Posts Tagged ‘features’

United Kingdom: very liberal reform of health

January 21, 2011 - 8:44 am Comments Off

The coalition government led by David Cameron yesterday launched nothing less than the most significant reform of the British system of public health since its inception in 1948. The plan will give more power to GPs and will put in competition with private and public structures, which is denounced by the opposition Labor Party as a back-door attempt to "privatize" the National Health Service (NHS, National Health Service) .

Although the health sector is the only branch of the state untouched by the 81 billion pounds (96 billion) of budget cuts, the coalition of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats has aimed to 4% savings on the health budget, a total of 20 billion pounds in four years.The money saved by reforming the system should be fully reinvested to improve the quality of care and offset the rising cost of health care costs.

David Cameron recalled last weekend that Britain was still below the EU average in many areas, such as survival rates for different types of cancer.

The reform, which concerns only England (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are autonomous in managing their health care system), was presented yesterday to Parliament by the Conservative Minister of Health Andrew Lansley fast cash advance.While Tony Blair and Gordon Brown had tried to improve the quality of the system by investing billions of pounds and more than 400,000 by recruiting new staff for the NHS in a decade, Cameron's plan will remove two hierarchical levels in the administration and should result in significant staff reductions.

Quest for the best price

Currently, public hospitals are controlled by a British chain of command that goes from regional levels to Ministry of Health at the top. From 2013, the new system will remove the control to the Minister of Health to empower GPs, GP (General Practitioners). These physicians, together with regional groupings, have the responsibility to manage up to 80 billion pounds on a total budget of more than 100 billion pounds.Depending on their needs and objectives, they define the goals of care and will be able to compete with public hospitals and private organizations to provide services at the best price. Many patient groups and doctors' union, the British Medical Association, concerned about the impact of reform on patients and fear that these radical reforms and rapid "focus more on cost than quality" of care.

Prices remain stable in November in France

December 15, 2010 - 8:48 am Comments Off

In November, the labels remained wise. Inflation rose 0.1% on the month and remains at 1.6% year over year, according to figures released Tuesday by the INSEE. The seasonally adjusted, prices increase by 0.2% the month (+1.6% on a year). "This slight increase in prices in November from both increased oil prices and rising, partly seasonal food prices," said INSEE.

Energy prices rose 0.9% over the month, those of fresh 2%, as is the season. Note, other food products rose slightly as a result of an increase in meat (+0.5%). The price of cigarettes has been increased by 4.3% over the period.

Promotions on toys and audiovisual equipment

However, rates have declined in tourism and manufactured goods prices fell, "a reflection of promotions, according to Insee. Automakers hold promotions to offset the negative effect of the end of the scrapping, the price of new cars falling by 0 unsecured personal loans.7% over the month.

Like every year, the toys are also subject to promotions (-3.1%), as audiovisual equipment (-1.6%). Finally, "the prices of telecommunications services continued to decline (-1.0% over the month and -1.0% yoy) with the introduction of new types of packages," INSEE said.

Deflationary risk

"The inflation risk is now almost zero in France, said in a note to Alexander Law, chief economist at Xerfi."Our main concern today is more of a deflationary," said he. If lower prices becomes reality in 2011, it could certainly be good for purchasing power. But the economic consequences could be negative, this syndrome increasing the debt burden, reducing corporate margins and causing a decrease in activity.

The economist stresses that the underlying inflation rose by only 0.7% compared to 2009. And it has even decreased by 0.1% in November.

France defends the secrets of his business

December 9, 2010 - 1:24 am Comments Off

Checking a candidate's personal background to management of a company. Mission to analyze the consequences of divorce on the future of a family company. Sensitive information about an acquisition. Who decides to study in an international tender. Investigation to avoid purchasing land in India classified as hazardous for environmental reasons. These varied missions were conducted by companies specializing in competitive intelligence.

