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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A new face to face. And this, for the third time since 2001. Airbus and Boeing had 14 hours until today to submit their proposals to the Pentagon to get the first installment of the fabulous contract renewal of the fleet of tankers U.S.. Or 179 tankers for about 40 billion dollars out of a total of over 400 aircraft in exchange for a check of more than 100 billion dollars.
The two rivals have delivered boxes and boxes of documents 8800 pages for EADS Air Force Base Wright-Patterson U.S. Air Force in Ohio. The Pentagon said it would issue its final decision on Nov. 12, after the midterm elections in Congress. Contrary to some rumors, there was no third deposit offer from the Ukrainian Antonov.
The ultimate battle for the tanker has begun.Airbus (2008) and Boeing (2003) have each won once this contract before it is canceled. In March, EADS had been forced to throw in the towel after the abandonment because of "biased competition" in favor of Boeing Northrop, its American ally at the time.
Convinced that his offer and his plane are the best and deal with the Pentagon's commitment to open competition "fair and transparent," Louis Welsh, president of EADS, has decided to descend into the arena. EADS proposes the KC-45, a military derivative of the long-haul A330. This unit has successfully completed numerous flight tests and has won every competition in the world including in Britain and Australia with two KC-45 must be delivered by the end of the year.Facing him, a derivative competes with Boeing's Military B 767, a paper airplane that does not exist yet.
48,000 jobs
EADS has provided a list of its 200 U.S. allies including some key partners for the militarization of the aircraft. Among them, the first is Rockwell Collins, a specialist in avionics and electronics, as announced by the letter AeroDefenseNews. This group of 4.5 billion dollars in sales, is a longtime supplier to Boeing and its … B767! Rockwell Collins provides the avionics include weather radar and the B 767-200. But it is also an expert in military electronics, which are sensitive equipment aboard the C-130 transport aircraft from Lockheed and the KC-135 Boeing.GE Aviation, Honetwell, Hamilton Sundstrand, Goodrich or agreed to engage behind EADS which the Pentagon has recognized as prime contractor (prime contractor). If its bid is successful, EADS to build an assembly plant in Mobile, Alabama. He believes that his project will create 48,000 direct and indirect jobs with the outsourcing to the United States.
EADS Has a chance to win and achieve the American breakthrough he has been waiting long? Many questioned both the military contracts are in final political decision. The price will determine the Pentagon said, putting pressure on the two groups. EADS has already said he would not take a contract loss
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Some creditors of Lehman Brothers International Europe could be reimbursed for money they are owed more quickly than expected. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the firm responsible for the liquidation of the defunct bank, has announced on Wednesday he would propose a "consensus approach" to the creditors 'ordinary', that is to say those who do not receive any priority. This approach would allow administrators PwC to assess themselves the debts of Lehman Brothers Europe instead of letting each of the 6,500 creditors of the bank with it according the approach known as "bilateral."
This method would pay most creditors in 2011 instead of 2013 at the earliest if each application was treated separately.But Steve Pearson, a partner at PwC and co-director of Lehman Brothers Europe quoted by the Financial Times on Wednesday said that in return, most creditors will expect reimbursement below their expectations.
A novel approach
Steve Pearson stressed that the consensus approach is a first, necessitated by the complex situation of Lehman Brothers Europe overnight pay day loans. It will save "a lot of time and money to both creditors and to Lehman Brothers International Europe. "What we wanted to do was something ambitious to make their money from creditors who need it," he said in the Wall Street Journal.
The sudden bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers September 15, 2008 has trapped some 6,500 creditors, mostly banks and insurance companies.Some estimate that the total amount owed by the bank amount to 22 billion dollars (about 17.9 billion euros). Aware that his proposal would probably not win the votes of creditors of the bank, Steve Pearson said that the consensus approach would be adopted only if 90% of unsecured creditors gave their consent.
In addition, the Financial Times reveals that Ernst & Young is under investigation in the United Kingdom on the audit that the firm conducted at Lehman Brothers before its bankruptcy. Ernst & Young has announced that it was cooperating and he reaffirmed that "the balance sheets of Lehman this year were relatively consistent with accounting standards.
