British Petroleum says 2013 net profit more than doubles to $23.45 bn

British Petroleum says 2013 net profit more than doubles to $23.45 bn

 

London (AFP)

 

British Petroleum, BP, said Tuesday that net profits more than doubled in 2013, compared with the previous year when it faced huge fines linked to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

 

Earnings after taxation soared to $23.45 billion (17.33 billion euros) last year, boosted by strong oil and gas output growth, the British energy giant said in a results statement.

 

That compared with $11.017 billion in 2012.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 4 Tuesday February 2014 The Roman)

Britain faces choice of saving town or country from floods, says agency chief

Britain faces choice of saving town or country from floods, says agency chief

 

Too expensive to defend both urban and rural areas, says Lord Smith, as forecasters warn worse weather to come

 

[caption id="attachment_11713" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Flooding has been exceptionally bad in Somerset after the wettest January for more than 200 years. (Photograph Matt Cardy/Getty Images))[/caption]

 

Britain may have to choose whether it wants to save "town or country" from future flooding because it is too costly to defend both, the chairman of the Environment Agency said.

 

Lord Smith said "difficult choices" would have to be made over what to protect because "there is no bottomless purse" to pay for defences.

 

Meanwhile householders have been told to brace themselves as further wind and rain threatens to bring more chaos to waterlogged communities across Britain.

 

Around 180 homes were flooded during during a busy weekend for the emergency services and EA workers up and down the country.

 

But as flood-hit communities enjoyed a break in the bad weather yesterday, forecasters warned there may be worse to come.

 

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Lord Smith defended the EA after a week in which it has come in for heavy criticism over its handling of the crisis, which has left large swathes of the Somerset Levels underwater for more than a month.

 

He said that the sea surge in December reached higher levels than the east coast surge of 1953, which cost more than 300 lives, but without the loss of life because of advances in flood warning and risk-management.

 

But he said that "there are no quick fixes in the face of this kind of extreme rainfall", and tough decisions lie ahead, not just for the EA, about how protection from flooding is managed in the future.

 

Lord Smith said: "Yes, agricultural land matters and we do whatever we can with what we have to make sure it is protected. Rules from successive governments give the highest priority to lives and homes; and I think most people would agree that this is the right approach.

 

"But this involves tricky issues of policy and priority; town or country, front rooms or farmland?

 

"Flood defences cost money; and how much should the taxpayer be prepared to spend on different places, communities and livelihoods - in Somerset, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, or East Anglia? There's no bottomless purse, and we need to make difficult but sensible choices about where and what we try to protect."

 

Following a meeting of the Government's Cobra emergencies committee yesterday, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said that 73,000 homes in England had been protected from flooding since Friday, and that the EA continued to protect communities by deploying demountable flood defences, sandbags and clearing waterways.

 

He said: "I have enormous sympathy for those who have been affected again this weekend and the government is working with all local councils to help communities recover. All requests for assistance have been met."

 

Lord Smith's warning comes as it emerged victims of the flooding are having to pay up to 41p a minute to call a government helpline for advice.

 

The Sun said all money from the 0845 premium-rate number, which was set up by the Environment Agency (EA), went to a private firm.

 

News that the EA's Floodline phone number costs 10.5p a minute from landlines and 41p from mobiles was met with fury by residents in flood-stricken communities, The Sun said.

 

Bryony Sadler, a member of Somerset's Flooding on the Levels Action Group, told the newspaper: "We are extremely grateful to the Environment Agency's people on the ground, who are doing their best to help us.

 

"But this is just another example of staggering mismanagement form their pen-pushing bosses."

 

EA staff have been working around the clock to alleviate the flooding that people in the county have endured for five weeks, pumping 1.5 million tonnes of water a day off the Levels.

 

Two all-terrain vehicles have been sent to the county along with extra pumping equipment.

 

But with further rain expected following the wettest January on record in some places, saturated ground and high river levels could lead to further river flooding this week.

 

Weather forecasters are expecting winds of up to 70mph today, and up to 30mm (1.2in) of rain.

 

Officials say fresh flooding could affect the south coasts of Devon and Cornwall today as well as Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

 

As of this morning the EA had three severe flood warnings in place, one covering large parts of Cornwall and Devon, and two for the River Severn in the Midlands.

 

There are also 95 flood warnings and 233 less severe flood alerts.

 

The River Severn in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, the Frome and Avon in Dorset, the river Thames and its tributaries in Oxfordshire, West Berkshire, Reading, Slough and Hampshire and the Medway in Kent are all of concern this week.

 

The agency's flood risk manager, Kate Marks, said that as high tides and large waves threaten the south coast, further rain on already saturated ground could lead to river flooding.

 

She said: "With further severe weather conditions expected in the coming days, the Environment Agency is likely to issue further warnings so people should check their flood risk and get early warnings so they can take action to protect their property."

 

(The Guardian, 3 Monday February 2014 The Roman)

 

France and Germany rebuild ties but EU waits for old axis

France and Germany rebuild ties but EU waits for old axis

 

Brussels (AFP)

 

With France and Germany apparently patching up their economic differences, their decades-old axis could retake its place at the heart of Europe, but analysts are waiting for actions to back up the rhetoric.