French companies have discovered in recent years the interest to better protect themselves and defend their interests.The work of evangelization led by Henri Martre, former president of the public group Aerospatiale, who joined EADS, the prefect Remy Pautrat, the UMP Bernard Carayon of the Tarn and Alain Juillet, a former senior official in charge of intelligence Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister and President of the Academy of Competitive Intelligence, have raised awareness to the business they had to look after their interests.

Effervescence

In this area, however, the state still plays a leading role. Christine Lagarde, Minister of Economy, presented Wednesday in the new Cabinet actions by the public to help national champions to protect against external attacks.These range from business intelligence to the strengthening of security companies and research laboratories, through strengthening the influence of France in the bodies charged with enacting international standards.

The mobilization of state and business organizations as the MEDEF, CGPME and chambers of commerce has created a frenzy. In recent years, French companies in business intelligence have multiplied. The tricolor is the number one public group ADIT (Agency for the dissemination of technological information). It employs 150 analysts in France and 500 foreign correspondents, paid primarily to the mission, and carries 20 million euros of turnover. Its experts have designed the business center of Baghdad French allowing contractors to win contracts in Iraq enjoying the maximum safety.They may have offices and hotel rooms secured, an armed escort to move or ask to arrange a visit to an area. The tricolor is another great CEIS, founded in 1997 by Olivier Darrason, which is present in other sectors. Sign of the emergence of a true industry, the profession is organized with the creation of a professional syndicate.

But much remains to be done. "The market is fragmented," says Philippe Deciduous, CEO of Adit. "The French have a real lack of representation abroad, in Asia and India. They outsource too much of the Anglo-Saxons in countries like India. The expertise in financial matters is Anglo-Saxon, "said Christian Harbulot, founding director of the School of economic warfare.The French are not yet able to compete with the Anglo-Saxons, led by Kroll and Control Risks, a strong presence internationally.

The deal could change, however. "The state will open the capital of Adit up to 66% to create the European leader able to compete with the Anglo-Saxons," explains Philippe Deciduous. The computer services company Altran, the credit insurer Coface, the fund HLD Jean-Bernard Lafonta and Butler Capital funds are in the running. They laid their offerings on Nov. 19. Governments should take a decision by Christmas. Once selected, the two new shareholders will locate Adit Germany, Sweden, England, Italy and strengthen its presence in Brazil, Russia, India and China. Evidence that the intelligence beyond French borders.

New forms of attacks

• The Michelin case or failures in law

In July 2007, Clermont supplier Bridgestone is notified by its Japanese competitor, one of its former executives trying to sell strategic information on truck tires. Following the trial on 21 June, a court in Clermont-Ferrand condemns dishonest former employee to two years suspended sentence and 5,000 euro fine, plus 10,000 euros in damages. But he was acquitted of charges of "violation of trade secrets" and "acts of espionage." "This verdict would probably have been different had we been able to present the detail of the relevant policy, we do not want to do is advertise the hearing.It would introduce the camera in this type of case, "offers Andrew Dietz, the legal director of France Michelin.

• Social networks increasingly monitored

In a large construction company in 2008, the son of the CEO discovers a profile on behalf of his father on Facebook. Knowing that his father sexagenarian stands away from social networks, it alerts the management of IT services group. Facebook will one week to grant their request to close this fake profile. Eight days during which the usurper could announce an acquisition or other major event likely to impact its stock price. Another company has thanked a member of its board of directors, who recounted his day's work every night on Facebook, revealing strategic information.The Labour Court has also recently approved the dismissal for serious misconduct of three employees who had denigrated Alten their hierarchy on the Internet, sullying the reputation of the company.

• From the dark to destabilize competitors

Laboratoires Thea is a good example of influence strategy, the component "offensive" of intelligence. Their rival Monaco Europhta, advised by the Parisian firm Institutions and Enterprises, has spread a rumor about an innovative eye drops Thea, referring to dangerous side effects, based on medical reports biased and false testimony.Thea has conducted an operation against influence-which allowed him to stem the negative impact of libel on its sales to obtain redress in the courts and in October 2007 to buy its competitor.

