Korea- Foreigners' land ownership in S. Korea grows in 2010- 2011-02-24

http://www.koreaherald.com/business/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110224000602

Foreign ownership of South Korea's land rose slightly last year, but its growth rate remained relatively slow compared with levels tallied before the financial crisis, a government report showed Thursday.

Foreigners owned a total of 223.72 million square meters of land in the country at the end of last year, up 2.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the report by the land and transport ministry.

Land held by foreign investors was valued at around 31.5 trillion won (US$2.79 billion), accounting for 0.2 percent of the nation's total land value, the report showed.

Foreign land ownership had been on a sharp increase since 1998 when the government eased regulations on property purchases. From

1998 to 2001, land ownership by foreigners grew by an annual average rate of nearly 40 percent.

The rate had stabilized at around 6 percent since then, but the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 slowed foreigners' land purchases here.

According to the report, investors from the United States held the most land with 128.55 million square meters, followed by those from Europe and Japan, who owned 34.47 million square meters and 19.48 million square meters, respectively. Chinese investors held 3.14 million square meters of land in South Korea, the report showed. (Yonhap News)

Korea- Samsung establishes first social enterprise- 2011-02-24

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Samsung Group established its first social enterprise in downtown Seoul on Thursday.

The enterprise called the “Hope Network” will hire about 70 teachers and offer education services to about 1,000 children from underprivileged families, company officials said.

It will start with the children registered in 30 different study rooms in the regions of Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.

The instructors, who have experience in the sectors of social welfare, consulting and cultural arts, will teach them classes on humanities and offer projects to bring hope and nurture their talents, as well as caring programs.

Samsung Group announced last October that it will build seven social enterprises here for a three-year term to support underprivileged families.

The country’s top conglomerate plans to establish two more similar social enterprises by next year.

Korea- Unemployment rate drops to 3.8% in Jan.- 2011-02-16

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Korea’s jobless rate fell in January from a year earlier as the non-farm private sector expanded recruitment amid the economic recovery, a government report showed Wednesday.

The jobless rate was 3.8 percent last month, down from 5 percent from a year earlier, according to the report by Statistics Korea. But it was up from the previous month’s 3.5 percent.

The number of working people stood at 23.19 million last month, up 331,000 from a year earlier, the report showed, keeping on-year job creation over the 300,000 mark for the fourth straight month.

The latest job data, however, offered mixed signals as unemployment remains significantly high among younger people. The seasonally adjusted jobless rate also inched up to 3.6 percent from 3.5 percent in December.

“Job growth continued mainly in the non-farm sector such as manufacturing, health and social welfare services, and science and technology,” the agency said in the report.

The manufacturing sector led the overall job creation by adding 224,000 positions. Health and social welfare, and science and technology areas added 189,000 and 78,000, respectively, the report showed.

A protracted cold spell, however, dampened recruitment in the agriculture and fisheries sector, which lost 104,000 jobs.

The number of people who remained out of work despite their efforts to find jobs fell to 918,000 from the 1.21 million tallied during the same month a year earlier, when the nation was still faced with the fallout from the global economic slowdown.

The latest job figures demonstrate that the private sector continues to increase hiring, a turnaround from the past few years when it remained reluctant to offer jobs amid uncertain business conditions, observers said.

The job market picture still remains bleak for many young people as unemployment among the age group is much higher than the headline rate.

According to the report, the jobless rate among people aged

15-29 surged to 8.5 percent last month from the previous month’s 8 percent, though it dropped from a year earlier, when it stood at 9.3 percent.

Job creation is a top priority for the government’s economic policies this year as the nation is still striving to achieve a sustained economic recovery.

The government said earlier that it aims to create 280,000 jobs this year.

For the target, the government has to achieve 5 percent economic growth and stabilize inflation at around 3 percent this year, outlooks that many experts see as “too optimistic” given the current economic conditions at home and abroad. (Yonhap News)

Korea- Korea to join G20 inflation control- 2011-02-23

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Finance minister calls for policy focus on price stability


Korea will participate in the Group of 20’s efforts to control sharp price hikes in key commodities that have a direct bearing on economic growth and inflation, the government said Wednesday.

The finance ministry said playing a role in the G20 arrangement could allow Seoul to work with other countries to better cope with a rise in energy, grain and other commodity prices caused by supply and demand imbalances, and competition to secure adequate reserves.

“There is a considerable need for countries to work together to control market imbalances that can lead to sharp fluctuations in prices,” the ministry said.

In the past, Seoul had to work alone to respond to developments that took place abroad and beyond the control of local policies, it said.

“In the recent G20 ministerial meeting held in Paris, there was consensus that the recent hike in commodities prices needed to be tackled in a systematic manner,” it said.

The ministers representing the world’s advanced and large emerging countries agreed to do more to raise transparency in the natural gas and crude oil markets, and expand support for the agricultural sector through the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program.

Finance Minister Yoon Jeung-hyun said the recent surge in crude oil and other raw material prices was adding to already growing inflation pressures around the world.

“We are seeing that the recent upsurge in prices of raw materials such as crude oil put additional price growth pressure globally including in our country,” he said during a weekly meeting of senior economic officials.

“A rapid rise in inflation could lead to policy tightening in many countries and in turn hurt the global economic recovery,” a ministry statement quoted him as saying at the meeting.

Crude oil prices rose to their highest levels in more than two years Tuesday as the revolt against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi reduced production in Africa’s third-largest oil producer and spread concerns about future supply.

The government did not provide any additional steps to cushion the imported inflation at the meeting. Early this month, the government unveiled anti-inflation measures, including a freeze on public utility fares and delaying scheduled raises.

Korea- ‘7 in 10 workers want to migrate’- 2011-02-23

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Seven out of every 10 salaried workers here want to move to another country to live in, mainly because of the “poor” welfare policies in Korea, a survey showed Wednesday.

JobKorea, an online recruiting agency, recently surveyed 932 salaried workers online and found 76.1 percent would leave Korea for another country if circumstances allowed.

The main reason for wanting to migrate was an unsatisfactory welfare system, marking 62.5 percent, followed by widening income gaps (49.5 percent) and the jobless rate (47.8 percent). Other reasons included excessive private tuition fees for children, anxiety over the possible outbreak of war between the two Koreas and environmental pollution. Australia was seen as the most attractive country, with 14.3 percent, followed by Switzerland, Japan, Canada, France, the U.K., the U.S. and others.

Those who would not choose to leave the country said it would be hard to adjust to living abroad. They also said they would miss their relatives and friends.

“More people now put value on well-being than making lots of money through hectic work schedules. They prefer to live happily with more free time, even if that means earning less money,” said Bak Hee-je, a professor at Kyung Hee University in Seoul.

“However, Korean society is rushing to become more competitive than ever. I think that is driving people to crave for migration to those countries where the social security system and basic means of life are already settled.”

But once those wanting to emigrate to foreign countries realize that the welfare system is based on taxpayers’ money, Bak said, many will give moving a second thought.

