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Issues and Challenges Of Female Labour Migration

*Dr.P.Shanmukha Rao  **Dr.N.V.S.Suryanarayana

 Introduction

Globalisation has increased participation of women in the labour market and subsequent gain in economic autonomy. Governments, across the world, have introduced a variety of measures that address women.s economic and social rights, equal access to and control over economic resources and equality in employment. Other measures include the ratification of international labour conventions as well as enacting or strengthening legislation to make it compatible with these conventions. There is increased awareness of the need to reconcile employment and family responsibilities and the positive effect of such measures as maternity and paternity leave and also parental leave, and child and family care services and benefits. Some nations have made provisions to address discriminatory and abusive behaviour in the workplace and to prevent unhealthy working conditions, and have established funding mechanisms to promote women’s roles in entrepreneurship, education and training, including scientific and technical skills and decision-making.

According to United Nations Report of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly in 2000, the importance of a gender perspective in the development of macroeconomic policy is still not widely recognized. The basic moto of global market is the use of scarce resources for maximum benefit crossing the national boarders. This causes not only the flow of raw materials, but also flow of human resources also across the globe. Identifying that a human labour can be best utilized when they are along with family, many producers started opting married couples.

This has changed our perception of international migration, which was, predominantly a male phenomenon during the large labour movements of the 60s and 70s in Europe and the US, with women and children following in secondary waves of family reunification in the 1980s and1990s. But by the 1990s, women were migrating in far higher numbers, both as family members and independently, voluntarily or involuntarily (Khachani, 2001; Sorensen, 2004). In Asia and Africa, more women have become primary wage earners in domestic and cleaning jobs, child rearing, care of the elderly, and as nurses and hospital aides (UN World Survey, 1999).

Many of the software companies prefer husband and wife together to be worked in the same firm. Many of the educational institutions in gulf nations are also ready to offer teaching job to couples. This has resulted in equal distribution gender among migrants and there by  helped women labourers to be more active in the labour market.

In situations where women have been historically repressed or discriminated under a patriarchal division of labor, globalization have liberating consequences. The most notable effect of globalisation is that it increased mobility of women labourers across the global market. Global migration of women labourers created a new set of opportunities as well as challenges.

Researches on Female Migration: An outline:

Over the years the literature on migration has grown in volume and variety in response to the unfolding complexities of migratory processes. Though women’s employment oriented migration is on the increase, only few studies discuss the movement of women in detail especially in relation to poverty. The work of Connell et al (1976) the earliest of the studies in migration contains a detailed discussion on women’s migration. Fernandez-Kelly (1983) and Khoo (1984) concentrate on women and work both migrant and non-migrant in the world’s labour force. They discuss the problem in the wider context of problem of feminisation of the work force , de-skilling and devaluation of manufacturing work. In recent literature female migration is linked to gender specific patterns of labour demand in cities. In both South East Asian and Latin American cities plenty of opportunities are available to women in the services and industrial sectors especially with the rise of export processing in these regions. (Fernandez –Kelly 1983, Hayzer 1982, Khoo 1984 and studies on South East Asian Labour migration) It has been established that women are no longer mere passive movers who followed the household head (Fawcett et al 1984, Rao 1986) . In fact daughters are sent to towns to work as domestic servants (Arizpe 1981) . From an early age girls become economically independent living on their own in the cities and sending remittances home. This kind of move has been characterised by Veena Thadani and Michael Todaro (1984) as ‘autonomous female migration ‘and has resulted in Thadani-Todaro model of migration 4 However studies indicate that the independent movement of young women in South Asia and Middle East as labour migrants is very rare and associated with derogatory status connotations. (Connell et al 1976, Fawcett et al 1984).

But with trade liberalization and new economic policies , gender specific labour demand has motivated many young Asian women to join the migration streams in groups or with their families to “cash- in” the opportunity. Kabeer (2000) in her study finds Bangladeshi women (with a long tradition of female seclusion) taking up jobs in garment factories and joining the labour markets of Middle East and South East Asian Countries. A study of 387 female labour migrants from South East Asia, Thailand, the Philippines and China finds positive impacts on women. (Chantavanich 2001).

Another research (Gamburd 2000) concludes that despite some unpleasant situations, none of the women she interviewed felt that the risks of going abroad outweighed the benefits. Recent migration research shows that female migrants consitute roughly half of all internal migrants in developing countries. In some regions they even predominate men. (Hugo 1993) In India with the entry of more and more young women in the export processing zones , market segmentation is being accentuated , female dominant jobs are being devalued , degraded and least paid. Though this does not augur well with women development it has not deterred women from contributing to family survival and studies are not wanting which highlight that it is women who settle down in the labour market as flower/fruit vendors , domestic servants and allow the men to find a suitable job leisurely or improve their skill. (Shanthi .K.1993)

Migration and Gender

The gender distribution among migrants today is reasonably balanced, with almost 50 percent of the global migrant population today being female, although the increase has been mainly in the developed world. Between 1970 and 2000 the numbers declined in Asia (46.6% to 43.3%) and North America (51.1% to 50.3%), but rose in Africa 42.7% to 46.7%), Oceania (46.5% to 50.5%), Latin America and the Caribbean (46.8% to 50.2%) and Europe (48% to 51%). But these statistics on recorded migrant populations do not reveal the true numbers of movements, particularly within countries and regions. We do know that in most developing regions more females are migrating independently, i.e. not just as dependants or family members, and more are making a difference for development (Sorensen, 2004).

            In the late 1990s, one million Filipinas, 500,000 Indonesian women and 40,000 Thai women were working outside their countries, and these numbers have since grown (IOM, 2005a). In the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, female migrants account for 60-80 percent of their labour migrants (IOM, 2005a): 73 percent for the Philippines and Indonesia in 2002; and currently two-thirds of overseas contract workers for Sri Lanka (ibid).

Earlier studies in migration have ignored the role of women. The presence of women was usually attached to family reunification, hence dependent upon the husband. Current trends, however, show that women are migrating independently. New migratory flows are no longer male-dominated. There is a growing demand for female labour and new social needs have created a demand for services in which only immigrant women are prepared to work. Observers are keeping close watch at the feminization of migration.

Some issues

In many countries, it is migration law that predominantly covers migrant workers, not labour laws, which can be particularly problematic for female migrants. The low status of women’s jobs means lower wages and conditions, and while men in lower end jobs are also subject to these, women are susceptible to the additional gender-specific forms of physical and sexual exploitation (ILO, 2004, UNGA, 2004). This can have serious health consequences, which in some countries can lead to termination of the contract and expulsion of the worker (ibid).

In the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (especially UAE) the “kafala” sponsorship system places many foreign domestic workers, mostly females, in indentured situations, where the sponsor holds their papers, secures piece work with several employers, and charges the migrant for the sponsorship services. The women are isolated, and their movements restricted. In Kuwait, sponsors often allow the women’s visa to expire, or sell them to other employers, in breach of visa conditions; and the workers find themselves outside the law (ILO, 2004). These circumstances can reduce the women’s capacity to earn reasonable wages and to remit them to the family.

In the UAE, the domestic worker sector is not covered by labour law, which means that female migrant worker situations are only considered under laws relating to migration control and security, mostly focused on the illegality of the migrants rather than the illegal practices of employers and middlemen (ibid). Under these conditions, labour mediation flourishes at the clandestine level. Where recruiters sign contracts with sponsors that may itemize the responsibility of employers towards the migrant worker, these mostly just safeguard the legal and business interests of the agency, with little monitoring of the treatment of the migrants (see the Lebanon example in ILO, 2004). In the UAE, recruiting agencies may be licensed by the local government, but are not closely monitored. As a result, some migrant workers do not even have a contract, a situation the UAE government has been attempting to address (ibid).

