Opulentus -Immigration and Visa Process Consultants

New online tool launched for Australian 457 visa holders

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

A new online resource has been formed for overseas employees in Australia who are holding 457 visas to notify them their privileges and obligations in the workplace. Immigration and Citizenship Minister, Brendan O’Connor, said that a multilingual audio visual tool will be valuable for sponsors to use in induction programs for the overseas workers.

‘The 457 visa, when used properly, is a very good tool to provide skilled labor on a temporary basis for those businesses and sectors of our economy that clearly have shortages,’ O’Connor said. However, he told that there is some proof about the employers who are not using 457 visas by the way they intended. ‘No one wants to see workers exploited and our workplace laws provide protection for all workers in Australia, including those from overseas,’ explained O’Conner.

‘Employers of 457 visa holders are required to adhere to a number of sponsorship obligations, including providing overseas workers with the same pay and conditions of employment as Australians who perform equivalent work in the business,’ he added. ‘This online video will help to mitigate the exploitation of overseas workers in Australia by ensuring access to clear information on their rights and obligations in their primary language,’ said O’Conner.

This online tool is an information booklet introduced by the DIAC (Department of Immigration and Citizenship) with the ACTU (Australian Council of Trade Unions), the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations.

It will be easier to become a Dane

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

Justice Ministry and Enhedslisten team up for a package of changes designed to make it easier to obtain Danish citizenship

The Justice Ministry announced changes today designed to make it easier for foreigners to obtain Danish citizenship.

Among the changes, which will come into effect on June 15, are a lessening of the Danish language and self-sufficiency requirements, changes to residency requirements, a promise to bring down case-handling times, and a pledge to move forward on allowing dual citizenship.

The justice minister, Morten Bødskov (Socialdemokraterne), stated in a press release that the requirements for becoming a Danish citizen should be "high but realistic to live up to".

"With this new agreement we have given individuals better incentive to integrate themselves because the requirements are now more realistic,” Bødskov said. “It is my expectation that [the changes] will make a positive contribution to successful integration."

Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen of far-left party Enhedslisten, which joined the government coalition parties in making the agreement, expressed satisfaction with the changes but added that her party "would have liked to have gone further in some areas".

"It is satisfying, and also high time, that the requirements for Danish citizenship have been adjusted so that there are not large groups of refugees and immigrants who in practice are barred from ever achieving citizenship," Schmidt-Nielsen said. "We entered into this agreement because it is a step in the right direction in relation to [former right-wing coalition government] VKO's totally inhumane rules."

Specific changes will see citizenship applicants being required to pass an easier Danish language course, with the requirement that applicants complete the Dansk 2 language courses as opposed to Dansk 3.

The changes will also finally see the heavily-criticised citizenship test (indfødsretsprøven), which includes questions on Danish history that even most Danes can't answer, replaced by a more modern test (statsborgerskabsprøven). This change should have already occurred but has been subject to delays. And while the test itself is still not ready, the Justice Ministry expects the first statsborgerskabsprøve to be administered in June 2014.

Self-sufficiency requirements will also be relaxed so that applicants will only have to have been self-sufficient for two and a half of the previous five years. Residency requirements are also changed to make exceptions for applicants who live outside of Denmark with spouses who "work abroad for Danish interests".

The agreement also commits to ensuring that Denmark falls in line with international obligations on citizenship for stateless applicants and with the European Court of Human Rights' requirement that children born both in and out of wedlock be treated the same in regards to citizenship.

The government also plans to lessen the citizenship requirements for children who are born in Denmark to non-Danish parents, but a Justice Ministry spokesperson said that the specific requirements had not been determined yet.

There is also a pledge to ensure that citizenship application processing times not exceed seven months.

Finally, the government has expressed its commitment to move ahead on offering dual citizenship. A dual citizenship bill is expected to be presented in the 2013-14 parliamentary session, and with opposition party Venstre recently expressing support for the notion of dual citizenship, an eventual bill looks almost certain to pass.

