|
|
|
|
|
|
Study:
City Planners Unprepared for Future
According to the United Nations, the
world's population is expected to grow to as many as 11 billion people by
2050 -- more than half of those people will reside in cities versus the
countryside. To properly support rapidly-growing, densely-populated urban
areas, technological advancement will be paramount, according to a recent
editorial in InformationWeek, whose Future Cities Survey found that the U.S.'s
major urban centers have a long way to go when it comes to technology. In
the context of preparing for future population growth, only 7 percent of
the 198 municipal IT professionals surveyed from major U.S. cities reported their city
IT strategy as “progressive and well conceived.” Conversely, 38 percent of
those surveyed described their city's IT plan as “poor or nonexistent.”
Cities of the future, according to the
editorial, will need an interconnected and sophisticated infrastructure
that includes the city's buildings, roadways, rail systems, electric grid
and water facilities to effectively serve the populace. The most prominent
obstacle cited by survey takers was money, with 88 percent citing lack of
funding as the primary obstacle to technological progress in their city.
And mayors and other city officials need private-sector help to advance.
According to the survey, 66 percent of respondents cited public-private
collaboration as what should lead Future Cities efforts. Improving K-12
education, expanding access to wireless and broadband networks and ensuring
the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure were listed as most promising
areas for such collaboration. Conceiving a smarter city that is prepared
for unrelenting population growth will be a matter of developing many
different technologies in parallel, according to the editorial.
Communications infrastructure, mobile device support, transportation
systems, public safety and crime prevention investments, and surveillance
technology all play a role in the future of large urban areas.
From
http://www.govtech.com/ 11/29/2012
TOP↑
WB: Food Security
for the Most Vulnerable, a Priority in Times of Crisis
WASHINGTON DC, December 6, 2012 – In the
midst of an ongoing global financial turmoil and rising food prices, a new
toolkit designed by the World Bank seeks to assist countries in Latin
America and the Caribbean (LAC) region to ensure the health, food and nutritional
security of the most vulnerable, especially poor mothers and young
children. LAC is more vulnerable to natural disasters, food price
volatility and humanitarian crises than other regions. Against this
background, any new crisis and emergency situation represents a heavy toll
on the nutritional status of the population, notably children. It is estimated that 7.2 million
children under five years of age are chronically malnourished in the
region. The study, “How to Protect and Promote the Nutrition of Mothers and
Children: A Toolkit for Stable,
Crisis, and Emergency Situations,” involved 130 survey participants in 12
LAC countries. It shows that most crisis-response policies and programs
have overlooked the essential nutritional needs of mothers and their
children in the first 1000 days of life, a critical period for a child's
development. In order to
eradicate malnourishment in the region, these initiatives need to be
improved and prioritize the most vulnerable groups, the study concludes.
To help countries improve the efficiency
of their crisis and emergency response, the toolkit offers policy and
decision makers a clear guidance on cost-efficient measures that can help
countries better ensure the nutritional security of the population. For instance,
all countries need to reinforce the promotion and protection of
breastfeeding. A number of countries would benefit from adapting the food
and water rations given in emergencies to the specific nutritional needs of
pregnant and lactating women and children under 2 years of age. Other suggested measures include the
prevention of micronutrient deficiencies during emergencies, treatment of
acute malnutrition, and efficient treatment of diarrhea through the combined
use of oral rehydration solution and zinc. The findings of the study and
the toolkit will be presented during the south-south workshop “Protecting
the Nutrition of Mothers and Children: Tools for Crisis Managers”, in Panama City, on
December 6 and 7.“The first 1000 days of life of a child is a critical
window of opportunity for her growth and development. Failure to address
the nutritional needs of mothers and children as part of crisis-management
results in human suffering and missed opportunities for developing every
person’s potential,” said Keith Hansen, World Bank Director for Human
Development for Latin America and the Caribbean.
“This toolkit shows that initiatives that successfully target the
nutritional needs of pregnant and lactating mothers and young children are
the best investments countries can make to protect the most vulnerable from
food insecurities and socioeconomic and environmental instabilities. They
also have a long-term impact on the country's economic development and can
break the intergenerational cycle of poverty brought about by
malnutrition."
Malnutrition decreases the children’s
ability to resist infections and disease, such as anemia and diarrhea, and
causes lifelong physical and cognitive damages. Malnutrition rates among the poorest
and least educated, as well as indigenous populations, are comparable to
rates in some Sub-Saharan Africa countries. The prevalence of malnutrition
in the region is also the result of national and international crises. When
an economic crisis hits, the quality of food purchased by families
diminishes.“During crisis, poor families tend to reduce the quantity of
food they consume or replace for lower quality alternatives, such as foods
with refined sugar and fats, and even cut down on preventive health
services,” said Marie Chantal Messier, World Bank Senior Nutrition
Specialist and lead author of the toolkit. “During harsh times, women
frequently consume less food to protect their children's diet, which
compromises their own nutritional security. If they are pregnant, this
creates a cycle that harms both the mothers’ and their children’s
health.”Malnutrition is not limited to the quantity and the quality of food
consumed by the population, but it is also related to access to potable
water, sanitation and health services. The study encourages governments and
development partners to maximize limited financial and management
resources, by prioritizing initiatives encompassing the sector of health,
nutrition, agriculture, water and sanitation, and social protection. The
toolkit is the result of an assessment that compared international
benchmarks with initiatives adopted by 12 countries from the Latin American
and the Caribbean: Bolivia,
Colombia, Dominica, El
Salvador, Grenada,
Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras,
Nicaragua, Panama, St.
Lucia, and St. Vincent.
Countries were selected for the study taking into account their poverty
level, malnutrition rates, susceptibility to natural disasters and increase
in vulnerability as a result of the recent global financial crisis and food
price hikes.
From http://www.worldbank.org/ 12/06/2012
TOP↑
Internet Access
Fears Over Regulation Treaty Proposals
A conference to update global
telecommunications regulation in the Internet age could undermine economic
development in developing countries if a controversial proposal to alter
how international Internet data transmission is funded is adopted. Major
divisions have emerged at the World Conference on International
Telecommunications (WCIT) in Dubai this month (3-14 December), which has
been convened to update Internet regulation via a new international treaty
under the auspices of the International Telecommunications Union, a UN
agency based in Geneva. The last such treaty was signed in 1988, before the
advent of the Internet. Meanwhile, Internet-freedom advocates want the
Internet excluded from the treaty altogether. The fear in certain
developing countries and among Internet freedom advocates is that some of
the proposals on the table could affect organisations that provide
important data and content to developing countries, including Health and
educational content. One controversial proposal — made by the European
Telecommunications Network Operators' Association (ETNO) — calls for fees
to be levied on Internet companies. This would be similar to the situation
with traditional wire-based telephony, in which the company placing the
call pays a fee to the company receiving it.
Although designed to make Internet
behemoths such as Google, which send large amounts of traffic over the
Internet, pay part of their advertising proceeds to the carrying networks,
the proposal could affect all kinds of content providers, not just a few
giants. Both private and state-owned entities operate Internet networks.
Many networks simply exchange traffic with one another without payment and
detailed accounting. The wider fear is that such measures could exacerbate
the digital divide between rich and poor nations. "We are not talking
about a paywall, we are talking about an insurmountable barrier for these
[poorer] countries," says Rohan Samarajiva, a former director-general
of telecommunications for the Sri Lanka government, who is now CEO of
LIRNEasia, a regional think-tank on information and communications
technology (ICT) policy. Samarajiva tells SciDev.Net that including the
Internet in this treaty could reverse "20 years of liberalised
policies that have delivered affordable connectivity to developing
countries". He adds: "It has the potential to cut off much of the
developing world from the Internet applications they have come to depend
on". Terry Kramer, head of the US delegation to WCIT, said before the
conference that the United States opposes proposals that could make
"content generation more costly and uneconomical [and] will likely
lead many small businesses and non-profits to restrict or charge for
downloads — even leading to 'blackouts' in less-developed countries due to
high termination charges".
Although opposed by many Asian countries
and not backed by European governments themselves, the ETNO proposal is backed
by some African and Arab countries, who see it as a way to fund Internet
infrastructure investment, particularly to upgrade to high-speed broadband.
African countries such as Cameroon
strongly support the idea, but countries such as Botswana
and Tanzania
have already expressed reservations, according to diplomats. Non-profit
campaign body the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) says:
"This [existing] system has successfully supported the globally
interconnected Internet". "Some countries see that it would be
advantageous for them because it would allow them to generate revenues. But
there are a whole range of countries for whom it is a non-starter,"
says CDT Internet policy expert Matthew Shears, who is currently in Dubai. CDT has carried
out detailed analysis of the proposal, he says, and "we are not
convinced that interconnection fees would be used for funding
infrastructure development". "The real dilemma is that no one
really knows the impact," of such proposals, which could "change
the dynamic of Internet exchange," he tells SciDev.Net. "It is
really crunch time and it is absolutely imperative that the Internet is
kept out of this treaty." Contentious proposals put forward by some
Arab states and Russia
could also mean that countries would directly regulate Internet companies.
From http://www.scidev.net/ 12/12/2012
TOP↑
New Global Telecoms
Treaty Agreed in Dubai
Dubai, 14 December, 2012 – After two
intensive weeks of negotiations, delegates from around the world have agreed
a new global treaty that will help pave the way to a hyper-connected world
that will bring the power of information and communication technologies
(ICTs) to people everywhere.Over 2,000 delegates were registered for the
conference, which was held by ITU at the request of its 193 Member States
to renegotiate the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs), the
binding global treaty facilitating global interconnection and
interoperability of information and communication services, their efficient
operation and their widespread public availability. The treaty sets out
general principles for ensuring the free flow of information around the
world. New provisions in the text place special emphasis on future efforts
to assist developing countries, on promoting accessibility to persons with
disabilities, and on asserting all people’s right to freedom of expression
over ICT networks. Other pioneering new provisions include a Resolution to
create a single, globally harmonized number for access to emergency
services, new text mandating greater transparency in the prices set for
mobile roaming, and new provisions to improve the energy efficiency of ICT
networks and help combat e-waste.
Tough issues that provoked considerable
debate at the conference included network security, unsolicited bulk
content such as spam email, the definition of entities providing services
under the terms of the treaty, the principle of non-discriminatory access
of countries to each other’s networks, and whether or not to include language
on freedom of expression in the Preamble text of the treaty.Chairman
Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim (UAE) succeeded in breaking a seeming deadlock on
Thursday, after discussions late into the night on Wednesday 12th failed to
make headway on the few remaining sticking points. Coming back to the
meeting on Thursday evening after a tense start to negotiations earlier
that day, Mr Al Ghanim presented a new ‘consolidated package’ containing
all agreed compromise texts that had been negotiated painstakingly section
by section over the past two weeks at Committee, Ad Hoc Group and informal
group level.ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun Touré called the signing of
the treaty this afternoon a “momentous occasion and historic opportunity to
bring connectivity to the two thirds of the world’s people who are still
offline.”Speaking to assembled delegates at the closing ceremony this
afternoon, he said: “As you look back today on your very intensive, very
long days of work, you can hold our heads up high – proud that you have
triumphed over adversity and delivered the goods.” He added that he
regretted that some countries have so far declined to ratify the treaty,
and hoped ITU will continue to
work constructively with those nations going forward.
Dr Touré paid tribute to the exceptional
Chairmanship of Al Ghanim, commemorating his success in managing the often
difficult discussions by awarding him ITU’s Gold Medal, the organization’s
highest honour. “Mr Al Ghanim has played a vital role in the work of the
conference. He has managed to keep his calm and nerve throughout the long
days and nights we have spent together, and he has epitomized the key ITU
value of global consensus,” said Dr Touré.Mr Al Ghanim spoke of the huge
challenge of reviewing the 24-year-old treaty to ensure it is relevant for
future generations of ICT users and an increasingly globalized, competitive
and highly innovative ICT environment. “We came to this conference with a
wide divergence of views. Different countries contend with vastly different
market environments, but all understand how critical ICTs will be to their
ongoing social and economic development. While we did not manage to get
universal consensus, I believe we nonetheless achieved a huge milestone in
getting such broad agreement, and I am confident that these new ITRs will
pave the way to a better, more connected world and a more equitable
environment for all.”WCIT-12 was one of the most open treaty-making
conferences ever held, with live and archived webcasting and
English-language captioning of all full meetings of the substantive working
committee (Committee 5 – Review) and the conference Plenary sessions. The
conference also had a strong social media profile, as well as daily media
briefings accessible via the Adobe Connect platform.
Conference statistics:
•A total of 1,275
proposals to the conference from Member States
•Almost 1,600
delegates onsite from 151 Member States, including almost 70 Ministers,
Deputy Ministers and Ambassadors
•A paperless working
environment which saved literally millions of pages of paper
•150 hours of
official conference meetings onsite at the Dubai World Trade Centre – on
top of many thousands of hours of informal delegation meetings
•13 million page
visits to ITU’s WCIT website over the past month
•Around twelve
million twitter impressions a day resulting from the tweets posted during
the conference using the #WCIT12 and #WCIT hashtags
•Over 30
professional quality videos produced onsite which have been watched over
10,000 times on YouTube, in addition to more than 30 Video News Releases
which have been carried by major broadcast media around the world
•Over 360
journalists participating in remote daily media briefings, saving three
million kilometres of travel to Dubai and 420 tonnes of carbon emissions
•Over 300 hours of
live broadcast webcasts
•600 hours of
simultaneous interpretation and text translation of almost 700,000 words.
From http://www.itu.int/ 12/14/2012
TOP↑
Internet
Censorship, Restrictions Around the Globe
Envoys in Dubai signed a new U.N.
telecommunications treaty Friday that a U.S.-led delegation says endorses
greater government control of the Internet. The U.S. and more than 20 other
countries refused to ratify the accord by the 193-nation International
Telecommunications Union.Here is a look at Internet restrictions and
availability at selected countries and regions around the world:
NORTH KOREA
Internet use is extremely restricted with many of North Korea's 24 million people
unable to get online. Some North Koreans can access an internal Intranet
that connects to state media. Members of the elite, resident foreigners and
visitors in certain hotels are allowed full access to the Internet.
IRAN
Most Western social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter
are blocked in Iran,
as well as political opposition and sexually explicit websites. But proxy
server sites and other methods are widely used to get around the official
restrictions. Iran
has announced plans to create its own domestic Internet with fully
monitored content, but international experts question whether such a
complete break from the worldwide Net is possible. Earlier this week, Iran
accounted it had developed its own YouTube-style video sharing site.
CHINA
There are more than 500 million Chinese online but they
contend with an extensive Internet filtering and censorship system
popularly known as the "Great Fire Wall." Censors police blogs
and domestic social media for content deemed pornographic or politically
subversive and delete it. Many foreign websites, including YouTube,
Facebook, Twitter and the New York Times are blocked. Searches for
controversial topics such as corruption scandals or jailed Nobel Peace
Prize winner Liu Xiaobo return error messages. Users evade controls using
proxy servers.
CUBA
Tight control, slow connections and high costs mean only
around 5 percent of Cubans have access to the global Internet, with another
23 percent relying instead on a government intranet with very limited
content. Web access is mainly via public facilities where people must first
register with identification.
GULF ARAB STATES
Political sites deemed threats to the state are often blocked. Since the
Arab Spring, authorities across the Gulf have stepped up arrests of
bloggers and others for posted considered offensive to rulers or advocating
political reforms.
CENTRAL ASIA
Internet censorship is prevalent across former Soviet Central Asian
republics, but the strongest restrictions have been recorded in Iran's authoritarian neighbors to the north,
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Controls are strictest in Turkmenistan,
where social networking sites Facebook and Twitter are out-of-bounds, as is
video-sharing site YouTube and numerous news websites. Uzbekistan has taken a less
extreme approach, but sites critical of the government are blocked as a
matter of course. Tajikistan,
which is like those countries also ruled by an unchallenged strong-man
ruler, has twice this year barred access to Facebook after web-surfers used
the site to post material critical of government officials.
ERITREA
The government restricts access to the Internet and closely
monitors online communications. The U.S. State Department's latest human
rights report said the Eritrean government monitored email without
obtaining warrants as required by law, and that all Internet service users
were required to use one of the three service providers owned directly by
the government or controlled through high-ranking members of the country's
sole party. But the vast majority of people do not have Internet access.
From http://www.foxnews.com/ 12/16/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
CHINA:
Issuing Draft Proposal on Maternity Insurance
All employers should pay maternity
insurance for all employees, according to a draft proposal published by China's
Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council. The document on maternity
insurance and birth allowance, which was released late Tuesday, said all
employers should pay the cover. This includes government offices,
enterprises, institutions, individual economic organizations and social
bodies. Maternity insurance will not only be confined to local citizens who
have a registered permanent residence or hukou. It will cover all
on-the-job workers, the draft said. Employers should pay for maternity
insurance in accordance with a rate to the total salaries of staff. The
proportion should be no more than 0.5 percent. Employers that do not pay
insurance will be punished, according to the draft. Birth allowance refers
to the wage-equivalent subsidy which a female worker will receive during
maternity leave. The sum should be the worker's average monthly income of
the previous year, the draft said. The public can submit comments via email
before Dec. 21.
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 11/21/2012
TOP↑
China
Tightens Control on Chemical Safety in Workplace
Chinese companies that handle hazardous chemicals
during manufacturing will have to obtain a permit as the country tightens
rules on production activities, the work safety watchdog announced Tuesday.
Manufacturers that handle hazardous chemicals during production have to
obtain a license from the local regulatory administration, according to the
regulations published by the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS).
The regulations, effective from May 1, 2013, also lay down rules that
companies formulate emergency plans and conduct drills accordingly to
enhance responsiveness in case of an accident. Producers running without
the license, or those involved with license counterfeiting or illegal
transferring, will be subject to fines of up to 200,000 yuan (31,805 U.S.
dollars) and criminal penalties in cases of serious violation, according to
the SAWS. The number of deaths by accidents in China over the first ten months
of 2012 dropped 13.7 percent year-on-year, data from the SAWS showed. The
work safety regulator also vowed to shut down 625 small coal mines that
have safety risks by the end of the year.
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 11/28/2012
TOP↑
China Plays
Down Possible Birth Rule Change
China played
down speculation about relaxing the birth rule raised by a quote from a
former minister of the National Population and Family Planning Commission,
according to a director-general at the commission on Thursday. In a China
Daily report published on Wednesday, Zhang Weiqing, the former minister of
the commission, said changes to the family planning policy are being
considered and couples will be able to have a second child even if one of
them is not an only child under the proposed change. The report was quoted
by many newspapers and websites, triggering wide speculation. However, when
asked for confirmation about the report today, Zhang Jian, director-general
of the publicizing and education department of National Population and
Family Planning Commission, played down the proposed change. "Speaking
on behalf of himself, Zhang Weiqing's words don't have any weight,"
said Zhang Jian. At present, for urban residents, only parents who are
themselves an only child are allowed to have a second child.
From
http://www.china.org.cn/ 11/30/2012
TOP↑
Shanghai
Visa Plan 'Set to Boost Visitor Numbers'
Shanghai hopes
to cement its burgeoning reputation as a global tourist hotspot by allowing
visitors to spend three days in the city without a visa. As a new year
commences, citizens from 45 countries will be permitted a 72-hour visa-free
stay inside the "administrative area" of Shanghai, the municipal government said
on Sunday. The countries include the United
States, France,
Japan and Australia.
The new policy, approved by the State Council, comes four days after Beijing officially
announced a similar program, the first city to do so. That will also be
introduced on Jan 1. Shanghai
already had a program allowing visitors from 32 countries a 48-hour
visa-free stay. "The extra 24 hours is of great significance and will boost
tourism," said Zhao Huanyan, senior researcher at the Tourism Research
Institute under the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. Shanghai
has a different charm than cities like Beijing
or Xi'an.
It usually takes a longer time for tourists to be attracted to its beauty,
say a night cruise on the Huangpu
River, or a banquet
and a shopping spree in the crooked alleys, Zhao said.
"The extra day will also allow
business visitors to the city, the financial center of the country, more
time to enjoy a city tour." While the city's outbound travel has been
enjoying double-digit growth in recent years, inbound tourism fell last
year, but there are signs it is picking up. In 2011, the number of foreign
tourists visiting Shanghai
reached 8.18 million, a 4 percent drop from the previous year that saw the
successful hosting of the 2010 World Expo. But it is expected that in 2012
the number of inbound overseas travelers will rise to 8.25 million, a 3
percent increase. "The new policy will benefit airlines, travel agencies,
shopping areas and, importantly, five-star hotels," said Zhao, adding
that the city's supply of high-end hotels far outnumbers demand. According
to real estate service firm Jones Lang LaSalle, Shanghai tops other Chinese cities with
the largest number of four and five-star hotels, and is set to add another
80 to 100 hotels in the next three years. However, during the first nine
months of this year, the average price of five-star hotel rooms in the city
dropped by 8.54 percent, while the price for an equivalent room in Beijing
saw a 10.9 percent jump, according to Zhao.
"The new policy is definitely good
news for us," said Tang Weiwei, communications manager of Shanghai Pudong Kerry
Hotel. "We
believe it will result in more guests." Yu Sejie, general manager of
Wabco China, a vehicle
control system provider based in Brussels,
said it will greatly improve the efficiency of global companies like hers,
which organizes annual flights for thousands of overseas colleagues and
partners every year for conferences. "It usually takes a month for my
secretary to go through visa-application procedures to invite our foreign
colleagues to our two or three-day workshop," she said. "The new
policy will certainly make our work a lot easier." It will also help Shanghai Pudong International
Airport become an
international transport hub, aviation experts said. China News Service
recently cited the Shanghai Municipal Office for Port Service as saying
that during the first half of 2011, less than 100,000 of the 10.31 million
passengers at the Pudong airport were transit passengers. Globally, the
proportion is between 25 to 30 percent. The notice issued by the municipal
government said the city's two airports, Shanghai
Hongqiao International
Airport and Shanghai Pudong
International Airport, will set up a special
channel for visitors entitled to visa exemption. More details will be
released.
From
http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/10/2012
TOP↑
China to
Enhance Food, Water Safety
A senior health official vowed on Tuesday
to intensify supervision of food and water safety in the coming year. In
2012, China
published 88 new standards on food safety and expanded the monitoring
network on chemical contaminants and pathogenic microorganisms in food from
25 percent of county-level administrative regions to 47 percent, according
to Vice Minister of Health Chen Xiaohong. Speaking at a forum on health
supervision, Chen pledged that 60 percent of counties would be covered by
the end of 2013. In July, China
updated its standard on water safety, which now consists of 106 indicators
instead of the previous 35. Eight-three percent of water from plants in
cities qualified under the new standard, according to Chen. The vice
minister briefed that some 28,600 water safety inspection stations have
been set up so far, covering all cities at or above prefecture level and 30
percent of all counties. Chen also reviewed measures taken to meet the
requirements of the newly revised Law on Occupational Illness Prevention
and Control. In 2012, 486 additional medical institutions were licensed to
offer occupational health inspection services, according to Chen, who added
that adequate occupational health evaluation centers would be available in
more than 90 percent of China's
counties by next year.
From
http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/12/2012
TOP↑
Legislation
May Help Speed Ambulance Journeys
Beijing
legislature is working on the fifth draft of the legislation on first aid,
the Beijing News reported on Thursday. In an attempt to help guarantee
ambulances right of way, the legislature is considering exempting first aid
workers from legal responsibility if an ambulance carrying a patient in a
critical condition scrapes a car on its way to hospital. The government is
also planning to train healthcare workers at a grassroots level so they can
provide first aid to patients in the neighborhood when heavy traffic delays
ambulances. On Dec 7, a first aid medical worker called Wang Yuzhu of Beijing Emergency Medical
Center posted on her
micro blog, that an ambulance she was in was stuck in traffic and the
patient, who was in a critical condition, passed away before they reached
the hospital. Wang later said that vehicles parked illegally in the bicycle
lane blocked the ambulance’s only way to escape the traffic jam. The
message stirred heated discussion over ambulance priority on the road,
which is already stipulated by law but failed to be effective partly due to
serious traffic congestion in the city. According to the center, the speed
of its ambulances in urban areas in daytime is less than 40 kilometers per
hour.
From
http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/13/2012
TOP↑
China to
Amend Law to Curb
Land Expropriation
China's top legislature
will deliberate on draft amendments to laws on land management and
trademarks during its bimonthly session, it was decided on Friday. It will
also discuss a draft decision to strengthen Internet information
protection, although no details were provided. The session will be convened
by the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee from Dec. 24 to
28 in Beijing,
according to a decision made at a Friday meeting of the chairman and vice
chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee. The meeting was presided over
by top legislator Wu Bangguo. The Land Management Law, passed by the top
legislature in 1986, was revised twice in 1998 and 2004, respectively. The
upcoming draft law amendment, submitted by the State Council, aims to
address the outstanding problem of excessive land expropriation. The draft,
passed at a cabinet meeting last month, proposes altering rules on how to
compensate farmers whose collectively owned land is expropriated.
Compensation for farmers' expropriated land is expected to rise if the
draft amendment is adopted by lawmakers. Rural stability and grain supply
security face a number of challenges due to excessive land expropriation,
the State Council said, vowing stricter regulation on farmland
expropriation. Protests by farmers over land seizures have erupted in
villages across the country in recent years, prompting calls for better
protection of farmers' property rights. In a report to the 18th National
Congress of the Communist Party of China last month, Hu Jintao pressed for
reforms for the land expropriation system and increasing farmers' share of
gains in land value. Meanwhile, a draft resolution regarding the State
Council's authorization for the temporary adjustment of administrative
approval of some laws and regulations in south China's Guangdong Province
will be adopted at the legislative session. Lawmakers will continue to
discuss a draft revision to the Law on Securities Investment Funds, which
was deliberated on for the third time. Generally, a bill will be adopted by
the top legislature after two or three readings.
In the wake of an increasing elderly
population, legislators will also deliberate on a draft revision to a law
that protects senior citizens' rights and interests for the second time
after the first reading in June. They will also discuss a draft amendment
to the Labor Contract Law and the draft law on tourism for a second time
after their first readings in June and August, respectively. Certain
clauses of the Agriculture Law will be revised at the session. A proposal
on candidates for the electoral committee of the People's Liberation Army,
submitted by the Central Military Commission, is expected to be approved.
In addition, the session will adopt a draft resolution on convening the
first annual session of the 12th NPC early next year. The agenda will also
include deliberations on State Council reports on land management and
mineral resources' exploitation, utilization and protection. Also tabled
for reading are the Supreme People's Court's report on trials concerning
intellectual property, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate's report on
civil administrative procuratorial work. Reports on the implementation of
the Agriculture Law and the law promoting small and medium-sized
enterprises will be discussed.The session will also deliberate on official
appointments and dismissals.
From
http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/14/2012
TOP↑
Laws Urged to Cover Theft of Online Data
Specific
laws are needed to combat the theft of personal data, according to experts,
after seven men were charged in Changsha,
Hunan province, with selling
more than 100 million bits of personal information online over the past
five years. Information included names and addresses of cell phone users,
car owners, company bosses and bank customers, Legal Daily reported on
Thursday. The data were sold on the Internet and used to spam cell phones
and illegal GPS devices, authorities said. Prosecutors said Zeng Zhizhong and
Yi Zhijiang spent 4,000 yuan ($640) buying the databases of cell phone
users, for instance, in Jiangxi and Hunan provinces over
the Internet. Experts said the illegal use of personal data has worsened in
recent years, partly because of improvements in the technology used to find
it. In a survey by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology
released in April, 60 percent of respondents said their private information
had been stolen, and the same number had received junk messages. To see
just how easy it is to find personal information over the Internet, a China
Daily reporter searched "car owners' data" on the Baidu search
engine and was offered numerous links providing data. An operator on one
website, chezhuziliao.com, said it charges 1 yuan for 10 car owners'
information. To prove the authenticity, the operator e-mailed a list of 100
car owners in Beijing,
dating from May to June 2011.
The list included car owners' names and
addresses, license plate details, cell phone numbers, car brands and models,
and even the serial numbers on car frames. China Daily called one of the
owners on the list, who said he received many unexpected calls from
insurance salesmen — but he was surprised and concerned to hear his own
information was actually being sold. "A thief calling you and standing
in front of your home may break in at any time. That's more dangerous than
receiving harassing promotion calls," he said. Many laws and
regulations cover the issue of private information — including about 40 enacted
by the national legislature, 30 by the State Council and 200 by ministries,
and banking and insurance regulatory commissions. However, Yang Lixin, a
law professor at Renmin University of China, said the legal framework lacks
a clear definition for private-information protection. "Courts pay
less attention to the offense because there is no detailed explanation or
definition on the subject," said Yang. Ruan Qilin, a professor at
China University of Political Science and Law, said many suspects arrested
in a police crackdown of the crime last year were released, after the
evidence collected failed to be strong enough to prosecute, because of the
weak definitions. Ruan added that China needs specific laws on
private-information protection that would properly regulate who can handle
and manage personal information. Citizen awareness in protecting privacy
should also be enhanced through further public education, Ruan said.
From
http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/21/2012
TOP↑
JAPAN: Flaws
in Anti-stalking Law Admitted, Criticized
The Zushi case reveals flaws in existing
legislation even after an anti-stalking law was enacted in 2000, and such
flaws have resulted in the failure to protect victims despite the fact that
police were notified.The victim in the current case had hidden her married
name and new address. She had also used a different name at her
workplace.Just before officers from Zushi Police Station arrested Hideto
Kozutsumi on suspicion of intimidation in June 2011, the victim asked the
police to take measures to prevent him from learning her real name and
address.But when the suspect was arrested, officers from the same station
read out aloud her married name and part of her address, which were
included in the arrest warrant.
Kozutsumi apparently used these as clues
to find her exact address using Internet bulletin boards or other such
means.Though the anti-stalking law prohibits making phone calls or sending
faxes successively, it does not contain a clear stipulation regarding
e-mail.Some local governments have nuisance-prevention ordinances that
prohibit sending e-mails in such cases.But according to a Yomiuri Shimbun
survey, Kanagawa Prefecture, Tokyo, Hokkaido and 30 other prefectures do
not have such ordinances.The Kanagawa prefectural police said that such
flaws in the legislation obstructed the investigation.
National Police Agency Commissioner
General Yutaka Katagiri said at a regularly scheduled press conference that
he admits there are legal flaws such as how arrest warrants should be
written and the fact that sending e-mails successively is not covered.The
NPA is considering what measures should be taken, including revisions of
the law.Kenichi Ino, 62, whose daughter, Shiori, then 21, was murdered by a
stalker in Okegawa, Saitama Prefecture, criticized how the police handled
the current case.Ino said: "The police gave away what might have been
clues to figure out the address. I can't help but think they didn't
understand the victim's suffering. What is important is not whether the
stalking was conducted through telephone calls or e-mail. It's about
protecting the victim."
From
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/ 11/25/2012
TOP↑
Health
Ministry Set to Regulate 760 Currently Quasi-legal Drugs
A health ministry panel decided Wednesday
to impose a blanket designation covering quasi-legal drugs with ingredients
similar to those of regulated drugs to stop their abuse.A subcommittee of
the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry's Pharmaceutical Affairs and Food
Sanitation Council plans to introduce the system as early as February next
year after hearing from the public.Quasi-legal drugs, sold as legal herbs
or incense via the Internet and other channels, produce similar effects to
narcotics.As a result, 760 types of drugs will be newly classified as
regulated under Japan's Pharmaceutical Affairs Law. The distribution or
existence of 60 of them has been confirmed so far.There are currently 90
types of regulated drugs.Usage of quasi-legal drugs has been increasing,
mainly among young people. With cases of hospitalization after inhalation
or traffic accidents under their influence, their use has been cited as a
growing social problem.
From
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/ 11/29/2012
TOP↑
Govt. to
Legislate Cell Therapy Guidelines
A special committee of the Health, Labor
and Welfare Ministry announced on Friday plans to legislate safety rules
for cell therapy, such as regenerative medicine using induced pluripotent
stem cells. The ministry hopes to introduce a relevant bill in next year's
ordinary Diet session. Under existing guidelines, clinical studies on
regenerative medicine conducted at universities and other public
institutions need to obtain approval in advance from the health minister.
But the ministry does not regulate cell therapy conducted at private
clinics. The legislation is expected to make prior approval mandatory,
depending on the risks of treatment using iPS and other cells, and
stipulate cell-culture guidelines.
From
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/ 12/16/2012
TOP↑
SOUTH KOREA: Gov't
to Roll Out Measures to Resolve Problems in Taxi Industry
The South Korean government is being proactive in
devising comprehensive measures to resolve the fundamental and chronic issues
facing the taxi industry.The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime
Affairs has decided to come up with structural reform plans to address
South Korea's overabundant cabs and revise plans to overhaul the licensing
system for individually-owned taxis that are not managed by a company.It
plans to conduct a study to find out the appropriate number of taxis that
should be on the streets nationwide and how to evenly reduce the number
over a five-year period.The ministry will also come up with realistic financial
measures to reduce the number of individually-owned cabs in the nation,
which is the main reason behind the oversupply of taxis.It will also revamp
the taxi fare system by setting a target fare over a five-year period,
considering taxis are a high-end mode of transportation.
From http://world.kbs.co.kr/
11/22/2012
TOP↑
Smoking
Ban in Restaurants Starts Saturday
A smoking ban will go into effect from Saturday
that bans smoking in public establishments, such as restaurants and coffee
shops, bigger than 150 square meters.The Ministry of Health and Welfare
said roughly 80-thousand restaurants around the country will be required to
ban all smoking within their premises unless they have a separate smoking
area.Violators will be fined a maximum fee of five-million won, while
customers found to be smoking in areas outside of designated smoking areas,
will be fined 100-thousand won.The blanket smoking ban will also cover all
public facilities including parking lots, gardens, playgrounds and other
areas used by children or minors. Designated smoking units, meanwhile, are
required to be built outdoors at least 10 meters away from the areas where
smoking is banned.The health ministry added smoking will be banned in
restaurants bigger than 100 square meters from 2014 and smoking will be
banned in all restaurants from 2015.
From http://world.kbs.co.kr/ 12/08/2012
TOP↑
Seoul City to Fix
Cab Drivers' Wage System
The Seoul
Metropolitan Government will fix the current wage system of taxi drivers to
improve their working conditions.At present, cabbies hand over around
100-thousand won of their earnings a day to their companies and take the
rest as their income.The Seoul government will replace the current wage
system with a new system from January in which drivers submit all their
profits to the cab firms and receive a monthly salary.This way, even if
drivers don't make money every day, their monthly revenue will increase as
high as twofold from their current monthly income of a little over
one-million won.
Drivers will also enjoy greater welfare
benefits, including the four major social insurance plans and retirement
pay.Seoul is the first local government in the country to completely
abolish the existing wage scheme. Officials will closely oversee the
transition and take disciplinary action against cab companies that do not
submit accurate data on their earnings.Seoul will also draft more measures
to improve cabbies' working conditions including adjusting the taxi fare by
analyzing data collected by digital navigation recorders.
From
http://world.kbs.co.kr/ 12/12/2012
TOP↑
Police Now Allowed
to Enter Homes Without Warrant
South Korean police can now enter homes without the consent of the
property owner if they suspect bodily harm is being inflicted to occupants
within the premises. The National Police Agency said a new manual on dealing
with urgent situations involving the entrance of homes was handed out and
implemented by police nationwide recently. Details of the manual give
police the right to enter homes if they rightly suspect that there is
bodily or property damage being done inside the house. Police can also
enter and search homes without a warrant if they spot evidence of a crime
being committed. Human rights groups have condemned the changes, saying
letting police enter homes upon their own personal decision is a clear violation
of basic human rights.
From http://world.kbs.co.kr/ 12/16/2012
TOP↑
Ministry of Health
Announces New Restaurant Regulations
Restaurants in South
Korea will be required from next year to
provide the total cost of an item on menus including value-added tax and
service charges. The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on Monday
revisions to regulations on food sanitation under which restaurants must
also list the price of meat per 100 grams, instead of per person, on their
menus. The ministry said it will issue correction orders for restaurants
that violate the new regulations once and force repeat violators to close
for a minimum of seven days. Moreover, from January 31st, restaurants larger
than 150 square meters will be required to display their prices outside in
a bid to help patrons make choices.
From http://world.kbs.co.kr/ 12/17/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
INDONESIA:
President Issues Instructions to Cleanse Poso from Illegal Armed Bands
JAKARTA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) --
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issues orders on Friday to
cleanse Central Sulawesi province's city of Poso from illegal armed bands, prevent
the city from being the playground for the bands so as to assure the
security for the public. Speaking in his address to respond the recent
violence allegedly conducted by terror group members against police that
resulted in three fatalities on police, Indonesian president said that such
violence should not be regarded as usual events. "The authority must
take further correct and firm measures to respond such a situation with an aim
to protect the people," the president said in Halim Perdanakusumah air
forces base here on his arrival from his official visit to Malaysia and India. The president said that
peace accord between the feuding parties had been attained in Dec. 2001,
ending the sectarian conflict in the region that went from 1998 to 2000.
"The good thing that we already attained should not be tore apart. It
takes firm and responsive actions to respond such a situation. That is the
task of our police and military to act accordingly," the president
pointed out. He said that existence of illegal armed bands would not be
accepted in any nation anywhere in the world. Three police were killed when
they patrolled in Kalora village in the coastline of the city on Thursday.
They were ambushed by alleged members of terror group, according to police.
Crossfire between police and the attackers erupted right then, resulted in
three fatalities among the police and one injured. Police said that they
arrested more than five persons related to the ambush against those police.
Investigation into those arrested persons is underway at the moment.
Remnants of radical groups committing in the sectarian conflicts in Poso
were still active. They were allegedly behind series of attacks against
police in the last few months.
From
http://news.xinhuanet.com/ 12/21/2012
TOP↑
CAMBODIA:
Passing Fire Prevention Draft Law
PHNOM PENH, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- The
Government of Cambodia on Friday passed a draft law on fire prevention in order
to contribute to maintaining security, social safety, public order, and
life and property protection, according to a media statement released after
the weekly Cabinet meeting. The draft law, compiled by the Ministry of
Interior, was approved during the weekly Cabinet meeting, which was chaired
by Prime Minister Hun Sen. "It aims at enhancing fire prevention in
order to protect life, property, environment, security, public order and
social safety," the statement said. "It will increase confidence
among investors and tourists." In the meeting, Hun Sen appealed to
private business establishments, especially factories and large-scale
hotels, to cooperate with local officials and firefighters in order to
prevent fire disaster. He also urged those owners to properly equip their
enterprises with fire preventive system and fire extinguishers. If
possible, he said, they should have fire trucks for their personal use.
Ouk Kimlek, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Interior, said
that the draft law on fire prevention would allow courts to sentence
officials who demand bribes before extinguishing fires and introduce jail
term punishment for arson. "Firefighters who demand money for their
work before extinguishing fires will be jailed up to 5 years if found guilty,"
he told Xinhua over telephone on Friday. "For arsonists, the maximum
sentence will be up to 15 years in jail." According to Kimlek,
hundreds of houses and market stalls have been destroyed by fires this year
and over a dozen of people were killed in the fires. The latest blaze
happened at a night market in the tourism city of Siem Reap province last Saturday,
claiming 8 lives and destroying over a hundred of souvenir shops.
From
http://news.xinhuanet.com/ 12/14/2012
TOP↑
Cambodian PM Vows to Protect Environment
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said
Monday he decided to choose environment protection, not to choose 30
billion U.S. dollar expected revenues from the exploitation of titanium ore
in Southwestern Cambodia. "According
to a feasibility study, titanium ore deposit in Chhiphat district in Koh
Kong province is estimated at the value of 30 billion U.S. dollars, but to
exploit the mineral, it is required to destroy about 20,000 hectares of
forest," he said during the inauguration of an automotive electronic
parts factory in the province. "To protect environment, I decided not
to grant an exploitation license to a company to exploit it because if we
allow the exploitation, it will not only destroy forest and wildlife habitat,
but it will also pollute sea water," he said. "Keeping the
mineral under the ground will never spoil, and it will be never late to
exploit it even in 200 years later," the premier said. Hun Sen
announced in April last year not to grant an exploitation license to a
local company Khmer United Group to exploit titanium ore in the province,
citing concerns over environment, biological diversity and people living in
the area. The firm said at the time that the area has the potential to
produce 35 million tons of titanium. Koh Kong province is situated some 271
kilometers Southwest of Phnom Penh, the
capital of Cambodia.
From
http://news.xinhuanet.com/ 12/17/2012
TOP↑
Cambodia Removes About 3 Million Mines, Unexploded
Ordnances in 2 Decades
Cambodia has
removed and destroyed some 3 million mines and unexploded ordnances in the
last two decades and the country will completely eliminate landmines in the
next 10 years, a senior official said Friday. Heng Ratana, director general
of Cambodian Mine Action Center ( CMAC), said that since 1992 to date, the
center has cleared some 2. 5 million mines and unexploded ordnances and the
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and non-governmental organizations have
removed about 500,000 mines. "We set the target to clear all types of
landmines from Cambodia
in the next 10 years," he said, adding that to realize this goal, the
country needs an estimated 30 million U.S. dollars a year. The Southeast
Asian nation is one of the world's worst countries affected by mines as the
result of almost three decades of war and internal conflicts from the
mid-1960s until the end of 1998. The five most mine-laid provinces are
Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey, Pailin and Preah Vihear.
According to the record of Cambodian Mine and Explosive Remnants of War
Victim Information System, from 1979 to Oct. 2012, landmines had killed
19,660 people and injured or amputated 44,519 others.
From
http://news.xinhuanet.com/ 12/21/2012
TOP↑
MYANMAR: Planning to Issue Official Documents for
Migrant Workers in Thailand
Myanmar
authorities are planning to issue official documents to the remaining
undocumented Myanmar
migrant workers ranging from 800,000 to 1 million in Thailand, official media
reported Wednesday. Temporary passports have been issued for more than 1.2
million Myanmar migrant
workers in Thailand.
More than 101,000 out of undocumented Myanmar
migrant workers in Malaysia
were granted passports, plans are underway to issue more passport to the
remaining more than 100,000 workers. Arrangements are being made to
identify offspring of Myanmar
migrant workers in Thailand
as the citizens of Myanmar
and provide them with education. More than new 40,000 Myanmar workers have been sent to Thailand
under the agreement of the two countries. Labor Attaches were assigned
duties in Thailand and South Korea to handle the issues of Myanmar
workers there. A nine-point policy is being implemented and formulation of
a five-year work plan is being carried out. Under the MoU between Myanmar and Thailand, issuance of official
documents started since 2009. Myanmar
workers have been working in 15 countries including Thailand, Malaysia,
Singapore, South Korea, Japan
and Middle East countries.
From
http://news.xinhuanet.com/ 12/19/2012
TOP↑
PHILIPPINES:
Lawmakers to Vote on Population Bill
The time has come to put the reproductive health (RH) bill to a vote,
Philippine Palace officials and lawmakers supporting the measure said
yesterday. “We can’t leave it hanging,” Transportation Secretary Joseph
E.A. Abaya, a former lawmaker, said on the eve of a meeting with lawmakers
led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Liberal Party (LP) leaders that
President Aquino is presiding over at the Palace to muster support for the
passage of the bill. Abaya, LP executive vice president, said the House of
Representatives had reached a stage where the bill “should be put to a
vote”. Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said it was time for a showdown.
