In search of money, and anxious to give pledges of liberalism to the business community, the Russian state will sell $ 29 billion 22 billion euros of assets over the period 2011-2013. It is the largest wave of privatization initiated since liberalization of the chaotic Russian economy in the 1990s.
Investors were on the verge of losing patience. Ten months have passed since the announcement last September of a privatization plan. Wednesday, cutting short the rumors, the finance minister, Alexei Kudrin liberal, has finally confirmed: "We will sell a significant portion of our assets in state enterprises, while keeping the blocking majority."
The choice of companies is not yet finalized. The government is working on a list of eleven companies, including banks VTB and Sberbank and Rosneft, Transneft and oil.The Russian railways have been removed from the list at the request of Alexei Kudrin.
According to Russian media, the government must decide between the Ministry of Finance, ready to keep only 51% of assets, and the Ministry of Economic Development, which denies that the state ownership falls below 75%.
Reducing the budget deficit
Therefore unlikely that privatization begin "by the end of the year," warns Elvira Nabiullina, Minister of Economic Development: "We are working to accelerate and increase the volume of privatization," she explained yesterday emerging from a cabinet meeting devoted to the 2011-2013 budget bad credit pay day loans.The transfer of assets should be done gradually, the pace of 9-10000000000 of $ 8 billion euros per year for three years.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the privatization plan is to reduce the budget deficit from 4% in 2011 to 3% in 2012 and 2% in 2013.
But according to some, this is not the main reason: "To curb its deficit, Russia has its sovereign wealth, she did not need privatization. This is done for the Government to send a signal to markets, to show them that the plan to make Moscow an international financial center is taken very seriously, "says Natalya Orlova, chief economist at Alfa Bank.
Since the establishment, on July 7 by President Dmitry Medvedev, a group working on the creation in Russia of an international financial center, the business does not rustle as this: "This is to give investors the opportunity to get used to Russia, "said Natalia Orlova.
According to Alexei Kudrin, Russia's potential is comparable to that of "Dubai, Beijing or Shanghai" and is well placed to trade titles: "The MICEX Stock Exchange held, according to various indices of places from 10th to 19th, RTS Stock Exchange and is ranked ninth for trade in products, "he recalled in June.
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Electricity rates in France, among the lowest in the world for the consumer, will better reflect the real costs of production. Clearly, they will increase. This is one of the recommendations of the report of 166 pages that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IEA) published on Monday morning. Created in 1974 after the first oil crisis, the IEA, based in Paris, provides a comprehensive review every five years the energy policy of each of its 28 member states.
Since the last such exercise, the hexagonal landscape was shaken by the gradual opening of markets to competition in gas and electricity, as well as the Grenelle Environment, described by the IEA to "environmental program impressive "to" ambitious goals ".
Railing against regulated tariffs
On an issue that directly affects the consumer, the Agency challenges the national system of pricing.For the IEA, champion of the liberalization of the electricity market, as Brussels, regulated tariffs, both for households and industrial customers will not endure. If they do not reflect costs, regulated tariffs create a "market distortion". The rate used in France does not reflect the cost, very heavy, setting up new nuclear reactors, the development of the 58 reactors of EDF were largely borne by the state.
In this context, the IEA applauds Nome Law, adopted June 15 by the National Assembly and still under review by the Senate, providing access to EDF's competitors to some of its electricity from nuclear power.The tariff, subject to a brawl between EDF and its competitors will be determined by the Commission for Electricity Regulation (CER).
Access to electricity in question
The report also highlights the weakness of the French system to meet peak electricity demand and reiterates the risk of faults in some regions (Brittany and Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur). An increased risk by the "limited availability" of nuclear power, which in 2008 turned to less than 80% of its capacity due to various incidents.
The IEA also interested in access of the poor to electricity. In late 2009, 800,000 households benefited from social tariffs for electricity and 400,000 gas. However, eligible households would total 2 million and 1 million respectively. The IEA has accused the government of inadequately informed about the tariffs that have helped cost the state 90 million euros.She recommends simplifying access, too bureaucratic.
Finally about renewable energy, the report points to the cumbersome administrative procedures to locate wind turbines.