Zenia Stampe, an MP for government coalition party Radikale, welcomed today's announcement.

"Finally! The new rules for citizenship are in place," Stampe wrote on Facebook. "It will be easier to become a Dane, and that is good news. Many people have had a burning desire to become a part of our community, but couldn't find a way through VKO's microscopic keyhole. Now they will get a new chance."

Source: http://cphpost.dk/news/immigration-amp-denmark/it-will-be-easier-become-dane

SAA Targets N20t Economic Growth in 20 Years

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

South African Airways (SAA) expects the downstream economic enablement benefit of its group operations to total close on N20 trillion over the next 20-years Acting Chairperson Ms Dudu Myeni said today. The estimate is based on direct and indirect growth in direct and downstream employment creation with a forecast of 88 000 South African jobs across on aggregate through all sectors including tourism, foreign direct investments, goods and services. SAA, as host of the IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Cape Town 2-4 June, plans to highlight the growing importance of aviation within the developmental state milieu.

“The outlook for growth in continental aviation is pegged at just over 6 per cent for the next twelve months,” said Ms Myeni and, with Africa’s GDP forecast at 5 per cent growth she indicated that a robust aviation sector would drive growth substantially.

“With growing world interest in Africa’s rich mineral and agricultural resources as well as increased stability in the region, the stage is set for a giant leap forward in development and upliftment of the continent. Aviation will play an integral role as a socio-economic enabler during this process. ”

Led by the Shareholder Minister, Malusi Gigaba and supported by SAA’s Acting CEO, Nico Bezuidenhout, the SAA delegation at the IATA AGM will lead a conversation on the continental airlift and the Yamoussoukro declaration.

“South African Airways next year celebrates eighty years in aviation, is a member of large global aviation grouping Star Alliance and as recently as last week signed a significant commercial partnership with the UAE’s (United Arab Emirates) national airline, Etihad Airways. According to an ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) model, the multiplier effect or catalytic demand of commercial aviation output triggers additional economic demand of $325 and 610 jobs in other industries for every $100 of output produced and every 100 jobs generated within aviation.

“Imagine the potential Africa holds and the immense impact of growing network alliances and commercial partnerships between airlines.”

Ms Myeni added that SAA, inspired by its current strategic direction, plans to up the ante on its asset utilisation while simultaneously growing its non-asset based codeshare partnerships.

“Notwithstanding any fleet re-equipment decisions the airline still enjoys substantial latitude in terms of expanding its network offering to both travellers and business through strategic partnerships. It is our intention to take greater advantage of our Star Alliance membership whilst also seeking out non-aligned strategic partners.” Therefore, interim growth will not require additional investment beyond already planned own-metal growth.

“Clearly, socio-economic transformation, education and skills development to facilitate the anticipated growth is equally as important,” said Myeni.

“We are an airline group for all South Africans and for us meaningful interaction with tomorrow’s leaders, as illustrated in the aviation career day we hosted at Swartkops this past weekend, provides the opportunity to positively contribute to the future of both the aviation industry and our country,” Myeni added.

Source: http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/saa-targets-n20t-economic-growth-in-20-years/148339/

Switzerland Tourism to tap travelers from Tier-II, III cities in India

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

Switzerland Tourism is set to woo first time Indian travellers from smaller cities and towns by offering packages for experiencing the snow-clad mountains of the country. “For us the feedback from our partners in the travel trade is an indicator of where we get clients. We hear that sales in Tier-II and III are going very strong, a good sign for yet another great travel season for India’s number one destination in Europe: Switzerland,” said Stephan Heuberger, Director, India, Switzerland Tourism said in an email interview.

He informed that based on study of market research data, Tier-II and III cities will be on Switzerland’s radar soon. Heuberger said Switzerland Tourism will offer different kinds of packages depending on tourist profiles. For instance, for first time travellers, “touching the snow on the unique mountains like Titlis and Jungfraujoch” would be an experience and “clearly, they travel in guided groups”.

