What are the specific policies that encourage the development of software and integrated circuit industries?

In order to promote the development of China's software and the integrated circuit (IC) industries and increase the creativeness and international competitiveness of the Chinese information industry, in June 2000 the Chinese government issued Policies on Encouraging the Development of Software Industry and Integrated Circuit industry. The document provides policy support to the software industry in the aspects of investment, financing, taxation, industrial technology, export, accreditation of software enterprises, and protection of intellectual property rights. For investments of certain scales into IC businesses, the policies offer preferential terms in taxation and other related aspects.The details are as follows.

All invest in gold

Gold is a foundation asset within any long term savings or investment portfolio. For centuries, particularly during times of financial stress and the resulting 'flight to quality', investors have sought to protect their capital in assets that offer safer stores of value. A potent wealth preserver, gold’s stability remains as compelling as ever for today’s investor. As one of the few financial assets that do not rely on an issuer's promise to pay, gold offers refuge from widespread default risk. It offers investors insurance against extreme movements in the value of other asset classes. Gold is significantly less volatile than most commodities and many equity indices. It tends to behave more like a currency. Assets with low volatility will help to reduce overall risk in your portfolio, adding a beneficial effect on expected returns. The price of gold tracks the shifting balance of supply and demand. Long lead times in gold mining mean production of gold is relatively inelastic, regardless of increases in demand. That’s why the rally in the gold price since 2001 has not engendered a meaningful increase in gold production levels. Demand for gold has shown sustained growth recently, due at least in part to rising income levels in key markets. These supply and demand factors have laid foundations for gold’s most positive outlook in over a quarter of a century.

Jaka kuna za spas gospodarstva

Guverner Hrvatske narodne banke Željko Rohatinski još je jednom pozvao Vladu na reforme kojim bi se konsolidirale javne financije. U suprotnom, kaže Rohatinski, trebati će nam novi stand-by aranžman s MMF-om. Guverner HNB-a tvrdi kako se tečaj kune mora održati 'Vladine projekcije pada BDP-a nisu točne. Oni kažu kako će on iznositi 1,6 % a vjerojatnije je da će to iznositi 2%. Točnim brojkama će se problemu u fiskalnoj sferi dodatno zaoštriti', rekao je Rohatinski za slovenski mjesečnik Bančni vestnik dodavši kako će deficit javnog sektora ove godini biti veći od šest posto BDP-a. Takve brojke vodile su pokušaju smanjivanja određenih prava građana, a sve je posljedica odgađanja nužnih reformi. Rohatinski se u ovom razgovoru dotaknuo i tečaja kune kojeg mnogi smatraju previsokim. 'Najnovija analiza MMF-a procjenjuje da bi nominalna deprecijacija tečaja kune od 10% inicijalno predstavljala neto troškovni udar na nefinancijski sektor ekonomije od 7% BDP-a, čemu treba dodati i značajne gubitke u bankovnom sektoru', riječi su Rohatinskog koji i MMF-ovom analizom potvrđuje svoj stav o ispravnosti tečaja kune. Guverner HNB-a već duže vrijeme tvrdi kako se kuna mora zadržati jakom za spas hrvatskog gospodarstva. Od tri MMF-ove metode analize stanja u Hrvatskoj, dvije pokazuju kako je kuna realno precijenjena između 5 i 11%. Međutim, Hrvatska je izložena visokom riziku zbog golemog inozemnog duga i činjenice kako je veliki broj kredita i depozita vezan za eure. 'Kada se tome doda činjenica da hrvatski javni dug dostiže razinu od oko 50 posto, onda kuna mora ostati na ovim razinama', kaže Rohatinski.

Investment in joint Russian-Turkish projects to top $25 bln

Moscow and Ankara signed deals on Wednesday which their leaders hope will bring over $25 billion in mutual investment. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev paid an official visit to Ankara on Wednesday to sign deals including on the construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant and the Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline. "Overall investments...we plan to amass as a result of the signed deals in excess of $25 billion," Medvedev said, adding that deals will "provide new opportunities for both Turkey and Russia." "Above all [the signed deals] will benefit our energy security which has become increasingly important these days," Medvedev said. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin told journalists in Ankara that over $20 billion will be invested in the construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant. An international consortium consisting of Russia's nuclear power equipment and service export monopoly Atomstroyexport, electricity export company Inter RAO UES and Turkish Park Teknik won a tender for the construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant in June 2009."The nuclear energy deal opens a new page in cooperation between our states," President Medvedev said. The consortium proposed building four nuclear power units with a capacity of 1.2 GW each under a Russian project. The nuclear power plant was expected to be built near the Mediterranean port of Mersin in the Akkuyu area and put into operation in 2016-2019.The Russian deputy premier added that some $3 billion will be invested in the construction of the Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline, currently being built by the Turkish holding Calik Energy and Italy's ENI. Medvedev said the construction of the 700-km (435-mile) pipeline through Turkey with a capacity of 60-70 million tons of oil a year (1.2-1.4 million bbl/d), remained one of the top priorities for the two states. The pipeline will stretch from the Black Sea city of Samsum to the Mediterranean city of Ceyhan in the country's south. "The sides have agreed to actively develop it [the Samsun-Ceyhan project], including the possible construction of an oil refinery in Ceyhan," he said, adding that the two states may agree to jointly sell the refined oil in the future. The deals are in line with Turkey's plans to buy most of the oil and gas it needs from Russia. "As for the export of gas and oil to Turkey, Russia will cover 70% of Turkey's needs for these energy sources and now we are taking efforts to implement these undertakings," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan said during a joint press conference after his meeting with Medvedev. To oversee the largest joint projects, the two states have set up a top-level cooperation council, co-chaired by Medvedev and Erdogan. The two states also signed a bilateral visa-free travel deal, scrapping visas for tourists who enter Russia or Turkey for the period of 30 days or less. The deal is expected to come into force simultaneously with a readmission agreement. Turkey remains one of the most popular tourist destinations among Russian tourists, with almost 2.5 million Russian nationals visiting the country last year. ANKARA, May 12 (RIA Novosti)