“I don’t think many people actually migrate,” he said. “The survey just reflects how frustrated people feel here.”

Korea- Alternative labor bank fills ‘working mom gap’- 2011-02-24

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Ministry creates temp system to provide maternity cover for public sector workers


Returning from a three-month maternity leave after the birth of her first child, Yun Yeo-jin, 32, is just three weeks back into her job as an official at the public service department of the Ministry of Public Administration and Security.

Unlike her friends working for private companies who felt guilty about offloading their work onto colleagues during maternity leave, Yun didn’t have to feel that way.

The ministry’s newly developed initiative called “alternative human resources bank” helped fill the gap Yun created. The program aims to counter Korea’s low birth rate and support the female workforce by providing immediate substitutes from a pool of alternative human resources for government employees who take maternity or parental leave.

“The best part of this system is that my work burden is not going to my colleagues. I was psychologically and physically relieved,” Yun told The Korea Herald.

Her job involves preparing documents about disciplinary measures for government employees and executing the rulings of the disciplinary committee.

“Since it takes only one or two weeks for the substitute to take over my work, I heard there wasn’t any problem in getting my work done,” she said.

Yun’s experience is uncommon in the Korean corporate world, though.

A 32-year-old female employee, working for one of the nation’s top conglomerates in Seoul, who wanted to be identified only by her surname Kim, said she has had to bear the burden of her senior’s work for the past five months since her senior took extended leave ― two weeks of sick leave before childbirth, three months of maternity leave and another month of paid leave given only to employees who have worked for the company for more than a decade.

“I was really frustrated covering all her work for that long,” Kim said.

The public sector is in a better situation than the private sector when it comes to maternity or parental leave, as welfare policies are more strictly enforced in the government sector.

However, according to some measures, the government sector still has a long way to go.

A 2009 survey, conducted by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, found that 83 percent of employees working in central government were “negative” about taking maternity or parental leave due to concerns about work overload on coworkers.

Where a female government employee took parental leave, 62 percent of respondents said coworkers had to double their work load and 33 percent said a substitute was hired.

Asked why it was difficult to take parental leave, 35 percent of female government employees said they were worried about others’ work overload due to their absence and 28 percent pointed to not being paid enough to support their family. Another 18 percent said they were worried about readjusting to work after returning from leave and 13 percent were concerned about their career prospects.

To help female workers take maternity or parental leave without any guilt, the ministry mapped out a plan to prepare alternative human resources in April 2010 and signed a memorandum of understanding the following month with major government agencies such as the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Seoul Metropolitan Government to participate in the initiative.

According to the Ministry of Public Administration and Safety, a total of 6,641 government employees took maternity or parental leave in 2009, while the ministry has hired a total of 488 alternative employees since introduction of the program.

Of the 488, 200 were hired to support general administrative works and 288 were assigned to professional work duties.

Ryu Han-na, 28, is working as a temporary contract government employee at the National Archives of Korea’s information service bureau for seven months from Dec. 6, 2010 to July 4.

Ryu said she is paid hourly wages and is not allowed to work more than 40 hours a week, which limits her monthly pay to around 1 million won to 1.5 million won.

She applied for the job through the “Nara Ilteo” (public service job market) website and her work involves dealing with general complaints and offering free legal advice.

“Before I began working, I had thought I could feel a little ‘excluded’ because I would be the substitute,” Ryu said.

“But once I joined them, they were very nice to me and they even celebrated my birthday,” she said, adding that she sometimes works extra hours in the evenings as well.

Ryu said she considered her temporary job as a great fill-in, before she takes a government exam in July which she declined to identify.

Sohn Min-joong, a job market analyst at the Samsung Economic Research Institute, said the government’s attempt at establishing an alternative labor force is worth a try.

“Since it is in its budding stage, the government program seems to be part of their efforts to increase overall female employment in Korea and make the labor market more flexible,” Sohn said.

However, he said there should be more details about how the government will meet seasonally-changing work demands. For example, female police tend to delay maternity leave until after promotion tests because taking maternity leave after promotion will be more beneficial to them, he said.

Korea- 114-year-old Korean applies for Guinness Book's oldest person title- 2011-02-24

A 114-year-old woman in Guri, currently the oldest living person in South Korea, has asked the national recordkeeping agency to help her seek the world's oldest living person title in the Guinness Book of World Records, a
local government said Thursday.

According to the city of Guri, some 15 kilometers east of Seoul, Kim Eom-gok, born on Nov. 7 1897, has reported her identity to the Korea Record Institution (KRI), which is in charge of managing South Korea's records, claiming that she is the oldest living person in the world.

The KRI will register Kim with the international body of the Guinness World Records after verifying her claim, said the local government.

Last year Kim was named the oldest resident in Gyeonggi Province, to which Guri belongs.

The Guinness-verified world's oldest living person is American Besse Berry Brown, born on Aug. 26, 1896. She holds the title after the death of American Eunice Sanborn on Jan. 31 at the age of 115. (Yonhap News)

Korea- Minister pledges to reform college admission policy- 2011-02-24

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Lee stresses lower difficulty in written tests and development of new ways to find talented students


The government will keep trying to make the college entrance exam easier, while encouraging schools to accept students with different talents, Education Minister Lee Ju-ho said Thursday.

“It’s not appropriate that one or two points make a difference in college admission. Along with easier questions, various ways to select talented students will be developed,” he said during a news conference, assessing the education policy of President Lee Myung-bak, who marks his third anniversary in office Friday.

Education Minister Lee Ju-ho

Last week, the ministry announced a new college admission plan to adjust the difficulty of the college entrance exam so that 1 percent of students would get a full mark in one subject.

In the 2010 exam, the percentage of students attaining perfect scores was 0.06 percent in language, 0.02 percent in mathematics and 0.21 percent in the English section.

Amid doubts over the idea’s feasibility, Lee said, “It has been confirmed to be possible through two pretests. The ministry will adopt a consistent policy focused on assessment of children’s potential and creativity rather than test scores.”

He added that information on the level and content of exam questions will be more available to students, particularly through the state-run education television network EBS.

Lee also emphasized that universities should strengthen their own student selection capabilities, calling the admissions officer system a success.

Admissions officers evaluate and sort talented students into different fields in the system aimed at easing excessive educational competition.

“The change in middle and high schools is also important. If the different talents of children are assessed properly under the public education system, they and their parents would be less obsessed with test grades,” he said.

Other than the reform in the college admission policy, the ministry pointed out some progress has been made in extending educational benefits to more students and in reducing expenditure on private education.

About the speculation that he could run for next year’s general election, Lee made it clear that he had no intention to join politics any time soon, saying “I’ll push forward educational reforms.” He took office in August.

During the presidential campaign in 2008, Lee, 50, led the educational reform committee of President Lee Myung-bak.

Korea- Seoul seeks to limit Mideast fallout- 2011-02-24

http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110224000833

Presidential office to check on oil supply, draw up plans to protect Koreans


President Lee Myung-bak on Thursday instructed his government to closely monitor the continuing turmoil in the Middle East and take steps to minimize its economic impact during an emergency meeting with related ministers.