On the other hand, younger, educated and experienced may tour on Free Independent Travellers (FIT) basis allowing them to experience the country using public transport. “For these clients, we must ensure a wide range of individual programmes to be available in the market place,” Heuberger said. He, however, added that Switzerland Tourism is not shifting focus from Tier-I and metro cities. “Keeping the pace in Tier-I and adding an add-on pace for Tier-II and III is necessary,” Heuberger said.

Besides, in order to woo more tourists from India, it has also added Meetings, Incentives, Conferences/Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) travel to its offers while continuing to focus on the leisure area. “More and more niche marketing can be introduced in mainly Tier-I cities. Soft adventures, for which Switzerland may have the most developed offers, are being more and more looked for by our young, dynamic clientele from mega cities,” he added.

Source: http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/switzerland-tourism-to-tap-travellers-from-tierii-iii-cities-in-india-20467

The Midnight Sun Never Sets in Norway

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

Make the most of your holiday this summer; go to Norway where the sun never sets.

Norway enjoys a special light during the summer, as it never goes dark. Then there is the midnight sun, observed anywhere above the Arctic Circle, which features high on the list of travellers to Norway who wish to experience 24 hours of sunlight.

At the Arctic Circle in the county of Nordland, you can see the midnight sun from 12 June to 1 July; at the North Cape in Finnmark you can see it from 14 May to 29 July; and at the North Pole the sun does not set for six months.

- Come to Norway this summer and witness nature's own gala performance. In the winter the northernmost parts of Norway tempt travellers with the Northern Lights but during the summer months the Midnight Sun is a unique nature experience you don't want to miss, says the director of tourism in Norway, Per-Arne Tuftin.

See the light

The North Cape is by many considered the best place in Norway to watch the midnight sun. As continental Europe's northernmost point, at latitude 71°10°21°, the North Cape is a special place - as well as one offering many good photo opportunities. Do not miss the Lofoten and Vesterålen islands, while Hammerfest, 'the world's northernmost town', and Tromsø are good alternatives for those preferring a more 'urban' setting.

Tee off into the night

Make the most of the day-long sun, and enjoy what nature has to offer. What about teeing off under the midnight sun at the world's northernmost 18-hole golf course? Or joining the world's northernmost marathon arranged every year in Tromsø, The Midnight Marathon, where runners from around the world meet to compete at night, in broad daylight.

Many take the opportunity to hike under the midnight sun. The unique light lends the mountains a magical glow late in the evening or early in the morning - perfect for those seeking solitude.

The fish bite best at night, according to local lore. So fishing under the midnight sun is not just a great way to take in the special light, it is most definitely a good time to catch fish too.

Norway's long coastline makes for exciting cruise opportunities under the Midnight Sun. Among the most popular ports of call in Northern Norway are the North Cape, Svalbard and the Lofoten Islands.

Source: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/23/5442346/the-midnight-sun-never-sets-in.html

Microsoft to be part of great Danish Knowledge City project

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

Close collaboration between Danica Pension, Lyngby-Taarbæk municipality and Microsoft ensures a new magnificent domestic and non-residential construction in the town centre of Lyngby. Microsoft’s new domicile in Denmark will be situated there, and the project will set completely new standards for integrated urban living.

The ambitious building project in the heart of Lyngby is an important step towards realising the visions Lyngby-Taarbæk municipality has for the project Knowledge City 2020. The project is a great example of how businesses and municipality can co-create unique solutions which consider both parties.

Mayor Søren P. Rasmussen says: ”The project is a manifestation of an exciting urban development. The knowledge heavy businesses get a closer connection with the urban life and the local student environment. Moreover, the construction project will create a lot of new workplaces and an inviting and dynamic environment between town centre and green areas.”

