGS, and subversion of the grassroots democracy. Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have been completely sidelined in the implementation of NREGS. For example, Sarpanches are asked by Village Level Workers (also called Panchayat Executive Officers in some states or PEOs) to sign on blank cheques and VLWs (Village Level Worker) decide everything. Out of 100 villages visited, we could not find a single panchayat office open. There was lockout on all the panchayat bhawans we visited. The villagers told us that these offices open only once or twice in a month. The VLWs, who are the only fulltime and salaried officials, normally stay in towns 40-50 kms away from the gram panchayats, and they go there only when it is 'absolutely necessary'.

They do most of their official works from home. Even muster rolls and job cards of the NREGS are kept in the homes of VLWs, which is illegal. In the panchayats we visited, VLWs are not sharing a single piece of information about the NREGS works with any of the elected representatives. Muster rolls are treated as more secret than the nuclear secrets of the country. We could not meet a single person in these 100 villages who had ever seen muster rolls of the NREGS works in his village. Muster rolls are always kept in the homes of VLWs and villagers who work in NREGS projects are made to sign on blank muster rolls. This is the flagrant violation of the NREGA law passed by Parliament. As per the NREGA, muster rolls are a public document and should be always available for public scrutiny by anyone. Orissa's citizens and NGOs need the permission of the BDO to see muster rolls of NREGS and what's worse, citizens need the District Collector's permission to go to the block office or meet the BDO! The BDO of Nandapur Block (Koraput district) Jyoti Ranjan Mishra has instructed all the VLWs of the block not to show muster rolls of NREGS works to anyone without his permission. Since we had found massive financial bungling in many villages of Nandapur Block, we wanted to verify the muster rolls and job cards of the concerned panchayats which were lying with the respective VLWs.

But, when we approached the VLW of Raisingh Gram Panchayat, Nagesh Choudhary, he gave us in writing that he needed the BDO's permission to show muster rolls to any body. When we asked why we needed this permission, he told us as how dare we go to the BDO's office without District Collector's permission. He asked us in stern voice to return from the block office and not to visit any village in the Block. We also got three telephone calls from APD (Additional Project Director, District Rural Development Agency-Koraput) asking us not to visit any village of Nandapur block. We had also sought intervention from the offices of District Collector (Koraput), Chief Secretary and Chief Minister of Orissa. Despite all these efforts, we did not succeed in seeing the muster rolls. The experience in Nandapur block was highly demeaning and disgusting. The whole administrative machinery was pressed into service to cover up the financial bunglings in the block. If this could happen to a research team coming from Delhi, one shudders to imagine what could happen to a poor and illiterate Adivasi or Dalit of Orissa. When CEFS sent some activists of Orissa to carry out field investigation in some villages of Khariar block (Nuapada district) during July 2007, many villagers refused to tell them as how many days of actual employment was given to them, because the BDO and other officials had threatened villagers to send them to jail if they told any one about their actual days of NREGS employment. Unless transparency safeguards incorporated in the NREGS are implemented in letter and spirit, it appears that little can protect NREGS from the lust of Orissa's sarkari babus. If this radical scheme has to really achieve its stated objectives, it has to be liberated from the clutches of the self-serving bureaucracy and handed over into the custody of panchayat bodies themselves. This may warrant a few amendments in the law itself.

From http://southasia.oneworld.net/ 10/19/2007

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PAKISTAN: Gen. Kiyani Named Vice Chief of Army Chief

ISLAMABAD: Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani has been named Vice Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Army on Tuesday. Gen. Ashfaq Kiani has been promoted to vice chief of the army staff and he will take the top job when Musharraf vacates it. Gen. Tariq Majid has been named chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Lt. Gen. Pervez Ashraf Kiyani has been promoted as General and appointed the Vice Chief of Army Staff, an ISPR statement said. Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani joined Pakistan Army in 1970 and he was promoted to Lt. Gen. rank in 2003 and appointed corps commander of Rawalpindi. He was Director General Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) before promoted as General. Gen. Kiyani will assume charge as vice chief of the army staff on Monday October 08. He will become the Chief of Army Staff after re-election of President Musharraf. Gen. Tariq Majid joined Pakistan Army in 1971. He has been promoted to the rank of General to replace existing Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Ehsanul Haq. Gen. Tariq Majid will assume his new charge on October 08.

From http://www.pakistanlink.com/ 10/02/2007

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Resignations of 44 Punjab MPAs Approved

LAHORE: Speaker of Punjab Assembly Thursday approved 44 resignations tendered by the MPAs belonging to APDM parties and issued notification about cancellation of their assembly membership. Total 47 members of Punjab Assembly had submitted their resignations including five government members. The speaker issued notices to three MPAs Akram Gujjar, Khalid Kalyar and Amir Jewel Sahotra asking them to explain their positions regarding the resignations they had given to Rana Sanaullah Khan along with their authority letters.

From http://www.pakistanlink.com/ 10/04/2007

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NAB to Withdraw 507 Corruption Cases

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is planning to withdraw almost 507 cases of corruption, worth millions of dollars, against various politicians, government servants, businessmen, and ex-armed forces officers, Daily Times has learnt. Sources said the amnesty, which pardons corruption during 1986 to 1999, would likely benefit several important politicians and former government servants, including sitting interior minister Aftab Sherpao, water and power minister Liaqat Jatoi, former communication minister Azam Khan Hoti and former senator from NWFP Javed Iqbal Abasi. The former government servants who face corruption charges, reportedly between 1986 and 1999, include former chairman of NDFC Chaudhry Muhammad Munawar, former secretaries Ali Hasan Shahwani and Hafizur Rehman, former member Board of Revenue NWFP Abdul Hamid Khan, former director agriculture Rawalpindi Muhammad Zaman, Noorul Haq of the Forest Department, former deputy director FIA Ahmed Riaz Shaikh, and former WAPDA officer Fazaullah Siddiqui. Sources said that the NAB had filed almost 1,190 cases in the courts, out of which the decisions of 683 cases were reached with 465 people being convicted and 126 getting acquitted. They said NAB Investigation Officers across the country have also been ordered to file details of the cases pending with them from the time frame specified at NAB headquarters.

From http://www.pakistanlink.com/ 10/06/2007

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Musharraf Is President

* Wins 252 votes in Islamabad, 33 in Quetta, 39 in Karachi, 44 in Lahore, 17 in Peshawar
* Justice (r) Wajeeh gets three votes
ISLAMABAD: President General Pervez Musharraf on Saturday swept the presidential election 386-3 against his rival Justice (r) Wajeehuddin Ahmed, according to unofficial results. Legislators of the PPPP boycotted the election while those of the APDM had resigned before the poll. Musharraf secured 57 percent of the vote from the 702-vote electoral college, which includes members of the Senate, National Assembly and four provincial assemblies. Special security arrangements were made in and around the parliament in Islamabad, while opposition parties and lawyers observed a “black day” on Saturday. Despite his clear victory, the Supreme Court can still disqualify Gen Musharraf if it decides that petitions challenging his eligibility are valid. The SC has ordered that the official notification of the election results be withheld until it decides the petitions. Poll breakdown: Musharraf got 252 out of 257 votes in the joint election of the National Assembly and Senate. Ahmed got only two votes while three were rejected. In all, 199 MNAs and 58 senators voted. Gen Musharraf bagged all 33 votes cast in Balochistan, 102 of the 104 votes cast in Sindh, 253 of 257 in Punjab and 31 of 34 in NWFP. Ahmed got two votes in Sindh, three in Punjab and one in NWFP. Two votes in NWFP and one in Punjab were rejected. According to the vote-counting formula, 5.70 members in the 371-member Punjab Assembly are considered one vote, 2.58 members are counted as one vote in the 168-member Sindh Assembly, 2.1 votes in the 128-strong NWFP Assembly are counted as one vote, and one member of the Balochistan Assembly is equal to one vote. Hence, Musharraf won 33 votes in Balochistan, 39 in Sindh, 44 in Punjab and 17 in NWFP. All government MNAs and senators, except Gyan Chand Singh, voted. Engineer Shahid Jamil, who has been jailed, came to parliament on a ‘production order’ by the NA speaker. Dissident government members who had criticised Gen Musharraf’s re-election in uniform - including Ishaq Khan Khakwani, Nilofar Bakhtiar, SM Zafar, Makhdoom Alam Anwer and Malik Farooq Azam - also voted for Musharraf.

From http://www.pakistanlink.com/ 10/07/2007

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Shams-ul-Mulik to Be Appointed Caretaker CM of NWFP

PESHAWAR: Former provincial minister Shams-ul-Mulik is expected to be appointed as the caretaker Chief Minister of NWFP, the well-placed sources said. “ It is confirmed that Shams-ul-Mulik is being appointed as the caretaker Chief Minister of NWFP,” a source claimed. Earlier, NWFP Governor Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai had dissolved the NWFP Assembly on the advice of the Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani. The Law Department had issued notification about dissolution of the provincial assembly. The nomination of Caretaker Chief Minster is expected any time on Wednesday while the caretaker cabinet would be announced in few days time. It merits a mention here that former Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani had turned down the request to continue as caretaker chief minister till the announcement of the election schedule for the general elections in mid November 2007.

From http://www.pakistanlink.com/ 10/10/2007

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AZERBAIJAN: Opposition Party Nominates Leader as Presidential Candidate

The ruling council of the Musavat party voted on October 12 in favor of participating in the presidential election due in October 2008, and named its chairman, Isa Qambar, as its presidential candidate, day.az reported. Qambar refused to accept the outcome of the October 2003 presidential ballot, in which according to official returns he polled 13.97 percent of the vote, compared with over 76 percent for Ilham Aliyev. The Azadliq bloc, which Musavat quit in early 2006, may boycott the 2008 presidential ballot unless the election law is amended to preclude the possibility of falsification. Other opposition parties began talks several months ago on the possibility of aligning to back a single opposition challenger to the incumbent president, but have not yet reached any agreement on doing so. LF

From http://www.rferl.org/ 10/15/2007

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IRAQ: Insurgent Groups Form Political Council for Resistance

Three home-grown insurgent groups and their factions have announced the establishment of a so-called Political Council for Resistance, Al-Jazeera television reported on October 11. The council includes brigades from the Islamic Front for Iraqi Resistance (JAMI), the Islamic Resistance Movement or Hamas-Iraq, and the Jihad and Reform Front. The last group is a relatively new front comprising several well-known insurgent groups: the Islamic Army in Iraq, the Al-Mujahidin Army, the Al-Fatihin Army, and the Shari'a Council of the Ansar Al-Sunnah Army. The newly formed council said in a video-recorded statement that its political program calls for resistance to occupation, which it defines as "an act of injustice and aggression" which is "rejected by shari'a law." The council said the "armed resistance" should be viewed as the legitimate representative of Iraq. Al-Jazeera later interviewed the Islamic Army in Iraq's spokesman, Ibrahim al-Shammari, who said the council was formed to "meet the requirements of the fifth year of the ongoing jihad." He claimed the leaders of the jihad have noted statements by U.S. commanders and Defense Secretary Robert Gates implying the military's difficult position and fatigue in Iraq, and indicated that the political council may be uniting armed insurgent groups ahead of possible talks with the United States for a negotiated settlement to the insurgency. KR

From http://www.rferl.org/ 10/12/2007

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IRAN: 5th Plan Council Will Be Formed

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has delegated his First Vice President Parviz Davoudi to set up a high council for compiling the fifth five-year development plan. In the directive, Davoudi was assigned to formulate the general policies of the fifth plan and have the details ready for implementation by March 2010, once it is approved by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the cabinet and the Majlis, IRIB reported. Ahmadinejad expressed hope that the initiative would take into account the views of experts and the public would constantly be updated on the progress. The council will have 27 members including ministers, presidential advisors and experts. Vice President for Planning and Strategic Supervision Amir-Mansour Borqei will serve as the secretary of the council.

From http://www.iran-daily.com/ 10/08/2007

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KYRGYZSTAN: President Assumes Leadership of New Political Party

Kurmanbek Bakiev was elected on October 15 to lead a new political party, according to RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service. He was elected by over 1,000 delegates at a founding party congress of the new Ak Jol Eldik Partiyasy (Best Path Popular Party) in Bishkek, the 24.kg website reported. The move comes just prior to the constitutional referendum set for October 21, which is set to lead to new parliamentary elections. Only last month, Bakiev said that "as the head of state," he "must treat equally all the political parties" and vowed that "I cannot and have no right to be the leader of any" political party (see "RFE/RL Newsline," September 27, 2007). But prior to that statement, he also pledged to form "a new political force" in the country (see "RFE/RL Newsline," September 20, 2007). RG

From http://www.rferl.org/ 10/16/2007

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TURKMENISTAN: President Fires Key Security Ministers

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov on October 8 dismissed his national security minister and interior minister, according to the opposition website gundogar.org and official Turkmen government websites. National Security Minister Geldimukhammet Ashirmukhammedov and Interior Minister Khojamyrat Annagurbanov face unspecified "criminal charges." In an official announcement released in Ashgabat, Charymyrat Amanov and Orazgendy Amanmyradov were named as the new ministers for national security and the interior, respectively, but were to be appointed to "probationary" six-month terms. RG

From http://www.rferl.org/ 10/09/2007

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UZBEKISTAN：Central Election Commission Creates Electoral Districts for Presidential Elections

Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan held a session on 5 October to consider formation of electoral districts for presidential elections. The session was held by Election Commission chairman Mirzo-Ulugbek Abdusalomov. In accordance with articles 9 and 14 of the Law on Election of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the commission adopted a resolution on creation of electoral districts in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regions of the country and the city of Tashkent. The Central Election Commission also considered other issues related to preparation and conduction of the elections of the President of Uzbekistan.

From http://uza.uz/ 10/05/2007

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AUSTRALIA: $300,000 Refunds to Scam Victims

More than $300,000 will be returned to victims of 37 North American-based scams after Australian Competition and Consumer Commission court intervention. "The ACCC, with valuable assistance from the Queensland Police Service and the Competition Bureau Canada, acted to freeze the funds gathered under a mass mail-out to consumers," ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, said today. "Consumers received letters which were carefully written to create a sense of excitement about a huge and unexpected win or prize, including as a result of a lottery, sweepstake, award or other unclaimed funds. "Sometimes the scammers explain that the reader was 'specially selected'," Mr Samuel said. "Most ask for the payment of a fee before the win or prize can be paid and others offer (often misdescribed) trinkets associated with a bigger win or prize. Some resemble official or legal documents. "Once the victim has responded, they are guaranteed of one thing: they will receive more and more letters promoting yet further wins. Scammers often work hard to create a personal relationship with their victims, enabling them to elicit ongoing fees and charges for money that never arrives. "Some victims become so certain that they are only one more small payment away from getting a fortune that they find it impossible to accept that they have been scammed even when bank or police officers explain the scam.

"This investigation was initiated after an observant credit union employee of Adelaide based Powerstate Credit Union, became concerned that a long time customer was making many small payments to overseas 'lotteries' believing that he had already won a major prize. While many of the victims are older consumers, this is not always the case: scammers are happy to take anyone's money, they don't discriminate. "The joint action has severely disrupted the operations of 37 scam promoters, but the battle is not yet over. "These particular promoters used Pacific Network Services Ltd and related companies to move their money around the world. PacNet group cooperated with the investigation. It has paid $316,936 in to a trust fund that will now be handed back to some of the victims. Further it has ended its business relationships with promoters identified in the ACCC's court action. "If all businesses providing cheque transfer services took appropriate steps to monitor their customers' activities for potential scams and then refused to provide services to the operators, the life blood of the scams would be cut off."Niche Government Consulting and Assurance, will administer the refunds process. Consumers who can show that they paid money to one of the listed scams between 1 March 2006 and 28 February 2007 can apply to the Refunds Administrator for a refund. Details of how consumers can apply for a refund are attached or can be found on the ACCC's web site. In the event that claims by victims are less than the available funds, the residual will be paid to a suitable consumer group for promoting consumer scams awareness.

From http://www.accc.gov.au 10/05/2007

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Major Appointments to the CSIRO Board

The inaugural Deputy Chairman of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Board was announced today by the Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon Julie Bishop MP. “Professor Cory has made a significant contribution to CSIRO Board deliberations as a member for the past five years, drawing on her extensive research experience and as the Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research,” Minister Bishop said. Professor Cory is a pioneer in the field of molecular biology and is a passionate advocate for scientific education and research. Awards recognising her contribution to Australian science include the Avon Australia "Spirit of Achievement" Award; the Lemberg Medal, and the Australia Prize in 1998. Professor Suzanne Cory AC, will assist with the governance of CSIRO, in recognition of the heavy responsibilities and workload of the Chairman of the Board Dr John Stocker.

Dr Douglas Rathbone AM has also been appointed as a member of the Board. Mr Rathbone has led Nufarm Ltd, one of the world's leading manufacturers of crop protection chemicals, for more than two decades. He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in June 2006, for service to the community. “I congratulate Professor Cory and Mr Rathbone on their appointments. I look forward to working with them to ensure that CSIRO maintains and expands its role as Australia’s pre-eminent research organisation," Minister Bishop said. The Australian Government provided a record level of funding for CSIRO in the last Budget with $2.8 billion committed over the next four years with an additional $244.5 million in new monies.