• The racket takes many forms

Hackers sometimes seek to blackmail companies. An industry group has been paying its employees' payroll and a blocked site, e-commerce was paralyzed a few weeks before Christmas. The web page subscription online broker Saxo Bank has been duplicated and made up with an account number which transferred directly falsified Internet payments on the account of the pirate. Areva has been a target of an impostor posing as an agent of the former DGSE.Attempts at extortion are not reported by the companies who fear a negative impact on their image.

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Public Service: The state wants to fight against the abusive CSD

November 12, 2010 - 4:12 am Comments Off

Georges Tron is state secretary Eric Woerth, responsible for Public Service

LE FIGARO. – You had announced the end of the year a law on the insecurity in the public service. Why does he starts late?

Georges Tron. – He was interrupted by the pension reform. The unions did not want to continue the dialogue during this period when they opposed the government. This is unfortunate and understandably. I wish on this subject as on others renew the son of social dialogue and resume consultations with the aim of drafting by the end of a document to serve as a basis for real negotiations in early 2011. The ideal would be to present in the wake of a draft law to Parliament.

Nicolas Sarkozy had said in January this year, "be prepared to consider progressive contractual tenure.Civil Service Will it recover to hire massively?

We will not plan the 17th overall tenure in the post-war! Especially since the 850 inexpensive business cards.000 contract staff are not all in a precarious situation. Commission agents for example, does not necessarily want to become civil servants, because a CDI can they afford not to be subject to certain requirements (mobility, training …) recorded in the status of public service. It is against abusive situations that we will fight.

For those who want it, we will build bridges but integration is not automatic. We'll see what kinds of tests we can imagine.It would be absurd to make them pass the entrance exam in the traditional civil service must be rather a form of recognition of prior experience, since these people work for government for years.

Will you stop repeating the CSD?

This is another component. On the one hand we want to clarify the rules since 2005 make it necessary to propose a permanent contract after six years of CSD. They are too often misused, especially by local authorities. We will ensure that they apply consistently, including when the first contract is signed for meeting a temporary need. " If the agent is still present six, eight, ten years later, the need was permanent! For an agent, it is difficult and unusual to have to attack her employer to court for recognition.

On the other hand, we want to allow the signing of a permanent contract at the outset, not only by agents of category A. So far, they are almost reserved for categories A. Or, at least 40% of staff in category B and category C are under contract. This situation holds in a weak position tens of thousands of agents. Ending it will avoid re "stocks" CDD abusive.

But unions are reluctant to increase the CDI, which they see as a stopgap. They claim tenure held …

For the first time in October, the electorate for the elections in the professional civil service will integrate the 850 best business cards .000 Contractors. A change that the unions wanted, because of the Bercy Accord follows that six of them, eight have signed.This will lead, I think, to evolve. In this they have years ahead of the left who in 2005 voted against the Commission, preferring to maintain a public function at two speeds: CDS precarious one side and the other holders.

You also intend to create mission contracts. Do not you fear an outcry?

This finding very specific skills, we do not have in the administration, eg for a large IT project. It is more relevant in this case, to provide that the contract expires when the project is completed rather than after a fixed period or resort to a dismissal procedure.

The Saudi flag passes Crillon

November 6, 2010 - 12:16 am Comments Off

The Hotel de Crillon, the famous luxury hotel located on the Place de la Concorde, changed hands. Reportedly, its current owner, the U.S. fund Starwood Capital, has completed the sale of the walls of the institution of capital close to the Saudi royal family. Sources close to the deal, the transaction would be almost complete. A works at the Crillon has already held November 3 to announce the process for employees. Another meeting is planned in the coming days.