 

French President Francois Hollande's recent promises of economic reform have been welcomed by Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition as a step away from socialist policies towards Berlin's austerity-minded approach.

 

The eurozone's two biggest economies have meanwhile launched a series of measures to jumpstart stalled ties after the financial crisis exposed major differences in approach to budgetary discipline and growth.

 

"There is a chance this is a real one (rapprochement)," Janis Emmanouilidis of the Brussels-based European Policy Centre think tank told AFP.

 

"Each side knows that they have to interact with each other for many years to come."

 

Paris and Berlin have struggled to reconcile their policies on recovering from the eurozone debt crisis ever since Hollande took office in 2012 promising to spend France's way out of trouble.

 

The previously strong bond between Merkel and Hollande's centre-right predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy -- dubbed "Merkozy" -- has been replaced by a lack of communication, exacerbated in 2013 by Merkel spending months building a new left-right coalition after elections.

 

But earlier this month Berlin warmly welcomed what Hollande called "social democratic" reforms to spur the beleaguered French economy.

 

They included 50 billion euros ($68 billion) in public spending cuts and a 30-billion-euro reduction in corporate payroll charges.

 

Since then it has been a veritable love-in between the former foes.

 

Germany offered logistical support to the French operation in the Central African Republic, while their foreign ministers are considering joint trips to some of Europe's troubled neighbours.

 

'Franco-German phoenix'

 

"It's a social-democratic convergence which reconciles supply-side reforms with a reduction in social inequality," said Claire Demesmay, of the German Council on International Relations.

 

Emmanouilidis said there was time for Germany and France to find common ground on changing the EU's treaties to strengthen joint economic governance in the 28-nation bloc.

 

But the negotiations would be "complex" and there were also a host of differences on technical issues such as banking union, the financial transactions tax and others.

 

The two leaders also face different situations at home.

 

The main problems in France are youth unemployment, competitiveness and the bloated state, whereas Germany faces issues with internal consumer demand.

 

Others were more sceptical that the relationship between France and Germany could return to the heady days when they effectively built the European Union together.

 

"I'm not sure how much rapprochement there actually is between France and Germany," Mats Persson, director of Open Europe, a eurosceptic think-tank based in London, told AFP.

 

"One senior German told me recently that they are far more worried about France than about Italy."

 

One EU official was cautious.

 

"The rebirth of the Franco-German phoenix is a recurrent phenomenon," the source added on condition of anonymity.

 

"For citizens, words have to be translated into lasting actions."

 

But Persson said the relationship was still "relevant and important for Europe."

 

"In the grand scheme of things it is good that France and Germany get on," he said.

 

Britain and other northern European countries could in particular benefit from the alliance, despite appearances to the contrary.

 

Prime Minister David Cameron has been wooing Germany in a bid to win support for his quest to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the EU before putting the new terms to a national referendum in 2017.

 

But close ties between Merkel and Hollande would not necessarily scupper this, particularly as there is appetite for treaty change from Berlin.

 

"A Franco-German axis on the whole is more open to reform than the sum of its parts," Persson said.

 

"It could therefore be more sympathetic to the UK's reform agenda."

 

(Agence France-Presse, 31 Friday January 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Lloyds bank takes extra £2.0 bn hit for mis-selling claims

Lloyds bank takes extra £2.0 bn hit for mis-selling claims

 

London (AFP)

 

Britain's state-rescued bank Lloyds said Monday it will take an extra hit of almost £2.0 ($3.3 billion, 2.4 billion euros) to cover mis-selling claims.

 

Lloyds will take a provision of £1.8 billion for claims relating to the mis-selling of payment protection insurance, and £130 million relating to over the mis-selling of interest rate hedging products to small businesses, it said in an update before annual results on February 13, adding it expects to make a "small" pre-tax profit.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 3 Monday February 2014 The Roman)

 

Ford earnings rise, beat expectations

Ford earnings rise, beat expectations

 

New York (AFP)

 

US auto giant Ford Motor Tuesday reported quarterly earnings that bested expectations as higher sales in North America and a smaller loss in Europe offset declines in South America.

 

Ford, the second-biggest US automaker, notched a 90 percent rise in fourth-quarter earnings thanks largely to a number of tax gains.

 

Revenues rose 3.6 percent compared with the year-ago period.

 

"We had an outstanding year in 2013, demonstrating that our One Ford plan continues to drive solid results and profitable growth for all," Ford chief executive Alan Mulally said in a statement.

 

Ford's North America division, which accounts for nearly one-third of company sales, reported higher quarterly sales but nine percent lower profits due to lower prices and $300 million in expenses associated with a recall of its Escape sport utility vehicle.

 

Ford enjoyed higher sales and wholesale deliveries in its Asia Pacific Africa segment, where pre-tax profit hit a record $106 million, about three times more than in the year-ago period.