“Rich or poor, Filipinos want the RH bill. We should do head-butting now,”
said Santiago,
cosponsor of the bill in the Senate, which would to provide women,
especially the poor, access to different forms of contraception so they can
plan the size of their families. She said she was confident of winning
the showdown. She counted 13 senators in favour of the measure, one head
short of the 14 that Sen. Panfilo Lacson, one of those who filed a bill on
RH, earlier announced. She reminded politicians to be sensitive to public
opinion and realise that as many as 80 per cent of respondents in surveys
on the RH bill favoured its approval.
The best time to vote on the bill is before Congress adjourns on
December 21 for the holidays, otherwise it would be too late, said
Secretary Manuel Mamba, head of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office
(PLLO). Mamba said there would be just a few weeks of sessions next year
before the campaign for the midterm elections in May 2013 went into high
gear in February. He said the president was making a final pitch to members
of the House to show up and vote on the measure before the holiday season.
Majority and minority leaders, leaders of the LP, Nacionalista Party, and
Nationalist People’s Coalition and National Unity Party (formerly Kampi),
and most of the House members are expected to turn up at the meeting in the
Palace at noon today. All lawmakers were invited, according to Mamba. He
said Aquino would put forward one request: Show up at plenary
deliberations, produce a quorum and vote on the measure. “That’s the
compromise I’m expecting. Vote on it, however it goes,” Mamba said by
phone. “He (the president) will ask them that they should be there so that
there will be a quorum and that they can vote on it. They can’t just
archive it and decide later on. When is that going to happen again?” the
PLLO chief said. For weeks, the House had failed to introduce amendments to
the bill in plenary due to a lack of quorum, no thanks to absentee
lawmakers, mostly administration allies. “Even the coauthors have
disappeared,” Mamba said.
Substitute bill
When it finally mustered a quorum last week, the chamber accepted a
“substitute bill”—House Bill No. 4244—that purportedly incorporated all the
amendments. The new version gives priority to the poor in the provision of
birth control methods and bans contraceptives that prevent the implantation
of a fertilised ovum, as this is considered abortion by the Catholic
Church. On Saturday, the president attended a thanksgiving Mass for the
elevation of Manila Archbishop Luis “Chito” Tagle to the College of
Cardinals in what was seen as a “thawing of relations” between the state
and the Church. The meeting, however, hardly made a dent on the president’s
position on the bill, which is fiercely opposed by the Church for
purportedly promoting use of contraceptives and abortion. “You know, I
disagree that there was a change of heart. That has always been his
position. The president is pro-RP—responsible parenthood—but he’s always
maintained that it should be voted according to your conscience,” the
president’s deputy spokesperson, Abigail Valte, said over government-run
radio. The president’s attendance at Tagle’s Mass showed that “men of
principle can have disagreements on certain issues but they can still break
bread together,” Valte said.
Monday’s meeting in the Palace may be the president’s final chance to
make a personal appeal to the 287-member House to vote on the RH bill. “He
has always told them that they’re leaders, and as leaders, they should lead
their people,” Mamba said. Abaya agreed. “For such an important bill, I
think the president wants to be involved to make his message clear on what
his guidance and policy direction is, not only to Liberal Party but [also]
to other supporters,” he said by phone. “I’m sure some are confused. So it
greatly helps if he comes forward and makes a statement. It erases all
[doubts],” Abaya added. Mamba, whose office acts as the middleman between
the executive branch and Congress, said he was “optimistic about the
outcome”. He recalled that lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to terminate
debates on the RH bill after emerging from the August 5 meeting with the
president. “Yes, that can be put to a vote,” Mamba added, referring to the
substitute bill which he said was acceptable to the Palace. “After all, the
president has always told them that ‘we will implement whatever you pass.’”
Abaya said “every inch” would be a battle from now on, but added that
there was “still a shot at approval” before Congress adjourns this month.
Should it come to voting, Mamba himself wasn’t confident that the bill
would breeze through approval. “It could go either way,” he said, admitting
that pro-RH lawmakers enjoyed a “slim margin” over their anti-RH
colleagues. The bill is a priority measure but it has not been certified as
urgent by the president. Mamba said the president would certify a measure
as urgent if it was certain that it would be passed on second and third
reading on the same day. “It’s useless to certify it as urgent if there is
no quorum,” he said. Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat, an LP deputy spokesperson,
said Aquino was expected to call on lawmakers to vote on the bill, but was
not inclined to dictate on lawmakers which side to choose. But one opponent
of the measure, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, said that if the
Palace forced a vote on the bill immediately after the meeting, without
completing the period of amendments, it would “strain relations between the
Catholic Church and the president.” Rodriguez has begged off from attending
the Palace meeting, saying he won’t be swayed into changing his position on
the bill.
Modified bill
Baguilat said proponents of the measure had already modified the
original reproductive health bill to address the concerns of bishops. He
believed that while the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
would continue to oppose the passage of the bill, there were prelates who
softened their stance on the measure. “Privately, many bishops are
comfortable with the language of the substitute bill,” he said. Asked to
explain her confidence that pro-RH legislators would win, Santiago said: “Apart of course from a
politician’s concerns, the first consideration in the real world is how
many voters want the RH bill? If that is what the voter wants, why go
against the one who has power to determine whether he or she remains
senator or congressman?”“If anyone calls for a vote, we already have 13,” Santiago said in a
radio interview. Besides, the RH bill had already languished for 15 years
in Congress. Surely, it would be unimaginable for lawmakers “to let it die
of old age,” she said.
From
http://www.asianewsnet.net/ 12/03/2012
TOP↑
SINGAPORE:
Proposed Changes to Credit Cards and Unsecured Credit Rules
SINGAPORE: The Monetary Authority of
Singapore (MAS) has proposed rules changes to encourage the responsible use
of credit card and unsecured credit. The regulator said the changes are
aimed at improving financial institutions' lending and disclosure
practices, empowering individuals to make better borrowing decisions, and
helping individuals who are at risk of credit problems avoid getting into
greater debt. Under the proposed changes, financial institutions will have
to review a borrower's outstanding debt and credit limits before granting a
new credit card, new unsecured credit facility or increase credit limit.
Banks will have to disclose clearly the potential cost and extent of debt
accumulated as a result of rolling over debt. Unsolicited offers to
customers to raise credit limits will be disallowed. Individual borrowers
whose debts are more than 60 days past due date will not be allowed to
charge further amounts to their credit cards and tap on other credit
facilities.
And individuals whose interest bearing balances with a financial
institution are more than two months of their income for six consecutive
months or more will not be allowed to charge further amounts to their
unsecured credit cards, charge cards and unsecured credit facilities from
that financial institution, or obtain new cards and unsecured credit
facilities from any financial institution. MAS said both lenders and
borrowers have a role to play in ensuring that credit cards and unsecured
credit are used responsibly and within the borrower's means to repay. The
changes will complement existing measures to mitigate the risks of
over-borrowing by individuals. MAS is also proposing to provide financially
secure retirees greater flexibility to qualify for a credit card. Under the
proposed changes, individuals above 55 years old can qualify for a credit
card if they have an annual income of at least S$15,000, net personal
assets exceeding S$750,000, or a guarantor with an annual income of at
least S$30,000. Details of the proposals are released in a consultation
paper available on MAS website.
Comments on the proposals should be submitted by 21 January 2013.
From
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/ 12/21/2012
TOP↑
THAILAND:
Govt Expands Free Wi-Fi Project to the Province
Thailand’s Ministry of ICT (MICT) in
partnership with private telecom operator, True Move has launched a pilot
project to offer free Wi-Fi in Nakhon Ratchasima province. Group Captain
Anudith Nakornthap said that the MICT selected Nakhon Ratchasima to be the
first province outside Bangkok
to trial the Public Free Wi-Fi project under the country’s ICT master theme
of ‘Smart Thailand’. “This trial project will especially enhance the use of
free tablet pcs under the One Tablet Per Child Policy project, given to
first grade students in Nakhon Ratchasima this year,” he added. True Move
planned to allow its 50,000 hot spots nationwide to join the MICT’s free
Wi-Fi campaign. Users can select ‘ICT Free Wi-Fi by True’ network and
register to obtain username and password. They can use free service up to
30 minutes per day, for the total of 15 hours per month with the download
speed of 2 Mbps. Users will need to re-register every three months, said
Suphachai Chearavanont, the Chief Executive Officer and President of True
Move.
From
http://www.futuregov.asia/ 12/07/2012
TOP↑
Thailand
Issues 3G Licenses
Ending the long-awaited licences for 3G, Thailand’s
National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) on December
7 granted the spectrum licences to the three mobile operators to begin the
services. The NBTC’s five-member telecom committee last week voted 4-1 to
award license for the 2.1-gigahertz spectrum to the three bid winners of
the slots which are Advance Info Service (AIS), Total Access Communication
(DTAC), and Real Future of True (TRUE), to provide third-generation
broadband cellular service, said Committee Chairman Settapong Malisuwan.
According to him, the telecom committee will also require them to offer low
3G service tariffs, with 15 per cent lower than the average of both voice
and data tariff fees of all telecom operators. This condition relates to
the 2.1GHz licensing regulations that the licence holders must offer fair
tariffs and ensure service quality. “Mobile-phone tariffs had already
dropped by 10 per cent, while the 3G licence holders would have lower
regulatory costs, which could enable them to operate the 15-per-cent
reduction,” added Malisuwan. The license started on December 7, and will
last 15 years with the expiry date set at December 6, 2027. The NBTC office
will call in the three companies to receive licences this week.
From
http://www.futuregov.asia/ 12/10/2012
TOP↑
VIETNAM:
National Assembly Debates New Law on Electronic Transactions
The National Assembly switched its focus to the
approval of new and amended laws on Friday after debating development
projects since the ongoing session opened last Tuesday. Members began by
discussing the draft of a Law on Electronic Transactions, which is required
for Laos'
accession to the World Trade Organisation next year. It will also be
necessary when the Asean Economic Community comes into effect in 2015.
Minister of Science and Technology Prof. Dr Boviengkham Vongdara presented
the draft law, highlighting the need to enact the law so that electronic
transactions could be properly regulated. He explained that an electronic
transaction is a form of agreement making or the exchange of information
through the use of electronic devices. “In recent years, electronic
transactions have been increasingly used in various sectors, especially in
banking, trading, taxation, tourism, e-governance and so on.”
But the management of such transactions remains
a challenge because the existing laws and regulations do not cover issues
related to consumer protection, the electronic certification of licences,
and the recognition of electronic documents. It has become essential for Laos to enact this law to regulate
electronic transactions and ensure that Laos benefits from today's
technological developments. The draft has been developed from the Decree on
Electronic Trade and the new content brings it into line with other laws
enacted by Laos
and other countries. The draft has already been debated in a number of
meetings to get input from various sectors so the law will be as
comprehensive as possible. Prof. Dr Boviengkham said the law fulfils Party
policy and supports the government's socio-economic development plan and
various international conventions that Laos is party to.
The draft law comprises 10 parts and 55
articles. The first part refers to the purpose of the law and government
policy in relation to electronic transactions, and gives explanations of
the vocabulary used. The second part talks about electronic documents and
agreements, the third covers electronic licences, the fourth talks about
electronic transactions within government organisations, the fifth covers
mediation, the sixth relates to prohibitions, the seventh discusses the
settlement of disputes relating to electronic transactions, the eighth
talks about management and inspection, and the ninth part talks about
policies for those who perform well in this field and measures to be taken
against violators.
From
http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/ 12/10/2012
TOP↑
President Announces Laws on Tax, Corruption
HA NOI (VNS)— President Truong Tan Sang
announced nine laws, three resolutions and one ordinance yesterday. These
include amended laws on electricity, tax management, anti-corruption,
lawyers and personal income tax and new laws on publishing, capital,
co-operatives and national reserves. The amended Law on Electricity
stipulates that retail electrical rates will be determined by the market
but adjusted if necessary by the Government. The Government will continue
subsidising rates for poor households and those under Government social
programmes. Electricity rates will also be required to take into account
constant changes in the market as well as other factors, such as exchange
rates, weather and reservoir levels.
The amended Law on Anti-corruption states that the Communist Party
will regulate the operations of the central steering committee on
anti-corruption and improves the transparency of listing assets. The
amended Law on Tax Management classifies businesses in order to apply
regulations related to tax exemptions and extensions.
The amended Law on Lawyers improves the working
conditions for lawyers. Meanwhile, under the amended Law on Personal Income
Tax, the level at which taxpayers start paying personal income tax will
increase to VND9 million (US$428) per month from the current VND4 million
($190). For each taxpayer dependent, this threshold will increase from VND1.6
million ($76) to VND3.6 million ($171) per month. The Law on Publishing
continues to ban private ownership of publishing houses. The Law on
Co-operatives defines the permitted capital of co-operatives, incomes and
income distribution. The Law on Capital regulates special mechanisms for
capital concerning planning, architecture and construction. The Law on
National Reserves regulates the use of national reserves in order to cope
with natural disasters and epidemics or national security. The three resolutions
announced include a resolution on conducting votes of confidence on
officials elected or approved by the National Assembly or People's
Councils, a resolution on collecting people's opinions on the draft
amendment of the Constitution and a resolution on the continued pilot
implementation of the Bailiff Institution. The State President also
announced an amended ordinance on conferring the honorary title
"Heroic Vietnamese Mother." — VNS
From
http://vietnamnews.vn/ 12/15/2012
TOP↑
Vietnamese Gov't to
Issue Resolution on Real Estate Problems
The Vietnamese government will discuss the
issues of the country's real estate market at the end of this month towards
issuing a resolution for dealing with problems in the market. The announcement
was made by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at a working session with the
capital Hanoi
authority on Wednesday. Earlier on Tuesday, Dung had a meeting with the
country's southern Ho Chi Minh
City authority on the issue. According to reports,
bad debt in real estate sector accounted for 13 percent of total bank's bad
debts in Hanoi and 6.27 percent in Ho Chi Minh City.
Weakness in management and planning were likely attributed to the
difficulties of the real estate market recently, Dung said, while asking
the city authority to review the planning of housing market towards
developing social houses, houses for workers, students and civil servants.
Dung asked the cities to build the financial institutions to support the
market and to stimulate the market demand, ensuring that low-income people
can afford houses at reasonable prices.
Dung proposed the State Bank of Vietnam,
besides focusing on dealing with bad debt, to study and map out feasible policies
to provide loans for residents to buy social houses. The PM said the
impacts of economic crisis on bad debts, stockpiles and the frozen real
estate market are prominent, and solving these problems would ensure
sustainable development of the economy. The PM advised the cities to
restructure the market towards removing weak and ineffective businesses and
providing housing to meet real demand. He noted the ministries to improve
the transparency in the real estate market activities, to implement comprehensive
and overall measures to remove the bottleneck of the market towards a
healthy and sustainable real estate market, to deal with bad debts while
decreasing interest rates, controlling inflation and balancing the
macro-economy. According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction, at
present, Hanoi has about 5,800 apartments
unsold and an area of 175,000 square meters in apartment for rent that is
vacant, while the inventory figures in Ho Chi Minh City are 15,000 apartments
and 15,000 square meters respectively.
From http://news.xinhuanet.com/ 12/19/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
BANGLADESH: New Law Coming to Ease Brick Baking
‘Ignoring Environmental Concern’
Dhaka, Dec 14 (UNB) – Even though
horticulturists are claiming that emission of smoke from brick kilns are
damaging crops and plants lying within a two-kilometre radius from the
chimneys, the government is now on a move to ease brick baking enacting a
new law. The government step may take a little time to come into effect,
but the setting up of brick kilns by showing muscle powers in the
localities are quite at pace, adding much to the ado of the Department of
Environment (DoE) to regulate the sector. Referring to a recent research
done by the Mango Research Institute, Chapainawabganj, Department of
Agriculture Extension (DAE) horticulturist Saeed Hassan told UNB, “It has
been found that mangoes in groves laying within two kilometres of a brick
kiln are affected with black tip disease.”
“The
emission of C02 and S02 from the brick kiln chimneys reduce the boron
absorption of the mango leaves across the two-kilometre periphery, leading
to the blackening and hardening of the flesh at the lower part of the
fruits,” he explained. Besides, fractured and downsized fruits were also
detected within the ranges of brick kilns, he added. Saeed also noted that
during his deputation at Ishwardi as a government horticulturist, he
observed similar traits in coconut and betel nuts. “There has been no
research on coconuts or betel nuts, but my estimate is that the emissions
from brick kilns can cause about 30-40 percent reduction of the fruit
production,” he said. Another study by an international team of scientists
at Peshwar in Pakistan
also found out that Hydrogen fluoride emissions from brick kilns have been
damaging trees and crops.
Published in the February issue of
Environmental Pollution, the study pointed out that despite the potential
of high fluoride emissions to damage to crops the impact of these brick
kilns on agricultural production and farmers’ livelihoods in Asia is poorly understood. Abdur Rahim Majumder,
chairman of Bholakot No. 9 union parishad (UP) at Lakkhipur district,
realised the dangers of brick kilns so close to the houses and crop fields
quite a few years back, but could do nothing against the muscle power of
the entrepreneurs. “Now, there’re six brick kilns in my UP. The establishment
of the brick kilns needed my clearance as per the laws, but I couldn’t
withhold the applications by the entrepreneurs in face of threats and even
physical assaults. Now, the brick field owners are not even letting me live
in my own village,” he said.
All the brick kilns are very close to the
habitation and crop fields, even within 100 metres, he said, adding that it
is unimaginable to think about maintaining the environmental laws that
prohibits a brick kiln within three kilometres of any habitation. A villager
of Dohla under the same union, wishing anonymity, told UNB that the third
brick kiln in the village was established just about a year ago, despite
protests by the villagers and the UP chairman. “The villagers didn’t want a
third brick kiln in the vicinity, rather they want the previously set up
brick kilns to stops. We’ve seen enough of crop damages. The worst affected
are the tall trees, including coconut and betel nuts,” he said. A coconut
tree used to give about 40-50 fruits, but since the brick kilns started the
operation they are giving only about 20-30 fruits, he added.
Asked about the failure to regulate the
brick kilns with regards to the bar of minimum distance from habitation,
DoE director general (in-charge) Md Shahjahan said the department alone
cannot ensure the regulation of brick kilns as it also involves the role of
the representatives to give the plot area clearance certificates. A high
official at the Environment Ministry also said the government is thinking
about reducing the minimum distance from habitation, forests and groves,
allowed for setting up of a brick kiln. The Environment Ministry has
already forwarded the draft of the new law, titled ‘The Brick Manufacturing
Bill, 2012’, prepared by the DoE, to the cabinet, said the official. The
draft law proposes reducing the minimum distance of a brick kiln from human
habitation, forest and groves as outlined in the Brick Kiln (Control) Act,
1989 as three kilometres. The new act is going to propose the distance to
be reduced at one kilometre only, said sources.
DoE director general (in-charge) Md
Shahjahan told UNB that the draft law is still at the premature stages as
it has not yet been sent to the law ministry for its vetting. He, however,
noted that the emission of brick kilns is going to be reduced in the coming
days due to new technologies that are gradually being adopted by the
owners. But the records kept by Air Quality (AQ) Cell of DoE show that only
15 percent of the country’s brick kilns have so far adopted
fuelwoond-saving and low-emission technologies as directed by the
department. The DoE earlier set a deadline for brick kiln owners to replace
the fixed chimney brick kilns with fuelwood-plus-emission-saving
technologies such as Virtual Shaft, Hoffman, and Zigzag brick kilns by
March of 2012, but the deadline has been extended until March next year due
to very low adoption rate. According AQ Cell, about 1000 out of 6000
DoE-enlisted brick kilns have so far adopted the above mentioned
technologies.
From
http://www.unbconnect.com 12/14/2012
TOP↑
INDIA: Bill
to Amend the Competition Act Introduced
New Delhi: The Bill to amend the
Competition Act was introduced in the Parliament on December 10. Corporate Affairs
Minister Sachin Pilot introduced the ‘The Competition (Amendment) Bill,
2012′ in the Lok Sabha to amend the Competition Act 2002. The Bill will
require the Competition Commission to decide on corporate mergers within
180 days. Once in place, the Bill will allow the Competition Commission of
India (CCI) chairperson to authorise ‘search and seizure’ to its Director
General (DG) for investigations. The amendments, approved by the Cabinet in
October, are aimed at fine-tuning the regulations to bring rules on par
with the prevailing scenario and in light of the experiences gained over
the past years. CCI has the mandate to ensure that the merger and
acquisition deals between various entities do not lead to situations that
affect competition in the marketplace.
Once passed, the time period for CCI to decide on combinations would
come down to 180 days from 210 days. The amended Act would grant powers to
CCI chief to allow the DG to carry out search and seizure activities
related to investigations. DG is the investigating arm of fair trade
regulator CCI. At present, CCI’s Director General, upon authorisation by
the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Delhi,
has the powers to carry out search and seizure in any investigation. This
is under Section 41(3) of the Competition Act, 2002. Other amendments
include change in the definition of terms like turnover and group in
competition related matter. Besides, a new Section 5A would be inserted
into the Act. As per this section, “Notwithstanding anything in Section 5,
the Central Government may, in consultation with the Commission, by
notification, specify different values of assets and turnover for any class
or classes of enterprise for the purpose of Section 5″. Section 5 relates
to combinations of entities.
From http://egov.eletsonline.com
12/10/2012
TOP↑
UP Plans
to Roll Out 60 e-Gov Services by 2013
Lucknow: The
Uttar Pradesh government has decided to expand the ambit of its
e-governance services from current 26 to 60 by the end of the next year.
Currently the state government is running 26 services in eight departments
through Internet-enabled common service centres set up at the village level
in all the districts of the state. The new services to be launched this
month include filing of commercial tax (VAT returns) and women literacy
programmes. A pilot project of this scheme is already being carried out in
Maharajganj, Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts of the state and is targeting
to make 10,000 women literate by March 2013. Besides, common service
centres (CSCs) would also be able to generate voter ID cards from February.
“We are
evaluating all possible services, which could be rendered through common
service centres in rural areas. We have also formed a committee of district
magistrates in some districts to evaluate the kind of services, which can
be provided electronically. We would be setting up 17,000 more common
service centres in UP in near future, and are trying and testing various
pilot programmes under e-Governance scheme,” National Informatics Centre
Deputy Director General (UP) S B Singh said. The state government is
working in collaboration with three companies to bridge the digital gap
between urban and rural India.
These are ‘Srei Sahaj e-Village’ which looks after eastern UP, CMS which
takes care of ‘western and central UP’ and ‘Vayamtech Technologies’. There
are around 12,828 CSCs in the state and the government plans to roll out
18,745 more by early next year. The state government had launched 26
e-Governance services under Departments of Food & Civil Supplies,
Panchayati Raj, Urban Development, Revenue, Women Welfare and Child
Development, Training & Employment, Handicap Welfare and Social
Welfare.
From
http://egov.eletsonline.com 12/17/2012
TOP↑
SRI LANKA:
Queries Over Banking Secrecy Laws
Sri
Lanka's banking secrecy laws may
not be worth the paper it is written on and confidential information of
customers could be easily obtained, a senior government minister said over
the weekend. Fisheries Minister Raajitha Senaratne said the 117 ruling
party legislators who signed the impeachment motion against Chief Justice
Shirani Bandaranayake had access to what should have been highly
confidential personal details of bank customers. "I obtained credit card details
of Mangala Samaraweera when I was merely an opposition member of
parliament. So do you think the 117 government MPs who signed the
impeachment cannot get (secret) banking details," Senaratne said. He
was responding to queries during a media conference, on how confidential
bank details of bank account details of the Chief Justice had been obtained
by the ruling party.
The impeachment resolution was not supported by documentary evidence
of the alleged financial misconduct of Bandaranayake, but a Parliamentary
Select Committee, using powers it had given itself through Standing Orders
(the rules of debate of parliament) and had obtained banking details. A
press conference by the seven ruling party MPs in the PSC on Saturday
admitted that they called for supporting evidence from the banks and that
the impeachment itself had no supporting documents. Asked if the PSC acted
as prosecutors or as judges, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva brushed aside
the question and said they were inquiring the allegations. Critics say the
actions of the PSC is the latest in a series of actions where the justice
has been denied to citizens over a systematic expansion of the powers of
rulers through two constitutions and the destruction of a once-independent
public service.
From
http://www.lankabusinessonline.com 12/10/2012
TOP↑
MALDIVES:
Parliament Passes That PG Violated the Constitution
The Parliament passed that the PG had violated the constitution when he
had failed to take action against those accused of utilizing a service or
item exceeding more than MVR25,000 in value of the PG’s office while he had
prosecuted others accused of the same offence. The report publicized by the
Parliament regarding the issue stated that the failure violates Article 17
of the constitution on equality and Article 20 which guarantees equal
opportunities. The report also stated that the banquet held in the
welcoming the attendees of the e-crime conference the PG held in association
with the International Association of Prosecutors was not publicly
announced for bids while the finance Act clearly states that any services
or items exceeding MVR25,000 must go through a public bidding process.
The Parliament Finance Committee proposed and passed the report on
Monday also called on forwarding the case of the 2010 PG’s office Audit
report to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The report was passed by
the majority of 46 members. Some member claimed that the decision to
declare PG violating the constitution would cost him his position as PG,
however the Parliament deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim said that today’s
decision would not oust PG Muizzu from his position. Nazim further stated
that a member of an independent institution would only be terminated
through the constitutionally stated procedure.
From
http://www.haveeru.com.mv 12/17/2012
TOP↑
PAKISTAN: The
Election Laws (Amendment) Bill Introduced in NA
ISLAMABAD: “The Election Laws (Amendment)
Bill, 2012” was introduced in the National Assembly on Wednesday. It was
moved by Law Minister Farooq H. Naek. Member of the Standing Committee on
Cabinet Secretariat Tariq Shabbir laid before the House report of the
Standing Committee on the “The Islamabad Capital Territory Private
Education Institutions (Registration and Regulation) Bill, 2007”.
From
http://www.brecorder.com 12/19/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
AZERBAIJAN:
Joining New ITU Regulation
Azerbaijan joined the new regulations
of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Azerbaijani Communications
and IT Ministry said today after a document was signed by Minister Ali
Abbasov. The new regulations will come into force after ratification
according to the Azerbaijani legislation. The new ITU new regulations are
to ensure the free flow of information worldwide and was agreed within the
World Conference on International Telecommunications, held in Dubai (Dec.
13-14). The text of the agreement focuses on further efforts to help
developing countries, to promote access to information for people with
disabilities and to approve the right of all people to freedom of speech
within the networks of information and communication technologies. New ITU
regulations will create the way to a more equitable sphere for all. A
decision was made at the conference to create a single global number for
the emergency services, as well as new provisions aimed at improving the
energy efficiency of ICT networks and help combat e-waste. Energetic and
long discussions at the conference were caused by such complex issues as
safety of networks, determining the organisations providing services in
accordance with the terms of the agreement, the principle of
non-discriminatory access to each other's networks and the issue of whether
to include freedom of speech in the preamble of the agreement.
From http://en.trend.az/
12/17/2012
TOP↑
KYRGYZSTAN: President to Introduce Strategy on Country’s Sustainable
Development for 2013-2017
Kyrgyz
President Almazbek Atambayev plans to introduce a Strategy of Kyrgyzstan's
sustainable development for 2013-2017 during a council on the country's
economic development on Dec. 7, KyrTAG reported. The strategy includes
previous experience of the country's reforming as well as existing plans of
state bodies, political parties and experts in this regard. The project of
the Strategy will be puublished in the country's mass media for the
experts' consideration. The national coucil for Kyrgyzstan's sustainable
development was created by the country's president's decree.
From http://en.trend.az/ 12/06/2012
TOP↑
Kyrgyz Parliament Ratifies Agreement
with Russia
on Military Base
Kyrgyz MPs ratified
the agreement with Moscow
about the status of Russian Kant military base, KyrTAG reported on
Thursday. According to the document, Russia will not pay for the
lease of the firing ground, because the base is a part of CSTO forces. The
object also sets free of all types of taxes and communal payments.
From http://en.trend.az/ 12/13/2012
TOP↑
KAZAKHSTAN: Information 2020 Draft Program Approved
At today's meeting the Сabinet approved the draft
state-run program Information Kazakhstan 2020. Transport and Communications
Minister Askar Zhumagulov tabled the document. The program is purposed to
introduce information and communication technologies in all economic
sectors. It will let solve tasks in order to raise efficiency of public
administration system and contribute to the development of the country's
information space. The draft program foresees further implementation of
modern communication technologies, digital television, and active use of
new technologies.
From http://engnews.gazeta.kz/ 11/27/2012
TOP↑
Kazakh Parliamentarians Raise Issue of Subsistence Minimum
Revision
A group of Kazakh Majilis (lower
chamber of parliament) deputies, including Dariga Nazarbayeva (the daughter
of Kazakh president), appealed to Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov on
Wednesday with the issue on revising subsistence minimum in the country.
"According to the law, the subsistence minimum in Kazakhstan is set at 17.439
tenge ($ 1 - 150 tenge). This amount is the basis of the minimum wage and
the minimum pension. Therefore, the correct determination of the market
basket and share of services must surely comply with the prices and
reality, "a Majilis deputy Olga Kikolenko said, speaking on the behalf
of a group of MPs at the regular session of Majilis on Wednesday. The law
of Kazakhstan 'On
subsistence minimum' is being implemented in Kazakhstan since 1999. Article
2 defines the minimum consumer basket, which consists of 43 items of food
and a fixed fraction of the cost of non-food goods and services.
"However, according to the latest information of Institute of
Nutrition, improving calculation methodology of food in subsistence minimum
in Kazakhstan is required, which would increase the cost of the food basket
as well as services," Kikolenko said. The deputy recalled that, seven
years have passed since the last revision of subsistence minimum in Kazakhstan,
while in accordance with international practice, the minimum subsistence
has to be reviewed every five years. According to the deputies, today there
is a need to develop a system of social standards, determining the state
guarantees, which should contain the minimum and extended key parameters
and quality of life indicator : the level of wages, pensions and benefits,
the amount of guaranteed medical services. All this is certainly based on
the minimum subsistence, the system of its reform and regulation. "We
appeal to the government of Kazakhstan
with the question whether improvement of the calculation methodology of
food in the subsistence minimum is planned, and whether the ratio of food
and non-food parts of minimum subsistence will be revised," the
Majilis deputy said.
From
http://en.trend.az/ 12/05/2012
TOP↑
Strategy-2050
Was in Development for 2 Years: President
Kazakhstan's
Development Program until 2050 has been in development for two years.
President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev said while delivering the
state-of-the-nation address "Strategy "Kazakhstan-2050": a new
political course for successful country". "It took us two years
to map out this program, we engaged internationally reputed and national
experts, members of the Government. This program is a result of hard
work," N. Nazarbayev added. The Head of State stressed the year of
2050 was not just a symbolic date. "Why this year? The UN has
developed the Global Forecast of Civilizations Development until 2050.
Nowadays more and more countries outline and pass long-term strategies
until 2050," he elaborated.
From http://engnews.gazeta.kz/ 12/14/2012
TOP↑
Kazakhstan
Approves Law on Public Service
Kazakh President
Nursultan Nazarbayev signed the Law on "Amendments and supplements to
some legislative acts of the Republic
of Kazakhstan on public
service", the presidential press service reported. The law is aimed at
improving the state office efficiency, including introduction of new
mechanisms for the formation, operation and evaluation of Public Service
Staff. Following the reforms envisaged by the amendments, the number of
political officials in Kazakhstan
will be reduced by roughly 6.5 times. Moreover, the elite school of
managers "A" will be formed in Kazakhstan. Amendments to the
Kazakh legislative acts on public service envisage amendments and
supplements to minimize "command moves" and strengthen the
protection of the state employees in case of managers changing. According
to the bill, appointments through moving state employers from one state
body to another will be realized only in cases determined by the President.
From
http://en.trend.az/ 12/21/2012
TOP↑
TAJIKISTAN:
Adopting New Media Legislation
The Deputies of
the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan's
lower chamber of the parliament) have endorsed a new bill on the periodical
press and other mass media, Asia-Plus reported on Wednesday. A regular
sitting of the fourth session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the fourth
convocation, resided over by its head, Shukurjon Zuhurov, took place in Dushanbe on December 12.
MP Olim Salimzoda, who is one of authors of a new media law, said that a
special working group comprising representatives of the parliament, the
government, political parties and journalism community to work further on
the country's media law. During more than two years, the working group held
18 meetings and the bill was submitted for consideration to the Majlisi
Namoyandagon in March 2010. "Under the new law, all media outlets in Tajikistan
will be registered as legal entities and public agencies will have to
answer journalist inquiries within three days," the parliamentarian
noted.
From
http://en.trend.az/ 12/12/2012
TOP↑
UZBEKISTAN:
Parliament’s Legislative Chamber Adopts Amendments to Tax Legislation
The legislative
chamber of Uzbek Oliy Majlis has approved a number of amendments to the
laws envisaging the improvement of tax legislation and the creation of
favorable conditions for the taxpayers, the lower chamber of the parliament
said today. The bill on "Amendments and additions to some legislative
acts in connection with the adoption of main directions of tax and budget
policy for 2013, as well as reducing the frequency of submitting tax
accounting" envisages making the relevant amendments to the Tax Code,
the laws on "Bankruptcy", "Customs Tariff" and
"Foreign Investments". The tax code and the law on
"Bankruptcy" are amended. The amendments include the suspension
of adding the property tax, land tax, as well as fines and penalties on previously
added and not collected payments to the budget if a legal entity was
considered by the economic court as a bankrupt for the whole period of
bankruptcy procedures. The Tax Code has been also amended. Moreover,
micro-firms and small businesses, paying generally established taxes, except
for those producing excisable goods and mining minerals, which are taxable,
are excluded from the category of taxpayers of compulsory contributions to
the off-budget Pension Fund. The innovations in the Tax Code envisage the
reduction of the tax burden, as well as the reduction and simplification of
reporting and the procedure for its submission. The relevant amendments
were made to the law on "Customs Tariff" and "Foreign
Investments". The law adopted by the Legislative Chamber has been
submitted to the upper house - the Senate for approval. It is expected that
the Senate will consider the bill at the plenary meeting on Dec. 5 - 6.
From
http://en.trend.az/ 12/01/2012
TOP↑
Uzbek
Senate Adopts Amnesty Act
During a plenary
session on Wednesday, the Uzbek Senate adopted an amnesty act in connection
with the 20th anniversary of the republic's Constitution. Chairman of the
Senate Committee for Legislation, Judicial and Legal Affairs Svetlana
Artikova, who presented the draft law, stressed that firstly the amnesty
should be applied to those whose crimes are not dangerous to society. The
adopted resolution states that women below the age of 18, men over 60 and
foreign citizens will be amnestied. In addition, the amnesty will cover
invalids of the first and second groups, prisoners suffering serious
illnesses, as well as those who committed a crime of negligence and
sentenced for the first time. Those who are convicted of involvement in
terrorist organisations for the first time and not committed serious crimes
will also be amnestied. At the same time the amnesty will not apply to
those sentenced to life in prison, convicted of murder and those committing
particularly serious crimes. The Senate resolution will take effect
starting on the date of publication in the mass media. The Uzbek Senate
first adopted the Amnesty Act in 2005 in connection with the 13th
anniversary of the Constitution. The right to make a decision on amnesty
was passed to the Senate by the head of state at the launch of a two
chamber parliament in Uzbekistan
in 2005. Previously it was the exclusive prerogative of the president.
Starting 2008, the amnesty decision is normally made by the courts in Uzbekistan.
The previous amnesty was announced in Uzbekistan last December in
connection with the 19th anniversary of the Constitution. It covered more
than 45,000 people according to the Senate Committee on Legislation,
Judicial and Legal Affairs. In particular, 1,958,000 prisoners were
released from serving a criminal sentence, or the prosecution against them
was dismissed.
From
http://en.trend.az/ 12/05/2012
TOP↑
Uzbek
Senate Approves Job Creation Programme for 2013
On Wednesday,
the plenary session of Uzbek Senate approved a programme of job creation and
employment for 2013. According to the statements of senators, the results
on the creation of jobs in the past and the present needs in the labour
market and priorities of socio-economic development have been considered
during development of the programme. The programme is also closely linked
to the regional development programmes of particular areas. The document is
focused on the priority development of small businesses, increasing the
role of farming, support for the service industry, social and market
infrastructure and other effective forms of employment, including the
cottage industry and crafts. The programme also provides employment
opportunities for graduates of professional colleges and universities,
women, the disabled and other categories of people in need of social
protection, as well as the rural population. The programme envisages the
creation of 972.700 new jobs in total. Reportedly, the job creation and
employment programme for 2012 provided for the creation of 967.500 new
jobs. Some 773.000 jobs have been created in January-September this year.
According to official statistics, the number of citizens registered in the
labour agencies as job seekers in late September was 18.000 compared to
24.100 during the same period in 2011. The number of unemployed, defined by
'Methods of calculating the unemployed in need of employment' and approved
by the government in January - September 2012 was 621.700, or 4.8 per cent
of the economically active population.
From
http://en.trend.az/ 12/05/2012
TOP↑
Amendments
to Electoral Laws Enter into Force in Uzbekistan
In Uzbekistan,
amendments to the laws "On elections of the Oliy Majlis of the
Republic of Uzbekistan" and "On elections to regional, district
and city Councils of People's Deputies" related to the further
provision of freedom of choice and the development of electoral law have
entered into force in Uzbekistan. Laws on amendments to electoral laws were
adopted by the lower house, Legislative Chamber of the Parliament in early
November and were approved by the upper house, Senate, in early December.
These laws were published on Thursday and according to their final article,
shall enter into force on their date of publication. In particular, these
electoral laws are complemented by standards regarding the prevention of
election campaigning not only on Election Day, but also the day prior to
voting. A ban on the publication of opinion polls, forecasts of election
results and the results of other research related to ongoing elections,
including their discussion in the media on and within three days after
Election Day was also implemented. Changes made to the law clarify the
rules governing election coverage in private media. Activation of these
laws will provide greater transparency and openness in elections, election
campaigns and in general national reform policy, given the country's
diversity of opinions. According to the articles on the legal terms of the
payment for air time, the area defined by non-state media involved in the
election campaign and other requirements must be equal and the same for all
candidates and political parties. The current law also clearly sets the
timing, manner and procedures for early voting, and the possibility of the
formation of polling stations in places of detention. It also establishes
the right of observers to attend the Conference of the Ecological Movement
of Uzbekistan on Elections to the Legislative Chamber. This should in turn,
according to experts, provide greater openness and transparency in the
election of deputies. It is expected that the introduction of changes and
amendments to electoral law will ensure greater transparency and openness
in electoral processes, increase the effectiveness of election campaigns
and election commissions.
From
http://en.trend.az/ 12/20/2012
TOP↑
Uzbekistan Fund
Forum Completes More Than 600 Projects in 2012
The 'Forum of
Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan
Fund' (Fund Forum) has implemented 611 national and international projects in
the field of culture, arts, philanthropy, science, sports and medicine in
2012. This information was presented in the balance sheet of the fund's
online conference recently held in Tashkent.
In particular, a number of major social facilities were built and restored
in the republic in 2012 under the auspices of the fund and its partners.
Charity forum marathon 'In the name of Life' was held in all regions of Uzbekistan
to support the activities of the National Breast Cancer Association. Fund
Forum continued its project on the creation of a national cultural centre
network. In the past year such centres were created in Karshi and Samarkand and a children's ecological cognitive theme
park was opened in Tashkent.
Allocation of educational grants for students, implementation of a grant
programme for teachers and support of spiritual enlightenment were
continued in 2012. In addition, projects were carried out to support the
development of small and medium enterprises and farming as well as women
entrepreneurs. There is a special grant programme to support social
projects of regional NGOs in Uzbekistan.
Some 532 grants
worth more than 1.320 billion soums (should this read dollars or soums)
were assigned within the projects to provide assistance in holding 1000 weddings
for needy young families. In 2012, the Fund Forum and its partners
organised the Forum of Socially Responsible Citizens of Uzbekistan NGO and
the Association of Silkworm Breeders and Silk Fabrics Production. Some 106
exhibitions, including 44 abroad were held in the framework of
international cultural projects. In particular the Fund Forum implemented
such important events as Art Week Style.uz, the National Dress Festival,
the International Theatre Festival 'Theatre.UZ' and the Tashkent
International Film Forum Golden Cheetah and a number of important
conferences and symposia. Some 57 concerts featuring musicians from Russia, France,
USA, Great Britain and Greece, including charity
events with the participation of Uzbek pop stars and emerging artists are
on the list of events held by the Fund. About 30 sporting events, including
international competitions in gymnastics, dance, soccer tournament
dedicated to the Day of Peace, Tashkent Grand Prix FIDE Asian Chess
Championship for juniors under 20 years and other events were held.
A series of
books on 'Masterpieces of Architectural Epigraphy in Uzbekistan' were prepared and
published on the initiative and with the assistance of the Forum. The Forum
of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan Fund, established in 2004, is an open
non-governmental voluntary self-governed association of citizens and
civilian organisations. The main direction of the Fund is towards youth and
social projects and actions, children's art, fashion and design, sports,
holding festivals, exhibitions, concerts and charity events. Famous culture
and art officials from Uzbekistan
and foreign countries, headed by the chairman of the Board of Trustees and
Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor Gulnara Karimova are among the
founders and trustees of the Fund.
From
http://en.trend.az/ 12/21/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
FIJI: Constitution Commission
Submits Draft Constitution to President
The new constitution must pave the way for a much more
inclusive, modern, non-bureaucratic, stable and prosperous nation, Fijian
President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau said Friday. Nailatikau made the comment after
receiving the draft constitution from the Constitution Commission chairman
Professor Yash Ghai. "Fiji
has had a checkered constitutional history. We have had three constitutions
since independence. The decree which established the commission will lead to
the formulation of our fourth constitution." a statement from Fiji's
Ministry of Information quoted Nailatikau as saying. Under the Constitution
Commission decree, certain universally accepted principles must be
enshrined in the new constitution, Nailatikau said. "These principles
must not only be set out clearly but must also be captured in spirit
throughout all the provisions of the new constitution. It is also
imperative given our history that the new constitution is enduring. It must
not be only for the present, it must be relevant for our future
generations," he said.
Following the acceptance of the draft constitution,
Nailatikau said he will deliver the document to the constituent assembly,
which will comprise of representatives from a wide cross-section of society
who will deliberate on the draft constitution and adopt the final form of
the constitution. "I wish to take this opportunity to thank all my
fellow Fijians who took time and energy to make submissions to the
commission," Nailatikau said. "We, as a nation, are at an
important juncture and it is critical that we all participate in this
process with dignity, selflessness and patriotism to ensure that we have a
truly democratic and just Fiji."
The assembly will then present the adopted constitution to the president
who will refer it to an independent judicial tribunal for vetting to ensure
compliance before the president assents to it. The work of the Constituent
Assembly is expected to be completed by late March 2013. The new
constitution should come into effect on the day following the date of
assent by President Nailatikau.
From http://www.globaltimes.cn 12/21/2012
TOP↑
NEW ZEALAND: Seek to
Balance Aims of Two Asia-Pacific Trade Pacts
New
Zealand Prime Minister John Key's support for a new Asian free
trade agreement received a mixed response Wednesday, with critics saying he
was ignoring an obvious conflict between the new proposed pact and the
ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks. Key has joined other leaders
from Asian countries in Cambodia
to launch negotiations for a 16-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership (RCEP) that would include the 10 ASEAN states, together with Australia, China,
India, Japan, Korea
and New Zealand.