From http://www.dest.gov.au 10/05/2007

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Appointment of Australian Federal Police Second Deputy Commissioner

Assistant Commissioner Tony Negus APM has been appointed as the second Deputy Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Minister for Justice and Customs, Senator David Johnston, announced today. Senator Johnston, in announcing the appointment, said the new Deputy Commissioner’s position was created in response to a significant expansion in the size and scope of the AFP’s domestic and international responsibilities. Mr Negus will assume responsibility for the AFP’s National Operations, which includes the organisation’s border, economic and special investigative activities. It also encompasses the AFP’s forensic and technical areas and the International Deployment Group (IDG). Senator Johnston said Mr Negus was a very suitable candidate, with wide-ranging experience in a variety of demanding roles within the AFP. A career police officer of 25-years, Mr Negus has worked in numerous disciplines within the AFP, including community policing, major fraud and drug operations, protection activities and human resources.

In 2003, he was responsible for a major restructure of the organisation, with the integration of 1500 Australian Protective Service officers into the AFP. Mr Negus, 43, has been a member of the executive team for the past eight years and has been instrumental in the expansion of the organisation’s size and its strategic approach to the changing law enforcement environment, both domestically and internationally. “Mr Negus has been appointed to this position at a very exciting and challenging time in the AFP’s history,” Senator Johnston said. “Among other responsibilities, he will preside over the implementation of 400 new positions to be in place for the IDG – taking its strength to 1200 by the end of next year. This expansion will allow the AFP to respond more quickly to crisis situations and will help strengthen law enforcement capabilities across the region.” “The vast and very valuable experience Mr Negus brings to the position will help enhance the AFP’s ability to chart the direction of the organisation in future law enforcement endeavours and I wish him all the best in his new appointment.”

From http://www.afp.gov.au/ 10/08/2007

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Details of Qld Ambulance Audit Announced

The Queensland Ambulance Service will be audited to compare its performance to ambulance services in other states. Premier Anna Bligh announced an audit of the troubled service shortly after being sworn in. Ambulances received a record budget of more than $400 million this year, with funding for an extra 250 officers. However, Ms Bligh ordered an audit to pinpoint why the service was not performing to community expectations. The terms of reference for the audit, tabled in parliament on Tuesday, say the service will be examined to ensure resources are going to the front line. The audit will look at the factors behind the increasing demand on ambulances, to develop strategies to better deal with the workload. It will start immediately and finish by the end of November, in time for the midyear budget review.

From http://www.theage.com.au 10/09/2007

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Commission on Government Would Restore Community Confidence in the Parliament: Greens

Alan Carpenter is being urged to form a new Commission on Government. The Premier Alan Carpenter is being urged to establish a new Commission on Government to examine the actions of lobbyists and the public sector. The original commission was set up after the WA Inc Royal Commission to put mechanisms in place to prevent improper conduct. A Greens motion, calling for a new commission, passed through the upper house last night with the support of the Liberal and National Parties. The Greens move comes after a Corruption and Crime Commission report earlier this month made findings of misconduct against a former minister and several public servants and local government officials. Greens MLC Giz Watson says a Commission on Government would help restore the community's confidence in the public sector and Parliament. "A new commission would play a very important role as to how we tackle these issues, over and above what's been suggested by the Corruption and Crime Commission," she said. "It's time to audit the recommendations of the first Commission on Government to see whether those requirements have been met but also to look at whether more measures have to be taken." "The advantage of a Commission on Government is that it's an inclusive process that engages the community at large."

From http://abc.net.au 10/25/2007

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FIJI: People's Council List Early Next Month

The names of the 40 members of a proposed People's Council to provide policy direction to the interim Government will be submitted to the President early next month. The council, to be co-chaired by the leader of the Fiji Catholic Church, Archbishop Petero Mataca, and interim Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama is expected to convene by the end of November. Permanent Secretary in the Prime Ministers office, Parmesh Chand confirms they are well in the process of submitting the names to President Ratu Josefa Iloilo. "The search for the right people to sit in the council is currently underway and we have identified some capable people so far," he said. The council members will comprise of 26 representatives from non-government organizations and the rest will be from Government. Chand could not confirm the names of the people earmarked at this stage. "Its better that we finalise everything first before the final announcement is made by the President," he said. He said the names will be announced on the second week of November.

From http://www.fijilive.com 10/24/2007

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NEW ZEALAND: New Appointment for the Law Commission

Minister Responsible for the Law Commission Mark Burton announced today that, on his recommendation, Val Sim has been appointed as a member of the Law Commission. Section 9 of the Law Commission Act 1985 provides for the membership of the Law Commission of no less than 3, and no more than 6, members. Members are appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Minister Responsible for the Law Commission. The Commission currently comprises the President, The Right Honourable Sir Geoffrey Palmer, and four Commissioners – Dr Warren Young, Professor John Burrows QC, Ms Helen Aikman QC and Mr George Tanner QC. “I believe Ms Sim has experience which will be invaluable to the Law Commission in a number of projects it is currently undertaking in the criminal law and criminal justice area,” said Mark Burton. Ms Sim’s legal background spans 27 years and includes twelve years as a manager and a brief period as a sole barrister and solicitor. She joined the Department of Justice in 1992 as a Senior Legal Advisor, leaving the organisation in 2004 when she was Chief Legal Counsel. Ms Sim is currently the Team Leader of the Human Rights Team at the Crown Law Office in Wellington. Ms Sim’s appointment is for three years.

From http://www.beehive.govt.nz 10/01/2007

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New Appointments to the EECA Board

Energy Minister David Parker today announced the appointment of four new members to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA). The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act 2000 confers a number of responsibilities on the EECA board including policy development, promoting public awareness of energy efficiency and conservation, arranging for research and demonstrations of technology, monitoring current activities and publishing relevant information. "I am delighted to appoint and welcome four new board members to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority for a three year term," David Parker said. "I congratulate Penelope Hulse, Toni Owen, Andrew Pearce and Gregory Sise on their appointments, and I am pleased to welcome Alastair Patrick to the position of Deputy Chair of the Authority. "The new members to the board come from various areas of the country and bring a wide range of skills that reach across business, finance, transport and sustainable housing. They bring additional strength in the areas of advocacy, networking and governance. "The enthusiasm of these board members and our recently appointed chair Roger Sutton will be instrumental in the development of our energy strategies as we work towards achieving our goal of a sustainable New Zealand," David Parker said.

From http://www.beehive.govt.nz 10/08/2007

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Prime Minister Opens New, More Accessible Electorate Office

The Prime Minister Helen Clark is today officially opening Steve Maharey’s new electorate office in Palmerston North. Steve Maharey says the relocation marks the end of an era, after four decades of having this community facility on Ferguson Street. “The new office on Princess Street is a huge improvement, providing an open, warm and fresh environment that is closer to the city centre and way more accessible for constituents in Palmerston North. “More than 1200 locals came to our office for help in the past year in its previous location – I expect that figure to grow with our new site. “The new modern facilities are highly visible, right in the middle of the city’s retail area, putting our services on the doorstep of thousands of people. “We encourage you to drop in so we can help you with a range of support, from liaising with government agencies on issues like immigration or housing, handling JP nominations, making a submission to a Parliamentary Select Committee, or even organising a petition. “Our services are free and anyone can use them. We’re open on Monday to Friday from 8.30 – 5. I’m generally in Palmerston North on a Friday, and hold clinics on Saturday mornings from 10 – 12 midday.”

From http://www.beehive.govt.nz 10/11/2007

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Minister Appoints Walking Access Advisory Board

A board which will provide advice to the government on walking access in New Zealand was appointed by Rural Affairs Minister Damien O’Connor today. The Walking Access Advisory Board has eight members and will help advise the government on the following: the development of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Conservation (DOC) on the operational management of walkways on land administered by DOC; the development of a New Zealand Access Strategy, including new access and priorities for funding; the development of a voluntary code of responsible conduct; the public’s likely requirements and priorities for walking access; the development of an appropriate mapping database for walking access and; the options for a new walking access organisation

From http://www.beehive.govt.nz 10/17/2007

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District Court Judges Appointed

Two new district court judges were appointed today by Attorney-General Michael Cullen. Auckland barrister and solicitor Allison Anne Sinclair, who until June this year was chairman of the Real Estate Agents Licensing Board, will be sworn in on December 19 and will sit in Auckland. Wellington Solicitor Lawrence Irwin Hinton will be sworn in December 14 and will sit in the North Shore. Mr Hinton is a consultant with Chapman Tripp and Shell in Wellington.

From http://www.nzherald.co.nz 10/25/2007

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Worker Skills Development Tools Enhanced at Manila Conference

The importance of identifying existing skills potential in local communities, making use of new technologies and creating business partnerships to help increase employment opportunities were key topics for discussion at a recent APEC conference in the Philippines. Held in Manila on September 17-19, the "Innovations in Human Resource and Economic Development: Ensuring Sustainable Growth in the 21st Century" conference brought together 135 human resource and economic development experts with leaders from government, business, education, and civil society. Conference attendees discussed ways to increase the capacity of workers in developing areas to improve their access to employment and improve their skill levels.

The APEC Labor and Social Protection Network Coordinator, Mr. Chris Watson, said participants would have taken away a number of important tools and strategies for implementation in their areas such as procedures for the resource mapping of local skills. "An essential part of creating employment opportunities is to make a concerted effort to document the range of existing skills held by people in local communities," Mr. Watson said. "This workforce analysis makes it easier for local authorities to match skills with employment opportunities while identifying where additional training might be required." Mr. Watson said the workshop also provided resources to assist local authorities to take advantage of new technologies and build partnerships with business. "Technological advances have made it easier to deliver education and training to people in local communities regardless of where they are located around the globe. "Participants at the conference were provided with resources for developing innovative strategies for using technology to access education and training programs for their people." The conference also identified opportunities for building collaborative partnerships between businesses and local communities to train workers and foster local entrepreneurship.

"Partnerships with business can be customized to serve the particular economic challenges and opportunities that exist in each region. These challenges might include the development of skills to supply new industries and training workers for jobs that are in-demand from existing business activities. Often there is a need for the development of local small businesses to supply goods and services to larger industry, but these local start-ups might need entrepreneurial guidance and support." In all of the areas covered at the conference, participants were able to take the opportunity to learn from strategies that have worked in other economies and to exchange ideas that will help to refine and enhance workforce development programs. For more information on the conference sessions and presentations, go to www.dtiassociates.com/apec

From http://www.apecsec.org.sg/apec/news 09/22/2007

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World's First Pre-Quake Alert System Set up in Japan

Tokyo, Oct 1 (DPA): The Japan Meteorological Agency Monday began operating the world's first system to give pre-earthquake warnings to the public. The system is designed to detect earthquakes by sensing small seismic waves that precede big quakes and give warnings a few seconds before a major quake hits to regions expected to suffer damage. Warnings would be aired through a public television station, NHK, and private stations as well as radio stations, the agency said. The service is only available in Japan. Only hours before the system was put in place, an earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale hit central Japan early Monday, injuring at least one person in Kanagawa Prefecture, east of Tokyo. No tsunami warning was issued, but train services in the area were suspended. Department stores in Tokyo plan to set up a warning announcement system to inform their customers before a quake hits while some firms already have similar systems in place to suspend trains or cranes at construction sites.

From http://www.kalingatimes.com/ 10/01/2007

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ADB Holding Workshops to Further Develop Draft Safeguard Policies

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has issued a consultation draft for its safeguard policy update and will hold workshops in late 2007 and early 2008 as part of an ongoing process to enhance the environmental and social safeguards of the projects it is supporting in Asia and the Pacific. The draft was posted on the Web on 11 October 2007. Structured consultation workshops with stakeholders will follow across Asia and Pacific with the first workshop Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, scheduled for 14-15 November 2007. Based on the consultations, a draft policy paper will be prepared, which also will be web-posted for consultations. The final policy paper is expected to be submitted for ADB Board consideration in the third quarter of quarter 2008. ADB is updating all three of its safeguard policies – on involuntary resettlement, indigenous peoples, and the environment – to improve their effectiveness and ensure they remain relevant to the changing needs of its developing member countries.

The update began in 2005 with independent evaluation studies of the safeguard policies completed in early 2007. The update process is expected to culminate in late 2008 with policies updated through extensive consultations. “Consultations on the coverage and substance of ADB’s safeguard policy update are essential,” says Nessim Ahmad, Director of ADB's Environment and Social Safeguard Division. “Such consultations will enhance ADB’s understanding of stakeholders' perspectives, inform the formulation of the updated policies, and make sure there is a shared understanding of safeguard objectives and principles.” The policy update is intended to improve clarity, coherence and consistency of ADB’s safeguard policies and strengthen results during project implementation. The update will also make policy implementation more adaptable in practice to match ADB’s evolving range of lending products and innovative types of financing. The policy update will work toward greater harmonization with safeguard practices across multilateral financial institutions and tailor safeguard approaches to different clients. It will also explore greater emphasis on country safeguards systems to bolster country ownership and development impact. Further information on the safeguard policy update and the consultation schedule is available on the following website http://www.adb.org/Safeguards/policy.asp.

From http://www.adb.org/Media/ 10/12/2007

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CHINA: Boosting Innovation, Boosting Economic Growth

China's largest city Shanghai posted a GDP growth of 13 percent based on a rise of 9.6 percent in fixed assets investment in the first half of 2007, thanks to the strategic adjustment of economic structure, statistics from the municipal government show. The tertiary industry contributed more than 50 percent of the city's total GDP in the first six months, a rise of 14.1 percent from a year earlier. Technological and systematic innovation is to play a leading role in motivating fast economic growth, the first time since China adopted the opening up policy nearly three decades ago, said Chen Xian, an economist with the Shandong Provincial Academy of Social Sciences. In the past years, many places in China achieved economic growth driven by increase in investment and resources consumption, which caused great pressure on the environment. China has made it a strategic task to build a resource-conserving and environment-friendly society to achieve economic and social development. East China's Shandong Province has given priority to the development and manufacturing of 100 kinds of products during the 11th five-year program period (2006-2010), with the purpose of boosting advanced manufacturing industries such as electronics information, bioengineering and new materials, among others.

The provincial government earmarked 250 million yuan (about 33 million U.S. dollars) to finance the first batch of 62 programs involving industrial adjustment in 2006 to boost technological innovation in local enterprises. The Shandong-based electronic firm Hisense developed the second generation of a digital video transact chip "Xinxin", the application of which reduced the annual production cost by more than 20 million yuan (about 2.7 million U.S. dollars). Hisense is the first Chinese mainland TV producer to master core technologies and possess proprietary intellectual property rights. With more core technologies in hands, local enterprises in the Pearl River delta in south China have contributed significantly in optimizing the structure of local industries. Guangdong Province, known for fast economic growth driven by labor-intensive and light industries in the early 1990s, has entered a new round of development, with auto making, petro-chemical, ship-building, iron and steel, and information technology industries becoming new forces driving local economic development. Guangdong posted a GDP of more than 2.59 trillion yuan (about 345 billion U.S. dollars) in 2006, ranking the first on the Chinese mainland.

Jiangsu Province in the east is also among the coastal regions which pursue fast economic growth via science and technology advancement. The province's expenditure on science and technology development rose by 63.7 percent in the first half of this year, and currently more than 50 percent of its economy benefit from technology progress. From January to May, the provincial government granted patent rights to 11,610 products, up 73 percent on last year. "Pursuing economic development through innovation is a reflection of the scientific concept of development," said Zhang Weiguo, director of the Institute of Economics under the Shandong Provincial Academy of Social Sciences. China has set a goal of raising the contribution to economic growth by science and technology advancement from 39 percent to more than 60 percent in 2020.

From http://www.chinaview.cn 09/29/2007

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Gov't Earmarks Hotels for Public Servants

More than 2,600 hotels across the country have been designated as the venues for Party and central government officials to stay during their official business trips and conferences. A meeting co-sponsored by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Ministry of Finance on Friday demanded that Party officials and officials and staffers of central government departments must stay in the designated hotels during their business trips, and prohibited them from transferring the accommodation fees to local governments. The meeting also forbids Party officials and central government staffers from demanding for services not included in the agreements reached with the hotels. China introduced new methods to improve management on official business trip and conference fees involving central government officials and staffers from January 1 this year. The new methods require officials and staffers from the central government departments to stay in designated hotels and capped the accommodation fees. The move is widely acclaimed as a new step to fight corruption and help build a clean government.

From Xinhua News Agency 09/30/2007

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New System Takes Legwork Out of Tracing Fake Drugs

The city will tighten its watch on the circulation of medical drugs as the second phase of its trading supervision system gets underway at the Shanghai food and drug administration (FDA). The system supervises drugs and vaccines purchased by the city's disease control center, hospitals and general drug stores. If any accidents occur involving 'fake' medicines or adverse drug reactions, Shanghai FDA will trace the entire batch of medicine within a 20-minute period. "The supervision network has been in use since last year," Xu Wei, a spokesman for Shanghai FDA. The existing network covers all 128 drug wholesale companies in Shanghai, and 98 percent of the drug trade throughout the city. The system also requires that all these wholesale companies report each purchase and sale - as well as where they bought the product, whom the drugs were sold to, and other product details. "Construction of the second phase mainly involves perfection and upgrading of the existing network," Xu said. "Like solving technical problems and removing bugs from the system." Added into the supervision system will be vaccines, contraceptive pills, as well as medicine purchased from out of Shanghai by medical institutions and drug retailers.