Lee also called for utmost efforts to ensure the safety of South Koreans in Libya as violent uprisings spread in the country.

“Please use all possible means to protect South Korean residents and workers of companies operating there,” Lee was quoted as saying by his spokesperson Kim Hee-jung.

President Lee Myung-bak speaks during an emergency meeting with related ministers Thursday on measures to cope with the impact of the Middle East turmoil. (Chung Hee-cho/The Korea Herald)

The president ordered related ministries to “thoroughly analyze” how the situation unfolds in the Middle East and execute strategies to counter the fallouts.

“Related ministries should check how the different levels of oil prices would affect the domestic economy and map out countermeasures,” he said.

Lee also called for steps to prevent any waste of energy in case of an oil price hike following Libya’s oil production cut.

Lee was briefed by the ministers of foreign affairs, finance, knowledge economy and land, and the chairman of the Financial Services Commission during the meeting on their countermeasures.

The government is already running task forces to check on crude oil inventory and supply, diversify the sources of crude oil import and raise energy alert levels.

The presidential office will also run its own team to check on oil supply and draw plans to protect South Korean people and businesses in the region starting Friday, Kim said.

About 1,400 South Koreans are currently staying in Libya ― about 1,050 of them in and around the capital of Tripoli and some 340 others in and around the eastern port city of Benghazi, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Twenty-four South Korean builders are carrying out construction work in the North African country.

An Egypt Airlines flight chartered by the Seoul government was set to evacuate 260 South Koreans out of Libya on Thursday and additional charter flights will be sent if needed, the ministry said.

Those in the northeastern part of the country where airports have been shut down will be transported by land to neighboring Egypt. The evacuees will move to Cairo with the assistance of the South Korean diplomatic mission in Egypt.

The Seoul government is also seeking to get an international passenger ship to evacuate South Koreans to seaports in nearby countries.

Korea- [특집]‘월세로의 대이동’ 빈부 양극화 심화- 2011.02.24

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중산층 교육비·생활비 감소… 전월세 인상 상한제 도입해야

↑ 전세에서 월세로의 전환이 가파르다. 전세금 상승분만큼을 월세로 돌려 내놓는 ‘반전세’도 유행이다. 서울 양천구 목동의 한 부동산중개업소 모습. |연합뉴스

최근 전세난이 계속되면서 전세 물건이 월세로 전환되는 사례가 빠르게 늘고 있다. 지난 1월 전국의 자가 소유가 아닌 주택 중 전세 비중은 57%. 나머지 43%는 보증부 월세인 이른바 '반전세'와 순수 월세였다. 특히 '반전세'는 지난해 같은 시기보다 1.4%가량 늘어났다. 문제는 집값이 하락 조짐을 보이면서 이런 반전세를 포함한 월세 전환 추세가 급격히 빨라진다는 점. 집 없는 자는 지출이 생기고 집 있는 자는 소득이 생기게 되면서 그렇지 않아도 심각한 양극화 현상이 더 심화될 것이라는 우려가 나오고 있다.

저금리 탓에 수익 높은 월세로 전환


2월 중순 서울 봉천동 대규모 아파트단지의 한 상가에서 만난 주부 한모씨(42)는 최근 전세를 전월세로 전환했다. 지난 2009년 초 114㎡(34평형) 아파트에 전세 1억8000만원으로 이사한 한씨는 올해 초 집주인이 8000만원을 올려달라는 통에 한바탕 홍역을 겪었다. 맞벌이라고는 하지만 아이들 교육비 탓에 모아 놓은 돈이 없었던 것. 게다가 전세 들어오면서 은행에서 빌린 대출금도 아직 다 갚지 못한 상태였다. 한씨는 "여기저기서 다 끌어 모아도 3000만원 정도여서 결국 나머지 5000만원은 월세로 돌려 2억1000만원에 월세 40만원으로 계약을 연장했다"며 "올해 둘째까지 초등학교에 입학하기 때문에 월세를 좀 내더라도 학교 가깝고 학원도 많은 이 동네에서 사는 것이 더 나을 것이라고 판단했다"고 말했다. 전세대금을 올려 줄 수 없어 이른바 '반전세'를 선택한 것이다.

한씨는 "나는 그나마 다행"이라고 말했다. 중소형 평수의 경우 집주인들이 무조건 월세로 전환하려고 해서 결국 좀더 평형이 작은 아파트나 다세대를 찾아 떠난 이웃들이 많다는 것. "전세 대출 이자가 월세보다는 적어 빚을 내어서라도 전세금을 올려주려 하지만 요즘엔 집주인들이 온통 월세만 선호해 그마저도 힘든 세상"이라고 말했다.

최근 전세난 심화엔 집주인의 월세 선호현상도 한몫을 하고 있다는 분석이다. 저금리 탓에 월세 이율이 은행 예금이자를 웃돌면서 전세에서 월세로 전환하려는 경향이 늘고 있는 것이다. 지난 2월 9일 KB국민은행의 전국 주택가격 동향조사에 따르면 전국 임대차 계약 구성비는 1월 기준 전세 57%, 보증부 월세(반전세) 40.2%, 순수 월세(사글세) 2.8%로 파악됐다. 이는 3년 전인 2008년 같은 달에 비해 전세는 2.4%포인트 낮아진 반면 보증부 월세는 2.3%포인트 높아진 것이다. 국토부에서는 전국적으로 640만여 전월세 가구가 있는 것으로 파악하고 있다.

봉천동 한마음부동산의 김모 소장은 "옛날이야 전세금 받아 은행에 맡기거나 이를 가지고 또 다른 집을 사들이는 데 투자했지만 최근 금리나 부동산시장이 예전만 못하다"며 "집주인 입장에서야 돈 굴릴 곳도 마땅치 않으니 차라리 매달 꼬박꼬박 월세를 받는 것이 더 낫다고 생각하는 것"이라고 분석했다. 시중 예금이자가 연 3~4%에 불과한 상황에서 연 10% 안팎의 수익률은 굉장히 높다는 설명이다.

이 때문에 전세 중심의 우리나라 주택임대차 시장이 외국과 같은 월세 중심으로 전환될 것이라는 전망도 나오고 있다. 2월 16일 서울시정개발연구원은 '2020 서울주택종합계획'을 통해 "10년 후에는 서울 지역의 주택임대차시장이 전세에서 월세 위주로 재편될 것"이라며 "전월세 임대료는 꾸준히 오르고 월세가구 수가 전세가구 수를 앞지르게 된다"고 내다봤다. 조주현 건국대 부동산학과 교수 역시 "전세제도는 우리나라에만 존재하는 독특한 개념으로 집값 상승에 대한 기대를 바탕으로 하고 있다"며 "앞으로는 월세가 임대차계약의 보편적 형태로 자리잡을 가능성이 높다"고 전망했다.

