Sep 27, 2010

Japan's export growth slows

Japan's annual export growth slowed for a sixth consecutive month. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

TOKYO - JAPAN'S export growth slowed for the sixth consecutive month in August, as a strong yen and cooling global demand rattled an already fragile recovery.
The value of exports climbed 15.8 per cent from a year earlier to 5.22 trillion yen (S$81.8 billion), according to the Ministry of Finance.
It was the slowest month of export growth this year. Exports expanded more than 23 per cent in July and 28 per cent in June.
The deceleration poses a major risk for Japan, which has depended on the rest of the world to make up for lackluster demand at home.
The country has turned to high-growth countries in Asia, particularly China, to drive the economy.
But that expansion is under threat as countries unwind stimulus measures that had underpinned global demand. Japanese exporters such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Sony Corp. also face the onslaught of a strong yen, which hit fresh 15-year highs against the US dollar this month, and led the government to intervene in currency markets for the first time in six years. -- AP

Attack Foreign Affairs, Foreign exchange Translucent U.S. $ 81 Billion

Attack Foreign Affairs, Foreign exchange Translucent U.S. $ 81 Billion
Foreign capital inflows in the form of FDI (foreign investment) grew quite rapidly.
Friday, 3 September 2010, 14:49 AM
Heri Susanto, Nur Farida Ahniar

  (AP Photo / Lee Jin-man)
RELATED NEWS

    * Foreign exchange reserves would be U.S. $ 85 Billion Translucent
    * 2011, Target Foreign Exchange Reserves U.S. $ 94.6 Billion
    * Indonesian Foreign Exchange Reserves Approach to U.S. $ 80 Billion
    * End of June, Foreign Exchange Reserves of U.S. $ 76 Billion RI
    * BI: Open End of May 2010 Translucent $ 81 Billion
VIVAnews - Bank Indonesia recorded during one month of foreign exchange reserves increased by more than U.S. $ 2 billion from U.S. $ 78.79 billion at the end of July to U.S. $ 81.3 billion at the end of August 2010.

Bank Indonesia Governor Nasution revealed from the external side, the balance of payments recorded a surplus which is relatively high, driven primarily by higher surpluses on capital and financial.

"Influx of foreign capital in the form of FDI (foreign investment) grew quite rapidly despite foreign portfolio inflows still remain dominant," said Nasution. Invasive foreign investors, he said, in line with improving the positive perception of foreign investors in Indonesia's economic prospects.

However, on the trade balance, the surplus is expected to decline due to increasing imports of high enough in line with domestic economic activity increased.
With these developments, the foreign reserves on August 31, 2010 increased to U.S. $ 81.3 billion, equivalent to 6.1 months of imports and government foreign debt payments.

"Balance of payments surplus, a positive investor perception of risk, and the attractiveness of yields in turn encourages the strengthening of the rupiah during August 2010," he said.
• VIVAnews

Jakarta employ 1.2 million domestic servants (PRT)

ADI DWIJAYADIChairman of the National Network Domestic Workers Advocacy (Jala PRT), Lita Anggraeni, when interviewed by reporters in Matraman, East Jakarta, Wednesday (09/01/2010). He assess more clearly the fact the high demand of domestic residents.
RELATED:

    * PRT Mudik, Tompi No Worries
    * Performance PRT 'Infalan' More Satisfying
    * Family Leave for Rupiah
    * Hundreds of domestic workers began arriving Infalan
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Towards Eid found leaflets offering services of domestic workers (PRT) infalan (substitute for a certain period) in various places, such as stuck in a tree, house walls, freeway walls, or ads in the newspapers.
Call it, the sentence following pamphlets: We Provide Replacement PRT Lebaran Holiday period, please contact Mr. / Ms ... or Confused Search PRT Substitute? Contact the Foundation ....
"This fact shows the reality of social demand for domestic workers, especially ahead of Idul Fitri," said Chairman of the National Network PRT Advocacy (Jala PRT), Lita Anggraeni, in Press Conference Reflection Lebaran 2010, Wednesday (09/01/2010) in Jakarta.
According to Lita, household chores, like washing and ironing clothes, parenting, making food, and clean the house, it was so important for a domestic life.
"Just imagine Lebaran later, when no one doing all the housework," he said.
For households that do not employ domestic workers, none of this would have a big impact because of all the household work done themselves. But, for those who employ domestic workers, their absence would increase household expenditure.
"For instance, for the period between two to four weeks, you have to find a replacement domestic worker wages above the regular wages of domestic workers. If you can not substitute for domestic workers, the expenditure to eat, wash, and the iron becomes greater," said Lita.
According to a survey Jala PRT in 2009, spending on domestic workers in households without a regular day (especially those with young children) can reach two to four times when a household's expenditures to employ domestic workers.
"From this survey, it was obvious PRT is contributing to the economic efficiency of household and public activities," he said.
Jala PRT noted, Jakarta is a city that employ domestic workers in Indonesia's most lots with 1.2 million people, followed by Surabaya, Medan 500,000 people and 200,000 people. (Kompas.com)