 

In Europe, Ford trimmed its quarterly loss to $571 million from $732 million in the year-ago period, while Ford's South America division posted a loss of $126 million.

 

The South America results were hit by lower production in Venezuela due to a limited availability of US dollars, the company said.

 

Overall fourth-quarter profit came in at $3.0 billion on revenue of $37.6 billion compared with year-ago profit of $1.6 billion on revenue of $37.6 billion.

 

The results included $2.1 billion in favorable tax items, such as valuation allowances held against US tax-deferred assets.

 

The results translated into earnings of 31 cents per share, topping analyst expectations of 28 cents.

 

The company rated 2013 "one of Ford's best years ever" as Ford and other US automakers benefited from a surge in auto sales.

 

Net income for the year was $7.2 billion on revenue of $146.9 billion, up 26.3 percent from 2012 profit of $5.7 billion on revenue of $133.6 billion.

 

Ford said its 2014 outlook was unchanged with total company pre-tax profit expected to range from $7 billion to $8 billion.

 

Ford shares were up 2.1 percent at $16.04 in pre-market trade.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 28 Tuesday January 2014 The Roman)

 

Export is increase in two months than last year, Yokohama Port November trade rapid report: Yokohama tax office

Export is increase in two months, Yokohama Port November rapid report: Yokohama tax office

 

輸出２カ月連続で増、１１月の横浜港貿易速報／神奈川

 

横浜税関が１２月１９日に発表した１１月の横浜港貿易速報によると、輸出額は５６７３億円で前年同月比１１・４％増と２カ月連続で増加した。

 

輸出額が連続で前年実績を上回るのは今年に入って初めて。

 

一方、輸入額は同３１・１％増の３８３７億円で、全国と同様、１１月としては過去最高額となった。

 

輸出額が増加を維持したのは、自動車関連を中心に対米国が引き続き好調だったことが主な要因。

 

輸出の主要品目では、自動車が同３７・５％増の１２０９億円で４カ月連続で増加。

 

自動車部品も同１０・６％増の３３７億円で２カ月連続で増えた。

 

特に米国向け自動車は、前年同月の２・８倍に当たる３８３億円だった。

 

金属加工機械の不調が続いているが、石油製品（同５・７倍）、自動車部品（同２・７倍）、原動機（同９６・６％増）、重電機器（同６１・８％増）などが大幅に増加した。

 

横浜港では輸出額が、１０、１１月と２カ月連続で増加しており、回復傾向になりつつあるようだ。

 

輸入額は８カ月連続で増加した。

 

増加した品目では、原油・粗油が同３・７倍の３９６億円。

 

衣類・付属品は同３９・３％増の２３１億円で、２１カ月連続で増加した。

 

さらに天然ガス・製造ガスが３０５億円で、前年同月に比べて２２・５％増だった。

 

（神奈川新聞、２０１３年１２月２０日）

 

 

Export is increase in two months, Yokohama Port November rapid report: Yokohama tax office

 

According to the Port of Yokohama trade bulletin of November Yokohama Customs announced on 19 December 2013, exports increased for the two straight month and 11.4 percent year-on-year increase in the 567.3 billion yen.

 

Export value is more than the previous year in a row, is the first time this year.

 

On the other hand, at 383.7 billion yen of the 31.1 % increase, as well as across the country, the value of imports was a record amount as in November.

 

Export value is of maintaining the increase, is that with the United States strong performance continued in the automobile-related, is main factor.

 

The main items of export, automobiles increased in four consecutive months 120.9 billion yen, 37.5 % increase.

 

Auto-car parts also increased for the two month running in the 33.7 billion yen, 10.6 % increase.

 

In particular, export to the United States automotive, was 38.3 billion yen to hit x 2.8 that of the same month last year.

 

Malfunction of metal processing machine is followed, the petroleum products (x 5.7), auto-car parts (x 2.7), the prime mover (up 96.6 %), heavy electrical equipment (up 61.8 %), has increased significantly.

 

Export value is, has increased for the two straight month, October and November in Yokohama Port, it seems to be becoming a recovery trend.

 

The value of imports increased by eight consecutive months.

 

The items the crude oil increased, 39.6 billion yen, x 3.7 .

 

At 23.1 billion yen of 39.3 % increase, cloth and accessories increased in 21 consecutive months.

 

Natural gas and gas production is 30.5 billion yen in addition, it was 22.5 % increase compared to the same month last year.

 

(Kanagawa Shimbun, 20 Friday December 2013 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 21 Saturday December 2013 The Roman)

 

 

Italian prime minister wins confidence vote

Italian prime minister wins confidence vote

 

Calling for a "new start", Letta promises major reforms in country grappling with corruption and economic stagnation.

 

[caption id="attachment_10688" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Italy's grim economic situation has sparked countrywide protests [AP])[/caption] 

Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta has won a key confidence vote in parliament after he pledged sweeping economic and political reforms.

 

Letta's government easily won votes in both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday, with the backing of a new centre-right party that split from disgraced former leader Silvio Berlusconi.