"The goal is an outcome that offers New
Zealand businesses improved access to key markets
across Asia, and robust trade and
investment rules," Key said in a statement Wednesday. The RCEP offered
the opportunity for the first time to negotiate a free trade relationship
with Japan, New Zealand's
fourth-largest trading partner. "New
Zealand's participation in RCEP will complement our
existing free trade agreements in Asia,"
said Key. "Along with our participation in the Trans-Pacific
Partnership negotiations, it also underlines the government's commitment to
ensuring New Zealand
actively participates in the development of the trade and economic
architecture of the Asia-Pacific region."
New
Zealand would work closely with ASEAN and other partners to make
the negotiations a success when they began next year, he said. Critics have
said the United States
is using the 11-nation TPP talks as a vehicle to contain China's economic growth in the Pacific,
while the RCEP includes China
and neighboring emerging economy India. The New Zealand
International Business Forum (NZIBF) said Wednesday that while the coverage
of the RCEP could be even bigger than the TPP in terms of its contribution
to economic welfare, they were mutually reinforcing as potential pathways
to a wider Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific. "This negotiation will
build on New Zealand and
Australia's existing
high quality free trade agreement with ASEAN and will bring both the giant
North Asian economies and India
into the same network," NZIBF chairman Graeme Harrison said in a
statement. However, Auckland University law professor and prominent TPP
critic Jane Kelsey said Key needed "a reality check" if he really
believed New Zealand could maintain a balance between the TPP and the RCEP.
"The US-dominated Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement is pitted
against the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership that
pivots around China as well as India," Kelsey said in a
statement Wednesday. "The prime minister may not want to
'over-emphasize' the China- US stand-off, but that is now the dominant
narrative of the TPP," said Kelsey.
New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser had promised
that New Zealand would
walk away if the TPP became an exercise in "China- bashing," but this
promise was "more hollow by the day." "The TPP has now
become a geo-political pact. There is a serious risk that participating
governments will sign up for strategic reasons to a text that surrenders
their domestic economies and grants undue influence over their policy
decisions to powerful, largely US, corporate interests," said Kelsey.
The current TPP trade agreement between Brunei,
Chile,
Singapore and New Zealand came into force in 2006, but the
United States, Australia, Peru,
Vietnam, Malaysia, Canada
and Mexico
have joined negotiations to expand the agreement. Japan announced its interest in joining the
TPP in 2010, when the negotiations began, and Thailand voiced its interest in
joining this week. New Zealand
became the first developed nation to sign a free trade agreement with China in
2008.
From http://www.globaltimes.cn 11/21/2012
TOP↑
Local Govt
Reform Bill
Passes Third Reading
A bill implementing a programme to lift the
performance and efficiency of local government has passed its third and
final reading in Parliament. Local Government Minister David Carter says
the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill is an important milestone in
progressing major reform of New
Zealand’s local government sector. New Zealand’s
78 local authorities make up 4% of GDP, spend $7.8 billion per year of
public money and manage $120 billion worth of assets. Mr Carter says the
Bill refocuses the purpose of local government, introduces financial
prudence requirements for local authorities, strengthens council governance
provisions and streamlines council reorganisation procedures. "The
Bill’s passage today completes the first phase of the Government’s Better
Local Government reforms which will focus local authorities on operating
more efficiently and effectively, by doing things that only they can do.
The reforms will help the local government sector play its part in growing
the New Zealand
economy. Communities, businesses and households all stand to benefit from
these changes." Mr Carter says the second part of the reform programme,
which will include some non-statutory actions and a second bill proposed
for 2013, is progressing well.
From
http://www.voxy.co.nz 11/29/2012
TOP↑
Kyoto Pull-Out
'Economic Mistake'
Green MP Kennedy Graham says New Zealand's decision not to sign up to the
Kyoto Protocol again was an economic mistake and will void New Zealand's
influence over climate change for the next eight years. After two weeks,
United Nations climate-change talks in Doha wrapped up yesterday with an
agreement to work towards a binding global treaty by 2015 to take over from
the Kyoto Protocol in 2020 and include countries such as China, India and
the United States. In the meantime, 37 countries - including Australia
and European nations - signed up to further binding commitments under the
Kyoto Protocol through to 2020. Despite lobbying from European countries, New Zealand stuck to its decision to opt out
of Kyoto along with Canada, Russia
and Japan.
Instead, it will set a non-binding target through to 2020, expected to aim
to cut emissions by 10 to 20 per cent. Climate Change Minister Tim Groser
defended the decision, saying it was time to look beyond Kyoto, which covered only 15 per cent of
the world's emissions.
However, Dr Graham said it was one of the worst
foreign policy decisions a New Zealand government had ever made and would
weaken New Zealand's hand in future talks. He said it was also an economic
mistake because New Zealand
would lose access to Kyoto's
carbon market, on which credits are traded to enable countries to meet
their obligations. "Being excluded for a five-year period from access
to the flexible mechanism for trading would harm New Zealand's economic
interests as much as any policy decision this Government has yet made.
"It would be politically stupid, morally offensive and economically
harmful, and come to haunt us in the coming years," he said. Access to
that market was one of the primary reasons Australia
signed up to Kyoto
again, with its Trade Minister, Craig Emerson, saying it would give
businesses access to a predictable global emissions market. Mr Groser said New Zealand
would have access to those carbon markets until at least 2015. He could not
say what would happen at that point, saying that would depend on progress
in talks for the new 2015 pact, as well as discussions about other regional
carbon trading markets.
He said New Zealand would maintain its
emissions trading scheme. "But the Government has no intention of
forcing NZ businesses and households to pay higher than world prices in the
current difficult international economic climate." Mr Groser said he
was satisfied New
Zealand had the right long-term
approach. "We have every expectation that further progress will be
made, but it will be slow, incremental and controversial," he said.
The countries at Doha
also agreed to a set up a process for richer countries to compensate small,
poor countries for the damage done by the effects of climate change, such
as rising sea levels. That decision was seen as ground-breaking because of
the implicit admission that the wealthier emitting countries were
responsible for some of that damage. Countries already commit to funds for
climate change adaptation and mitigation - such as the "fast-start
finance" fund set up in Copenhagen
in 2009. New Zealand
contributes $30 million a year to that and is committed to continuing
contributions.
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz 12/10/2012
TOP↑
NSW Govt Plan to
Make Sydney
an ICT Talent Hub
The NSW Government has detailed its strategy to boost
the state's digital economy, as part of the O'Farrell administration's plan
to help the state adapt to disruptive innovation and increasing competition
from emerging economies. The Industry Action Plan for the Digital Economy,
released by Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew
Stoner, includes a $6.7 million innovation initiative to identify
opportunities and challenges for the state, as well as smart work hubs and
the implementation of the NSW Government's open data initiative. The State
will also seek to raise the profile of Sydney, with the aim of positioning the
city as a global hub for digital and ICT talent. The plan has been in the
pipeline since September last year when the Government set innovation and
productivity targets for the state until 2021. Under the plan, the ICT
industry is expected to account for 4.9 percent of the NSW economy by 2020.
"This state is the source of around 50 percent of Australia's total exports of telecommunications,
computer and information services," Stoner said, adding it was
critical for NSW to build on its digital strengths in order to help boost
innovation and productivity gains across other sectors.
Victor Perton, former Commissioner to the Americas for Victoria welcomed the plan, but said
there were some issues that would need to be addressed to ensure it was a
success. "If they want to make it an IT skills hub we've got to make
it more attractive for students to get higher degrees and higher training
at NSW unis," Perton said, adding that Australia
was sometimes criticised in the US for not producing enough
home-grown PhD students. He added that the state would also need to deal
with the issue of Australia
being seen as a high-cost destination. "We're competing against Singapore, Hong Kong,
India and China,
all of who use much bigger subsidies and the like to lure investment,"
Perton said. Perton also said that in order for Australia
to attract major ICT investment and boost flows of talent between Australia
and the US, it would be necessary for Sydney and Melbourne to collaborate.
"We will achieve success if Barry O'Farrell and Ted Baillieu shake
hands and say, 'We expect our people on the ground to collaborate and go
hunting in packs for those new investments'."
The taskforce that developed the plan is being led by
director of IBM Research, Glenn Wightwick. "The Action Plan offers
solutions to a range of issues impacting growth in the digital economy
including export opportunities, innovation, productivity, investment,
skills, employment and workforce participation, business conditions and
global competitiveness," Wightwick said. "The Government has
shown its interest and willingness to respond, but we still need to see the
action and how real and effective the initiatives are", said Ross
Dawson, a futurist who has written extensively on the global digital
workforce. He added that Sydney's
climate, beauty and culture gave it an unfair advantage over many other
countries and that it was a viable and critical objective for it to be a
global ICT talent hub. "Yes, we can be a global talent hub. We already
are in some ways." Dawson pointed to a
recent ranking by the Startup Genome project that ranked Sydney as 12th in the top 25 startup hubs
in the world. However Randal Leeb-du Toit, head of commercial development
at the University of Sydney, said if NSW wants to play on the global stage
it needs to be doing something at a global standard. "It feels like
it's a hand waving gesture more than anything else. It's like Tamworth
trying to take on New York."
Mr Leeb-du Toit said greater incentives were needed for entrepreneurs,
similar to those on offer in Singapore
and the US.
"It doesn't have to cost them money, just change the tax equation for
start-ups."
From http://www.itnews.com.au 12/17/2012
TOP↑
PAPUA NEW GUINEA:
Embracing the Asian Century
Papua New Guinea intends to take advantage of the Asian century and
will soon count China as
its second-biggest trading partner after Australia, the country's leader
says. PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill says the Pacific nation wants to
establish itself as a key energy, minerals and food exporter to the Asian
region. His government would devote billions to roads, law and order,
airports and ports over the coming years to ensure rural and coastal Papua
New Guineans could move beyond producing only for local markets and that
liquefied natural gas transport would be secure. “Clearly we are well
placed to help meet the growing demands of energy by the Asian region, but
it is not going to be without significant challenges,” he told the Lowy
Institute for International Policy in Sydney
on Thursday. He said lifting productivity, including agricultural output,
would be chief among these challenges. “PNG has never really focused on
productivity, and especially on government measures to improve
productivity,” he said.
PNG's relationship with Indonesia - with which it
shares a major border - remained crucial, O'Neill said. “But our fastest
growing relationship is with the People's Republic of China,” he said, adding that China was on track to eclipse all other
trade partners but Australia.
O'Neill stressed that the burgeoning relationship between PNG and China
centred on trade and investment, not security or defence. “We feel that the
security issues that have been expressed by many of our traditional
partners is unnecessary, we are following the same path that Australia and New
Zealand have taken by increasing our relationship
with China
in trade and investment," he said. Ties between Port
Moresby and Canberra
would remain strong, he said. “I have no doubt whatsoever that the
relationship between PNG and Australia will continue to
grow,” O'Neill said.
From
http://www.islandsbusiness.com 11/30/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
|
|
Global Grassroots Campaign Against Corruption Reaches Over
Three Million People
Today's launch of the Corruption Perceptions Index 2012
shows us that governments have a long way to go to be more transparent and
accountable to their citizens. While policymakers play a crucial role in
ending corruption, we as citizens also have a voice. And what a voice we
have had this past year! Transparency International's campaign "Time
to Wake Up" is running in 17 countries across Latin America, Asia,
Africa and Europe, reaching over three
million people. From rallies to animated video contests, to public debates
and petitions, the Time to Wake Up campaign has made a real splash. Here's
just a small selection of some innovative and exciting campaigning from
Transparency International chapters around the world: In the Dominican Republic,
the Time to Wake Up campaign has featured in large national demonstrations
in the autumn of 2012. Following a major public advertising campaign, the
chapter will hold a rally in the capital city on International
Anti-Corruption Day, December 9. In Chinese Taipei, the chapter worked with
the local school district to produce 10 animated videos about different
forms of corruption and how to stop it. The videos are shown throughout the
school year to over 100,000 children. In Hungary, the chapter held a
huge water fight at a popular summer music festival, to symbolize waking up
to the problem of corruption. In the autumn the chapter hosted a Corruption
Thriller Film Festival and on December 7, for International Anti-Corruption
Day, the chapter will hold an anti-corruption festival that includes a
workshop, a mobile app contest and a live concert. In Lebanon, the chapter has been
running a massive public advertising campaign using the Time to Wake Up
slogan and calling on Lebanese citizens to sign a petition calling for the
government to sign the United Nations Convention against Corruption. At an
event on December 9 the Lebanese Transparency Association will present the
petition, currently with approximately 30,000 signatures, and call for more
people to sign.
From http://www.transparency.org/
12/05/2012
TOP↑
E-Democracy:
Isn’t It a Key to Cease Corruption?
It is now extensively accepted that
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have an important role in
national development. The developmental prospective of information and
communication technologies have been broadly discussed in the scientific
literature but we still lack conceptual precision on the role of ICTs for
success and failure of national development process. In recent times ICT is
exploit by citizens and civil society for networking and improve advocacy
and mobilization, local and globally. Blogs, Facebook and online
communities create new modes of social contact. The use of ICT has
influenced social movements and has also had an effect on the social life
and democratic freedoms in some societies. The existing explanation of
freedom and democracy, by the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
states that every individual have rights to free communication, religious
and political participation, and to engage in economic activity. These
rights are defined as political, economic, and religious freedoms. Many
scholars connect political freedoms with constitutional democracy (the
right of individuals to elect their governments).
ICT offer new tools for
well-organized public contribution in the democratic process in the form of
e-democracy, e-government, e-voting and the propagation of opinions,
thoughts, ideas, and rallying social action about things that concern
society. At present ICT can be used to improve the democratic process in
the form of e-government in which citizens are able to effectively impact
the decision-making process in a judicious approach within and between
institutions. In government, ICT not only can increase accountability and
transparency, and counter corruption through more proficient administration
and increased flows of information but also strengthen good governance and
improve interaction between government and citizens. E-democracy can be
closely defined as “e-administration”, where ICT serves to modernize
inter-governmental relations and flows of information with the view to
improve government services, transactions, and interactions with citizens,
businesses, and other arms of governments. E-democracy can facilitate
better service to citizens by:
•Offering
information via government web pages;
•Facilitating
access to government services, and;
•Developing
depersonalized services which reduce risk for corruption.
Generally, one can differentiate
between three levels of ICT use to advance democratic processes at the
national level:
1.ICTs within government, with a
view to improve efficiency in interactions and information flows between
government departments and state organs.
2.ICTs in the interface between
government and citizens, with a view to improving interaction and feedback
between government and citizens.
3.ICTs for empowerment of citizens
and civil society organizations.
Presently, Pakistan
has a democratic system without democrats and it is hijacked by a small
group of feudal lords, political elites, bureaucrats and organizations
under foreign influence. Most of the time, democratic election only commit
to reshuffling of the same old faces. Regardless of miserable performance
of political parties, low level of people’s participation in party politics
and lack of political culture, majority of the people still believe that
political parties are the backbone of democracy. Pakistan where democracy has
not deep root saturation, ICTs have provided the users an opportunity to be
aware of their socio-political and human rights and they show strong
inclination towards attending social and political meetings as a matter of
right. ICTs are foundations of socio-political information and development
and can be a precious tool for enhancing people’s contribution in the
development of policies, laws, strategies and other documents that shape
their future. Since Pakistan
is a developing country that faces many development challenges, plus
extreme poverty, a low literacy rate, poor health facilities, and a weak
socio-political situation, characterized by corruption and a lack of
informed decision-making, ICT for progress is still at a nascent stage from
a civil society standpoint. Even though the government is devoted to the
development of ICT infrastructure in Pakistan but, the country is a
graveyard of many failed and unsuccessful projects. Unfortunately, the
government takes massive loans from the IMF, World Bank and others but
there are practically no checks to measure the success of the projects they
send the money on, or ways of helping to eradicate corruption in the
implementation of projects. There are barely any monitoring and estimation
procedure in country that is why according to The Transparency
International annual report 2012 the corruption of Rs 12600 billion
reported in different sectors of Pakistan during the last five democratic
years.The United Nations general assembly selected ‘9 December’ as
International Anti-Corruption Day, to elevate awareness of corruption. On
this International Anti-Corruption Day, let us promise to do our part by
cracking down on corruption, shaming those who perform it and prompt a
culture that values ethical behavior as democracy is based on two core
principles: participation and accountability!
From
http://blogs.thenewstribe.com/ 12/18/2012
TOP↑
Development
Against Corruption and Fraud in Asia
Fighting corruption and fraud is
crucial to achieving the goal of reducing poverty in the Asia
and the Pacific region, explain Peter Pedersen and Clare Wee from ADB's
Office of Anticorruption and Integrity. Beginning 9 December, ADB is
marking International Anticorruption Day with a week-long series of
learning events to further develop the understanding among its staff of
this complex issue. What is the impact of corruption on development
projects? Why is fighting corruption and fraud so important to ADB? Given
the complexity of the nature of corruption, the impacts may differ from
project to project. Nevertheless, ADB takes the approach that every dollar
of its development funds should go to its intended beneficiaries, and not
lost to corruption or fraud. ADB has always been at the forefront of
fighting fraud and corruption. In 1995, ADB became the first multilateral
development bank to adopt a policy on good governance and more initiatives
were introduced over the years. More than ever, in this time of financial
constraints, conditions are ideal for corruption and fraud to prosper, so
it is ever more crucial for ADB to exercise strong vigilance in preventing
fraud and corruption in ADB-financed, supported, or related activities, as
well as take strong remedial action when circumstances of fraud and
corruption are identified.
How does ADB fight corruption? We
take a holistic approach and focus not only on remedial actions, such as
debarment, but also on awareness raising, prevention and forging
partnerships with others to maximize positive outcomes. For example, on the
occasion of International Anticorruption Day, we are raising awareness
amongst ADB staff that they not only have a right, but also a
responsibility to fight corruption in ADB-financed, supported and related
activities. This year’s theme is “iACT: Let’s Keep up the Fight”. Do you
review the projects ADB is involved in? Projects are of course subject to
regular audits and reviews. In addition, ADB regularly conducts project
procurement-related reviews (PPRR) of ongoing projects to confirm
compliance with applicable ADB's policies, guidelines, and the loan
agreement to ensure that funds are spent for their intended purposes. ADB
also collaborates with members of the international community and shares
its PPRR methodology with other institutions, so as to maximize impacts.
These reviews focus on procurement, financial management, and asset
verification, and inspect project outputs, assess internal controls,
identify irregularities and possible non-compliance, as well as make
recommendations to fight fraud, corruption or abuse of resources. Two PPRRs
reports were recently released: one on a power sector expansion project in
Samoa, and another one on a project on decentralized rural infrastructure
and livelihood in Nepal.
What do you think is ADB’s biggest challenge
in its anticorruption efforts? "Our biggest challenge is getting our
stakeholders on board in our anticorruption efforts. That means changing
the mindsets of governments, executing agencies, corporations, and civil
societies." Our biggest challenge is getting our stakeholders on board
in our anticorruption efforts. That means changing the mindsets of
governments, executing agencies, corporations, and civil societies. In
coordination with supreme audit institutions and executing agencies, we
have been sharing knowledge on PPRRs which have had positive results. This
involvement has allowed the borrowing country to take ownership of these
anticorruption efforts. For example, Bhutan has requested more
support from ADB in its governance efforts after we did a PPRR. We see that
as a positive sign showing their readiness to take ownership of
anticorruption efforts. Are you hopeful that corruption can be eliminated
in Asia? We have to be hopeful. The
awareness factor has improved. If civil society says it will not tolerate
corruption, we will see things change.
From http://www.adb.org/ 12/10/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
CHINA: Big Cities
Less Satisfactory in Govt Service
Government services in China's
biggest cities are less satisfactory than in smaller cities, a report has
found. The report was jointly compiled by the Nanyang
Center for Public Administration
of Singapore's Nanyang Technological University,
and Shanghai Jiao
Tong University's
School of International and Public Affairs.
The report, compiled through different perspectives from residents and
enterprises, aims to find out how satisfied residents and businesses are
with government services. More than 23,000 residents and 3,600 enterprises
in 34 cities were polled from May to July. In the report, a
service-oriented government for citizens was defined as one that embodies
five key dimensions, including public services satisfaction, public
involvement, information transparency, government efficiency and level of
public trust. Xiamen, Fujian province, emerged on top of the
list of citizen satisfaction toward government service. It was followed by Qingdao, in Shandong
province, and Hangzhou, in Zhejiang province. But China's largest cities ― including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and
Shenzhen ― were not in the top 10. It's the third year that Chinese
first-tier cities weren't on the list for public satisfaction of government
service.
An advanced economy does not
necessarily bring high public satisfaction. Such a contrast is also seen in
the economically active Pearl River Delta area, where no city is in the top
10. Researchers said that demographic variables, such as age, educational
background and income level, affect the result. And a larger gap was found
in first-tier cities between high expectations and low evaluations of a
government's public services. "These first-tier cities are on the top
of the ranking of investment in the public services infrastructure. But
they are far from meeting residents' demands. Building a service-oriented
government has many aspects," said Wu Wei, director of the NTU's Nanyang Center for Public Administration.
"Residents are more concerned about livelihood issues, such as their
children's education and medical insurance, rather than how many
skyscrapers have been built in the city," Wu said. "Economic
advantages can provide a more material foundation for public services, but
it cannot necessarily bring public satisfaction with government
service," he said. "And a government needs to create a general
sense of happiness for its residents," he added. The report said healthcare
and housing were deemed the most unsatisfactory among citizens, especially
among those in first-tier cities.
Low efficiency
In addition, local governments are
deemed weak in working efficiency and building public trust. Even in the
top city, Xiamen,
its working efficiency is rated only 4.47 on a scale from zero to 10.
"From a statistics perspective, these cities receive negative
evaluation. Local governments should pay attention," NTU's Wu said. Hu
Wei, a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong
University's School of International
and Public Affairs, agreed. "Over the past several years, the
public-service ability of China's
city governments has left much to be desired, especially in the field of
government transparency and public participation," he said. "A service-oriented
government should keep a balance between governing ability and social
service. Distinguished performance in only one aspect cannot bring much
satisfaction to citizens." Wang Ling, a resident in Tianjin,
said: "Many government officials in China still lack the awareness
of public service, which means it's hard for them to actively serve the
citizens." Ren Yuan, a professor from the School
of Social Development and Public
Policy at Fudan
University, said that
the evaluation system of government performance is still based on local
economies, which means government officials place much more emphasis on
economic development and GDP.
"Under such an evaluation
system, livelihood issues are often neglected. It's hard for residents to
be satisfied with government service," he said. Ren said that the
assessment for government performance should focus more on their work in
the field of social welfare and livelihood issues. Public policy expert Liu
Jianjun noted that as more migrants flock into big cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai,
for work, governments often have a heavier burden in governing the cities.
"When making policy, local governments should have an eye on these
groups of migrants, and ensure social equity and justice," he said.
The report also noted that governments should improve their communication
and interaction with citizens. "Internet-based social networks are
becoming an important channel of communication between government and
citizens," Wu said. "Government officials should learn how to
communicate and exchange ideas with citizens on this platform, such as
micro blogs."
From
http://www.china.org.cn/ 11/23/2012
TOP↑
Officials' Trips
to Be Placed Under More Public Scrutiny
Wenzhou will make public the details and expenses of Party
and government employees' trips abroad on official duty, with the aim to
better control the trips through public scrutiny. Detailed regulations
issued by the government of Wenzhou city, which is famous in China for its
private economy, will take effect from 2013 and will make public the
details of international trips taken by the city's Party and government
officials. According to the policy, 15 new rules will be implemented,
offering practical solutions to monitor and regulate how officials travel
abroad, which is occurring with increasing frequency because of the city's
booming development. "We're taking a brave step to implement a policy
that imposes such specific restrictions on officials both before and after
they travel. It places the officials under a certain amount of
pressure," said Wang Huiping, director of the rectification office of
the Wenzhou
city discipline inspection commission. Wang said the new rules are designed
to avoid the type of corruption that occurs all over the country between
officials and certain event organizers or agencies, who organize
unnecessary trips using public money. To control the frequency of official
trips, lower governmental departments will have to submit applications
every October for the next-year's schedule of trips, which must be approved
by all related departments senior to them. Within three days of the travel
being approved, a detailed schedule, the list of participants, expenses,
and the trips tasks must be posted on the website of the city's foreign
affairs office and Taiwan
affairs office. The new regulations will likely instill in the public a
certain confidence in local officials.
"Such publicized information
will let us know more about how government officials spend public money wisely,
which is a reasonable way to control corrupt behavior," said Su Xian,
a 28-year-old female office worker in Wenzhou.
"Making the intended schedule of the trips public will be the first
step, and the detailed reports after the trip will only be shown on the
interior government website," said Wang. In addition, officials who
will retire within six months and newly appointed officials are not allowed
to take any official trips in the year. Further detailed rules relating to
the regulations will be made public by the discipline inspection commission
soon after the regulation is put into practice. "We may launch more
rules to monitor the officials if we encounter new problems after the
implementation of the policy," said Wang. This is not the first time the
city has implemented strict regulations in regards to public expenses,
which are a significant portion of the fiscal expenditure in the country. A
policy was issued in April to implement the reform of the use of government
vehicles, taking away the use of chauffeur-driven cars and replacing them
with a limited transportation allowance. In May, restrictions were placed
on the entertaining of visitors to the city government. Experts said the
regulations seem to be a positive step toward regulating officials and
minimizing public expenses, but said it is difficult to insist officials
make public all the information regarding international trips. "It is
positive that more pressure will be placed on government officials by
having their expenses and schedules of international trips made
public," said He Lixin, associate professor from the school of
economics at Fudan University in Shanghai. He added that the goal of the
regulations is to make efficient use of government fiscal expenditures,
which will be considered more thoroughly after the regulation is put into
effect.
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 11/23/2012
TOP↑
Chinese
Governments Go More Transparent on Web
China's government bodies are more communicative online as
they try to engage with web users, a report said Wednesday. A China
Software Testing Center (CSTC) report titled "Chinese Government
Websites Evaluation 2012" said governments have become more transparent
by timely information disclosure and chats with Internet users on their
official websites or microblog accounts. Official websites have developed
into an important channel for government bodies to share information and
collect opinions, according to the report. Zhang Shaotong, vice director of
CSTC, said government websites were more communicative with Internet users
on important issues this year. Many websites set aside space for netizens
to comment or file complaints. The report said more than 80 percent of
government bodies updated documents or policy information in time on their
websites or microblogs this year. Also, more than 70 percent of online
inquiries from the public were replied within five working days.
Officials also appeared more
"human" on the Internet, as 75 percent of provincial-level
governments asked senior officials to chat with netizens online, according
to the report. In addition to websites, microblogs also play an important
role with increasing significance in communication between governments and
the public, according to the report. So far, more than 60,000 government
bodies have run microblog accounts in Sina.com,
China's
largest tweeting service provider. Luo Wen, president of CCID, an Internet
observing institute, said government microblogs are deeply rooted in China's
500 million netizens and can amplify government voices with the influence
of microblogs. But China
has a long way to go as there is still gap between transparency of
government websites and expectations of the public. About 68 percent of
government websites have not yet well organized their online information,
and 70 percent lack detailed information, the report said. Xu Yu, director
of the information department of the Ministry of Industry and Information
Technology, said China
will further improve government transparency with upgraded technologies to
better serve the public.
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/05/2012
TOP↑
Officials'
Assets in Spotlight
South China's Guangdong province, traditionally a
forerunner of reform in the country, will test out a program that will make
details of officials' assets public, as part of an effort to fight
corruption. The Hengqin new area in Zhuhai, the Nansha district of
Guangzhou and Shixing county under the administration of Shaoguan city,
have been selected as the districts where the test will be rolled out. The
program will require all Communist Party of China and government officials
to report their assets. The officials' assets will be made public and
public opinion will be sought, according to a statement that the Guangdong
Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC released over
the weekend. "Currently, preparation work for the introduction of the
test project is well under way in the three areas, while local Party
commissions for discipline inspection are busy studying the details and
relevant rules for the project, which is meant to prevent and fight
corruption," said authorities with the Guangdong Provincial Commission
for Discipline Inspection. Those who refuse to disclose their assets or lie
in their reports will be relieved of their posts and be subject to further
investigations, according to the statement.
All major Party and government
officials in the three designated areas will be audited when they retire or
are to be transferred to other departments or places, the statement said.
Liu Liansheng, a senior official from the Guangdong Provincial Party
Commission for Discipline Inspection, said departments have also been urged
to further improve the system of exposing corruption online, to encourage
the public to report corrupt officials. "In recent times, many
corruption cases have been made public after local residents reported the
cases online," Liu said. The Hengqin new area, which is adjacent to
Macao, has established a special anti-corruption office that consists of
officials and experts from the local Party commission for discipline
inspection and the departments of supervision, public security, taxation,
industry and commerce, according to local media reports. The office will
learn about preventing and fighting corruption from Hong Kong and Macao, and seek more
cooperation with its counterparts in the two special administrative regions
in the coming years, reports said. Nansha district, located at the mouth of
the Pearl River, plans to work closely with local housing, taxation, and
exit and entry departments to allow the public to inquire into the
district's Party and government officials' property, travel records and
other information in the coming months, according to Mei Heqing, a senior
official with the Guangzhou municipal commission for discipline inspection.
Mei said in the near future, people will be able to easily go online to
find out how many properties local officials own.
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/10/2012
TOP↑
Officials Urged
to Fight Corruption
Local Party and government
officials have been urged to stay faithful to their wives, after a series
of scandals involving corrupt officials cheating on their spouses. The call
to remain monogamous came from Mei Heqing, a member of the standing
committee with the Guangzhou Party Commission for Discipline Inspection, on
Thursday. Guangzhou's
anti-graft body has investigated 61 officials of county-level or higher
this year. "Thirty-eight of them, nearly 63 percent, have been found
to keep mistresses, or have more than one sexual partner," Mei said at
a news conference. "These cases have had a very bad social
effect," he said. He Jing, former deputy Party secretary and deputy
director of the Guangzhou
public security bureau, was found to have taken large bribes when he was in
office from 2003 to 2012. "He was also found to have several
mistresses and to have had sexual relations with many other women in recent
years," Mei said. He was removed from his post in August and has been
transferred to a judicial organ for further investigation, Mei added. Other
senior Party and government officials investigated on suspicion of having
accepted bribes this year include Li Zhizhen, former director of the Guangzhou bureau of
civil affairs, Zhang Jianguo, former deputy director of the Guangzhou
Administrative Committee of Urban Management, and Dai Yuqing, former
publisher and Party chief of Guangzhou Daily Group. Li, 50, is suspected of
taking bribes worth more than 3 million yuan ($477,707), plus HK$90,000
($11,600), a large sum of other foreign currencies, jade, gold, watches,
jewelry and furniture. Zhang is suspected of accepting bribes of 3.92
million yuan, plus $20,000 and Dai is suspected of taking more than 2
million yuan in bribes. Li, Zhang and Dai have been transferred to judicial
organs for further investigations and possible future prosecution,
according to Mei. Guangzhou's Nansha district, at the mouth of the Pearl
River, has taken the lead in Guangdong province by introducing a pilot
project in which its Party and government officials are asked to report
their assets, which will be made public and on which public opinion will be
sought. Mei said his commission plans to work with the city's housing,
taxation and exit and entry departments to allow the public to inquire into
officials' property, travel records and other information.
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/21/2012
TOP↑
Non-Communist
Parties Elect New Leaderships
With the conclusion of the China
Association for Promoting Democracy's (CAPD's) national congress on Friday,
the country's eight non-communist parties have all elected their new party
leaderships. Since Nov. 30, the eight parties successively held the
five-yearly national congresses, with the election of a new central
committee -- the party leadership -- in each case. Yan Junqi was re-elected
chairwoman of the CAPD central committee during the party's 11th national
congress, the party announced on Friday. Yan hails from east China's Jiangsu Province
and holds a doctoral degree in engineering. She worked as a professor at Shanghai Jiao
Tong University
before going on to become deputy mayor of Shanghai. The 66-year-old joined the CAPD
in 1998 and began serving as chairwoman of the association in December
2007. In an address given at the congress's closing session, Yan said the
new central committee will rally and lead the association to work hard
under the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The CAPD congress
called on all its 128,000 members to work together with the ruling
Communist Party of China (CPC) to build a moderately prosperous society and
rejuvenate the Chinese nation. Yan's words echoed remarks from
newly-selected top leaders of the other seven non-communist parties, who
all renewed their parties' commitment to follow the path of socialism with
Chinese characteristics.
The parties also vowed to study and
carry out the new guidelines set by the power-transitional CPC National Congress
of last month that set a policy tone for the country's future development.
Under China's
multi-party cooperation system, non-communist parties participate in state
affairs under the leadership of the CPC. They and the CPC work together and
supervise each other, instead of opposing each other. The eight
non-communist parties are: the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese
Kuomintang, the China Democratic League, the China National Democratic
Construction Association, the China Association for Promoting Democracy,
the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, China Zhi Gong Dang, the
Jiu San Society and the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League.
Non-communist parties had a total of more than 800,000 members as of the
end of 2011, with more than 37,000 organs at community-based levels,
according to official figures. Founded between the 1920s and the late
1940s, they have a membership mainly consisting of professionals and
academics from different sectors, elites among returned overseas Chinese and
their relatives, people with links to the former Kuomintang, or Taiwan
residents. Non-communist parties have contributed to the formation of key
official documents or policies in the country by offering comments and
suggestions.
They are also active in promoting
public welfare, helping the needy, alleviate poverty in remote regions and
facilitate coordinated development in both urban and rural areas.
Furthermore, a number of non-communist party members hold key positions
with government and judicial organs. Statistics showed that 30 of 31
Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities have deputy
governors with non-communist party backgrounds. Health Minister Chen Zhu
has been newly-elected as chairman of the Central Committee of Chinese Peasants
and Workers Democratic Party. Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang
has been re-elected top leader of the China Zhi Gong Party. Wan Exiang,
vice president of the Supreme People's Court, has been elected party chief
of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang.
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/22/2012
TOP↑
JAPAN: Govt to Double
Rent for Public Servants
The government will nearly double rents
for apartments and houses built for national public servants in three
stages from April 2014, sources said Tuesday. Previously, the government
examined an idea of raising rents by an average of 50 percent. But Finance
Minister Koriki Jojima indicated a larger increase was necessary at a news
conference Tuesday. The government believes it should raise enough to cover
the cost of rebuilding old housing, the sources said.
From http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/
11/21/2012
TOP↑
Natl Civil
Servants to Drop by 3,000 in FY13
Internal affairs minister Shinji
Tarutoko said Friday that the number of national civil servants is expected
to decrease by about 3,000 in
fiscal 2013.The forecast excludes the number of workers employed for a
limited period, such as those engaged in rebuilding areas hit by the March
2011 earthquake and tsunami, according to his report to an informal meeting
of cabinet ministers. The number may change following the more detailed
estimation associated with budget compilations for the next fiscal year
starting in April 2013.At a press conference, Tarutoko emphasized the
government's efforts to cut personnel expenses. Even after temporary staff
are included in the total workforce estimate, the reduction in fiscal 2013
will be double the net fall of 1,300
in fiscal 2012, the minister said.
From http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/
12/08/2012
TOP↑
Govt Workers' Winter
Bonuses Drop 8.4%
National government workers
received an average of 565,300 yen in winter bonuses Monday, down 8.4
percent from last year. The average for administrative workers, excluding
those in managerial posts, was down 51,800 yen as government worker bonuses
were reduced under a temporary special law. Annual bonuses for national
civil servants in fiscal 2012 came to an average of 1.08 million yen, down
29.6 percent from a record 1.53 million yen paid in fiscal 1998.
From http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/
12/11/2012
TOP↑
SOUTH KOREA: With Majority
Victory, Park to Become Nation's First Female President
Anchor: Park Geun-hye will become South Korea's
first female president. Park won more than 50 percent of the vote in the
election Wednesday, a massive showing of support that should help her
govern the nation. Our Kim In-kyung has more.Report: Park Geun-hye's
election will open a new era in South Korean politics as a female will be holding
the nation's top leadership post.Park has promised "motherly"
leadership, and during the run-up to the election, she said she would unite
public sentiment and usher in a new era of happiness.Park's election was
the first in which the successful candidate won at least 50 percent of the
vote since 1987 when a direct presidential election system was
introduced.She beat rival Moon Jae-in in all areas, excluding Seoul and the
Jeolla region, realizing her goal of achieving grand national unity.
However, she will be faced with the
task of having to integrate a deeply polarized nation of conservatives and
progressives. This year's election was unprecedented in recent Korean
history as there were two strong candidates instead of three, a situation
which acted to divide the nation.Park is also the first child of a former
president to be elected to the presidential office. She is the eldest
daughter of late president Park Chung-hee who ruled the country for 18
years.
From http://world.kbs.co.kr/
12/20/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
INDONESIA: Jakarta Vice Governor Uses
YouTube to Increase Transparency
Basuki Purnama, the newly elected Vice
Governor of Jakarta Capital City, Indonesia, has captured the attention of
citizens and government officials by uploading videos of his activities on
the popular video-sharing network, YouTube. Purnama records and uploads
activities such as meetings with public servants, conversations with the
public and events attended on his YouTube channel, PemprovDKI. He scolds
bureaucrats for over-spending and makes accusations of corruption publicly.
Discussions about budget cuts and project expenditure are also uploaded on
YouTube. “We want people to be able to watch everything,” Purnama said in
an interview at Al Jazeera. “This is their money, not our money. The people
have a right to know.” The people of Jakarta
have responded positively to this innovative use of social media.
PemprovDKI has more than 28,000 subscribers, and the videos uploaded have
collectively been watched more than 7.1 million times. Some videos are
extremely popular – a meeting with the city’s Department of Public Works,
for example, has more than 1.4 million views. In the video, Purnama asks
the department to cut the cost of several projects by 25 per cent, and
proposes to have the Corruption Eradication Commission look into past
public works projects if the department refuses to do so. Purnama even
uploaded a conversation with a resident about the risk of flooding of his
house. Purnama has gotten high support from anti-corruption activists for
his unprecedented actions, though some observers predict impending
political trouble as public servants are publicly accused of corruption.
From http://www.futuregov.asia/
12/18/2012
TOP↑
MYANMAR: Vowing
to Fight Corruption Effectively
The Myanmar
government Friday vowed to fight corruption effectively, warning that
corruption is an unacceptable and unpardonable misconduct in building a
disciplined democratic nation and affects the dignity of the nation and the
people. In a statement on anti-corruption issued on Friday, the Home
Ministry said the government is rewriting a new bill to replace the
existing Suppression of Corruption Act 1948 to meet the demand of the
present time and international norms. The statement invites citizens to
openly complain about bribery cases to the Bureau of Special Investigation
and the Head Office of the Home Ministry. The statement pointed out that
the culture of demanding for bribes in the form of cash gifts still exists
in the government departments and private enterprises as well as in
interaction between government staff and departments. It called for public
participation in the elimination of bribery and corruption to ensure good
governance and clean government.
From http://news.xinhuanet.com/ 11/30/2012
TOP↑
PHILIPPINES: Govt
Call Centre Launches SMS Service
Citizens can now
voice their queries, complaints, concerns and recommendations on various public
services right on the palm of their hands all thanks to the Government Call
Centre’s new SMS service. The Government Call Centre, dubbed “Contact Center ng Bayan” (The Nation’s
Contact Centre), is a joint effort by six government agencies. It was conceived
to be the government’s main help desk where citizens and other entities can
voice their complaints and concerns with government agencies and gain
access to information. The participating agencies are the Bureau of
Internal Revenue, Civil Service Commission, Department of Health,
Department of Trade and Industry, National Computer Centre and the
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation. According to Civil Service
Commission-Region 8 Director Marilyn Taldo, the SMS service is part of the
Commission’s plan to make it easier and more convenient for the public to
voice their queries about services in the participating government offices.
In addition, it eliminates the need for citizens to travel to the
government agency for clarifications they may need on certain services. The
contact centre can be reached by sending a text message to 090-888-16565.
From http://www.futuregov.asia/ 12/07/2012
TOP↑
SINGAPORE: Ruling
Party Elects New Central Executive Committee
Singapore's
ruling party the People's Action Party elected a new central executive
committee on Sunday, with 12 winning the top votes, and two others
co-opted. Local media Channel NewsAsia said the committee represents
"the party's highest policy-making body." The 12 members of the
committee are Lee Hsien Loong, Khaw Boon Wan, Yaacob Ibrahim, Teo Chee
Hean, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Lim Swee Say, K Shanmugam, Chan Chun Sing,
Grace Fu, Gan Kim Yong, Heng Swee Keat and Ng Eng Hen, while Tan Chuan-Jin
and Vivian Balakrishnan were co-opted. All of them are prime ministers or
ministers for different ministries. The Straits Times reported that
"the fourth-generation ministers like Education Minister Heng Swee
Keat, Acting Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing and
Second Minister for the Prime Minister's Office Grace Fu made it to the top
12 with the most number of votes from the thousand plus cadres. "
From http://news.xinhuanet.com/
12/02/2012
TOP↑
Singapore to Set
Up Two Bodies to Manage Personal Data Protection Act
Singapore's
Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) said on Thursday that they
will set up a Personal Data Protection Commission and a Data Protection
Advisory Committee to respectively administer and advise on the Personal
Data Protection Act on Jan. 2, 2013. The act, which was passed by the
city-state's parliament in October and will come into effect on Jan. 2 next
year, is aim at protecting personal information from being stolen or
indiscriminately collected and used for marketing purposes. "It will
be implemented in phases over an 18-month period to allow time for
organizations to adjust fully to the new law," the MCI said in a
statement. The MCI said the commission will undertake education and
outreach programs to help organizations and the public understand the law
as well as issue advisory guidelines for organizations to comply with the
act. Meanwhile, the commission will also set up a "Do Not Call"
registry in early 2014 for public registration, the ministry added.
The "Do Not Call" registry will
allow people to opt out of receiving intrusive marketing messages like
telemarketing calls, faxes as well as text and multi-media messages
including those sent via smart phone applications such as WhatsApp and
Viber. The committee, on the other hand, is established to advise the
commission on matters relating to the key roles, administration and
enforcement of the Act. "During the transition period, the commission
will work closely with sectoral regulators and associations to help
organizations comply with the act to adjust their data protection
practices, and embark on public education and engagement programs to help
consumers better understand how they may protect their own personal data
from misuse," local media Channel NewsAsia quoted Leong Keng Thai,
chairman of the commission, as saying. According to earlier report, the act
covers all private sector organizations engaged in data activities within Singapore.
The commission can impose fines of up to 1 million Singapore dollars (
about 820,000 U.S. dollars) for every offense and penalties of 10, 000
Singapore dollars (8,200 U.S. dollars) for every unsolicited marketing call
or message to a number in the "Do Not Call" registry.