The transaction amount would be around 250 million euros, excluding work payday loan. The hotel needs a serious renovation, which might add to the note of a hundred million Euros. Work has begun on the facade. The hotel management should be entrusted to the Kempinski hotel group, which holds the rope.The sale of the Crillon puts an end to months of difficult transactions for Starwood, which had failed to sell the hotel to Sheikh al-Jaber, before setting the matter to court.

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Spain: municipalities may strike garbage

October 13, 2010 - 12:32 am Comments Off

The 200,000 inhabitants of Jerez de la Frontera, the Andalusian city that invented sherry – or Sherry – are warned: If the mayor fails to honor its debts by January 23, 2011, garbage will pile into the streets. The municipality has 30 million euros Urbaser, a subsidiary of ACS, a Spanish construction giants, ready to use strong to be paid.

Jerez is not an isolated case in Spain. Spanish mayors have traditionally deadbeat. But with the crisis, delinquencies have soared. Municipal revenues have fallen and banks have closed the valves. Result: the common display of more than 3.2 billion euros of debts.

Alone has 500 million Madrid giants of cleanliness. Besides the 65 million with 7 million of interest charged by providers of maintenance of parks and gardens.Near Almeria, the 33 sweepers and gardeners in the small town of Albox will not be paid in October. Unless the mayor is miraculously the 6.5 million it owes the group Ferrovial.

Concession companies, whose heart is the construction trades are the ones who suffer most from the bursting of the housing bubble in Spain.

Grouped in a lobby, Aselip, subsidiaries of ACS, FCC, Ferrovial and Sacyr have assigned to court over 6000 common! "All our companies will complain against mayors," and threatened the president of Aselip Francisco Jardon, in an interview with financial daily Expansión cash advance now.

For their part, mayors kicking into touch. The main cause of the situation would be the socialist government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who cut their access to long-term credits last spring.Urged by the IMF and its European partners, the executive wanted to impose on local government effort rigor he applied at the national level.

These days, however, the government has finally given two major concessions. The Law on the 2011 budget will allow councils to increase local property taxes. And the tap of credits will also reopened in 2011, municipal elections, except for municipalities whose debt exceeds 75% of current income.

Madrid and Valencia, two major cities run by the right are the sixteen exceptions. Pending 2011, local officials are clueless. Some municipalities have renegotiated the concession contracts. Madrid and obtained a 15% discount on their bill for waste disposal. In return, businesses are cutting services or laying off.Left to swell a little more unemployment figures, which at 20.5% according to Eurostat, are already the highest rate of any European Union.

The provision of public services will develop in rural areas

September 28, 2010 - 1:04 am Comments Off

LE FIGARO. – You sign a partnership agreement today with nine operators to increase public utilities in rural areas. Why?

Michel Mercier. – This is the first time the presidents of nine major French public operators will gather together to sign an agreement with the State Partnership utilities. The goal is simple: after years of decline, the population begins to grow in rural areas. The State must show the French living in those territories that have not been forgotten and accompanies this revival. This is the logical continuation of Focus on the rural areas and the speech of President of the Republic to Morea.We will give our fellow citizens living outside the cities the maximum utility by pooling the resources of major operators, while relying on the development of new technologies such as high speed broadband.

Specifically, what will change?

Public services will develop in the territories where they did not exist, or sometimes more. Take the example of Chauffailles, a small town of Saône-et-Loire where the train station was closed for several years. This station has reopened and three employees were hired: they sell tickets on behalf of TER SNCF, helping people to connect to a terminal comprising the multi-fund Social Security and provide payment services for utility bill. The old station was thus transformed into a multiservice center groups, financed to the tune of 6,000 euros per year by all public operators.Nationally, we are launching, initially, an experiment that lasted 18 months in 22 metropolitan areas and regions overseas: we will create at least 60 new centers of its kind in 23 departments, one per region, and strengthen service in 300 existing sites payday loan lenders. Locally, the prefects of the departments of experimentation will determine, with operators and local volunteers, actions and places to improve public services. All this will appear in a local contract.