 

Calling for a "new start," Letta said his priorities for 2014 would include stimulating the economy, reducing unemployment and reforming Italy's electoral law, which many view as a contributing factor to the country's political instability.

 

"I will do everything I can," Letta vowed.

 

"I won't give in to those who say the chaos is too much and we can't do anything."

 

The confidence vote was called to confirm Letta's majority after Berlusconi pulled his Forza Italia party out of the ruling coalition last month.

 

Berlusconi has since been expelled from parliament over his conviction for tax fraud.

 

Economic woes

 

Letta told parliament that Italy had avoided reforms for 20 years and could no longer afford to do so, as countrywide protests this week underlined the bitter public mood.

 

He pledged to fight "like a lion" to tackle problems such as youth unemployment, which was running at more than 40 percent.

 

Years of recession and stagnation have shrunk the economy, while Italy grapples with rampant corruption and a discredited political system.

 

Police shut down parts of Rome on Wednesday as hundreds of protesters gathered near parliament, shouting "Thieves! Thieves!"

 

Letta said the next 18 months would be devoted to a broad package of institutional reforms aimed at creating a stable basis for economic growth, which he said should reach 1 percent in 2014 and 2 percent in 2015.

 

The targets are considered optimistic by virtually all independent forecasters.

 

(Source: Agencies)

 

(Al Jazeera, 11 Wednesday December 2013 The Roman)

 

Comptes à l'étranger : les "repentis" sont souvent des héritiers Accounts abroad: "repented" are often heirs

Comptes à l'étranger : les "repentis" sont souvent des héritiers

 

[caption id="attachment_10528" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Vue de la ville de Genève. (© Vincent Isore/IP3 press)) (View of the city of Geneva (© Vincent Isore/IP3 press))[/caption]

 

(SOURCE  AFP)

 

La majorité des candidats à la régularisation ont hérité de leur compte en Suisse... et sont aujourd'hui poussés dehors par les banques.

 

Ils sont des milliers à se présenter auprès du fisc pour régulariser leur situation : ces Français titulaires d'un compte non déclaré à l'étranger en ont le plus souvent hérité et sont poussés dehors par les banques, soucieuses de se conformer au nouvel ordre fiscal mondial.

 

Aujourd'hui, Bercy a reçu "plus de 8 500" dossiers de ces "repentis", attirés par les conditions de régularisation permises par la circulaire signée fin juin par le ministre du Budget, Bernard Cazeneuve, a assuré celui-ci lundi.

 

Ce cadre prévoit notamment que les pénalités soient moindres pour les fraudeurs dits "passifs".

 

De fait, selon plusieurs avocats fiscalistes, ceux qui ont hérité d'un compte en Suisse qui dort depuis des années constituent la grande majorité des candidats à la régularisation.

 

"La plupart du temps, ce sont des parents qui souhaitent régulariser une situation inconfortable pour ne pas la transmettre à leurs enfants", explique Meyer Azogui, président de Cyrus Conseil.

 

Mais aussi, précise-t-il, "les banques suisses annoncent clairement qu'elles ne veulent plus de capitaux non déclarés.

 

Elles adoptent désormais des techniques de séduction inversement proportionnelles à celles qu'elles pratiquaient à l'entrée, lorsqu'il s'agissait de séduire de nouveaux clients".

 

Suisses ou non, les banques contactent depuis quelques mois leurs clients français non déclarés pour qu'ils se mettent en règle avec le fisc, n'hésitant pas à menacer d'une fermeture de compte pure et simple.

 

Le "Forum mondial sur la transparence et l'échange de renseignements à des fins fiscales", organisation de 120 pays sous l'égide de l'Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques (OCDE), n'a pas manqué, fin novembre à Jakarta, de lancer un nouvel avertissement à ceux qui tenteraient encore d'échapper aux nouvelles règles mondiales.

 

"Les banques font bien comprendre à leurs clients qu'il faut changer les choses", dit un avocat fiscaliste d'Aix-en-Provence qui a requis l'anonymat.

 

Pour lui, la pression exercée par les banques explique pourquoi il y a en 2013 davantage de "repentis" que trois ans plus tôt, alors même que le dispositif mis en place alors par Éric Woerth était plus intéressant pour les fraudeurs.

 

"Périodes instables"

 

Par ailleurs, ces clients héritiers sont aussi ceux qui, le plus souvent, n'ont pas les plus gros comptes.

 

Selon Pierre Dedieu, avocat associé de CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre, "l'essentiel des dossiers concernent des comptes de moins de un million d'euros".

 

Or, les banques étrangères, toujours par crainte d'être pénalisées, sont très réticentes à autoriser les retraits en liquide "donc les titulaires ne peuvent pas rapporter l'argent en deux-trois voyages", ironise-t-il.

 

Reste que si l'héritage a été fait après le 1e janvier 2007, s'ajoute aux pénalités le rattrapage des droits de succession, une situation qui peut obliger à régler au fisc jusqu'à la moitié du capital.

 

"Les dossiers que nous traitons reflètent les grandes périodes d'instabilité de l'histoire contemporaine", explique Pierre Dedieu.