From http://news.xinhuanet.com/
12/21/2012
TOP↑
THAILAND:
Mulling Extending Retirement Age of Civil Servants
By 2050, when Thailand's population is
expected to total 82.5 million, according to the UN's "World
Population Ageing: 1950-2050" report, the number of elderly Thais -
those aged 60 or older - is projected to reach 22.5 million, or 27.3 per
cent of the population. With more people reaching retirement age and a
declining fertility rate leading to fewer young workers, this situation
will affect all sectors, particularly Thailand's civil service, which
is the "back office" of the main engines driving the Kingdom's
economy. According to the secretary-general of the Office of the Civil
Service Commission, Nontikorn Kanjanajitra, this issue is of great concern
and must be addressed urgently if public services for all Thais are not to
decline in the decades ahead. "This has been our concern for years, as
the average age of civil servants hit 45 years for the first time in
2004," Nontikorn said in an interview last week. The average dropped
recently to 43, thanks to the retirement of those members of the "baby
boomer" generation. Yet, the situation remains worrisome, taking into
account higher life expectancy and lower fertility rates. More than 2.7
million people now work for the civil service in some capacity, comprising
officials in 19 ministries whose salaries are part of the central
government budget. Of the 1.65 million with full civil-servant status -
qualifying for full benefits - only 42.2 per cent are aged below 40 years.
The Civil Service Act was amended in 2008
to extend the retirement age by up to 10 years from 60 for civil servants
with needed technical or other individual skills - medical and legal, for
example. Their retirements will be delayed by four years, with two
three-year renewals possible. Nontikorn said his office is also studying a
plan to extend the retirement age of civil servants in other areas. The
study, which kicked off about a year ago, is expected to be completed this
month and will be presented to the government next year. In the preliminary
stage, two options are being considered. First, the 70-year threshold could
be applied to experts working in other fields to address shortages. Second,
the threshold in all fields could be extended from 60 years to 62 years.
This may exclude those who do not hold at least a bachelor's degree. Also,
for certain positions such as soldiers and police officers, there may be a
physical requirement. "Two
benefits from this would be that [the workers'] expertise is retained, and
the pension burden would be reduced," Nontikorn said. In Japan,
which has a higher percentage of its population in the elderly range than
any other country, the retirement age will be raised to 65 next March,
while companies are allowed to pay half-salary to employees aged 60 or
more.
Professor Naohiro Ogawa of the Nihon
University Population Research Institute said earlier that the extension of
retirement age is necessary; no country in the world, Ogawa said, can leave
their retirement age unchanged for decades as life expectancy increases.
Ogawa noted that if more people are kept in the workforce, their
contributions help reduce the government's pension burden, making the
pension scheme more sustainable. Mathana Phananiramai, a former lecturer at
Thammasat University who has studied the
impact of the ageing population, added that older retirement age would help
ensure that retirees have more savings. Under the Pension Act, Thailand's
retirement age has been fixed at 60 years since 1941, when Thais' life
expectancy was just 52. Thanks to advances in medicine and other
technologies, life expectancy is now 72. Meanwhile, Thailand's
fertility rate is well under one, meaning less than one child is born to
every couple. Without contributions from those who can still make them, the
government is also shouldering extra healthcare expenses on civil servants
and retirees, as well as their family members. About 5 million people are
now eligible for the medical services under the Civil Servant Medical
Benefit Scheme, according to Health Insurance System Research Office head Dr
Samrit Srithamrongsawat. About half are aged over 60, consuming about half
of total expenses, which stand at 60 billion baht (US$1.9 billion) per
annum. Nontikorn said the burden would only rise as the ageing population
demands more healthcare services. This will require more staff, buildings
and utility expenses. In addition, the Thai public service will face a
human-resource shortage, particularly in the medical area. "The age
gap will only widen, as many civil servants age while we freeze the workforce
periodically. We need to seriously rethink the recruitment rules. There
must be incentives to facilitate the return of the recently retired to the
public service," he said.
From http://www.asianewsnet.net/ 12/03/2012
TOP↑
Thailand to
Develop Public Offering System for Securities
The Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC), Thailand
will develop a ‘Public Offering System’ to provide one-stop service for the
end-to-end issuance of Equity Instruments, Bonds, and other Financial
Instruments. SEC Director of ICT Department Dr Kumpol Sontanarat said that
this system will perform real-time interaction with other regulatory
agencies such as Thai Securities Depository (TSD), Thai Bond Market Association
(ThaiBMA), and the Bank of Thailand (BOT) via web services to issue
identification to particular instruments. It will also promote relevant
information pertaining to those instruments and securities on the SEC’s
website and on the BOT’s Country Economic Report. The Public Offering
system will be an in-house development project as one of the SEC’s twelve
core services, he added. Apart from this, the SEC will also develop ‘SEC
Centerpoint’ for through internal knowledge management, and Business Intelligence
to manage and integrate large pools of Thai capital market information from
various sources.
From http://www.futuregov.asia/
12/19/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
INDIA: CMSS
to Roll Out e-Procurement Solution
New
Delhi: The Central Medical Services
Society (CMSS) will soon roll out a e-Procurement to procure goods at
competitive rates. CMSS is the newly-launched agency to streamline the
procurement process in the public sector. The agency is working on a plan
to set up an efficient supply chain to prevent leakages, a system to
prevent stock-outs and excess inventory, and plan to reduce wastage with
the help of a management information system (MIS), based on the assessment
of the existing mechanism and the loopholes, sources said. The objective of
this Society is to function as an independent, professional and autonomous
agency for procurement of quality health sector goods and services required
by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare in a transparent and fair manner and make the goods
available at convenient locations for the benefit of the users by
addressing efficiently the supply chain issues.
The agency has already done an assessment
of the current system. Absence of an IT-enabled supply chain management,
inadequate supply chain infrastructure, manual collection of data and
absence of any credible MIS for proper stocking and inventory management,
and delays in estimation of quantities and in settlement of tenders leading
to delayed supplies were found out to be the main problems in the sector
now. At present, the Health Ministry is procuring drugs, vaccines,
contraceptives and medical equipments departmentally and through
procurement agents for its various disease control programmes.
From http://egov.eletsonline.com
12/05/2012
TOP↑
UP Civic
Officials Study Gurgaon Municipal Corp e-Gov Module
Gurgaon: Ninety-six officials from various
municipal corporations, councils and committees in Uttar Pradesh visited
Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) to study the e-Governance steps
initiated by the corporation. The officials also visited the solid waste
management plant at Bandhwari and studied treatments on garbage and recycle
waste material. Director General of the Urban Local Bodies Department said
the state government has earmarked around Rs 700 crore to assist all
municipal bodies in the state to set up solid waste management plants in
their areas. Some of the municipalities have already identified the
location to set up the treatment plants while the others have been given a
month’s time to do so. “The MCG is the best in the state in implementing
e-Governance and the state government wanted other municipal bodies to
study and understand this initiative, so that it can be replicated in their
jurisdictions as well. The visiting officials were told about the online
tracking system, call centre and the Pragati portal, among other
initiatives, undertaken by us,” a corporation spokesperson said.
From http://egov.eletsonline.com
12/05/2012
TOP↑
Over 10K
Government Email IDs Hit in Cyber Attack
New
Delhi: In what is being termed as the
biggest cyber attack on the country’s official computer networks, over 10,000
email addresses of top government officials were hacked in a single day on
July 12 this year. The IDs included those of officials working in the PMO,
defence, external affairs, home, finance ministries, as well as
intelligence agencies. The attack has been blamed on state actors, based in
countries inimical to India’s
interests. The attack took place despite an alert issued four days earlier,
on July 8, by the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection
Centre (NCIIPC), formed under the National Technical Research Organisation
(NTRO), as the malware or malicious software used was “sophisticated” and
targeted subjects, individuals and organisations.
“The advisory was issued on July 8… and
the PMO, NSA and other agencies alerted,” a top NTRO official told The
Indian Express. “The MEA and MHA took the biggest hit, plus strategic
information related to critical sectors, including troop deployment, was
compromised”Paramilitary forces were also badly hit, especially ITBP, as
deployments were revealed. There were serious cases of negligence, the
involvement of insiders, if any, is also being checked,” he added. News of
the attack was confirmed by officials of intelligence and enforcement
agencies who attended a day-long NCIIPC conference in the capital on Monday
where Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, NSA Shiv Shankar Menon and NTRO Chairman
P V Kumar were among those present.“We would not like to name the state actors
but D4 — destroy, disrupt, deny and degrade — process was initiated and
counter offensive launched,” the NTRO official said.
From http://egov.eletsonline.com
12/19/2012
TOP↑
NEPAL:
Getting LDCs Leadership in WTO
Nepal took over
from Friday the role of the Coordinator of the Consultative Group of the
Least Developed Countries in the World Trade Organization. Addressing the
meeting convened to handover the Coordinatorship, Ambassador/Permanent
Representative of Nepal
to the United Nations, WTO and other International Organizations in Geneva, Shanker D. Bairagi, thanked LDCs delegations
for the trust and goodwill shown to Nepal. The Ambassador
underlined that the year ahead is challenging as external economic
situation is not easy and the scenario in WTO is not much encouraging
especially for LDCs. He stressed on the need of working hard to ensure that
LDC issues are not sidelined and to remind the WTO community once again
that delivering concrete results for the most vulnerable countries is a
moral imperative and an obligation emanating from past WTO decisions. He
highlighted the important role trade can play in helping LDCs alleviate
poverty and achieve prosperity.
Bairagi emphasized that the LDCs Group
should continue to pursue the longstanding agendas that include the
operationalization of duty-free-quota-free market access for LDCs; simple,
transparent and facilitative rules of origin; resolution of cotton issues
and operationalization of Services Waiver decision. The Permanent
Representative stated that the LDCs are bound together by common
characteristics of vulnerability and being in special need of external
support measures to be able to trade and develop. He underscored the
importance of solidarity and common voice of the Group to advance LDCs'
common issues. LDCs delegations congratulated Nepal on being elected as the
new LDCs Coordinator in WTO and expressed hope that the Nepalese delegation
will effectively lead the Group. The LDCs Consultative Group is the key
forum of LDCs Members and Observers of WTO to discuss and form a common
position on all pertinent issues in WTO. Nepal
takes over the Coordinatorship from Haiti
at an important time ahead of the Ninth Ministerial Conference (MC9)
scheduled to take place in Bali Indonesia in the first week of
December 2013.
From http://www.nepalnews.com
12/16/2012
TOP↑
PAKISTAN: Three
Newly Elected Members Take Oath
ISLAMABAD: Three
newly elected members for the National Assembly on Monday took oath as
MNAs. Chairperson Yasmeen Rehman administered the oath. The members
included Chaudhry Zahid Iqbal, Mauhammad Hanif Malik; and Bawan Das, a
member elected against a minority seat fallen vacant after resignation by a
PML-N minority MNA Dr. Araish. Other two members Chaudhry Zahid Iqbal and
Muhammad Hanif Malik who took oath on Monday, belonged to Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz. They had got elected from National Assembly constituencies
NA-162 Sahiwal-III and NA-107 Gujrat-IV respectively.
From http://www.brecorder.com
12/17/2012
TOP↑
Pakistan Making
Democratic, Economic Gains Despite Heavy Odds
Despite facing heavy odds, Pakistan
has made key democratic strides and built a new economy as it also
courageously grapples with challenges of militancy, a political commentator
noted. Writing for Americans For Democracy and Justice in Pakistan, David James makes the case for
acknowledging Pakistan's
achievements at a time when the media focuses on bombastic negative stories
and militant bombings. The writer cites the case of Malala Yousafzai and
notes that President Asif Ali Zardari, standing up against the extremists
that rejoiced in the assassination attempt against the courageous 14-
year-old advocate for education, recently travelled to Birmingham,
England to meet with
under treatment Malala and pledge $10 million to a new and energized
program for female literacy in Pakistan.
"This act of leadership, courage and
defiance against extremism by President Zardari did manage to capture the
imagination of the international press, with photos of the meeting with
Malala on all Evening News programs in the United States. But this
coverage was the exemption, not the rule". "But there is a new Pakistan
emerging a moderate, tolerant and modern nation building a new society and
new economy against huge odds. In the long term, when the history of South
Asia and the history of the world's fight against militancy is written, the
story of the emergence of a moderate and modern Pakistan will be a central
theme", says James, who studied politics and economics at Oxford
University. There is little historical precedent for what Pakistan, in the face of
incomparable challenges, is achieving. Early next year, the elected
civilian government will complete its five-year term for the first time in
national history.
The writer cites a number of democratic
developments including restoration of the 1973 constitution, education and
economic development programs and Benazir Income Support program and
remarks that by implementing responsible policies, Pakistan is realizing its
latent economic potential. The Karachi Stock Exchange is hitting all time
highs and economic growth is expected to reach four percent. For a nation
managing multiple internal and external conflicts, such performance is
noteworthy. As for Pakistan's
relations with the US
they are also back on track, says James while praising Ambassador Sherry
Rehman's diplomatic efforts to that end. During her tenure, through intense
negotiations and ceaseless contact with administration officials, Senators
and Congressmen, Rehman and others helped reopen NATO supply lines and
oversee a dramatic improvement in economic, security, and political ties.
Almost inconceivable 12 months ago when relations reached historic lows, US ties are
now fully repaired and on a positive trajectory, as Pakistan Foreign
Minister Hina Rabbani Khar recently stated.
Commenting on challenges facing the
nation, the writer says "of course, large obstacles remain in the Pakistan
comeback story". But consider for a moment, that despite those
challenges because of a government that is beholden to its people and
partners that have honoured their promises Pakistan's future looks brighter
now than when the civilian government took office five years ago. The
picture of the courageous Malala Yousafzai sitting with the President of
Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari is a symbol of the new democratic and progressive
Pakistan that is
emerging, an untold story that will change the future of South
Asia.
From http://www.brecorder.com
12/20/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
AZERBAIJAN:
Informatization Level of Educational System to Be Satisfactory
Azerbaijani Education Ministry have submitted
the next phase of project on informatization of educational system to the
government of the country, the Minister of Education Misir Mardanov told
reporters on Tuesday. According to the minister, ratification of the
project, implementation of which is envisaged within 7 years, is expected.
Work on informatization of educational system, connecting schools to the
global network and enhancing the skills of teaching staff in the field of
information technology will be continued within the project. "The
current level of educational system's informatization can be considered as
satisfactory, and the level of informatization will grow further with the
financing of the field," he said. According to Mardanov, today more
than half of teaching staff, about 80.000 teachers, have been trained to
enhance their skills in information technology. According to these figures,
Azerbaijan
exceeds average indicators. As for equipping schools with computer
equipment, today one computer falls to the share of 20 students, the
minister said. "Our main goal is not to reduce the number, for the
computers, issued to schools, to be used for the intended purpose . Also
one of the important aspects is to improve the literacy level of teachers
in information technology, as well as increasing the number of schools
connected to the Internet" Mardanov said.
From http://en.trend.az/
11/27/2012
TOP↑
Azerbaijani
Taxes Ministry Creates Organisation to Deal with Electronic Audit
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Taxes is
creating a special organisation to deal with an electronic audit,
Azerbaijani Deputy Minister Sahib Alakbarov told Trend on Monday. "In
the coming days we intend to make changes to the structure of the Ministry,"
he said. "This will be a very strong organisation consisting of IT
specialists and tax employees. This organisation will begin its activity in
early 2013 enabling us to conduct an e-audit." He said that the
project of introducing e-audit is under completion. "Specialists at
the Ministry underwent special training," he said. "The project
consisting of six components (establishing a legal framework, the
information base and staff training), is under completion." Head of
Tax Policy and Strategic Studies Department of the Ministry Akif Musayev
told Trend earlier that the regulatory framework for the electronic audit
will be created within the bill on amendments and additions to the Tax
Code. This bill is being developed. The electronic audit is intended to
protect the rights of taxpayers. An automated information system is
required for its application. The Ministry of Taxes has the system,
including all the possibilities for an e-audit the ministry said. Using an
electronic audit will reduce the number of on-site inspections by 90 per
cent.
From http://en.trend.az/
12/07/2012
TOP↑
Ruling
Party: Azerbaijani Society Has Concrete Opinion on Presidential Elections
2013 is the year of the presidential elections
in Azerbaijan.
"I think that the Azerbaijani society has a concrete opinion in this
regard," Deputy Chairman, Executive Secretary of the ruling New
Azerbaijan Party Ali Ahmadov said at a ceremony party of delivering a
certification to a 600,000th member of the ruling party today. The ruling
party and Azerbaijani people consider Ilham Aliyev as the only candidate in
the presidential elections of 2013, he said. "I think that there are
serious reasons to form the opinion," he said. "As a result of the
economic policy of the previous years, Azerbaijan has become the
fastest growing country in the economic sphere. Azerbaijan has changed people's
welfare during the period." "2012 was a successful year for Azerbaijan
and ruling party. The important actions were taken in the international
arena," he said. "2013 will be also successful for Azerbaijan,"
he said. "It will be a year of great projects that will be implemented
as a result of economic development and infrastructure project
implementation."
From http://en.trend.az/
12/22/2012
TOP↑
KAZAKHSTAN: State
Commission Created for EXPO-2017
The State Commission for the International
Exhibition EXPO-2017 is created in Azerbaijan, President Nursultan
Nazarbayev said in his address to the people in connection with the
decision to hold the exhibition in Astana. "It is a great opportunity
for our country to acquire new energy and "green" technology. It
means billions of dollars will be invested in Kazakhstan during the
preparation and holding of EXPO -2017 and the further use of its
facilities. I've created the state commission to solve all issues with
regard to the preparation of the exhibition," the statement said. He
reiterated that Kazakhstan
defeated a strong contender, the Belgian city of Liege, which already had experience in
holding such an international forum. "It is a great success for Kazakhstan.
Expo - an event of global proportions, comparable with the World Economic
Forum in regards to importance and also with the most popular sport events
in the world in regards to tourist attraction," the statement said.
International exhibitions are mainly held in the countries considered to be
economic giants like the U.S.,
France, Germany, Japan,
Brazil, Canada, the UK,
Spain, China and others during more
than 160 years. Now Kazakhstan
is also included amongst the ranks of such countries.
"This new success further underlines
that we have become a respected country in the world. The majority of the 160
states - members of the International Exhibitions Bureau voted for us.
Almost the whole world chose Astana," Nazarbayev said. However, he
noted that the Expo 2017 - is at the same time, the huge responsibility of Kazakhstan
to the world. "We have to carry out a lot of preparatory work, the
building of an exhibition center, new hotels, roads, and transport
development, all to ensure readiness for guests in just five years.
Approximately 5 million foreign visitors will attend Expo 2019 during three
months," the statement said. All the countries will prepare their
pavilions under the theme of the exhibition - Energy for the future. As the
experience of the past shows, such exhibitions have an enormous impact on
the development of cities and countries where they are held. "The
place in Astana for the construction of the new exhibition center is
defined. This will be another "national construction" of Kazakhstan.
Five years will pass quickly. Astana's success in the struggle for the
right to host Expo 2017 - is the success of the people of Kazakhstan. I have no doubt
that all citizens of Kazakhstan
will take an active part in the preparations for the International
Exhibition. I believe that EXPO 2017 will be another golden chapter in our
history," Nazarbayev said. He urged Kazakhstan to unite and
actively prepare the country for this great international event.
From http://en.trend.az/
12/07/2012
TOP↑
In Kazakhstan
Civil Servants Will Be Accountable for Substandard Services
In Kazakhstan, civil servants will
bear responsibility for for poor quality government services, the deputy
head of the Presidential Administration Baurzhan Baibek reported on Friday.
He recalled that in past few years steps taken for improvement of provision
of public service delivery gave positive results. "People felt those
results on the example of PSC (Public Service Centers - Trend). Though
their performance is far from being perfect, still people saw and felt that
many of the services (registration, cancellation of registration, obtaining
driver license, etc) may be performed quickly and efficiently," he
said. According to him, the law is primarily directed to the fact that all
of the complaints of citizens should be considered on time by government
agencies, all the stages of application consideration must be transparent.
As previously reported, the President signed the Law on "Amendments
and additions to some legislative acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan
for the public service" on Friday. The law aims at improving the
efficiency of the state apparatus, including through the introduction of
new mechanisms for the formation, operation and evaluation of personnel of
public service.
From http://en.trend.az/
12/21/2012
TOP↑
TURKMENISTAN:
Replacing Justice Minister
Turkmen President Gurbanguly
Berdimuhamedov has signed a decree dismissing Myrat Garryev as Justice
Minister, Turkmen State News Service (TDH) reported Sunday. Garryev was
replaced with his deputy, Begench Charyev.
From http://en.trend.az/
12/02/2012
TOP↑
Turkmenistan to
Establish Agency to Protect National Economy from Risks
Turkmen President Gurbanguly
Berdimuhamedov made a statement at a recent government meeting on the
feasibility of establishing a special agency under the Ministry of Economy
aimed at protecting the national economy from risks, the Turkmen government
reported on Friday. Relevant departments were tasked with responsibility to
prepare a draft resolution to be presented to the government in near
future. According to the report, such structures already function under the
government or independently in many countries of the world. "I believe
a similar agency needs to be established in our country as well. It would
be appropriate to task it with the responsibility of verifying the foreign
companies willing to operate in Turkmenistan. "If their
presence is deemed appropriate, the agency will grant them permission to
function in our country, "the government report quotes the Turkmen
president.
Alongside that this institution will be
responsible for monitoring and ensuring the commissioning of projects built
in Turkmenistan
by various companies, as well as taking measures to prevent risks that may
be incurred by the economy due to the late delivery. It is expected the
newly formed agency should fully investigate the risks that may arise
regarding activities of foreign companies willing to invest their
resources. As noted by the Turkmen president, firms willing to operate in Turkmenistan
may face a number of internal and external risks. Among the major risks the
Turkmen leader highlighted political risks associated with the situation in
the country where the head office of the company is located. According to
him, regulatory risks due to changes in previously existing rules and the
adoption of new legislation and regulations in the country where the
company operates may occur as well. Companies may also face natural risks
in their activities caused by natural disasters. According to
Berdymukhamedov, regional and industrial risks should also be taken into
consideration.
All the information regarding
implementation of the project tender winning company should be directed to
the newly established agency prior to announcement of any final results. If
the necessity arises, the agency will be given authority to become
acquainted with the activities of a foreign company willing to operate in Turkmenistan
and visit its headquarters. "This in its turn will contribute to
detailed examination of all risks that may arise during the operation of
that company in Turkmenistan,"
theTurkmen President noted. "Upon receiving positive results of a deep
examination of the foreign company's performance the agency is obliged to
approve and publish the results. Otherwise it is excluded from
participation in the tender and a new one is to be
announced,"Berdimuhamedov said. According to official data, large
factories are being built in Turkmenistan with the
participation of foreign partners and approximately 2000 large buildings
worth nearly $35 billion are being constructed. Alongside this construction
are that of the transcontinental North-South railway and the development of
oil and gas fields and construction of gas pipelines at final stage.
Redevelopment of large scale construction works are in progress in cities
and villages.
From http://en.trend.az/
12/22/2012
TOP↑
UZBEKISTAN: Special Information Systems to Be
Created in Judicial Sphere
Uzbekistan will
develop and introduce information systems that are integrated within the
national information system for collecting, processing and storing
information about the activity in the courts in 2013-14. This work is
envisaged by the order of the Cabinet of Ministers which approved the
programme of introducing modern information and communication technologies
in the work of the courts. The programme will see the analysis of
introducing and developing information and communication technologies,
including on resources and systems, the number and quality of online
services, as well as the qualified personnel in the field of information
and communication technologies in the courts. It is planned to provide
court personnel with computer and office equipment, to create the local
area networks in the central and regional court offices and to organise
electronic litigation within the development of infrastructure for
information and communication technologies. Moreover, the decree of the
government envisages the measures will increase the level of computer
literacy and improve the skills of judges and court staff, including their
certification for using modern computer and information and communication
technologies. The increased number of information resources and improved
quality of online services will allow applications to the court with
petitions and other documents in an electronic manner to exchange data and
to interact effectively with legal and physical entities to publish the
decisions of the economic courts. They will be financed from the state
budget, the Development Fund of the Courts and the Judicial Bodies, as well
as grants and loans from international financial institutions and
organisations and other sources not prohibited by law.
From http://en.trend.az/
12/18/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
AUSTRALIA: Govt
Fights Against Internet Governance Changes
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is
in Dubai this
week for the International Telecommunications Union's (ITU's) World
Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), and said that the
Australian government will oppose changes that would give governments
greater control over the internet. The ITU will seek the support of
delegates from 193 different nations to change the International
Telecommunications Regulations (ITR) to give more control over the internet
to governments, rather than existing independent organisations, such as the
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The treaty was
first created in 1988 at a similar conference in Melbourne. The proposal likely to come
from the closed-door meeting has already been met with opposition from
Google and Anonymous, with Google's chief evangelist Vint Cerf saying that
the changes could "put government handcuffs on the net", with a
number of governments that have track records of opposing internet freedom
getting a vote on the changes to the ITR.
Others have warned that the changes would
make internet "blackouts", such as those seen in Egypt and Syria, much easier to
coordinate. Conroy announced today that the case had not been made for the
changes to the ITR to be accepted, and he believed that ICANN should still
be kept in charge. "ICANN's multi-stakeholder model has played a
significant role in the success of the internet, and is essential for
ensuring that the internet remains a central point for innovation and a
driver of economic growth," Conroy said. "Australia wants to make sure
that any amendments to the ITRs do not undermine this model or
fundamentally change the way the internet operates. Australia does not believe a
case has been made for change." Conroy said that the ITU should still
focus on developing technical telecommunications standards that ensure
networks can work with one another across the globe, but said that ICANN
should continue to oversee the global Domain Name System.
"There appears to be little value in
either organisation seeking to encroach on the responsibilities of the
other," he said. "Given the increasing importance of
communications networks in our day-to-day lives, governments should
continue to play a role in developing and protecting this vital
infrastructure from harm — either from deliberate attacks or natural
disasters." Conroy said that he would be meeting with the delegations
from other nations to seek support for Australia's position on the
proposed ITR changes. Telecommunications analyst Paul Budde this morning
dismissed the concerns about the conference as "conspiracy
theories," stating that it was not a "takeover of the internet by
the UN," but working to build a consensus about ITR. "The
decisions that have been made over that time have been based on consensus, and
the Secretary-General of the ITU, the UN body in charge of the organisation
organising the conference, is determined that any decision-making at this
conference will take place on that basis also." He claimed that people
with vested interests were seeking to spread FUD (fear, uncertainty and
doubt) about the conference. The conference comes just weeks after the
government announced that it would drop its proposal for a mandatory
internet filtering system in Australia, which, under its
initial proposal, would have seen all content that sat outside the
government's rating system blocked from view. Instead, the government has
opted to force internet service providers to block content on the Interpol
black list.
From http://www.zdnet.com
12/03/2012
TOP↑
Super
Fast Broadband and Government Service Delivery
Senator the Honourable Stephen Conroy,
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Australia, reveals to FutureGov the
strategic considerations and the far-reaching vision behind Australia’s
bid to be a leading world digital economy by 2020. As the appetite for
services using broadband rises inexorably, many nations are investing in
super fast broadband infrastructure. In Australia, the Government has
announced the AU$36 billion National Broadband Network (NBN) project that
will connect 93% of premises to broadband using optical fibre while the
remaining 7% will receive broadband via either a 4G fixed wireless connection or a
next generation satellite service. The NBN is to be rolled out over the
next decade. In addition to speed and capacity, the characteristics which
differentiate the NBN from current broadband services include its
Australia-wide coverage, as well as its stability and reliability. The
establishment of the NBN as a wholesale-only, open access platform is
designed to deliver stronger retail competition, greater choice, lower
prices and more innovation.
The Australian Government has also
released a National Digital Economy Strategy which has the overarching
vision to make Australia
one of the world’s leading digital economies by 2020. The Strategy includes
eight high level goals focusing on the following areas:
·Online participation by Australian
households
·Online engagement by Australian businesses
and not for profit organisations
·Smart management of our environment and
infrastructure
·Improved health and aged care
·Expanded
online education
·Increased
teleworking
·Improved online government service
delivery and engagement
·Greater digital engagement in regional Australia.
Government service delivery
With the rollout of super fast broadband,
the challenge for government agencies at the federal, state and local
levels will be to both keep up with the way Australians will want to use
the NBN as well as understanding how to take advantage of super fast
broadband to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their programs and
services. To assist this, the Federal Department of Broadband,
Communications and the Digital Economy is developing a guide to help
government agencies identify programs and operations that can best take
advantage of super fast broadband. This guide will identify and explain:
·how the NBN will be different to Australia’s
current broadband infrastructure
·the characteristics of government programs
and operations that can most benefit from super fast broadband, and
·how to establish robust pilot projects to
test the advantages that super fast speed broadband can deliver.
Client service delivery
Many government agencies use shopfronts to
deliver client services. These shopfront services can include circumstances
where clients are seeking, for example, to:
·register a business, car/boat or even a
pet,
·obtain a licence to undertake a regulated
activity such as driving a car, getting a visa or passport, obtaining
permission for a development proposal, or
·secure a government payment or subsidy
Government shopfronts are often
supplemented by a telephone call centre. Over the last 15 years, shopfront
services have also been supplemented by an online service delivery channel
where clients interact directly with an agency’s client service IT system.
Most government client service agencies thus offer 3 channels of service
delivery—a physical face to face channel, a telephone channel and an online
channel. The online channel has proved to be highly cost-effective and is
strongly promoted over face to face service delivery. But despite the
inconvenience and cost to clients of physical face to face service delivery
(such as travelling to a government shopfront, finding parking, queuing for
a service often during the lunch hour, and frequently being re-directed to
another agency shopfront to obtain other evidence and then coming back to
the original agency), many clients continue to choose the physical face to
face channel. This may partly be due to the complexity of the transactions
involved or because some clients prefer the re-assurance of a face to face
transaction.
With the introduction of super fast
broadband, a question for many government agencies is whether to introduce
a video-based service delivery channel to supplement their online client
service delivery. Our hypothesis is that super fast broadband to every
premises in Australia, enabling high quality video interaction in combination
with the agency’s online client service channel, could significantly
improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of client service delivery. It
would, for example, enable two or more client service officers to be
connected simultaneously to a client at home to enable the needs of that
client to be managed comprehensively rather than the client being bounced
from agency to agency. The challenge for government agencies will be to
test how best this video based service delivery channel can be introduced
and operated for the benefit of both clients and government agencies.
Other types of government services
Other types of government services that
may benefit from super fast broadband include:
·Outreach services – For a large country with
a relatively low population density, efficient service delivery to people
and businesses in regional and remote parts of Australia is a major challenge.
Many government agencies deal with this by developing outreach services
where government officers travel from location to location to deliver
services. Super fast broadband offers the opportunity for these services to
be delivered via high quality video. This can enable more people to access
services more easily and more frequently and that government agencies can
deliver these services more efficiently.
·Consultations with householders and
businesses – A key part of the role of government agencies is to consult
with people and businesses in the community. Such input is critical to the
development of sound service delivery policies and practices. But
conducting such consultations can be expensive for government agencies and
often inconvenient for people and businesses to attend. Super fast
broadband offers the prospect of undertaking these consultations in a way
that is significantly more convenient and more efficient.
·Communication of policies and programs –
Government agencies now make extensive use of websites to communicate the
details of policies and programs. But most of these websites make only limited
use of rich media opportunities because it is generally only people and
businesses in metropolitan Australia that have access to adequate broadband
to enjoy the benefits of such websites. Ubiquitous availability of super
fast broadband will make it much more attractive to government agencies to
make more extensive use of rich media to communicate the details of
policies and programs.
There are of course other opportunities
for government service delivery using super fast broadband including the
potential benefits for delivery of health and education services as well as
opportunities to boost teleworking. As the NBN is rolled out, trials in
these areas will also be conducted to better understand and realise the
advantages of ubiquitous super fast broadband.
From http://www.futuregov.asia
12/17/2012
TOP↑
Reforms
Failing to Close Indigenous Schools Gap
EFFORTS to close the gap in education for indigenous
students have stalled, reflecting the slow progress in lifting the literacy
and numeracy skills of all students across the nation, despite the extra
billions of dollars spent in schools. Literacy and numeracy test results
released yesterday show indigenous students are closing the gap in a couple
of areas, notably the reading standard among Year 3 students, but on
average are improving at the same rate as non-indigenous students, leaving
the gap intact.
From The Australian 12/19/2012
TOP↑
Australia to
Establish Customs Reform Board Against Corruption
Australian government will establish a
Customs Reform Board as the first step of a reform against corruption
following the arrests of customs officers on malpractice on drug smuggling,
Minister for Justice Jason Clare told a press conference Thursday. One
Customs officer, 28, one quarantine officer, 31, and two members of the
public were arrested this week. Four more people were arrested in August
and October. These eight people had been charged over drug smuggling
following a clandestine two-year investigation into corruption. "There
will always be the risk that organized criminals will target law
enforcement officers. There's always the risk that our law enforcement officers
could end up working for the crooks." Minister Clare said at a press
conference in Sydney. The Customs Reform
Board was made up of James Wood, former Royal Commissioner of the NSW Royal
Commission into the NSW Police Service, former NSW Police commissioner Ken
Moroney and former deputy chairman of Ansett David Mortimer.
It will oversee the Customs Services and
give recommendations to stamp out corruption from the service and take more
reforms. The government has already announced a number of changes to Customs
this year, including covert integrity testing, drug and alcohol testing,
new requirements to report misconduct, and expanding the powers of
Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (ACLEI). And Minister
Clare said he planned to announce "major structural and cultural
reforms" next year, including improving its law enforcement
capability, integrity culture and business systems. Few months ago, a
Customs officer was arrested, along with two men and one woman. They were
charged with corruption and drug- related offences. "The investigation
began... after Customs notified ACLEI of suspected corrupt activity almost
two years ago," Australian Federal Police chief commissioner Tony
Negus said. According to him, this investigation, which has resulted in
eight people being arrested, is still ongoing, and further arrests are
anticipated.
From http://www.globaltimes.cn
12/20/2012
TOP↑
More
Public Sector Jobs to Go in SA
Treasurer Jack Snelling has released his
mid-year budget review, which demands government departments achieve a
further 1 per cent in budget savings. Another 1,750 public sector jobs are
earmarked to go and the Government plans to achieve additional savings of
$464 million over four years. Mr Snelling said the department efficiencies
would save $171 million over three years. He said $61.5 million would be
pruned by reducing spending on contractors. A review of subsidies was
expected to save $31.5 million. SA would contribute less for the
Murray-Darling Basin Authority, to save $29.2 million. Mr Snelling said the
state took only 7 per cent of water extracted from the Murray but had contributed 24 per cent of
the Authority's budget. He said more centralised communications functions
across government would save $13.3 million over three years. About 50
full-time jobs would go as a result. Cutting back the number of boards and
committees across government would achieve another $4 million of savings.
Overruns absorbed
The Treasurer said the budget would absorb
some of the Health Department's overruns, amounting to $523.2 million over
the forward estimates. "We have more doctors, more nurses, more
hospital beds and more elective surgery per head of population than anywhere
in the country. We want to maintain that," he said. "We couldn't
maintain that and achieve the savings which had previously been set out in
previous budgets, so we've had to significantly change those savings and of
course it's had a budget impact." Mr Snelling blamed a fall in GST
revenue and other taxation for the worsening financial position. The
Treasurer said GST and other federal grants had been revised downward by
$288 million across the forward estimates since the 2012-13 state budget.
As flagged in recent days, the Government will impose a levy on CBD parking
spaces, aimed at raising $52.1 million over two years. It will see car park
owners pay $750 per year for each parking space they have, with the levy to
be indexed. The Government also is moving to monthly rather than two-yearly
minerals royalty payments. It says that will achieve a one-off benefit of
$31.6 million in the 2013-14 financial year.
Public sector
Jan McMahon from the Public Service
Association said the budget review showed the Government did not care about
its workers. "The public service is seen as the Government's ATM. That
is, whenever they want to get extra cash they just think that they can just
continue to slash jobs without having any impact on South Australian
families," she said. "You can't have savage job cuts like this
and there be no impact." But Business SA CEO Nigel McBride praised the
attention given to public sector employment. "We welcome the
recognition by the state Treasurer that, rather than put the burden on
ordinary South Australians, the Government must look at substantive savings
in the public service," he said. Opposition treasury spokesman Iain
Evans said the Government could blame no-one else for its problems.
"This is a budget discipline problem of the Government's own
making," he said.
The Murray-Darling Basin Authority said it
was stunned the SA Government had slashed its funding. But the Basin plan
will not be affected because it is federally funded. Authority chairman
Craig Knowles said the SA money lost would have been spent on maintaining
assets such as dams, locks and weirs. "I'm a little surprised to see
... the South Australian Government, who fought so hard to save the Murray
over the last couple of years, making a major public and political campaign
out of it, to once the plan is finally put in place to suddenly pull back
on a lot of the lifeblood that makes the river system work," he said.
SA Greens leader Mark Parnell condemned
the cuts to environment spending, including the decision to axe the
statutory body Zero Waste SA, which helped improve recycling and reduce
waste. "If South Australians want to keep our leadership role in
recycling and waste management then it's going to have to come from
somewhere. Zero Waste was doing that job," he said. "When the
Government cuts Zero Waste the costs will be picked up elsewhere or the
alternative is we go back to the bad old days, everything going to
landfill."
From http://www.abc.net.au
12/20/2012
TOP↑
MARSHALL ISLANDS: ADB
and RMI Sign $5 Million Loan for Public Sector Reform
A $5 million loan agreement with the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) was signed today in Majuro to support the Government
of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) as it continues implementing
public sector reform initiatives to achieve long-term fiscal
sustainability. “This initiative reaffirms ADB’s long-term partnership with
the Marshall Islands.
While good progress has been made on fiscal and structural reforms under
the program, further efforts are needed to generate sustainable medium-term
economic growth in the Marshall
Islands,” said Ayumi Konishi, Deputy
Director General of the ADB’s Pacific Department, who represented the
organization at the signing. Dennis Momotaro, Minister of Finance,
represented the Government of RMI. The Marshall Islands
economy heavily relies on government spending and foreign grants, which
fund more than two-thirds of government’s budget. Most foreign grants are
provided under an amended Compact of Free Association (or the Compact) with
the United States.
Economic growth over the medium-term in the RMI is expected to stay low at
around 1.5% and revenues are projected to decline. Within this low-growth
scenario, the RMI needs to adjust to the annual decline in United States
Compact of Free Association grants, which will expire in 2023.
In 2010, ADB approved the Public Sector
Reform Program and its subprogram one, which included design of policy
actions and the implementation of immediate reform initiatives. Subprogram
two, for which the $5 million loan was signed today, will complete the
implementation of the policy actions. Policy actions under the subprogram
two that have already been achieved include: introducing new legislation
covering state-owned enterprises, taxes, fiscal responsibility and debt
management; adopting and implementing reform plans for selected state-owned
enterprises to improve their performance; and completing a public sector
workforce audit and planning exercise. Post-program monitoring will
continue throughout 2013. The $5 million equivalent loan comes from ADB’s
Special Funds resources. RMI has been a member of ADB since 1990.
From http://www.adb.org
12/13/2012
TOP↑
NEW ZEALAND:
Legislative Milestone for Better Public Services
The State Sector and Public Finance Reform
Bill concluded its first reading debate in Parliament this afternoon, says
State Services Minister Jonathan Coleman. "This omnibus bill is one of
the initiatives by the government as part of its Better Public Services
reforms," said Dr Coleman. "It is progress towards a more
innovative, efficient public sector that delivers better results for New
Zealanders," he said. Other parties have been consulted on the
proposals in the State Sector and Public Finance Reform Bill, which amends
the State Sector, Public Finance and Crown Entities Acts. The proposed
changes provide a wider range of public sector management tools to support
and encourage:
- Government agencies collaborating more
and organising themselves around results.
- Government agencies sharing functions
and services, co-ordinating on purchasing goods and services, and
developing systems together in order to leverage the scale and expertise of
the state sector.
- Greater financial and reporting
flexibility and the provision of more meaningful performance information to
Parliament.
- Stronger leadership at the system,
sector and departmental level to achieve the desired change in the
performance of the state sector.
Delivering better public services is one
of the Government’s four priorities for this term. "A claim made by
the New Zealand First associate finance spokesman Andrew Williams today
that this legislation will give the Prime Minister "complete
dictatorship" over the State Services Commissioner is nonsense,"
said Dr Coleman. "The clause 6 (J) Mr Williams referred to is being
carried over in identical wording from the current legislation, which has
been in existence since 1988," he said.
Better
Public Services legislation changes
The proposed changes to the State Sector
Act 1988 will:
- Strengthen the State Services
Commissioner’s role in leading the state services.
- Extend chief executives’
responsibilities to consider the collective interests of government and
longer-term sustainability, rather than focusing on single departments or
agencies.
- Add a new organisational arrangement -
Departmental Agencies - to the options available for delivering public
services. These operational agencies will be set up within a department to
carry out a specific function and their chief executive will report
directly to a minister.
- Improve governance across the system.
- Ensure the State Sector Act is modern,
flexible and generally fit for purpose.
The proposed changes to the Public Finance
Act 1989 will:
- Clarify chief executives’
responsibilities for strategic financial management and stewardship.
- Improve financial flexibility to support
innovation and different ways of working within government.
- Provide more meaningful information to
Parliament about what the government is spending and achieving.
- Encourage more strategic reporting on
future intentions, and reduce related compliance costs.
- Specify the governance regime for Public
Finance Act Schedule 4 companies.
The proposed changes to the Crown Entities
Act 2004 will:
- Support sector-wide leadership by
strengthening the alignment of Crown entities.
- Support leadership of particular
functions across entities by expanding the scope for the use of
whole-of-government directions.
- Simplify, streamline, and improve
planning and reporting provisions.
- Formalise the role of the monitoring
department and the Minister of State Services’ ability to request
information.
- Improve the operation of the
legislation.
From http://www.voxy.co.nz
11/29/2012
TOP↑
MPs Get
1.9 Per Cent Pay Rise
MPs will receive a 1.9 per cent pay increase,
the Remuneration Authority confirmed this afternoon. The salary increases
are deemed to have come into effect on July 1 this year meaning MPs will
receive back pay for the last six months. That works out to $1400 for
backbench MPs and $3895 for the Prime Minister. The increase takes a
backbench MP's base pay from $141,800
a year to $144,600 while Prime Minister John Key's pay goes
from $411,510 to $419,300. Opposition Leader David Shearer's base salary
rises from $257,800 to $262,700. In a statement, the authority said MPs pay
had not kept pace with increases in the cost of living or with general wage
movements. That was partly at the request of Parliament and partly down to
the authority taking into account "adverse economic conditions".Since
2009 general salaries and wages had risen by 5.6 per cent while
parliamentary salaries excluding the $2000 and $5000 increases to make up
for he loss of travel perks, had risen by only 2.9 per cent, the authority
said.
The increase announced today, "still
leaves members of Parliament receiving lower remuneration increases than
the general population".MPs also received a one per cent increase in
the tax free allowance they get for entertaining visitors, gifts, donations
and other sundry purposes. That means the prime minister's tax free
allowance rises to $21,600, and MPs' allowance goes to $16,200. The
authority also released its salary determination for judges, giving them a
2.5 per cent increase in base salary. That sees a High Court judge's base
pay rise to $395,000 and a District Court judge's salary rise to $300,500.
Those increases are effective from October this year.