Traditionally, when adverse drug reactions occur, large teams are deployed to trace the medicine's traffic history in order to stop its expansion. Two years ago, a national pursuit was launched when a fake drug from the No 2 Pharmaceutical Company of Qiqihar killed several people. Shanghai FDA took a whole week and 15,000 supervising visits to more than 3,000 retailers before they resolved the issue. Earlier this year, with the launch of the supervision system, Shanghai FDA successfully traced the origin of an immunoglobulin injection produced by the Baiyi Pharmaceutical Company from Guangdong Province within just 10 minutes after receiving notification about the problem. Also included in the phase II supervision network are anesthetics and drugs for mental problems made in Shanghai. These drugs are placed under supervision of the national FDA during the production and transportation process until they go into wholesale and reach medical institutions and retailers. Supervision for the production, trade and use of these special drugs will be carried out in a joint effort with medical institutions, the Shanghai Morning Post reported, so that every injection or pill can be easily traced.

From China Daily 10/10/2007

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Employers Could Pay for Harassment

Employers will have to pay compensation to the victims of sexual harassment if they are found to have been at fault under a new legislation in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The Implementation Measures of the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Women targets sexual harassment using words, letters, images, communication and body language. Employers are obliged to adopt measures to prevent such situations from happening on their premises. If employers are found to have permitted any assaults on a woman's body, spirit or reputation, they will assume related civil compensation liability. More than half of the 11,669 women respondents to a survey conducted earlier this year by the People's Daily website said they had experienced sexual harassment at work. In an online poll on sina.com yesterday, 50.74 percent of the 7,126 participants agreed that employers should compensate victims of harassment, compared to 39.7 percent who said they should not. Experts lauded the new regulation, but were not optimistic about its practicality. "It is a landmark move as no one has ever attempted to implement such a regulation before," said Li Ying, a professor at the Law School of Beijing University.

"It will empower women and make the work environment more conducive for their growth." However, Qiu Baochang, dean of the Beijing-based Huijia Law Firm, said it would be tough to enforce, "especially in a country where co-workers go to bars and KTV together all the time". "It is so hard to assign fault because it is hard to figure out what really happens between male and female employees." "Should an employer arrange separate rooms for male and female employees?" he said. The Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Women took effect in 1992. It enumerates women's rights and interests in politics, culture and education, labor, property, marriage and family. Local provinces can adopt their own measures for the law's implementation under its guidelines. The latest revised details for implementation of Sichuan, a province with 42.5 million women, also highlights gender equality. It bars prejudice against women and protects their special interests.

From China Daily 10/12/2007

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China Sets Up First Index System for Textile Industry

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) announced on Sunday the establishment of the country's first-ever textile index system, to better reflect the development of the textile industry and its market. The textile index system is based on data collected by the China Textile City located in Shaoxing County of east China's Zhejiang province. As one of the largest textile distribution center in the world, the China Textile City saw 50 billion yuan (6.7 billion U.S. dollars) of transaction volume registered in 2006. The system includes the price index, the business index, the export index and the order index, which will reflect the price movement of the domestic textile market, ups and downs of the textile export market, and the change of orders accepted by textile producers and operators. The price index will be published every Monday to indicate textile prices during the past week, while the business index and the export index will be available every month. "The system is expected to provide a more complete, accurate and also the latest market information for the textile producers, purchasers and operators at home and abroad," said Huang Hai, assistant minister with the MOC.

From http://www.chinaview.cn 10/21/2007

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JAPAN: Big Issue Funds to Offer More Help to the Homeless

OSAKA--The Big Issue Japan, the Osaka-based publisher of the Japanese edition of Britain's The Big Issue magazine, has established a foundation to offer more help to the homeless. The Big Issue Foundation, which recently marked the fourth anniversary of the magazine's Japanese edition, will operate on 10 million yen in initial funds donated from supporting firms and individuals. The Japanese version of the biweekly magazine was launched in September 2003 and is sold exclusively by homeless vendors, who keep 110 yen for every 200 yen-issue they sell. Their earnings are expected to help them secure cheap lodging, a starting base for them to eventually save enough to rent apartments and secure the permanent addresses that will help them receive public assistance and, ultimately, find the jobs that will help reintegrate them into society. The publisher is involved in sports and cultural events such as the Homeless World Cup international soccer tournament, which the magazine sends vendors to in order to encourage them and help them build relationships. The foundation hopes to provide health checks for the vendors, give them financial advice and information on low-cost housing and conduct seminars for them on how to write resumes and more. The foundation also intends to coordinate with various homeless support organizations to extend its services to other homeless people.

According to The Big Issue Japan, 669 vendors have been registered in the nation and have sold 2.19 million copies, earning 240 million yen. Of these, 58 quit after finding new jobs. Currently, about 120 vendors in 11 cities, including Tokyo, Sapporo, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Osaka, sell the magazine. "Sales of the magazine didn't increase last summer, partly because of the hot weather. Also, it isn't high profile enough," said foundation employee Minako Takayanagi. "I hope the start of the foundation will give it more publicity. "We've seen a recent increase in Big Issue vendors in their late 30s, especially in Osaka. It's a new social problem among young workers that we're trying to study." The magazine targets young readers by covering such topics as pop music, cinema, contemporary art and social issues in Japan and abroad. From the Oct. 15 issue, the magazine will increase in price to 300 yen and add pages, with 160 yen to be kept by the vendors. The move is intended to help the vendors earn more money and also help young jobless people without fixed addresses who seek refuge at Internet cafes earn enough money to rent cheap accommodations by selling 20 copies a day. The foundation is accepting donations from firms, organizations and private individuals. Call (06) 6344-2260. (By Hiroko Ihara)

From The Yomiuri Shimbun 10/04/2007

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Govt Considering 'Water Bank' System to Fight Droughts

The Construction and Transport Ministry has begun considering the implementation of a "water bank" system to respond to potential water shortages that could result due to global warming and related climate changes. The system would allow local governments to temporarily lend or borrow water rights when water shortages occur. If realized, it would dramatically alter the principles of administrative works over water resources and rivers, which currently do not allow local governments to lease water rights. The ministry plans to hammer out by the end of the year a practical direction for measures for better using the nation's water resources. The River Law allows the transfer of water rights without charge via the central government or through prefectural governments, but prohibits the selling or leasing of water rights. According to the ministry, about 9 percent of tap water and about 23 percent of water set aside for industrial use in dams nationwide is not used. When water shortages are feared for the summer season, water rights holders swap water stocks free of charge. But the ministry said holders are often hesitant to hand over their water rights for fears of increased demands for water in the future, resulting in water resources often not being sufficiently used. Water bank systems have been introduced in the United States and Australia. When a severe water shortage occurs in California, the state government's water bank buys water meant for agricultural use from farmers whose farmland is not being used and sells the water for tap use and other urgent purposes.

In the ministry, an increasing number of officials are favoring the allowing of leasing water rights. "Because people involved try hard to save water to minimize the amounts that need to be bought, it will result in a more efficient use of water," one official said. The ministry will consider having the nation's water bank system mediated by prefectural governments, other local administrative authorities, regional organizations or other public entities such as the Japan Water Agency. Under the planned system, the water bank buys unused water stocks in advance and provides tap water to local governments that urgently need supplies during severe water shortages. Kagawa Prefecture often suffers from summertime water shortages. This year also saw the taking of water from dams limited for about six weeks. But an official of the prefectural government was cautious about the proposed systems, saying: "The system could change the premise that water from the skies is a public good. It will be a tough task getting consent from water rights holders." In Tokyo, about 4.5 million tons of tap water are needed daily. An official of the metropolitan government said, "Shouldn't water be provided fairly to those in need under appropriate cost-sharing methods?"

From The Yomiuri Shimbun 10/06/2007

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Japan to Revamp Public Statistics

TOKYO — Japan plans to streamline its statistics compiled by various government and public entities by fiscal 2009 to make them updated and better reflect social and economic trends, a panel tasked with reforming the current system said Friday. The commission on statistics, headed by Kei Takeuchi, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, held its first meeting to overhaul the country's statistics system, which has been often criticized for overlaps and contradictions caused by sectionalism among government agencies. Takeuchi said at a press conference that Japan's statistics system, which was last revamped shortly after World War II, focuses more on the secondary industry of manufacturing, and does not fully cover trends in the tertiary industry of service.

From http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/ 10/06/2007

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Ruling Parties to Require Receipts for Expenses of 1 Yen 0r More

The ruling coalition parties agreed Friday that Diet members and others would have to disclose receipts for any expenses of "1 yen or more" from their political funds, coalition sources said. A joint project team of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito on transparency of political funds compiled the ruling parties' draft on revising the Political Funds Control Law during a meeting that day. On the standard for disclosing receipts for expenses excluding personnel costs, the panel decided those of 1 yen and more would be made public in principle. The panel also decided to institutionalize an independent committee on optimizing political funds within the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry as part of the introduction of a system to inspect income and expenditure reports for political funds, the sources said. The ruling parties plan to submit a package of bills, including one to revise the Political Funds Control Law, to the Diet, perhaps this month. Due to revisions to the law that passed the ordinary Diet session this year, organizations that manage Diet members' political funds are now obliged to attach receipts to political fund reports for expenses of 50,000 yen and more for operating expenses, excluding personnel costs, in addition to expenses for political activities. To make the process even more transparent, the ruling parties' draft stipulates that receipts for all expenses will be disclosed with the provision of receipts for expenses of at least 1 yen, the sources said. Political organizations represented by Diet members, including electoral district branches, and those of candidates running in elections of both houses of the Diet will be required to disclose the receipts when requested. Criteria for disclosing expenses will be detailed by government ordinances and other decrees. The draft has a condition that states consideration will be given to prevent ballooning administrative costs and to make the system more efficient.

From The Yomiuri Shimbun 10/13/2007

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SOUTH KOREA: Ethic Infrastructure Is Required for Integrity

South Korea was today ranked with the 43rd among 180 countries and territories according to a report of the CPI 2007 by TI Korea. The 2007 corruption perceptions index scores countries on a scale from zero to 10, with zero indicating high levels of perceived corruption and 10 indicating low levels of perceived corruption and South Korea is get a score of 5.1 and it is the same as the last year. The CPI index stresses the importance of international evaluation for public sector corruption. The score we get gives us a burden and concerns as it disappoints citizen who has a strong desire for clean society and also, it is showing signs of stagnating for reform. Last year South Korea rose from 50 among 99 countries with a score of 3.8 in 1999 to 43 among 163 with a score of 5.1 in the CPI index rankings. A sustained improvement was caused by a creation, development and operation of anti-corruption system with national level. For instance, Anti-corruption act which was arranged in 2001 and KICAC (Korea Independent Commission Against Corruption) was set in 2002 were prepared for anti-corruption. In addition to, K-PACT (Korean Pact on Anti-Corruption and Transparency) which was based on widespread agreement was arranged and all those effort and outcome of TI Korea have been recognized internationally.

Unfortunately, however we hardly support and operate the systems we set up earlier. In effect, we had to admit that our initial will and determination have been weakened. In this circumstance, there were many scandals and everytime various recommendations were suggested, but they were all good-for-nothing. Specially, a nation was rife with a judicial scandal in 2006 and a bribery scandal spreads a whole judical system as it connected among judge, prosecutor, the chief constable and broker. This year, TI Korea examined how a judicial system perform their reformation but a result was so poor. And it shows that there is a high correlation between scores of the 2007 CPI and result of judicature perform. Therefore, TI Korea makes two recommendations.

1. Fundamental and long-term moral infrastructure needed Firstly, we ought to focus attention on bettering anti-corruption with a qualitatively transformation and a long-term performance. Until now, we have laid particular stress on high scores of transparency with a system reform and use of IT technology, but it is a time for us to focus on a high integrity and a strong accountability in the civil service, business and civil community. What is more, fighting judicial corruption and educating adolescents about ethics are urgent to change the public's consciousness, a general practice and public behaviour for a ethical society.

2. KICAC requires to some reforms of its operation and more authorizations Secondly, KICAC has a huge responsible for a slowdown of improvement in anti-corruption. For its duty, KICAC needs to reestablish its position then they can play a pivotal role for a clean society. Not only does the committee stand in centre in operation, it also needs to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy. Besides, they have to respond to citizen's criticism. With all these reformations, it needs a institutional and politic authorizations such as rights of investigation and administration of civil servant. There is a lot of public concern about a degeneration with a coming presidential election. All the candidates have to make an effort for clean election and give pledges about anti-corruption. A next government has to inherit good outcome of previous governments, but at the same time, it needs to over come mistakes of ex-government. Most of all, when a nation become a watchdog with a great effort of will, it will be rewarded with a clean society.

From http://www.transparency.org/ 09/26/2007

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Korea's Research Spending per GDP Ranks 5th in the World in the World in 2006

Korea's science and technology research spending in relation to gross domestic product (GDP) ranked fifth in the world last year, a government report said Thursday (Oct. 11). The report by the Ministry of Science and Technology showed 27.34 trillion won (US$29.78 billion) was spent last year in such areas as natural sciences, engineering, medicine and agriculture. This is equivalent to 3.23 percent of the country's GDP. Only Israel, Sweden, Finland and Japan spent a higher percentage of money on research and development (R&D) compared to the size of their national economies, it said. Of the total, 77.3 percent or 21.12 trillion won were spent by the corporate sector, with Samsung Electronics Co., LG Electronics and Hyundai Motor Co. leading in technology innovation and development. "Over 90 percent of the R&D was made in manufacturing with electronics and automobiles accounting for 47.9 percent and 15.1 percent of the total respectively," said Nam Jin-woong, head of the ministry's science technology policy bureau.

The latest findings based on surveys of 16,304 corporate laboratories, institutes and collages across the country also revealed the country has 256,598 frontline researchers. "Only the United States, China, Japan, Russia, Germany and France had more researcher than South Korea last year," the official said. He added that the number of researchers per 1,000 people stood at 8.3 last year compared to 7.5 the year before. The policymaker said that in the four years of the Roh Moo-hyun administration, R&D spending had risen 12.8 percent on average every year, while the number of researchers increased 9.8 percent on an annual basis from 2003 to 2006. The ministry, meanwhile, said it has earmarked 380.4 billion won to be spent in 2008 on small research projects. The amount is a 32.2 percent increase compared to this year and will be spent on up to 5,100 projects. Sums of up to 700 million won can be spent depending on the potential of a project in helping the country catch up with technology leaders in the basic sciences. Seoul has asked lawmakers to approve a 10.85 trillion won R&D budget for next year.

From http://www.korea.net/news/ 10/11/2007

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MONGOLIA: Better Services for the Poor and Vulnerable Through Innovations and Partnerships

Ulanbaataar, October 1, 2007 - Mongolia had been waiting for its own Development Marketplace and, when the competition opened last March 12, it made sure to give it a warm welcome. “Mongolia had the largest per capita number of participants for any Country Development Marketplace held across the World Bank. This is remarkable and shows the passion of Mongolians for change,” said World Bank Vice President for the East Asia and Pacific Region James W. Adams. In total, 1,851 proposals were submitted to find ways to provide better social services for the poor and vulnerable groups in urban and rural areas using innovative and effective ways. The quality and supply of and access to social services such as infrastructure, education, health, water, and Information and Communication Technologies still fall short in the country. The lack of such services affects everyone, but particularly the disadvantaged people such as those who live in Ger Districts of Ulaanbaatar and rural Mongolia.

From those initial proposals, 190 finalists were selected to participate in the marketplace held on September 7 in Sukhbaatar Square, Ulaanbaatar. There, 42 jurors representing MDM partners, development experts and the World Bank had the difficult task of selecting 37 projects after reviewing the details and interviewing the finalists. Each winner will receive up to US$10,000, for a total of US$326,000 awarded in prizes. Nearly half of the initial proposals were from rural Mongolia, suggesting that the issue of service delivery affects both rural and urban people. The projects were evaluated with five equally important criteria:
1. Innovation
2. Impact and result
3. Effectiveness/realism
4. Sustainability and scale-up potential
5. Replicability

Encouraging new ideas and new partnership approaches to development is one of the key objectives of the Mongolia Development Marketplace (MDM). “To create a platform where ideas and resources could meet each other and get connected to implement those ideas is the most important goal” said Arshad Sayed, Country Manager and Resident Representative of the World Bank in Mongolia. This goal was achieved when development organizations, private companies and the public visited the MDM and acquainted themselves with the projects that were publicly displayed. As a result, the Global Environment Fund and the Small Grants Program of UNDP, as well as the Mobicom Company chose three additional projects to fund. The World Bank Mongolia office initiated the first MDM program based on the model of the World Bank’s global competitive grant program. The Development Marketplace is the World Bank’s competitive grant program that provides financial support for the implementation of small, creative, effective and replicable projects. The program’s primary goal is to support creative and innovative solutions to the most pressing social and economic concerns of our time and, furthermore, to expand and replicate successful models.

The Mongolia Development Marketplace-2007 is ensuring partnerships and cooperation at all levels and the World Bank has extended an open invitation to Mongolian governmental organizations, national NGOs, socially responsible corporations and individuals, and international organizations operating in Mongolia to participate in this program as partners. Over 24 partners have joined to the first MDM. The partners are: the Office of the President, National Development Institute, Mayor office of UB, Global Giving, Sustainable Livelihoods Project, German Embassy, Mobicom Company, German Technical Cooperation Agency, Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency, Open Society Forum, Xac Bank, Newcom Group, GEF- SGP and UNDP, Rural Education and Development Project, Renewable Energy Project, WHO, Asia Foundation, UNICEF, Khan Bank, Information Communication and Technology Authority, Peace Corps Mongolia, Skytel, Mongolian Education Alliance Association and city and aimag center libraries.