 

Il cite le Front populaire, la guerre de 39-45, mais aussi Mai 68, qui a conduit beaucoup de familles bourgeoises à sortir leurs fonds, ou encore 1981, lorsque l'arrivée de la gauche au pouvoir a fait craindre des confiscations.

 

Ceux qui auraient utilisé sciemment ce compte à l'étranger, qu'ils l'aient ouvert ou non, pour dissimuler rémunérations occultes ou rétrocommissions sont évidemment rares.

 

"Ils savent qu'en contactant le fisc ils prennent un risque pénal quasi avéré et, du coup, ne choisissent pas la régularisation", analyse ce spécialiste.

 

De fait, selon un avocat fiscaliste parisien ayant requis l'anonymat, le chiffre de 8 500 dossiers de demande de régularisation est "ridicule si on considère que, rien qu'en Suisse, il y a plus de 100 000 comptes détenus par des Français".

 

Un argument que ne partagent pas la plupart des autres conseils interrogés.

 

Pour Pierre Dedieu, en plus des résultats de la cellule Woerth et des régularisations spontanées depuis, "on va arriver à environ 15 000 régularisations depuis 2009".

 

Et le bénéfice pour l'État pourrait, selon lui, être même supérieur au milliard d'euros espéré par le gouvernement en 2014.

 

(Le Point, 3 mardi décembre 2013 le Roman)

 

 

Accounts abroad: "repented" are often heirs

 

(SOURCE  AFP)

 

The majority of candidates to stabilize inherited their account in Switzerland ... and are now pushed out by banks.

 

There are thousands to stand with the taxman to regularize their situation : the French holders of undeclared foreign account most often inherited and are pushed out by the banks concerned to comply with the new tax order world.

 

Today Bercy received  over 8,500" records of the "repented", attracted by the regularization conditions permitted by circular signed by the end of June Budget Minister Bernard Cazeneuve assured it Monday.

 

The framework provides that the penalties are lower for the so-called "passive" fraudsters.

 

In fact, according to several tax lawyers, who have inherited a Swiss account sleeping for years constitute the vast majority of applicants for regularization.

 

"Most of the time, these are parents who wish to regularize an uncomfortable situation so as not to pass on to their children," said Meyer Azogui, President Cyrus Council.

 

But also, he says, "Swiss banks announce clearly that they want more not been declared. They are now adopting seduction techniques inversely proportional to those they practiced at the entrance, wheres' was to attract new customers."

 

Swiss or not, contact the bank for a few months their French customers unreported for them to put in good standing with the IRS, not hesitating to threaten closure straightforward account.

 

The "Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes," organization of 120 countries under the auspices of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), has not failed in late November to Jakarta to launch a new warning to those who try to escape again to new global rules.

 

"The banks understand their customers need to change things," said a tax lawyer in Aix  Provence, who requested anonymity.

 

For him, the pressure exerted by banks explains why there is more in 2013 "repented" that three years earlier, even though the system put in place by then Eric Woerth was more attractive to fraudsters.

 

"Unstable periods"

 

Moreover, these heirs customers are also those who most often do not have the biggest accounts.

 

According to Pierre Dedieu, partner at CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre lawyer, "most of the cases involve accounts of less than one million euros."

 

However, foreign banks, always in fear of being penalized, are very reluctant to allow cash withdrawals "so owners can not bring money in two to three trips," he quips.

 

Yet if the legacy was made after 1 January 2007, in addition to the penalties catching inheritance, a situation that may require tax to be paid at up to half the capital.

 

"The issues we deal reflect major instability periods of modern history," said Pierre Dedieu.

 

He cites the Popular Front, the war of 39-45, but in may 68, which has led many middle-class families to leave their land or even 1981, when the arrival of the left in power was fear of confiscation.

 

Those who have knowingly used this account abroad, whether they open or not, to conceal hidden fees or kickbacks are obviously rare.

 

"They know that they are contacting the IRS criminal risk almost proved and, hence, do not choose the regularization,” this analysis specialist.

 

In fact, according to a Parisian tax lawyer who requested anonymity, the figure of 8,500 files application for regularization is "ridiculous if we consider that, in Switzerland alone, there are over 100,000 accounts held by French.”

 

An argument that is not shared with most other councils surveyed.

 

Pierre Dedieu, plus the results of the cell Woerth and spontaneous adjustments since, “We’ll get about 15,000 corrections since 2009."

 

And the benefit to the state could, according to him, be even higher than the one billion euros expected by the government in 2014.

 

(Le Point, 3 Tuesday December 2013 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. tohiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 4 Wednesday December 2013 The Roman)

 

Slovaks gamble for a good cause with receipt lottery

Slovaks gamble for a good cause with receipt lottery

 

[caption id="attachment_10521" align="alignnone" width="400"] (A woman holds store receipts doubling as lottery tickets on November 29, 2013 in Bratislava (AFP, Samuel Kubani))[/caption]

 

(By Tatiana Jancarikova (AFP))

 

Bratislava — Slovak electrician Michal is not the gambling type, but twice a month he holds his breath during a lottery draw in the hopes of winning thousands of euros or a new car.