The U.S. economy has begun to destroy jobs, after five months of net creation. In June, the number of job losses in the U.S. totaled 125,000 jobs including in the public, according to figures from the Labor Department. The figure was pulled down by the public sector, the end of the census causing the departure of 225,000 temporary workers hired for the occasion.
More importantly, the private sector alone has created 83,000 jobs. Is much better than the 33,000 net new jobs in the month of May However, analysts expected a figure close to 112,000. "We're going in the right direction but we do not go fast enough for many Americans. We are not moving fast enough for me either, "responded the president Barack Obama.
The increase in the number of private sector jobs due to "modest increases in various industries."The leisure industry in particular has created 28,000 jobs before the summer. Business services hired 21,000 people. Note, the industry continued to create jobs (9,000). The construction sector has meanwhile also destroys jobs (22,000), hit by a decline in new construction.
"Beyond these figures rather in line with expectations, the disappointment is the hours worked and wages," noted economists Exane-BNP Paribas. "Hours worked weekly find their level in April (34.1) and hourly wages shrink by 0.1% over the month." In bad omen for consumer spending.
On the other hand, the unemployment rate, calculated on a different basis, for its part fell 9.7% in May to 9.5% in JuneThe Labor Department said the decline by reducing the workforce and the growing number of discouraged workers who no longer work. "We still expect a gradual recovery in the labor market with unemployment rates remain high in 2010 before improving slightly in 2011," says Julian Thomas, an economist at Natixis.
"In general, the Labor Department report suggests weak growth, but not fallen into recession, say economists for their part of Societe Generale.
INFO LE FIGARO – The defense saved the day during the budgetary decisions. According to our information, the budget of this department will be frozen in 2011. But it will increase by 450 million euros in 2012 and 500 million in 2013. From 2011 to 2013, allocations to the Defence grow by 3.1% in value, while the overall amount given to departments fall of 0.2%.
However, the Defence should have more, $ 3.5 billion over three years if the military budget law, which was planning an increase in expenditures had been met. But the roadmap is no longer tenable given the magnitude of deficit payday loans for self employed. In addition, Defence will recover about $ 2 billion windfall, thanks to the sale of real estate and radio frequencies.Result, the department will not have to increase efforts at downsizing. Neither cutting into programs renegotiated in 2009 as the multimission frigates Frem or equipment Felin infantry (even if the payment could be later). However, some programs not yet started should be deferred. And the operating budget will be reduced.
Priority of Berlin and Paris, the tax credit has received a cold reception in Toronto at the G20. Despite support from Washington and London, the communiqué does not mention the tax lip as a legitimate option for banks to charge up the pieces of the crisis. But the G20 is careful to praise, to the chagrin of the French and Germans who are promoting at European level.
'There is no international agreement on the tax, "says the Canadian government, hostile to this project from the start. Canadians, Australians and emerging countries are opposed to this levy, because their banks have managed to ride out the storm without state aid. "The financial sector should contribute to the budgetary effort of governments intervened to fix the financial system or money abound resolution," admits the G20."Some countries are considering a tax credit, others are promoting other approaches," said the statement, which takes note of the divisions at the highest level.
Budget 2011 in France
Some guiding principles of tax are set out in the annexes of the findings, but the virtues "antirisques" of the tax are not highlighted. Most delegations, particularly Americans, found it more effective to expand the capital of the most exposed to risks to avert a future crisis. One option feared by European banks, less well capitalized than their competitors in North America.
Angela Merkel, who was the first in Europe to defend the tax credit on a European scale, is not surprised by the meager results of the G20. "We were not going to convince the world to Toronto to impose a tax on banks, this was not the goal!" Will be defended German side."The G20 recognized the legitimacy of the tax, it is well", says it does on the French side. "Whatever the decision of our partners, we will implement this tax!" Warned Sarkozy Nicolas who entered the menu of the budget 2011.
France is Germany and Great Britain seem determined to pay their banks but, despite the political display, the proportions remain reasonable so as not too lose competitiveness relative to Asian markets. Thanks to its tax, France has recovered 1 billion; Great Britain, 3 billion pounds, the U.S. counting on $ 19 billion.A lesser evil for Western banks, which always escape to the great reform of global financial regulation announced by the governments since the first G20 in Washington.