From http://web.worldbank.org/ 10/01/2007

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PHILIPPINES: Data Bank to Track Down ‘Tax Evaders’ to Be Set Up

The government will set up a data bank to monitor non-taxpaying individuals and corporations. Representative Danilo E. Suarez (Quezon province 3rd district), who is also chairman of the oversight committee of the Lower House which monitors collections of revenue-generating government agencies, said the first P400 million of the proceeds of the tax amnesty program will be used to establish the data bank. This is stipulated by Republic Act 9840 or the Tax Amnesty Law. Suarez, who is the principal author of RA 9840, cited the data bank after he was asked how the government can monitor non-taxpaying but high-earning enterprises and individuals. Suarez said the BIR regional Offices "know who are earning in Cebu or any area in the country." He said the data bank will serve as the tracking mechanism for non-taxpaying individuals and corporations and will be implemented next year. With the data bank, other agencies will be tapped to monitor if the individual bought properties such as cars and houses, traveled abroad or paid for children's education. These agencies include Land Transportation Office, Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, Bureau of Immigration and Department of Education. “When you start to gain wealth, you cannot help but buy a car, house or send your children to exclusive schools,” he said.

Suarez was in Cebu on Monday as the keynote speaker of BIR's Tax Amnesty Roadshow at the Cebu Grand Convention Center. He also urged the Bureau of Internal Revenue to closely monitor the "underground economy." He admitted that the present revenue collection system of the government is weak on generating taxes from small and medium enterprises. Under RA 9480, tax delinquents are given the privilege of being free from prosecution if they apply for amnesty and pay the corresponding tax amnesty fee. Corporations and individuals can avail of the tax amnesty from September 6, 2007 to March 8, 2008 upon submission of statement of assets, liabilities and networth (SALN), notice of availment, acceptance form and tax amnesty return forms. Meanwhile, Cebu Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce president Filomeno Lim said tax mapping should be intensified in order to identify business owners who have been delinquent in paying taxes. “The tax amnesty law is not only intended for certain type of business so we encourage members to avail of the tax amnesty. We also encourage our members to increase compliance in the payment of taxes,” he told reporters at the sidelines of the conference.

Suarez said tax amnesty proceeds is expected to reach close to P4 billion, but added that some Chinese federations told him that the amnesty proceeds will reach P10 billion to P12 billion. “But the most important facet of the measure is not just the amount (which will be collected) but the broadening of the tax base because once you pay your amnesty (fee), you'll submit your SALN. So the next taxable year, you will pay because you already declared,” he said.

From http://archive.inquirer.net 10/16/2007

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SINGAPORE: New Mediation Scheme Launched to Resolve Healthcare Complaints

Minister of State for Health Heng Chee How said his ministry has started a Medical Mediation Scheme. Still running as a pilot, it incorporates mediation into the way public healthcare complaints are managed. He noted that this is an added avenue for aggrieved patients and their families to get clear explanations from the medical institutions and arrive at a fair settlement. At the same time, the world body protecting medical professionals has organised a training programme to help doctors improve on their doctor-patient communication skills. Mr Heng was speaking at the official opening of the 11th Singapore Medical Association Ethics and Professionalism Convention. "Studies have shown that patients often claim or sue because they are poorly informed about the benefits and risks of treatment, and are not given satisfactory explanations following adverse outcomes of treatment. Patients also sue because they perceive their doctors as uncaring or insensitive to their needs," said the Minister of State for Health. Mr Heng added that ultimately a holistic approach is needed, and healthcare providers should review their processes regularly to fix any weaknesses.

From http://www.channelnewsasia.com/ 10/20/2007

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Social Workers to Become More Professional with Skills Upgrading Framework

A new framework to improve the competencies of social workers in Singapore was launched on Saturday. Called the Community and Social Services Workforce Skills Qualifications (CSS WSQ), it is developed by the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS). It was launched by MCYS Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan during the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) Members Conference whose theme was "Attracting, Retaining and Optimising Resources". Many see social services as a job that needs no training. But this perception may soon change, along with demographic, social and economic changes. Lee Kim Siang, chairman of WDA's manpower, skills and training council, said: "It's a wrong conception to think that this sector is voluntary work. Certainly it's not. In fact, it's getting more and more professionalised.

It is voluntary in the sense that, maybe, the top management - the board of directors - are volunteers. But other than that, staff and all levels of staff - from the CEO downwards - they are all paid workers." Professional social workers can now look forward to further career advancement, with courses based on the CSS WSQ. Dr Balakrishnan said: "This framework will map the specific competencies which personnel in various sub-sectors will need to have. It will enable VWO (voluntary welfare organisations) personnel to upgrade themselves for career development and progression. And for the employers - the VWOs - the framework will help to elevate the standards of the industry and the occupational competencies of your staff." The standard courses will also allow for a career switch within various sectors in the social service industry.

From http://www.channelnewsasia.com 10/20/2007

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S'pore, C'wealth Secretariat Host Study Programme for 23 Permanent Secretaries

Singapore and the Commonwealth Secretariat are jointly hosting a study programme for Permanent Secretaries from 22-26 October. This comes under the framework of the Singapore-Commonwealth Third Country Training Programme. Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry says the programme is about "Managing the Complexity in Networked Government". The participants comprise 23 Permanent Secretaries and senior officials from 20 Commonwealth countries in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands. The Ministry adds that the programme aims to enhance the capacity of participating officials in promoting good governance and public sector reform through effective coordination within and between ministries. The participants will also meet senior Singapore officials to exchange views on Singapore and international best practices. The study programme will be conducted by the Civil Service College of Singapore.

From http://www.channelnewsasia.com 10/21/2007

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INDIA: Corporate India to Push Technology for Inclusive Growth

Corporates from India are ready to take the agenda of inclusive growth. During the press conference held by the Conference of Indian Industry (CII), Sunil Bharti Mittal, CII President and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, asks for skill development of socially disadvantaged classes. He is currently in a mission to New York (the United States) to promote the Incredible India brand. He also informed the press about the corporate initiatives carried out in India in the area of education. He added that if technology - be it IT and ITES or telecom - had helped fuel the growth of the Indian economy, it's once again technology that has to be leveraged to ensure equitable growth. CII's Chief Mentor, Mr Tarun Das, has taken special interest in ensuring that youth from rural and disadvantaged sections achieve a special set of skills that open up new employment opportunities for them.

From http://southasia.oneworld.net/ 09/26/2007

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OECD to Publish Its First Economic Survey of India on 9 October 2007

The OECD will publish its first Economic Survey of India – the world’s third largest economy after the US and China (1) - on Tuesday 9 October 2007. It argues that continuing market-orientated reforms is essential to ensuring strong economic growth and reducing poverty. The survey also looks at policies to improve areas such as infrastructure and education. The survey will be available to journalists in English on the OECD's password-protected website at 09.00 Paris time (07.00 GMT, 12.30 in New Delhi) for immediate release. The survey will be presented by the OECD’s Secretary-General, Angel Gurría, at a seminar – open to the media – at 10.30 a.m. the same day at the Imperial Hotel, Janpath, New Delhi. D. Subba Rao, Finance Secretary at the Indian Ministry of Finance, will also participate. To register for the event, journalists are invited to contact Manmeet Ahuja, ICRIER, (tel: 91-11-24627447). A Policy Brief with the main conclusions of the survey will be freely accessible in pdf format (in English and French) on the OECD’s web site at www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/india. You are invited to include this internet link in reports on the survey.

Among the questions investigated by the survey are:
Why has recent growth been so rapid ?
What reforms are needed to raise growth and lower poverty ?
Which markets need further reform?
Can infrastructure bottlenecks be lessened?
Do public finances need change?
How can the education system be improved ?
Journalists will be allowed advance access to the electronic version of the publication, by e-mail and under embargo, four hours ahead of release time. For journalists in Asia/Pacific time zones such advance access is allowed 12 hours ahead of release time.

From http://www.oecd.org/ 10/02/2007

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India Is Emerging as an Innovation Leader in the Manufacturing....

“India is emerging as an innovation leader in the manufacturing and services sectors, but the country can do more to fulfill its potential by taking the benefits of innovation to the poor, a World Bank report released today said. …The report, Unleashing India's Innovation - towards Sustainable and Inclusive Growth, said that out of the top 50 applicants for patents in India between 1995 and 2005, at least 44 were foreign firms. Only two were private Indian firms. …”Reuters reports that World Bank Senior Private Sector Development Specialist Mark Dutz “…told Reuters India needs to increase competition, build stronger skills and provide more public and private finance for research and development to keep up with major competitors. …Dutz said greater private participation in higher education is needed as India; … [it] would need 2.3 million highly-trained professionals by 2010 to maintain its share of the knowledge economy. But if standards don't improve it could face a shortfall of 500,000 workers, he added. …Another key area, according to Dutz, is to ensure companies work harder to constantly upgrade staff skills. …Dutz also called for greater tapping of the knowledge and resources of Indians living overseas. …”The Times of India writes that “… ‘But only economic policy will not be enough as there is major divide and disparity in the population. For instance, India is world's fastest growing market for mobile phones but the teledensity of 40 percent in the urban areas is ten times higher than their poor rural cousins. Also, compared to 90 percent gross enrolment for higher education in Korea and 68 percent in Russia India's 12 percent enrolment figure stands dwarfed,’ says the report.” Hindustan Times adds that “Appropriate measures to stimulate innovation through competition can trigger a five-fold increase in India's gross domestic product (GDP) and make the growth process more inclusive, the World Bank has said. …

The report said actions were needed to promote commercialization and to strengthen links among industry, universities and public R&D laboratories. These could include providing support to technology transfer offices, creating a patent management corporation, strengthening innovation infrastructure, promoting angel investing and early stage pre-venture capital financing. …”Xinhua notes that “… ‘The world has acknowledged India's R&D potential and more than 300 multinational corporations have set up R&D and technical centers in India," said Isabel Guerrero, World Bank Country Director for India. … ‘Based on a 2006 World Bank Enterprise Survey of roughly 2,300 manufacturing enterprises in 16 Indian states, absorbing existing technology (whether generated domestically or acquired from abroad) has a stronger, more significant association with enterprise productivity than does spending on R&D.’ … While India is emerging as a top global innovator in sectors such as biotechnology and information technology, less than 3 percent of the Indian workforce is in the modern private sector, while roughly 90 percent remains in the informal sector. …”

From http://web.worldbank.org/ 10/05/2007

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India Launches Tsunami Early-warning System

India’s indigenously developed system will generate timely advisories about changes in sea levels after an earthquake, based on real-time calculations of data collected through sensors, tide gauges and bottom pressure recorders. India has launched its tsunami early-warning system that can locate the exact epicentre of an earthquake in the ocean within 13 minutes of its occurrence, and generate alerts within 30 minutes of the quake. The first country in the Indian Ocean region to have such a system, described as “most modern” by a UN expert on earthquakes, it has promised to share the benefits of this technology with its neighbours. The national early-warning system for tsunami and storm surges in the Indian Ocean, developed by scientists at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) was inaugurated by the country’s Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Minister Kapil Sibal on October 15. “We had promised to put in place a tsunami warning system soon after the December 2004 tsunami devastated many coastal parts of the country. We deliver the system today,” Sibal said at the Early Warning Centre in Hyderabad.

The system comprises a real-time network of seismic stations, Bottom Pressure Recorders (BPRs) and tide gauges to monitor earthquakes in the sea and subsequent tsunamis triggered by them. The Early Warning Centre, based in Hyderabad, receives real-time seismic data from the national seismic network of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and other international seismic networks. The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) has installed four BPRs in the Bay of Bengal and two off the coast of Gujarat in the Arabian Sea, in addition to 30 tide gauges. The early-warning system can detect all earthquakes of more than six degrees on the Richter scale that occur in the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean within minutes of their occurrence. BPRs installed in the sea/ocean are the key sensors confirming the triggering of a tsunami. Seismic and sea-level data is continuously monitored through a system that generates alerts in the warning centre whenever a pre-set threshold is crossed. The Early Warning Centre will then generate and issue timely advisories to the control room of the ministry of home affairs for dissemination to the public. To warn the ministry, a satellite-based virtual private network for disaster management support has been established.

This enables the centre to also issue alerts to state emergency operations centres. Messages will be sent by telephone, fax, SMS and emails to authorised officials. In case of confirmed warnings, the Centre is being equipped to disseminate advisories directly to the administrators, media and public via SMS, email and fax. The Early Warning Centre, developed by 150 scientists at INCOIS over the past three years, was established by the ministry of earth sciences at a cost of Rs 125 crore, in collaboration with the department of science and technology, department of space, and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. It has been praised by Peter Koltermann, head of tsunami coordination of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, who said: “The Indian system is the most modern one.” The warning system was launched following the completion of successful trials. “The efficiency of the system was proved during an under-sea earthquake of 8.4 magnitude that occurred last month in the Indian Ocean. The team of Indian scientists calculated time, capacity and the right height of waves generated from the region. We had put Chennai and the Andaman and Nicobar regions on high alert,” said Sibal. Nearly 400 million people living in India’s coastal belt are vulnerable to oceanographic disasters. In the wake of the devastating December 2004 tsunami, which killed 10,700 people in India and over 203,000 worldwide, the Indian government had promised to put in place an early-warning system by September 2007.

From http://www.infochangeindia.org/ 10/16/2007

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PAKISTAN: MDMA Launched to Train Quick Disaster Management Alerts

ISLAMABAD (October 26 2007): The Municipal Disaster Management Authorities (MDMA) will be established in the quake-affected cities of Muzaffarabad and Mansehra to enhance the capacity of local authorities for effective disaster risk management. MDMA will work under the earthquake vulnerability reduction and preparedness programme initiated by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) assisted by Government of Japan. This was informed to the participants of the project inception workshop on" earthquake vulnerability reduction and preparedness programme in Muzaffarabad and Mansehra municipalities" jointly organised by the NDMA and UNDP. The programme aimed at building institutes and capacities to integrate earthquake vulnerability reduction in the reconstruction process and the overall development planning of the two municipalities. 22 small schemes will be completed in these two cities including reconstruction and retrofitting of public buildings like schools, hospitals, bridges, and evacuation of routes, awareness drives and technical assistance. The Chairman NDMA Lieutenant General Farooq Ahmad (R) addressing the workshop said the programme has started in consultation with the ERRA in municipalities of Mansehra and Muzaffarabad. "Initially we will work in two cities move ahead to other affected areas at a later stage," he said.

He also hoped that workshop will help creating understanding among concerned stakeholders regarding the MDMA set up in two municipalities. Further he explained the programme would assess the fault-lines study, vulnerability of buildings, housing infrastructure and other kinds of construction in these two cities regarding. The programme will analyse the extent of vulnerability of different social groups in the towns besides classifying population at high, medium and low risk vulnerabilities. Also it would offer consultancy to the community members and social organisations to build capacity local human resources. The speakers informed the participants that the project would be launched in two cities for educating people the quick alert for any disaster like situation as not any educational institute offers subjects relating to the crisis. The joint speakers of the NDMA and UNDP also said that the project would further strengthen the ongoing projects of ERRA in the quake-affected areas besides improving overall development planning. Further they apprised the participants, the NDMA will engage international and national institutions for future capacity building and the step would develop risk information, planning, technology training and the authority is already working to promote general education and awareness in connection with disaster management.

From http://www.brecorder.com/ 10/26/2007

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AFGHANISTAN: Afghanistan Hosts International Conference for First Time in Decades

Afghanistan this week is hosting the annual meeting of 10 member countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) for the first time in decades, in what is viewed by many as a step towards normalcy following decades of war and internal conflict, RFE/RL reported on October 16. In addition to Afghanistan, the participating countries are Azerbaijan, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey, as well as the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia. Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Sultan Ahmad Beheen told RFE/RL that the foreign ministers' meeting will take place on October 20, following days of gatherings between deputy foreign ministers and other high-ranking officials. During the final meeting, the deputy foreign ministers will present their conclusions on economic issues, trade, transportation, and regional cooperation to the ministers for discussion and approval. Afghan officials will focus on promoting their country as a regional center for trade and transportation between the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia, Beheen said. Other attendees will include representatives of the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, several United Nations organizations, and U.S. government officials specializing in agriculture. JC

From http://www.rferl.org/ 10/17/2007

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KAZAKHSTAN: OSCE Centre Supports Judicial Reform in Kazakhstan

Improving criminal procedure and penitentiary legislation in Kazakhstan is the focus of an OSCE Centre conference that opened on 18 October in Astana. "This high-level forum is indeed a good opportunity to discuss the pressing issues of criminal justice reform in Kazakhstan, especially the planned transfer of powers of arrest from the prosecutor's office to the judiciary," said Ambassador Ivar Vikki, Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana. "I urge the experts here to carefully consider this reform in light of recommendations from the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights." The two-day event brings together more than 100 participants, representing all criminal justice agencies of the country, to discuss the introduction of judicial authorization of arrest and the state of penitentiary reform.

The conference will adopt recommendations that will contribute to the elaboration of a new strategy to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system in Kazakhstan. "The most important issue now is the preparation of a programmatic document, which will state the main directions and priorities for further development of the criminal justice system. The absence of clear indicators leads to a chaotic introduction of various elements stemming from different legal traditions," said Ilyas Bakhtybayev, the First Deputy General-Prosecutor of Kazakhstan. The event was organized by the OSCE Centre, in close co-operation with the Office of the Prosecutor-General, the Internal Affairs Ministry, Penal Reform International and the Almaty-based NGO Charter for Human Rights, and follows an OSCE-supported conference held in June 2007.