월세 전환율이 높아지면 서민들의 고통은 더욱 커질 것이라는 분석이다. 현재 우리나라의 평균 가처분 소득 중 주거비로 나가는 비용은 20% 수준. 하지만 1·2분위 저소득 계층은 40%에 이르는 것으로 파악되고 있다. 급격한 월세 전환이 양극화 현상을 더욱 고착화시킬 것이란 우려가 나오는 이유다.

전세체제 무너지면 서민·중산층 붕괴


사실 우리나라 전세는 고금리·주택투기 시대의 산물이다. 그러나 전문가들은 전세시장이 급격히 무너진다면 서민과 중산층의 소득과 지출구조도 크게 악화될 것으로 보고 있다. 특히 자녀를 둔 가정의 경우 교육비에 타격을 받을 수밖에 없을 것으로 보인다. 교육비 지출이 많게는 전체 소득의 절반까지 차지하는 현실에서, 도저히 월세를 감당할 수 없다는 것이다.

이 때문에 전문가들은 "전세에서 월세로의 전환을 마냥 손놓고 보아서는 안 된다"고 지적한다. 남철관 나눔과미래 주거사업국장은 "그동안 전세가 한국사회에서 부동산 파이 키우기의 도구로 이용되기도 했지만 저소득층이 빈곤을 벗어나는 일종의 적금 역할을 해왔다"며 "일정액 이하의 전세에 대해 월세로 전환치 않는 건물주에게 세제혜택을 주는 방법도 고려해 볼 필요가 있다"고 주장했다. 정창무 서울대 건설환경공학부 교수도 "이게 깨지면 소득 하위층은 물론이고 중산층도 무너진다"며 "전세체제 붕괴를 시장에만 맡겨둘 것이 아니라 정부가 개입하고 나서야 한다"고 주장했다.

한편 전세제도가 사라지지도, 월세시장이 쉽게 부상하지도 않을 것이라는 전망도 있다. 집주인들은 선호할지 몰라도 세입자들이 원치 않기 때문이다. 오동훈 서울시립대 도시행정학과 교수는 "저금리 기조가 유지되면서 건물주에 의한 월세로의 전환은 예상됐던 것이지만 시장의 흐름은 늦다"며 "세입자들이 사교육비 지출 탓에 전세를 올려주더라도 월세 전환을 꺼리기 때문"이라고 말했다.

한편 정치권에서도 전월세 상한제 도입에 대한 목소리가 높다. 최근 전월세 상환제 도입을 위해 299명 국회의원 전원을 대상으로 서명운동에 나선 민주당 조경태 의원은 "정부의 대책이 전세자금 대출요건 완화 등 금융지원에만 매달리다보니 서민들에게 오히려 빚을 내어 전셋값을 올려주라는 식이 됐다"며 "다른 대책보다 임대차 등록제 및 전월세인상상한제의 법제화가 시급하다"고 강조했다. 현재 임대차상한제 관련 법률안은 강기갑·박영선·이용섭·강용석 의원 등이 발의하여 국회에 계류 중인 상태. 조 의원은 임대차계약이 갱신되는 경우뿐만 아니라 새로 체결되는 임대차계약에서도 임대인에 의한 차임 및 보증금 증액 가능 범위를 기존 임대료의 5% 이내로 제한하는 법안을 발의한 바 있다. 현재 영국과 프랑스, 독일 등에서는 임대료 인상 상한선을 정하고 있다.

Ireland- Greens retreat on social welfare cuts- February 9, 2011

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/0209/breaking47.html

The Green Party has drawn back from two key commitments it made in agreeing the Government’s four-year plan.

The party today set out its plans on how to manage the public finances until 2014. In its Better Budgeting document , the party proposed much less severe cuts to social welfare and to non-pay public expenditure over the next four years.

However, it maintained it would not depart from the overall aims of the plan, which has set out a €15 billion adjustment over four years, split two to one between cuts and new tax measures.

The commitment given by Government in the four-year plan was that by the end of 2014, the Department of Social Protection would be spending €3 billion less each year. The Green Party document disclosed the party would commit to a final reduction of only €1.6 billion in the annual social welfare budget by that date.

The party’s finance spokesman, Dan Boyle, said the shortfall would be made up by shifting funds from the National Pension Reserve Fund, and a change in the child benefit system where benefits would be taxed. He also said the Green Party proposal for this sector did not take into account staffing arrangements, which accounted for some of the difference.

The party’s rational for the lesser amount was it would keep social welfare cuts to a minimum and would allow an incoming government maintain basic rates at their current level.

“Increased efficiency, labour activation measures, and the integration of tax and social welfare system will make up the bulk of the savings,” the party said.

The second departure is in relation to current non-pay expenditure. The party has set out its plans for cuts of €2.1 billion, significantly less than the €3 billion provided for in the four-year plan.

The party said it would still “undeniably mean cuts in public services”, but that they would not be as severe as those set agreed by the party in Government. It would fund some of the shortfall through new non-income taxes.

The plan was unveiled this morning at a news conference in the Westin Hotel Dublin by Mr Boyle, party leader John Gormley and the former minister for energy Eamon Ryan.

Mr Gormley said that plan would allow Ireland sort outs its public finances in a way that was fair and equitable and would also allow for the reform of public services.

The party proposes no increases in income tax between now and 2014. However, the party does intend to drawn down monies from the National Pension Reserve Fund to mitigate some of the larger cuts (in social welfare and current spending) and to fund an additional €1 billion spend on capital infrastructure programmes.

The party also proposes to impose a new site value tax, which will replace the second home tax and yield €675 million annually by 2014. It also agrees with the higher rate of carbon tax €30 per tonne. In addition, the party has proposed a new tax on packaging (to be borne by the producer) worth €60 million per annum to the exchequer as well as new waste levies which will rise to €50 milloin per annum by 2014.

These levies, if implemented, would be applied to land fill sites as well as to incineration.

Other proposals include a new financial transaction tax. Mr Ryan said the party was opposed to any sell-off of State assets, with the exception of RTÉ’s transmission assets.

Mr Boyle criticised the plans advanced by Labour and Fine Gael, saying they were not realistic on social welfare nor in their plans to seek voluntary cuts in the public service. He said the Greens would keep the Croke Park agreement under constant review. He contended the Fine Gael plan to cut 17,000 would mean less doctors, nurses, gardaí and teachers.

“Fine Gael cannot deliver those front-line services if it implements those cuts,” he said. Mr Boyle said Labour was being dishonest in trying to say its proposed cuts of €400 million in the social welfare budget could be achieved without cutting the rates and through efficiencies alone.

“The position of the Labour Party, in particular, betrays an immature macho attitude that might lead the Irihs people to question whether they are fit for office,” he said. “They are either cynics or fools.”

Mr Ryan said that drawing €1 billion from the National Pensions Reserve Fund (NPRF) would intensify and accelerate investment in the national retrofit programme and in public transport projects such as Metro North. The extra €700 million investment from NPRF funds, he said, would help create 4,000 construction jobs in developing an infrastructure that met modern economic needs.