900 new workplaces in the municipality

For Microsoft, the new domicile is part of an overall vision about creating the future workplace where the employees are supported in their different ways of thinking, working and collaborating through a flexible conversion with the newest technologies. The municipality’s ambitious work to brand itself as the leading knowledge city has been a determining factor for Microsoft’s decision to gather activities and employees from its two companies in Denmark.

”Microsoft is already strongly integrated in Denmark with our 900 employees and more than 3.700 partner businesses, and we look forward to also becoming an active part of the knowledge and university city in Lyngby-Taarbæk. The citizens can make use of our open cafe and technology area, students can use our dedicated study area for school work, and we will continuously host a number of different events which will create even stronger bonds to the local community and Denmark in general,” says Niels Soelberg, Managing Director for Microsoft Denmark.

Source: http://copcap.com/Newslist/2013/Microsoft-to-be-part-of-great-Danish-Knowledge-City-project

Foreigners studying in US face stricter visa checks

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

A key group of US senators last week voted to amend an immigration bill to tighten security around student visas in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings.

The Senate Judiciary Committee on May 14 approved an amendment by New York Democrat Charles Schumer that would give State Department overseers of US student and exchange-visitor visas access to records and databases maintained by other federal agencies.

The committee also passed an amendment by Sen Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican, that would require real-time transmission of data from the Department of Homeland Security's Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS.

Earlier this month, the DHS instructed federal Customs and Border Protection agents to begin verifying visas held by international students re-entering the United States. The procedure is the US government's first security change directly tied to the deadly bombings on April 15.

David Murphy, a senior Customs and Border Protection official, circulated a memo dated May 2 ordering border agents to verify that every international student who arrives in the US has a valid student visa.

Previously, a border agent could verify an international student's visa through SEVIS only if the student was referred to a second agent for additional questioning or inspection.

The order comes in response to an incident involving Azamat Tazhayakov, a student from Kazakhstan who is accused of hiding evidence on behalf of one of the two brothers suspected in the Boston bombings.

Liang Cai, a master's student in business at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said international students at MIT received an e-mail on May 8 from Danielle Guichard-Ashbrook, the school's associate dean of international students.

The e-mail advises MIT students from abroad to prepare for the new border inspection checks and suggested that they travel with copies of their current class registrations to provide additional evidence of their student status.

According to Guichard-Ashbrook's e-mail, all foreign students will face a secondary inspection upon entering or re-entering the US. It's unclear how long the procedure might take in individual cases.

Raymond Wong, a lawyer in New York, said he considers the change in student-visa inspections unnecessary as applied to Chinese students.

"Chinese students' names barely show up on US lists of potential terrorists," he said.

Colin Riley, a spokesman for Boston University, said he hasn't heard of any international students having a problem entering the US since the policy change took effect.

"This is the end of the semester; most students are returning to China. Maybe we will know more in the fall when students fly back to the US," he said.

"The point is to make sure that everyone who is coming in has a valid visa and also that the process is as smooth and efficient as possible."

Another change related to international students is the use by Customs and Border Patrol, as of April 30, of an electronic system for checking arrival/departure forms for non-immigrants, replacing the agency's paper-based system.

Source: http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/2013-05/23/content_16524177.htm

Rise in UK job vacancies over past six months, says search engine Adzuna

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

The number of job vacancies in the UK has risen in the past six months, but in some areas of the country there are more than 50 jobseekers for every advertised position, according to the search engine Adzuna.

The website said there were an average of 460,977 live vacancies in the UK listed online throughout April, up 0.7% on March's figure. Rates of pay have also risen, but more slowly, with the average advertised salary reaching £33,693, up by 0.3% month-on-month.

However, competition for jobs remains fierce in many areas. Across the UK, Adzuna said there were 3.4 jobseekers for each advertised vacancy, but this masked huge regional differences.

In three cities in the north of England there are more than 50 jobseekers for each vacancy, but in other areas of the country there more advertised vacancies than jobseekers.