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Five years in prison, four of which were required firm Thursday against the former Societe Generale trader Jerome Kerviel, held from June 8 before a court in Paris in early 2008 for causing a historic loss of 4.9 billion euros.
The maximum incurred was five years in prison and 375,000 euro fine for abuse of trust, forgery and using false and fraudulent introduction of data into an automated system.
In their indictment, the two representatives of the Crown have shown they believe that the three offenses were clearly established. For the prosecution, Jerome Kerviel, 33, is "a professional fraud", "overtrained", "cynical", having developed a "system organized, methodical, continuous" for "betraying the trust" of the bank and its employees."Not the criminalization of breach of trust also has to its name," said Jean-Michel Aldebert, head of the financial section of the floor.
"Your court judge for what he is: a manipulative, a cheater and a liar," which caused "global trauma," said Jean-Michel Aldebert, saying that "it is to stop the discredit upon the banks "and that" it is in the public order, economic and financial ".
The bank accuses Kerviel have unwittingly taken for tens of billions of dollars of speculative positions in financial markets, which resulted in a loss of 4.9 billion euros in January 2008.
(With AFP)
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Five days after the beginning of the G20, which will be held in Toronto, France and Germany called on Monday to unity. In a joint letter to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel, calling on the G20 to "remain united to face the new challenges." A call that came after Russia was added, this Monday, the list of opponents to the introduction of a tax on banks.According to Arkady Dvorkovich, the Russian sherpa, other countries as "Canada, Australia, China and India" share the fears of Russia.
Penalties "proportionate and coordinated"
As they had said after their meeting early last week in Berlin, France and Germany believe that much remains to be done to ensure financial stability, "while the economic recovery could be threatened by new financial strains "
Among the many issues discussed, the issue of sanctions against countries "uncooperative" in the exchange of tax information or suspicion of money laundering.In this area, France and Germany want the G20 to go further this time by defining sanctions "proportionate and coordinated" against those countries and asked the OECD, which was published in early 2009 a list of countries targeted, the update in time for the summit in November 2011 in France.
They also want the Financial Stability Board (FSB) broadcasts before the end of 2010 a list of financial "who refuse to cooperate and comply with international standards for prudential" bad credit payday advance.
Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel address two other issues of topical hottest, new prudential regulations for banks and regulation of financial derivatives markets over the counter.
Prudential "selected and calibrated"
For the former, they believe they should be "selected, calibrated and implemented so as not to jeopardize the economic recovery." They wish they were not introduced before the end of 2012, "by leaving adequate transition periods and appropriate protective clauses.
Derivatives was, they called for an acceleration of "the implementation of strong measures" to improve transparency, notably through mandatory reporting of all transactions in central databases, trading on regulated markets and use of clearinghouses.
They also want an answer "coordinated" with the specific challenges posed by the markets of CDS (credit default swaps), derivatives used to hedge against risks of default of a borrower whose responsibility has been questioned by politicians in the debt crisis in Greece.
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At the last conference on deficits, Nicolas Sarkozy has proposed to amend the Constitution so that at the beginning of each term government embarks on a path of reducing the public deficit. Specifically, the new executive would introduce a law framing current five years. And the statute imposes itself to the draft budget law (PLF) and the draft law on financing of Social Security (PLFSS) annually. "If the budget bill or PLFSS does not meet the defined path, they could be censured by the Constitutional Council," says one at Bercy.
Without repudiating the philosophy of the project, some members of the working group led by Michel Camdessus wish to amend it. They prefer to build a vehicle that already exists: the law of public finance program, including the second version is in preparation for the years 2011-2013.The Act defines a trajectory government deficit over three years and gives rules good governance, such as pledge new tax loopholes or tax cuts on savings elsewhere. Problem: the establishment, without consideration of the reduced VAT in restaurants has shown that the law had little weight. The idea would be to amend the Constitution so that the law needed to Multi PLF PLFSS and easy payday loans. With, as in the government's plan, the Constitutional Council, acting as a lookout. The difference with the law of framing? "The law multiannual runs over three years instead of five, which is more economically feasible.She speaks of actual deficits, while framing the law is based on structural balances, that is to say pensioners in the economy, which nobody understands, "said Philippe Marini, UMP rapporteur of the budget in the Senate.