Rating agencies have a great influence on economic policy Bercy. Baroin, the budget minister, has himself acknowledged Sunday. And what about Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch of the situation in France? Will they be inclined to leave him in the coming months, the privilege of his "Triple A, the highest mark possible, attributed to a very small country?
It depends, just, future government decisions. France has suffered less from the crisis than other countries in the euro area, greet agencies. The state has dampened with crisis recovery plan and welfare. The price: a high public deficit (7.5%), which must now reduce the risk of blowing up the already high public debt.
"Such imbalances require a recovery result of public finances, especially on the expenditure side, argue analysts from Standard & Poor's said in its latest report on France from July 2009. They said the debt should represent 90% of gross domestic product in 2011, against 78% today.
The government has already announced a freeze on public finances in late May, while spending on social security should continue to increase, says essentially Moody's in his March report, "which should result in an increase of 1% per year expenditure total " make quick cash. An objective "not particularly ambitious," says the agency, but nevertheless "should be difficult to take, given the unsuccessful efforts to control spending in the past."
"High levels of taxation"
Rating agencies do not seem to bear the greatest confidence in France, this country has two weaknesses, "the high level of taxation, which makes it difficult for future increases in taxes [to reduce the deficit, Ed] and expenditure rigidity, "is always Moody's. A suspicion reinforced by the presidential election of 2012, which could cause "potential expenditure," said Standard & Poor's.
The Fitch welcomes, however, "the intensification of social dialogue on public finance as an important step towards reversing the broad deficit" in a commentary published on May 28 She also applauded "the change in attitude of the government that understood the importance and urgency of fiscal adjustment."
Time is running out there? In the short term, "triple A in France is not in danger," wrote Moody's, often the last of three agencies to scale down its rating. Still, the separation between the country of degradation of the note is reduced "relentlessly," she says. At the rate of excavation of the debt.
LE FIGARO. – Your estate at the head of Generali was held a week ago by Mediobanca, the main shareholder. The agreement was then found that satisfy you?
Antoine Bernheim. – No. Of course I understand that we did not wish to renew for three years president of 85 years. But in this case, it is obvious that age is an excuse. I do not accept the way things have been made against me and against Generali. Me, I was offered an "honorary president", but not at the board of directors! As for the company, its management has been decided from the outside, in Mediobanca. And he provides a board where anyone outside the two managing directors (CEOs, Ed) will not know anything for insurance. They even rejected Claude Tendil, president of Generali France, which is one of the best insurers in the world.Generali deserves better than that. We do not yet know how the powers will be defined between the two managing directors and the president. As for Mr. Geronzi, who must take the presidency, I wonder … This is not an insurer and he always said he did not want this job.
Will you accept this patronage?
Honestly, I do not know yet. Thanks to Mediobanca, I'm not even on the list of directors to be presented at the meeting April 24. Given what I represent in the history of Generali, I think it's an insult. Ultimately, I could accept such a position, if I was director. And then, when we, like me, been kicked out of a masterful kick, one is rather tempted to retaliate. I am.I would add that on April 24, the small shareholders in Generali will, too, have a say.
Vincent Bollore, who is close to you has participated in the council and Mediobanca will become vice chairman of Generali. This does not "compensate" Does not your departure?
Vincent Bollore said he did everything he could within the nominations committee of Mediobanca. I think, though, in reality, I think that he is not against the idea of a withdrawal to my age. He advises me for months already to accept a honorary president for life and the benefits attached to them.Do I need? After all, my phone rings again …
As for the future role within the board of Generali, Vincent Bollore – who, as intelligent and dynamic as it is, is not an insurer – I do not know what he can be when we clearly supports a takeover of Generali by Mediobanca.
What do you mean?
I think if you put me in the door today Generali, because I defend an orthodox management, exclusively serving the interests of the company and its shareholders, not special interests. I also fought for what is Generali of Italy, a treasure, one of his very few companies to be known worldwide. We're number two in France, Germany, Central Europe, in China too (private sector).But for the merchant bank Mediobanca, which is no longer the hub of the Italian economy it was the time of Enrico Cuccia, the issue has always been to return to power at Generali Cash Advance No Faxing. What has never been neither in the interests of the company and its customers or the interests of Italy.