The enormous income disparities between these countries and the home country compel many migrants to continue to make the trade-off between income vs rights. The wages may be low by destination country standards, but generally are at least 4-5 times higher than at home. For Indians in the Gulf Countries, their income at gulf nations are 100 times higher than that they can earn from India (ILO, 2004). Nevertheless, many women do not make it back home again. They remain as the most disappointed and desperate group in terms of family and personal life, which may even lead them to suicide. For example, ILO has reported on suicides among Sri Lankan domestic workers (1997) and Ethiopian domestic workers in Lebanon.

The Philippines government addresses these problems through compulsory information and counseling of migrants before they leave, and through the vigorous activities of its labour attaches abroad, both in assisting the migrants and advocating for higher wages and conditions. These efforts, coupled with sound training and education of the Filipino workers, has ensured some of the highest wages for Filipinos in countries such as Singapore and UAE (ILO, 2004).

With growing urbanization, female migrants are also major victims of the increasing lawlessness and human rights abuse in some developing countries (e.g. Bangladesh (Afsar, 2003). In Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world, high numbers of women and children are trafficked within and out of the country, and there is a high prevalence of AIDS among them (UNESCAP, 2003c).

Migrant women are vulnerable to gender-related violence like rape, sexual harassment and physical abuse. One other serious global problem is trafficking in women. Yet, how serious are governments in dealing with this problem? Migration is very much in the core of trafficking in women – in the entertainment industry, domestic workers, child prostitutes – all of which violate fundamental human rights.

Conclusion

The seriousness of the problems of migrated female labourers should be discussed at the international level. The global market has recognized the potential of female labourers. This has resulted massive movement of women from one nation to other, both along with family as well as individually. The important economic contribution by migrant women, particularly the invisible work of the domestic helpers, must be recognized. Migrant women should enjoy the same privileges and opportunities as other women in the same society. The gender-agenda should be top priority in shaping migration politics. As the proverb says, “if we want to change the world, change the women”.

References

1. Battistella, G. & Paganoni, A. (1992). Philippine Labor Migration. Q.C. Philippines: Scalabrini Migration Center
2. Cohen, Robin. (ed.) (1996). Theories of Migration. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
3. Huess, Ralf. (1987) Die Ökonomik der Migration. Universität Köln
4. Leacock, E. & Safa, H., et al. (1986). Women’s Work. Masschusetts: Bergin & Garvey Publishers, Inc.
5. Opitz, Peter. (1997) Der Globale Marsch. München: Beck
6. Connell.J.B. Das Gupta,Laish Ley& M.Lipton(1976) ‘Migration from Rural Areas:The
7. Evidence from Village Studies, Oxford University Press,New Delhi.
8. Fernandez-Kelly & Maria Patricia (1983) ‘Mexican Border, Industrialisation ,Female Labour Force Participation and Migration’ in June Nash, Maria Patricia & Fernandex-Kelly (ed)’Women, Men and International Division of Labour’ State University of New York Press, Albany, New York pp 205-223.
9. Khoo Siew-Ean (1984) ‘Urbanward Migration and Employment of Women in South East and East Asian Cities: Patterns and Policy Issues’ in Gavin W.Jones (ed)’ Women in the Urban and Industrial Workforce:’ Southeast and East Asia Development Studies Centre Monograph No 33 Australian National University Canberra pp 277-292.

10.  Heyzer.N. (1982) ‘From Rural Subsistence to an Industrial Peripheral Workforce: An Examination of Female Malaysian Migrants and Capital Accumulation in Singapore’ in L.Baneria (ed)’ Women and Development’ Praeger for IlO, Geneva.

11.  Fawcett.J.T.,Khoo.S. & Smith P.C. (1984)’Women in the Cities of Asia:Migration and Urban Adaptation ‘ Westview Press Boulder Colorado.

12.  Rao. M.S.A. (1986) (Ed) Studies in Differentiation: Internal and International Migration in India , Manohar Publications New Delhi,

13.  Arizpe,Lourdes (1981) ‘Relay Migration and the Survival of the Peasant Household’ (ed) Jorge Balan ‘Why People Move’ UNESCO Press, Paris.

14.  Thadani .V. & Todaro .M. (1984) ‘Female Migration : A Conceptual Framework’ in Fawcett et al (1984).

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Source by S.R.PADALA & NVS SURYANARAYANA

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With revenues of more than Rs. 35,000 crores in the year 2007-2009, Tata Motors Limited is the largest automobile company of India. It is a part of the giant Tata Group. Besides being the leader in commercial vehicles in almost each segment, it is the world’s second largest bus manufacturer and fourth largest truck manufacturer. It is one of the top three passenger vehicles manufacturers and has created winning products in the midsize car and other utility vehicle segments.

The vision of the Tata Motors is to be the “best in the manner in which we operate, best in the products we deliver, and best in our value system and ethics” and every employee working under the group is guided by the same vision. The company saw its birth in the year 1945 in India. Today, more than 4 million Tata vehicles can be seen on the Indian roads. The manufacturing base of the Tata Motors is spread all across the nation. The manufacturing base is in Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), Pune (Maharashtra), Dharwad (Karnataka) and Pantnagar (Uttarakhand).

Recently enough, in the year 2005, the Tata Motors has begun an industrial joint venture with the Fiat Group Automobiles, following a strategic alliance with the Group. The joint venture develops both Tata and Fiat cars along with Fiat power-trains at Ranjangaon (Maharashtra). Tata Motors is planning to start a new plant soon in the near future at Sanand (Gujarat). The dealership, services, sales and spare parts network of the company consists of more than 3500 touch points. The company also markets and distributes the Fiat cars in India.

The achievements of Tata Motors are not limited to the Indian market only. It has become one of the renowned names in the International automobile market too. In September 2004, the New York Stock Exchange listed Tata Motors and it is the first company from the engineering sector of India to have got a place in the listing of the New York Stock Exchange. With the help of its associate companies and subsidiaries, Tata Motors has begun its operations in South Korea, UK, Spain and Thailand too. It acquired the Daewoo Commercial Vehicles Company in the year 2004 and since then there has been no looking back for this organization. From time to time, it has acquired a few more such companies to make its own place in the International automobile market.

Tata Motors has always been interested in the International market and has been giving constant efforts to expand its international footprints. Since its export business in 1961, the company is gradually improving in its International business. Today, the company markets its passenger as well as commercial vehicles in popular countries like Africa, Europe, South Asia, South America, South East Asia and the Middle East. Tata Motors’ franchisee and joint venture assembly operations are located in Bangladesh, Russia, Kenya, Senegal and Ukraine.

Summary: Tata Motors has made the Indian automobile industry proud in the International automobile market. Since its establishment, the company has been gradually improving in its business and acquiring other companies’ business and expanding its international footprints. Today, it is the largest automobile company of India and has a good place in the International market.

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Source by Chander shekhar Riat

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RESPONDING TO GLOBALIZATION: INDIA’S ANSWER

Globalization and its Meaning

Broadly speaking, the term ‘globalization’ means integration of economies and societies through cross country flows of information, ideas, technologies, goods, services, capital, finance and people. Cross border integration can have several dimensions – cultural, social, political and economic. In fact, some people fear cultural and social integration even more than economic integration. The fear of “cultural hegemony” haunts many. Limiting ourselves to economic integration, one can see this happen through the three channels of (a) trade in goods and services, (b) movement of capital and (c) flow of finance. Besides, there is also the channel through movement of people.