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz
12/20/2012
TOP↑
SOLOMON ISLANDS: More Needed
in Fight Against Corruption
The Police Commissioner, John Lansley,
says more needs to be done in the fight against corruption. Speaking at the
International Anti-Corruption Day on Saturday, Mr Lansley says such an
issue "must include all stakeholders taking decisive steps
together." "Corruption is an inhibitor to investment therefore it
is important to combat it seriously to ensure that opportunities for
employment, investment, education, and health are not denied." The
police chief added that the recognition of corrupt activities is an
important first step. "It is therefore necessary that education based
on ethics and integrity are part of the school curriculum and also part of
any public sector training programme," said Mr Lansley. The Police
Commissioner also highlighted the need for the establishment of an
Independent Commission Against Corruption. He says such a body would have
auditors, prosecuting lawyers, police, media officers and secretarial
staff. Mr Lansley says members of the Commission would also need powers to
have access and seize documents.
From http://www.solomontimes.com
12/10/2012
TOP↑
Public
Service to Become Strict
The Solomon Islands Minister for
Public Service has cautioned that the public service will become strict on
all applicants qualifications and attitude towards work. This was revealed
during the debate on the 2013 budget estimate yesterday in Parliament. Hon.
Stanley Sofu says this is important to consider because some officers have
good qualifications but poor work attitudes. He has revealed that some
Public officers are not performing to expected standards despite the good
qualifications. He therefore urges supervisors to ensure their staff improve
their work attitude. However, the Minister praised his Ministry for the job
well done in 2012.
From http://www.sibconline.com.sb 12/20/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
|
|
World
Leaders Meet to Assess the Net's Infrastructure
History’s
greatest invention needs a tune-up
Representatives from almost every nation
in the world will soon meet in Dubai,
United Arab Emirates,
to attend the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT or
“wicket” as some say). From Dec. 3 to 4, the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) will host representatives of its 193 member
countries, who will discuss high-level issues in telecommunications, like
how best to foster continued development of Internet infrastructure across
the planet. The conference originated from two sources, said ITU Counselor
Richard Hill. Several developing countries announced that they wanted
existing regulations to be modernized. And some developed countries thought
many of the outdated regulations could be abolished. “I think it’s safe to
say there’s a general agreement that everyone wants the same thing: more
telecommunications and more Internet,” Hill said. “But there’s some
disagreement on exactly how to achieve that. The purpose of the conference
is to discuss that and come up with an agreed path forward. ”It’s generally
agreed that the previous WCIT, which occurred in 1988, created a financial
and ideological framework that allowed telecommunications and the Internet,
in particular, to flourish and support the information-based culture that
much of the world enjoys today. The goal of this year’s conference is to
hone the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs), a treaty
developed at the first conference that aims to facilitate global
interconnection and interoperability of telecommunications traffic across
national borders. Once the wording of the new regulations is decided and
each nation ratifies the document, nations will be treated as sovereign
entities, free to implement the conditions of the treaty in their dealings
with outside nations as they see fit. The ITU’s role in the conference is
that of arbitrator. The ITU isn’t an enforcement agency, nor is it
attempting to control the Internet, as some have suggested. As far as the
Internet and telecommunications go, the ITU is simply a watchman,
establishing a written interpretation of the will of the world. “Ultimately
the stakeholders are the people who use telecommunications, which is all of
us,” Hill said.
The ITRs
cover many different topics
Some of the main points of discussion will
be: preventing fraud and cybercrime, promoting equipment standards,
reducing the cost of mobile roaming, empowering consumers, protecting the
human right of communication, improving telecommunications access for
people with disabilities, improving energy efficiency, promoting the
responsible disposal of electronic devices, taxation and interoperability.
“On some topics, there’s universal agreement already,” Hill said. “They just
have to fine-tune the language. On other topics, the positions are very far
apart.” Aside from the topics that nations tend to more or less agree on,
there are three main fronts where battles are being fought. One battle
pertains to identifying the best method for reducing international mobile
roaming rates. The other two battles are related to the financial model and
security of the Internet. Just as Democrats and Republicans will eternally
debate the best model for stimulating the national economy, there are two
competing philosophies that overarch WCIT’s most contentious discussions.
One camp wants the market to dictate how telecommunications infrastructure
is developed and managed. This camp believes the Internet has worked well
so far operating on a privatized, liberalized model and therefore that is
how telecommunications should continue to run. The competing philosophy
wants increased government involvement in infrastructure development and
management as a means to ensure adequate financing, fairness and
security.One of the biggest challenges in creating a treaty that includes
nearly every nation in the world is the disparity between the most
developed and least developed countries, ITU Director Malcolm Johnson
pointed out during a September press briefing. What works well in the U.S. or Japan
may or may not work well in developing Africa or developing Asia. Creating a standardized infrastructure
framework for the world, therefore, proves very difficult, Johnson said,
but making low-cost Internet access available for the world’s citizenry is
a noble goal worth pursuing and within WCIT’s purview.
The
United States’ main goal for WCIT
U.S. Ambassador Terry Kramer stated, is to
ensure that the telecommunications and Internet sectors thrive. The U.S.
belongs to the philosophical camp of not changing things if they’ve been
proven to work well. Kramer said the U.S. would oppose any major changes to
the existing ITRs during the conference, particularly any that would
undermine net neutrality or endanger freedom of expression.The U.S.
delegation has strong support, Kramer said, and comprises more than 100
members, including the FCC, U.S. departments of Commerce and Defense,
Google, Facebook, PayPal, civil society organizations, free speech
organizations, “and a lot of nations that agree with the U.S.” The U.S.
also has detractors in the conference.
Some of the biggest rifts in ideology were
highlighted after proposals put forward by the Association of European
Telecommunications Network Operators (ETNO) were attacked by the U.S.
and its ideological allies. Among ETNO’s proposals was a financial element
that would allow a “sending party network pays” model. Whereas the existing
Internet model allows the free flow of information, the sending party
network pays model requires the party sending information over the Internet
to pay a tax to the receiving network operator.This aspect of ETNO’s
proposal gained popularity among some developing nations in Africa, the
Middle East and Asia, as well as some parts of Europe, because it provides
an income source for nations that are in the early stages of building out
their fixed networks. It sounds like an excellent solution for nations that
have few funding options, Kramer said, but such a model would be
detrimental to the entire Internet and is ultimately a bad idea.“I think a
lot of [ETNO’s supporters] have an old business model in mind,” Kramer
said. “Many of them are from countries that haven’t liberalized, they have
primarily a single telephone company and they’re used to the old voice
model where they can collect that termination fee for accepting traffic
from abroad. It’s a very old model, it worked very well early on, when you
had an environment where people weren’t certain about the technology, and a
working environment where the paid model was the primary way that things
operated.”
ETNO responded to its critics in a letter,
stating that such a model would not be mandated, but just an option to be
used by Internet operators “when commercially suitable.” The organization
also pointed out that such an arrangement already exists to accommodate
“high-value traffic” transmitted in the paid-peering arrangement between
Netflix, Level 3 and Comcast. ETNO has stated that it “fully supports the
principle of an open Internet and does not believe that its proposal would
hamper [an open Internet].”The problem with even allowing the
sending-party-network-pays model as an option, Kramer said, is that it
would eventually stifle Internet availability. For example, if Khan
Academy, an educational video website, was required to pay a tax each time
it sent data to an African nation operating under the
sending-party-network-pays model, Khan Academy’s owner might decide to stop
offering his website in that country. Or alternatively, the company’s owner
could choose to start charging users subscription fees, as Netflix does, to
cover the costs of sending traffic to countries operating under a
sending-party-network-pays model. This model would chip away at the free
model that has made the Internet so successful, Kramer said.“Our philosophy
very much has been: Allow the markets to be liberalized,” he said. “Allow
multiple providers of broadband access, whether they are mobile or fixed
providers, to provide that service to end users, stimulate competition that
drives down pricing, and in turn you get lots of users who are willing to
pay for that broadband access. And that should be the model that funds
infrastructure development, broadband development and creates a cycle of
economic growth where you have more and more broadband access. That creates
an Internet economy and Internet access, that creates more affluence that
then creates more money in the telecom sector.”He added, “That kind of
privatized, liberalized model is the one that has worked not only in the U.S., but it’s worked in South Africa, it’s worked in Ghana, it’s worked in Kenya, it’s worked in Korea, it’s worked in Japan.”
Another departure from traditional
Internet governance is a proposal that would send traffic through
designated access points as a means to regulate Internet content. Currently
organizations like the Internet Society, Internet Engineering Task Force
and World Wide Web Consortium work as part of a multistakeholder effort to
determine how best to govern Internet traffic and handle security issues
like spam, malware and hackers. Proponents of the traditional approach to
Internet governance appreciate the competence and agility of small,
specialized organizations with stakes in the Internet’s continued
availability and openness.The U.S. is content with the
current form of Internet governance, Kramer said, and opposes proposals
that would put controls on the Internet. “There are over 425,000 different
global routes for traffic,” he said. “There are 40,000 different network
operators serving 600 million websites.” The huge number of working pieces
that compose the Internet have come to interconnect in such a way so that
rates have been negotiated steadily downward through the years, reducing
costs for everyone. “If you force certain routes, you’re almost creating a
monopoly route,” Kramer said. “Prices go back up and then the cost of
Internet services go up, the cost of broadband provision goes up, and again
it limits the audience that’s available.” Furthermore, mandating regulated
traffic routes also readies the slippery slope to Internet censorship, he
said. One of WCIT’s main goals is to find a way to lower rates on
international roaming. Some nations favor rate regulation as a way to lower
rates. By simply ordering lower rates, rates can easily be reduced.
But this is problematic, Kramer said,
because service providers might be led to subsidize their losses on lowered
international rates by increasing other rates or raising the cost of mobile
devices. “We’re proposing improved transparency on mobile roaming rates and
mobile roaming usage,” Kramer said. By making rates and usage data more
visible to consumers, service providers will begin negotiating cheaper
rates in order to stay competitive, he said. This conference is a milestone,
but it’s not the end of discussion about international telecommunications.
What happens during the conference will tune the trajectory of discussions
about telecommunications and Internet governance. In the event that ITRs
are established that place taxes on the Internet or mandate data
checkpoints that could lead to Internet censorship, “the people who would
be the most alarmist about this would say that would balkanize the
Internet, create a whole bunch of standards and approaches,” Kramer said.
“You could create a model that didn’t honor free speech and democracy, you
could create a model that didn’t honor economics — all those things would
be violated.” It would ultimately create a fractured, uncooperative
infrastructure. However unlikely, such a scenario is possible, Kramer
said.No one can say exactly how the conference will turn out, but WCIT’s
most important contribution will be how it establishes precedents for
future relations between nations. ¨ (By Colin Wood)
From http://www.govtech.com/
11/30/2012
TOP↑
New
Paper from the Association for Progressive Communications and the Internet
Society Connects Internet Protocols and Human Rights
“Like Internet protocols, human rights standards
attempt to articulate principles that will apply universally over time, as
ideas and conditions evolve,” a new paper argues. Commissioned by the
Association for Progressive Communications and the Internet Society, the
issue paper released today compares the standards-making processes as well
as the principles underlying human rights on the one hand and Internet
protocols on the other. The technical and the legal come together in this
unusual but useful exploration of the fundamental intents behind Internet
protocols and the human rights framework. Co-authors Avri Doria and Joy
Liddicoat, respectively protocols specialist and human rights advocate,
incorporated valuable contributions by the Internet Society’s Nicolas
Seidler and Markus Kummer and dialogue from the Internet Governance Forum
2012.
“There are some shared principles between
Internet protocols and human rights,” the main authors say in their
discussion of this interconnectedness. “They generate continuities and
discontinuities which could inform and assist those who seek to defend
human rights and to maintain a free and unencumbered Internet. ”The main
contribution of this paper is the examination of selected Internet
protocols and human rights and the discussion around the impacts of the points
of convergence and divergence. “We see this discussion as a process,” said
Markus Kummer, Vice-President for Public Policy at the Internet Society,
insisting that comments in reaction to the paper are welcome. “It is our
hope that this discussion will engage human rights activists, policy makers
and the Internet technical community in a dialogue about ways that they can
collaborate. It is our belief that human rights considerations are part of
the DNA of the Internet and that a dialogue between these communities will
be beneficial to promote a rights-fostering Internet.”
“This opportunity for human rights and
technical communities to collaborate shows there is more we can do together
to promote and protect both human rights and the Internet,” said Joy
Liddicoat. “We are grateful for the Internet Society’s support for this
research and look forward to more dialogue in 2013.” The issue paper is
part of APC’s Connect Your Rights! project, the aim of which it is to make
the links between the internet and human rights. The project is conducted
with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
(Sida).It is also part of the Internet Society’s core mission to promote an
open Internet as a necessary foundation for people to exercise some of
their key fundamental rights in the online environment, including freedom
of expression and freedom of association and peaceful assembly.
From http://www.apc.org/
12/13/2012
TOP↑
Growing
Strong: The Global 100 Operators Report 2012
Consistent gains have pushed China’s
three telecoms operators up the Global 100 led by China Mobile, which has
broken into the top five. “Could the world’s largest mobile operator be on
the verge of breaking into the top five?” we asked this time last year on
publishing the 2011 edition of the Global 100 ranking of the world’s
biggest telecoms operators. A year on and China Mobile has done exactly
that, leapfrogging Deutsche Telekom and Telefonica to take the number four
position in the 2012 table. It added more than �9 billion (or almost 43
billion yuan) to its revenues in the most recent financial year, while
Telefonica, which held fourth place last year, grew its top line by just
over �2 billion. Strong growth from the Chinese telco has brought change to
the top five of the Global 100 for the first time since 2007, when AT&T
replaced NTT in the number one spot. China Mobile stood in 11th place that
year with revenues of �29.47 billion (303.64 billion yuan). It has grown
consistently ever since and in the most recent financial year booked
revenues of �64.06 billion (528 billion yuan), an increase of 117% in euro
terms over those six years. AT&T, by contrast, which has also performed
strongly in recent years–being the world’s largest telecoms operator by
revenue is no mean feat–saw its revenues increase by 11% over the same
period, to �97.86 billion. China Mobile’s domestic rivals have also made
steady gains in the Global 100 in recent years. Back in 2007 there were
four Chinese operators in the top half of the table, ranging from China
Mobile down to China Netcom (which was absorbed into China Unicom via an
industry restructuring in late 2008) at number 28; the four together had
revenues of �64.08 billion, just �18 million more than China Mobile’s
annual turnover today. This year China Telecom, China Unicom (both of which
rose up the table by one place this year, just as they did in last year’s
report) and China Mobile together recorded revenues of �119 billion, more
than twice their 2007 figure.
From http://www.totaltele.com/
12/20/2012
TOP↑
Asia's Future Food Security Hinges on Modernization of Farm to Market
Chains
Asia’s ability to keep
food prices in check and ensure long-term regional food security will
require the region’s farm to market supply chains to become more efficient
and cost effective, says a new Asian Development Bank (ADB) study. “Asia faces a formidable challenge of feeding 5
billion people by 2030,” said Bindu Lohani, ADB Vice President for
Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development. “Rising populations and
incomes, resource degradation, and climate change will keep putting upward
pressure on food prices, requiring vast improvements to ensure adequate,
affordable food supplies. ”The Quiet Revolution in Staple Food Value
Chains: Enter the Dragon, the Elephant and the Tiger, produced by ADB and
the International food Policy Research Institute in response to the 2008
spike in food prices, analyzes domestic rice and potato supply chains in
Bangladesh, India and People’s Republic of China (PRC).It finds that the
rapid modernization of staple food chains in Asia has allowed farmers to
increase control over what they produce, and to whom they sell. The
transformation has been particularly dramatic in the PRC, with modern rice
mills increasingly buying direct from farmers, cutting out middlemen. In
India the spread of modern cool storage facilities is giving consumers
year-round access to potatoes, and delivering substantial price advantages
to farmers.More isolated rural areas have seen an increase in jobs and
incomes from new links with commercial urban centers, and better infrastructure,
technologies and policies. At present the benefits are not always shared
equally, however, with large and medium-sized farmers typically getting the
lion’s share of subsidies and marginal farmers largely missing out .
The study notes that
the cost of energy, labor and farm inputs like fertilizer and seeds remain
substantial, and can quickly translate into higher retail food prices. In
Delhi and Dhaka, power accounts for about 75% of cold storage operational
costs, leaving potato prices vulnerable to energy price shifts.Value chain
transformation is crucial for ensuring that food prices in Asia’s cities –
home to half the region’s people – remain affordable, and the study calls
for regional food security to be placed front and center in the 21st
century policy agenda.“The changes in food demand, driven by urbanization
and increasing incomes of consumers, are creating important opportunities
for agricultural development and rural poverty reduction in Asia,” said
Bart Minten, one of the authors of the study and Senior Research Fellow at
IFPRI.There is no “silver bullet” to address the challenges facing staples
value changes, meaning a variety of policy and program measures will be
required to stimulate the efficiency of staples markets. Given Asia’s widely different zones, no “one size fits all”
approach will work, requiring tailored solutions. Improving post-harvest
productivity in areas such as processing, storage and distribution, and
directing government subsidies and support to the neediest farmers and
regions are central to more efficient supply chains, which ultimately
affect prices, the study says.
From http://www.adb.org/ 12/10/2012
TOP↑
Asia Must Close Skills Gaps, Go High Tech to Sustain Future Growth – ADB
Asia and the Pacific must
overcome skills gaps and scale up technical training to create innovative
economies able to generate sustainable, inclusive growth, says a new book
by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).“While Asia
and the Pacific accounts for almost half of global unemployment, 45% of
employers in the region face difficulty in finding suitable talent in their
markets,” said Bindu Lohani, ADB’s Vice President for Knowledge Management
and Sustainable Development. “Countries in Asia
will not be able to create sufficient employment unless they address the
serious skills mismatches that exist in their labor markets. ”The ADB
publication, Skills Development for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth in
Developing Asia, looks at the issues, challenges, and potential measures
countries could take to develop the skills needed to promote employment,
sustain growth, and improve global competitiveness. The book, co-published
with Springer, consists of articles from leading experts and policy makers
in technical and vocational education and training. Video: The Right Skills
Mean Better Jobs and Stronger Economies Shifting away from the
factory-driven growth model of the past requires a technically adept market-driven
labor force able to generate creative, cutting edge ideas and products.
However, the book reveals that Asia’s
training systems are struggling to fill employers’ needs. Even those with
graduate degrees are lacking market-ready technical skills to be absorbed
into the workforce.
The large informal
labor force in Asia is also unable to take
full advantage of new opportunities in the modern market economy. In the
People’s Republic of China,
for example, there is an annual ‘floating population’ of more than 150
million migrant rural laborers who regularly seek jobs in cities, but who
lack the training to pursue more skilled work. In India, meanwhile, there are 200
million workers stuck in low productivity jobs, while around 1 million
young people are expected to join the workforce every month for the next 20
years. The publication argues that equipping secondary school and
university graduates with employable skills requires a shift from
academically-oriented learning to demand-driven courses relevant to
industry needs. This can be achieved through, for example, credible
national qualification frameworks and certification systems and closer
links amongst schools, universities, and technical and vocational education
providers. Developing skills of disadvantaged groups, including women, will
bring substantial economic benefits and help reduce the growing income
inequality in the region, according to the book, which recommends more
public-private partnership to increase the cost-efficiency, quality, and relevance
of technical courses.The publication also notes that greener economies
could generate up to 60 million additional jobs over the next two decades
and lift tens of millions of workers out of poverty. Green jobs require a
mix of new technical skills related to renewable energy, climate change
adaptation, trade, recycling and use, and engineering, which are not yet
addressed adequately by training institutions.ADB has ongoing programs in
support of technical and vocational education and training in 12 countries,
amounting to a total of about $ 500 million.
From http://www.adb.org/ 12/12/2012
TOP↑
Annual
Meeting on ASEAN Culture and Information Kicks Off in Capital
The 47th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee on
Culture and Information (ASEAN-COCI), the annual meeting that evaluates and
ratifies all co-operative projects in the domain, was officially kicked off
in Ha Noi yesterday. The three-day meeting, with the participation of ASEAN
members and dialogue countries, will review the effectiveness of on-going
projects and approve new co-operative projects proposed by ASEAN nations.
Nguyen Van Tinh, chairman of the National ASEAN-COCI, said that before the
meeting started, the ASEAN-COCI Sub-committee on Culture had finalised a
draft work plan on co-operation in culture and arts with China, as well as a cultural flagship
project in the period of 2013-15 with Brunei
and Malaysia.
He said the meeting would be a chance for Viet Nam to show the ASEAN
community that it was capable of taking the role of ASEAN Secretary General
in the 2013-17 term. The ASEAN-COCI, established in 1978, has twice held
its meetings in Viet Nam.
From http://vietnamnews.vn/
12/13/2012
TOP↑
ITU-IMPACT
Establishes First Cybersecurity Innovation Centre for Arab Region
Geneva, 19
December, 2012 – ITU and its cybersecurity partner, the International
Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats (IMPACT), has announced a
partnership with the Information Technology Authority (ITA) of Oman
for the first Cybersecurity Innovation Centre to cater to the needs of the
Arab region. The formal exchange of Agreement took place in Muscat, Oman
on 15 December 2012. ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun I. Touré said: “It
has been our aim to localize ITU-IMPACT’s cybersecurity services through
establishment of regional cybersecurity centres. Through such centres,
ITU-IMPACT will be better positioned to respond to the needs of our
stakeholders more effectively and efficiently. This underpins our overall
strategy to expand and widen ITU-IMPACT’s cybersecurity initiatives in the
region, as well as to enhance the capacity, capability, readiness, skills and
knowledge in the areas of cybersecurity. The Government of Oman is well
known throughout the region for its strong commitment to cybersecurity. So
it is very fitting indeed to establish ITU-IMPACT’s very first
cybersecurity regional centre here in Muscat.”With
a total investment of over USD 2 million from the Oman government and ITU, the establishment
of the new Cybersecurity Innovation Centre will play a pivotal role in
supporting ITU-IMPACT’s global headquarters in Malaysia in localizing
cybersecurity services and support to meet the unique needs of the Arab
region. The Centre will also serve as a catalyst for enhancing regional
cooperation, coordination and collaboration to address escalating cyber
threats.
The Centre will benefit from ITU-IMPACT’s
existing global threat information and collaboration platforms. These
include ITU-IMPACT’s state-of-the-art systems such as NEWS (Network Early
Warning System) and ESCAPE (Electronically Secured Collaborative
Application Platform for Experts). Datuk Mohd Noor Amin, Chairman of
IMPACT, said; “We are extremely proud to establish in Oman ITU-IMPACT’s
first Cybersecurity Innovation Centre. This centre will lay a strong
foundation for increased cybersecurity cooperation within the region and it
will help position the centre, and Oman itself, as a regional
cybersecurity hub.” Dr Salim Sultan al Ruzaiqi, Chief Executive Officer,
ITA Sultanate of Oman said: “Another key objective is to ensure that we
continually develop the capabilities to offer our stakeholders throughout
the Arab Region a flexible and intuitive approach in the areas of
cybersecurity. This success marks a significant milestone in our region,
especially in planning a more regionalized service, offering a greater
assistance against cyber threats. ”With 144 countries now part of the
ITU-IMPACT coalition, IMPACT is entrusted with the task of providing
cybersecurity support and services to ITU’s Member States and other
organizations within the UN system. ITU-IMPACT’s global partnership now
embraces over 200 industry, academia and international organizations.
From http://www.itu.int/
12/19/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
CHINA:
Suspending Rural School Closures
China has
suspended closing or merging rural schools following a sharp decrease in
pupil numbers because many dropped out. Wang Dinghua, a Ministry of Education
official, confirmed the suspension and said the department is reconsidering
the layout of rural schools "in a more scientific manner." Local
governments should work out feasible plans of elementary and junior high
schools in accordance with local conditions, Wang said, according to a
report in Thursday's Beijing Times, which is run by the People's Daily.
Plans must be submitted to central authorities in charge of educational
system reform before June, it said. No closures or merges are allowed until
a new plan comes out. China
urged rural schools to restructure or merge in 2002 in order to use resources
better and distribute them more fairly. An average of 63 rural primary
schools and three junior high schools disappeared each day between 2000 and
2010, according to an NGO report issued by the Beijing-based 21st Century
Education Research Institute (CERC). Each hour, four rural schools
disappeared, the report said. From 2000 to 2010, the number of rural
primary schools and junior high schools decreased by 229,400 and 10,600, or
about 52 percent and 25 percent, respectively, it said. The number of
students registered in rural primary schools decreased by more than 31.5
million, while that for the junior high schools plummeted by 16.4 million.
Most of them entered schools in towns or cities, or simply dropped out.
Higher enrollment in urban schools and a decreasing birth rate in rural
areas contributed to the decline, the report explained.
Therefore, the decreasing school age
population prompted the authorities to close and merge rural schools.
However, overcrowded classes and a long commuting time remain a new problem
for rural students, after closures or merges. Many parents worried about
safety on the way to schools and boarding conditions, particularly after a
string of school bus accidents and food poisoning incidents that have
occurred since 2011. Out of these concerns, the educational ministry
prohibited "blind" closures and mergers of rural schools in
September. The ministry requires that commutes should be limited within 40
minutes. "Keep what should be kept. Students' demand is
paramount," said Wang, adding school closures should undergo strict
procedures, including asking for local opinion. "If most villagers do
not agree, the school should remain," Wang said. In China's rural areas, many
small, poorly-resourced schools exist. In Chicheng
County of north China's Hehei
Province near Beijing,
the Shuiquan Primary School once had 40 students.
First to fifth grade students shared one teacher. The educational quality
was far below other schools, said a local official, adding there were no
music, English or computer classes because of resources. "The major
difference of urban and rural education lies in the allocation of education
resources," said a local official. Chicheng, with a population of
292,000, had more than 400 schools 10 years ago. The number dropped to 104
last year, according to local government. However, some parents were
against the policy of closing down small-sized rural schools, as children
drop out due to poor transport. "The high rate of rural dropouts is
alarming, as we feel China's nine-year compulsory education has already
covered nearly all students (which was announced by the government years
ago), and dropouts seem not a problem," said Xiong Bingqi, CERC's vice
president. "However, it is an illusion. We must not ignore the salient
dropout problem," Xiong said.
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 11/22/2012
TOP↑
China Spends
Big on Farmland Improvement
China has
allocated 29 billion yuan (about 4.6 billion U.S. dollars) from its central
budget to improve the quality of farmland and boost grain production this year,
the Ministry of Finance said Tuesday. The funds, part of the country's
comprehensive agricultural development plan, represent a 6 billion-yuan
increase, or 26.09-percent increase, from the investment in 2011, the
ministry said. Around 82.94 percent, or 24.05 billion yuan, has been used
to improve the quality of medium- and low-yield lands, the ministry said.
The government plans to build 13.31 million mu (890,000 hectares) of
high-quality farmland and add or improve irrigation on 25.82 million mu of
land by the end of 2012, said the ministry. These efforts are expected to
boost China's
grain production capacity by 4.09 billion kilograms, according to the
ministry. China's
grain output rose 3.2 percent year on year to hit 589.57 million tonnes in
2012, marking the ninth consecutive year of growth, data from the National
Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show.
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/04/2012
TOP↑
Chinese
Police to Minimize Traffic Controls for Officials' Trips
China's
Ministry of Public Security has ordered the country's police "not to
arrange road closures in general" and to "minimize time for
traffic controls" arranged for officials' trips. Coming in response to
central authority's latest call to fight formalism and bureaucracy,
including excessive security measures that disrupt traffic, the ministry
said in a circular made public on Friday that the moves aim to "avoid
inconveniencing the public wherever possible" and guarantee their
normal traffic rights. Local police officers are encouraged to step up
inspection and research so as to better solve problems of major public
concern, according to a statement from the ministry's traffic management
bureau. Efforts should also be made to better educate police to curb
formalism and bureaucracy at various levels, the statement urged. The
ministry also asked its traffic management staff to address inconvenient,
opaque and nonstandardized practices in law enforcement to ensure justice
and equality. The ministry made the arrangement in response to new
requirements announced after a meeting of the Political Bureau of the
Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee earlier this week. The new
CPC leadership demanded, "There should be fewer traffic controls
arranged for leaders' travel security in order to avoid unnecessary
inconvenience to the public."
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/07/2012
TOP↑
China to
Firmly Promote Economic Reforms, Opening-Up
China will
fully deepen reforms in its economy system and open itself up more next
year, according to a statement issued after the conclusion of an annual
central economic work conference on Sunday. Deepening economic reform is
crucial to stabilizing growth, transforming the economic growth pattern and
making structural adjustments, the statement said. The conference, which
sets the tone for economic policymaking in the year ahead, called for
"greater political courage and wisdom" to promote further
reforms, it said. In-depth research and studies should be done to improve
the top-level design and general plan for China's reforms, and a clear
overall scheme, road map and timetable should be made, it said. While
effectively implementing measures that have already been announced, new
measures should be introduced in a timely way to solve outstanding
contradictions, it said. People's initiatives, practices and creativity
should be respected in the course of reform, it added
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/17/2012
TOP↑
Public
Urges Gov't Concern for School Attack
The public has been expressing their
dissatisfaction with the media and local government in their handling of
the aftermath of the slaughter of children that happened Friday.
Twenty-three school children and an 85-year-old woman were stabbed in a
central China
village. Elsewhere, twenty-six people, including twelve girls and eight
boys, were shot dead in Connecticut, in
the United States.
Both massacres broke out in elementary schools, on Dec. 14. "It's a
sad day for the whole world. The Children wounded and dead in Wanquan and Sandy Hook... What's wrong with the world?"
wrote film actor Jackie Chan on Weibo.com,
China's
most popular twitter-like microblog service. On Sina Weibo, "Save the
Children" tops the list of hot topics, with more than 6 million
netizens joining in discussions. However, discussions have shifted focus
from school safety concerns or condemnation of the massacres to the ways
how the slaughters have been handled. While the Chinese public are
searching for answers, the government of Guangshan County,
where the 23 Chinese children were slashed, has kept silent. Guangshan
government announced on its website on Friday it would hold a press
conference on Saturday, but then canceled without giving a reason. Local
government staff began to "disappear" or become "dumb."
Xinhua's reporters arrived at the Chenpeng
village management office with one female person there, claiming not to be
office staff. The reporters even found an official of the local educational
bureau playing computer games while trying to get information about the
rampage. The official called himself "common staff" but was
confirmed to be the educational office's deputy head. "Why not stand
out to publicize the truth?" commented "zcufkp" on
t.sohu.com, among thousands of netizens opposing local government's
attitude. "We should confront the tragedy, and then try to avoid the
recurrence of the tragedy," according to an article published by
critic Jia Ye on leading BBS platform tianya.cn. Jia cited the swift and
full media coverage and government response in the U.S. to the school shooting
case, and President Barack Obama joining in with mourners and vowing to
stop school slaughter. City dailies on the mainland have also been
questioned by netizens to unexceptionably put the American school shooting
on their front pages. "Now we are all American," Ding Daoqin, an
economic researcher with the Ministry of Industry and Information
Technology, said on his microblog. He retweeted a picture showcasing the
headlines of dozens of newspapers including "Children lost in American
shootings," "Don't Cry, America,"
"Hold on, America."
"We know much about the American killer, even his family and
childhood, but know little about the Chinese suspect," noted writer
Zheng Yuanjie on Weibo.
Some have said the aim is to try to turn
people's attention to foreign cases. The People's Daily, the flagship
newspaper of the Communist Party of China, publicized a short article on
its official microblog calling on the Guangshan government for information
transparency. "The Guangshan tragedy is sad for the children and pain
for the imbalanced development of China," the article said.
According to a statement released by Guangshan government, Min Yongjun, the
suspect in Friday's knife attack on Chinese students in Guangshan, central China's Henan Province,
has been arrested. The attack took place around 7 a.m. on Friday, when 38-year old Min, who is
allegedly a long-term epilepsy sufferer, hit and stabbed an old woman and
then rushed to the school to stab the children. Authorities in Xinyang
city, which administrates Guangshan, have ordered reinforced patrols near
schools in the city. Rao Mingsheng, health director for Guangshan, said on
Monday that none of the people injured in the attack was in a critical
condition.
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/17/2012
TOP↑
China Sets Up
Lab on Nuclear, Biochemical Disaster Protection
China
established a state-level lab in Beijing
on Tuesday to develop technologies to minimize the damage of nuclear and
biochemical disasters on human health and the environment. The lab will
focus on technologies that can evaluate and monitor damage, protect people,
facilities and the environment in the event of nuclear and biochemical
disasters, and repair the damage, said Pei Chengxin, the lab's director. It
is attached to an institute under the People's Liberation Army (PLA)
General Armament Department, which has developed several key technologies
for civilian use in monitoring poisonous gas and biochemical threats, Pei said. With the
support of military research, the lab is expected to develop related
technologies for civilian use and train more scientists in this field, he
said. The new lab also merges a state-level laboratory of analytical
chemistry, a PLA institute on environmental science and a lab on chemical
warfare protection. However, Pei
did not reveal some details such as the size of the lab's staff.
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/19/2012
TOP↑
JAPAN:
Individuals on Welfare Hits Record 2.13 Million
The number of people on welfare in August
rose by 6,342 from the previous month to a record high of 2.13 million the
welfare ministry said Wednesday. The number of households with one or more
recipients increased by 5,230 to 1.56 million, also the highest on record.
Meanwhile, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry received 5,183 inquiries
about welfare from people affected by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami
from August to September this year. The period saw 1,394 households begin
to receive welfare benefits.
From http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/
11/22/2012
TOP↑
Govt to
Allow Recovery Funds to Carry Over
Recognizing exceptional circumstances, the
government has decided that unused funds allocated for reconstruction from
the Great East Japan Earthquake may be carried over to the next fiscal year
for a second time. It will also simplify the application procedure.The
Local Government Law prohibits the carrying over of funds for a second time
if the reason given is the same as for the first
carry-over.Disaster-stricken prefectures, concerned about delays in
recovery efforts, welcomed Tuesday's move.Governments of the three
prefectures hit hardest by the quake and tsunami--Iwate, Miyagi and
Fukushima--feared about 280 billion yen allocated for reconstruction work
for fiscal 2011 and carried over to fiscal 2012 would have to be returned
to the central government because of the rules. The money allocated for
fiscal 2011 to repair piers and restore farmland was carried over to the
current fiscal year due to delays in placement of orders caused by planning
work that took a long time.
Many of the funds will not have been spent
by the end of this fiscal year due to construction delays caused by
shortages of materials and workers.But these are problems that also existed
a year ago, and the law states that allocated funds cannot be carried over
for a second time for the same reason.If local governments want to use the
remaining funds, they usually have to suspend their projects at the end of
the fiscal year--in this case March 2013--and return the unused portion to
the national government. Then they must compile new budgets to get the
funds back.Because of the regulations, the disaster-stricken prefectures,
concerned about further delays in recovery efforts, have asked the central
government to respond to their requests for permission to continuously use
the funds without a pause.In response, the central government has decided
to recognize such facts as rising construction material prices, including
those of ready-made concrete, and construction delays due to unsuccessful
bidding, which have occurred frequently this fiscal year, as
"different reasons [that have to extend restoration projects]"
for another fiscal year.Unsuccessful bidding occurs when no potential
contractors place bids.
From http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/ 11/30/2012
TOP↑
National
Council on Social Security Holds 1st Meeting
The government's national council on
social security reform held its first meeting Friday at the Prime
Minister's Office to begin discussions about the future of the nation's
social security system. It took more than three months to launch the
council, chaired by Keio University President Atsushi Seike. This was
partly because of disagreements between the Democratic Party of Japan, the
Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito over the timing of the dissolution
of the House of Representatives. The council will primarily discuss four
fields: public pensions, medical care, nursing care and measures to cope
with the chronically low birthrate. Political observers predict that
pension and medical care for the elderly will be the main focus of the
discussions as the DPJ's stance differs from that of the LDP and Komeito.
The council will hold its second meeting on Dec. 7 to start full-fledged
discussions.
At the first meeting, Prime Minister
Yoshihiko Noda told council members, "I want you to hold discussions
that result in a firm sense of reassurance for the public."The council
was established under a law for the promotion of social security system
reform, which was passed in August based on a policy agreement between the
three parties. The DPJ had demanded to hold the meetings quickly, but the
LDP was wary of meeting before the lower house election. As a result, they
had been unable to select the council's members. The law stipulates that
the government shall take necessary legislative actions within one year of
the law's enactment--by August next year--based on the council's
conclusions. Effectively, this means the council will have about nine
months for practical discussion. However, some members at the first meeting
complained that there is not enough time to address all the issues."It
will be difficult [to finish] by August," said Prof. Hisao Endo of Gakushuin University at the first meeting.
From http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/
12/01/2012
TOP↑
Nursing
Hiring More Disabled Workers
"You prefer your green tea lukewarm,
right?" Miwa Kobayashi, 21, smiled as she addressed an elderly person
at Co-op Dei Sabisu Senta Imaizumi, a day service center in Tochigi,
Tochigi Prefecture.One of Kobayashi's jobs is to make tea for about 100
users of the facility according to how they like it."She isn't a
certified nursing care helper, but she's very attentive and can do subtle
favors," her colleague, Eiko Shimada, 44, said. "She brightens up
our workplace."Kobayashi is one of a growing number of intellectually
disabled people working at nursing care facilities for the elderly, mostly
by serving meals and cleaning. The development is a win-win scenario: it
helps people with disabilities find employment while helping to alleviate
the industry's labor shortage.Kobayashi started her job 2-1/2 years ago,
but sometimes took days off because she became discouraged when she had
difficulty reading patron's names. As writing down temperatures and blood
pressure figures remains a challenge, other employees take care of such
tasks for her.
"We heard from the head of the school
she graduated from that she tends to keep her troubles to herself and is
not good at math," said Masako Sasaki, 53, manager of the facility.
"So the staff here share information about her. I hope she will expand
her skill set little by little."The disabled people's employment
promotion law obliges private companies as well as the central and local
governments to employ a certain percentage of intellectually or physically
disabled people.From April the requirement will be raised from the current
1.8 percent to 2 percent for private companies, and from 2.1 percent to 2.3
percent for the central and local governments.If companies ignore the law
or refuse to obey warnings from the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry to
improve the situation, the ministry may publish their names.
According to the ministry, 1,130
intellectually disabled people found medical and welfare jobs, including
nursing care services, through Hello Work public employment security
offices in fiscal 2006. The figure accounts for 9.9 percent of all jobs
obtained by intellectually disabled people for the fiscal year. However,
the figure has increased to 3,088, or 21.6 percent of the total, in fiscal
2011.Tokyo metropolitan government-run Eifuku-Gakuen in Suginami Ward was
the first among special assistance schools for disabled students to
introduce a course providing occupational training related to welfare
services in 2007.At present, three such schools have a similar course in
Tokyo, and the number will increase to four in the next academic
year.Although it is possible for disabled people to work at welfare
institutions without qualifications, the specialized school courses offer
not only training programs that teach how to help elderly people bathe and
perform other essential tasks, but also provide intern placements at
welfare and nursing care facilities with an eye to possible employment
after graduation.
To secure workplaces for students, teachers
in charge of student employment visit more than 100 facilities and
companies each year, according to Eifuku Gakuen. Thanks to such efforts,
all 15 graduates who have taken the course since its inception were able to
secure employment."We want to tell the care facilities that our
students are capable and motivated," Kiyoshi Hamabe, the school's
teacher, said."Less than 30 percent of intellectually disabled
students can find jobs after graduating from their schools," said
Akita University Prof. Jun Utsumi, who is familiar with issues related to
employment of disabled people."While their average monthly wage is
only about 120,000 yen, if job opportunities in the nursing care industry
expand, we can expect some improvement. It is necessary for schools and relevant
facilities to cooperate to expand opportunities for students to experience
the work before they are actually employed," he said.
From http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/
12/09/2012
TOP↑
SOUTH KOREA: Seoul Encourages More
Citizens to Work Out
In its latest pronouncement on public
welfare, Seoul City is asking doctors to not only prescribe medicine but
also recommend sports programs suitable for each patient, in a bid to encourage
citizens to take more exercise.The city government announced a sports
master plan Thursday to encourage citizens to exercise more to improve
their health, lower medical expenses and increase sports-related jobs.”By
providing infrastructure and developing sports programs and policies, we
aim to get 70 percent of citizens to exercise for 30 minutes at least once
a week by 2020, while currently 53 percent are doing so,” city official
Jeong Kwang-hyun said.According to the plan, the city will ask doctors’
groups in Seoul to prescribe “exercise remedies” for patients starting next
year.
“In Sweden where 94 percent of
people exercise for 30 minutes per week, doctors provide patients with
exercise programs according to their needs, and such measures are effective.
People who don’t exercise willingly will change their minds if doctors tell
them to do so,” Jeong said.Besides the exercise remedies, the city will
develop various walking and trekking programs at parks, in mountains and
along the Han River and increase public awareness of existing walking
courses.It will also expand sports services at welfare centers. “While
exercise and sports are good for the elderly or the disabled to enhance
their health, the number of exercise instructors at such facilities is too
small,” Jeong said.
As well as recruiting more instructors,
the city government will collect 500 volunteers to offer lectures on
stretching, yoga, dance, sports massage and other programs by visiting such
facilities.“Those
measures will also help increase jobs, including posts for exercise
instructors at welfare facilities and schools,” he said.For expats and
multiracial families, it plans to hold championships for sports events
popular among them, such as table tennis, football and sepak takraw.It will
also build more sports facilities and improve old ones. For Jamsil baseball
stadium, it will complete the process of putting in new seats, expand the
number of toilets and establish smoking rooms before the upcoming spring
season begins. Earlier this week, Seoul City
issued guidelines regarding the sale of alcohol which it claims will reduce
alcohol consumption and problems associated with excessive drinking.
However, the guidelines are not supported in law.
From http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/
11/22/2012
TOP↑
Gov't to
Remove Unnecessary Power Wires
The government has announced a
comprehensive plan to remove unnecessary power lines and communications
cables from roadways to improve the urban landscape and prevent accidents.
The government on Friday made the announcement in a meeting on the people’s
livelihoods chaired by Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik. Under the plan, the
Korea Communications Commission (KCC) and the Knowledge Economy Ministry
will form a related policy coordination committee to establish a unified
management system. In addition, the government has decided to establish a
database of unnecessary or illegally-installed telecommunication cables and
power lines to achieve a comprehensive and systematic removal of the lines.
From http://world.kbs.co.kr/
11/23/2012
TOP↑
Seoul City Gov’t to Develop
App for Foreign Residents
The Seoul City Government will develop a
smartphone application that will provide information and tips on living in Korea
to foreign residents and interracial families. The Seoul Metropolitan
Government says it will complete the development by next May. The
application will provide information on immigration, citizenship, legal
counseling and real-time foreign exchange rates in five languages,
including English, Japanese and Chinese. The number of foreigners living in
Seoul has
doubled over the past five years to roughly 400-thousand. Foreign residents
now account for four percent of the city’s total population.