Adzuna said the place it was most difficult to find a job was Salford, where there were more than 55 jobseekers for every job, closely followed by Wirral (55) and Hull (53). In contrast in Aberdeen, there were 0.38 job hunters for each advertised role, while the data for Cambridge, Guildford, Reading and Winchester also suggested a dearth of potential applicants for each position.

Flora Lowther, Adzuna's head of research, said at least 95% of UK vacancies are advertised on the site.

She added: "The number of advertised jobs has increased steadily from Q1 to Q2. While this is encouraging, long-term unemployment remains a major problem.

"Cities such as Hull and Chester remain in trouble with job stock dwindling and average wages falling."

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013/may/22/uk-job-vacancies-search-adzuna

Up to 4,500 jobs unfilled due to skills shortage in IT

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

UP to 4,500 jobs are currently going unfilled in Ireland, and 10,000 more potential jobs are under threat in the short term, thanks to this country's IT sector skills shortage, a startling new industry report published today has claimed.

The first Irish ICT sector 'Skills Audit Report' by Fast Track to IT (FIT) quantifies for the first time Ireland's lost opportunities in thousands of IT jobs at a time when unemployment rates are hitting 14pc.

The report demonstrates that a sizeable number of Irish-based ICT companies are already constrained in their levels of expansion because they fear that they won't find the candidates to fill the necessary jobs.

FIT is a non-profit organisation set up by the technology sector to liaise between the sector and government/education bodies in order to promote employment within the industry.

Its board includes companies like Microsoft, AOL, CISCO, Paypal, IBM and Siemens, among others.

The 'Skills Audit Report' took into account the views of 38 companies, representing almost all of the large FDI firms based here, but also including a controlled number of SMEs. Between the 38, the firms currently employ more than 25,000 people throughout Ireland.

Crucially, the report includes the first-ever complete inventory of the specific jobs and roles which are in short supply. It details the precise level of demand for candidates throughout 114 specific industry roles.

They include mobile technologies, web development, cloud and virtualisation, software development, games design and project management roles.

"Companies are often reluctant to state that they're having to do this, but unfortunately the reality is that sourcing abroad is increasingly common under current circumstances," said Mr George Ryan, programme manager with FIT.

TRANSFORMATION

In response to its own findings the FIT report has called for an "urgent transformation" of Ireland's policy approach, to include:

A functional workforce development plan for Ireland.
The complete revision of the outdated National Skills Strategy and the introduction of a framework for its regular review to keep up with the rapid change in the sector.
The initiation of a dual education system to foster a new "Associate Professional" stream of talent – essentially a system which combines 'coal-face' workplace training with studies.

Minister for Training and Skills Ciaran Cannon has described the report as "a very valuable study" for the sector.

Source: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/up-to-4500-jobs-unfilled-due-to-skills-shortage-in-it-29289669.html

Canada Lures Indian Entrepreneurs With New Startup Visa

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

Kenney during the recent campaign had visited TiEcon 2013, the annual convention of "The Indus Entrepreneurs", which began as a networking forum for entrepreneurs of Indian origin, indicating the government’s interest and support to Indian entrepreneurs. Though the Canadian government maintains it does not target immigrants based on the countries they come from, the pitch to H-1B visa holders and Jason Kenney's stop at TiEcon sets out strong signals to the Indian community.

Kenney, pointed out the success of Indian immigrants in Canada's corporate leadership ranks, and praised the "tremendous work ethic and entrepreneurial instinct" among recent arrivals. Canada is also considering opening an immigration office in Bangalore in September.