Historical Development

Globalization has been a historical process with ebbs and flows. During the Pre-World War I period of 1870 to 1914, there was rapid integration of the economies in terms of trade flows, movement of capital and migration of people. The growth of globalization was mainly led by the technological forces in the fields of transport and communication. There were less barriers to flow of trade and people across the geographical boundaries. Indeed there were no passports and visa requirements and very few non-tariff barriers and restrictions on fund flows. The pace of globalization, however, decelerated between the First and the Second World War. The inter-war period witnessed the erection of various barriers to restrict free movement of goods and services. Most economies thought that they could thrive better under high protective walls. After World War II, all the leading countries resolved not to repeat the mistakes they had committed previously by opting for isolation. Although after 1945, there was a drive to increased integration, it took a long time to reach the Pre-World War I level. In terms of percentage of exports and imports to total output, the US could reach the pre-World War level of 11 per cent only around 1970. Most of the developing countries which gained Independence from the colonial rule in the immediate Post-World War II period followed an import substitution industrialization regime. The Soviet bloc countries were also shielded from the process of global economic integration. However, times have changed. In the last two decades, the process of globalization has proceeded with greater vigour. The former Soviet bloc countries are getting integrated with the global economy. More and more developing countries are turning towards outward oriented policy of growth. Yet, studies point out that trade and capital markets are no more globalized today than they were at the end of the 19th century. Nevertheless, there are more concerns about globalization now than before because of the nature and speed of transformation. What is striking in the current episode is not only the rapid pace but also the enormous impact of new information technologies on market integration, efficiency and industrial organization. Globalization of financial markets has far outpaced the integration of product markets.

Gains from Globalization

The gains from globalization can be analyzed in the context of the three types of channels of economic globalization identified earlier.

Trade in Goods and Services

According to the standard theory, international trade leads to allocation of resources that is consistent with comparative advantage. This results in specialization which enhances productivity. It is accepted that international trade, in general, is beneficial and that restrictive trade practices impede growth. That is the reason why many of the emerging economies, which originally depended on a growth model of import substitution, have moved over to a policy of outward orientation. However, in relation to trade in goods and services, there is one major concern. Emerging economies will reap the benefits of international trade only if they reach the full potential of their resource availability. This will probably require time. That is why international trade agreements make exceptions by allowing longer time to developing economies in terms of reduction in tariff and non-tariff barriers. “Special and differentiated treatment”, as it is very often called has become an accepted principle.

Movement of Capital

Capital flows across countries have played an important role in enhancing the production base. This was very much true in 19th and 20th centuries. Capital mobility enables the total savings of the world to be distributed among countries which have the highest investment potential. Under these circumstances, one country’s growth is not constrained by its own domestic savings. The inflow of foreign capital has played a significant role in the development in the recent period of the East Asian countries. The current account deficit of some of these countries had exceeded 5 per cent of the GDP in most of the period when growth was rapid. Capital flows can take either the form of foreign direct investment or portfolio investment. For developing countries the preferred alternative is foreign direct investment. Portfolio investment does not directly lead to expansion of productive capacity. It may do so, however, at one step removed. Portfolio investment can be volatile particularly in times of loss of confidence. That is why countries want to put restrictions on portfolio investment. However, in an open system such restrictions cannot work easily.

Financial Flows

The rapid development of the capital market has been one of the important features of the current process of globalization. While the growth in capital and foreign exchange markets have facilitated the transfer of resources across borders, the gross turnover in foreign exchange markets has been extremely large. It is estimated that the gross turnover is around $ 1.5 trillion per day worldwide (Frankel, 2000). This is of the order of hundred times greater than the volume of trade in goods and services. Currency trade has become an end in itself. The expansion in foreign exchange markets and capital markets is a necessary pre-requisite for international transfer of capital. However, the volatility in the foreign exchange market and the ease with which funds can be withdrawn from countries have created often times panic situations. The most recent example of this was the East Asian crisis. Contagion of financial crises is a worrying phenomenon. When one country faces a crisis, it affects others. It is not as if financial crises are solely caused by foreign exchange traders. What the financial markets tend to do is to exaggerate weaknesses. Herd instinct is not uncommon in financial markets. When an economy becomes more open to capital and financial flows, there is even greater compulsion to ensure that factors relating to macro-economic stability are not ignored. This is a lesson all developing countries have to learn from East Asian crisis. As one commentator aptly said “The trigger was sentiment, but vulnerability was due to fundamentals”.

Concerns and Fears

On the impact of globalization, there are two major concerns. These may be described as even fears. Under each major concern there are many related anxieties. The first major concern is that globalization leads to a more iniquitous distribution of income among countries and within countries. The second fear is that globalization leads to loss of national sovereignty and that countries are finding it increasingly difficult to follow independent domestic policies. These two issues have to be addressed both theoretically and empirically.

The argument that globalization leads to inequality is based on the premise that since globalization emphasizes efficiency, gains will accrue to countries which are favourably endowed with natural and human resources. Advanced countries have had a head start over the other countries by at least three centuries. The technological base of these countries is not only wide but highly sophisticated. While trade benefits all countries, greater gains accrue to the industrially advanced countries. This is the reason why even in the present trade agreements, a case has been built up for special and differential treatment in relation to developing countries. By and large, this treatment provides for longer transition periods in relation to adjustment. However, there are two changes with respect to international trade which may work to the advantage of the developing countries. First, for a variety of reasons, the industrially advanced countries are vacating certain areas of production. These can be filled in by developing countries. A good example of this is what the East Asian countries did in the 1970s and 1980s. Second, international trade is no longer determined by the distribution of natural resources. With the advent of information technology, the role of human resources has emerged as more important. Specialized human skills will become the determining factor in the coming decades. Productive activities are becoming “knowledge intensive” rather than “resource intensive”. While there is a divide between developing and the advanced countries even in this area – some people call it the digital divide – it is a gap which can be bridged. A globalized economy with increased specialization can lead to improved productivity and faster growth. What will be required is a balancing mechanism to ensure that the handicaps of the developing countries are overcome.

Apart from the possible iniquitous distribution of income among countries, it has also been argued that globalization leads to widening income gaps within the countries as well. This can happen both in the developed and developing economies. The argument is the same as was advanced in relation to iniquitous distribution among countries. Globalization may benefit even within a country those who have the skills and the technology. The higher growth rate achieved by an economy can be at the expense of declining incomes of people who may be rendered redundant. In this context, it has to be noted that while globalization may accelerate the process of technology substitution in developing economies, these countries even without globalization will face the problem associated with moving from lower to higher technology. If the growth rate of the economy accelerates sufficiently, then part of the resources can be diverted by the state to modernize and re-equip people who may be affected by the process of technology up gradation.

The second concern relates to the loss of autonomy in the pursuit of economic policies. In a highly integrated world economy, it is true that one country cannot pursue policies which are not in consonance with the worldwide trends. Capital and technology are fluid and they will move where the benefits are greater. As the nations come together whether it be in the political, social or economic arena, some sacrifice of sovereignty is inevitable. The constraints of a globalised economic system on the pursuit of domestic policies have to be recognised. However, it need not result in the abdication of domestic objectives.

Another fear associated with globalization is insecurity and volatility. When countries are inter-related strongly, a small spark can start a large conflagration. Panic and fear spread fast. The downside to globalization essentially emphasizes the need to create countervailing forces in the form of institutions and policies at the international level. Global governance cannot be pushed to the periphery, as integration gathers speed.