From http://world.kbs.co.kr/
12/05/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
MYANMAR:
President Calls for Political Stability, Cessation of Armed Conflicts and
Socio-eoconomic Development
Myanmar President U Thein Sein has called for political
stability,cessation of armed conflicts and socio-economic development of
the people in the country, official media reported Monday. Addressing at
the city hall in Dawei,in Myanmar's
southern Taninthayi Region on Sunday, Thein Sein expressed his hope that
Taninthayi Region would achieve development though per capita income of the
Dawei is currently lower than those of Kawthoung and Myeik, said the New
Light of Myanmar. He underscored the need of qualified human resources who
could harness rich natural resources and the duty lies with the education
sector. Foreign investments with substantial capitals and technologies were
invited but there is a lack of regulations in allowing foreign investments
could beset more adverse consequences than favorable outcomes,he said. The
Foreign Investment Law, which is one of the integral parts of legislation,
has been enacted, he said. He said the officials have town plans and city
plans ahead of entry of foreign investors, pointing out that local people
are to take responsibilities for regional development. According to the UN
Millennium Development Goals, he stressed the need to reduce poverty rate
from 26 per cent to 16 per cent by 2015. There are over 1200 villages in
Taninthayi Region and over 60000 across the nation.
From http://news.xinhuanet.com/ 12/17/2012
TOP↑
MALAYSIA: To
Proceed with AES Installation
The Road
Transport Department (RTD), Malaysia
decided to progress the installation of the Automated Enforcement System (AES)
cameras at 831 locations nationwide before the end of next year to enhance
safety measure for the road commuters. Director-General Datuk Solah Mat
Hassan said that fourteen AES units have currently been installed, with
seven in Perak, two in Selangor, five in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and
Putrajaya, apart from four mobile AES units. Datuk Solah added that since
the implementation on September 23 this year, the rate of traffic offences
at strategic locations have been decreased by 75 per cent. Despite the acts
of vandalism occurring on Saturday and opposition towards its
implementation, Datuk Solah said that the implementation would not be put
on hold. “I would like to
stress that the AES cameras were installed to reduce road accidents and
protect lives, including that of those who committed the act (of
vandalising the cameras),” he said.
Two AES cameras
were vandalised on Saturday in Selangor, in which the RTD would leave the
case to the police to investigate and prosecute those involved in such act.
“We will proceed (the implementation) unless there is a directive from the
Federal Government to do otherwise,” he said. “The cameras were installed to save human lives
and all parties should give their cooperation. If everyone, including political
leaders, understands the reason behind the installation, there will be no
questions about the implementation,” added Datuk Solah after a briefing
session on AES implementation to government department officers,
non-governmental organisations and the media at the state RTD headquarters
on Saturday. The two-hour briefing on AEC was attended by some 150 heads of
department and officers from government agencies and non-governmental
organisations who revealed the support over the AES scheme. State RTD Director
Ahmad Musadad said the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros)
had located 86 “black spots”—accident-prone areas, in all twelve districts
in the state. “The AES cameras would be installed at all black spots by
next year,” he said, adding that 60 would be for speed limits and the
remainder for traffic lights.
From http://www.futuregov.asia/ 12/10/2012
TOP↑
PHILIPPINES: 1st
Local Govt eGov Awards Presented
The city governments
of Cebu and Tarlac took first places in Philippines’ inaugural
‘Honourable Jesse Robredo Awards for Excellence for ICT in Good
Governance’, also known as ‘eGov Awards for Local Government Units (LGUs)’
last week. Named after the late Jesse Robredo, head of the Department of
the Interior and Local Government, the awards are presented by the National
ICT Federation of the Philippines,
the national organisation of ICT Councils promoting collaboration and
sharing of best practices in ICT. The awards seek to recognise and
felicitate good governance through the use of modern ICT in LGUs in the Philippines.
This inaugural session of the awards received 58 entries from local
governments around the country. The city government of Cebu
won first place in the category of G2B (Government to Business), which
awards laudable use of ICT solutions to enhance transparency,
accountability and responsiveness to the needs of business enterprises. The
second place in the same category was given to the city government of Balanga
for a combination of 20 in-house application systems that streamline city
government services such as tax and rent payments by vendors. The first
place in the G2C (Government to Customer) category was awarded to the
provincial government of Tarlac for its electronic health project,
‘Wireless Access for Health’ (WAH), which enables reliable health data
transmission through the application of advanced 3G wireless technology.
The G2C category recognises effective application of ICT solutions in the
education and engagement of the public in the use of electronic channels
for improved public services. The second place in this category was given
to the government of Naga
City.
From http://www.futuregov.asia/ 12/21/2012
TOP↑
SINGAPORE:
Calling for Emissions Reductions to Achieve Climate Change Deal
DOHA: Singapore
has called on countries to show their commitment by pledging emissions
reductions in order to achieve a global deal on climate change. Deputy
Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said the new agreement must be applicable to
all. "Climate change is a global challenge that requires a global
solution. All parties have to play their part by making a
contribution," he said. Mr Teo was delivering Singapore's national statement at the
High-Level Segment of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Doha, Qatar,
on Wednesday. "In this
regard, developed countries have to show leadership in emissions
reductions. Developing countries, too, can and must make a contribution to
the process," he said. Mr Teo said for the new agreement to be
applicable to all, it has to be acceptable to all. It has to take into
account the unique national circumstances and constraints of parties. He
said this will allow each party to decide how best it can contribute, based
on the context and constraints of each country, and provide a greater
impetus for universal participation.
"The global agreement is only a means
to an end. Ultimately, we need to encourage and incentivize all parties to
adopt the right policies early to make the transition to a low emissions
development pathway. It is therefore important to provide support to build
capacity in developing countries," he said. Mr Teo said Singapore
is committed to play its part in the global fight against climate change.
He said Singapore
has made an unconditional pledge to reduce its emissions by 7-11 per cent
below business as usual (BAU) by 2020. It has also committed to a 16 per
cent below BAU pledge, if there is a legally binding global agreement. Mr
Teo added: "Our vision for Singapore is a
climate-resilient global city that is well-positioned for green growth.
While climate change poses a challenge, it also offers tremendous
opportunities for new economic growth. The global demand for low-carbon
solutions will catalyse demand for new skills and technology. "Singapore has placed priority
on developing areas such as clean energy and energy efficiency, green
buildings, public transport, smart grids, carbon management, as well as
waste and water management.
"As Singapore is a city state with
limited access to renewable energy, energy efficiency is core to our
efforts to reduce emissions in all sectors. To support this, a new Energy
Conservation Act will come into effect in April 2013." Mr Teo said the
global challenge of climate change requires a global response, with the
participation of all countries and contributions by all. "The
multilateral rules-based system under the UNFCCC is fundamental to solving
the global climate challenge. We need to protect and strengthen the UNFCCC
and take it one step further towards a truly global agreement, so that it
remains an important platform for global action against climate
change," he said.
From http://www.channelnewsasia.com/
12/05/2012
TOP↑
Singapore Wants
More Interoperable Health Data: Survey
The Patient Satisfaction Survey 2012
recently launched by Singapore’s
Ministry of Health (MOH) revealed the patients’ expectation to see
improvement in better coordination of care and transfer of information
among the health-care institutions. The MOH said it will continue to work
on ensuring the patients experience seamless transfer from acute hospitals
to community care facilities, while the National Electronic Health Records
will help enhance the flow of patients’ medical records across both public
and selected private sector entities. Also, the Survey showed the patients’
dissatisfaction over the waiting times at health care institutions. The MOH
has tried to improve this area through its Community Health Assist Scheme
launched in January to allow more patients to seek subsidised medical
treatment with General Practitioners near their homes. The majority of public hospitals and
polyclinics have received an increase in service satisfaction levels
compared to two years ago, said the Survey. Among the hospitals, Khoo Tech
Puat Hospital
achieved the best results at 83 per cent, followed by Alexandra
Hospital at 79 per cent, and Tan Tock Seng
Hospital at 77 per
cent, said the MOH.
Singapore General Hospital made
the largest improvement of seven percentage points to score 74 per cent.
Singaporean patients were particularly satisfied with the performance of
hospitals’ Specialist Outpatient Clinics, according to the MOH Clinics at
six out of seven hospitals registered improvements in the level of service
rendered. Polyclinics continued to improve on their previous scores with the
overall satisfaction levels for the National Healthcare Group Polyclinics
going up by two percentage points to 82 per cent and SingHealth polyclinics
also up by two percentage points to 77 per cent. Clementi Polyclinic (89
per cent), Jurong Polyclinic (87 per cent) and Hougang Polyclinic (86 per
cent) achieved the best results among the polyclinics this year. Tan Tock Seng
Hospital is tops when
it comes to service at Specialist Outpatient Clinics, moving up from third
spot on 2010. The Patient Satisfaction Survey 2012 was commissioned by the
Ministry of Health and carried out by an independent survey company, with
more than 12,000 patients took part in the survey from June to September
2012.
From http://www.futuregov.asia/
12/12/2012
TOP↑
More
Employers Providing Leave Benefits in Singapore: Survey
A survey conducted by Singapore' s Ministry of
Manpower showed that more employers in this city- state have provided
various leave benefits and work-life arrangements to help their employees
cope with family commitments. According to the main findings of the survey
released on Thursday, 41 percent of establishments offered at least one
form of work-life arrangement to their employees in 2012, up from 38
percent in 2011. Among them, part-time working was the most common
work-life arrangement offered by 33 percent of establishments, while the
flexitime, the staggered hours and the tele-working are following behind.
Meanwhile, employers were also going beyond statutory requirements to provide
various leave benefits for happier workforce. About 89 percent of the
establishments gave compassionate leave, while 73 percent of them gave
marriage leave. Paternity leave, study or examination leave, parental care
or sick leave were also among the provided leave benefits. The survey also
said that 5-day work-weeks continue to be the norm, with 44 percent of
full-time employees in 2012 under such a work-week arrangement. Some survey
released these days had said that Singapore is the most
unemotional country in the world, and at the same time, fewest adults in
this city-state experiences positive emotions in the world. Some citizens
thus said the top officers should review this issue and try to figure out
how to reverse the trend. On the official hand, they has encouraged the
establishments, both private sector and public sector, for a long time to
provide their employees more opportunities to spend with their family
members and as a result, to make them happier.
From http://news.xinhuanet.com/
12/21/2012
TOP↑
S'pore's
Top Manpower Issues in 2012
SINGAPORE:
Foreign worker levies were raised in last year's Budget. All the changes
would have been implemented next July. Depending on the sector companies
are in and how reliant they are on foreign workers, companies will pay
between 250 and 750 dollars more in levies per worker. To reduce dependency
on foreign workers, companies are being urged to raise productivity. In
addition, they are encouraged to tap on older workers, back-to-work women,
part timers and the disabled. The Employment Act is also being reviewed in
response to the needs of a changing workforce. Phase one of the review is
expected to be completed in 2013, and the second phase will likely commence
in the last quarter of next year. The labour movement wants the Act to be
extended to cover the growing numbers of professionals, managers and
executives (PMEs). Some have urged the government to be more flexible and
adjust foreign worker numbers according to business conditions.
Analysts warn there could be more
companies that will shift elsewhere, downsize or even close down with the
tightening measures. Mech-Power is one of many local companies that has
endured the labour crunch. It moved a large part of it operations to Johor
to cope. Cliff Loke, managing director of Mech-Power said: "Whenever
we have an overload of work, we just put out a (recruitment) banner outside
the factory and we get a lot of workers coming after us for the job. Also,
the labour cost is much cheaper than in Singapore." Acting
Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin indicated the pace of labour restructuring
will also be a factor in tightening measures. "We will work with
companies to transit and we will look at the various measures in place and
to see whether we will continue to tighten (foreign labour). So, a lot
depends on demand," said Mr Tan. "Will demand ease off? Will
restructuring take place? So this is something we will continue to track
and we will continue to effect these levers (in tightening labour) over
time."
Policies are also being changed to improve
the welfare and well-being of foreign workers. Starting 1 January 2013,
foreign domestic workers will get a mandatory day off. Employment agencies
said this can attract more foreign maids to work in Singapore. "Singapore
employers are very fearful of what the domestic workers are going to be
doing on their (rest days). I think there's a fear factor they seem to
have, but we need to trust the person who's working in our homes,"
said K Jayaprema, president of Association of Employment Agencies
Singapore. "What an employer can do is to guide these domestic
workers. They can also look at skills upgrading. There're so many courses
available for these domestic workers." In November, 171 bus drivers
from China
went on strike. It was the first strike in 26 years in Singapore. The drivers were
unhappy about pay and living conditions. The government considered the
strike as an illegal one as public transport is an essential service and
sufficient notice of the intent to go on strike is needed. Observers
believe Singapore's
international reputation has not been dented. "I think the long-term
repercussion (of the strike) is quite minimum but should another episode
happen, then I'm not very sure," said Assoc Prof Tan Khee Giap,
co-director at Asia Competitiveness Institute.To prevent such an episode
from happening again, employers have been urged to review their
grievance-handling procedures.
From http://www.channelnewsasia.com/
12/23/2012
TOP↑
THAILAND:
Piloting a Free Wi-Fi
School
Ministry of ICT (MICT) on Friday launched
a pilot project of Dtac Free Wi-Fi at Wat Nam
Daeng School
in Samut Prakan province where 150 first grade students can connect their
computer tablets to the network. Wat Nam Daeng School is situated in Samut
Prakan provice—an adjacent province of Bangkok, and is one of the
government schools where their 150 first grade students received a free
tablet pcs under One Tablet Per Child Policy launched few months ago. The
free broadband network is provided by Dtac, one of Thailand’s three leading mobile
phone operators. Students in four first grade classrooms can connect to the
high speed network at the same time. Dtac also provided Wi-Fi enabled LCD
television to empower the learning process in the classrooms. This
initiative is a part of the government’s free Wi-Fi programme aimed to
blanket 80% of the country by May next year, said Group Captain Anudith
Nakornthap, ICT Minister. Nakornthap said on Friday that the Ministry has
recently been allocated a new budget of THB 830.9 million (US$ 27.15
million) to expand the free Wi-Fi network. Currently, there are 200,000 hot
spots nationwide under this programme in collaboration with private mobile
companies. The MICT is now discussing with the National Broadcasting and
Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to expand the Wi-Fi coverage to 31,
334 schools nationwide in which the nationwide coverage would need an
investment of more than THB 29.98 billion (US$ 980 million). Meanwhile,
Dtac CEO Jon Eddy Abdullah said that the Dtac Free Wi-Fi project will be
provided to 12 state hospitals starting next year.
From http://www.futuregov.asia/
12/17/2012
TOP↑
VIETNAM: Deputy
PM Wants All-out Fight Against HIV/AIDS
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc
urged the health sector to mobilise a mass movement comprising the public
and entire political system to combat HIV/AIDS. Phuc made the impassioned
plea while reiterating the nation's commitment to conquering the disease at
a meeting held on Saturday to mark World AIDS Day. The Deputy PM said HIV
carriers and those at high risk of HIV infection should receive access to
HIV prevention, treatment and care services to reduce the threat of the
disease spreading in community. Phuc also praised the country's
achievements in dealing with the HIV/AIDS pandemic over the past 20 years
and particularly recent times, with the rates of new infection and
fatalities both falling for the past four years consecutively. Phuc also
asked all ministries, sectors, social organisations and the people to
continue strengthening awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention methods. Besides
boosting programmes that tackle stigma and discrimination towards HIV
infection people, he asked the Ha Noi City to increase the amount of
prevention, care and treatment services available to the public.
Ministry of Health statistics show that
despite becoming controlled with only a small amount of increases during
recent years, the country still faces a latent risk of a HIV boom. For the
first time, more HIV infections were transmitted through sexual contact
than blood contact. Meanwhile, HIV infections through unsafe sex way were a
major cause in the southern west area. In many mountainous provinces
further north, especially the districts of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces,
HIV infection rates were high due to the inadequate knowledge of medical
staff and the public. Viet
Nam is aiming to halve the number of new
HIV infection cases caused by unsafe sex; eliminate HIV transmissions from
mother to child and halve fatalities of HIV infected mothers by 2015. HIV
infection rates are also expected to fall sharply among drug addicts
through the provision of preventive treatment services to all new infected
cases by 2015. According to the ministry, Viet Nam had over 204,000
people living with HIV and 61,856 deaths caused by AIDS related diseases
since the first HIV infection case was reported in the country in 1990.
From http://vietnamnews.vn/
12/03/2012
TOP↑
Officials
Look at Food Security
Director of the Ha Noi Agriculture and
Rural Development Department, Hoang Thanh Van, has called on northern provinces
to make better use of their advantages to create a safe food supply for the
capital city. Speaking at a recent conference on agricultural promotion
among 19 northern provinces
and cities, Van said the city had recently paid increasing attention to
co-operating with neighbouring provinces through technology transfer and
experience sharing. Popular farming products in Ha Noi include orange and
sugarcane from Hoa
Binh Province,
tea from the provinces of Thai Nguyen and Phu Tho, as well as sturgeon from
the provinces of Lao Cai and Yen Bai. A report from the department said
that with a population of 6.8 million people plus 2 million migrant
students and labourers, the city's agriculture production can meet about 40
per cent of demand.
According to the department, in the next
three years, the city's population is expected to reach nine million but it
will only be able to produce 52 per cent of meat demand, 64 per cent of
fish demand, 65 per cent of eggs demand, 44 per cent of rice demand and 17
per cent of fruit demand. Meanwhile, its farming production faces
challenges from diseases, unsafe food and environmental pollution. Van's
counterpart in northern Lang
Son Province,
Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan, said that regional co-operation was also crucial to
control and curb food smuggling. The engagement among agriculture
enterprises was not enough and trade promotion programmes were not as
effective as expected, she added. Nhan suggested establishing a centre for
quality testing agroforestry products in border provinces, so that imported
products' quality could be verified before entering the domestic market.
She also urged greater co-operation in quality control between Viet Nam
and other countries, especially major exporters.
Meanwhile, representatives from the
provinces of Lao Cai, Yen Bai and Hoa Binh urged Ha Noi to offer
preferential policies for investors. Director of Agriculture and Rural
Development in Lao
Cai Province,
Pham Van Lai, said the province supplied forestry products and tea for Ha
Noi but had to import fruit and flowers from the capital, so co-operation
would bring more market expansion opportunities for both localities.
Director Van from Ha Noi said that as of next year, the city would boost
co-operation with provinces in food control and poultry transport,
especially cross-border smuggling. The city has also launched the website
sanbanbuon.vn which is expected to introduce and promote its partners'
farming products more widely.
From http://vietnamnews.vn/
12/19/2012
TOP↑
Ministry Ponders
Tax Delays, Cuts
Tax delays and corporate income tax
reductions are among the major measures proposed by the Ministry of Finance
to alleviate difficulties for businesses next year. The ministry suggests
setting a 10 per cent corporate income tax from July 1 2013, six months
earlier than initially planned. This will also be applied to investors working
on social housing–apartment projects for low income people. The businesses
dealing with social houses and apartments (of below 70sq.m which are sold
at less than 15 million per sq.m) will enjoy value added tax reductions of
50 and 30 per cent respectively. The regulation will be applicable from
July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014. For the next two years, the ministry also
recommends halving land lease payments for businesses, households and
individuals who rent State land. Construction investors who fail to pay
land leases due to financial difficulties can make payments according to
their sales income. However, they are allowed to delay payment for a
maximum period of 24 months if tax institutions receive notification. The
ministry also proposes a six month extension for next year's first quarter
corporate income tax payments, as well as three months for the second and
third quarters. This regulation targets small and medium-sized enterprises
which employ less than 200 full time workers and whose revenues do not
exceed VND20 billion (US$900,000) per year. Enterprises with more than 300
employees and who are specialising in forestry, agricultural and seafood
products, garment production, shoes, electronic parts and infrastructure
construction will also be subject to delayed income tax payment. Property
investors and dealers will also be granted the extension. Tax payment
extension will not apply to businesses which are subject to special income
tax, for example financial institutions, banks, insurance companies, stock
markets and lotteries.
From http://vietnamnews.vn/
12/22/2012
TOP↑
State
Auditor Seeks Truth on Gov't Firms
The State Auditor of Viet Nam (SAV) will audit
143 companies and agencies belonging to 16 ministries, 34 provinces and
cities, 25 investment projects and five national target programmes in 2013.
This was announced by Deputy State Auditor General Le Minh Khai at a press
conference yesterday. A number of state-owned groups and banks were slated
for auditing, including the Viet Nam National Oil and Gas Group, the Coal
and Mineral Industries Group, the Song Da Corporation, Electricity of Viet
Nam and Viet Nam Textiles and Garments.Four State-owned banks were also on
the list: the Viet Nam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade,
the Agriculture and Rural Development Bank, the Viet Nam Commercial Bank
and the Viet Nam Development Bank, according to Khai.
Objective
data
Auditing State-owned groups and banks aims
to provide objective and truthful information about the economic
restructuring process to the Government and people. Based on the results,
the SAV will propose petitions to the Government and the National Assembly
directing the restructuring of state-owned enterprises and banks, according
to Khai. The audits will focus on inspection of land management and use,
home and urban development and exploitation of natural resources and
minerals. SAV will also step up inspections in areas related to economic
restructuring, especially projects relating to state investment
restructuring, added Khai. The SAV carried out 161 audits and proposed
solutions for financial errors worth VND9,100 billion (roughly US$433
million) in 2012.
From http://vietnamnews.vn/
12/22/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
BANGLADESH: PM
Seeks Foreign Friends’ Cooperation in Removing Poverty
Dhaka, Dec 15 (UNB) – Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina on Saturday sought the cooperation of Bangladesh’s foreign friends
again in making the country free from hunger and poverty. “We want to make the
country free from hunger and poverty. So, we need your cooperation once
again,” she said. The Prime Minister said this while addressing a function
arranged to honor 62 foreign friends of the Liberation War at the
Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC). Hasina said the country
is celebrating its 41st anniversary of Victory Day tomorrow (Sunday). “It
marks the victory for our foreign friends, too, the cause they had stood
for. So honouring you in this month of victory makes the occasion more
special,” she added. “Your
help had accelerated the defeat of the occupational forces in 1971,” Hasina
told the foreign friends.
The Prime Minister said honouring the
foreign friends will encourage the young generation to know, understand and
feel the independence of the country as well as their contributions. She
mentioned that earlier the government honoured 145 foreign friends and
organisations, including former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Sheikh
Hasina offered the nation’s deepest sense of gratitude to the foreign
friends of the Liberation War as they had inspired people allover the globe
and played the leading role in mobilising support for the emergence of
independent Bangladesh.
A total of 145 foreign friends and organisations, including former Indian
Prime Minister Srimoti Indrira Gandhi, were awarded with this honour for
their invaluable contributions to the Liberation War. It was the fourth
such programme and a total of 62 foreign friends and organisations were
conferred upon Bangladesh Liberation War Honour and Friends of Liberation
War Honour.
Each of the awardees received a crest and
a citation from the Prime Minister. Hasina said: ”The just struggle for the
emancipation of Bangladesh received significant boost from their invaluable
contributions and their intervention helped change the approach of many
countries which were initially not so sympathetic to our aspiration.” The foreign
friends had lent legitimacy to the cause, made the world pay heed to the
saga of sorrow and humiliation of Bengalis, she added. In this context, she
mentioned that many of the foreign friends had little or no prior
connection with Bangladesh
– still, they stepped forward, provided moral, spiritual and material
supports. They simply listened to their hearts, rose in protest against the
atrocities perpetrated by the occupation army, she mentioned. Hasina
expressed her firm resolve to turn Bangladesh into a middle-income
happy, prosperous nation within a decade saying her government is
relentless in this regard.
Voicing her happiness as the world
acknowledges Bangladesh
as a country where moderation and tolerance are practiced, she said, “The
world recognises us as one of the emerging economic powers of the world,”
the Prime Minister said adding that the foreign friends are the equal
partners of Bangladesh’s
accomplishments. She unequivocally said the people of the country are
steadfast in their endeavour to live up to the expectations of foreign
friends, turn Bangladesh
into a country that they (Foreign friends) had envisioned while extending
support in 1971. Earlier, on her arrival, the Prime Minister exchanged
pleasantries with the foreign friends. Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf
Hossain Bhuiyan read out the citations of the recipients. Among others,
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and State Minister for Liberation War Affairs AB
Tajul Islam spoke on the occasion. Ambassador Jagdish C Sharma Sena Medal
spoke on behalf of the recipients.
From http://www.unbconnect.com
12/15/2012
TOP↑
INDIA: Govt
Justifies Cash Transfer Announcement Before Polls
Government today justified the
announcement of its direct cash transfer scheme saying it does not
constitute violation of the model code of conduct and does not contain
anything new that was not in this year's Budget. In a communication to
Election Commission, which had expressed unhappiness over last week's
announcement and sought an explanation, the government said the Finance
Minister's Budget Speech in March this year had outlined the success of
several pilots across a number of states relating to the Aadhar-based
service delivery mechanism. This only clearly established that the Scheme
had already been partially operationalised even prior to March 2012, the
government contended. The BJP had objected to the government announcement
and had petitioned the poll authority to set aside the scheme.
"The present proposal to extend the
pilots to 51 districts across India is the logical next step
towards the implementation of this methodology of transferring benefits to
at least 50 districts. "This is meant to ensure that the final roll
out of Direct Cash Transfers is seamless and smooth. Thus, the proposed
pilot in 51 districts is not a new scheme but an extension of the pilot already
in place," the communication from the Planning Commission said. It
said that recommendations of the Task Force headed by Nandan Nilekani on IT
strategy for Direct Transfer of Subsidy were made way back in February
2012. These recommendations were accepted by the Government in March 2012,
and were also announced by the Finance Minister in his Budget Speech.
"In view of all (the) above, it is stated that the announcement being
objected to does not constitute a violation of the Model Code of Conduct,"
the Planning Commission letter said.
The government said no announcement of any
financial grant or a new promise in the nature of a financial benefit has
been announced after the coming into force of the Model Code of Conduct on
October three. It said that no eligible beneficiary will receive any
additional entitlement than he/she was already entitled to under identified
Schemes. "There is no increase in the number of beneficiaries under
the various schemes of the Central Government where direct cash transfers
are proposed to be introduced," the government said. It said the
scheme was to be introduced from January one for more efficient delivery of
benefits under the ongoing programmes by which time the election process
will be completed. "Accordingly, the announcement made by the
Government is not in breach of para VII of the Model Code of Conduct,"
he said.
The Direct Cash Transfers based on
Aadhar-enabled payments were integral to the unique identity number scheme
as conceptualized in 2010. It was envisaged that Aadhar platform will be
made use of in the various existing schemes of the government to reach the
benefits to eligible beneficiaries more efficiently. "The
announcements in question are only in the nature of the logical next steps
in the on-going efforts of the government to ensure better targeting of
beneficiaries under various existing schemes of the central
government," it said. "It may be seen from the Press statement
appended to the above reference that the announcements by the Ministers concerned
which are being objected to were by way of clarifying the government policy
and the perceived impact of this delivery mechanism," the government
said.
From http://news.outlookindia.com 12/03/2012
TOP↑
Indore Hosts
National Seminar on eGovernance
Indore: A
national level seminar on “eGovernance: Issues and challenges” was
organized at university teaching department campus of Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya
(DAVV). “All efforts should be made to make e-governance available to
common man. The state government has used it in its various departments,
which has led to three time rise in income of the departments,” said state
industries minister, Kailash Vijayvargiya. He was speaking as chief guest
at the event. Vijayvargiya said if we want to lead our nation and society
then we have to take help of eGovernance. “Machines will replace humans,”
he said. Speaking on this occasion, vice chancellor of DAVV, DP Singh said,
“We are ahead of other countries in the field of technology and
e-governance. We have to take the help of eGovernance to make educational
institutes competitive.” Vineeta Dixit, principal consultant of information
and technology ministry briefed audience about expansion of eGovernance in
past two decades. She said, “eGovernance should reach each and every
citizen.”
From http://egov.eletsonline.com
12/18/2012
TOP↑
PAKISTAN: Govt
Facilitating in Growth of Media Kaira
ISLAMABAD: The present democratic government was doing
its best to facilitate media industry in its growth,said Minister for
Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira here Tuesday. Talking to a
delegation of All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) here the minister said
the Pakistan Peoples Party government believed that media independence and
strengthening of democracy go hand in hand. The delegation discussed issues
related to the media industry. The minister proposed that a committee
should be formed to review advertisement policy.
From http://www.brecorder.com 12/18/2012
TOP↑
Installation
of 225 Water Filtration Plants in Sindh
ISLAMABAD: Sindh
government is spending rupees 8.5 billion on the installation of 225 Water
Filtration Plants for providing pure drinking water to the people of nine
districts of the province. Talking to Radio Pakistan, a spokesman of Sindh
government said that under the programme potable drinking water will be
provided to these districts through Reverse Osmosis plants, Ultra
Filtration plant and desalination plants in three phases. Replying to a
question, the spokesman said work is already in progress on this project
which is scheduled to be completed during the ongoing financial year. He
said with the installation of filtration plants millions of people will
have access to clean water and they will be saved from water borne
diseases.
From http://www.brecorder.com 12/20/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
AZERBAIJAN: State Committee
to Reduce Real Estate Registration Period
Automating the property registration
process in Azerbaijan
will reduce the time taken considerably, the State Property Committee said
on Wednesday. The State Committee plans to take measures to simplify the
rules for immovable property registration, render electronic services to
conduct the state registry, improve the rates for services rendered by the
territorial registration administrations and minimise the time for the
registration process. The main goal is to ensure the transparency of
property registration, improve and simplify the access to services rendered
by the State Committee. The State Committee has been using e-services since
May 1. As of November 1, the number of appeals to the state committee in
electronic form reached about 700. At present citizens have the opportunity
to appeal to the regional registration offices in electronic form for real
estate registration. The process of registration and liquidation of the
mortgage, as well as the recognition of property rights will be transformed
into e-form in the future. Simplifying the procedure of state duty payment
in the process of real estate registration will be one of the innovations.
From http://en.trend.az/
11/29/2012
TOP↑
First
Regional Radio Station Opened in Azerbaijan
The regular meeting of the National
Council for Television and Radio (NCTR) took place on Friday, the council
informed. Following a contest on opening the first regional radio station
at the operating frequency 93.3 MHz covering Ganja and surrounding
territories with participation of three candidates - LLC "Turkel
TV" and LLC "Yevlakh TV", LLC "Kapaz independent
broadcasting company" was announced a winner. A license for a period
of six years was granted to the winner. The meeting also decided to extend
the period of the license for "Lider TV" Ltd and
"Radio-Azerbaijan" for up to six years.
From http://en.trend.az/
12/21/2012
TOP↑
PACE
Report on Azerbaijan
Published
The report "Azerbaijan's implementation of
commitments" prepared by the co-rapporteurs of the PACE Monitoring
Committee on Azerbaijan Pedro Agramunt and Joseph Debono Grech has been published.
The co-rapporteurs stressed that after Azerbaijan joined the Council
of Europe, the progress was achieved in the formation of legislative base
which is important for democratic institutions' activity. The
co-rapporteurs also emphasized that great progress was achieved in signing
and ratifying CE legal documents after Azerbaijan joined the Council
of Europe. The report stressed that Azerbaijan, except for one
document, signed and ratified all the legal documents included in the
country's commitment to the PACE. The co-rapporteurs also consider
establishing the Judicial Council within the reform of the Azerbaijani
judicial system as commendable.
From http://en.trend.az/
12/21/2012
TOP↑
KAZAKHSTAN:
Religious Situation Requires Correct Assessment
In order not to slip back into the Middle
Ages, the religious situation in Kazakhstan requires a correct
assessment, President Nursultan Nazarbayev said. "We have to stay away
from events alien to our mentality. Certainly, we are Muslims and we are
Sunnis. This is the path, selected by our ancestors based on respect for
national traditions and respect for parents," Nazarbayev said at the
meeting devoted to 21st anniversary of the country's independence. However,
in his opinion, today, 'some external forces are recruiting young people,
forcing them to leave the true path of Islam and choose wrong directions.'
"According to them, we not only have to make our sisters and daughters
hide their faces, but also not sit at the same table with them. They should
not drive, should not move freely, and should not receive education. How
are we supposed to bring them up then?" the head of state said.
"I am leading our youth to the XXI century and the XXII century, while
these problems drag us back to the Middle Ages," Nazarbayev said.
From http://en.trend.az/
12/14/2012
TOP↑
TURKMENISTAN: Must
Work Hard to Ensure TAPI Project Implementation
We have to work hard to create favourable
conditions for the implementation of the
Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) project, Turkmen President
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow said at a government meeting, the country's
television reported on Tuesday. The Turkmen leader said global economic and
financial circles understand the reality and reasonability of TAPI and the
project is supported at a political level. "These factors which
include tools of energy diplomacy need to be used," Berdimuhamedow said,
adding that the interdepartmental working group on energy diplomacy has
been tasked to speed up the work. TAPI is currently at an important stage
of development. In the autumn, Turkmenistan held a series of
international road shows on the TAPI project with the participation of the
Asian Development Bank (ADB). According to reports from Ashgabat, the heads
of U.S. companies such
as Chevron, Exxon Mobil, BP, BG Group, Germany's
RWE and Malaysia's
Petronas expressed their intention to participate in the project. According
to its feasibility, the 1735
km long TAPI pipeline will start from the eastern region of
Turkmenistan, where the
largest gas fields are situated and after passing through the territory of Afghanistan
and Pakistan will reach
Fazilka (India)
on the Pakistani-Indian border. The capacity of the pipeline is 33 billion
cubic meters of gas a year. At this stage negotiations are being held on
the formation of the consortium, financing and security and in particular
through troubled Afghanistan.
Observers believe that the implementation of TAPI can contribute to the
restoration process in Afghanistan,
as it will create jobs and provide the country with a guaranteed income
from transit. Holding the status of positive neutrality, Turkmenistan has a long border with Afghanistan
and recently proposed inter-Afghan peace talks under the auspices of the UN
in Ashgabat. Ashgabat provides humanitarian assistance to the neighbouring
country by building social infrastructure facilities and supplies of
electricity and fuel to Afghanistan
are carried out on favourable terms. Turkmenistan
undertook a major project, the implementation of which will increase
electricity exports to Afghanistan
by five times. Export capacity in this area reaches about 325 million
kilowatt-hours per year.
From http://en.trend.az/
12/11/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
AUSTRALIA: Aust Wiki
Launches Social Media Kit for Disabled
The benefits of social media, including
Tweets and YouTube, are being extended to people with disabilities under a
just-launched initiative by the Brisbane-registered coalition of emergency
management professionals, Emergency 2.0 Wiki. Emergency 2.0 Wiki, a
voluntary body, has developed an on-line Emergency 2.0 Wiki Accessibility
Toolkit. This toolkit is tailored for the sensory and mobility-impaired.
Among its features, the toolkit offers tips, resources and apps to overcome
the problems of accessing social media for the blind, deaf or
physically-restricted. It also offers guidelines for emergency agencies and
government. Visually-impaired users of smartphone or other mobile devices
will benefit from an “Easy Chirp” service that presents information using
an alternative site to Twitter. This makes it easier to monitor emergency
notices, or other community news-feeds. Vibrations or flashes also
demonstrate on-line information for those with hearing difficulties. Additionally,
YouTube videos come equipped with sign language and captions.
Eileen Culleton, founder and CEO for
Emergency 2.0 Wiki, told FutureGov, it took three months to develop this
service. Developers used Media Wiki free software and GoogleDocs information-sharing,
collaboration and editing tools. Content was “crowd-sourced” from a global
knowledge base, including professionals representing the emergency,
government, NGO, and business sectors in Australia,
New Zealand, and the US. Dr
Scott Hollier, member of the Emergency 2.0 Wiki Accessibility Reference
Group, said social media can potentially save lives. But people with
disabilities often faced difficulty accessing important messages – as
social media was inaccessible in some settings. “For example, the main
Twitter website can’t be easily read with a screen reader, the device that
reads out information on a screen for people who are blind,” Dr Hollier
said. “But important emergency information can be accessed by using an
alternative site such as Easy Chirp to read tweets.”
“As people tweet in real time, an
accessible app such as Easy Chirp can provide people who are blind with
immediate notification of when a fire starts or when flash floods hit a
town,” Dr Hollier noted. Unlike standard Wiki sites – where collaborating
“authors” routinely update posts – the Emergency 2.0 Wiki service has
built-in security. Firstly, participants register with a dedicated LinkedIn
account. Credentials are cross-checked before access to the network. This
network now has 240 professionals from Australia,
Asia, Europe, North America, Canada
and the Middle East. The Emergency 2.0
Wiki Reference Working Group galvanises expertise from Australia, New
Zealand, and the US. This service began as a
voluntary initiative of the Gov 2.0 Queensland Community of Practice. It
was launched in December 2011 after Queensland’s
devastating floods. Social media was widely-used – enabling emergency
management field staff, first-responders, medical teams, police and
community groups to communicate in real-time across affected locations.
From http://www.futuregov.asia
12/11/2012
TOP↑
NEW ZEALAND: Gov
Wins Prestigious Spatial Award
Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) has
clinched a regional Asia Pacific Spatial Excellence award for the
innovative management of spatial information, while making this data more
widely available to citizens. This Asia Pacific Excellence Award
acknowledges work spearheaded by LINZ
to develop and implement the LINZ Data Service (LDS). The LDS is New Zealand’s
first standards-compliant service that offers free and open access to
government-held public data. This service is offered free of charge and
on-line. Up to 3,500 users are currently subscribing to the service. These
subscribers include state and local agencies, as well as individual users.
Each month, more than 200 end users are signing up. Jan Pierce, General
Manager Customer Services, LINZ,
told FutureGov this project will improve the way New Zealanders find, use
and share geospatial information. It sets new benchmarks with how agencies
manage and share spatial information.
“We started work on the project in
November 2010 in partnership with a software solutions provider,” she says.
“The aim was to open up data access and support easy on-line downloads.”
This spatial data is hosted in the cloud, while utilising
software-as-a-service offerings. End users can download data to PCs,
tablets, smartphones, and other devices with internet access. Under this
award-winning initiative, LINZ
is making land and seabed information more accessible, while ensuring data
is reliable, up-to-date and fit for purpose. More broadly, spatial
information also incorporates topographic data, information relating to
hydrographic surveys, and more detailed mapping of street addresses. LINZ coordinates and leads the New Zealand
government’s Geospatial Strategy. This strategy, launched in 2007, seeks to
open up access to geospatial data, while delivering productivity gains.
Other agencies using geospatial tools include NZ Fire Services, Ministry of
Fisheries, NZ Police, Statistics NZ, Ministry for the Environment, and
Dunedin City Council.
From http://www.futuregov.asia
11/23/2012
TOP↑
Pay
Equity for Women Plea to Govt
A campaign has been launched to demand
equal pay for women after finding that, on average, men are paid at least
10 per cent more than women. Pay Equity Challenge Coalition spokeswoman
Angela McLeod said figures were showing the gender gap had widened from
12.85 per cent in September last year to 14.178 per cent in September this
year. Other figures released yesterday in the Household Economic Survey
2012, revealed 259,000 men had a personal income of $80,000 or more
compared to 92,500 women. Labour's women's affairs spokeswoman Sue Moroney
said it was a huge discrepancy. "Women outnumber men at every income
decile below $47,000 and men outnumber women at every income decile above
$47,000. Pay equity is a structural problem that requires structural
solutions." The campaign is calling on Parliament to do something
about the problem.
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz
11/30/2012
TOP↑
ORC to
Activate Improved Flood Alert System
The Otago Regional Council (ORC) is
converting to a more efficient and effective system of alerting the public
to predicted or actual flooding in the Otago region. ORC director of environmental
engineering and natural hazards Gavin Palmer said the council was
transitioning towards using social networking device Twitter to send alerts
to cellphones, and away from telephone ring lists. Dr Palmer said this
would allow anyone wanting to get the alerts to do so simply by subscribing
to the service through Twitter. The Twitter alert sent by ORC would notify
the recipient, that in the council’s opinion, conditions could lead to
flooding. The alerts would direct the users to the ORC website to find out
more detailed information on potential flood events. Under the new system,
flood information could be sent out more efficiently and effectively to a
wider group of people than previously, Dr Palmer said. There will be two
types of notifications − "watches" (high river or lake level is
possible within the next 36 hours) and "warnings" (high river or
lake level is likely or certain within the next 36 hours).
Dr Palmer said 36 hours was considered
sufficient to give people time to prepare and respond to the flood, whilst
keeping the forecast period as short as possible. ORC flood managers
currently telephone people individually based on predefined triggers (river
levels or flows at indicator sites). ORC has 24 ring lists with a total of
430 contacts. The Twitter alerts and ring lists will operate alongside one
another in the meantime, until the new system is proven to meet ORC and
community service requirements. "Contacting the people on the ring
lists is time-consuming," Dr Palmer said. "The lists do not
provide complete coverage of flood-prone areas in Otago, or some of the
areas that have the highest flood risk. Moving to a Twitter-based alert
system will free up our staff to assess, forecast, monitor, and respond to
flood situations; and release clear, concise, and timely information."
Dr Palmer noted that several regional councils in NZ had either done away
with ring lists, or were in the process of doing so. The Canterbury earthquakes and the grounding
of the Rena container ship off Tauranga had highlighted how social media
could connect people to resources, vital information, and each other.
In the case of Otago floods, the Twitter
alert would act like a pager notification. Once people subscribed to the
service, which was free, they would automatically receive flood alert
notifications until they unsubscribed from the service. They did not need
to subscribe every time there was a flood, and could unsubscribe whenever
they wanted to. Users of ORC’s website could also choose to connect to the
WaterInfo website (for detailed, real-time hydrological data, the Otago
Natural Hazards Database, and the Otago Civil Defence Emergency Management
(CDEM) Group website (for advice on how to prepare, respond and recover
from floods), Dr Palmer said.
From http://www.voxy.co.nz
12/03/2012
TOP↑
SOLOMON ISLANDS:
Government Holds Gender Violence Awareness
The Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and
Medical Services in coordination with the Ministry of Women Youth Children
and Family Affairs (MWYCFA), will be holding an awareness on Gender
Violence at the Honiara Central Market this morning. This event organised
by the Social Welfare Division within the Ministry of Health will focus on
creating awareness among the community in Honiara of the recently established
Gender Based Violence Helpline. The event forms part of the 16 Days of
Activism Against Gender Based Violence that began on the 25th November
(International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women - better
known as White Ribbon Day) and ends on 10th December (International Human
Rights Day). The Social Welfare Division's Gender Based Violence Program
(GBV Program) was established in October 2011. The role of the GBV Program
is to work with stakeholders to improve the prevention of and response to
sexual and gender based violence.
The issue of sexual and gender based
violence in the Solomon
Islands needs to be urgently addressed.
The high rate of GBV was revealed in the Family Health and Safety Study
conducted across the country in 2009, which produced the following
statistics:
.64% of women aged 15-49 reported being
physical and / or sexually abused during their lifetime.
.18% of women aged 15-49 reported
experiencing physical violence by someone other than an intimate partner
.18% also experience sexual violence by
someone other than an intimate partner
.36.9% of girls under the age of 15 have
experienced sexual abuse
.Male family members including fathers and
step fathers were identified as the most common perpetrators of physical
non-partner violence
.Boyfriends, strangers and male
acquaintances were identified most common perpetrator of sexual non-partner
violence
The Social Welfare Division GBV Program
receives funding support from the Australian Government with the purpose of
strengthening, coordinating and monitoring the GBV services provided to the
people of the Solomon
Islands. Mr Vozoto is also working with
the Solomon Islands Planned Parenthood Association (SIPPA) to implement a
project called 'Nokim Daon Vaelens', funded by the British High Commission.
