English FA told to give evidence

of corruption in World Cup bidding

Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong

Vimita Mohandas

vimita@mediacorp.com.sg

The tripartite partners have also worked together to help vulnerable workers like the low-skilled low-wage workers and older employees, with institutions like the Employment and Employability Institute helping over 600,000 workers to upgrade their skills over the past five years, said Mr Gan at a regional trade union conference yesterday.

The Tripartite Alliance on Fair Employment Practices set up in 2006 has also helped to promote progressive workplace practices that are worker-centric and employee-friendly, with some 1,600 companies already pledged to commit to fair employment practices so far.

International Trade Union Confederation for Asia and the Pacific president G Rajasekaran said this successful tripartite relationship could be a model for the region, but governments would have to be open and progressive for it to work.

“It’s the government, as the person in between, the person who co-ordinates must believe in it and not listen more to employers because of the business and investment considerations.” he said. “They tend to sacrifice workers’ rights and tribunal rights.”

Mr Gan said this as the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) celebrates its many achievements on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, it is also charting its future direction to better represent and advance the well-being of workers in Singapore.

This will help NTUC remain a strong tripartite partner, said Mr Gan, adding that a strong NTUC will enable the Government to continue to work together with employers to create win-win-win outcomes for all in the years to come.SINGAPORE — Singapore’s strong tripartite cooperation between the Government, employers and unions has benefitted all in recent years, including helping Singapore survive the recent global financial crisis relatively unscathed, said Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong (picture).

Where’s a student to study?

Make parks study-friendly

Build  Library at every Constituency

Letter from Daphne Ho Shu Xuan

THERE are not enough public places for students to study.

Very often, we see students hogging seats at fast-food restaurants, cafés and Changi airport for hours and this has inconvenienced those who want to find a place to dine. I have seen too many students ignore the peak-hour crowds.

Such an inconsiderate act should not be tolerated. But it also raises the question of whether there are enough places where students can go to study.

Permitted places, such as libraries, do not seem to have enough seats for them.

One suggestion is to build a conducive environment for study in the parks.

More tables and benches with shelters should be added and cafés could be built inside the parks where students can study.

I am sure some spoilt their votes whether in protest or fear. Having said that, I also believe that some voters might have made mistakes in indicating their vote despite the clear official instructions to mark an “X”.

The free trade agreement between the Association of South-east Asian Nations and China (ACFTA), implemented in January last year, was heralded as creating the world’s largest market with 1.8 billion consumers, and helping link up Asians with Asians.petrochemicals, iron and steel.

Hank Lim is senior research fellow and Simon Tay is chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

Yet 16 months since it came into effect, tensions have been rising. Businesses in Indonesia and some other countries have protested the impact of Chinese imports and political concerns have been signalled.

Is the risk of a trade war rising?

[WHY  no trade war in Singapore ? ? ? ?]

Do ASEAN economies really gain from the agreement with the rising China?

How can the ACFTA help rather than hurt?

[WHY  ACFTA  does  not  hurt  Singapore's High  PRICES  ? ? ? ?]

The ACFTA is having a real effect on bilateral trade. Last year, trade volume reached US$300 billion (S$369 billion), an increase of 55 per cent year over 2009. Import duties are being reduced gradually on a wide range of items — including many consumer items such as garments, leather products, ceramics, food and beverages, and electronics, as well as

Imports from China have surged and some domestic producers have felt the impact as consumers switch to these imports.

In Indonesia — ASEAN’s largest economy — manufacturers have complained to the government and dragged Trade Minister Mari Pangestu to the national congress.

Similar sentiments are being expressed in the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.

Some accuse China of dumping goods into ASEAN markets, artificially making prices low to unfairly compete for market share.

[WHY  there is nO  dUmpIng in  SINGAPORE  ? ? ? ?  Something WRONG with  Singapore's SUPPLY CHAIN  ? ? ? ?]