From http://news.uzreport.com/ 10/18/2007

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TAJIKISTAN: Government Reports Continued Economic Growth

A new report on Tajikistan's national economy has found sustained economic growth, with the country's GDP increasing by 7.1 percent for the first six months of the year, according to Asia-Plus. The report was discussed at a cabinet meeting in Dushanbe presided over by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon. During the same period, exports increased by 56 percent and imports decreased by 28 percent. However, Rahmon expressed concern over a recent rise in prices for food products and a possible spike in inflation. First Deputy Prime Minister Asadullo Ghulomov also reported to the cabinet that construction of the Sangtuda-1 power plant is continuing, and that efforts are underway to expand the plant's capacity. RG

From http://www.rferl.org/ 10/10/2007

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UZBEKISTAN：Nukus Seminar Discusses Issues of Small, Private Business Development

A seminar on the main directions of development of small businesses and private entrepreneurship has been recently held in Nukus, Jahon reported quoting UzA. The workshop was organized by the State Property Committee of Karakalpakstan, Divisional department of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Karakalpak Branch of the Institute for Study of Civil Society, Karakalpak Council of the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan and Association of Farmers of Uzbekistan. Small businesses and private companies, heads of farms, and other organizations and agencies took part at the workshop. They have said that at the moment the share of private sector accounts 45% of the GDP in Karakalpakstan. Uzbekistan pays special attention to further development of private ownership.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan and its branch offices in local places accomplish much to fully support the entrepreneurs and farmers, protect their rights and interests. For over the past period the local office of the Chamber in Karakalpakstan has initiated the filing the lawsuits with economic courts on behalf of entrepreneurs. The courts have awarded them 9 billion soums in punitive damages for obstruction of their rights and interests. Besides, the Chamber pushed forward the return of the illicitly taxed payments to the business people. "We have had an interesting conversation with the experts from organizations," the head of the Karakalpak office of the Institute for Study of Civil Society Alisher Polvonniyazov said. "The business people, landowners and farmers were offered the necessary consultations and recommendations".

From http://business.uzreport.com/ 10/23/2007

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AUSTRALIA: New Watchdog for Police Corruption

VICTORIA is about to get a new police corruption fighter, but Premier John Brumby is still refusing to establish an anti-corruption commission with broad powers to investigate other public office holders, including members of Parliament. State cabinet has decided to split the roles of the Director of Police Integrity and the Ombudsman, now controversially performed by the same person, George Brouwer. Legislation is expected to be introduced to Parliament before the end of the year to create a beefed-up and separate Office of Police Integrity. The Age believes Mr Brouwer will stay on as Ombudsman and the Government will begin a search for a new chief for the OPI. Mr Brouwer is believed to support the change, which he and the cabinet believe will bolster the state's ability to tackle police corruption. But the Opposition and many anti-corruption experts will argue that creating a separate OPI is not enough. They feel Victoria should set up a permanent and broadly based commission, such as those in NSW, Queensland and Western Australia. The move comes after The Age last month revealed that Victoria Police had set up two taskforces to investigate evidence of links between corrupt police and unsolved underworld murders. Yesterday it reported that authorities were probing the prominent underworld figure Mick Gatto and his links to serving and former police.

Cabinet's decision also marks another dramatic shift in pol- icy under Mr Brumby, who replaced Steve Bracks as Premier just over two months ago. Mr Bracks established the OPI in late 2004. Its brief is to "ensure that police corruption and serious misconduct is detected, investigated and prevented", but the move was immediately criticised because Mr Bracks gave Ombudsman Mr Brouwer the added responsibility of directing the OPI. When Mr Brumby became Premier he publicly flagged that he was open to changing the structure of the OPI, and privately asked Police Minister Bob Cameron to sound out Mr Brouwer. Mr Cameron reported that Mr Brouwer believed the OPI could now be more effective as a separate entity. Mr Brumby agreed, and one of the post-Bracks cabinet's first decisions was to ask Mr Cameron to begin work on legislation to enable a split. Cabinet has now decided to act before the end of the year. Mr Brouwer has told the Government that the original decision to set up the OPI in association with the Ombudsman's office was right. He argues that it enabled the OPI to hit the ground running, using the resources of the Ombudsman's office rather than having to start from scratch. Mr Brouwer and Mr Brumby both believe that after three years, the time is right. The OPI has built up sufficient staff, resources and expertise to operate as a self-contained body.

From http://www.theage.com.au 10/09/2007

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NEW ZEALAND: Innovative Teachers to Explore New Technology Horizons

Five teachers have been awarded e-Learning Fellowships which recognise their innovative and creative approaches to improving students’ learning, Education Minister Steve Maharey said. “The Fellowships enable teachers to be released from the classroom for up to a year to research and develop their use of information and communication technologies”. Mr Maharey announced the recipients of the 2008 e-Learning Teacher Fellowships today in a speech to the third annual U-learn conference in Auckland. “The Fellowships support teachers as researchers, and help build teacher capability, providing funding, laptop and computer equipment, and mentoring and academic support. “This year’s projects include research into how mobile phones can support students with special learning needs, and combining virtual and face-to-face learning to improve students’ literacy and thinking skills. “The Fellowships are a great example of the Labour-led government’s commitment to 21st century teaching. They encourage teachers from early childhood through to tertiary education to raise student achievement through technology, such as social communication tools and software. “Technology is becoming more and more central to the way New Zealanders live and work. Technology is one of the eight learning areas in the new curriculum, and these teachers will be leaders in this area. “Past fellowship recipients have become principals, curriculum, learning and teaching leaders, in-service e-learning advisers and professional development experts.”

Recipients are supported by industry partners or education providers, such as Massey University. Toni Twiss (Waikato Diocesan School for Girls, Hamilton): To evaluate the use of mobile phones and personal digital assistants to support learning programmes of learners with specialist learning needs. Nicolas Rate (Russell St School, Palmerston North):- To explore the opportunities offered by e-portfolios to create a community of learning between students, families and schools. Matthew Tippen ( Isleworth Primary School, Christchurch): To investigate the effects of using short, high-impact physical activities, created by students using ICT, on learners’ motivation, health and engagement. Mark Callagher (Wellington College, Wellington): To examine effective models for combining virtual learning environments and social software with face-to-face classroom teaching, focusing on the impact on learners’ literacy and thinking skills. Michael Fenton (Inglewood High School, Taranaki): To investigate the cognitive and motivational benefits to learners of using mobile sensor technology to gather data for use in problem solving, question formation, assessment tasks and interactive games.

From http://www.beehive.govt.nz 10/03/2007

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New Centre to Focus on Solutions to Climate Change

Prime Minister Helen Clark and Minister of Research, Science and Technology Steve Maharey announced today that all nine Crown Research Institutes and Canterbury and Victoria Universities are collaborating to establish the New Zealand Climate Change Centre. “The Centre will enhance collaboration between researchers from the Crown research institutes and universities, and with other New Zealand and overseas organisations. It will also enhance liaison with government departments, local authorities, producer groups, and industry. This will ensure that New Zealand’s scientists are tackling key problems associated with climate change, and that the research organisations are developing the best science-based solutions for adapting to climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” Helen Clark said. “Climate change poses great challenges but there are also tremendous opportunities for us to create a truly sustainable future. This Centre will significantly contribute to New Zealand getting maximum benefit from the government’s investment in climate change research, by facilitating collaboration between the Crown research institutes and universities,” Helen Clark said.

“The New Zealand Climate Change Centre will: facilitate and co-ordinate collaborative research, addressing New Zealand’s needs; be an expert advisory group and link with ministries, local authorities and producer groups; be a centre for informed expert advice to industry; communicate climate change information to the media and the public; coordinate development of science-based tools for adaptation and mitigation; run conferences and workshops involving scientists, policymakers and advisors. Helen Clark said establishing the centre supports the Labour-led Government’s commitment to tackle climate change, including through an emissions trading scheme, increasing renewable electricity generation, improving energy efficiency, and initiatives for sustainable land management. Research, Science and Technology Minister Steve Maharey said the centre will focus on research collaboration across organisations and disciplines, to develop science-based solutions for New Zealand to adapt to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “The centre will become a valuable resource for both central and local government, industries, educational institutions, media and for the public.

It will offer expertise on what tools, information and technology can help New Zealanders become more sustainable,” Steve Maharey said. “In the past, our organisations have addressed individual pieces of the climate change puzzle. This centre will bring this research together, and will provide a route for industry and the government to tap into this expertise.” Background information: The New Zealand Climate Change Centre is a virtual centre that will have some support staff, but most of the work will be carried out in the core organisations. The core organisations participating in the Centre are (in alphabetical order): AgResearch, Canterbury University, Crop & Food Research, ESR, GNS Science, HortResearch, Industrial Research, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, NIWA, Scion, and Victoria University of Wellington.

Collaborations will also be developed with other research groups both in New Zealand and overseas. Senior scientists and educators from the participating institutions will shortly determine the Centre’s work programme. It is intended that the Centre have a small secretariat which will focus on coordination and communication. The Centre will facilitate collaborative research programmes, encourage improved links between scientists and policy makers and advisors, act as a route for informed expert advice to industry, help identify research priorities and gaps, strengthen international collaborations, encourage education and training on climate change matters, and facilitate forums and conferences on key scientific technical and policy issues.

From http://www.beehive.govt.nz 10/09/2007

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Awards for Government Sustainability Announced

The Prime Minister has presented awards recognising good sustainable practice in government. "The Govt3 programme is all about the government walking the talk on sustainability, and it has been a trailblazer for the Prime Minister’s package of sustainability initiatives announced in February. These awards demonstrate that the government is truly leading the way towards a sustainable New Zealand," said David Parker, Acting Minister for the Environment. The Govt3 Awards recognise achievements in eight categories ranging from transport and office consumables to staff participation and leadership. Past award-winner, the Inland Revenue Department, was again successful, winning the Recycling/Waste Minimisation award for reducing waste sent to landfill over the last year by 76,000 kg. It also won the large-agency award for Engaging Staff in Govt3. The Ministry for Science, Research and Technology (MoRST) won the small-agency staff engagement award for its innovative approach. MoRST was also successful in the Leadership in Govt3 category for the work of its "Govt3 Ninjas" in initiating a recycling system and a new energy policy.

Another big winner was the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). Their success in achieving sustainable procurement outcomes took top honours in the Sustainable Procurement Practice category. They also won the Leadership in Govt3 award for large agencies for their systematic approach across many areas of sustainability. The Ministry for the Environment and Victoria University were nominees for the first time, with the Ministry taking home the award for Office Consumables and Equipment. New Zealand Police was another first-time winner for the new Manukau Police Station, which was built using sustainable design principles. Other winners were Housing New Zealand and the Department of Corrections. Antarctica New Zealand was one of 10 highly commended nominees for leadership on sustainability at Scott Base. Fifty agencies are now members of the Govt3 programme, which started in 2003. The Govt3 programme is run by the Ministry for the Environment.

From http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ 10/12/2007

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Millionaire Families Grew by 14 Pct in 2006-Survey

“The numbers of millionaire households globally grew by 14 percent in 2006 from 2005 and now control a third of the estimated $100 trillion in wealth, a new study by Boston Consulting Group shows. These 9.6 million families, comprising 0.7 percent of world's households, now control some $33.2 trillion, the BCG study found. About half are located in the United States and Canada, a quarter in Europe and a fifth in the Asia-Pacific region, it said. The study is the latest to quantify a continued widening of the global gap between rich and poor, with the rich getting richer by saving and investing more. The study, seventh in a series, found that assets held by non-wealthy households - defined as those with less than $100,000 in financial assets - declined slightly from 2001 to 2006. But assets held by households with more than $100,000 climbed from $51.4 trillion to $84.5 trillion during the same period. The study found that overall global wealth grew 7.5 percent in 2006 to nearly $100 trillion, the fifth consecutive year of expanding wealth. The survey polled 111 brokerages, banks and private family investment offices that oversaw nearly $10 trillion in client assets and liabilities.” [Reuters/Factiva] Cinco Días (Spain) also reports that “The control of assets was concentrated between the richest families, with 17.5% of global wealth controlled by the richer 0.1%, those with more than 5 million dollars in assets,” said the study. The investigation attributed the gains mainly to two factors: to increased savings and market gains for stocks, bonds and cash, reflecting wealth managers' long-held view that market investments are a key factor in building wealth.” [Cinco Dias/factiva]

From http://web.worldbank.org/ 10/04/2007

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Climate Change Disaster Is Upon Us, Warns UN

A record number of floods, droughts and storms around the world this year amount to a climate change "mega disaster", the United Nation's emergency relief coordinator, Sir John Holmes, has warned. Sir John, a British diplomat who is also known as the UN's under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said dire predictions about the impact of global warming on humanity were already coming true. "We are seeing the effects of climate change. Any year can be a freak but the pattern looks pretty clear to be honest. That's why we're trying ... to say, of course you've got to deal with mitigation of emissions, but this is here and now, this is with us already," he said. As a measure of the worsening situation, Ocha, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - part of the UN secretariat that employs Sir John - has issued 13 emergency "flash" appeals so far this year. The number is three more than in 2005, which held the previous record. Two years ago only half the international disasters dealt with by Ocha had anything to do with the climate; this year all but one of the 13 emergency appeals is climate-related. "And 2007 is not finished. We will certainly have more by the end of the year, I fear," added Sir John, who is in charge of channelling international relief efforts to disaster areas.

More appeals were likely in the coming weeks, as floods hit west Africa. "All these events on their own didn't have massive death tolls, but if you add all these little disasters together you get a mega disaster," he said. The only one of this year's emergency appeals not connected to the climate was an earthquake in Peru, in August. The others arose after an unprecedented string of catastrophic floods across much of Africa, south Asia and North Korea, and followed severe drought in southern Africa, Nicaragua's category-five hurricane, and extreme climate conditions in Bolivia, which brought both drought and floods. The Ocha appeals represent the tip of an iceberg since they are launched only with the agreement of the affected country. India was badly affected by floods that hit the rest of the Asian region in July. But unlike its neighbour, Pakistan, India did not call on the UN for help.Ocha believes that 66 million people were made homeless or were otherwise affected across south Asia. The lives of several million more people were turned upside down across Africa. Sudan, Mozambique, Madagascar, Zambia and Uganda experienced disastrous floods, and Swaziland and Lesotho declared emergencies because of severe drought that reduced harvests by half.

The latest appeal from Ocha was launched yesterday, to try to raise emergency relief funds for Ghana, where more than 400,000 people are reported to be homeless as a result of flooding. Appeals may also be started for Togo and Burkina Faso. "The flooding in Africa just now is the worst anyone can remember," Sir John said, expressing frustration at how little media attention in the west was being devoted to what he terms creeping climatic catastrophe. Flooding is likely to be common for a warming planet, and climate change has a double effect - causing an increase in the frequency of storms, while higher atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide curb the ability of plants to draw groundwater.

A climate-change summit is to be held in Bali in December, with the aim of agreeing the principles of a new international treaty to replace Kyoto, the accord that expires in 2012. But the talks face determined US opposition to mandatory emissions targets, and most climate negotiators doubt a real breakthrough can be achieved before the Bush government leaves office in 2009. Sir John argues that whatever is done on greenhouse gas emissions, money has to be spent now on mitigating the impact that climate change is already having. "You can't actually stop disasters happening but you can do a lot to reduce their impact and reduce people's vulnerability to them by making sure people don't live on the coast or river plains, and that roads are raised and dams are in reasonable shape." According to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which is leading research on the issue, global warming will disrupt and potentially devastate the lives of billions of people. And, just as global warming starts to make itself felt, there are signs that "donor fatigue" has set in. Of about $338m (£166m) requested for Ocha's 13 flash appeals this year, only $114m has so far come from donors.

From http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/ 10/05/2007

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Asia's Growth Can Provide Economic, Social Benefits to All - Joint MDG Report

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (8 October 2007) - The Asia and Pacific region as a whole is forging ahead on many of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but there is uneven progress within countries and many of the less developed economies need global support to plug some of their key development gaps, says a new report released today. The report - “The Millennium Development Goals: Progress in Asia and the Pacific 2007” - states that the region is well on track and ahead of its peers in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa to reduce extreme poverty by half, attain universal education and achieve gender parity in education by the target year 2015. The MDG 2007 report was produced through a regional partnership among Asian Development Bank (ADB), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP). “We are at the half-way mark towards the target date of 2015 and have a historic opportunity to change the lives of millions living in abject poverty,” says Shiladitya Chatterjee, Head of the Poverty Unit in ADB. “We need to adopt inclusive strategies to ensure that benefits of growth are shared equitably to sustain global growth and prosperity.” The MDG 2007 report says if the countries in the region that are off track - either slow or regressing - were able to speed up and meet the MDG targets by 2015 then some 196 million people in the region would be lifted out of grinding poverty, 23 million more children would no longer suffer from hunger and nearly one million children would survive beyond their fifth birthday.