Nokim Daon Vaelens aims to further strengthen impact the GBV Coordinator in
advancing gender equality and contributing to the prevention of sexual and
gender based violence at the community level as well as working to improve
the clinical response for survivors within health facilities. The Social
Welfare GBV Program's recently established GBV helpline uses the toll free
number (132) and is operational 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The helpline
is available for survivors of sexual and gender based violence to call and
receive support over the phone. The first priority is to ensure the
survivor is safe and then refer them to the appropriate care. Survivors may
need emotional and physical care, including counseling, treatment of
injuries, and medication to prevent sexually transmitted infections
(including HIV) and/or pregnancy.
The helpline can refer the survivor to
other service providers such as health facilities and the police, public solicitors
office, social welfare, Family Support Center and Christian
Care
Center.
A large number of GBV cases are likely to remain unreported. When a
survivor takes the courage to come forward for care it is important that
they receive the most appropriate care as efficiently and effectively as
possible.
From http://www.solomontimes.com
12/06/2012
TOP↑
TONGA:
Government Gives More Than 70 Homes to Tsunami-Hit Community
Prime Minister of Tonga, Lord Tu’ivakano
has handed over the remaining 34 of 73 new houses to the people of
Niuatoputapu who lost their homes during the 2009 tsunami. Supported by the
World Bank, the houses were constructed as part of the Post-Tsunami
Reconstruction Project which has helped rebuild people’s homes,
infrastructure and livelihoods. Alongside the Prime Minister, the opening
ceremony in Niuatoputapu was attended by Thomas Roth, Australian High
Commissioner to Tonga; Robert Jauncey, Senior Country Officer for the
Pacific Islands for the World Bank and the Hon Sosefu Fe’ao Vakata, Member
of Parliament for the Niuas Constituency. In September 2009, the remote
Niua islands in the north of Tonga were struck by a major
earthquake and tsunami, which submerged nearly half of the main island of Niuatoputapu.
The impact was devastating: nine people lost their lives; 85 homes were
destroyed with more badly damaged; and critical government infrastructure,
schools, and water and sanitation systems were torn apart.
Three years later, things look very
different. Nearly 130 affected buildings have been repaired or rebuilt,
including homes, shops and community halls; water supplies have been
resumed, roads have been reconstructed, with further improvements in
progress, and children are studying in a brand new school. “This is a real
milestone for the people of Niuatoputapu who have shown their strength and
resilience as they rebuild their community,” said Prime Minister, Lord
Tu’ivakano. “These homes signify a bright and safer future, and are a mark
of the collective efforts of all involved – community and government and
our partners. It is a great honour to be here as these homes are handed
over to the Niua community,” said Robert Jauncey, Senior Country Officer
for the Pacific Islands
at the World Bank. “The Post-Tsunami Reconstruction project is immediately
improving the lives of people affected by the natural disaster, but
moreover helping strengthen critical infrastructure for the future.”
“Today is a proud moment for
Niuatoputapu,” said the Hon Sosefu Fe’ao Vakata, the Minister for Revenue
and Member of Parliament for the Niuas Constituency. “After much adversity,
the community is not only rebuilt but is reinvigorated – the new homes, the
new school, the community centres are testament to this.” In Niuatoputapu,
the houses have been constructed on higher ground and to cyclone-resistant
standards – a critical step in an area with high vulnerability to tropical
cyclones and other natural hazards. Starting in October 2010, the project
was funded under a grant from the International Development Association,
the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries. The project was
implemented by a committee chaired by the Ministry of Finance and National
Planning in coordination of relevant line ministries, with complementary
reconstruction activities conducted by New Zealand’s
aid program, Caritas International and the Government of Japan. The
remaining homes built under the project were handed over to the community
in September this year.
From http://www.islandsbusiness.com 12/04/2012
TOP↑
VANUATU: ADB
& Australia Help Improve Urban Development
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Australian
Government are helping the Government of Vanuatu achieve sustainable urban
development through improved access to sanitation, drainage facilities and
roads. Loan and grant agreements were signed for the Port Vila Urban
Development Project. Vanuatu's Minister of Finance
and Economic Management Charlot Salwai, Andrea Iffland, Regional Director
of ADB’s Pacific Liaison and Coordination Office in Australia.
The Australian High Commissioner, Mr Jeremy Bruer, participated in the
signing ceremony. “The Vanuatu Government welcomes the assistance of the
Asian Development Bank and the Australian Government to undertake the most
significant investment in the national capital since independence,” said
Charlot Salwai from the Government of Vanuatu. Port Vila
is the commercial and tourist center of the country, generating almost two
thirds of national GDP. The current poor state of the capital’s drainage,
road and sanitation infrastructure are having a negative impact on Vanuatu’s
ability to attract and retain commercial and tourist related investment.
The deteriorating condition of this critical infrastructure is also leading
to increasing public health concerns, environmental degradation and poorer
quality of life of Port Vila residents and visitors.
“Working with the governments of Vanuatu
and Australia, we look forward to introducing improved access to basic
services, such as sanitation, drainage facilities and improved roads to
Port Vila - the largest population center and main commercial hub of
Vanuatu,” said Andrea Iffland, Regional Director of the Pacific Liaison and
Coordination Office in Australia. Increasing urbanization is putting
unprecedented pressure on the infrastructure of the nation’s capital, the
population of which has increased almost 400% since independence in 1980.
ADB will provide a loan of $5 million from its Special Funds resources. The
Government of Vanuatu will contribute counterpart funding of $3.10 million,
together with a significant Australian contribution.
From http://www.adb.org
12/17/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
|
|
Global Economy Facing Hesitant and Uneven Recovery, Says OECD
The global economy is
expected to make a hesitant and uneven recovery over the coming two years.
Decisive policy action is needed to ensure that stalemate over fiscal
policy in the United States and continuing euro area instability do not
plunge the world back into recession, according to the OECD’s latest
Economic Outlook. “The world economy is far from being out of the woods,”
OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said during the Economic Outlook launch
in Paris.
“The US
‘fiscal cliff’, if it materialises, could tip an already weak economy into
recession, while failure to solve the euro area crisis could lead to a
major financial shock and global downturn. Governments must act decisively,
using all the tools at their disposal to turn confidence around and boost
growth and jobs, in the United States, in Europe, and elsewhere,” Mr Gurría
said (read the full speech).GDP growth across the OECD is projected to
match this year’s 1.4% in 2013, before gathering momentum to 2.3% for 2014,
according to the Outlook. In the United States, provided the
“fiscal cliff” is avoided, GDP growth is projected at 2% in 2013 before
rising to 2.8% in 2014. In Japan,
GDP is expected to expand by 0.7% in 2013 and 0.8% in 2014. The euro area
will remain in recession until early 2013, leading to a mild contraction in
GDP of 0.1% next year, before growth picks up to 1.3% in 2014.
After
softer-than-expected activity during 2012, growth has begun picking up in
the emerging-market economies, with increasingly supportive monetary and
fiscal policies offsetting the drag exerted by weak external demand. China is expected to grow at 8.5% in 2013
and 8.9% in 2014, while GDP is also expected to gather steam in the coming
years in Brazil, India, Indonesia,
Russia and South Africa.
Labour markets remain weak, with around 50 million jobless people in the
OECD area, the Outlook said. Unemployment is set to remain high, or even
rise further, in many countries unless structural measures are used to
boost near-term employment growth .The euro area crisis remains a serious
threat to the world economy, despite recent measures that have dampened
near-term pressures. Adjustment of deep-rooted imbalances across the euro
area has begun, but much more is needed to ensure long-term sustainability,
including structural reform in both deficit and surplus countries. More
needs to be done to tackle negative links in the euro area between public
finances, bank solvency and risks that any country may have to leave the
euro. In the long run, this requires a fully-fledged banking union with
fiscal backstops.
Recapitalisation of banks should be undertaken where necessary. The
Outlook suggests a possible positive scenario could arise if decisive
policy actions are taken to improve business and consumer confidence, and
to boost growth and jobs worldwide. The rapid and broad implementation of
structural reforms, not least in labour and product markets, is key to this
scenario.
From http://www.oecd.org/ 11/27/2012
TOP↑
UNESCO Calls
for Wise Use of ICT in Education
Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova
urged educational policy makers to use ICT wisely and ensure the universal
accessibility of ICT in education that would lead to quality education.
Knowledge and education can be used to build confident in young women and
men as well as to allow them to stand on their two feet, she said at the
opening of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Forum on ICT in Education (AMFIE)
2012 held in Bangkok
last week. “ICT can and must serve this essential goal,” she added and
continued: “We must ensure that ICT are accessible, and that they bridge
divides and favour inclusive education, that they draw on appropriate
content, and that they support quality teaching.” This requires effective capacity
development and policy dialogue, according to Bokova. However, Bokova
strongly emphasised the role of teachers to best use technology for better
learning. “Technology can be a powerful education multiplier, but we must
know how to use it. It is not enough to install technology into classrooms
– it must be integrated into learning. Nothing can substitute for a good
teacher.” She continued that it is not technology itself that empowers
people, empowerment comes from skills and knowledge. Gwang-Jo Kim, Director
of UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education inserted that ICT,
if used wisely, can contribute to universal access to quality education
informal, non-formal and informal education settings across sectors.
“However, ICT in education only works when
it is closely aligned with a clear national vision, explicit implementation
strategies, feasible action plans and solid monitoring and evaluation,” he
said. Kim stressed that each country in APAC has its own education context
and unique challenges. Integrating ICT in education varies widely—from
least developed countries where electricity supply in schools is scarce, to
middle income countries where there is high demand for assistance in
developing effective ICT policies, to high income countries where there are
concerns related to rapidly growing harmful effects stemming from
over-supply of, and easy access to ICT. The AMFIE was held this year by
UNESCO in co-operation with the Thai Ministry of Education and Intel
Cooperation under the theme “The Power of ICT in Education Policies:
Implications for Educational Practices” to present challenges and updates
on innovative policy making practices. Delegates from 20 countries across
the Asia Pacific Region including 15 on ministerial level, 36 senior
officials and international experts attended the Forum.
From http://www.futuregov.asia/
11/27/2012
TOP↑
Information
Economy Report 2012
The Information Economy Report 2012: The
Software Industry and Developing Countries is the seventh in the flagship
series published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD).In the 2012 edition, special attention is given to the role of
software capabilities in accelerating progress towards a more inclusive
information society.
Key issues covered include:
•The link between software capabilities
and development
•Global and regional trends in production,
spending, trade, investment, venture capital and employment in the software
sector
•The evolving ICT landscape and its impact
on software production patterns
•Trends and implications related to free
and open source software (FOSS)
•An analysis of the market orientation of
software production in developing countries
•Country case studies
•Policy recommendations on how governments
and their development partners can better leverage software for development
and strengthen national software systems
The Information Economy Report 2012 finds
that, because software is increasingly permeating societies at all levels
of development and activity, it is becoming more important for countries to
develop the technological capabilities needed to adopt and adapt existing
software solutions, and eventually to innovate. Software and service
activities represent an opportunity for developing countries, thanks to the
low capital entry requirements, the sector's high-value, high-growth nature
and knowledge-rich profile. Due to changes in the ICT landscape, even
small-scale developers in developing countries can now participate in
software development and production, for example in the area of mobile
applications. The Report suggests that there is considerable room for developing
countries to make better use of the software potential. The Report
introduces the concept of the national software system. It emphasizes that
domestic software producers and users are greatly influenced by the quality
and affordability of ICT infrastructure, access to relevant human resources
and capital, the legal framework, an enabling business infrastructure, as
well as by the links with software networks in the rest of the world.
Governments play a central role in the
national software system. Overall, the competitiveness of the system is
affected by the national vision, strategy and government policies which
should nurture software capabilities and the system as a whole. In
particular, Governments are important users of software (notably through e-government
and public procurement activities) and they strongly influence most of the
enabling factors of the system.The Information Economy Report 2012 offers
several policy recommendations to governments, such as:
•To take active part in fostering their national
software systems.
•To tailor software development strategies
to their specific contexts, based on consultations and partnerships with
relevant stakeholders.
•To integrate software strategies into
broader development plans
•To strike a balance between domestic and
export market promotion related to software
•To adapt education and training schemes
to the new ICT landscape
•To encourage technological upgrading in
enterprises, and adoption of relevant international standards and
certifications
•To facilitate the strengthening of
developer communities
•To give adequate attention to FOSS,
especially in public procurement
•To seek the support of development
partners in training, application development, support to the strengthening
of legal and regulatory frameworks, supporting IT/software associations and
clusters, meetings of developers, software SME development and more
•To leverage South-South cooperation where
appropriate
The Information Economy Report 2012
explores various examples of software development initiatives by individual
countries and groups of countries.
Among the cases cited are:
•Software trends in the BRIC countries
•Nigeria's new software strategy
•The emerging Android ecosystem in Sri Lanka
•The Malaysian Public Sector Open Source Software
Programme
•The eGovFrame platform of the Republic of Korea
•Software for sustainable development in
Lao PDR
•The Free Software and Open Source
Foundation for Africa
•A global UNCTAD/WITSA survey of national
IT/Software Associations
•Locally developed software to improve
farmers' access to information in Bangladesh
•Software promotion in Argentina.
In the Statistical Annex of the Report,
UNCTAD presents among other things international data on software spending,
exports and employment.
From http://unctad.org/
11/29/2012
TOP↑
Online Censorship
in 2012
The OpenNet Initiative, which documents
attempts to mould the internet, lists IP blocking, DNS tampering, URL
blocking using a proxy, keyword blocking and denial of service attacks as
the most common forms of filtering. State-directed censorship, as employed
in Iran and China
for example, is carried out at the internet backbone, affecting access
throughout the country. China's internet restrictions known as "The
Great Firewall" are installed on the international internet gateway of
mainland China.YouTube, Google+, Twitter, Dropbox, Facebook and Foursquare
are banned. But the firewall, as hackers have proved countless times, has
its limitations and cracks.US President Barack Obama's Google+ account was
flooded with comments in February after a temporary gap in the firewall
allowed Chinese users to access the social network.Several of Google's
online services were blocked during the country's transfer of leadership
this month.
Closed
network
Iran is
launching a closed national computer network in 2013 that will cut itself
off from the global internet. It claims foreign powers are trying to
disrupt its development. In 2010 a computer worm caused centrifuges to fail
at its main uranium enrichment facility.But Al Jazeera reports the proposal
may find opposition in unexpected quarters. "The country's Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has his own website in 13 languages and
accounts on Twitter and photo-sharing site Instagram. Any interruption to Iran's
global internet access is likely to also affect his followers."
Transparency
In September this year Google blocked the
Innocence of Muslims film in Libya
and Egypt.
Censoring the video went against Google's bias in favour of free
expression. The company said the video fell within its guidelines but
"given the very difficult situation in Libya
and Egypt
we have temporarily restricted access in both countries". Google often
complies with user-data requests and take-down notices from governments and
companies.Reasons given for removing content include defamation,
pornography, hate speech, national security, religious offence and
copyright and trademark law. So Google's not a court but it's increasingly
acting like one. It determines whether to comply with a government's
request and takes into account the country's laws. It publishes a
transparency report every six months documenting how much data it's removed
and where. South Africa
requested Google to remove content for the first time this year and was
successful. The South African courts submitted three removal requests
between January to June 2012. The reason given for all three was
defamation. South African government agencies and courts did not ask Google
for any user information.
Surveillance
In a report on internet freedom, Freedom
House, an independent watchdog organisation dedicated to the expansion of
freedom around the world, reported that digital media freedom is generally
respected in South
Africa. That political content is not
censored and that bloggers and online content creators are not prosecuted.
South Africa's
internet freedom is however threatened by two pieces of proposed
legislation. The Protection of State Information Bill that would make it
illegal to publish and access certain state information, affecting the
traditional and digital media, bloggers, internet users and whistle-blower
sites. And the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill could legalise the
bulk monitoring of internet communications."Reports indicate that the
government conducts some bulk surveillance of mobile phone conversations,
short-message service and emails through the National Communications Centre
(NCC), a government agency that houses interception facilities … while most
interceptions involve reasonable national security concerns, such as terrorism
or assassination plots, the system allows the NCC to record South African
citizens' conversations without a warrant. Although the NCC operates
outside the boundaries of the law, a current Bill in Parliament - the
General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill, previously shelved in 2008 but
reintroduced in 2011 - would legalise the interception of "any
communication that emanates from outside the borders of the republic, or
passes through or ends in the republic" … an email address with a
foreign company or through social-networking platforms like Facebook could
potentially count as interceptable communication."In July this year,
Skype expanded its cooperation with law-enforcement authorities to make
online chats and other user information available to police. And BlackBerry
maker Research in Motion agreed to hand over encryption keys for its secure
corporate emails and messenger services to Indian security services in
August. There are ways to circumvent monitoring and the threat of
surveillance that often leads to self-censorship.Tor, for example, allows
you to browse anonymously and access blocked websites. It hides your online
identity. Ethiopia's
only internet service provider, which is state owned, installed a system in
June 2012 that blocked access to Tor. A few days later the Tor project
posted a message explaining how to circumvent the blocking.
From http://mg.co.za/
11/29/2012
TOP↑
Global
Internet User Survey 2012
The Global Internet User Survey provides
reliable information relevant to issues important to the Internet’s future
and informs the Internet Society's programmes and activities.In 2012, more
than 10,000 people in 20 countries were asked about their attitudes towards
the Internet and behaviors online, offering one of the broadest views of
people’s attitudes about key issues our world faces when it comes to the
Internet. The questions ranged from how users manage personal information
online, attitudes toward the Internet and human rights, and the potential
for the Internet to address issues such as economic development and
education.We believe it's people who are the source of innovation that has
driven the Internet’s development, evolution and dramatic growth over the
past four decades.The data collected is openly available to
everyone.Download the Summary of the report here.Key findings from this
year's survey cover a broad range of topics.
The Internet and Human Rights:
•Eighty-three percent of respondents
agreed or agreed strongly that access to the Internet should be considered
a basic human right.
•Eighty-nine percent agreed or agreed
strongly that Internet access allows freedom of expression on all subjects,
and 86 percent agreed or agreed strongly that freedom of expression should
be guaranteed.
•Sixty percent of respondents agreed or
agreed strongly that Internet access has contributed significantly to civil
action and political awareness in their country.
Internet censorship:
•Thirty percent of users agreed strongly
that censorship currently exists on the Internet.
•Sixty-six percent of respondents agreed
or agreed strongly that governments in countries with no Internet
censorship have a responsibility to keep the Internet free of censorship in
countries where the Internet is being censored/controlled/shut down.
•More than 70 percent of users agreed or
agreed strongly that more government involvement would make the Internet
too controlled or would limit content they can access.
•More than two-thirds agreed or agreed
strongly that increased government control would inhibit the growth of the
Internet and/or stifle innovation.
Online privacy and identity:
•Even when users know they are sharing
personal data with a site or service, most users (80 percent) do not always
read privacy policies and a significant fraction (12 percent) of
respondents admitted that they never read privacy policies.
•Of users who logged into online services,
only half reported that they logged out.
•Nineteen percent of respondents were
aware of circumstances in which personal data was used in a way they did
not expect. The most commonly reported consequences were: unsolicited
communications, stolen personal data, private data becoming public, impersonation,
and financial loss.
The Internet and economic and societal
issues:
•Nearly two-thirds of respondents agreed
or agreed strongly that the Internet would play a significant role in
solving global problems, including reducing child mortality (63 percent),
improving maternal health (65 percent), eliminating extreme poverty and
hunger (61 percent), and preventing the trafficking of women and children
(69 percent).
•An even higher percentage of respondents
agreed or agreed strongly that the Internet would increase global trade and
economic relationships (81 percent), improve the quality of education (80
percent), and improve emergency response during a natural disaster (77
percent).
•A majority of respondents felt strongly
that the Internet plays a significant role in making improvements to
business, science, and technology in areas such as: expanding the
availability of goods and services (66 percent), allowing entrepreneurs to
conduct business across all countries (65 percent), and advancing science
and technology and creating a technologically recognized workforce (61
percent).
Attitudes towards the Internet:
•Ninety-eight percent of users agreed or
strongly agreed the Internet is essential for their access to knowledge and
education.
•More than 80 percent agreed or agreed
strongly that the Internet plays a positive role for their individual lives
as well as society at large.
•Nearly 75 percent of users strongly
agreed that access to the Internet allows them to seek any information that
interests them.
General Internet usage:
•Internet users nearly universally (96
percent) indicated they accessed the Internet at least once a day.
•More than 90 percent of Internet users
surveyed globally indicated they use social media, with a majority (60
percent) using it daily, an increase of 10 percent over 2011.
•Connection speed (73 percent) and
reliability (69 percent) ranked slightly above more affordable monthly fees
(68 percent) among factors that would increase usage. Other factors
included more content in their local language (50 percent) and more online
availability of government and/or community services (49 percent)
Background
The Internet Society is a trusted
independent source of leadership for Internet policy, technology standards,
and future development. More than simply advancing technology, we work to
ensure the Internet continues to grow and evolve as a platform for
innovation, economic development, and social progress for people around the
world. The Global Internet User Survey (GIUS) is a globally-scoped survey
programme developed by the Internet Society to provide reliable information
relevant to issues important to the Internet’s future. As an ongoing
effort, the survey informs and supports the activities of the global
Internet Society community. While other ICT surveys focus on economic,
infrastructure, or other Internet use indicators, the GIUS focuses on
users, which are the source of innovation that has driven the Internet’s
development, evolution and dramatic growth over the past four decades.In 2012
the GIUS interviewed more than 10,000 Internet users in 20 countries. This
report is intended to provide a general overview of the behaviors and
opinions of Internet users on various topics. The data and this report aim
to represent the views of the users surveyed rather than the positions or
views of the Internet Society, or its global community. The 2012 GUIS was
conducted for the Internet Society by Redshift Research, a leading business
market research firm.
Methodology
The 2012 Global Internet User Survey was
conducted via online panels comprised of a total of 10,789 Internet users
across 20 countries. Because of differences in sample sizes, the margins of
error in the results for each country vary between 3.10% and a 4.38% at the
95% confidence level.
From http://www.i-policy.org/
12/07/2012
TOP↑
Internet
Use in Adoptions Cuts 2 Ways, Report Says
The Internet has fundamentally changed the
adoption process. It has allowed adoptees and their birth parents to
reunite, and adopting parents can find a range of support from families
around the world struggling with similar problems. But even as the Web has
helped open up the adoption process, it has brought risks. It has led to an
increase in fraudulent adoption agencies, which often turn out to be little
more than Web sites, and it has allowed abusive parents whose children have
been removed to find them, sometimes with tragic consequences. This
shifting landscape is the focus of a report to be released on Thursday by
the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, a nonprofit organization that
works to change adoption policy and practice. The report, part of a
three-year research project, found that the Internet could have both
positive and negative effects on the adoption process and the millions of
people involved. The report found that the widespread use of the Web had
circumvented legal and procedural protections. Traditional adoption
agencies have long offered education, counseling and the ability to screen
prospective parents, but many of the Web-based adoption services not only
do not offer these services, but also may not even be legitimate. The
report found other dangers. Without their families’ knowledge, young
adopted children have used Facebook and other sites to find and contact
their birth parents. Also, birth parents have contacted young children.
From http://www.ejc.net/
12/13/2012
TOP↑
Mobile Operating
Systems: Windows of Opportunity
Android dominated the tumultuous
smartphone market in unit volume terms in 2012, but some are adamant its
reign is only temporary. On the face of it, 2012 should go down as the year
when the title of undisputed smartphone OS champion of the world was
awarded to Android. However, new competitors and the fact that few handset
vendors are actually profiting from Android suggest the contest is far from
over. “There is a definite threat to Android from Microsoft,” claims
Richard Windsor, founder of Radio Free Mobile. The former Nomura analyst
concedes that Microsoft’s Windows Phone has got off to a “disappointingly
slow start” in terms of shipments, but he insists it offers a more complete
experience than Android. “Microsoft can offer an Apple-like experience at a
much lower price,” he says. “Android looks good on paper, but in practice
it doesn’t work that well. Apple offers a much more genuinely integrated
experience...and Microsoft will as well.” Microsoft took big steps this
year towards realising this vision. In June CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled
Microsoft’s first foray into tablet hardware, the Surface, and in October
launched Windows 8, the operating system he hopes will deliver a coherent
user experience across tablets, PCs and smartphones. However, Windows Phone
failed to carve itself a meaningful share of the smartphone market in 2012.
According to IDC, three out of every four
smartphones shipped in the third quarter were running on Android. To
express it another way, of the 181.1 million smartphones shipped worldwide
in the three months ended 30 September, only 45.1 million were not based on
Google’s mobile OS. Second-placed Apple saw iOS device shipments reach 26.9
million in Q3, followed by also-rans RIM and Symbian with 7.7 million and
4.1 million respectively. Windows Phone shipments reached 3.6 million. “I
think that the new [Windows-powered Nokia] Lumias, when all the hype and
dust has settled, are not competitive products,” warns Bengt Nordstrom, CEO
of consultancy Northstream. “It will take another year and a generation
before they can potentially challenge.” He expects Microsoft’s OS market
share to grow in 2013 as Windows Phone 8 “bridges the gap in terms of major
functionalities” between itself and rivals Google and Apple. “Furthermore,
if Microsoft is able to leverage its strong position in services such as
Office and unified communications, several enterprises will choose
Microsoft, even when it comes to mobile solutions,” he predicts. While
there is no denying Android dominated 2012 in unit volume terms, it became
clear over the course of the year that not every Android hardware maker
benefited equally from its success. In fact, it could be argued that
Samsung was the only handset vendor to make meaningful money from Android
sales.
The Korean electronics giant saw revenue
at its IT and mobile communications division–which as well as its handset
arm also includes its infrastructure and IT solutions operations–steadily
grow throughout the year to $24.3 billion by Q3 from $17.5 billion in Q1.
Operating profit grew to $5.2 billion from $4 billion over the same period.
Samsung consistently attributed its performance to robust smartphone
shipments. Strategy Analytics claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S3, first
unveiled in May, overtook Apple’s iPhone 4S to become the world’s single
biggest-selling smartphone model in Q3, shipping 18 million units. The
research firm’s executive director Neil Mawston predicts the iPhone 5 will
regain top spot for Apple in Q4–he estimates the device sold 6 million
units in the last nine days of September–but there is no denying Samsung’s
S3 has proven “wildly popular” in North America, Europe and Asia. Meanwhile,
none of Samsung’s rival Android players came close to matching its
financial performance in 2012. HTC, which four years ago developed the
first ever Android handset, the G1, eked out small quarterly operating
profits this year, ranging from a high of $282 million in Q2 down to $168
million in Q3. Between February and August, amid revenue warnings over
intensifying competition, writedowns and a slumping bottom line, it was
reported that 47 of the Taiwan-based company’s foreign institutional
investors had completely sold off their holdings, while a third-quarter
profit warning saw more than $1 billion wiped off its market capitalisation
in just two days. To make matters worse, in November HTC agreed to pay
unspecified licensing fees to Apple as part of a patent settlement. It is
not alone on that score though. In August Samsung was ordered to pay Apple
$1.05 billion in damages for violating design patents.
Still, HTC is a success story compared to
the likes of Motorola, LG and Sony, which throughout 2012 regularly
reported more or less flat revenues and operating losses. Notable recent
launches from these companies include the HTC One Series, Motorola’s RAZRi,
the LG Optimus G and Sony’s Xperia T. “If you’re an Android maker, life is
quite difficult because it’s a question of ‘how do I differentiate?’,” says
Windsor. As
far as Nordstrom is concerned, it requires being at least on a par with the
competition in almost all handset features, and then going further to offer
something unique. “In the case of Samsung, the ‘something more’ was the
design factor, the technical specs, and the integration of services,” he
says. And what of RIM? The Canadian BlackBerry maker has had another
difficult year under new CEO Thorsten Heins as it seeks to reverse its
ailing fortunes and effectively reboot its smartphone proposition with its
new OS, BB10, which is slated for launch on 30 January 2013. Until this
year, RIM was a staunch advocate of vertical integration. Much like Apple,
the company insisted it was the best way to ensure end users got the best
out of its hardware, software, and services. However, rumours emerged
during the first half of 2012 that RIM was changing its tune, and planned
to license BB10 to other manufacturers. This drastic change of direction
was effectively confirmed by Heins in August, but no licensing deals have
been announced.
And sales are sluggish. According to
Gartner, which measures device sales to end users, RIM sold 26.9 million
BlackBerrys in the first nine months of 2012. By comparison, Samsung sold
20 million-23 million phones per quarter. RIM should “sell itself to the
highest bidder”, advises Windsor.
“It doesn’t have the momentum, it doesn’t have the financial resources, and
it doesn’t have the developer support to be competitive.” Heins would
doubtless disagree. BB10 is based on the QNX operating system developed by
a RIM subsidiary of the same name. “BB10 is not just a smartphone OS, it’s
a new, revolutionary mobile computing platform,” said Heins at BB10’s
unveiling in May. “This takes us into a whole new area of mobile computing,
way beyond smartphones and tablets.” RIM’s traditional stronghold was the
enterprise segment, but Nordstrom, notes that in the US it has lost “significant
ground” to Apple, while Microsoft “is coming up strong” with its own
enterprise services offering. “The best area to focus on for RIM is
developing countries,” he says. If that is the case then RIM had better get
a move on, because 2012 saw some new players arrive to tap into emerging
smartphone markets. Mozilla Foundation, maker of the Firefox Web browser,
in July revealed its HTML5-based smartphone platform, Firefox OS. The first
devices will be made by TCL Communication and ZTE, and will debut in Brazil on
Telefonica-owned Vivo’s network.
In the same month a new company set up by
former Nokia employees emerged with plans to revive the Finnish handset
maker’s moribund MeeGo OS. Called Jolla, it has renamed the platform
Sailfish OS, and is establishing R&D facilities in Hong Kong with a
view to tapping into China’s
fast-growing mobile market. Despite the focus on China,
it announced in November that its first operator partner will be Finland’s
DNA. That is no bad thing, says Windsor.
Focusing on China
is a “dangerous game”, he says. “It is brutally competitive and
horrendously cut-throat.” Windsor insists
there remains enough growth in Europe and North
America to sustain a company like Jolla. “The [smartphone]
market is big enough for multiple players. Jolla is a small company...it
doesn’t need a lot of volume,” he says. So what does 2013 have in store for
the smartphone OS market? “Apple and Samsung will have to prove that they
can continue leading the market,” says Nordstrom, while “Google and
Microsoft will have to prove they can do more than services.” He expects
Google to push its Nexus line of products more aggressively, and Microsoft
to develop more of its own hardware. But Windsor disagrees with this last point.
“Surface was more of a demonstration product,” he claims. “It’s more of a
message to Microsoft’s hardware partners, rather than Microsoft saying ‘we
are going to be more like Apple’.” Instead, Microsoft is likely to pitch
itself as an alternative for struggling Android players. “Microsoft is keen
for the other [vendors] to step up commitment and so is unlikely to make it
hard for them to make Microsoft phones,” says Windsor.
From http://www.totaltele.com/
12/21/2012
TOP↑
Social
Protection for the Poor in Asia Can Be
Affordable and Deliver Big Gains
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Social protection
systems in most Asian countries fall far short of meeting the needs of the
poor and vulnerable even though better safety nets can be affordable for
poorer countries, says a new study from Independent Evaluation at the Asian
Development Bank.Despite high economic growth in much of the region, public
spending on social protection in Asia and the Pacific is lower than in any
part of the world except for sub-Saharan Africa.Recent economic and
financial crises, food and fuel emergencies, and the rapidly increasing
frequency of natural disasters have starkly exposed the inadequacy of the
region’s national social protection systems to guarantee a minimum level of
subsistence and meet people’s basic needs.The evaluation study—Asian
Development Bank: Social Protection Strategy—finds convincing evidence that
social protection programs, and especially well-designed safety nets that
transfer resources to the poor, can reduce the depth and severity of
poverty and inequality.“Governments around the world tend to scramble to
adopt social protection programs in times of crisis,” says the Director
General of Independent Evaluation Vinod Thomas. “But comprehensive systems
built in stable years are much more effective in coping with the human
impact of future economic or political crises or natural disasters. ”Widening
wealth gaps are also drawing attention to the need for greater social
protection in Asia, where income
disparities over the past two decades have widened in 11 countries that
account for more than four-fifths of the region’s population.
All countries spend on the poor in some
form or another, although there are considerable country variations in the
levels and effectiveness of the spending. Concerns over the cost of
universal social protection are deterring some countries, but well-targeted
safety nets are not prohibitively expensive, says the study. In the Philippines,
for example, the government’s conditional cash transfer program to uproot
extreme poverty costs less than 0.5% of the country’s gross domestic
product, yet reaches 15 million people. The program makes regular cash
payments to mothers conditional on their children attending school and
public health clinics. After just three years of implementation, evaluation
findings show positive results on elementary education school enrollment
and beneficiary households spending more on the health and education of
their children. While safety nets, and particularly conditional cash
transfers, can reduce poverty, some countries still prefer to retain food
and fuel subsidies for their social programs. In India, the government
distributes food, fuel, and fertilizer instead of cash, but these subsidies
are vulnerable to misuse and leakage. In addition, such subsidies generally
cost more, benefit the better-off relative to the poor and are politically
difficult to unwind.Rapid social and demographic changes are highlighting
the need for affordable pensions, health insurance, and childcare.
Governments across the region are trying to respond to these challenges. As
such, social protection needs to be higher on their development agenda. “While
Asia has traditionally relied on the
extended family to provide protection, this is proving inadequate and
declining,” says the study’s principal author Joanne Asquith.
The Asian Development Bank’s experience in
helping countries build comprehensive social protection systems—which began
in response to the Asian financial crisis—suggests that governments are
generally reluctant to borrow for social protection except in times of
crisis. Indeed, lending surged during the global economic crisis of
2008–2010, but then sharply declined.Says Asquith: “Social protection systems
are not best built by providing a one-off response to a crisis, but that’s
when political support for social protection is usually highest. “Development
partners need to step up their engagement with governments to sustain
political support for social protection in stable years,” she says. Because
social protection is an integral part of ADB’s strategy to reduce poverty
and promote inclusive growth, the study recommends that ADB, in partnership
with others, strengthen its support for this area. ADB’s portfolio of loans
for social protection projects and programs totaled $2.2 billion between
2002 and 2011.
From http://www.adb.org/
11/27/2012
TOP↑
Engine for Balanced, Sustainable Growth with Equity
“We are convinced
that resilience and sustainable economic growth can be more readily
achieved when the whole region grows together,” said Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Marty Natalegawa this morning as he kicked started the work for
2013. Addressing APEC’s Senior Officials this morning, Minister Natalegawa
discussed the need for resilience in the face of challenges and
opportunities before the region. Natalegawa will serve as the co-chair for
the APEC Ministerial Meeting, along with Indonesia
Minister of Trade Gita Wirjawan, which will be held in Bali
in October 2013. Natalegawa described the enormous challenges that are so
complex that they make the world a tangle of contradictions. “It is a world
of plenty, yet in which millions go to bed hungry; a world of vast
opportunities, yet in which millions are unemployed; a world of amazing
connectivity, yet in which distant villages are isolated for lack of
infrastructures; a world challenged by the threats of food security,
climate change, and energy security,” he explained. ““In essence:
challenges that demand partnership and cooperation.” For APEC to contribute
to economic expansion, Natalegawa said that the Asia-Pacific region should
serve as an engine for balanced, sustainable growth with equity. Indonesia’s
theme in 2013 is “Resilient Asia-Pacific: Engine of Global Growth.”
“First, we must
maintain the momentum of free and open trade and investment, to which our
Leaders committed themselves when they endorsed the Bogor Goals in 1994”
Natalegawa emphasized the importance of enhancing small and medium
enterprises; assisting rural populations with means for development; and
achieving greater recognition of the role of women in all endeavours, including
development efforts. “Second, we must see to it that economic growth is
inclusive, with an eye to equity and social justice-- by empowering and
tapping the creativity of our peoples,” he continued. “And we must also see
to it that it is as sustainable growth, one that is consistent with our
environmental concern.” Natalegawa said that the economies of the region
have distant provinces and growth poles that are not yet well connected
with one another and to the world market. “Third, we must accelerate economic
growth in the Asia-Pacific by addressing the region’s need for
connectivity. Hence, we must seize the opportunities for investing in the
development for infrastructures for connectivity, including infrastructures
for connectivity of our maritime areas. ”At the conclusion of his
presentation, he introduced APEC Indonesia 2013 logo which depicts a strong
bamboo tree, with 21 bamboo shoots. “Indonesia’s logo symbolizes the
resilience of APEC economies and the firmness of our commitment to serve as
a force for sustainable global prosperity with equity.” Indonesia takes the helm of
APEC in 2013 almost two decades after it first hosted in 1994 when it
facilitated the Bogor Goals to lay the foundation for open trade and
investment regime in the Asia-Pacific region. Russia
expressed its support for all of the priorities that were proposed by Indonesia.
“APEC’s priorities for 2013 will carry forward the achievements we reached
in Vladivostok
earlier this year,” said APEC Russia’s Senior Official, Ambassador Gennady
Ovechko. Russia
holds the chairmanship until the end of this year. APEC Senior Officials
will meet next in Jakarta
in February 2013.
From http://www.apec.org/ 12/07/2012
TOP↑
East Asia and
Pacific Remains Bright Spot in Difficult Global Landscape
Economies of developing East
Asia and Pacific remained resilient despite the lackluster
performance of the global economy. The World Bank’s latest East Asia and
Pacific Economic Update released today, projects the region will grow at
7.5 percent in 2012, lower than the 8.3 percent registered in 2011, but set
to recover to 7.9 percent in 2013.With weak demand for exports from global
markets, domestic demand has remained the main driver of growth for most
economies of the region. The region’s economic performance in 2012, the
report says, was affected by China’s economic slowdown.China’s growth is
projected to reach 7.9 percent this year, 1.4 percentage point lower than
last year’s 9.3 percent and the lowest growth rate since 1999. Weak exports
and the government’s efforts to cool down the overheating housing sector
slowed down China’s
economy in 2012, but recovery has set in the final months of the year. In
2013, China’s
economy is expected to grow at 8.4 percent, fueled by fiscal stimulus and
the faster implementation of large investment projects.“The East Asia and
Pacific region is becoming increasingly important for the world economy,
and is expected to contribute almost 40 percent of global growth in 2012”
said World Bank Chief Economist for East Asia and Pacific Bert Hofman.
“With high growth rates sustained in the region, we expect poverty to
continue to decline. The share of people living under $2 a day in the
region is forecast to reach 23.3 percent by the end of 2014, down
significantly from 28.8 in 2010.”
Developing East Asia, excluding China,
is projected to grow 5.6 percent in 2012, up from 4.4 percent in 2011. The
rebound in Thailand
following the floods in 2011, strong growth in the Philippines, and relatively mild slowdowns
in Indonesia and Vietnam
contributed to this recovery. Continuing strong performances by Indonesia, Malaysia,
and the Philippines will
boost Developing East Asia, excluding China, to 5.7 percent in 2013
and 5.8 percent in 2014. Another bright spot in the region is Myanmar’s
reengagement with the international community. The Myanmar economy continued to
accelerate in fiscal year 2011-12, with GDP growth at 5.5 percent, and
expected to reach 6.3 percent in fiscal year 2012-13. The government is
moving ahead with reforms, but significant challenges remain for Myanmar
to reach its potential, including addressing infrastructure constraints,
improving financial and telecommunications sectors and sustainable management
of natural resources. The report notes that there are considerable risks
that could slow the region’s momentum, citing possible delays of reforms in
the Eurozone, the “fiscal cliff” in the US,
and a possible sharp decline in the growth of investments in China
as among the sources of uncertainty. The report also discusses the growing
concern that renewed monetary expansion in the G-3 nations (comprising the United States, Japan and the countries in the
Eurozone) could trigger a flood of capital into the region that could lead
to asset bubbles and excessive credit growth, and raise the risk of sudden
outflows in the future.
“The bulk of the capital flowing into the
region consists of foreign direct investments, which creates jobs and
growth in production capacity. Nevertheless, monetary authorities should
closely monitor developments in their capital accounts,” said Hofman.
“Appropriate exchange rate arrangements and capital market development
could provide a cushion against undesirable effects of capital inflows,
while macro-prudential measures could guard against excessive credit
growth.” World Bank Senior Economist Keiko Kubota, main author of the
report, said “If a shock in growth were to occur, most countries could
counter the impact by easing their fiscal policies. For economies in the
region that face difficulties in budget execution, particularly of the
capital budget, fiscal interventions aimed at increasing private domestic
demand such as targeted social assistance or investment tax credits, are very
important.”
From http://www.worldbank.org/
12/19/2012
TOP↑
Southeast Asia's Strength Keeps Asia Growth on Track - ADB Report
The surging economies
of Southeast Asia have been a bright spot in developing Asia’s otherwise
subdued 2012 growth performance, but the broader region should still pick
up steam in 2013, says a new Asian Development Bank (ADB) report.The latest
Asian Development Outlook Supplement, released today, says developing Asia
will post growth of 6.0% in 2012 and 6.6% in 2013, 0.1% percentage point
lower than anticipated by ADB in October. Robust private consumption in
Southeast Asia and a mild economic recovery in People’s Republic of China (PRC) nearly balance out the
weaknesses in India’s
economy. The report warns that ongoing sluggishness and uncertainty in
Europe and the United
States mean that risks to the forecasts
remain firmly on the downside.“Enduring debt problems and economic weakness
in Europe and the looming fiscal cliff in the United
States remain very real threats to developing Asia next year,” said ADB Chief Economist Changyong
Rhee. “At the same time there are highly encouraging signs from Southeast
Asia and recent data from PRC confirms a bottoming out of the economy, with
industrial output rebounding to a five-month high in October.”Malaysia and the Philippines outstripped
expectations, with strong third quarter performance boosting ASEAN-5 growth
forecasts from 5.6% to 5.9%. Third quarter expansion in the Philippines was
a stellar 7.1%, more than double the rate from the same period a year
earlier.
This performance and
the recovery in PRC―supported by a turnaround in industrial production and
retail sales and solid fixed investment―are helping to offset weakness in
other East Asian economies, including Hong Kong, China; the Republic of
Korea; and Taipei,China.India’s
economy remains sluggish, with sliding industrial production and declining
exports. Growth in Central Asia is also soft, pulled down by difficulties
in its two largest economies―Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Pacific economies,
led by resource-rich Papua New Guinea,
Solomon Islands
and Timor-Leste, are continuing to benefit from infrastructure rollouts
which should support growth of 6% in 2012, but the expansion will moderate
in 2013, the report says.Inflation remains broadly benign across most of
the region as a result of price declines in some food commodities,
including soybean and palm oil. Inflationary pressures remain a concern in South Asia, however, with the subregion expected to
post an annual inflation rate of 8.3% in 2012. An expected spike in meat
prices, lower output of grains, and higher global demand will see inflation
for developing Asia tick up to 4.2% in
2013, from a revised rate of 4.0% in 2012.