Calls have come for ASEAN governments to re-negotiate the FTA or else to impose countervailing taxes against Chinese imports. There is also talk of other, non-trade barriers such as requiring labels to be in the local language. Such measures would be questionable under international trade law and might spark friction with China.

It remains to be seen if ASEAN governments can resist such calls, especially when domestic manufacturers can influence and lobby, or are state-owned. Part of the challenge is to balance between short term pain with longer-term gains.

The gradual phasing out of the tariff gives ASEAN businesses some time to adapt. But inevitably, some businesses will prove unable to compete in the new market. Business closures and worker layoffs will then follow in the short term, visible and politically sensitive.

Facing this, ASEAN governments should initiate structural domestic reforms to nudge domestic producers to adjust and move up the value chain, or move to other products. Policies to ensure employment or else provide welfare benefits for affected workers will also be needed.

ASEAN should undertake this in view of the longer term benefits to be gained. As China grows economically, its domestic market offers a large potential market for ASEAN exports, provided ASEAN manufacturers can be competitive. Furthermore, as wages and costs continue to increase in China, there will be a push factor to increase China’s investment in ASEAN countries.

This has already been felt in sectors for resources, energy, and minerals. But there are also emerging signs that some Chinese companies and other multinationals are relocating some parts of the manufacturing supply chain from China to selected ASEAN economies. An investment agreement recently signed in Bangkok can support this.

By lowering market risk and uncertainty, not just Chinese and ASEAN investors but also American, European and Japanese companies can be attracted to invest in the integrated market. Whether this eventuates depends on ASEAN governments adapting their economies.

For instance, even if companies want to relocate manufacturing to ASEAN, countries must provide sufficient and secure electricity for the factories that will be built. This is otherwise a bottleneck for foreign manufacturers looking to invest.

Intra-ASEAN trade barriers must also be dismantled so that manufacturers can disperse different parts of their supply chain across ASEAN, to maximise efficiency.

In this way, governments must give effect to the ASEAN economic community in tandem with ACFTA.

Only a more integrated ASEAN can effectively trade with China.

The calculus of gains and losses from freer trade is complicated.

While losses are often immediate and visible, benefits may not be readily apparent and require policy adjustments to take hold.

Political leaders [#are nOT  SHREWD  ENTREPRENEURS  ? ? ? ?    but  just  high  salaried  Administrators  ? ? ? ?#] have to provide leadership not only in signing FTAs, but even more in following up with prompt structural changes.

More research and data collection and dialogue with various stakeholders before the signing the ACFTA may have assisted.

But the need now is not to rescind the agreement but to move to better manage and gain from it.

This is not only in the calculation of the domestic interests of some manufacturers. It is important for consumers, investors and the wider ASEAN economy as well as for the political and strategic relations between China and ASEAN.

China is rising and ASEAN must learn to live and compete with, and gain from its neighbour.

Workers piecing together leather handbags in Bandung, Indonesia. With tariffs reduced on China imports such as leather, consumers are gradually switching to these imported goods, causing unhappiness among local manufacturers.

BLOOMBERG

Free trade: No pain, no gain

The impact of the ASEAN-China FTA has caused unhappy rumbles, which states must move to better manage

Some accuse China of dumping goods into ASEAN markets, artificially making prices low to unfairly compete for market share. Calls have come for ASEAN governments to re-negotiate the FTA or impose countervailing taxes against Chinese imports. It remains to be seen if ASEAN governments can resist such calls.

Is this  to  GY's  CREDIT  ? ? ? ?

We had spent the last five years working hard, trying to understand — in the areas where there are gaps — what the problems were, what the deficiencies were, and to address those.

EX-Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and EX-Second Minister for Finance and Transport Lim Hwee Hua

mOre  than  5 years  agO  ? ? ? ?

the resentment is so deep’

Minister Lim Hwee Hua says PAP needs to seriously look at transforming itself

Teo Xuanwei

xuanwei@mediacorp.com.sg

caught by surprise.

Surprise at how deep the resentment and unhappiness against the People’s Action Party (PAP) ran among residents in Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC).SINGAPORE — She said that she had been