Empirical evidence on the impact of globalization on inequality is not very clear. The share in aggregate world exports and in world output of the developing countries has been increasing. In aggregate world exports, the share of developing countries increased from 20.6 per cent in 1988-90 to 29.9 per cent in 2000. Similarly the share in aggregate world output of developing countries has increased from 17.9 per cent in 1988-90 to 40.4 per cent in 2000. The growth rate of the developing countries both in terms of GDP and per capita GDP has been higher than those of the industrial countries. These growth rates have been in fact higher in the 1990s than in the 1980s. All these data do not indicate that the developing countries as a group have suffered in the process of globalization. In fact, there have been substantial gains. But within developing countries, Africa has not done well and some of the South Asian countries have done better only in the 1990s. While the growth rate in per capita income of the developing countries in the 1990s is nearly two times higher than that of industrialized countries, in absolute terms the gap in per capita income has widened. As for income distribution within the countries, it is difficult to judge whether globalization is the primary factor responsible for any deterioration in the distribution of income. We have had considerable controversies in our country on what happened to the poverty ratio in the second half of 1990s. Most analysts even for India would agree that the poverty ratio has declined in the 1990s. Differences may exist as to what rate at which this has fallen. Nevertheless, whether it is in India or any other country, it is very difficult to trace the changes in the distribution of income within the countries directly to globalization.

India’s Stance

What should be India’s attitude in this environment of growing globalization? At the outset it must be mentioned that opting out of globalization is not a viable choice. There are at present 149 members in the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Some 25 countries are waiting to join the WTO. China has recently been admitted as a member. What is needed is to evolve an appropriate framework to wrest maximum benefits out of international trade and investment. This framework should include (a) making explicit the list of demands that India would like to make on the multilateral trade system, and (b) steps that India should take to realize the full potential from globalization.

Demands on the Trading System

Without being exhaustive, the demands of the developing countries on the multilateral trading system should include (1) establishing symmetry as between the movement of capital and natural persons, (2) delinking environmental standards and labour related considerations from trade negotiations, (3) zero tariffs in industrialized countries on labour intensive exports of developing countries, (4) adequate protection to genetic or biological material and traditional knowledge of developing countries, (5) prohibition of
unilateral trade action and extra territorial application of national laws and regulations, and (6) effective restraint on industrialized countries in initiating anti-dumping and countervailing action against exports from developing countries.

The purpose of the new trading system must be to ensure “free and fair” trade among countries. The emphasis so far has been on “free” rather than “fair” trade. It is in this context that the rich industrially advanced countries have an obligation. They have often indulged in “double speak”. While requiring developing countries to dismantle barriers and join the main stream of international trade, they have been raising significant tariff and non-tariff barriers on trade from developing countries. Very often, this has been the consequence of heavy lobbying in the advanced countries to protect ‘labour’. Although average tariffs in the United States, Canada, European Union and Japan – the so called Quad countries – range from only 4.3 per cent in Japan to 8.3 per cent in Canada, their tariff and trade barriers remain much higher on many products exported by developing countries. Major agricultural food products such as meat, sugar and dairy products attract tariff rates exceeding 100 per cent. Fruits and vegetables such as bananas are hit with a 180 per cent tariff by the European Union, once they exceed quotas. The tariffs collected by the US on $ 2 billion worth of imports from Bangladesh are higher than those imposed on imports worth $ 30 billion from France. In fact, these trade barriers impose a serious burden on the developing countries. It is important that if the rich countries want a trading system that is truly fair, they should come forward to reduce the trade barriers and subsidies that prevent the products of developing countries from reaching their markets. Otherwise the pleas of these countries for a competitive system will sound hollow.

To some extent, conflicts among countries on trade matters are endemic. Until recently, agriculture was a major bone of contention between U.S. and E.U. countries. Frictions are also bound to arise among developing countries as well. When import tariffs on edible oil were increased in India, the most severe protest came from Malaysia which was a major exporter of Palm Oil. Entrepreneurs in India complain of cheaper imports from China. In the export of rice, a major competitor of India is Thailand. If development is accepted as the major objective of trade as the Doha declaration proclaimed, it should be possible to work out a trading arrangement that is beneficial to all countries.

There have been protracted negotiations at WTO in reforming the trade system. Admittedly, the tariff and non-tariff barriers are coming down. However, there are apprehensions that the concerns of developing countries are not being addressed adequately. Looked at from this angle, the recent Hong Kong Ministerial is a modest success. Despite reservations, we must acknowledge that it is a step forward. Domestic support to agriculture by developed countries constitutes a major stumbling block to third world trade expansion. However, India’s stand in relation to agriculture has been `defensive’. We are not a major player in the world agricultural market. The impact of what has been accepted in relation to Non-Agricultural Market Access and services will vary from country to country. Despite some contrarian opinion, the gain to India from services can be significant. However, the Hong Kong Ministerial is only a broad statement of intentions. Much will depend upon how these ideas are translated into concrete actions.

Actions by India

The second set of measures that should form part of the action plan must relate to strengthening India’s position in international trade. India has many strengths, which several developing countries lack. In that sense, India is different and is in a stronger position to gain from international trade and investment. India’s rise to the top of the IT industry in the world is a reflection of the abundance of skilled manpower in our country. It is, therefore, in India’s interest to ensure that there is a greater freedom of movement of skilled manpower. At the same time, we should attempt to take all efforts to ensure that we continue to remain a frontline country in the area of skilled manpower. India can attract greater foreign investment, if we can accelerate our growth with stability. Stability, in this context, means reasonable balance on the fiscal and external accounts. We must maintain a competitive environment domestically so that we can take full advantage of wider market access. We must make good use of the extended time given to developing countries to dismantle trade barriers. Wherever legislations are required to protect sectors like agriculture, they need to be enacted quickly. In fact, we had taken a long time to pass the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act. We must also be active in ensuring that our firms make effective use of the new patent rights. South Korea has been able to file in recent years as many as 5000 patent applications in the United States whereas in 1986, the country filed only 162. China has also been very active in this area. We need a truly active agency in India to encourage Indian firms to file patent applications. In effect, we must build the complementary institutions necessary for maximizing the benefits from international trade and investment.

Changes in the foreign trade and foreign investment policies have altered the environment in which Indian industries have to operate. The path of transition is, no doubt, difficult. A greater integration of the Indian economy with the rest of the world is unavoidable. It is important that Indian industry be forward looking and get organized to compete with the rest of the world at levels of tariff comparable to those of other developing countries. Obviously, the Indian Government should be alert to ensure that Indian industries are not the victims of unfair trade practices. The safeguards available in the WTO agreement must be fully utilized to protect the interests of Indian industries.

Indian industry has a right to demand that the macro economic policy environment should be conducive to rapid economic growth. The configuration of policy decisions in the recent period has been attempting to do that. It is, however, time for Indian industrial units to recognize that the challenges of the new century demand greater action at the enterprise level. They have to learn to swim in the tempestuous waters of competition and away from the protected waters of the swimming pools. India is no longer a country producing goods and services for the domestic market alone. Indian firms are becoming and have to become global players. At the minimum, they must be able to meet global competition. The search for identifying new competitive advantages must begin earnestly. India’s ascendancy in Information Technology (IT) is only partly by design. However, it must be said to the credit of policy makers that once the potential in this area was discovered, the policy environment became strongly industry friendly.

Over a wide spectrum of activities, India’s advantage, actual and that which can be realized in a short span of time must be drawn up. Of course, in a number of cases, it will require building plants on a global scale. But, this need not necessarily be so in all cases. In fact the advent of IT is modifying the industrial structure. The revolution in telecommunications and IT is simultaneously creating a huge single market economy, while making the parts smaller and more powerful. What we need today is a road map for the Indian industry. It must delineate the path different industries must take to achieve productivity and efficiency levels comparable to the best in the world.