The defense of Generali, it was also against the appetites of other insurers. Have you, during your presidency, proposed a marriage with AXA?
My duty has always been to defend, with all my strength, the "Italian character" of Generali. So yes, Axa has always wanted a reconciliation, but I've always been against. And I have often said Claude Bebear.If it was thought at one time or another, the fact that French is the head of Generali was a godsend, he finally had to give in to reason.
Compare yourself today the circumstances of your departure to the 1999?
When I became the CEO of Generali in 1995, it achieved very little of its profit in connection with its object. She was content to sell property to make profits! In four years, I had doubled the turnover consolidated global market capitalization tripled. But Mediobanca from me in 1999. As I said at the time, and this remains true, the recognition is a disease of the dog not transmissible to man!
And then in 2002, Mediobanca, very concerned about the financial situation of Generali, which was lost, asked me to return. What not to the liking of everyone.Antonio Fazio, Governor of the Bank of Italy, has done everything for me put a spoke in the wheels. But he failed. Others were convinced that I would not set goals that I had with the two managing directors: we had developed a considerable business plan, for a term of three years for the management, instead of just one year as was. And as I have done my job, they could not get rid of me … until now.
This special relationship between Generali and Mediobanca did she embarrassed in your plans for the insurer?
Yes, because Mediobanca would not be diluted stake in Generali. They have never wanted me to realize any capital increase. Mediobanca may not, from his point of view, giving room for maneuver to Generali, and I worry for its future.Because if the company has managed to partially rebuild its capital after the terrible financial crisis we went through these past two years, it will not be sufficient to meet future regulatory requirements under Solvency 2 Directive nor more needs to be developed by means not only organic but also by major acquisitions.
At one point, he will make a capital increase. And better sooner than later because the liquidity has been abundant in recent months, will not always what you …
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This is a first official estimate. Le Figaro had argued Wednesday the number of one billion euros in damage, according to the French Federation of Insurance Companies (FFSA), the Xynthia storm that swept through France last Sunday is expected to cost at least $ 1.2 billion of EUR insurers. Because this encryption is based on insurance claims 500,000 victims and will probably be revised upwards. Firstly because other people should still report damage in the coming days. Xynthia is indeed the most violent storm in the 1999, stronger than that Klaus had 740,000 victims last year in the Southwest. Secondly, many houses are still flooded making it difficult to make a definitive estimate of the damage.
The assessment takes into account the damage caused by wind and partly by water.These latter are partly supported by governments that have recognized the state of natural disaster one hour payday loan .
To find the total cost of damage from the storm, it would also add all those suffered by all the infrastructure (roads, bridges, dams). Borne by state and local governments and not covered by members of the FFSA and the Grouping of mutual insurance companies, they have not been integrated to 1.2 billion euros. The final cost of Klaus – 1.68 billion euros – was nearly three times the initial estimate.According to the FFSA, it will take one to two months in order to establish the final amount of the cost of the storm for its members.
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The statement should be screaming the railway unions. According to the Court of Auditors, the reform of 35 hours explaining the difficulties of the station to cope with the opening of its monopoly to competition, including productivity gap with its competitors. They can reach 30% in the sector of freight transport.
According to the report published today, law enforcement has led to increased numbers of staff from 7000 to 7500. However, "the additional staff that the reform had resulted represents almost half the number of posts abolished during the seven subsequent years, totaling approximately 15,600 officers between 2002 and 2008.
This reform overstaffed and it has quickly established a consolidated "in terms of labor significantly less than the theoretical time required by law."In 2008, train drivers have been working daily 6:14, 1:35 or less than the theoretical length of bad credit payday loans . Even finding for drivers to maneuver and supervisors who work 20 minutes at 1:35 less than their working theory. On the RER B, managed with the RATP, the effective working time of workers down even at 5:50 am daily.