“The 2007 MDG Update gives us an indication of what the region stands to gain if we intensify our efforts to meet the MDGs. We need to focus on those economies that are moving slowly or not making progress, and within those areas concentrate on improving the lives of the most vulnerable,” says Haishan Fu, Chief Statistics Development Section of UN-ESCAP. There are major concerns of disparities in meeting the poverty and non-income poverty targets of the MDGs. The region’s greatest failures lie in addressing the issues of child mortality, nutrition, improving maternal health, and providing safe drinking water and sanitation facilities. The Asia and Pacific region accounts for about 65% of the world’s underweight children, as 28% of the region’s under-five children are underweight and many Asian countries exceeding prevalence rates of Sub-Saharan Africa. The region is moving too slowly to reduce child mortality. It still has 60 deaths per thousand live births – nearly double that of Latin America and the Caribbean. The most serious problems are in South Asia where most countries are off track, particularly child and maternal health indicators. The region's overall maternal mortality ratio, at over 300 per 100,000 live births, is more than 30% higher than in Latin America and the Caribbean, and maternal deaths in Asia and the Pacific account for almost half of the global total. The report warns that environmental pressures arising out of land degradation, poor water management (including flooding), rising pollution in urban areas, carbon dioxide emission contributing to climate change, and other factors could push more people into poverty.

The other key areas where the Asia and Pacific region is making slow progress are provisions of access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation facilities. Across the region, over 560 million in rural areas lack access to improved water sources. The region has over 1.5 billion people without basic sanitation facilities, or 75% of the world’s population that have no access to such service. While many countries in the region have resources to speed up and meet the MDGs, the poor and the weak states do not have funds to meet all their investment needs. “We need to build a global partnership for development to meet the investment gaps through channeling more funds better targeted to those areas, subsectors and people actually in need,” says Omar Noman, Deputy Director of UNDP Regional Center for Asia and the Pacific. Another way to meet the investment needs of the poor economies is to provide them with market access to developed markets, the report says. It adds that preferential access in trade underpinned by greater economic and technical cooperation among developing economies can also help the weaker economies take advantage of global trade. The eight Millennium Development Goals - which range from halving extreme poverty to reducing child mortality, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS, providing universal primary education, and providing access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities by the target date of 2015 - formed a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s nations and the leading global development institutions.

From http://www.adb.org/ 10/08/2007

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Asia Better Off But Still Hungry

The Asia-Pacific region's rapid economic growth has helped cut extreme income poverty but has had less of an impact on addressing widespread hunger and infant mortality, according to a new report. Most countries in the region are on track to reduce poverty by half, attain universal education and achieve gender parity in education in the next eight years, according to the report released yesterday by the Asian Development Bank and UN agencies. Although the region's poverty rate of about 17 per cent is higher than in Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia-Pacific countries are making much faster progress in eliminating extreme poverty thanks to rapid economic growth. “Based on the $1-a-day measure, the region as a whole is on track, due in part to rapid economic growth in many countries, most recently in China,” it said. But the report also noted that the region was making very slow progress in addressing child mortality and nutrition, improving maternal health and providing safe drinking water and sanitation. As a result the region's least developed countries are likely to miss the United Nations' millennium development goals for 2015 unless they get external help. Reducing hunger “is one of the region's greatest failures” with 28 per cent ofunder-fives underweight, the authors of the report declared. Shiladitya Chatterjee, head of the ADB's poverty unit, said the disparity between rapid progress in poverty reduction and the slow pace in addressing hunger, infant mortality and other social goals could be partly explained by a lack of public investments in basic services. He said: “While Asia now has more resources because of rapid growth, the translation of those resources into effective programmes to raise standards in education and health care access is not taking place as much as it should.” (By Roel Landingin in Manila)

From http://www.ftchinese.com/ 10/09/2007

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Asia-Pacific on Track to Meet MDGs

MANILA -- The Asia-Pacific region is on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which include reducing poverty into half by 2015, according to a progress report released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations on Monday. But the report noted that there is uneven progress within countries and many of the less developed economies in the region have been slow in achieving the UN-set targets, with some not making any progress at all. According to the report, "The Millennium Development Goals: Progress in Asia and the Pacific 2007," Asia-Pacific countries were gaining headway in addressing extreme poverty, especially "income poverty." "Income poverty is one of the region's success stories," the report said. "Based on a 1-dollar-a-day measure, the region as a whole is on track, due in part to rapid economic growth in many countries." It cited China, which reduced extreme poverty to one in 10 persons today from one in three persons in 1990, and the Philippines, which cut down poverty rate to 14.8 percent in 2003 from 19.8 percent in 1991.

The report noted that the greatest failures of Asia-Pacific countries lie in addressing the issues of child mortality, nutrition, improving maternal health and providing safe drinking water and sanitation facilities. "The Asia and Pacific region accounts for 65 percent of the world's underweight children, as 28 percent of the region's under-five children are underweight and many Asian countries exceeding prevalence rates of Sub-Saharan Africa," the report said. "The region is moving too slowly to reduce child mortality," it added. "It still has 60 deaths per thousand live births -- nearly double that of Latin America and Caribbean." The report urged fast-rising economies in the region to help less developed countries achieve the goals. "We are at the half-way mark towards the target date of 2015 and have a historic opportunity to change the lives of millions living in abject poverty," Shiladitya Chatterjee, chief of the ADB poverty unit, said. "The 2007 MDG Update gives us an indication of what the region stands to gain if we intensify our efforts to meet the MDGs," Haishan Fu, chief of UN-ESCAP statistics development section, said. "We need to focus on those economies that are moving slowly or not making any progress." The report noted that if the countries in the region which are now off track - either slowly or regressing - were abled to speed up and meet the MDGs by 2015, some 196 million people will be lifted out of grinding poverty. It added that if the targets were met, 23 million more children would no longer suffer from hunger and nearly 1 million children would survive beyond their fifth birthday. The MDGs, which range from halving extreme poverty to reducing the spread of HIV-AIDS and providing access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities by 2015, formed a blueprint agreed upon by the world's nations and development institutions in 2000.

From http://www.chinapost.com.tw/business/ 10/09/2007

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Rich Nations Could Do More to Help Poor

“Help from rich governments to the developing world has marginally improved but is still held back by policies on global warming, migration and security, according to a study by a leading think-tank. The Commitment to Development Index, produced by the Washington-based Center for Global Development (CGD), said that policies of countries such as the US on the environment and Japan on migration and security had prevented a bigger increase in the help afforded to poor nations. … The report’s criteria include the size and quality of overseas aid, openness to poor countries’ exports, policy regimes that promote good investment in and technology transfer to the developing world, openness to migration, controlling greenhouse gas emissions, keeping peace and security, and combating corruption. The northern European countries that have traditionally scored highly continued to do so this year, with the Netherlands topping the poll, followed by Denmark and Sweden. …For the first time, the report also looked at the environmental performance of Brazil, Russia, India and China, and concluded that most compared well with the environmental impact of richer nations.” [The Financial Times (UK)]

WP adds that “Because of massive assistance to Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years and initiatives to fight HIV and AIDS, the US and Britain have provided more foreign aid to developing nations than ever before, according to David Roodman, a CGD research fellow...But total amounts are not everything. …Beyond the quantity of aid, the index penalizes donors for giving assistance to rich or corrupt governments or tying aid to the purchase of their own goods, which limits recipients' ability to shop around for the lowest price… On trade, the study said the system of rules governing world trade has acted as a barrier to some of the goods that poor countries are best at producing. William R. Cline, a CGD senior fellow …is quoted in the study as saying that if rich countries removed remaining trade barriers, it would lift 200 million people out of poverty.” [The Washington Post] Xinhua writes that “…Norway ranks first on the environment component, followed by Ireland, Finland, and Britain. Spain had the second worst ranking on the environment policy component, followed by Australia and Canada. … The US comes in last due partly to its extremely high greenhouse gas emissions per capita (21.7 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per person, the third worst after Canada and Australia), and the lowest gasoline taxes of all 21 countries in the Index. CGD President Nancy Birdsall said that she hoped that the poor US showing on the CDI's environment component would serve as a wake-up call, especially to policymakers in Washington. …” [Xinhua/Factiva]

From http://web.worldbank.org/ 10/11/2007

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Global Education Spending Concentrated in Few Countries – UNESCO Report

A new publication by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) shows that global spending on education is concentrated in just a few countries, with the education budget of a single country like France or Italy outweighing education spending across all of sub-Saharan Africa. Produced by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the report finds that sub-Saharan African countries – home to 15 per cent of the school-age population – spend only 2.4 per cent of global education resources. By contrast, the United States spends 28 per cent of the global education budget although only 4 per cent of the world’s children and young people live there. The report attributes this to the large numbers of university students and the relatively high costs of tertiary education. With a public education budget nearly equal to that of all of the Arab, Central and Eastern European, Central Asian, Latin American and the Caribbean, South and West Asian and sub-Saharan African regions combined, the US is in fact the single largest investor in education, according to the report.

Although public spending is a major source of education funding, many countries, particularly less developed ones, rely on households and communities to cover education expenses such as tuition, textbooks, uniforms and teachers’ salaries. “The challenge lies in ensuring access for disadvantaged students through mechanisms like scholarships or interest-free loans,” said Institute Director Hendrik van der Pol. “But the dynamics are very different for primary and secondary education, where serious questions about equity arise,” he adds. “Should governments rely on households to provide for the human right to basic education of decent quality?” Data shows that household expenditure is highest in Nicaragua, where families assume almost half the costs of primary and secondary education. Mr. van der Pol highlighted the need for more data on the subject. “At present, only about 60 countries can provide reliable information on private spending for education. Without more data, we will continue to underestimate the tremendous burden placed on families to send their children to school,” he stated.

From http://www.egovmonitor.com/ 10/12/2007

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The 4th ASEAN Regional Forum(ARF) Seminar on Cyber Terrorism to Be Held

1. The 4th ARF Seminar on Cyber Terrorism will be held in Busan from October 16 to 19. Co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the National Cyber Security Center of the Republic of Korea (ROK), and co-chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines. Approximately 90 government officials and experts on cyber security from 24 ARF member countries including Korea, ASEAN nations, U.S., Japan, China, Russia, North Korea, Australia and India will be participating in this seminar.

2. During this seminar, mechanism for coping with cyber terrorism in each country, measures to protect major national infrastructure, and ways to promote regional cooperation in the cyber security sector will be discussed. This seminar will also serve as a good opportunity for the ARF member countries to promote the understanding of threat by cyber terrorism among the ARF member countries and to facilitate regional cooperation in systematically and institutionally coping with cyber terrorism. The recommendations made at this seminar will be reported to the ARF plenary.

3. On the occasion of hosting this 4th seminar, the ROK, which has already hosted the first seminar in 2004, will further enhance its international status as the front-runner in the field of information technology (IT), continue to play a leading role in regional cooperation against cyber terrorism, and actively participate in the international coalition for counter-terrorism.

From http://www.korea.net/ 10/17/2007

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IMF: Technology, Not Trade, Is Worsening Inequality

“Advancing technology, rather than globalization, has been the driving force behind rising inequality in developed and developing countries alike, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Tuesday. Technology, like foreign direct investment, has raised incomes for skilled workers, widening the gap between rich and poor in most countries around the world, the IMF said in a portion of its latest World Economic Outlook. … Technology not only raises demand for skilled workers, it also automates and destroys jobs for low-skilled workers, the IMF said. Much uncertainty surrounds the study because data were limited and not always directly comparable across countries, the fund said. Also, the spread of technology is facilitated by trade and globalization, the IMF said. But in general, goods and services trade tended to make the poor better off by lowering prices. Agricultural exports were particularly effective in helping the poor because jobs were created and wages rose in areas where the poorest live. …” [Dow Jones/Factiva] The Fund didn't include the effects of immigration in its study, Lall said, because of a lack of global data. In rich countries, some economists argue, migration from poor countries can boost inequality because the migrants compete for low-end jobs with native workers. …” [The Wall Street Journal/Factiva]

In the analytical chapters of its World Economic Outlook released in advance of the October 17 publication of the forecast, the IMF said the durability of the global economic expansion is likely to persist. …” [The Associated Press/Factiva] FT writes that “The economies of eastern Europe are vulnerable to a reversal of the surge of private capital that has poured into emerging markets in recent years, the IMF says … The IMF says most emerging markets now have much stronger current account positions and have been building up foreign exchange reserves. Eastern Europe is an exception, though. ...” [The Financial Times (UK)/Factiva] AFP notes that “The IMF has lowered its 2008 global growth forecast to 4.8 percent from a previous estimate of 5.2 percent, German sources told AFP Tuesday. The IMF slashed its estimate for US economic growth next year to 1.9 percent from the previous forecast of 2.8 percent, the sources added. …” [Agence France Presse/Factiva] AFX adds that “Global economic growth has been faster, broader and more stable since 2004 than at any time in the previous 30 years, the IMF said… Not only has growth averaged 5.2 percent a year from 2004-2006, but 'in important ways, the global economy has recently displayed greater stability than observed even in the 1960s …” [AFX/Factiva]

From http://web.worldbank.org/ 10/10/2007

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CHINA: To Audit Major Telecom Operators

Chinese auditors will launch an investigation into the country's five largest telecommunications operators from early October, the National Audit Office (NAO) has announced. Special audit teams will scrutinize China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, China Netcom and China Railcom to see whether they comply with the country's financial and economic laws. The investigation, which will last for two months as part of an NAO plan mapped out earlier this year, aims to encourage these state-owned firms to improve management, raise economic returns and sharpen their competitive edge, said the NAO. Last year four of the five firms - excluding China Railcom - reaped combined profits of 104.73 billion yuan (US$13.96 billion), about 14 percent of the total made by the 159 central state-owned enterprises.

From Xinhua News Agency 09/27/2007

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Close the Urban-rural Digital Gap

The digital gap between urban and rural areas should be bridged, says an article in Shanghai Securities News. The following is an excerpt: A report about the quality of Internet services in rural China by the China Internet Network Information Center shows that the popularity rate of the Internet is only 5.1 percent in rural areas. The rate in urban areas is 21.6 percent. Meanwhile, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture said at a recent press conference that the income gap between urban and rural residents is growing. The income ratio between urban and rural residents was 3.21:1 in 2004 and 3.22:1 in 2005. It rose to 3.28:1 last year. The digital and income gaps are closely connected. Social and economic development entered a new age in the 1990s as information became one of the three pillars supporting growth, along with new materials and sources of energy. The collection and analysis of data, together with the production and transformation of information, has become an engine for economic growth. Efforts to obtain, define and utilize information are vital ways to hone the country's human resources. And human resources will play a decisive role in the long-term development of the economy and in raising incomes for laborers. Low incomes have restricted the ability of farmers to obtain and interpret information.

About 39.5 percent of the rural residents surveyed said the lack of facilities was the major reason for their not using the Internet. The lack of access to information and the inability to interpret it have resulted in a kind of "information poverty" among many rural residents that helps confine them to a vicious circle of poverty. Globally, the digital divide has fostered inequality in international economic development, further marginalizing the least-developed countries. Efforts should be made to close the digital divide and narrow the income gap in China. Measures should be taken to boost the utilization of information technology in rural areas. Besides providing fiscal inputs, the government could draw up policies to encourage domestic computer manufacturers to develop low-priced computers. Increasing farmers' incomes is the most effective way to bridge the digital divide. The cost of using the Internet is still a burden for farmers. Though China is home to the world's second largest Internet and broadband market, prices are still too high for average residents. Low incomes have sapped farmers' demand for Internet services. Last but not least, education and training should be upgraded in rural areas to increase rural people's awareness of information technology.

From China Daily 09/26/2007

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Virtual Police Force to Get Boost

More Internet police will be deployed to fight increasing online attacks in the southern Chinese province, Guangdong police said yesterday. "Virtual police will appear next month at major websites in Guangdong to prevent hacking, the spread of viruses and other online crimes," said Yu Canxian, director of the Internet supervision department, under the Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Public Security. In addition to expanding Internet patrols, online police will handle reports on Internet crimes from local residents and Internet surfers, Yu said at a conference in Guangzhou. Yu urged local residents to report online crimes and create a better surfing environment in the province, which borders the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions. Internet hacking and the spread of viruses have risen in Guangdong recently, Internet supervision deputy director Ning Huijun said.

Police have also cracked down over the past few months on a growing number of online criminal cases involving porn websites, gambling and fraud, he said. During a month-long campaign earlier this year police erased more than 8,000 links to pornographic materials, detaining 55 suspects. More than 1 million yuan ($133,000) in cash was confiscated. Around 6,200 police officers inspected up to 50,000 websites. Yu urged people to refrain from visiting illegal websites and to report those they found. Government departments would work closer together to ensure regular inspection of websites, he said. White-collar worker Chen Weihong said police needed to increase their efforts to fight online crime. "Otherwise more primary and high school students will become victims of the online scams and bad websites," she said.

From China Daily 09/27/2007

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Backbone Network for China's E-government Starts Operation

A backbone network of e-government linking China's central-level departments started operation on Sunday. With such a standard platform, the organs of the Party, National People's Congress, government, Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, court and procuratorate will have their own websites or sub-network linked together, said Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan at the opening ceremony. The existing e-government networks at central-level departments will be linked to the backbone network, he said. China announced in May 2006 that it will finish a backbone network linking all Party and government departments at the central and local levels in three years. Management rules, technical standards and service policy will be issued to make sure the stable performance of the network, Zeng said. Meanwhile all departments are urged to build database and computerize information to facilitate information sharing. The backbone network provides Chinese governments at all levels with two systems, an internal system and an external system which is linked to the world wide web. "E-governing will help the government to improve efficiency and service to the public as an important part of the country's administration reform," Zeng said. He urged all the e-government network users to publicize their administration procedures and public information through the backbone network.