Globalization, in a fundamental sense, is not a new phenomenon. Its roots extend farther and deeper than the visible part of the plant. It is as old as history, starting with the great migrations of people across the great landmasses. Only recent developments in computer and communication technologies have accelerated the process of integration, with geographic distances becoming less of a factor. Is this ‘end of geography’ a boon or a bane? Borders have become porous and the sky is open. With modern technologies which do not recognize geography, it is not possible to hold back ideas either in the political, economic or cultural spheres. Each country must prepare itself to meet the new challenges so that it is not being bypassed by this huge wave of technological and institutional changes.

Nothing is an unmixed blessing. Globalization in its present form though spurred by far reaching technological changes is not a pure technological phenomenon. It has many dimensions including ideological. To deal with this phenomenon, we must understand the gains and losses, the benefits as well as dangers. To be forewarned, as the saying goes, is to be forearmed. But we should not throw the baby with bath water. We should also resist the temptation to blame globalization for all our failures. Most often, as the poet said, the fault is in ourselves.

Risks of an open economy are well known. We must not, nevertheless, miss the opportunities that the global system can offer. As an eminent critic put it, the world cannot marginalize India. But India, if it chooses, can marginalize itself. We must guard ourselves against this danger. More than many other developing countries, India is in a position to wrest significant gains from globalization. However, we must voice our concerns and in cooperation with other developing countries modify the international trading arrangements to take care of the special needs of such countries. At the same time, we must identify and strengthen our comparative advantages. It is this two-fold approach which will enable us to meet the challenges of globalization which may be the defining characteristic of the new millennium.

The key to India’s growth lies in improving productivity and efficiency. This has to permeate all walks of our life. Contrary to the general impression, the natural resources of our country are not large. India accounts for 16.7 per cent of world’s population whereas it has only 2.0 per cent of world’s land area. While China’s population is 30 per cent higher than that of India’s, it has a land area which is three times that of India. In fact, from the point of view of long-range sustainability, the need for greater efficiency in the management of natural resources like land, water and minerals has become urgent. In a capital-scarce economy like ours, efficient utilization of our capacity becomes even more critical. For all of these things to happen, we need well-trained and highly skilled people. In the world of today, competition in any field is competition in knowledge. That is why we need to build institutions of excellence. I am, therefore, happy that the Ahmedabad Management Association, besides other functions, is also focusing on excellence in education. Increased productivity flowing from improved skills is the real answer to globalisation.

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Source by loveleenchawla

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Teak wood comes from the Teak (or tectona) tree.  Teak is a tropical hardwood birch originally from Southeast Asia.  The tree can grow to a height of about 30 to 40 meters and sheds its leaves annually.  The trees often live to substantial ages, and have been known to live over 100 years.  The tree is extremely resilient and can adapt to changes in the weather easily, and is very flexible, which allows it to bend rather than break under highwind speeds.

As part of its natural resistance, teak produces a special oil in its heartwood that is highly resistant to water.  This protects the teak tree from rotting, termites and other insects, and bacteria.  Although this oil protects the tree, it also helps humans in making it easier to cut down.  Because of the large, thick fibers that make up teak wood, its lumber is comparatively easy to sculpt into useful or decorative forms.  This special combination ofresilience and ease of use has largely contributed to teaks popularity.  Since it is easy to work, but holds up well to outdoor climates, teak has seen significant use in furnitureapplications.

Because of the popularity of teak wood, the Indonesia government operates the Teak Plantation Cultivation and Conservation.  The best teak trees to cut are older, and at least 40 years in age.  Since the trees take so long to “mature,” it is important to regulate how many are harvested any given year to ensure plenty will be left for the next seasons.

Before a teak tree can be harvested, all of the water must be drained from the tree.  This is done by creating a cut around the base of the tree.  The process is slow, and can take as long as 2 years before the tree is dry enough to be harvested and cut intousable lumber.  After it is dry and harvested, the teak can be used for materials to produce furniture and other mainstream products.

Teak wood is used for other things as well as just furniture.  It is used for many common, household items, such as a teak bath mat.  In Thailand, teak is used to produce entire buildings.  Since the wood is so resistant to water, no sealant is needed.  Places in India have been known to use teak wood to produce window frames and doors.  Indonesia and Denmark use teak wood toproduce furniture for export, and it remains a large piece of their national income.

Perhaps the most notable use for teak wood is outdoors as furniture.  It has a natural resistance to poor weather, which protects the furniture and contributes to longevity.  The very dense teak wood also holds its form under such conditions for many years.  It has also been used for the decks of ships, and because of its luxurious appearance, it can often be found on cruise ships.

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Source by M. Holland

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Tin metal prices high and 900 U.S. dollars / ton backwardation charges attract Chinese manufacturers throw inventory tin tin, LME tin stocks at present 4610 tons, tin three-month futures price in 8500 ~ 9000 U.S. dollars / ton lower price fluctuations. Tin metal at higher prices, also contributed to a number of tin mines to restart idle production capacity. Therefore, since the second quarter of this year, a number of tin production plant production figures on the rise, the Australian Bluestone company has plans to reopen RenisonBell tin. Recent data show that in 2004 the world’s tin gap at 1.7 million tons. Tin production from the long-term perspective, there are a number of new production following information: Russia Novosibirsk State Government to obtain financial subsidies for loans, the Australian Bluestone reopened RenisonBell tin from Yunnan, China cuts refined tin exports, China Tin Group, Electric Power the lack of global tin international companies seeking higher tariff protection, the Indian company plans to invest in a new tin-plate tin project.

Is expected in 2004, worldwide consumption of tin will be more than 300,000 tons, it seems that 2005 will further increase. Tin production enough? Tin metal will come from? These are key issues. In particular, DLA while with 1 million ton / year capacity tin, but it will run out of stock of raw materials in the three years. Bluestone for the Australian company, in the future production will increase. Is preparing to reopen its annual production capacity of 5,000 tons of RenisonBell annual production capacity of 3,000 tons of tin and the Collingwood tin, which will be put into operation in mid-2005, the former will be slightly later in production. When these new projects are put into run-time, Bluestone will become the world’s tin-producing companies. Further details of the other tin producers are very difficult, because a small tin metal in the world’s total output accounted for 45% ~ 50%. From a long-term perspective, this is a problem.

Another problem is that small-scale alluvial tin mining was only willing to tin, since this way, it requires very little investment, the production cost is very low. And hard rock mining compared to those of the small miners do almost no pre-development work can be carried out tin mines, in fact under the conditions in the absence of capital investment can produce a very cheap tin. Therefore, this makes the prediction of future production and prices has become very difficult. CRU for the development of a long-term price of tin metal, basically based on the large-scale tin production in long-term costs to determine the long-term price of tin, but to predict the future still appears to be extremely difficult.

The world’s tin production of this situation, the obvious effect of the tin metal prices, there are two price series is very clear that the international tin prices before and after the price agreement, the main difference is between these two price series, mini – The rapid increase in tin mines, which appeared in the 20th century, the early 90s, first in Brazil, then in China, is now in Indonesia. Because they do not know that the next tin-mining boom will occur where there is, sometimes collecting figures, the local government does not help. For example, in Thailand, there is a restrictive organizational structure of the tin-mining area using simultaneous price increases taxes, in fact, in the current state of tin prices in the country a tin mining company to pay 25 percent royalties. These uncertainties affect the predictions on the future price of tin. In short, the world tin reserves are adequate to meet future needs, but to the best advantage of the current resources available for exploitation, the world tin industry needs to re-enact certain rules.
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Source by weihua

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Breeding Pikeheads

When most hobbyists think of mouthbrooding fish, the group that comes to mind is the Lake Malawi haplochromine cichlids. The haplochromines are maternal outhbrooders, with the females carrying the eggs and fry. By contrast, mouthbrooding anabantoids, such as pikeheads, are paternal mouthbrooders. The males brood the eggs and fry.