What other reception points are affected by this experience?

The Post is committed to ensuring that one hundred relay station dealers offer their customers the possibility to buy train tickets TER. A high-speed Internet access will also be offered in 50 post offices early 2011, as all the new services under the agreement.Moreover, it will be possible to pay bills EDF and GDF in any post office in France. Finally, fifty tourist offices will sell postal products and train tickets TER.

What will you do at the end of this experiment?

The goal is obviously to increase the openings of sites containing all utilities. But we chose to be pragmatic, and that's why we want to generalize the experience before, studying with the operators what works and what can be improved. We must see what is the attendance of these sites, the uses most desired by our citizens to better match supply to progressively extend the experiments.This is crucial because public operators will invest in this project, including funding the infrastructure and paying the training of employees working in these centers. The state, meanwhile, will release 15 million euros over three years.

The CAC 40 should remain hesitant

September 3, 2010 - 3:08 pm Comments Off

At 14:30, all financial markets will have their eyes riveted on the U.S.. It was at that time that the unemployment figures across the Atlantic for the month of August will be published. Given the caution with which the New York markets were closed Thursday and Europe, uncertainty should continue this Friday until the publication of these figures. Around 8:10, the future of the CAC 40 rose 0.21% to 3632 points.

"It does not happen much on the markets, who are eagerly awaiting the unemployment figures of the United States, says it in the rooms. Is a very important day. Nobody wants to get new paris before this indicator. Investors prefer to wait and see what is the recovery. "He added: "If the numbers are bad, I think the markets will fall heavily and not only Friday, but next week."

Pending the U.S. unemployment

Despite a slight decline as unexpected new listings weekly unemployment across the Atlantic on Thursday, the Labor Department is expected to announce this afternoon an increase in unemployment to 9.6%."The GDP is not growing fast enough to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs needed each month to reduce employment at its level before the crisis," said Christina Romer Thursday, who will leave at the end of the week his position as economic advisor of President Barack Obama.

Also across the Atlantic in 16 hours, the ISM index of activity in services for the month of August and a speech from Fed chairman in Atlanta, Dennis Lockhart on current economic conditions are also scheduled .

For the euro area, will be published PMI composite and services for the month of August (10:00) and retail sales for the month of July (11:00) faxless payday advance.

The meeting will be much calmer on the microeconomic front, in the absence of publications, the wave of results for this quarter coming to an end the Paris Bourse.

Values follow

Investors monitor the value of France Telecom, however. The chief operator, Stéphane Richard, told Reuters on Thursday on the sidelines of the MEDEF Summer University he was confident in the outcome of discussions with Canal + on the fusion of TV Orange Cinema Series and TPS Star. It will also try to convince the government not to raise VAT on offers "triple play".

Air France plans to create a structure "low cost" for medium-haul routes, especially between Orly and the province to counter the offensive of the British low cost airline EasyJet.

The Slovak government has decided to retire to a consortium led by Bouygues a road construction project of $ 3.3 billion through a public-private partnership announced Thursday, Slovak Minister of Transport, Jan Figel.

Venezuela will pay approximately $ 600 million (468 million euros) in Casino and other shareholders of the supermarket chain Exito nationalized in January, said Thursday in President Hugo Chavez.

Vinci said on Thursday the acquisition by its subsidiary of Vinci Park UK Meteor Parking which achieves annual turnover of approximately 50 million pounds (60 million euros), enabling it to become number four in the sector United Kingdom.

LVMH: A court decision is expected this Friday on an appeal by eBay, convicted in 2008 for dissemination and distribution of counterfeit perfume off approved.

Bernanke: Fed will do more if needed

August 30, 2010 - 7:32 am Comments Off

The Fed Will it adopt new stimulus package? The speech by Ben Bernanke, chairman of the U.S. central bank, was eagerly awaited by the markets. The central banker acknowledged that growth had slowed more than expected. But he felt that the time was not immediately put in place new emergency measures. Without excluding the possibility for the future.