Criticising the Fine Gael plan, Mr Boyle said there was no value in selling valuable State assets. “It does not make good economic sense. I am not ideologically opposed to it. For example, in Coillte, it makes a lot of sense to invest in forestry funding."

Hungary- Hungarians ditch private pensions- 2/2/2011February

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=413454&version=1&template_id=39&parent_id=21

A fraction of Hungarians chose to hold on to their private pension funds despite losing out on future state pensions as the deadline to switch to Hungary’s state system passed on Monday night.

About 3% of the roughly 3mn Hungarians paying into private schemes decided to stick with their old pension funds, the spokeswoman for the Central Administration of National Pension Insurance, Zsuzsanna Szoke Lovas, said yesterday.

“Some 102,019 people declared they did not wish to transfer their pension savings into the state system,” she said.

The Hungarian parliament approved a bill in December that forcibly transfers most of the assets of private pension funds to the state. The law strips anyone, who continues paying into a private pension fund, of a state pension.

Hungarians had a month and a half to opt out of the move into the state system. Assets of those who did not appear in person at a local pension office to make the opt-out statement before January 31 were automatically transferred to the state coffers.

Around 3mn Hungarians paid into private pension funds until recently, with total assets estimated at 3tn forint ($14.7bn).

The government’s move reversed a previous pension reform dating back to 1998 when Hungarians with a job were obliged to pay 8% of their wages into private pension funds, plus 1.5% into the state system. Anyone in employment before 1998 had the option of remaining completely in the state system if they wished.

Critics have slammed the pension overhaul as a government attempt to plug the gaping hole in Hungary’s public finances. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is expected to announce his government’s plans to reduce public expenditure in his state of the nation address on February 7.

Hungary-Hungary PM vows to get people working, defeat crippling debt- 8/2/2011February, 2011

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=414641&version=1&template_id=39&parent_id=21

Hungary’s prime minister vowed yesterday to put every able-bodied citizen to work to reduce state debt, saying it threatened to bury the country for good if no action was taken.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who shocked markets when he broke ties with the International Monetary Fund last year to pursue an anti-austerity agenda, said his main focus would be on creating jobs and cutting debt.

“There is no other solution but to face the threat. We must know that we can avoid neither the crisis, nor debt,” Orban said in his annual speech assessing the state of the economy.

“We must and we will defeat state debt, which is the main source of our troubles today. If we do not wrestle it down, it is going to wrestle us down for good.”

Orban’s government is working on a 600-650bn forint ($3bn to $3.3bn) plan to stabilise the budget beyond 2012 when “crisis” taxes worth 1.3% of gross domestic product are due to expire.

Expectations for reform and improved market sentiment have boosted the Hungarian forint to its strongest levels in nine months, below 268 per euro, and sharply reduced the cost of insuring Hungary’s debt against a default.

Orban’s remarks revealed no new details about the planned reforms, which he had said would affect spending on pensions, unemployment benefits, drug subsidies and the public transport system.

The measures are needed to make long-term cuts in Hungary’s public debt - rated on the brink of “junk” status by Fitch, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s - after a one-off decline this year due to changes in the pension system.

“It makes no sense to entertain illusions. Everybody knows that things cannot go on like this any longer,” Orban said.

“For us to defeat debt, everybody who is able to work must work. Without this, we cannot defeat either the crisis, or debt,” Orban said, adding that “sustained benefits” were not the solution for those out of a job but able to work.

Greece- Doctors protest EU/IMF reforms- 10/2/2011February, 2011

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=415112&version=1&template_id=39&parent_id=21

Demonstrators shout at police officers during a protest rally yesterday in front of parliament in Athens. Greek doctors, health workers and pharmacists walked off the job and marched to the parliament to protest a key EU/IMF reform aimed at helping the debt-chocked country cut health spending

Greek doctors, health workers and pharmacists walked off the job and marched to parliament yesterday to protest against an EU/IMF reform aimed at helping the debt-choked country cut health spending.

Greece spends 25bn euros ($34.12bn) per year or roughly 10% of GDP on healthcare but waste and corruption have long plagued the sector, and lenders have set the healthcare reform as a top priority for this year.

The bill, which merges pension funds’ health services and opens up the pharmacists’ profession, was set to pass in parliament despite the protests.

The ruling Socialists have 156 deputies in the 300-seat parliament.

About 1,000 doctors, health workers and pharmacists in white coats chanted “Disgrace” and held banners reading “Don’t eliminate doctors” and “Free public health services for everyone” outside parliament. Some waved Greek flags.

“This bill is damaging our sector. We want it to be withdrawn now. We won’t stop fighting,” said 40-year-old Panayotis Kandaris, a pharmacist.

About 100 doctors have been staging a sit-in at the health ministry in Athens since last week in protest against the reform, and some of their unions have threatened indefinite strikes unless the bill is withdrawn.

Pharmacists have been staging on and off strikes for the past few weeks.

Greece has cut public sector wages, frozen pensions, raised taxes and started reforms to open up its economy to more competition, as agreed with the EU and the IMF last year in return for the 110bn-euro bailout.

EU and IMF inspectors – dubbed the troika – have been in Athens since Monday to assess whether Greece has made enough progress on its fiscal consolidation plan, including on health reforms, to get the green light for a fourth, 15bn-euro, tranche of the bailout that saved it from bankruptcy in May.

Deputy Finance Minister Philippos Sachinidis told Skai radio that the inspectors were satisfied with the progress.

“The fourth (aid) instalment has been secured for Greece,” he said. “From now on, the debate focuses on how we will be doing with our target to reduce the deficit and bring it below 3% of GDP in three years.”

The Greek government will publish by March a binding text spelling out budgetary measures the country intends to take to meet targets up to 2015, he said.

International lenders were satisfied with talks this week on pension reform, with actuarial studies showing last year’s shake-up of the system was on track to achieve its targets, but asked for more data on supplementary funds, a Labour ministry official said.