From Xinhua News Agency 10/01/2007

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China's Software Revenue Up 22.9% in First Eight Months

China's software industry reported a revenue of 343.89 billion yuan (US$45.73 billion) for the first eight months of this year, up 22.9 percent year-on-year, according to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Information Industry. Of the total revenue, software products accounted for 121.25 billion yuan, up 24.1 percent; system integration made up 84.05 billion yuan, up 18.5 percent; software technological services was 55.81 billion yuan, up 23.9 percent; embedded system software was 74.26 billion yuan, up 24.5 percent; and IC design collected 8.52 billion yuan, up 27.6 percent. A spokesman of the ministry said this year a series of policies would be promulgated to further encourage the development of software and integrated circuits. Efforts will also be made to foster and regulate domestic software market, and support products with self-owned intellectual property rights through government purchasing. He said that currently China's software industry lags far behind the international advanced level, with less than six percent of the global software market share, and it even can not match the development of hardware manufacturing in the country.

From Xinhua News Agency 10/06/2007

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Internet Spreading in China's Rural Areas

The Internet has been extending fairly rapidly in China's rural areas, with the number of rural net users reaching 37.41 million by the end of June, approximately 5.1 percent of the total of rural population. Statistics from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) show that at the same time urban netizens had reached 125 million, or 21.6 percent of urban population. China's rural net users were 23.1 million at the end of 2006, indicating that in six months 14.3 million farmers newly got access to the Internet. NDRC's report said the rapidly improving telecommunications infrastructure in rural areas has obviously facilitated the increase of net users. In its 11th Five-Year Program (2006-2010), the Ministry of Information Industry vowed to extend phone service to every village and enable every township to have access to Internet. The main force of rural net users are young farmers and migrant workers, who can use computers to enjoy on-line music, games and videos as skillfully as urban users. However, rural net users rarely use the Internet for news, on-line shopping, on-line banking and trading stocks. In some rural areas, the Internet has been used for special purposes featuring agricultural information and technologies and price information of farm produce, among others. Liu Manqiang, deputy director of the Information Research Center under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that "information communication can bring about huge added value, an important goal of the country's information drive is to enable more farmers to benefit from the development of information industry."

From http://english.eastday.com 10/06/2007

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China's On-line Population Hits 172 Mln by September

The number of Internet users in China reached an estimated 172 million by the end of September, or about 13 percent of the total population, according to the Ministry of Information Industry (MII). The figure, announced by MII Vice Minister Lou Qinjian at the Ninth Hi-tech Fair in Shenzhen on Friday, indicates more than 100 Chinese people are acquiring Internet access every minute. About 10 million new users gained access to the Internet in the past three months, as the figure stood at 162 million for the first half. Lou said the ministry expected the figure to reach 200 million, about 15 percent of the population, by 2010 at an annual growth rate of eight percent, as stated in its fifth five-year plan (2006-2010). However, the figure would easily top 200 million no later than the end of next year, if the growth rate in the past three months was maintained. The number of Internet users in rural areas in the first nine months was unavailable, but the number stood at 37.41 million by the end of June, approximately 5.1 percent of the rural population.

From http://www.chinaview.cn 10/12/2007

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China's IT Authorities Advocates Restructuring Telecommunications Industry

China needs to advance the development of telecommunications industry by introducing in more competition to weaken the monopoly of heavyweight operators, deputy minister Lou Qinjian of the Information Industry said here Thursday at a news briefing on the sidelines of a national congress of the Communist Party of China. "Restructuring plans are coming in, providing different solutions. The linchpin is to secure a rapid growth of the sector and bring more benefits to people," he said. Currently China has four major players in the telecommunications sector, with China Mobile and China Unicom licensed to engage in mobile services and China Telecommunications and China Netcom, to fixed-line services. As the number of cellphone users continues to outpace landline subscribers, there is a sharp difference among their operational results. Last year, for instance, China Mobile contributed 70 to 80 percent of the industry's aggregate profits while landline operators were simply put to defensive. According to their half-year reports, China Mobile recorded a net profit of 37.9 billion yuan (4.99 billion U.S. dollars); while that of China Unicom, 5.65billion yuan; China Telecommunications, 13.48 billion yuan; and China Netcom, 6.713 billion yuan.

From January to August, the average monthly rise in cellphone users stood at 6.82 million, more than ten times of the rise for landline subscribers. More than 378.5 billion short messages have been sent out by the Chinese, up 38.3 percent from the same period of last. Lou didn't specify the objective of the restructuring. But a previous report by Caijing, a financial publication in Beijing, said that the restructuring would be mainly targeted at balancing the development of major operators only. For private and foreign capital, entering China's domestic telecommunications operational market is still "a mission impossible". Lou also disclosed that there was no timetable for the issuance of 3G licenses as relevant departments were still mulling over the management and operational mode of 3G services. He said that it was undecided what kind of 3G technologies would be used during the Beijing Olympics. "Our major concern is whether the technology could satisfy the need in bandwidth and transmission speed," he said. For third-generation wireless services, China has three choices, all based on the code division multiple access (CDMA) technology -- the US-made CDMA 2000, the European WCDMA and China's own TD-SCDMA.

From http://www.chinaview.cn 10/18/2007

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New Rules on Computer Security Systems

Legislators in Guangdong Province are planning to amend a draft regulation on the security of computer-based information systems. The key amendments include ensuring website operators "establish a sound security system" and the introduction of "serious punishments for violators of computer information systems". He Yanfeng, a deputy to the Guangdong provincial people's congress, said: "The amendments are aimed at further developing computer information technology." In recent years, the province has had many cases where the security of information systems has been breached. Actions defined as posing a threat to security include entering a system without permission, or illegally using data contained within a system. Under the draft regulation, the publication of misleading or false information online is strictly forbidden. Also, disclosing Internet users' e-mail addresses or other personal information to a third party, and producing or spreading Internet viruses are prohibited. "Individuals or companies that are found to be engaging in such activities will be subject to strict punishments," He said.

These will include fines of between 5,000 and 15,000 yuan (US$670-$2,000), she said. "Decoding illegally imported software products, which are usually without authentication codes, will also be strictly forbidden," He said, adding that all "decoding business" should be carried out by the local public security authority. Under the draft, Internet cafes are also required to set up standardized computer information administration systems in a bid to prevent "potential threats". He said: "Public security departments and other government organizations will also be punished if they are found to have illegally disclosed information about computer users." Chen Shuhuang, a lawyer with the Guangzhou-based Hanmeng Law Firm, said the amended draft was "a bigger step towards the protection of computer information systems". "The rules will also better protect the information stored about people online," he said.

From China Daily 10/24/2007

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JAPAN: Public Works Endanger Environment

Japan is the place where the Kyoto Treaty on global warming was signed. It is also a place with a long history of conservationism. Shinto is a distinctly Japanese religion. It is animistic, attributing personalized souls to animals, vegetables and even rocks. But Japan struggles with environmental issues like climate change brought about in part by decades of rampant construction driven by massive public works projects. The projects have turned Japan into the world's ugliest country, according to Alex Kerr, author of Dogs and Demons, which chronicles the destruction of Japan's natural beauty. In Chichibu, a small town an hour outside of Tokyo, the spirit of Shintoism and Japan's drive to industrialize comes together in stark contrast. Chichibu's sacred mountain, Mount Bukozan, has been the location for the Shinto Shrine for more than 2,000 years. It is also a mountain rich in limestone and has for decades been gouged out by cement companies. All this concrete ends up lining streams and waterfalls, but it also has contributed to the "heat island" effect in Tokyo. The temperature has risen four times more than the global average in the past century. The Tokyo government's answer is to stipulate that all new skyscrapers build rooftop gardens to mitigate the effects of warming in the largely concrete city. (By Madeleine Brand)

From http://www.ft.com/cms/ 09/04/2007

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Social Workers Struggling to Meet Needs of Society

The number of social workers in the nation is failing to keep pace with an increase in social problems such as heavy debt, complicated relationships and a high suicide rate. Social workers provide a consultative service for people facing issues such as debt and illness, dispensing advice on various social services including livelihood assistance. The Japanese Association of Social Workers was established in 1960 and gradually raised the public's awareness of social workers, many of whom are employed in residential roles at places such as general hospitals, or at child consultation centers and welfare office service counters. According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, there are about 95,000 registered licensed social welfare counselors, and about 30,000 registered licensed psychiatric social workers.

An unconscious man in his 60s was stretchered into the emergency department of a Tokyo hospital in April after taking a sleeping pill overdose. A friend became concerned when the man--who lived alone--did not answer the telephone. When the friend visited the man's house he found him unconscious. The man was revived by medical staff after receiving emergency treatment. He was found to have lost contact with his family and did not have any belongings with him. As he was not diagnosed as suffering from depression and did not need long-term medical attention, he was placed in the care of a female social worker, 42. The man, who worked at a pachinko parlor's prize-exchange office, had seen his salary fall as a result of recession. He began to pocket his employer's cash, but his embezzling was soon discovered. When his initial plan to hang himself proved too daunting, he instead opted for a combination of alcohol and sleeping pills.

Although he managed to escape death, he lost his job, which exacerbated his debt, leaving him in circumstances similar to those when he had attempted to take his own life. "Why did they save me?" "Should I jump out of this [hospital] window?" the man reportedly said during consultation sessions with the social worker. The woman believed the man would again attempt suicide if he was immediately discharged. The man had several problems including alcohol addiction and debts. The social worker helped him to tackle these problems one by one. A month after being discharged from the hospital, the man telephoned the social worker to say he was alright and did not want to die anymore, expressing his appreciation for her assistance. (By Atsuko Kimura / Staff Writer)

From The Yomiuri Shimbun 10/09/2007

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Fukuda Plans to Remove Suicide Web Sites

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda indicated Friday his intention to shut down suicide assistance Web sites, responding to the recent murder case in which the operator of such a site allegedly killed a suicidal woman by contract. "What do you say to the fact that there has been nothing done to regulate [suicide assistance Web sites]?" Fukuda said to reporters. "As it's true that [government action] will be effective [in controlling such Web sites], it's time to consider the matter from various perspectives." Fukuda also mentioned the issue at an unofficial Cabinet meeting the same day and instructed ministers to work together to prevent suicides. "It's not good that a way of thinking that belittles other people's lives has spread," Fukuda said at the meeting. "As it's an issue that must be addressed by the entire community as a whole, we'll embark on a comprehensive policy to deal with it."

From The Yomiuri Shimbun 10/14/2007

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NORTH & SOUTH KOREA: Closing Economic Gap Between the Koreas Is a Good Idea

It is now 18 years ago that the Berlin Wall came down and the Germans celebrated a unique historic development: being reunited. Today, almost two decades later, every German tax payer still feels the economic consequences of this reunification directly each month: An additional 5,5 percent of their income tax is deducted as so called solidarity charge. This solidarity tax is not the only means of financing German reunification. At the moment the German government is for example discussing to prolong investment aids for the regions of former East Germany to 2010. There is a so called solidarity pact transfering billions of Euros to ease the burdens for regions having been divided. Even today, 18 years after the Berlin Wall came down, it is not clear how long exactly we will have to pay for reuniting two countries which had experienced five decades of a very different development. Though estimates can never be exact: Altogether the cost of German reunification amount according to different estimates to 1,2 or more than 1,5 trillion Euros – 1500 to 1900 trillion Won. Infrastructure investments have been costly in East Germany – and there has been a lot of discussions about some projects not really contributing to a stronger economic development. But the biggest burden of reunification has been the extension of the social security systems – health insurance, unemployment insurance, and pension systems.

What can South Korea learn from the German experience? The German situation in 1989 has some major differences compared to the Korean situation: East Germany's economy was in much better shape than that of North Korea today. The economic gap between East and West Germany was not as high as it is between the two Koreas. And the relation of population numbers was easier to handle: Very roughly spoken one East German came on three West Germans. In the Korean example this ratio would be one to two. And last but not least: The iron curtain between former East and West Germany was never as closed as it has been and is between the two Koreas – and Germans had not to overcome the trauma of fighting against each other in a war. But with all those differences in mind, of course there are lessons that can be learned from the German reunification case and the economic burden that followed. One is: The wider the development gap of the economy of the two respective countries, the more expensive the reunifaction project. Thus, bringing the economic stage of North Korea and South Korea closer together will ease the costs and frictions, if a reunification becomes reality one day. Not only economically, but also psychologically, because with economic interchange people also grow together, border lines open. North Korea can experience with market economy. Economic exchange is therefore also a major confidence-building measure.

After the first inter-Korean summit in 2000 mutual economic approachment is already happening. The tourist zone in Mt. Geumgang which I visited some years ago is one example for establishing an additional income source for North Korea. The economic zone in Gaesong is another one. If the second inter-Korean summit from October 2nd to October 4th between South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il opens up more opportunities for economic exchange that could indeed give a badly needed impetus to the North Korean economy, for example in infrastructure modernization. It could help to make the economic reforms that have started in North Korea in 2002 work in providing the necessary capital. Further economic cooperation between the two Koreas is therefore a good idea. But two conditions have to be fulfilled. First, an inter-Korean economic development programme has to be attuned with the international community. The progress of the six party nuclear talks and the US-North Korea negotiations have to be one determinante for deciding on an economic development programme for North Korea. And the programme has to be supported by the whole South Korean political landscape – so that, whoever will win the presidential election in December wants to implement what will be decided at the summit meeting.

Secondly, the process has to be reciprocal – the two Koreas have to work on it simultanously. A one-sided engagement by South Korea would be the wrong way. The DPRK has to cooperate, has to open its doors step by step, has to implement reliable rules for investors – for private investors as well as for public investments. A bilateral investment agreement for example could be a means for that. It could help to create transparency and thus more productive investment opportunities for South Korean companies in North Korea. But no illusions: Not every investment project in North Korea will probably be profitable. And as long as the border lines remain as closed as they are now between the two Koreas, there are major limitations in developing and enhancing an economy. Aiming towards an inter-Korean economic community might therefore be a good longterm target, but at the moment it is too early for that unless North Korea changes its stance dramatically. Korean politicians should thus be clear about possible costs of further economic engagement for the South Korean tax payer – and explain possibly unprofitable projects as development aid on one hand and a longterm investment on the other hand to the public. They have a point: A sudden reunification would be much more expensive. But transparency about the costs for further economic engagement is essential. Politicians should not make the same mistakes as being made in Germany in 1989, when former chancellor Helmut Kohl spoke of “blooming landscapes” in East Germany without any additional tax burden – which turned out to be a complete illusion.

Last but not least, one thing should be clear: How high the economic burden might be, in the end it would not prevent a possible reunification. Preparing the process and trying to lower the economic costs of a reunification by bringing the economic state of the two Koreas closer together is a good idea. But the process cannot be planned in each and every detail. That is another lesson from the German example. As soon as the border lines are open economic disparities would lead to massive migration – and the pressure to reunite. Thus a “reunification of equals” as envisioned by former president Kim Dae-Jung is in my view not realistic in the end. If history allows a unique window of opportunity for reuniting two countries one has to seize the opportunity and leave the planned scenario. That is what Germany did – and that is what Korea would probably do – go for it. (By Nicole Bastian, Finance Correspondent of Handelsblatt Newspaper, Germany)

From http://www.korea.net/news/ 09/28/2007

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SOUTH KOREA: Ranked 10th Largest Arms Buyer in 2006

Korea was the 10th largest weapons buyer in the world in 2006, its arms transfer agreements totaling $500 million, according to a report released Monday (Oct. 1) by the U.S. Congressional Research Service. The Asian nation ranked eighth in arms purchases between 1999-2006, with a total of $6.7 billion, said the report, "Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations." In actual arms deliveries, South Korea received $600 million worth in 2006, putting it ninth on the list of leading recipients. The total deliveries for 1999-2006 were valued at $7.8 billion. North Korea was the 10th largest arms supplier between 1999-2002, clinching agreements worth $1.2 billion during the period. It has since slipped out of the list that names the top 11 suppliers. Pakistan was the top buyer last year, with agreements valued at $5.1 billion, followed by India and Saudi Arabia. The United States was the largest supplier of weapons in 2006, accounting for 36 percent of total sales. Russia was next with 28 percent, followed by England at 11 percent.

From http://www.korea.net/news/ 10/02/2007

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Korea's E-Commerce Expected to Grow in Q4: Poll

Business confidence of Korea's e-commerce operators remained upbeat for the fourth quarter, fueled by the expectation of continued economic growth, a government survey report said Sunday (Oct. 7). The latest business survey index (BSI) survey showed more companies predicted improvement in e-commerce conditions in the October-December period than those that believed the opposite would occur, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said. The poll conducted on 600 companies nationwide showed BSI numbers for business-to-business (B2B) firms reaching 116.0 for the new quarter, while hitting 111.0 for business-to-consumer (B2C) oriented firms. The B2C figure is the highest in the past two years. A BSI reading above 100 means optimists outweigh pessimists. The poll also revealed B2B firms expected growing demand for on-line transactions and greater cooperation among related industries that could produce a positive synergy to further boost their operations. For B2S firms, seasonal factors like a rise in consumer demand towards the end of the year helped buoy business expectation, the ministry said.