From http://www.adb.org/ 12/07/2012
TOP↑
Smallest Pacific Economies Must Build Links, Boost
Connections to Thrive - ADB
SUVA, FIJI – The smallest Pacific island
economies can overcome economic growth challenges related to isolation and
low populations by expanding economic links and using technology to build
connections, according to the December issue of the Asian Development
Bank’s (ADB) Pacific Economic Monitor (PEM), released today.“Changes in the
global economy will place greater pressure on the smallest Pacific island
states to find ways and means of sustaining themselves,” said Xianbin Yao,
Director General of ADB’s Pacific Department. “By building greater links
within Asia and the North Pacific – and
looking for opportunities for generating jobs through information
technology – small island states can help unlock their potential for growth
in the face of unique economic challenges.”Three special articles in the
latest PEM focus on growth prospects in the Cook Islands, Federated States
of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, and Tuvalu, noting
that geographical isolation, high transportation costs, low connectivity,
and small and often dispersed populations can inhibit private sector job
creation and public service delivery. Growth in these economies usually
reaches only 1-2% per year, making significant reductions in poverty
difficult.
Sound macroeconomic policy is essential to
support economic growth, but the first article acknowledges that these
countries have limited monetary policy options due to their use of foreign
currencies. High public debt can also limit a government’s ability to spend
their way to higher growth, making structural reforms -- such as
streamlining regulations on investment and services trade, or easing access
to land and finance -- critical.A second article shows ties between the
North Pacific and economies in Asia are likely to become increasingly
important, but small island states will need to build up the appropriate
supporting institutions to take full advantage of opportunities for
growth.Finally, a third article argues that geography need not be the
barrier to growth it has been presented as by some and, as such, reliance
on development assistance need not be a permanent feature of the smallest
Pacific economies. It suggests a “second industrial revolution” triggered
by new information and communication technologies, and the easing of the
barriers to labor movement, could pave the way to a brighter economic
future for the smallest Pacific economies.
From http://www.adb.org/ 12/10/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
CHINA: Boost for Mobile Internet Industry
SHANGHAI opened
four new industrial parks, unveiling favorable policies alongside, to give
the local mobile Internet industry a shot in the arm, officials said at an
industry summit yesterday. The city is hoping to lead China in the new sector by
2015, they told the Shanghai Mobile Internet Industry Summit. Shanghai's mobile
Internet industry revenue will hit 80 billion yuan (US$12.7 billion) by
2015, creating a total of 60,000 jobs, compared with 13 billion yuan now,
according to the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Information
Technology, the city's top IT regulator. "Shanghai will establish itself as a
leading city in the mobile Internet industry nationwide, and it has the
conditions to achieve the target," said Zhu Zongyao, a senior official
at the commission. Shanghai
launched the four mobile Internet industry parks in Xuhui, Huangpu and
Baoshan districts and Pudong New Area yesterday. Firms in the park can
enjoy favorable land rental rates and related subsidies. Mobile Internet
has become a catalyst to develop the information service industry in Shanghai and help the city complete its economic
transformation into becoming more service-oriented, said Zhu Xiaoming, the
professor of the China
Europe International
Business School.
Shanghai
has a complete industry chain from chip designing, handset manufacturing,
telecommunications networks to mobile entertainment and mobile payment,
according to the commission's Zhu. With improved broadband and Wi-Fi networks,
Shanghai
has unique advantages in developing the mobile Internet industry, China
Telecom and China Unicom officials said. Mobile payment, a convergence of
online payment, cloud computing and wireless technology, represents the
future, said Zhou Ye, president of China PNR, a Shanghai-based third-party
payment firm.
From http://www.shanghaidaily.com/
11/28/2012
TOP↑
China Will
Hit 7.5% Goal for GDP Expansion
CHINA is
confident of meeting its economic growth target of 7.5 percent this year,
Commerce Minister Chen Deming said yesterday. "China's gross domestic product will
certainly expand more than 7.5 percent this year," Chen told an annual
forum held by Caijing Magazine in Beijing.
"China's
broad macroeconomic policy of stabilizing growth and accelerating
restructuring will help it achieve the target.'' In the first three
quarters, China's GDP grew 7.7 percent from a year earlier to 35.3 trillion
yuan (US$5.6 trillion), compared with last year's expansion of 9.3 percent.
In the third quarter, its economy gained 7.4 percent, the slowest in over
three years. But the economy did better than expected in September and October,
giving a boost for a modest recovery. Some analysts forecast the GDP to
grow 7.8 percent in the last quarter. Chen's remark echoed those of Zhang
Ping, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, and analysts
who said China
has overcome the worst economic slump after a seven-quarter slowdown. On
Tuesday, Zhang said at a forum in India
that China
should grow over 7.5 percent this year, and keep inflation within 3
percent. But Zhang also cautioned that China's foreign trade may miss
the 10-percent growth target this year amid the still weak global demand.
From http://www.shanghaidaily.com/
11/29/2012
TOP↑
China Mobile to Develop Own-Brand
Smartphones
CHINA Mobile plans to launch its own-brand
smartphones and establish a mobile Internet firm as the country's biggest
mobile carrier embraces an emerging mobile Internet age, the company's
president Li Yue said today. The carrier, with more than 700 million
subscribers, hopes to introduce the latest iPhone into the mainland market
but it still has a different business model from that of Apple Inc, Li said
at the China Mobile Global Developers Conference 2012. "We have the
army (traditional telecom services). Now we need the navy and the air force
(new mobile Internet services)," Li told the forum held in Guangzhou today. China
Mobile will integrate services such as mobile reading, music, video and the
Internet of Things into the business of the new mobile Internet company, Li
said. Meanwhile, China Mobile will launch smartphones of its own brand in
the future to provide customized services to its clients, Li said without
giving a timetable. Despite its huge client base, China Mobile is facing
challenges from QQ and Weixin, instant message tools developed by Tencent
which is eroding China Mobile's short message and voice message incomes,
industry analysts said. Mobile devices now account 13 percent of the
world's Internet traffic, compared with 4 percent a year ago. The sales of
mobile devices will soon surpass the sales of PC computers, according to
Mary Meeker of the investment firm, Kleiner Perkins. China Mobile has
launched new tools for mobile payment and voice search, known as "China's
Siri." iFlyTek, 15 percent owned by China Mobile, provides a
text-to-speech solution that allows a smartphone user to type in his native
language when calling China Mobile's hotline or ordering a pizza. China
Mobile has had business cooperation with Apple Inc since 2007. "There
is no problem in our cooperation. But both sides have differences regarding
the business model and profit sharing," said Li. Apple also has
cooperation with China Unicom, a rival of China Mobile. China Unicom is
scheduled to start selling the brand-new iPhone 5 next Friday.
From http://www.shanghaidaily.com/
12/05/2012
TOP↑
Report Says
'Smart City' Construction Faces Risks
THE construction of "smart
cities" in China
is facing challenges and risks as more mainland cities join the
go-intelligent bandwagon, a report suggests. The report cited blind
expansion and limited funding channels as among the challenges. Nearly half
of China's
47 major cities or regions have officially included a smart city blueprint
into their strategic development plan to improve urban competitiveness. The
plan calls for embracing innovations in information and communication
technologies. But some Chinese cities are too impatient in their smart city
ambition and don't have an overall, long-term plan and lack sufficient
coordination. That could result in redundant construction and insufficient
use of information resources, according to a report by Xinhua news agency
unveiled yesterday. "Chinese cities should avoid simply pursuing a big
scale while building smart cities," Wu Hequan, former vice president
of the Chinese Academy
of Engineering, said
in the report. "The purpose is not to change the face of a city but to
make life better for its people." Funding for the construction of
smart cities is also limited, with government being the main source, as the
private sector has concerns about investment returns and risks.
From http://www.shanghaidaily.com/
12/05/2012
TOP↑
E-Government
Services Reach More Chinese Cities
E-government services are now available in
more than 90 percent of China's
cities and 80 percent of its towns, Vice President of the Chinese Academy
of Governance Hong Yi said Thursday. All central government departments and
provincial-level governments have established websites and 99.1 percent of
municipal governments have done the same, Hong said at a two-day forum on
Chinese e-government services. Over 90 percent of core central government
services, such as those relating to customs, taxation, public security and
social security, are now offered online, Hong said. Chinese e-government
services have seen progress in terms of networking, infrastructure,
digitalization, sharing and security over the last decade, Hong said. The
forum was attended by over 300 participants, including representatives from
central and local governments, institutes and enterprises.
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/06/2012
TOP↑
China to
Promote Equal Access to Funeral Services
People should have equal access to basic
burial and funeral services by the end of 2015, according to the Ministry
of Civil Affairs (MCA) on Friday. Providing basic funeral services to
low-income groups, and the society at large, including body transportation,
preservation, cremation and the placement of ashes, is a project that
benefits people, the ministry said. In March, the MCA said it would promote
a policy of benefiting people by reducing or remitting basic funeral
charges for low-income groups. Some regions have implemented the policy
with different measures, reducing people's financial burdens. However,
funeral security varies significantly among different social groups and
between rural and urban residents, according to the MCA. The ministry urged
local civil affairs authorities to roll out specific measures, specifying
the coverage of the policy, standard of assistance, sources of funds and
simplify procedures for low-income groups to apply for assistance. The
ministry also urged local authorities to award those who choose environment
friendly burial methods.
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/07/2012
TOP↑
Income from
Phone Video Clips Set to Soar
VIDEOS shot by mobile phone may generate
over 90 million yuan (US$14.5 million) income in China this year, a
50-percent annual surge, thanks to the popularity of smartphones featuring
high-quality cameras, top industry firms said yesterday. So far this year
more than 60,000 mobile-shot videos have been uploaded and an income of
over 90 million yuan from online advertisements, sponsorship and mobile
subscriptions is expected, market leaders China Mobile and Youku Tudou said
during the weekend. These videos have been viewed by over 40 million people
either online or through mobile devices, according to Wu Zheng, vice
president of Youku Tudou. "It's a new opportunity for people to become
directors without worrying how to broadcast and promote (the videos),"
said Wu. Content providers can provide 20-25 percent of Youku Tudou's total
income, according to Wu. Li Yue, China Mobile's president, has said mobile
video has become a unique opportunity for mobile carriers. The booming
sales of smartphones with better cameras have encouraged users to make
video clips. Wacker not in favor of tariffs Richard Fu Trade Germany's
Wacker Chemie AG, which provides polysilicon for the solar industry,
rejects import duties on solar products amid escalating trade disputes
between China and the West, Chief Executive Rudolf Staudigl has said. The US
has imposed punitive duties on Chinese solar products and the European
Union is also investigating Chinese imports. China, on the other hand, started
to scrutinize polysilicon imports from abroad. "We at Wacker are
rather concerned about this development. We were one of the first to speak
out against any kind of protectionism," Staudigl said in Shanghai.
From http://www.shanghaidaily.com/
12/17/2012
TOP↑
China Ready
to Enhance Communication
A top government spokesman said China
is poised to enhance communication with the rest of the world in a more
"proactive and comprehensive" manner in the coming year. China has delivered on the open and timely
release of information in the past year, said Wang Chen,
minister of the State Council Information Office, on Tuesday in an address
to more than 400 representatives from major world news agencies and
overseas diplomats stationed in Beijing
as well as spokesmen from 60 central agencies. So far this year, the State
Council Information Office has organized 57 news conferences on heated
issues including the disputes over the Diaoyu Islands and China's rare
earth export policy — a wide range of topics that aimed to let the rest of
the world understand China in a "comprehensive" manner, he said. Next
year marks the first year under the new leadership, when documents issued
following the 18th Party Congress will be implemented. As all eyes fall on China, which underwent the leadership
transition in November, the minister said he welcomes more foreign
reporters who wish to visit China
and look deeper into the country. "China
needs to know the world, and the world needs to understand China.
I hope foreign friends come and see China for themselves ... and cover China
in a more sufficient way," he said, adding that the office is
committed to providing service as usual for all journalists. Foreign
reporters said they hope more facilities will be provided to assist their
reporting on China
in the coming year. Eric Baculinao, Beijing
bureau chief of NBC News Worldwide LLC, said that the past year has been an
important year for the US
and China,
and the next year will mean new challenges for reporters. "We will do
more reporting about China
under the new leadership. We hope that there will be more conveniences for
us to report on issues that are important for both countries. I look
forward to a more productive year in China in terms of news
reporting from here, but this will depend on how convenient it will be for
us," he said. Kor Kian Beng, a correspondent with the Singapore-based
The Straits Times, said he expects to have more opportunities to attend
important conferences and see different parts of China. Chi Zhang, a producer
with Brussels-based VRT Nieuws, has worked in China since 2008, and said he
hopes to travel to different parts of the country. He attended a media trip
to the Ningxia Hui autonomous region last year and produced a TV program on
the Hui ethnic group, local wind power plants and control of the deserts,
which was "inspiring and eye-opening". "Next year we will
keep focusing on people's livelihoods, economic development, rural development
and anti-corruption. I would like more chances to go to various parts of China
for reporting," he said.
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/19/2012
TOP↑
Slowdown
in Growth of Nation's Wealthiest
The scale of China's private wealth and the
number of its rich people grew at a slower pace this year amid the nation's
economic downturn, especially in traditionally affluent areas, according to
a survey released yesterday. The 2012 China Wealth Market Survey of nearly
2,000 millionaires, in terms of US dollar, across China found that the total
value of private investable assets in the country is estimated to reach 73
trillion yuan (US$11.7 trillion) this year with a 14 percent annual
increase. The average growth rate from 2009 to 2011 was 24 percent. Meanwhile,
the number of China's
high-net-worth households with investable assets worth more than 6 million
yuan rose 17 percent to 1.74 million, a dramatic slowdown from the average
38 percent increase over the past three years. With a high density of
high-net-worth households already, rich provinces and cities along the
eastern coasts, such as Shanghai and Guangzhou, are
underperforming the national average growth "due to a contraction of
business owners' wealth as a result of the economic downside," the
survey by Boston Consulting Group and China Construction Bank Corp said. In
contrast, underdeveloped inland provinces, such as Anhui
and Hunan,
report a 30 percent increase in wealthy families. The "economic growth
engine in China
will shift to central-western inland regions," the report said.
"Provinces with large populations and sizable private wealth will
represent significant growth potential, such as Anhui,
Hunan, Hubei,
Sichuan, Shandong
and Shaanxi."
Household savings in wealthy families have slowed, accounting for only 51
percent of their investable asset portfolio this year, which is the lowest
proportion so far and a 4 percent decrease from last year. Instead, the
wealth is flowing to high-yielding finance programs. The amount of money
held in wealth management products by banks has almost doubled each year to
make up a fifth of the investable asset pool. Wealthy Chinese are steadily
moving their money abroad, the report said. A quarter of respondents yet to
establish overseas businesses said they "would definitely or probably
use offshore financial services in the upcoming three years."
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/21/2012
TOP↑
Online Philanthropy More Popular
Online philanthropy is gaining popularity
among Chinese, as many believe that it offers more convenience and
transparency compared to the traditional methods of donating. Last month,
the headmaster of a primary school in west China's
Qinghai
province posted an online plea for help, as the school's teachers must copy
exams by hand before giving them to students because of a lack of printers,
which the school cannot afford. Gesanghua Education Aid, an online
non-profit charitable organization that works to improve schools in China's impoverished west, subsequently
initiated a program to help raise funds for the school in cooperation with Taobao, China's
biggest online retailer. The program has raised a total of 264,166 yuan (42,396
U. S. dollars) from 55,907 donors, reaching 88 percent of its fundraising
target, according to Yuan Jing, director of the program. Supplies purchased
with the donations will be bought online and the process will be open to
public supervision, Yuan said, adding that donors can get in touch with the
program's team members online if they have any questions about the program.
Taobao was involved with similar programs
earlier this year, raising donations to improve living conditions for
Anti-Japanese War veterans and collecting funds to buy sports supplies for
poor students in south China's
Sichuan
province. "Promoting projects online has become trendy among
charitable organizations," said Zhan Chengfu, head of the social
welfare and charity promotion department under the Ministry of Civil
Affairs, at a symposium on charity causes held last week. New media tools,
such as microblogging services and instant messaging programs, have brought
charity groups lower costs, greater speed and a broader scope in promoting
programs and fundraising, Zhan said, adding that the Internet and online
payment technology have lowered the threshold for participating in
charitable efforts. A survey conducted among nearly 1,000 charity groups
found that more than 60 percent are promoting programs on the Internet,
while nearly 40 percent have blogs or microblog accounts. Netizens have
largely applauded the trend. "Every time I buy something online, I
donate some money to online charity programs," university student Li
Fan said. "Most of the time, my donations are just a very small sum of
money. Without online donations, I don't think I would bother going all the
way to the charitable organizations to donate such a small amount of
money," she said. Hong Bo, founder of the Gesanghua organization, said
the transparency of online philanthropy has attracted attention at a time
when public trust in traditional charities has been eroded by multiple
scams and abuses. The development of the Internet has also promoted the
development of grassroots charity organizations by offering them more
fundraising channels, Hong added.
From http://www.china.org.cn/ 12/22/2012
TOP↑
JAPAN: Police
to Add Cybercrime to Bounty System
The National Police Agency has decided to
expand the scope of crimes that can be covered under its reward system to
include cases other than homicide, kidnapping and other life-threatening
crimes. The decision, made Thursday, comes in response to a recent case in
which four innocent people were arrested on false accusations of making
online threats. Police later found those threats were sent from their
personal computers infected with a remote-controllable virus, without their
knowledge, and released the four. The agency said it planned to implement
the revision immediately. Since the arrests were made largely due to a lack
of effective means of investigating cybercrimes, the agency decided to
relax its rules for the bounty system to include a wider variety of cases
in the hope this will lead to gathering more information.
From http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/
12/08/2012
TOP↑
61% of High School Students Secure Jobs
The percentage of high school students
promised employment as of Oct. 31 rose 2.3 percentage points from a year
earlier to 60.9 percent, the education ministry has said. The Education,
Culture, Sports and Technology Ministry surveyed about 194,000 high school
students who are set to graduate in March. Of that number, about 118,000
had secured employment, according to the survey.
From http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/
12/17/2012
TOP↑
SOUTH
KOREA: Low Birthrate
Presents Major Problems for Korean Society
A domestic study forecasts that due to a
super low birthrate and dwindling population, South Korea will face a number
of problems in the decades ahead including a rapidly aging society and lack
of defense resources. Our Kim Soyon has more. Report: Researcher Lee
Sam-sik at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs analyzed
changes in the population, and his findings show that the nation’s total
fertility rate plunged from six babies per woman in 1960 to one-point-23
per woman in 2010. Lee's research shows that a seriously low birthrate of
under one-point-three has continued for a decade. Based on that trend, the
population is forecast to peak at 52 million in the year 2030 before gradually
falling and the elderly accounting for four out of ten Koreans by 2060.
The number of students from elementary school to the university level stood
at ten million in 2010, a figure that is expected to drop to five-point-six
million by 2050. The lower number of students will inevitably force schools
to merge or close.Resources for national defense will also present a
problem. The number of conscriptable-age youths is projected to be short by
eight-thousand in 2020, 84-thousand in 2030 and 123-thousand in 2050. The
study also shows the percentage of Koreans aged 50 and older among the
working population is expected to rise. The figure stood at 20 percent in
2005 and is expected to increase to 30 percent in 2016 and 40 percent in
2050. This raises concerns about social security funding and a slowdown in
economic growth. Based on such forecasts, the National Pension Service and
the Korea Labor Force Development Institute for the Aged will hold an
inaugural forum on the aging population in Seoul on Wednesday.
From http://world.kbs.co.kr/
11/20/2012
TOP↑
S. Korean Economy Will Begin Recovery Next Year
Strategy and Finance Minister Bahk Jae-wan
says that the South Korean economy will begin picking up next year and in
2014 exceed the potential growth rate.The minister delivered the optimistic
predictions during a crisis management meeting on Wednesday, noting the
nation’s success in attracting more than ten million foreign tourists and a
projected two-way trade of more than one trillion dollars for two straight
years.Bahk said that the South Korean economy is doing well despite the
global economic crisis, citing the OECD’s forecasts that the nation’s gross
domestic product will grow three-point-one percent next year and
four-point-four percent in 2014.
From http://world.kbs.co.kr/ 11/28/2012
TOP↑
S. Korea's
Gender Income Gap Widest in OECD
South Korea's income gap by gender is the
widest among member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD).The OECD found that as of 2010, South Korean women
received about 39 percent less wages than men, the biggest gap among 28
OECD members that had related data.South Korea's 39 percent gender income
gap is way higher than the 15 percent OECD average. It's also significantly
ahead of Japan's 29
percent gap.Germany and Israel
follow at 21 percent and then the U.S.,
Canada, Finland, Switzerland
and Austria at 19
percent.Hungary, Poland
and Spain
had the smallest income gap of six percent.
From http://world.kbs.co.kr/
11/30/2012
TOP↑
S. Korean Households Moving to Farm Towns Surged 86% Last Yr
The number of South Korean households
moving to farm communities topped ten-thousand last year, up 86 percent
from the previous year.Statistics Korea conducted a first ever nationwide
survey on urban Koreans relocating to rural farming areas and found that
ten-thousand-75 households, or over 17-thousand-400 people have made this
move in 2011.The average age of the head of the household of these families
was 52-point-four years. Thirty-seven percent of the families were headed
by men in their 50s, while 25-point four percent were headed by those in
their 40s. The two age groups took up over 60 percent of the total.The
statistics office assessed that the surge came as the country’s baby boom
generation began to retire in droves since 2010, with more retirees opting
to spend their later years in rural provinces.As for the main crops they
choose to raise, the survey shows 54 percent of all households heading to
farm towns decide to grow vegetables, followed by fruits and other special
produce such as ginseng.
From http://world.kbs.co.kr/
12/07/2012
TOP↑
Economic Revitalization Top Task for Next President - Survey
Survey results released by the nation’s
top lobby group for conglomerates showed that South Koreans believe the
next administration should focus on revitalizing the economy and
stabilizing living costs.According to a survey by Research and Research
requested by the Federation of Korean Industries of 800 men and women
across the nation with the exception of Jeju Island, 26-point-five percent
said the next president should work on revitalizing the economy.
Twenty-three-point-three percent said the president had to stabilize
inflation while 22-point-seven percent said the biggest task for the next
administration was job creation.Forty-three-point-one percent of those
surveyed said next year’s economic growth for South Korea would be similar to
this year’s while 35-point-five percent believe it would be worse. Only
14-point-six percent said the economic situation would turn up next year
compared to 2012.The survey was conducted from Nov. 28 through Dec. 1, with
95 percent confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is plus
minus three-point-four percentage points.
From http://world.kbs.co.kr/
12/09/2012
TOP↑
Overseas Network of South Korean Law Researchers Launched
Scholars teaching or studying South Korean
law overseas have launched an overseas Korean law research network.The
Korea Legislation Research Institute held a ceremony in Seoul to
commemorate the launch of the Korean law research network with around 20
Korean law researchers from the United States, Britain, China and Australia
in attendance on Friday.The institute said that thanks to its successful
experience as a developing nation, South Korea has an upper hand in
exporting legal institutions compared to the U.S. and western European
countries. It promised continued support for the transfer of legal
institutions to transition and developing nations and their research.
From http://world.kbs.co.kr/
12/14/2012
TOP↑
Survey: Gov't, Society Should Chip in to Pay for Elderly's
Living Costs
A new survey finds that more and more
people believe children should not have to shoulder the living costs of
their elderly parents alone and that the government and society should jointly
step up. In a recent poll by Statistics Korea on some 37-thousand people
ages 13 and over, 51 percent of respondents said children should pay for
their elderly parents' living costs, down from 53 percent in 2008.
Forty-nine percent of those polled said the elderly should pay for their
own living expenses, up two percentage points from 2008.Thirty-three
percent of respondents said that families should be responsible for taking
care of their elderly parents. That’s down sharply from 40-point-seven percent
posted four years ago. Meanwhile, the percentage of people who believe
their parents should be jointly taken care of by their families, the
government and society rose from 44 percent to 49 percent between 2008 and
this year. Seven percent of respondents said the eldest son or his wife
should be responsible for supporting the parents, down sharply from 17
percent posted in 2008. The survey found that 75 percent of respondents
believe that all children, and not just the eldest, should support their
parents, up from 59 percent in 2008.
From http://world.kbs.co.kr/
12/20/2012
TOP↑
BOK Governor Calls on Banks to Revive Domestic Economy
Bank of Korea Governor Kim Choong-soo
has ordered commercial banks to take the lead in reviving the South Korean
economy as political uncertainties have abated with the end of the
presidential election. Kim also said during a financial meeting at the BOK
office on Thursday that new leadership is present in South Korea and four other major economies,
namely the United States,
China, Russia and Japan have changed. His remarks
can be interpreted as a call for banks’ active role in turning around the
nation’s economy in light of a slow recovery and President-elect Park
Geun-hye’s implementation of “economic democratization” policies.
From http://world.kbs.co.kr/
12/21/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
INDONESIA: No More
Cheap Labour
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono has taken a firm stand amid demands from labour unionists to end
the international perception that Indonesia is a haven for
investors wanting to tap pools of cheap workers. On the heels of recent
rallies by unionists that often ended in violence, Yudhoyono said on
Thursday that the government's stance over labour welfare was in line with
the workers' demands. "It is our moral obligation to fight for it. The
era of cheap labour and injustice is now over," said Yudhoyono in a
speech before governors, regents, mayors, police chiefs and regional
military commanders. Yudhoyono argued that labour rallies and strikes would
stop if businesses were more committed to improving the welfare of their
workers. In the past two months, workers have staged rallies demanding an
increase in regional minimum wages by an average of more than 30 per cent
for next year, and for companies to be given limits on the amount of
contract workers they can hire from third parties under the outsourcing
scheme. The government has bowed to union pressure by introducing a decree
that limits the outsourcing scheme. Several local administrations have also
agreed to excessively raise next year's minimum wages. The Jakarta administration, for example, has
decided to raise the minimum wage by 44 per cent, far higher than the 25
per cent demanded by workers' union.
Apart from supporting better welfare,
Yudhoyono also expected workers to end their violent rallies. "We cannot
tolerate violence, sweepings or disturbances in the production
process," he said. "I've always demanded that the police prevent
such violence. The police should not let the perpetrators get away with
these crimes." Yudhoyono also urged businesses that fell victim to
extortion by officials, an act which may reduce the ability to pay higher
worker wages, to send their complaints directly to him via postal box 9946. In a
separate event, Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa said that there
should be a balanced relationship between firms and their workers. "We
should also take sides with businesses. Companies unable to comply with the
minimum wage increases should immediately file a report with the government
to demand a wage freeze. We will definitely facilitate them," said
Rajasa. Businesses have voiced concerns that the recent sprawling disputes
with workers would send jitters to potential investors and worsen the already
high unemployment rate. According to the Central Statistics Agency, around
41.4 million people, or 35 per cent of the 118 million workforce, are
categorised as open or half-unemployed workers.
From http://www.asianewsnet.net/
12/01/2012
TOP↑
MALAYSIA: To
Launch Emergency App for People with Disabilities
Disabled people or callers who are under
threat and cannot speak will soon be able to call for emergency help with
the new ‘SaveMe 999’ application to be launched by Malaysian’s Emergency
Response Service (MERS 999) next week. MERS 999 will officially introduce
this latest update to its existing emergency response platform on December
18. With SaveMe 999 app, users with disabilities will be able to send an
accurate location or text a complete address of the location, choose
relevant agency, select incident or text complete incident (threaten,
kidnap, murder, robbery, rape or fight), then the information will be sent
to the MERS 999 response centre and the officers would start the
dispatching procedure to the relevant emergency agencies. Emergency callers
and location of incident can be tracked accurately with Automatic Number
Identification (ANI), and Automatic Location Identification (ALI) on the
smartphones.
The SaveMe 999 application will be
available for download on Android and iOS enabled smartphones and devices. MERS
999 is an initiative by the Malaysian Government for computerised emergency
call taking and dispatching. Under its single platform and a single
emergency number, the country’s five emergency service providers — the
Police, Fire and Rescue Department, Ambulances/Hospitals, Civil Defense and
Maritime Enforcement — share information and consolidate and integrate
emergency response resources. The MERS 999’s response centres nationwide
are operated by Telekom Malaysia.
Malaysia
has up to 283,204 registered disabled people out of total population of 28
million.
From http://www.futuregov.asia/
12/12/2012
TOP↑
PHILIPPINES: Launching
Online Portal for Local Govt Finances
As support to President Benigno Simeon
Aquino III’s mandate to move the Government towards a “straight path”, the
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) launched a website
called “ Full Disclosure Policy Portal“, which allows citizens to view the
finances and other transaction of Local Government Units (LGU). The portal
is a joint collaboration between DILG’s Bureau of Local Government
Supervision (BLGS) and multilateral and bilateral organisations such as the
World Bank, Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and
the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). It aims to assist
LGU’s in complying with the requirements of the DILG issued Memorandum
Circular 2010-083 titled, “Full Disclosure of Local Budget and Finances,
and Bids and Public Offerings”. The latter mandates provinces, cities and
municipalities to fully disclose specific financial transactions to keep
their constituents informed of how the LGUs’ budget is managed, disbursed
and used. By logging on to the FDPP, the public can view important LGU
documents such as annual budget reports, statements of debt service,
statements of receipts and expenditures; quarterly statements of cash flow,
annual procurement plans or procurement lists, items to bid and bid
results, abstracts of bids as calculated, and supplemental procurement
plans. Furthermore, details on the Special Education Fund (SEF) income and
expenditure estimates; reports of SEF utilisation; annual Gender and
Development accomplishment reports; Trust Fund (PDAF) utilisation; 20 per
cent component of the Internal Revenue Allotment utilisation; and reports
of Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund utilisation.
From http://www.futuregov.asia/
12/04/2012
TOP↑
SINGAPORE: 2012
Record Year for Property Market
SINGAPORE: Despite six rounds of cooling measures in the
last couple of years, the private property market continued its uptrend
unabated in 2012. Although data for December is yet to be out, but both
sales volume and prices of new private homes have already surpassed
previous highs. In the past two years, the Yaps have bought four private
properties, three of which were in 2011. They hold to the view that
property investments are a good hedge against inflation. But with property
prices hitting the roof, the family of four is finding it increasingly
difficult to find new investment opportunities. Prices of private homes
have gone up by 3.7 per cent so far this year, according to Savills. And
experts expect marginal increases in 2013. A property investor, Soh Poh
Neo, said: "Even if rental is coming down, we still can support the
mortgage payment because loan-to-value (LTV) is very much lower so mortgage
monthly instalment is also much lower. So yield will be coming down in view
of the supply but interest rate is low, so it is not so frightening. I
believe that not many people will sell in a crash situation because
everyone has good holding power. The latest cooling measures caught people
like me being filtered out. Next what am I going to do, I will use my
children's name to buy - they have longer term for the loans."
The Yaps used
their son's name - 23-year-old Travis Yap - for the latest purchase of a
unit at eCo. Since 6 October, property investors like Madam Soh and her
husband Mr Yap, aged above 35, could borrow less from banks to finance
their mortgages. The latest cooling measure, which has also capped loan
tenures at 35 years, is the sixth to be implemented in Singapore
in the last couple of years. Experts said more cooling measures may be
implemented if home prices do not show signs of easing. But with the
current low interest rates and access liquidity in the market, property
investors are finding it easy to finance mortgage loans, and this may drive
demand and home prices higher going forward. DTZ's research head for Asia
Pacific, Chua Chor Hoon, said: "The government may be looking at the
HDB market, at the rules and regulations over there, because a high
proportion of buyers in the private condominium market are people with HDB
addresses. So these could be people who are not just upgrading but buying a
private condominium for investment purposes." To cope with demand, the
government has increased the supply of land for new private homes through
its Government Land Sales (GLS) Programme.
For the first
half of next year, the GLS programme will put up 12 private residential
sites including five for executive condominium projects put up for sale.
These will yield some 14,035 private and executive condominium units. But
since 2011, the total number of units yielded from the government land
supply has been getting less - from 14,300 units for GLS H1 2011 to 14,100
units for GLS H1 2012 and 14,035 units for H1 2013. Savills Singapore's
research head, Alan Cheong, said: "This year, the high supply numbers
and therefore the high demand numbers were a by-product of the very
aggressive 2011 government land sales supply. But moving into 2013, you
find that the 2012 GLS numbers were much more muted. And these will be launched
next year. So next year and corresponding the new home sales numbers would
come through at a more sedate pace." Knight Frank's research head, Png
Poh Soon, said: "The assessment from our house view is from 16,000 to
18,000 for the whole year. Compared to 2012, which our assessment and
forecast is up to 22,000. In terms of price wise, we don't foresee that in
2013 there will be any quick correction. But on the other hand, we don't
think there will be runaway prices. We foresee that prices will trend
upwards but at a slow steady pace."
Another trend
that will see the property market cooling in 2013 - capping the total
number of units that can be built on a site for non-landed private
residential developments outside the central area from 4 November 2012,
reducing the number of investors looking to buy a property that requires
less capital. Chua Chor Hoon said: "Volume will come close to it but
won't surpass because a lot of shoebox units have been sold so we will see
larger units."Up till November, nearly 21,000 new units have been
sold. This have already surpassed the previous record where about 16,000
units were sold for the whole of 2010.
From http://www.channelnewsasia.com/
12/21/2012
TOP↑
THAILAND: Schools
Pilot E-classroom Project
Two government secondary schools in Bangkok have piloted a
Future Classroom Project to encourage the students to enhance the latest
innovative technologies as learning tools and preparing for the
government’s roll out of free tablet pc for the seventh graders in 2013. Taweethapisek School
and Wat Rachathiwas School,
in collaboration with the Office of the Basic Education Commission and
Intel Corp, are working on a trial project for grade seven classrooms on
adopting education IT solution as part of supporting the government’s One Tablet
Per Child (OTPC) policy. The Future Classroom model is an education IT
solution tailored for one-to-one e-learning in classrooms starting on the
first of December 2012. Under this pilot project, ICT infrastructure
including content distribution network, firewall, content catching and
classroom management is supported by Intel together with its Learning
Series 1-to-1 e-lLearning Professional Development Programme to train
teachers using Intel Teach. This is to address the challenges of internet
connectivity and content accessibility at the two schools.
E-Learning hardware such as 10 units of
10-inch screen tablets have been provide to Wat Rachathiwas School’s
standard one class and a class of autistic students, and Taweethapisek
School’s standard one class during the pilot period between December 2013
and January 2013. The evaluation of the outcome will be in February. The
tablets are equipped with classroom management software programme, which
allows teachers to monitor on the devices used during the class. Using the
content distribution solution, a team of pedagogical experts select and
create appropriate content. The content gets automatically pushed from a
central server to the server appliance, which is located at each school.
There the content is accessible to the students and teacher via the local
area Wi-Fi network, which is fast and reliable regardless of the school
Internet connection. The server appliance also provides firewall
protection, caching, and other networking services that every school
requires. With one-time configuration, the server appliance requires no
further support to maintain its performance, and is even remotely accessible
should a problem arise. Students can access learning content from the
Office of the Basic Education Commission and Intel’s provided content from
Skoool, Wikipedia, and Khan
Academy through the
server appliance of the school.
From http://www.futuregov.asia/
12/05/2012
TOP↑
Thailand Launches
New Facility for Geoinformatics Development
Thailand’s
Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) has
launched a new facility called ‘Space Krenovation Park (SKP) to further
enhance the development of country’s geo-informatics and space technology. The
SKP is located at the Thaichote Satellite Control Station in Chon Buri
province. GISTDA Executive Director Dr Anond Snidvongs said during the
opening ceremony of the SKP that the agreement to forge alliances between
Thai and foreign geo-informatics and space technology entrepreneurs was
signed to support related research, develop innovative and add value to
relevant products and businesses such as spare parts for space missions,
batteries, mapping, high resolution satellite images, as well as a centre
for the development of potential geo-informatics and space technology in
ASEAN. The SKP comprises of seven main sections including satellite control
unit, geo-informatics centre for ASEAN, a facility to provide knowledge and
training to private entrepreneurs who are keen to enter this business, a
rent space for private sector to conduct research on relevant product
development.
From http://www.futuregov.asia/
12/06/2012
TOP↑
Thailand to
Launch Disaster Warning App
National Disaster Warning Centre (NDWC)
under Thailand’s
Ministry of ICT will launch a mobile application for disaster warning
alert, said NDWC director Group Captain Somsak Khaosuwan. “We are now
progressing the development of this new app that would warn everything
about disaster warnings and provide related information such as disaster
monitoring, and water flow,” said Khaosuwan. The launch of the disaster
warning app is expected to be on December 26, in memory of the 8th
anniversary of devastating Tsunami that killed over 230,000 people in
fourteen countries around Indian Ocean including Thailand. The application will
be available for download on both iOS and Android enabled mobile devices.
From http://www.futuregov.asia/
12/11/2012
TOP↑
Thailand to
Implement E-Tax Invoice
Thailand’s
Revenue Department will implement Electronic Tax Invoice system and allow
for online submission via internet. This system is slated to effect a
tremendous change in the way registered companies file documents, issue tax
invoices and receipts, and is aimed to cause an essential reduction in cost
and paper use while empowering e-commerce business, said Prowmatr Huntra,
Principal Advisor on ICT, Revenue Department, Ministry of Finance,
Thailand. The RD released the Departmental Regulation allowing a VAT
operator to issue and deliver tax invoices electronically early this year,
and gave them time until early next year to prepare, deliver and keep their
tax invoices or receipts in an electronic form as they see fit.
From http://www.futuregov.asia/
12/18/2012
TOP↑
VIETNAM: Annual
Meeting on ASEAN Culture and Information Kicks Off in Capital
HA NOI (VNS)— The 47th Meeting of the
ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information (ASEAN-COCI), the annual meeting
that evaluates and ratifies all co-operative projects in the domain, was
officially kicked off in Ha Noi yesterday. The three-day meeting, with the
participation of ASEAN members and dialogue countries, will review the
effectiveness of on-going projects and approve new co-operative projects
proposed by ASEAN nations. Nguyen Van Tinh, chairman of the National
ASEAN-COCI, said that before the meeting started, the ASEAN-COCI
Sub-committee on Culture had finalised a draft work plan on co-operation in
culture and arts with China,
as well as a cultural flagship project in the period of 2013-15 with Brunei and Malaysia. He said the meeting
would be a chance for Viet
Nam to show the ASEAN community that it
was capable of taking the role of ASEAN Secretary General in the 2013-17
term. The ASEAN-COCI, established in 1978, has twice held its meetings in Viet Nam.
— VNS
From http://vietnamnews.vn/
12/13/2012
TOP↑
Lawmakers Back Stronger Foreign Exchange
The country's foreign exchange ordinance
will be revised in order to reduce the use of foreign currency in Viet Nam,
legislators decided yesterday during the 8th session of the National
Assembly's Standing Committee. NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung asked the State
Bank to work with the NA's Economic Committee to improve the ordinance
before submitting a final draft to the NA in May. The committee also
discussed budget allocations for two national target programmes, one on
climate change adaptation and one addressing environmental pollution. According
to the Government's statement, the total State Budget will allocate
VND248.3 billion (US411.8 million) to the climate change programme and
VND131 billion ($6.24 million) to the pollution programme.
Chairman of the NA's Finance and State
Budget Phung Quoc Hien backed a Government-proposed VND33 billion ($1.57
million) project to treat waste water discharged from type 2 urban areas in
the three basin areas of Nhue-Day, the Cau
River in the north and the Dong Nai River
in the south. The Government plans to allocate VND15 billion ($714,000)
each to the provinces of Thai Nguyen and Dong Nai and give the remaining
VND3 billion ($143,000) to the steering management board. Hien said that
with pollution increasing in all three river basins, urban waste water
should be treated before being discharged, and there should be bans on
discharging waste water from industrial areas or craft villages into these
rivers. Many deputies agreed that in funding pilot projects, the Government
should focus on the twin goals of raising environmental awareness and
preventing pollution. The committee asked the Government to review the
proposed projects and to allocate capital for both urgent projects approved
by the Prime Minister and pilot models that could expand beyond one
community if successful.
From http://vietnamnews.vn/
12/14/2012
TOP↑
|
|
|
|
BANGLADESH: Digital
ICT Fair Begins Dec 19
A six-day 6th Multiplan Digital ICT Fair
2012 will start on December 19 at Multiplan Centre on Elephant Road in the capital. The
Multiplan Centre Shop Owners’ Association will arrange the fair with the
slogan ‘Be the change, start green now’. This was announced at a press
conference organised by the association on Saturday at its office. Digital
ICT Fair-2012 convener Toufique Ehesan said at the briefing that more than
450 stalls would be showcasing the latest ICT gadgets in the fair. Two
seminars on contemporary ICT issues, debates on environment, a blood
donation programme, cultural programmes including painting competition for
kids, and raffle draws will also be held on the sidelines of the fair, he
said.
From http://www.newagebd.com
12/02/2012
TOP↑
Access
to ICT to Disabled Stressed
Dhaka, Dec 12 (UNB) – Speakers at a
roundtable here called for ensuring access to Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) to the persons with disabilities for improving their
condition. The use and development
of ICT is rising day by day in the country. But its access to the disabled
is very limited, which hampered their development, they said addressing the
roundtable in the city on Wednesday. Centre for Services and
Information on Disability (CSID) organized the roundtable titled “Access of
Persons with Disabilities to ICT” at Bangladesh Computer Council Bhaban at
Agargaon. Nazrul Islam Khan, Secretary, Ministry of Information and
Communication Technology (ICT), attended the programme as the chief guest.
Moderated by Monsur Ahmed Chowdhury,
Member, UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and vice
chairman of CSID, the roundtable was addressed by Dr. Gyanendra Nath
Biswas, Executive Director, Bangladesh Computer Council, Fahmida Mariam,
Regional Director, South Asia, Sightsavers
and Bitalie T Islam, Country Director, Handicap International, and CSID
Executive Director Khandakar Jahurul Alam. Addressing on the occasion, the
speakers called upon the government to take necessary steps for including the
persons with disabilities into the mainstream ICT sector in order to bring
them into the mainstream of the country’s development. Non-government
organizations should also come forward in this regard, they said. A number
of persons with disabilities were also present on the occasion.
From http://www.unbconnect.com
12/12/2012
TOP↑
Steps Afoot
to Form SREDA to Deal with Renewable Energy
Dhaka, Dec 14
(UNB) – Steps are afoot to form the Sustainable and Renewable Energy
Development Authority (SREDA) following the passage of a bill by parliament
in this regard last month. The Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry
moved the bill and it was approved in the last session of parliament as the
‘SREDA Bill 2012’
on November 28.“Now,
we’re waiting for the President’s assent to the bill to launch SREDA,”
Additional Secretary of Power Division Tapos Kumar Roy told UNB. After
publishing the gazette notification, the Power Division will move for
establishing the SREDA through appointing its Chairman, members and other
staff, officials said. They said the SREDA will have a chairman to be appointed
from additional secretaries of the government and also five members who
will have the status of joint secretary. There will be another 55-60 staff
at different levels.
Officials at the Power Division under the
Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said they have prepared two
draft rules — ‘Energy Efficiency and Conservation Rules’ and ‘Renewable
Energy Rules’ — to make the SREDA effective. At present, there is a
government plan to increase generation of renewable energy of 500 MW,
particularly the solar power, by 2015 from the present level of 70 MW. The
Power Division moved for creating the SREDA as a separate entity in the
power sector as part of a government plan to promote energy efficiency and
also the use of renewable energy across the country as an alternative
energy solution. At present, there is no central authority or organization
to deal with the renewable energy issues. As a result, different public
sector entities and also private sector entrepreneurs who have greater
interest on renewable energy face difficulties. The Power Division
officials hope that now the problems in the renewable energy promotion will
gradually get resolved.
Fro | |