"Many of them are reaching high levels of corporate leadership in Canada, many people of South Asian origin, especially Indian origin. So, that's another point, that some of these bright young Indian nationals who are on H-1 visas in the US, that by moving to Canada they're going to find an environment that's very hospitable for people of Indian origin" said Kenney

Source: http://www.siliconindia.com/news/startups/Canada-Lures-Indian-Entrepreneurs-With-New-StartUp-Visa-nid-147475-cid-100.html

New dagpenge agreement in place

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

The majority of the funds will be found by cutting into the Danish language courses that foreign workers and immigrants can take when moving to Denmark

The government teamed up with far-left party Enhedslisten (EL) yesterday to agree upon a new unemployment benefit (dagpenge) plan that is expected to prevent thousands of people from losing their unemployment benefit rights.

Among other things, the dagpenge agreement will extend the current education initiative (uddannelsesordningen) until the end of this year and will incorporate a new labour market benefit similar to kontanthjælp, running from 2014 to 2017.

The finance minister, Bjarne Corydon (Socialdemokraterne), is pleased to have come to terms with an agreement that will offer security for many families.

“The agreement will correct the brutal phasing-in of the dagpenge reform that the previous government implemented despite the country being mired in a deep financial crisis,” Corydon said in a ministerial press release. “I am happy that we will now create security for the many families who have found themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

EL, which campaigned long and hard for those who would fall out of the dagpenge system, expressed relief that the dagpenge package is finally in place but warned that the battle is far from over.

“I am very relieved that we’ve managed to agree on this dagpenge plan, because we secure the thousands of unemployed who were on the brink of losing their support thanks to the previous government,” Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen, EL’s political spokesperson, said in a press release. “But this agreement merely puts out a fire. We are still left with poor dagpenge rules and if the government thinks that this agreement ends the issues, then they have another thing coming.”

The new dagpenge agreement will run to the end of 2016 and will cost around two billion kroner, funds that will be found from a number of sources, but not via the unemployment insurer funds (a-kasser) as had previously been proposed.

“Instead, we have gathered funds that stem from such areas as the Finance Ministry’s reserves, fund pools from the employment arena and changes to the Danish language education system, which we find acceptable,” Schmidt-Nielsen said.

About 600 million kroner will be obtained from restructuring the Danish language education courses for foreigners. Foreigners who come to Denmark to work will only be entitled to one year of Danish courses instead of the three years they get today. At the same time, immigrants who are in Denmark due to family reunification will have the right to have five years of Danish courses. Another 270 million kroner will be found by cutting separate cultural education courses for foreigners and folding that into the language education.

But despite the widespread political approval, there are still those who warn that the new agreement will only serve to further isolate the people already on dagpenge.

“The truth is that the longer they are on dagpenge, the greater the risk of permanently ending outside the labour market,” Stine Pilegaard Jespersen, the deputy chief executive from business advocates Dansk Erhverv, said in a press release. “The people who have exhausted their dagpenge rights have already been unemployed for a long time and it does not help them or society to further extend their benefit period.”

Factfile | Main points of the new dagpenge agreement

The education initiative (uddannelsesordning) is extended, meaning that people who exhaust their right to dagpenge or the right to the uddannelsesordning in the second half of 2013, are granted the right to the uddannelsesordning for up to another six months.
As of 1 January 2014, there will be a new temporary labour market benefit (arbejdsmarkedsydelse) that will make up 60 percent of the maximum dagpenge amount for non-providers and 80 percent for providers. The new benefit will not be dependant on spousal income or family fortune and will be given to people who have exhausted their dagpenge/ and/or uddannelsesordning rights after January 1, 2014.
Individuals who exhaust their dagpenge rights during the first half of 2014 have a right to the arbejdsmarkedsydelse for up to 15 months
All temporary arbejdsmarkedsydelse receivers must be placed in the job-geared initiative (virksomhedsrettet indsats) latest one month after going on benefits. The initiative must have a duration of at least 13 weeks at 20 hours per week. It will encompass private wage subsidies (privat løntilskud), public wage subsidies (offentligt løntilskud), company internship programmes, community service jobs (nyttejob) and job rotation.
Unskilled and skilled unemployed workers with obsolete educations will have the right to an 8-week course that they can arrange with their local job centre.