The institution of the Rue Cambon notes that despite its efforts, the station is "not reached a sufficiently relaxed social setting strictly regulated. A situation that could weaken against its competitors and "constitute an obstacle to its development."
The Court of Auditors called the coup, a "necessary harmonization of rules between the station and private operators.
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Declining tax revenues and rising costs: the state budget did not end in 2009, suffering from this terrible effect scissors. The budget deficit widened to 143.3 billion euros in November 30, cons -66.6 billion a year earlier, said the Budget Ministry on Tuesday.
The difference, over one year amounted to 76.8 billion euros. He "explained mainly by the impact of economic conditions on changes in revenue and up to 34 billion euros by the end measures of recovery plan," says the ministry said in a statement.
In late November, total expenditure amounted to 329.7 billion euros, 13.9 billion more than a year ago. A difference can be explained by the cost recovery plan, advance Bercy."Out Recovery Plan expenditure (general budget and levies on revenues) increased by 850 million euros a year to another," says he.
In late 2009 the fiscal deficit, however, register under the 140 billion euros, one billion less than originally planned, said the Budget Ministry. This table to limit the deficit on tax revenue in December "slightly less degraded" and on "buoyant spending.
Direct consequence of this widening deficit, government debt under the Maastricht should represent 77.9% of GDP at end 2009 and 84% of GDP in 2010. To fill this gap, the state will borrow this year to market a record $ 188 billion.
The French manage to reach a critical size in the Light Armored? It is hoped that the group Panhard attempting a rapprochement with the public Nexter (formerly Giat). The building is well underway in Europe, led by the Anglo-Saxons.
To the north, Britain's BAE Systems has steadily increased, including the purchase of Swedish Hagglunds, and now shows 7 billion euros of turnover. To the south, the U.S. General Dynamics has swooped on the Spanish Santa Barbara. The French Nexter and Panhard, which respectively carry a turnover of 579 million euros and hundreds of millions, have emerged as Tom Thumb. A rapprochement with Renault Trucks Defense, a subsidiary of Volvo Trucks, has also been mentioned.
Hence the idea of boss Panhard, Christian Mons, initiating a rapprochement with Next.Especially since the group's main shareholder, with 75% of the capital, George Cohen, had once considered separate from that asset. Having no desire to become a sub-subsidiary of a foreign group, Panhard therefore seeks to grow, with a preference for a Franco-French solution. Interviews with representatives of the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) – who presides over the future of Nexter – have already been held and the proposal would have received a rather favorable.
Crossing several pitfalls
Panhard side, do not hesitate to think big. The company already imagine that after having bought Nexter it could begin negotiations with its German competitors Rheinmetall and KMW, also looking for external growth operations to reach a critical size.Such discussions would kick off an equivalent of one armored EADS.
Before that happened, it remains to Panhard to cross several hurdles. Only Nexter Armored Division and its flagship, the Leclerc tanks, interest Panhard. It performs alone 450 million euros of turnover. The group led by Christian Mons no secret to be much less inclined to acquire the activities of artillery and information systems and command.
Although it is still too early for a pattern emerges, buying only part of Nexter or the total surrender before a non-strategic assets, then he should know how to organize a form of privatization of the former Giat. Finally, if Thales does not seem to be a candidate for a merger with Nexter, Renault Trucks Defense had already expressed interest Nexter in 2008.The subsidiary of Swedish group had also extended a hand to Panhard, who was then preferred to decline the proposal.
Good news on employment front in the United States. New entries in unemployment at its lowest since September 2008, to 452,000 in the week ended on December 18. This figure comes after two weeks of up and confirms the downward trend observed since late March in the United States.
Analysts do not expect a decline of this magnitude and had forecast about 470,000 new registrations. The total number of unemployed receiving benefits rose to 5.07 million, a decrease of 127,000 persons over the previous week.
The Department of Labor, which published the statistics, held relative to this development, stating that "this week in particular is extremely difficult to adjust for seasonal variations, because the raw numbers can be very different depending on the configuration calendar year. Clearly, the actual unemployment has probably not declined much.