Broj korisnika interneta u svijetu premašio milijardu

Analitička kuća Comscore navodi da se njihova procjena temelji na korisnicima interneta starijim od 15 godina koji koriste svoja ili službena računala. Broj korisnika interneta u svijetu u prosincu prošle godine prmašio je milijardu, a najviše ih ima u Kini, objavila je u svojoj analizi američka analitička kuća Comscore. Probijanje granice od milijardu korisnika interneta u svijetu ova analitička kuća smatra važnim graničnikom u povijesti interneta. Istisnki broj korisnika interneta je još veći, jer Comscore navodi da se njihova procjena temelji na korisnicima interneta starijim od 15 godina i koji koriste svoja ili službena računala. U obzir nisu uzeti korisnici koji internet upotrebljavaju preko javnih računala, na primjer u knjižnicama ili internetskim kafićima, niti oni koji internet koriste preko mobitela ili dlanovnika. Comscore navodi da se 41 posto od spomenute milijarde korisnika nalazi u azijsko-pacifičkoj regiji. Slijedi Europa (28 posto), Sjeverna Amerika (18 posto), Latinska Amerika (7 posto) te Bliski istok i Afrika (5 posto). Po državama na prvom je mjestu Kina, u kojoj se internetom u prosincu služilo gotovo 180 milijuna ljudi. Slijede SAD (163 milijuna), Japan (60 milijuna), Njemačka i Velika Britanija (po 37 milijuna) te Francuska (34 milijuna). (Bankamagazin)

Croatia open for business

Pod naslovom "Croatia open for business" navodi se kako je liberalizacija tržišta nekretnina, ponajprije što se tiče stranih državljana, odlična vijest za sve potencijalne investitore u hrvatske nekretnine. U članku se navodi kako je u Hrvatskoj ovih dana na snagu stupila odredba iz Sporazuma o stabilizaciji i pridruživanju između Hrvatske i Europske unije, prema kojoj se državljani Unije izjednačavaju s hrvatskim građanima u pravu na stjecanje nekretnina. No bitno je uočiti da po novoj odredbi stranci mogu u Hrvatskoj kupovati nekretnine samo ako njihova zemlja nudi isto hrvatskim državljanima, navodi portal. U tekstu stoji i kako se saborska oporba protivila prihvaćanju te odredbe, ustvrdivši da "vladajući konzervativci pripremaju teren za rasprodaju najvrjednije hrvatskog resursa – obale Jadrana".

The National Bank of Serbia

BELGRADE -- The National Bank of Serbia (NBS) on Tuesday sold EUR 11.9mn in the inter-banking foreign currency market. The move came in order to meet the increased demand for foreign currency, Tanjug reported. On Tuesday, the national currency (RSD) was 2.1 percent up against the euro, with the official exchange rate of RSD 92.1343 – some two dinars down on yesterday's value. On Monday, the NBS sold EUR 3mn on the inter-banking foreign currency market.
Turkish FM Ali Babacan said in Priština on Tuesday that Turkey would continue to lobby for Kosovo independence at the Organization of the Islamic Conference."Together with the other members of the international community, Turkey treated the Kosovo issue as a pressing matter from the very beginning, and it was one of the first countries that recognized its independence," Babacan said following his talks with Kosovo Prime minister Hashim Thaci.
"All that is a reflection of the relation between our two nations," he said. "We are pleased to see Kosovo become part of the international community," the Turkish foreign minister said, adding that the people in Kosovo were aware of the importance "their country had in contributing to the stability of the neighboring states and the region as a whole". He said that he had arrived on a "historic visit to Kosovo, with which Turkey has historical ties", and added that his country was interested in establishing political, economic and cultural cooperation with Kosovo. Babacan also addressed an extraordinary session of the assembly in Priština, to say that his country will continue to support Kosovo, and that it will "lift the visa regime for its citizens". "A number of Turks live in Kosovo, who have found their place in the government and the assembly, as well as in local governments," he said, and thanked the Kosovo Albanian authorities for enabling the Turks to integrate into the society. At the same time, a large number of Albanians live in Turkey, Babacan said, and added that they "influenced the issue of Kosovo to be treated with more interest".