From http://www.korea.net/news/ 10/07/2007

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Korea's State Think Tank Raises 2007 Economic Growth Forecast

Market place bustling with people and new orders.Korea's top state think tank on Thursday (Oct.11) boosted its forecast for the economy's growth this year to 4.9 percent from an earlier 4.4 percent, underscoring growing optimism about Asia's third-largest economy. "Korea maintains an expansion pace," the Korea Development Institute (KDI) said. "The country's economy has expanded alongside the nation's industrial output recovery." Korea's industrial output rose a larger-than-expected 11.2 percent in August from a year earlier, based on brisk overseas demand for cars, machinery and semiconductors, government data showed earlier this month. The institute said stronger economic growth will result in a 4.5 percent private spending growth in Korea this year, compared with its previous 4.2 percent estimate. Exports, which account for 40 percent of gross domestic product, are predicted to rise 9.7 percent, lower than the institute's previous forecast of a 10.3 percent growth.

In 2008, the country's economic growth is likely to accelerate to 5 percent based on the private spending growth. Corporate capital investment is forecast to expand at a 6-percent range next year, after rising 7.6 percent this year, while construction investment is likely to increase at a lower 4 percent level next year. The country's current account balance is predicted to post a shortfall of $2.6 billion next year due to widening service account deficits, which would be the first current account deficit in 11 years since 1997. Consumer inflation will mildly ascend to 2.8 percent next year, up from 2.4 percent this year. The jobless rate will fall to 3.3 percent in 2008 as employers expand their payrolls amid economic recovery. The KDI's 2007 economic growth forecast upgrade reflects growing confidence among experts on the world's 11th-largest economy. On Wednesday, South Korea's Deputy Finance Minister Cho Won-dong said the country's economic growth for 2007 may top the government's estimate to reach the upper end of 4-5 percent. Earlier Thursday, the Bank of Korea froze its key interest rate as expected at a six-year high of 5 percent to bolster the economic recovery.

From http://www.korea.net/news/ 10/11/2007

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Internet Access Cut in Media Rooms

As promised, the government cut off Internet access to media rooms yesterday, saying it plans to seal them off today ― a day later than scheduled. As part of a new government media policy, dozens of media rooms at individual agencies are being consolidated into three briefing centers. Most of the Foreign Ministry reporters are boycotting government briefings in protest and hope to continue working out of the media rooms. The press corps of the National Tax Service released a statement yesterday saying “the consolidation of the media rooms infringes on the people’s right to know. Therefore, we refuse to report on any government briefings conducted at the new centers.” Blue House spokesman Cheon Ho-seon said the Roh Moo-hyun administration won’t yield. “We will go ahead as planned,” Cheon said. “There should be no physical confrontations. On this occasion, journalists should reconsider their demands, including whether what they are really fighting for is the public’s right to know.” Facing opposition from the press, the Government Information Agency said last month that it would drop interview restrictions from its new guidelines. The journalists argue that any media reform should be done by the media, not by the government. The agency has promised to support press reporting activities and said the new measures were designed to root out collaboration among reporters and the exclusiveness of the media rooms. (By Brian Lee Staff Writer) [africanu@joongang.co.kr]

From http://joongangdaily.joins.com/ 10/12/2007

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INDONESIA: Ease in E-business Start-Up: New Zealand's Lesson to Learn

News that Indonesian public servants are resisting the introduction of electronic business transactions known as e-government should not surprise anyone familiar with similar systems overseas. The benefits to the consumer are huge; the downside for the bureaucrat is just as large. Once e-government processes are installed correctly pen pushers become redundant. Also forfeited are the opportunities for pocketing extra fees. E-government came to Indonesia with a 2001 Presidential instruction on Telematica, meaning telecommunication, media and information. It was supposed to put citizens on-line to access services; not to keep them waiting in line. According to an ASEAN review only 23 of 265 regencies in the country have "prepared" e-government networks. In many cases these are just websites that may or may not get regularly updated. Six years on, Djoko Agung Harijadi, the boss of e-government, has reportedly said the public service isn't ready for the system, citing 'resistance' and 'a lack of awareness.' One of the best examples of how e-government works can be found in New Zealand (NZ).

This country ranks equal first alongside Denmark and Finland as the world's number one cleanskin in Transparency International's corruption perception index. Indonesia comes in at 143 along with Gambia and Russia. One reason for NZ's favorable rating has to be the widespread use of e-government, which removes any chance for corrupt public servants to milk the system or treat their fellow citizens with contempt. Indonesia ranks 123 on the World Bank's list of countries based on ease in doing business. NZ comes in second place, just behind Singapore. It takes around six months to start a business in Indonesia. In NZ it takes just one day. Registration can be done from home or the office -- anywhere with an Internet connection. A printer and scanner are also required. The only other physical requirements are a reasonable level of English and a credit card.

From http://www.thejakartapost.com 10/15/2007

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RI Citizens to Stand Up Against Poverty

Organizers expect one million Indonesians to stand up and speak out against poverty on Wednesday, demanding the government expedite efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The one-day event will be held in a number of recreational areas, shopping centers and public places in 24 cities across the country. People can also show their support by sending a text message to 9700. "We are happy to see the good response, including from activists, private firms and local administrations to organize the Stand Up events," the United Nations' MDGs representative for Asia and the Pacific, Erna Witoelar, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. "We hope to reach a record one million people standing up and speaking out against poverty in Indonesia." Millions of people around the world are expected to take part in the event. In Asia, Stand Up events will also be held in China, Singapore, South Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. About 23.5 million people across the world joined Stand Up events last year and made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. But only 50,000 Indonesians participated last year. Erna said that a "sea of people" was expected to attend a music concert to mark the Speak Up event in Taman Impian Jaya Ancol, the country's largest recreation site, in Jakarta.

The concert, organized by developer PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol will feature Inul Daratista and Slank, one of Indonesia's most popular bands. "The governors of East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara will directly head the Stand Up events in their respective province," Erna said. The two provinces are among the poorest in the country. Initiated at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000, the MDGs were adopted by heads of state and government, including Indonesia, who pledged to meet all the goals by 2015. The goals include halving the number of people suffering from poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, eliminating gender disparities, reducing the child mortality rate by two-third and the maternal mortality by three-quarters, halting and reversing the incidence HIV/AIDS, malaria and other major diseases, and halving the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water. Erna said that Indonesian government had made some progresses in reducing poverty through the raskin rice for the poor program and Askeskin program, which provides health insurance for poor people. "But the government needs to improve coordination so the program reaches the target," she said. She also said that the country's maternal mortality rate remained high. The government earlier said that as of 2004, the maternal mortality rate was 307 per 100,000 live births, down from from 390 per 100,000 live births in 1994. The MDGs target is 102 per 100,000 live births by 2015.

Erna, who is also former state minister for the environment, expressed concern over the poor achievements in sustainable development targets set in the MDGs. "The reality is that public access to clean water and sanitation is still poor in Indonesia," she said. Meanwhile, Public Services International (PSI) said that only 18 percent of Indonesian people in urban and village areas have access to the piping water. "Worse still, only three million people enjoy a sanitary sewerage system," FX Supiarso, Indonesia Project Coordinator of PSI said in a statement. Hundreds of workers unions from the public service sector, including those of PDAM and local tap water companies and state electricity firm PT PLN will hold Stand Up events on Wednesday.

From http://www.thejakartapost.com/ 10/17/2007

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MALAYSIA: Applications for International Passports to Go Paperless

Applicants for international passports will not be required to fill any forms from Dec 1, said Home Ministry's secretary-general Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat. He said their thumbprints and latest passport-sized photographs would, however, be needed when they made the applications. Aseh said the paperless application would be made possible as the Immigration Department could verify immediately the identity of an applicant through its computer system, which is linked to the National Registration Department. ''The passports will be issued to the applicants on the same day,'' he told reporters after handing over Hari Raya goodies to the state Immigration Department officers and staff at Bangunan Sultan Iskander here Thursday. He said the department had started issuing instant passports to the applicants in Sabah and Sarawak on the same day since Oct 1. States in the peninsula had implemented the instant passport issuances earlier. Aseh said the ministry had planned to build a RM60mil complex here to house all its departments and agencies, which include the Immigration Derpartment, National Registration Department, Rela and the Registrar of Societies. ''Housing all the agencies under one roof will enhance service delivery to the public,” he added. Aseh said the ministry had identified a site in Petra Jaya for the project, and is in the process of acquiring the land from the state government. Construction work for the proposed complex should start by next year.

From http://thestar.com.my 10/04/2007

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2,700 Poor Families Given Aid

A total of 2,700 poor families have received RM13mil in assistance under the Housing and Local Government Ministry’s urban poverty eradication scheme. The ministry’s parliamentary secretary, Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, said the families were given assistance in the form of house rental, expenses to enter school or institution of higher learning, childcare fees, transport costs to work or school, kidney dialysis and skills training. Speaking to reporters after presenting assistance to 334 families at Malacca City Council here yesterday, he said the Government had approved RM50mil to be given to poor families under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. Dr Subramaniam said the ministry would come out with programmes to increase the earning capacity of poor families so that they would not be dependent on assistance alone. ‘We want to see whether the family head, wife or the children can be trained in some skill so that the family has some sort of income regularly,” he said. Dr Subramaniam said the ministry had already disbursed RM249,228 to 154 poor families in two earlier programmes in the state. “Another 334 families received RM558,782 yesterday, making it a total of 488 families receiving RM808,010 in Malacca alone,” he added.

From http://thestar.com.my/ 10/07/2007

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PHILIPPINES: BIR Targeting 1.2M Online Taxpayers

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is looking to increase the number of corporate taxpayers online following the ongoing upgrade of its Electronic Filing and Payment System or eFPS. By law, businesses with market capitalization above P10 million are required to file their taxes online. BIR's eFPS has logged in around 14,000 taxpayers so far, according to BIR assistant commissioner Alberto Pio de Roda. "We are targeting 1.2 million taxpayers by the end of the year," he said. The eFPS upgrade, awarded to Sun Microsystems and system integrator Soluziona, is due for completion by December. The project aims to upgrade BIR's existing hardware (about six to eight CPUs), with minimal addition of resources as possible. "Basically, the upgrade would involve server virtualization and load balancing to allow scale. Once this is achieved, we will be able to start adding more hardware into the system," Pio de Roda said. By adding more taxpayers into the system, he added, the BIR is also looking to recover P40 billion in collection deficit during the first six months of the year. The eFPS was first launched in 2003 and started out with 600 of the country's largest corporate taxpayers.

From http://archive.inquirer.net 10/11/2007

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CICT Eyes Another P1-B E-gov Fund for 2008

The Commission on Information and Communications Technology is eyeing to get another billion pesos from the Budget department next year to fund e-government projects. Since 2004, under a mandate from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has been allotting a special e-government fund that goes to IT projects of different government agencies. From an initial P400 million three years ago, the DBM has been disbursing around a billion pesos each year as "special line allocation" channeled through CICT, which disburses the budget after reviewing project proposals from different agencies. CICT commissioner Tim Diaz de Rivera noted that the amount has been fairly consistent because P1 billion is the commission's "absorptive" capacity, meaning just the right amount that the CICT can allocate within a year. He admits, though, that some agencies like the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Bureau of Customs (BoC) tend to corner a sizable share of the budget due to existing ongoing IT projects.

"Compared to BIR or BoC, other agencies are not as advanced or technically capable in preparing project proposals," Diaz de Rivera said via phone interview. Each proposal goes through a review committee represented by the CICT and other agencies like the DBM and NEDA (National Economic Development Authority). "For other agencies, it usually works on a case-to-case basis when awarding funding. But we are looking to remedy that. CICT is looking at conducting workshops that will guide other agencies to prepare better project proposals," Diaz de Rivera added.

From http://archive.inquirer.net 10/17/2007

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Manila to Offer One-stop Business Permit Processing Soon

A "one-stop shop" that will help fast-track the processing of permits and other services will soon be opened at the Manila City Hall to assist businessmen who intend to invest in the capital city. Mayor Alfredo Lim ordered the creation of the "one-stop shop" to simplify the usually tedious procedures involved in transactions being made in the five-story City Hall. Among the permits businessmen need to secure are business permits, health permits, license taxes, compliance certificates. The one-stop shop will also serve as an information center to prevent unnecessary trips to the wrong offices. Earlier, a satellite office was opened in District 4 or the Sampaloc area for the convenience of residents there. The mayor said five more satellite offices were to be opened in the city’s remaining districts. Three key personnel were appointed by the mayor to develop the guidelines for the one-stop shop: lawyer Luis del Mundo Jr. of the City Treasurer's Office; Senen Tomada of the business promotion and development office; and Edgardo Tan, electronic data processing services. City Administrator Jesus Mari Marzan said a strict monitoring of frontline service offices would be done to ensure compliance with the mayor's directive to make City Hall transactions easier, especially for poor residents.

From http://archive.inquirer.net 10/18/2007

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SINGAPORE: Major Survey Ranks Education Among the World's Best

Why do some countries succeed in the field of education and others do not? Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said on Friday an article in the latest issue of the Economist has rated Singapore as one of the top five countries that have succeeded in the field of education. And it is based on a report prepared by McKinsey, a worldwide management consulting firm advising leading companies on issues of strategy, organisation, technology, and operations. And he stressed that Singapore has crafted an education system that suits the country after studying several models worldwide, including those of the British, Americans and the Japanese. Mr Lee shared this point with participants of a dialogue on Leadership in Asia organised by French post-graduate school, INSEAD. It is a leadership forum attended not only by past and present students of INSEAD itself but also by captains of industry and CEOs from top international firms. So if Singapore were a stereotypical city, would such talent or even INSEAD bother setting up in the city state? John Burton, Singapore Bureau Chief, Financial Times, said: "Singapore does want to become a knowledge society and to do that you do need people who can think out of the box and to challenge the system.

Do you think this is a serious issue for Singapore? And does it pose a threat or limit to Singapore's future growth? And what is the solution?" MM Lee said: "This is a standard Western correspondent viewpoint. If we cannot think out of the box, you think we would be here sent by the Financial Times to throw darts at us from time to time - and we could change year by year the way we have?" Mr Lee said the McKinsey report had studied the education system of many countries. He said: "And the conclusion they came to is not whether your classes are big or small, whether you have tests or you don't have tests, but what is the quality of the teachers and how quickly you put things right when it goes wrong and how you get good quality teachers. " To be able to do that you must be able to think for yourself because the British didn't leave us with the system and it's not me or the Minister for Education. We have people who have gone round the world studying the education systems. I think if the Financial Times does worry about us and sincerely takes an interest in our future, I suggest read that report, visit our universities and find out how it is." For participants at INSEAD's leadership summit, it was an opportunity for them to get Mr Lee's views on the factors that have resulted in good governance in countries.

And one of them wanted to know what was his role now as Minister Mentor in the government. MM Lee said: "When my son became the Prime Minister, I either had to leave the cabinet or he made quite sure that I am not deciding policy. I was moved from Senior Minister which I was for 14 years when Goh Chok Tong was Prime Minister and he kept me as supernumerary minister as Mentor. In other words, I cannot give any direction to any ministry or any minister, I can only mentor them. They are using me as a data bank." But Mr Lee made it clear he would shudder to be a mentor to any other government elsewhere. –

From http://www.channelnewsasia.com/ 09/19/2007

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NUS Start-Up Produces New Software to Boost Creativity in Primary Schools

Writing stories has become more exciting for a group of students. They are using a new software designed by a start-up from the National University of Singapore called Personal E-Motion (PEM). With the new "Koobits Author" software, producing an interactive e-book is almost child's play. You can type out a story about a mystical world or even create your own dream vehicle. "My favourite feature is the animation because I can move it anywhere I want," said a Jurong Primary School student. "This software is interesting and I can use my imagination and write the composition in a different way," said another. PEM started working on the software in 2004 and by late 2005, it was ready to let students at Jurong Primary School try it out. KooBits is aimed at primary and lower secondary students. Melvin Yeoh, Ahmad Ibrahim Primary School's head of department for info tech-media resource, said: "Some of these pupils initially are very apprehensive about writing, but with this software, I've noticed - and many of the teachers have also observed - that their quieter pupils are beginning to write more."

That's also because with its user-friendly interface, the software allows a student to create a four-page e-book in just an hour. Stanley Han, Personal E-Motion's general manager, said: "We are able to blend a wide range of multimedia content you find in the market. This reduces the learning curve of creating a multimedia content. So, even a primary school student, without much IT background, can create fantastic multimedia content within a short period of time." Koobits Author retails at $49.95 for home use. For schools, it costs about $8,000 for 90 PCs. Personal E-Motion has already sold Koobits to 16 schools and is in talks with 12 other schools. The company has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with P.T. I-Tutor, which will be the exclusive distributor of KooBits in Indonesia.

From http://www.channelnewsasia.com 10/21/2007

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135,000 Jobs to Be Created in 2008, Wages to Go Up by 5.1%

Economists at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) are forecasting that 135,000 jobs will be created next year. That is less than the estimated 200,000 for this year but it will still be the fourth straight year that jobs growth has come in above 100,000. Overall, economists at NTU are optimistic about the economic outlook for 2008. They expect job creation to remain strong with some 135,000 new positions. This will see the unemployment rate dropping to 2%, down from 2.3% currently. Wage increases are forecast to go up a lower 5.1%, compared to 8.1% this year. Economists said the flexibility of Singapore's foreign worker policy will keep a lid on wage pressures. Said NTU's Assistant Professor Randolph Tan: "This huge employment increase that we've seen in the last 2 or 3 years will have spillover effect over the coming years. The second factor is productivity increases. We expect to see fairly good productivity improvements over the coming quarters." "And they are already beginning to show. There has been an improvement in productivity levels.

These two factors will mean that while there are a lot more job openings. These jobs openings can basi