Spain- Spanish govt clears reform of pension- 29/1/2011January, 2011

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=412704&version=1&template_id=39&parent_id=21

Spain’s cabinet approved a pension reform yesterday to raise the retirement age to one of the highest in Europe as part of efforts to convince markets it can turn its economy around and cut its deficit.
The law, which will go into effect with or without approval by parliament, got the stamp of approval from unions this week after months of tense negotiations.Most Spaniards will retire at 67 instead of the current 65 under the reform, to be phased in over 14 years starting in 2013.
The pension pact could lead to further accords between the government, the unions and business representatives in sensitive areas such as collective wage bargaining and reforms in the energy and research and development sectors.
Deputy Prime Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba referred to it as a “partial agreement” in that it will be part of a wide ranging social and economic pact.
“Although there are still things to do, the government is satisfied with the agreement,” he said during a news conference after the cabinet meeting.
The reform will not have an effect on the government’s budget before 2015, but marks progress in overhauling an economy with weak growth prospects and the EU’s highest unemployment rate.
Data on Friday showed unemployment at 20.3% in the fourth quarter of 2010, its highest in over 13 years.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is under pressure to show he is committed to structural reforms and to cutting a public deficit of just over 9% of gross domestic product in 2010, to avoid being forced into a bailout like Ireland and Greece.
During negotiations unions won the concession that workers who have paid into the pension system for 38.5 years will be allowed to retire at 65, amongst others.
Unions had previously warned they would call the second general strike in less than a year if the government forged ahead with the proposal to raise the retirement age.
The government had said it would raise the retirement age to 67 with or without union backing.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development welcomed the reform as a step towards improving the long-term sustainability of public spending, and aiding progress on strengthening the link between contributions and entitlements.
Some economists expressed doubts, however, that it went far enough.
“My only worry is that whenever there is a crisis in Spain, there is mass early retirement. This weighs very heavily on the pension system,” said Robert Tornabell, Economics Professor at Barcelona University ESADE.
“Every sector is firing staff, from banks to the media, and instead of making people unemployed, it forces thousands into early retirement.”
Markets showed little reaction to the news, and the key spread between the yield on Spanish ten-year debt and equivalent German bunds was around 218 basis points, little changed from 217 bps on Thursday.
Spain is the latest European country to tackle pension reform as ageing populations and lower birth rates strain social security systems.
Pensions could account for 14% of Spain’s public expenditure by 2040-2050, compared with about 9% in 2010, according to economy ministry data. Last year was the first that Spain’s pension system did not run a surplus. Reuters

US- Free Health Care For Those In Need- Feb 20, 2011

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/14064083/free-health-care-for-those-in-need

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Hundreds of people stood in a long line outside McGavcok High School to receive their share of health care reform from a national non-profit.

"Been in the parking lot since 3:30 (a.m.), finally got in the building about a half hour ago (noon)," said dental patient Ray Hill.

The wait was for free health care. With the help from a non-profit program, Remote Area Medical, hundreds of people in the mid-state are getting medical, dental, vision and psychological help.

"You think in America this wouldn't happen, but unfortunately things like this do happen," said Hill in response to the number of people needing assistance. "We just continue to pray and believe in God."

Hill was a teacher at McGavock High School for 17 years, now he's a patient. Without insurance, he's seeing a dentist for the first time in 5 years, but he's not alone.

"It feels so much better, said Tabetha Durham. "A totally different world."

Durham had her braces removed after 19 years. Without insurance she could not afford to have anyone take them off.

The face that America is one of the leading countries in the world when it comes to medicine, Dr. Billy Ballard, D.D.S., interim dean at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry.

"Why can't we take care of them in our health care system when we have the best health care system in the world, but only the people who are wealthy and can afford it," said Dr. Ballard.

In one day, 1,000 people were serviced at the Remote Area Medical event, which Dr. Ballard says shows just how badly Health Care Reform is needed.

"This is the absolute bottom line for what is happening to health care in America," added Dr. Ballard.

In a time when the state of health care is unknown, the patients say they were happy to get the attention their bodies needed.

Many say it's hard to think about the question," what if this help wasn't available?"

"I really don't know what I would have done, but I'm glad I came, because I was reluctant to come, but things worked out and it was time well spent," smiled Hill.

US-Obama Health Care Controversy, What The Professionals Think- 21 Feb 2011

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/217077.php

A whopping 90% of leaders in health and health care policy believe the Affordable Care Act sets the right course for health reform. As the partisan war continues in Congress 68% of experts favor implementing the law with little or no change.

New reforms under the Affordable Care Act begin to bring to an end some of the worst abuses of the insurance industry. These reforms give Americans new rights and benefits, including helping more children get health coverage, ending lifetime and most annual limits on care, and giving patients access to recommended preventive services without cost-sharing.

These reforms apply to all new health plans, and to many existing health plans as they are renewed. Many other new benefits of the law have already taken effect, including rebate checks for seniors in the Medicare donut hole and tax credits for small businesses.

The survey was conducted independently and Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis comments:

"While health reform very much remains a work in progress, it is heartening to see broad support among health care leaders for the direction laid out in the Affordable Care Act. The law's major provisions for expanding coverage, creating new methods of payment, and encouraging integration and innovation are supported by leaders from a range of sectors-including academia, care delivery, business, and consumers. That sort of consensus is encouraging indeed."

Nine percent of professionals believe the health reform law sets the wrong course for the nation, and none said that the health system as it stands now requires no major changes.

More than 80% think it is important or very important to implement state-based health insurance exchanges, the requirement that individuals purchase insurance coverage, and the expansion of Medicaid to cover more lower-income individuals.

In March 2010, Congress passed and the President signed into law the Affordable Care Act, which puts in place comprehensive health insurance reforms that will hold insurance companies more accountable, lower health care costs, guarantee more health care choices, and enhance the quality of health care for all Americans.

Whether a person gets health benefits through work, buys insurance, has a small business and desire to provide health coverage to employees, is on Medicare, or doesn't currently have insurance, the Affordable Care Act gives ybetter control of your own decisions about your health coverage.

It makes insurance more affordable right away by providing small businesses with a tax credit to provide coverage, and in 2014, by providing tax credits to those who need help in buying insurance, representing the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history.

The Affordable Care Act is projected to reduce premium costs for millions of families and small business owners who are priced out of coverage today. This could help as many as 32 million Americans who have no health care today receive coverage.

Despite of incredible debate, once the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented, Americans will have access to affordable health coverage.

Health care leaders were asked about their views on new payment methods to curb costs and promote efficiency. Nine of 10 leaders believe that improving care coordination for patients with chronic conditions will be effective.

Other options that received substantial support include permanent increases in Medicare and Medicaid payments to primary care physicians, aligning payment methods and rates across public and private payers, and accelerating the implementation of bundled payment methods.

Few leaders believe allowing consumers to purchase insurance across state lines or expanding the use of health savings accounts will be effective in achieving a high performance health care system.

US- Judge tosses suit against Obama health care plan- 02/22/2011

http://www.whec.com/news/stories/s1986390.shtml?cat=565

WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit claiming that President Barack Obama's requirement that all Americans have health insurance violates the religious freedom of those who rely on God to protect them.

U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler in Washington dismissed a lawsuit filed by the American Center for Law and Justice, a Christian legal group founded by evangelist Pat Robertson, on behalf of five Americans who can afford health insurance but have chosen for years not to buy it.

The case was one of several lawsuits filed against Obama's requirement that Americans either buy health insurance or pay a penalty, beginning in 2014. Kessler is the third Democratic appointed judge to dismiss a challenge, while two Republican-appointed judges have ruled part or all of the law unconstitutional. Kessler wrote that the Supreme Court will need to settle the constitutional issues.