Skip the election cycle
Another advantage: the law is part of a multi-year regular who, in 2011, is linked with the stability program sent to Brussels. One way to reduce dependence of the electoral cycle. However, some members of the Committee Camdessus have a different vision. Gilles Carrez, UMP rapporteur of the budget to the Assembly, wants only the governance rules of law binding on other multi-texts: "The deficits are too sensitive to economic trends. By cons, it must make mandatory rules of conduct. "The members have three weeks to agree before issuing their report.The question is whether the government will agree to a reappraisal.
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Red, green and blue: a parade of 1300 tractors brand new, red lights lit and flags fluttering in the colors of the FNSEA and JA flooded streets yesterday in eastern Paris. At the wheel, the grain of fourteen French regions accompanied by 10,000 farmers from manifest their anger. A resounding success despite a period conducive to field work.
"The mobilization is at the height of the crisis across the world of agriculture today, said Dominique Barrau Le Figaro, number two of the majority union. Farmers expect concrete action from Europe and the French government, including a plan to lower taxes, social and environmental ".
A double shock
Even if they are not the worst off, farmers crops are facing a dual shock. The precipitous drop in market prices since 2008.Thus a loss of 80-90 euros per hectare of European aid after their redistribution last year, to the most needy in the Health Check of the CAP. A very easily accepted by those farmers who apply, however the government to intervene immediately in the markets to send prices back.
"There are currently 4 to 5 million tonnes of wheat in excess inventory that could not be 0 because of the damage in rail freight and port. They must elapse before the next harvest if prices will continue to decline, warns Michel Masson, vice president of the FNSEA and co-organizer of this event.
A request that the Minister of Agriculture, Bruno Le Maire, and he has heard this morning reiterating the European Commissioner, Dacian Ciolos, visiting Paris."I asked the Commission to intervene on the grain market and make prices go up," he said yesterday at the outlet of the Council of Ministers while urging farmers to "not lose hope."
For beyond this manifestation of discontent, many farmers are going through very difficult times to the point of suicide in extreme cases the rate of one per day is an act of recognition among urban populations they had sought in Paris yesterday. And on this point too, their operation is a success.
"It warms my heart to see Parisians applauded us," says J?r?mine, Young Farmers."They are the ones who feed us and they were not there, we would not be much," says Monique, a passerby who took up the cudgels for the farmers.
The question is whether this mobilization will be more than a flash in the pan and tangible effects. Upcoming dates: May 6 for the first committee to follow up major crops before May 22 and the reunion of all the productions that will invade the Champs-Elysees.
The joint venture created by EDF and Enel of Italy, has signed a partnership agreement with Ansaldo, the nuclear branch of the Italian group Finmeccanica. This five-year partnership provides for cooperation between the alliance and Ansaldo "for the development and construction of 4 nuclear reactors that EDF and Enel EPR planning to build in Italy" says EDF.
For its part Areva said it had signed three agreements with companies in Italy on Friday. The first agreement, signed with Ansaldo will enable both companies to work together in Italy, under the planned construction of four reactors conducted by ENEL and EDF, but also in the rest of the world.This partnership will result in particular through cooperation in the engineering, supply of certain equipment and assembly work and testing of commissioning.
The second agreement, signed with Techint, a group specializing in engineering and construction of large industrial facilities, provides for cooperation of two companies in future nuclear projects turnkey projects in the world fast cash now.
Finally, a training agreement was signed with the university consortium for research and nuclear technology (CIRTEN). It provides the contribution of Areva to develop new nuclear industrial capabilities in Italy.
These agreements come as the annual summit between France and Italy takes place in Paris, where Nicolas Sarkozy and Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, meet.The purpose of these agreements for EDF and Areva is to be in the running for the revival of nuclear energy in Italy from 2013.
Italy banned nuclear power in 1987 following the Chernobyl accident. But this year, a decree established a timetable for the construction of new reactors began in 2013. Silvio Berlusconi, had expressed a wish that 25% of the electricity produced in Italy comes from nuclear reactors.
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