Over the years, I have had a few males come into the country carrying a mouthful of fry, with numbers ranging from 15 to 35 or so. The fry I’ve seen have been approximately 1/2 inch in length. Unfortunately, I was not successful in raising them, possibly due to water chemistry and/or a lack of appropriately sized live foods.

Based on their size, I would expect them to take newly hatched brine shrimp and similarly sized foods, but at the time I received the brooding males, I was not culturing any live loods. Because they appear to be larger upon release than the fry of mouthbrooding bettas, rearing them should not be too difficult if one is prepared for their arrival.

The key question is whether the fry can be converted to prepared foods or if movement is required to trigger a feeding response. Hopefully, as more hobbyists maintain the pikeheads and breed them in aquaria, we’ll start to see F1 and future generations that feed on pellets and frozen foeds. If that happens, the popularity of these species should increase dramaucally

Natural History

The pikeheads have generally been considered to be fairly primitive anabantoid species most closely related to Ctenops nobilis, but new research has shown that they are more closely related to members of the genus Sphaerichthys than to Ctenops. They are presumably closely related to Parasphaerichthys as well, but this has not yet been proven due, in part, to the lack of fertilized eggs for study and the doubt that exists as to the reproductive strategy followed by P. ocellatus. It is presumed that this species is a mouthbrooder, but that has so far not been confirmed.

The four genera are related closely enough that they can be considered a monophyletic group, though the exact position of Parasphaertchthys within the group is still in doubt. Examination of the surface structure of fertilized eggs of L. pukher, C. nobilis, and S. osphromenoides and unfertilized eggs of P. ocellatus has shown that the four are vey closely related.

Interestingly, the surface structures of their eggs are different from any other fish whose eggs have been studied to date in having almost equidistant ridges that run in a counterclockwise spiral (Britz et al., 1995).

Giant Pikehead

L. pulcher, the type species of the genus, was described by Gray in 1830. L. pulcher goes by a number of common names, including the Malayan pikehead, the giant pikehead, and sometimes the crocodile fish, but it is most frequently referred to simply as the pikehead.

It is the more common of the two species in the aquarium hobby and is shipped from Singapore on a somewhat regular basis. Your local independent aquarium shop may not stock this species, but they should be able to find it for you. If they can’t, a larger regional shop can get it or you can purchase it online.

L. pulcher inhabits peat swamps, slowflowing waterways, and flooded forests in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Thailand, and Singapore. The color pattern features a light-brown body marked by a broad, brown, horizontal mid-body stripe that runs from the snout to the base of the tail. A narrow light-brown to greenish stripe is inside the broad stripe and runs from the head to the rear edge of the anal fin with some variability in length. The back is somewhat olive in color with a number of dark spots. There are several dark spots on the body above the anal fin that can appear to be a wavy line. The caudal fin is yellowish with several broad, vertical, darkbrown to black stripes. L. pulcher grows to 8 inches in length.

Peppermint Pikehead

The second species, L. aura, was described by Tan and Ng in 2005. It has been known for some time and has been available in the trade occasionally for a number of years. It is definitely less readily available, and the aquarist who desires this species may have to do a bit more searching to find it, but it has been offered by Singapore exporters more frequently of late.

L. aura is commonly known as the peppermint pikehead. I am completely at a loss as to the origin of the common name. The first time I saw the name on a list, I assumed there would be some red on the fish or maybe some red and white. I was surprised when I actually got them in. There is extensive peppering of iridescent spots inside the mid-body bar of this species, and the common name may have come from that. Regardless of the origin of the common name, this is a very strikingly patterned species and is the more colorful of the two.

The iridescent spotting is a dead giveaway to the identity of this species. It is also the smaller species, reaching a maximum length of 6 inches, with 5 inches being more typical. L. aura’s natural range is restricted to the Batang Hari River Basin. The Batang Hari is the longest river on the island of Sumatra, running from the Minangkabau highlands east to the sea. The city of Jambi is located near its mouth.

The next time you’re looking for a challenging fish to breed or need a fish to eat your culls, try a group of pikeheads. Their feeding and interactive behavior will reward the hours you’ll spend observing them. To find out more, you can check out Peppermint Pikehead.

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Source by Jon Cole

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Giordano, International Limited is a Hong Kong retailer of men’s, women’s and children’s quality apparel founded in 1981 by Jimmy Lai. Giordano has become a pioneer of customer service in the Asia-Pacific region and, as of January 2008, currently employs more than 11,000 people and operates 1800 stores worldwide in 40 countries.

liquidation closeoutsAs of 1996, Jimmy Lai no longer owns the company and its current Chairman and CEO is Peter Lau Kwok Kwen, a Chinese-Canadian. Although based in Bermuda the company’s principal global operations run out of Hong Kong[19]. The company is Asia-Pacific’s most successful retailer and sells its name under the brands of “Giordano”, “Giordano Concepts”, “Giordano Junior” and “Giordano Ladies”[20][21]. Giordano has been publicly listed since 1991 and since then trades on the Hong Kong stock exchange under the ticker symbol 709.HK[22].

Giordano’s success is measured by the company’s relentless focus on its five corporate business values of quality, knowledge, innovation, simplicity and service[23]. The company has its own apparel manufacturing division where many of its own clothing styles are produced[24]. Giordano is also renowned for its basic and practical men’s, women’s, and children’s T-shirts and trousers, especially denims. In comparison, Giordano is very similar to the American based retailer The Gap.

Lai Chee Ying, Jimmy Lai in English, was born into poverty in mainland China’s Guandong Province in 1948. At the age of 12 Lai was smuggled by his family into Hong Kong which at the time was still under British colonial control. Through relatives Lai easily managed to ascertain work at a local textile factory and by the age of twenty had succeeded in becoming the company’s General Manager. With his first end of year bonus of $1000 dollars, along with all his life savings, Lai decided to trade on the Hong Kong stock exchange. The gamble, although risky proved fortuitous and Lai turned his measly original $3000 investment into approximately $40,000 dollars. With that money Lai bought out the owners of the bankrupt garment company of Comitex in 1975 and began manufacturing sweaters. The company was an overnight success and had exports to major American retail brands of J.C. Penney, Montgomery Ward and several others. It was during this time that Lai made several trips to the United States. It was during his time there that he was exposed to many western retail formats which inspired him to get into the retail market himself. In 1981 Lai founded Giordano (named after a favourite New York restaurant) and opened several stores across Hong Kong.

Although presently a highly successful international retailing company, Giordano’s first beginnings were ominous. Jimmy Lai originally intended for the company to target the upscale Hong Kong market, it proved unsuccessful, and soon afterwards the company was faced with closing down all over Hong Kong. However, instead of shutting down Lai turned to other successful retailers of the day for inspiration, and proceeded to transform the company. Soon Lai developed a new company formula. By drawing upon ideas from many already successful international retailing brands such as McDonald’s, United Colours of Benetton and Marks and Spencer, Lai created a new Giordano which focused on simple and basic high quality styles, in many colours and sold at reasonable prices. The massive make-over included the company’s approach to customer service and consequently Lai had all employees taught to emphasize the importance of the customer. The formula was successful and by the early 1990s Giordano had 200 stores across mainland China and Hong Kong. Other stores soon followed in the Middle East, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Mainstream Giordano brand focusing on quality apparel for men and women. Present in all markets in which Giordano International Limited operates. The brand’s goal is to be appealing to the everyday shopper, anywhere at anytime. The brand boast seasonal exclusive and innovative casual styles in many colours. Along with seasonal launches, the brand also gives customers access to basic and simple unisex tees and polos as well as a large range of bottoms in a variety of fabrics, including cotton, linen and denim. The brand was the company’s first and consequently possesses a more extensive worldwide network of stores than any other Giordano brand. Giordano is the only international brand that is, for the time being, internationally franchised by Giordano International Limited, the other Giordano brands are all fully owned by the company.