Three of the plaintiffs - Margaret Peggy Lee Mead of Hillsborough, N.C., Charles Edward Lee of San Antonio and Susan Seven-Sky of West Harrison, N.Y. - are Christians who said they want to refuse all medical services for the rest of their lives because they believe God will heal their afflictions. They say being forced to buy insurance would conflict with their faith because they believe doing so would indicate they need "a backup plan and (are) not really sure whether God will, in fact, provide," the lawsuit said.

The two other plaintiffs - Kenneth Ruffo of San Antonio and Gina Rodriguez of Plano, Texas - have a holistic approach to medical care and prefer to pay for their health services out of pocket, in part because insurance often doesn't cover their chosen methods of healing.

The lawsuit argued that Congress does not have the power under the Constitution to require health care purchases and that the mandate violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993.

Kessler rejected both arguments and ruled that Congress has the right to regulate health care spending under the Commerce Clause and that the individual mandate must be viewed not as a stand-alone reform but as an essential part of the law Obama signed 11 months ago aimed at reducing overall costs. She also said that anyone who objects to having health care for religious reasons can choose to pay the penalty instead - as the lawsuit said all five plaintiffs plan to do.

Kessler also expressed doubts that they can really determine whether they will never require health care. "Individuals like plaintiffs who allege now that they will refuse medical services in the future may well find their way into the health care market when they face the reality of illness or injury," she wrote.

Judges George Steeh of Michigan and Norman Moon of Virginia - like Kessler, they were nominated to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton - dismissed suits against the individual mandate last fall. George W. Bush-appointed Henry Hudson in Virginia ruled the insurance purchase requirement unconstitutional in December, while Ronald Reagan appointee Roger Vinson in Florida ruled the entire health care reform act unconstitutional last month.

The Justice Department, which has been defending the law in court, noted that the law has now been upheld more times than not.

"We welcome this ruling, which marks the third time a court has reviewed the Affordable Care Act on the merits and upheld it as constitutional," said spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler. "This court found - as two others have previously - that the minimum coverage provision of the statute was a reasonable measure for Congress to take in reforming our health care system."

US- Obama's budget offers few clues on health overhaul- February 22, 2011

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Obamas-budget-offers-few-apf-2147310121.html?x=0&.v=2

How many federal bureaucrats does it take to carry out President Barack Obama's health care overhaul? Don't expect to find an easy answer in his new budget.

It has no line item for health care implementation, a task delegated to agencies in several government departments, each with its own procedures -- and quirks -- to account for spending and hiring.

Republicans suspect a dodge to make it harder for them to track the money as they strategize over how to block the law by shutting off the spigot of federal funds.

"They are absolutely hiding the ball with this budget," complained Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees Medicare and tax laws. "We don't know the cost of the health care bill or how many people they are going to hire. All of this needs to be flushed out."

Administration officials say the $3.7 trillion budget may be hard to read, but it's all in there. Somewhere.

"Nothing is being hidden," said Richard Sorian, a spokesman for the Health and Human Services Department, which is leading the effort to expand health coverage to more than 30 million uninsured people by 2014.

It's just that it may not be easy to see.

Part of the reason, the White House says, is that multi-tasking government workers are expected to carry out the health care law along with their other duties. "When you look at an agency, it's very hard to say this person works only on that law," explained Kenneth Baer, a spokesman for the president's budget office.

"The Affordable Care Act is built on top and interwoven with existing statutes and authorities, and it would be extremely difficult to separate or disaggregate the impact of that on the budget," said Baer.

Some agencies have been more helpful with details than others.

The Internal Revenue Service, for example, says it will need 58 revenue agents to enforce the law's 10 percent sales tax on indoor tanning, which went into effect last year.

"As many as 25,000 businesses provide indoor tanning services," says the agency's budget. "These entities typically do not have experience filing federal excise tax returns." It looks like that will soon change. The IRS expects to close 1,000 tanning tax cases annually by 2013.

Overall, Treasury's budget includes $473 million and 1,270 employees to administer the health care law. A spokeswoman said most of them won't be working on enforcement. Many will be helping with tax credits intended to make health insurance more affordable for small businesses and households. Others will be setting up new technology. The IRS will eventually be responsible for collecting fines from taxpayers who ignore a new requirement to carry insurance.

HHS, the hub of health care implementation, is providing less budget detail. The department says only 252 people will be working full-time on the new law, all of those in the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight. The new agency was part of Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' office last year and has been transferred to the HHS division that oversees Medicare.

Most of the rest of the work will be handled by multi-tasking employees, said spokesman Sorian.

Overall, HHS says it's getting $465 million to carry out the law. About $120 million goes to the Administration on Aging, which is trying to salvage one of the law's major new programs, a voluntary long-term care insurance fund intended to help elderly and disabled people avoid going into nursing homes. The Community Living Assistance Services and Support program would provide a benefit of at least $50 a day in cash to help with expenses such as paying a caregiver.

But Sebelius told lawmakers last week she's concerned the program as written by Congress is financially unsustainable, while confident that premiums, eligibility rules and other factors can be tweaked to fix the problems. The law gave HHS authority to make significant changes in the long-term care plan.

Republicans want to repeal the whole law, but if they can't succeed, they'll try to pick off the long-term care plan. Last week, the GOP-led House voted to deny the administration any money to carry out Obama's overhaul.

US- Junk food tax could make people reduce calorie intake- February 19, 2011

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/health/nutrition-&-fitness-/2011/02/19/291608/Junk-food.htm

Would you still reach for those french fries if their price was jacked up by a substantial tax? A study says not everybody would.

unk food taxes and greater openness with calorie information have both been advocated as ways to help consumers limit their calorie intake — and, the hope is, to keep their weight in a healthy range.

In a computer-based experiment with nearly 200 U.S. college students, researchers led by Janneke Giesen of Maastricht University in the Netherlands found that the students generally “bought” fewer lunchtime calories when sugary, high-fat fare came with a tax of 25 percent or more.

“The most important finding of our study is that a tax of 25 percent or more on (high-calorie) foods makes nearly everyone buy fewer calories,” Giesen told Reuters Health in an e-mail.

The exception was when calorie-conscious eaters were given calorie information on their lunch options, in which case the tax did not seem to sway their opinions.

Policies to require restaurants and other vendors to be frank with calorie information have made gains recently — most notably in New York, which in 2008 became the first U.S. city to mandate that fast food restaurants and coffee chains put calorie information on their menus. But just how effective such measures have been, or could be, is controversial.

The current study, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggests that the effectiveness of junk food taxes might partly depend on whether calorie information is given or not, as well as the customer's own awareness of calories.

Giesen and colleagues had 178 U.S. college students choose a hypothetical lunch from a computer menu on three separate occasions. Each time, the prices for high-calorie items such as bacon cheeseburgers, brownies and chips, were increased — first by 25 percent, then 50 percent.

About half the students were given calorie information.

Overall, students tended to order fewer calories when a junk food tax was in place. They curbed their average calorie intake by about 100 to 300 calories, depending on the tax in place.

The only students who did not respond to the price increases were those who were already watching their diets and given calorie information. They ate fewer calories than their peers without any food tax, and showed little change in their eating when the tax was added.