 

The 34-year-old is betting on getting lucky in Slovakia's receipt lottery, a new government measure in which all store receipts double as lottery tickets.

 

The scheme -- a bid to fight tax evasion by vendors -- has taught thrifty Slovaks to gamble for a good cause and has proven to be both a hit and a cash cow for the government.

 

"I don't spend money on gambling but why wouldn't I take part in this lottery?" Michal told AFP at a grocery store in downtown Bratislava, the capital.

 

"You don't have to buy tickets, you just register online the serial numbers of receipts you would otherwise dump or leave at the store."

 

He has spent hours registering around 90 receipts -- which can be done via a special mobile application or at a betting shop -- and driving his girlfriend crazy.

 

"All of a sudden, I'm finding old receipts all over our flat, it's a mess!" said Nina, who does not share her boyfriend's latest passion.

 

Tax evasion is a constant worry for the leftist government of Prime Minister Robert Fico as it struggles to cut its budget deficit to under the EU ceiling of three percent of gross domestic product.

 

"We launched the lottery to nudge people to request a receipt for every purchase because every time vendors sell their goods without a receipt, they essentially avoid paying the VAT" sales tax, Finance Minister Peter Kazimir told AFP.

 

The eurozone member has two value-added-tax rates: a 10-percent rate applies to books and medicine, while a 20-percent rate applies to everything else.

 

The Slovak government loses around 150 million euros ($204 million), or 3.5 percent of annual revenue, in VAT each year due to the grey economy, the finance ministry estimates.

 

But the lottery, which launched in September, is going a long way towards plugging the hole.

 

'500,000 extra tax inspectors'

 

"We are seeing more customers insist upon a receipt," Maria Belanova, sales manager at the Fresh Labas grocery chain where the first lottery winner shopped, told AFP.

 

Shoppers have registered nearly 30 million receipts since the launch, or five and half times the Slovak population of 5.4 million people, thanks to the promise of free money.

 

Each month 10 lucky shoppers -- whose identities are kept secret by the lottery operator -- win cash prizes of up to 10,000 euros, while another eight score a new car.

 

Taiwan and Malta also have similar lotteries, while Georgia launched one last year but cancelled it after seven months due to poor impact on national revenue.

 

Slovakia has fared better.

 

"In September and October the state has collected an extra 130 million euros in VAT, which will help us meet this year's budget goal," Kazimir said.

 

So far tax collectors have also received more than 3,000 reports from people who did not receive a receipt from a vendor or whose receipts were rejected as fake by the lottery system.

 

Officials have inspected hundreds of businesses and even closed one restaurant and two stores run by a European discount apparel chain that had been using fake cash registers.

 

"Slovakia has found almost 500,000 extra tax inspectors in those who joined the lottery," Kazimir said wryly.

 

Slovakia has been a member of the European Union since 2004 and the eurozone since 2009.

 

Its economy -- driven by exports of cars and electronics to Europe, mostly Germany -- is expected to slow to 0.8 percent growth this year from two-percent in 2012.

 

"So far we are observing the early enthusiasm for the lottery. We will be able to quantify its effects in six months or a year after its launch," Viliam Palenik, an economist at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, told AFP.

 

"The key effect is that vendors will be more cautious and less prone to cheating not knowing which customer will report them to the tax authorities, while people will realise that paying taxes is normal."

 

Copyright © 2013 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 3 Tuesday December 2013 The Roman)

 

 

So what if politicians don't know the price of milk?

So what if politicians don't know the price of milk?

 

[caption id="attachment_9082" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Does it matter if a politician doesn't know the price of milk? (Photo The Telegraph))[/caption]

 

It's the oldest bear trap in the book.

 

You'd have thought that come conference season, every politician – especially Tories – would be automatically briefed about the price of milk and bread.

 

But both Boris Johnson and David Cameron have now fallen for it, with the result that the issue has received more media attention than many of the conference speeches.

 

The Prime Minister, when bamboozled by Nick Ferrari on LBC, did his level best. Realising that he had estimated the price of a value loaf of bread woefully high, he skipped into a chat about bread making machines; this led one newspaper to accuse him, in bile-ridden tones, of using – horror of horrors – artisan flour.

 

Of course, this is just a black ops move to dictate the headlines and make the Conservatives look out of touch.

 

After all, who in their right mind can recall from memory the price of particular groceries?

 

I buy loaves of bread all the time, and I can't remember how much they cost.

 

Long ago, I carried out a calculation of value against quality and chose the brand which suited us.

 

I've stuck to it since, and can't for the life of me remember how much I pay.

 

Does that make me a bad person? (It certainly doesn't make me rich. Or even especially out of touch.)

 

Indeed, even Jeremy Paxman, who sprang the dirty trick on the Mayor of London, could not answer the question himself when Johnson turned the tables on him.

 

Admittedly, Paxman was better at getting out of it ("I'm not going to get suckered into answering your questions, which is your usual trick, isn't it?").