A more upmarket brand of Giordano casual attire with a high emphasis on its own “less is more” retail approach. The brand focuses on the idea that less is more than just more, but that is cool as well. The brand’s said “less is cool” approach involves innovative and modern black, white and grey monochromes in a large variety of styles. The approach gives the brand a very upmarket causal clothes attitude, very much on par with other international brands Polo Ralph Lauren and Lacoste. The Concepts range is significantly more exclusive than mainstream Giordano, as such Giordano Concepts only extends itself to the Asia Pacific market, in particular Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and only one store in both Singapore and Malaysia.

A more affordable brand of Giordano causal clothes for the budget conscious shopper. Prominent in most countries in which Giordano operates. Giordano Bluestar Exchange was rebranded by the company in early April last year. The original aim of the brand was to make Giordano more appealing to the budget conscious shopper. However, after nearly 6 months of planning last year the company revealed the new BSX brand with the opening of its first store in Lung Cheung Mall in Hong Kong. The target of the change was to make Bluestar Exchange, now BSX, into a brand more appealing to the young and to those young at heart. The brand’s new direction involves simplifying everything and offering new designs and styles to give BSX an edgy and urban attitude. Giordano hired relatively new company !TH!NK to head the marketing of the new BSX with hopes that a new fresh company could provide an original out of the box approach to promoting the brand.

Giordano, since its conception has always been intimately committed to the communities in which it conducts business. The company has been progressively dedicated to being a successful and responsible corporate citizen in all regions of operation. This means not only delivering quality products and quality service to their customers but also having a positive influence to the customers community as well. The company’s achieves this by supporting a myriad of charitable organizations and causes as well as doing much of its sourcing in local areas, a move that has helped it avoid damaging currency swings in the past. The environmentally conscious company always performs business through means safe and beneficial to the environment. Giordano was actively involved in distributing clothes to the victims of the Boxing Day Earthquake and the consequent tsunami.

While the company actively supports local communities it also believes strongly in making the workplace environment productive as possible for its 11,000 employees worldwide. The company’s social responsibility is not only limited to its local communities and employees but also the companies and corporations in which Giordano conducts its business.

Giordano made its move to the Middle-East in 1993 with the opening of its flagship store in The BurJuman[1] in Dubai[25] The movement was a joint venture between Giordano International Limited and The Emirates Trading Agency[2] (ETA) of Dubai[26]. Today Giordano boasts 150 stores across 25 nations in the Middle-East and Eastern Europe[27]. Giordano International Limited is the majority shareholder in Giordano Middle-East, holding 20% of the company[28] . All regional operations for Giordano Middle-East run out of its Dubai head office in the United Arab Emirates.

Giordano Australia opened up in 1999 with its first store in Melbourne’s Westfield Doncaster shopping centre. The company rapidly expanded across Australia and presently operates 61 stores across 4 of the nations 6 states including Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, including one store in Canberra. As of 2008 the company no long sells Bluestar or Giordano Junior through any of its stores.

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Source by dresscloth

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They say women spend more on clothing than men and women spend more on handbags than men. Handbags are real obsession of women, especially the nice and elegant designer’s handbags.

However, with the many designer bags available to choose from, how can anyone choose the most popular and more valuable than others? You may see the value of a handbag from the reputation of the product, design, and the designer. Or you may also give value to a handbag brand if more attractive and famous celebrities choose them also when attending important occasions of their lives.

So, if these two are your basis on choosing the best designer handbag brand, then better take a quick look on the considered top 10 on the list:

10. Ralph Lauren

Last but certainly not the least in our list, Ralph Lauren is a famous brand of handbags all over the world for its preppy, classy, and hip designs. The latest collection of Ralph Lauren is something that many fans of designer handbags usually droll over.

Included to the celebrities using Ralph Lauren handbags are Victoria Beckham, Natalie Portman, and Sienna Miller.

9. Chanel

Chanel is one of the most recognizable designer handbag brand logos in the fashion world. If you watch “Sex and the City,” then you are probably familiar with the line of Chanel handbags.

Nicole Richie, Mischa Barton, Emma Watson, Kristin Davis, and Lauren Conrad are some of the famous celebrities seen using Chanel line of bags.

8. Fendi

That double “F” logo will never be missed in any collection of designer handbag aficionados. With the Fendi purse or handbag, anyone will certainly look elegant and refined.

The singer Jessica Simpson, Jenny McCarthy, and the fashion icon Paris Hilton are some of the celebrities who have those double “F” Fendi logo in their handbag collections.

7. Burberry

Burberry is known for its check pattern trademark. This is also one of the known high quality handbags in the world. Anyone wearing the Burberry trademark is usually welcomed with a “Wow!”

The elegant and famous actress Cameron Diaz and Victoria Beckham are just some of the celebrities using the Burberry trademark.

6. Kate Spade

Due to the love for creating her own line of fashion handbags, Kate Spade decided to leave her job as a fashion editor of Mademoiselle. And now, the Kate Spade line of handbags is among the most recognized classy, functional, and chic handbags in the fashion industry.

Blake Lively is seen using Kate Spade.

5. Prada

When it comes to designer’s bag in Italy, Prada is the first name in mind. Prada bags are known to be chic, classy, and luxurious.

The singer-actress Hillary Duff, the beautiful Eva Longoria, and Liv Tyler are just some of the Prada fanatics.

4. Dooney & Bourke

Dooney & Bourke handbags are known for its luxurious design and materials that is very popular for celebrities and many women worldwide.

Some of the celebrities seen wearing Dooney & Bourke are Hayden Panettiere, Mischa Barton, Emma Roberts, and Marcia Cross.

3. Gucci

Gucci is a name very popular since 1921. The popularity of this Italian brand is known not to vanish until these days.

Elizabeth Taylor and Jacqueline Kennedy are just some of the Gucci handbag aficionados.

2. Louis Vuitton

You certainly won’t miss in the list the Louis Vuitton handbags. The Paris-based fashion house is the supreme statement when it comes to luxury designer bags.

Jennifer Lopez, Naomi Campbell, Kater Moss, Uma Thurman, Jessica Simpson, and Angelina Jolie are celebrities using Louis Vuitton.

1. Coach

The list will never be complete without the New York-based luxury leather goods, the Coach. This brand topped the list with the materials that the handbags use and the familiarity of many women on the Coach brand.

Anne Hathaway can certainly prove the greatness of the Coach brand of handbags.

There may be a lot of designer handbag brands in the world but only few made it to the top 10 list of designer handbags. So, have you got all these brands in your collection already?

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Source by Illiana Shoemaker

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As we all know, the tsunami to the Chinese flooring, furniture industry, the impact is gradually emerging. As Indonesia and other countries export austerity policies so that the world’s tight supply of raw wood materials, which over-rely on foreign purchases of domestic raw timber downstream firms will face difficulties. The industry has set their sights on South America, Africa, but if unable to grasp the upper reaches of resources, still difficult to swallow the bitter fruit of skyrocketing costs.

It is understood that the original timber and downstream products in China a major trading nations of imports followed by Malaysia, Indonesia, the United States, Russia, Thailand. Including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, is a victim of the tsunami, the reconstruction of those countries themselves will need a large number of the original timber, exports will be affected, the original timber prices will also be adversely affected.