Taiwan- Jobseekers rise 16% since New Year break: 104- February 23, 2011

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/business/asia-taiwan/2011/02/23/292181/Jobseekers-rise.htm

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Jobseekers increased by 16 percent over the two-week period after the Lunar New Year break, and over 40 percent of them were those seeking to change jobs, said 104 Jobs Bank yesterday, citing its own website.

According to 104, a total of 295,000 people were looking for jobs through the company's website, and 380,000 positions were available, the highest for the post-Lunar New Year period.

Of the 295,000, some 110,000, or 42 percent, were those seeking to change jobs, the second highest figure since 2005, 104 said.

The 295,000 figure was an increase of 16 percent prior to the New Year holiday, and the top five industries that job aspirants want to get into were: optoelectronics, semiconductor, electronic parts and components, computer and consumer electronics manufacturing, and software and networking.

“It's obvious most people want to enter the information technology industry, after the global financial crisis,” said Fang Kuang-wei, public relations director of 104. “Yet hiring needs are also high in other industries, for example food and beverage, warehousing and logistics, and leisure industries. We advise people to look for opportunities in those sectors as well.”

He also urged jobseekers to be more active, saying that on average, a person will get a job after sending 25 resumes and having five interviews.

Korea- S. Koreans rally against pizza chains- February 19, 2011

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/korea/2011/02/19/291616/S-Koreans.htm

Activists rallied in the South Korean capital Friday in an unusual protest against pizza chains, saying their promises of quick service endanger the lives of young motorbike delivery drivers.

he Youth Community Forum began its three-day protest Thursday in central Seoul and outside pizza chains, urging them to scrap pledges to customers of free pizza if delivery takes longer than 30 minutes.

“Stop the murderous 30-minute delivery pledge,” chanted some 10 representatives from the activists' group as they rallied in the busy commercial district of Myeongdong, waving banners.

The cost of a late pizza is customarily deducted from a delivery man's wages, meaning they often drive recklessly to deliver orders on time.

The labour ministry said there were 1,395 accidents nationwide last year involving motorbikes delivering food of various types.

Figures for fatalities were unavailable but the recent death of a 19-year-old delivery youth helped spark protests.

India- Indian gov't will tackle corruption: president- Tuesday, February 22, 2011

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/india/2011/02/22/292051/Indian-govt.htm

NEW DELHI -- The Indian government will battle both inflation and corruption, Indian President Pratibha Patil said in her address to parliament on Monday, confronting the two biggest issues that have rattled the Congress-led government and paralyzed policymaking.

Patil was speaking in parliament before the start of the budget session after the government caved in to months of opposition pressure to launch a parliamentary investigation into India's biggest corruption scandal in decades.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is accused of heading a corrupt government that sold access to the world's fastest growing mobile phone market at rock-bottom prices, depriving the state of billions of U.S. dollars and scaring off investors.

Philippine- Philippine gov't, communists aim for peace in 18 months- February 23, 2011

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/philippines/2011/02/23/292199/Philippine-govt.htm

MANILA -- The Philippine government and communist rebels waging one of the world's longest insurgencies are aiming to forge a peace pact within 18 months, the two sides said after holding landmark talks.

The parties released a joint statement late on Monday following the end of a week of negotiations in Norway in which they committed to try and sign a “comprehensive agreement” to end hostilities by June of next year.

“Our meetings were difficult, and at times fraught with what would seem to be insurmountable challenges,” chief government negotiator Alex Padilla said in Manila on Tuesday via a video conference from Oslo.

“The talks however were frank, candid, and held in a spirit of goodwill characterized by respect for one another's position.”

The negotiations were the first between the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) sides since 2004.

The communists have been waging a rebellion since 1969 and still have about 5,000 New People's Army guerrillas based in the mainly poor, rural areas of the Philippines.

Analysts said before the talks began that there was little chance of a quick end to the rebellion, with the communists determined to overhaul the country's economic model and railing against corruption by the nation's elite.

Padilla acknowledged that even he had begun the talks with a “sense of dread” that they would be the “beginning of a dead end.”

“But we have taken the first step,” Padilla said.

The next steps will include a range of lower-level working group meetings over the next few months to cover issues such as social and economic reforms.

Political and economic reforms will be discussed in another working group.

The government said it would also “work on appropriate measures to effect the expeditious release” of 14 detained communist rebel leaders that the NDF has long demanded be freed.

The government said it would also consider releasing four other communists the NDF recently added to the list.

However it made no firm commitment on releasing any of them.

In a reciprocal “confidence-building” measure, the communists said they would take steps towards releasing an unspecified number of people they were holding as prisoners.

One of the key reasons the previous round of peace talks broke down six years ago was a demand by the communists that the government have them removed from U.S. and European international blacklists of terrorist organizations.

However there was no mention of the terrorism issue in the joint statement, and Padilla said he believed it would not derail the talks.

“There is no update on the terror listing,” he said. “No, it is not a hindrance now. I think the problem with the terror listing is with the U.S. and other countries.

Hong Kong- Unemployment rate reaches two-year low in Hong Kong- February 22, 2011

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/china/china-business/2011/02/22/291954/Unemployment-rate.htm

Hong Kong's unemployment rate has fallen to 3.8 percent, its lowest in more than two years, as the city's red-hot economy continues to power ahead, the government said Monday.

The unemployment rate for the November-January period was down from four percent in the October-December period, and marked Hong Kong's lowest jobless rate since late 2008, the Census and Statistics Department said.

The figure also beat the average four percent unemployment rate expected by seven economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires.

The Chinese territory's total employment increased by about 18,400 to 3,582,100 people — an all-time high for the city of seven million — amid hiring in various sectors including construction and transportation.

“Total employment maintained its strong growth trend on entering 2011, thanks to the robust business activities and labour demand in the run-up to the Lunar New Year holidays” in February, said Matthew Cheung, Hong Kong's labour secretary.

Cheung added that local employers were expected to continue hiring, but warned that a sluggish economic recovery in the West and the eurozone debt crisis “remain a cause for concern.”

Hong Kong unemployment peaked at 5.5 percent in mid-2009 as it was pounded by the global financial crisis, but the territory's export-oriented economy has since posted a strong recovery.

Hong Kong- Cash-rich Hong Kong government pressured to narrow rich-poor gulf- Tuesday, February 22, 2011

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/china/china-business/2011/02/22/291936/Cash-rich-Hong.htm

Hong Kong's government was Monday under pressure to narrow the city's growing rich-poor divide after amassing record-breaking reserves of nearly US$75 billion.

Eight out of 10 people in a survey released Monday said the city government was hoarding too much money and should take steps to return wealth to the people.

In his budget speech Wednesday, Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang is expected to confirm government reserves of HK$579 billion (US$74.3 billion), twice their level in 2003-2004.

The survey by the pro-business Liberal Party called on the government to cut income tax by 10 percent and give more money in allowances for the elderly and disadvantaged.