The situation has worsened, Bernanke acknowledged at the annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which meets every year members of the Fed."In general, the economic data suggest that the recovery of activity and employment has slowed in recent months" to fall "at a pace somewhat slower than anticipated in the Most leaders, "he said.

But for now, the risk of falling into deflation, the dreaded cocktail of low inflation and sluggish growth is "weak", said the central banker payday loans in one hour. Conversely, he noted that inflation had slowed more slowly than expected, while refuting the scenario of a price spike. Ben Bernanke has finally reiterated his confidence in the U.S. economy. After a slow recovery in the second half of 2010, growth should improve in 2011.

In this context, "the committee (monetary policy) is ready to implement further monetary easing through unconventional measures, if necessary, especially if the outlook were to deteriorate significantly," he said . Analysts will have to wait for the next meeting of the Board of Governors, September 21 next, whether the Fed will increase its stimulus.

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Major brands are trying to circumvent the distribution

August 3, 2010 - 4:56 pm Comments Off

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the graphics.

Danone launched into the restoration. The world leader in dairy products has launched two bars to yoghurt Madrid airport. In these Yoghourteria, Activia is eaten fresh or frozen, with fruit, cereal or chocolate chips. In Barcelona, the first Yoghourteria, inaugurated in April 2009, now offers the takeaways of yogurt, some flavors not found elsewhere. "We could expand to other cities such Activia yogurt bars," says Le Figaro Franck Riboud, Danone's boss.

As Danone, all food manufacturers are looking for growth opportunities in France, outside of supermarkets."In a context of sluggish food consumption, and given a power imbalance with retailers, they have an interest in exploring alternatives to the supermarket," says Isabelle Senand, a researcher at Xerfi, who recently published a study on the subject. For big brands, there is certainly no question of leaving the signs. In France, all to carry between three quarters and all of their turnover. But every incentive for manufacturers, who complain of increasing pressure from central purchasing, attempting to find other ways to market their products. When they are not definitively rule out shelves, brands are now forced to reduce their range. Worse, they suffer from the growing rays taken in by labels.

All manufacturers secretly dream of repeating the feat of Nestlé.For Nespresso exclusively sold in the shops of the brand and the Internet, the global leader in agriculture and food industry spends large distributors. But the opening of a network of shops is very expensive and only profitable after many years. This is the strategy chosen by Häagen-Dazs, whose 75 stores generated one third of the 100 million euros turnover in France. They are the face of the glacier. Similarly, the two shops Mesh (Unilever) opened in 1996 is a must destination for Japanese and American.

Relations more civilized

Fortunately, other networks allow more affordable to achieve good profitability quickly. By selling their products in movie theaters or amusement parks, manufacturers highlight their brands in places meaningful.It's good for their image … and more and more each year for sales.

By putting the accelerator on such distribution channels, plus vending machines, food shops (bakeries, butchers) or gas stations, brands stick to the consumption boom and the nomadic power between meals. "As we sell products of impulse are not on the shopping list to the supermarket, we need to be closer to the consumer, explains it with Mars, which makes France the three quarters of its sales in GMS. We constantly strive to develop our distribution channels. "The group, which has created a department dedicated to these new tracks, this is for three years at McDonald's.

In the alternative networks, competition is always tough, but relations with the distributor are far more civilized.Dedicated sales force to negotiate access to these outlets. They often through intermediaries, wholesalers and others who scrape a portion of the margins, or respond to calls for tenders is fiercest. At Coca-Cola France, 350 people are dedicated to independent outlets, while sales managers negotiate with national customers such as cinemas, sports clubs, chains of bakeries. "It is profitable, but require significant investment, says a close group.With so many commercials for supermarkets, Coca-Cola carries half of sales. "

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