 

But if he had come straight back at Boris with "a loaf of decent granary costs me £1.06, actually, but if I go for the five seeds option, which I do every other Thursday, the sum goes up to £1.29", wouldn't he have looked, well, a bit sad?

 

There can be any number of reasons why a man wouldn't know the prices of value range groceries.

 

His other half could do the shopping.

 

He could have a repeat shopping list on Tesco online.

 

Or – heaven forfend – he could actually be wealthy, and blessed not to have to suffer the indignity of getting down on his knees and digging up loaves of empty calories from the bottom shelf.

 

Good for him.

 

Does any of this make him inadequate as a political leader?

 

Of course it doesn't.

 

It should be self-evident that instead of judging elected representatives on their personal wealth or shopping habits, we need to focus on their policies.

 

With the economy finally showing tentative signs of recovery, the Tories are actually in danger of looking like they are doing something right.

 

If the recovery continues, millions of people may find themselves moving away from value range shopping and towards the lofty realms of artisanal flour.

 

Raising the base rate of tax?

 

Not exactly out of touch.

 

Who'd have thought?

 

As Boris Johnson put it, "I don't know how much a pint of milk costs. So what?"

 

(Jake William Simons)

 

(The Telegraph, 2 Wednesday October 2013 The Roman)

 

A loaf : 1.06 GBP = 168.54 JPY.

 

Yamazaki Bread 8 slices (About 600 grams)  is 88 JPY to 118 JPY, from at least when we started Real Economy report.

 

(Our bread is ‘British Made’)

 

London economy is in a little inflation.

 

(R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 4 Friday October 2013 The Roman)

 

Level recovery business confidence before Lehman, the third consecutive improvement: Kanagawa prefecture Monthly Report of Recent Economic and Financial Developments in September, Bank of Japan Yokohama branch / Kanagawa

Level recovery business confidence before Lehman, the third consecutive improvement: Kanagawa prefecture Monthly Report of Recent Economic and Financial Developments in September, Bank of Japan Yokohama branch / Kanagawa

 

９月県内短観：景況感、３期連続改善　リーマン前の水準回復／神奈川

 

日本銀行横浜支店は１０月１日、９月の県内企業短期経済観測調査（短観）を発表し、企業の景況感を示す業況判断指数（ＤＩ）が全産業で前回調査（６月）から８ポイント上昇してプラス５となり、３期連続で改善した。

 

ＤＩがプラスとなるのは１年３カ月ぶりで、リーマン・ショック以前の水準まで持ち直した。　＝関連記事１２面に

 

会見した竹澤秀樹支店長は「県内経済の緩やかな回復を確認できる結果。売り上げ、収益が改善する中で、設備投資の増加や雇用の改善など、前向きな経済の循環が見られ始めている」などと認識を示した。

 

非製造業は８ポイント改善してプラス９と高水準になった。

 

テレビなど家電が持ち直し、夏物販売も順調だった「個人向け販売・サービス」が１０ポイント改善しプラス１８、公共事業の増加や、マンション販売の好調を受け「建設・不動産」も６ポイント改善しプラス１１だった。

 

製造業は６ポイント改善しマイナス１となった。

 

北米市場を中心に自動車販売が好調なことから、輸出を中心とした「輸送用機械」（８ポイント改善しプラス１５）の回復が、自動車向け製品がある「素材」（１１ポイント改善）や「電気機械」（３ポイント改善）などの他業種にも波及した。

 

２０１３年度の下期の設備投資計画は全産業で前年同期比１８・８％増となり、企業の投資意欲も鮮明になってきている。

 

ただ、ＤＩの企業規模別では、大企業が１２ポイントと大幅に改善しプラス２０となったが、中小企業は７ポイント改善したものの、マイナス４にとどまっている。

 

大企業と中小企業の景況感格差は広がった形だが、竹澤支店長は「中小企業も着実にマイナス幅を縮めてきている。大企業と水準は違うが、方向としては改善に向かっていると捉えている」との見方を示した。

 

また、消費増税が県内経済に与える影響について、竹澤支店長は「駆け込み需要と同時に反動もある中で、経営をどのようにかじ取りするかが一番知恵を絞る部分になる。影響はこれから注視したい」と述べるにとどめた。

 

（神奈川新聞、２０１３年１０月２日）

 

翻訳記事は、後になります。

 

6 trillion yen economic stimulus

6 trillion yen economic stimulus

 

経済対策６兆円規模

 

消費税増税に関する政府の閣議決定案が９月３０日、分かった。

 

「消費税率を２０１４年４月１日に５％から８％へ引き上げることを確認する」と明記した。

 

安倍晋三首相は１０月１日夕方に記者会見し、増税方針と経済対策を説明する。

 

予備措置に企業減税も含めた対策の総額は６兆円規模となる見通しだ。

 

自民党、公明党、両党は、政府が提案した復興特別法人税の前倒し廃止を巡り、３０日も詰めの協議を続けた。

 