In fact, after the Spring Festival from 2004, the floor on the general rise in prices of raw materials, one year or around 10% of individual species and even reached 20%. “Southeast Asia’s forests in years of excessive logging, the forced pressure of environmental protection, governments have started to implement restrictions on the production and export of precious raw timber policy.” The trader said. Indonesia, for example, the Government in order to protect the ecological environment and to maintain the original plywood and other wood product prices, since January 2002, the moratorium on log exports, and since June 8, 2002 from a permanent ban on log exports. Because of the tsunami reconstruction, under pain of log smuggling, heavy-handed.

    However, the industry thought that the tsunami is only “the last straw the camel’s back.” A former timber trader said that the tsunami on the original timber imports reflected in the psychological impact of the first last year, most domestic manufacturers have inventory, but worried that the future of the original timber imports would be reduced, Follower of fashion exporters who will uplift the price.

EMC is currently 70% of the original wood from Brazil, 15% from Indonesia, and the remaining 10% from Russia, Africa and Myanmar together accounted for 5%. Increasingly tight supply in Southeast Asia have been unable to meet China’s growing demand for imports of raw timber, but that kind of success stories, like Lu Weiguang, or rare.

In Brazil, the acquisition of 1,000 square kilometers of forest resources, has been firmly grasp the upstream resources of Shanghai Anxin Flooring Co., Ltd. Lu Weiguang, president, said the original timber prices this year will be a threshold to have the resources and do not distinguish between resource companies. “I estimate that 40% of the domestic enterprises will wind up on the floor, and for EMC is the original timber prices is actually good news.” Lu Weiguang, said with a smile.

It is reported that Australia, Europe, Africa, the Americas had a few years ago the original timber into China now imports continue to increase. Lu Weiguang, appears in “Who’s to grasp the upper reaches of resources, who can win the market.” The current domestic price of the original timber predicament may be a good inspiration, resources must also grasp the decentralized procurement channel.
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Source by wuwu

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VISAS
All travelers to Indonesia must be in possession of a passport that is valid for at least six months from the date of arrival, and have proof (tickets) of onward or return passage.

Visa-on-Arrival:
The Indonesian Government extends Visa on Arrival (VoA) to nationals of 63 countries which can be obtained at designated entry airports and sea ports. Visa-on-Arrival are valid for 30 days and are extendable with another 30 days to be applied at Immigration offices in Indonesia.

Please note that starting 26 January 2010, the 7-day Visa-on-Arrival has been discontinued.

Countries extended Visa-on-Arrival facility are:
1. Algeria, 2. Australia, 3.Argentina, 4. Austria, 5. Bahrain, 6. Belgium, 7. Brazil, 8. Bulgaria, 9. Cambodia, 10. Canada, 11. Cyprus, 12. Denmark, 13. Egypt, 14. Estonia, 15.Fiji, 16. Finland, 17.France, 18. Germany, 19.Greece 20.Hungary, 21.Iceland, 22.India, 23.Iran, 24. Ireland, 25.Italy, 26. Japan, 27.Kuwait, 28. Laos PDR, 29.Latvia, 30.Libya, 31. Lithuania, 32.Liechtenstein, 33. Luxemburg, 34. Malta, 35. Maldives, 36.Monaco, 37. Mexico, 38. New Zealand, 39. the Netherlands, 40. Norway, 41. Oman, 42. Panama, 43. The People’s Republic of China, 44.Poland, 45. Portugal, 46.Qatar, 47.Rumania, 48.Russia, 49.South Africa, 50.South Korea, 51.Switzerland, 52.Saudi Arabia, 53. South Africa, 54.Spain, 55.Suriname, 56.Sweden, 57.Slovakia, 58.Slovenia, 59.Taiwan, 60. Tunisia. 61.the United Arab Emirates, 62. the United Kingdom, 63. The United States of America.

Entry Ports Where Visa-on-Arrival May Be Issued are:

Airports:

* Soekarno-Hatta in Jakarta
* Ngurah Rai in Bali
* Sultan Syarif Hasim in Pekanbaru
* Minangkabau in Padang
* Juanda in Surabaya and
* Sam Ratulangi in Manado
* Polonia in Medan
* Hang Nadim in Batam
* Halim Perdana Kusuma in Jakarta
* Adi Sucipto in Jogjakarta
* Adi Sumarmo in Surakarta
* Husein Sastranegara in Bandung
* Ahmad Yani in Semarang
* Selaparang in Mataram
* Ei-Tari in Kupang
* Hasanuddin in Makassar
* Sam Ratulangi in Manado
* Sepinggan in Balikpapan
* Supadio in Pontianak

Authorized seaports are at Batam: Sekupang, Batuampar, Nongsa, Marina, and Teluk Senimba, Bandar Bintan, Talani Lagoi, Tanjung Balai Karimun, and Bandar Sri Udana Labon in the Riau archipelago, Sri Bintan Pura in Tanjung Pinang;  Belawan port and Sibolga in North Sumatra, Yos Sudarso Tanjung Perak in Surabaya; Teluk Bayur of Padang; Tanjung Priok harbor at Jakarta; Padang Bai and Benoa ports in Bali; the port of Jayapura; Bitung; Tanjung Mas in Semarang, Central Java; Tenua and Maumere in East Nusa Tenggara, Pare-Pare and Soekarno Hatta port in South Sulawesi.

Free Tourist Visa
Free Tourist short stay visas for  30 days are extended to tourists from 12 countries, namely from Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, Chile, Equador, Morocco and Peru,

VISA Application at Indonesia Embassies or Consulates

Visitors from other countries must apply for visa at Indonesia Embassies or Consulates in their home country. In addition, the visa cannot be replaced with any other immigration letters. The visa shall then be administered by Visa Officer in the presence of the applicant concerned.

You may find information on Indonesia embassies and consulates contact details at the Ministry of Foreign Affair website on the following direct link: www.deplu.go.id

For further information on applying for visa to Indonesia, you may browse our FAQs.

Free entry visa is also provided to delegates registered in a conference that is officially convened. In addition, tourist visa can be obtained from every Indonesian Embassy or Consulate. You can visit Indonesia through certain means and gates, by air via Jakarta, Bali, Medan, Manado, Biak, Ambon, Surabaya and Batam; by sea via Semarang, Jakarta, Bali, Pontianak, Balikpapan, Tanjung Pinang and Kupang. Maximum stay in Indonesia is two months.

Airport Tax
An airport tax of Rp150,000 is levied by airports on departing passengers on international flights and Rp.25,000 for those on domestic routes.

Tipping
Most hotels add a 10% service charge to the bill on top of the 10% tax. In restaurants where service charge is not added, a tip of 5 to 10% on the bill will be appropriate depending on the service and type of establishment.

Customs
Maximum items allowed by customs when you visit Indonesia:

* 1 liter of alcoholic beverages
* 200 cigarettes OR 50 cigars OR 100 grams of tobacco
* Reasonable amount of perfume per adult, meaning if you arrive drenched in perfume the customs probably will not mind you carrying loads of bottles.
* Cameras, video cameras, portable radios, cassette recorders, binoculars and sport equipments are admitted provided they are taken out on departure. They must be declared to Customs.
* You are prohibited to carry:
* Firearms
* Narcotics drugs
* Pornography materials
* Chinese printing and medicines
* Transceivers and cordless telephone
* Films, pre-recorded video tapes, laser discs, VCDs, DVDs must be screened by Censor Board.
* Import or export of foreign currencies and travelers’ checks are allowed. However, the import and export of Indonesia currency, exceeding 100 million Rupiah is prohibited.

Further information on customs and taxes in Indonesia, log into www.beacukai.go.id

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Source by Samuel Gerry