企業に設備投資や賃上げを促す減税策を柱とした与党の「民間投資活性化のための税制改正大綱」は大筋で了承した。

 

閣議決定案では、経済対策により「デフレ脱却と経済再生に向けた道筋を確かなものとする」と説明。

 

公共事業や雇用対策など５兆円規模の２０１３年度補正予算で増税の影響を和らげ、経済の底上げや成長軌道への早期回復を目指す。

 

対策の詳細は１２月上旬に決め、裏付けとなる補正予算は２０１４年度予算とともに年末に編成。

 

復興法人税の廃止に伴う約９千億円の税収減を穴埋めし、復興財源を確保するとしている。

 

（神奈川新聞、２０１３年１０月１日）

 

翻訳記事は、後になります。

 

UK 'needs EU law opt out'

UK 'needs EU law opt out'

 

The Government needs to negotiate an “opt out” of European legislation to protect the national interest in recognition of its “declining influence” in Brussels.

 

[caption id="attachment_9033" align="alignnone" width="620"] (The Prime Minister has pledged to reneogtiate Britain's EU treaty (Photo: REUTERS))[/caption]

 

Business for Britain said the UK must be able to reject European Union laws unilaterally because the country has become increasingly isolated on issues such as financial services. Currently, policy can only be vetoed if several countries oppose it.

 

“Britain’s declining influence in the EU institutions has seriously undermined our ability to prevent a huge rise in the number and cost of regulations sent from Brussels,” the lobby group said.

 

“With the UK Government looking at possible areas of renegotiation, David Cameron [should push] for a red card system for member states.”

 

The campaign group pointed out that between 1973 and 2013, Britain’s voting power in the Council of Ministers decreased from 17pc to 8pc, and the UK now occupies just 9.5pc of seats in the European Parliament compared with 20pc in 1979.

 

In the past 40 years, the UK contribution to the EU budget has risen eight-fold from £1.04bn to £8.31bn, in today’s money.

 

Despite the declining influence and rising costs, Business for Britain pointed out that “around 50pc of UK legislation with a significant economic impact originates from EU legislation”, according to a House of Commons research paper.

 

Recently, the UK has had to file a legal challenge to Brussels’ proposed financial transaction tax and planned cap on bank bonuses, for fear that the laws would do lasting damage to the UK financial services sector.

 

Bankers and politicians have interpreted the proposals as a direct attack on the City.

 

The Prime Minister has promised to push for a treaty renegotiation to reflect the changing dynamics within Europe since the eurozone crisis. On Sunday, he told BBC One’s The Andrew Marr show: “My goal is to renegotiate our relationship with Europe, very radically.”

 

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of Business for Britain, said: “Britain has recently been left as the sole voice opposing pernicious EU financial regulation and absurd budget increases. This is why it’s more important than ever that the Government is able to get a better deal for Britain, including a veto that will stop bad EU laws holding back growth and jobs in this country.”

 

(The Telegraph, 30 Monday September 2013 The Roman)

 

 

Blog, Primo Piano Blog, First Floor

Blog, Primo Piano

 



 

Ora in Parlamento. Davanti agli italiani. Alla luce del sole

 

Dichiarazione del Presidente del Consiglio, Enrico Letta

 

Berlusconi per cercare di giustificare il gesto folle e irresponsabile di oggi, tutto finalizzato esclusivamente a coprire le sue vicende personali, tenta di rovesciare la frittata utilizzando l’alibi dell’IVA.

 

La responsabilità dell’aumento dell’IVA è invece proprio di Berlusconi e della sua decisione di far dimettere i propri parlamentari mercoledì, fatto senza precedenti, che priva il Parlamento e la maggioranza della certezza necessaria per assumere provvedimenti che vanno poi convertiti.

 

Per questo, ieri si era deciso di andare al chiarimento parlamentare e si era concordemente stabilito di posporre a dopo il voto in Parlamento i provvedimenti economici necessari. Gli italiani sapranno rimandare al mittente una bugia così macroscopica e un simile tentativo di totale stravolgimento della realtà. In Parlamento ognuno si assumerà le proprie responsabilità d’innanzi al Paese.

 

 

Blog, First Floor

 

Now in Parliament. In front of Italians. In the light of the sun

 

Statement by the President of the Council , Enrico Letta

 

Berlusconi to try to justify the act crazy and irresponsible today, all aimed only to cover his personal affairs, attempts to overthrow the omelet using the excuse of VAT.

 

The responsibility of the VAT increase is instead just Berlusconi and his decision to resign their parliamentary Wednesdays, unprecedented, which deprives Parliament and the majority of the certainty required to take measures which are then converted.

 

For this reason, yesterday it was decided to go to the clarification parliamentary and had unanimously decided to postpone until after the vote in Parliament the necessary economic measures. Italians will send back to the sender so gross a lie and a similar attempt at total distortion of reality. In Parliament, everyone will assume its responsibilities for the country first.

 

http://www.enricoletta.it/

 

(Enrico Letta Partio Democratico, 28 Saturday September 2013 The Roman)