Source: http://cphpost.dk/news/politics/new-dagpenge-agreement-place

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

Job creation, particularly for youth, is the single largest problem facing Arab countries at a time of economic diversification and an aspiring population, leading economist Nasser Saidi said on Tuesday.

Governments must turn their attention from the public sector and a reliance on high oil revenue to creating better business environments for privately owned companies, particularly small to medium enterprises.

More than half of the Arab population is aged under 24 years and more than 30 percent of male university graduates are unemployed, while the figure for female graduates is 40-45 percent, Dr Saidi, former chief economist for the Dubai International Financial Centre and a former minister of economy and trade in Lebanon, said.

“Those are shocking numbers because what you’re saying is, I have a majority of the population and that majority is unemployed,” Dr Saidi told the Arabian Business Forum in Dubai on Tuesday.

“So the single most important problem facing all the countries in this region, whether it’s the GCC or the transition countries, is job cretion, where do you create the jobs.

“And this is not a temporary issue, this has been a persistent structural problem. It’s not like the great financial crisis led to these high unemployment rates. They have been persistently high for 10-15 years.

“So we need structural change.”

Economic diversification also was key to the future of Arab nations, particularly for the Gulf Cooperation Council members. It was dangerous to rely on high oil prices, Dr Saidi said.

Several oil-reliant countries are expected to fall into deficit by the end of the decade, according to the International Monetary Fund, emphasising their need to urgently diversify their economies.

Dr Said, who last week launched one of the region’s first internet crowdfunding platforms to help raise capital for SMEs, said the focus needed to be on the private sector, and particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and family-owned businesses, as well as ploughing revenues into building up infrastructure.

There were 19m-20m SMEs across the region. In the UAE, SMEs accounted for 40 percent of GDP and 60 percent of employment, making it a crucial sector. The figures were even greater for Dubai, where 95 percent of companies were SMEs or family owned.

“If you’re going to create those jobs, you need your SME sector to be the main driver of those and the SME sector, of course, is the main driver of economic divesification. So by encouraging the SMEs you’ll be encouraging both economic diversification as well as job creation,” Dr Saidi said.

“What we don’t want to do is what’s happening now, creating more jobs in the public sector, which is already bloated.”

Dedicated SME stock exchanges, a centralised credit reporting system, government loan guarantees and improving business regulations were needed.

Dr Saidi said banks were reluctant to lend, and more so to SMEs because they could receive greater returns from larger companies.

Only 20 percent of SMEs in the region have a credit loan or bank loan. In the UAE it is only 4 percent and in Saudi Arabia it is 2 percent.

Contrary to this, in countries such as Morocco and Lebanon, which have guarantee systems, the figures were above 24 percent.

“The message really is that the economic model that we followed for a long period of time in this region of dependence on government and the state to create jobs and to be a leader of economic development is a dead model. That has to change,” Dr Saidi said.

“And we need to orient everything toward the private sector.”

Infrastructure investment aslo was crucial to economic diversification and job creation in the region.

Every $10bn worth of infrastructure spend could create 1m new jobs, he said.

“This is very much a period of historical change in our region,” Dr Said said.

“Aspirations are high. Young people are hoping for change.

“And growth cannot just be for the elite if we’re giogn to move forward. We have got to make growth much more inclusive.”

Source: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/job-creation-is-no-1-priority-for-arab-world-saidi-502400.html

Why senior citizens are ditching Haridwar and visiting Italy, Switzerland

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

With less number of leaves and sluggish economy leading to less pay, young tourists are cutting down on foreign travel. But, guess who is travelling the most? Senior citizens above the age of 65 years.

Though, traditionally the silver-crowned people visit religious places like Haridwar and Vaishno Devi for pilgrimage, times have certainly changed. More and more are ditching domestic destinations and travelling abroad.

And what are their favourite tourist destinations? Italy and Switzerland.

An article in the Economic Times notes, handsome retirement benefits, healthy lifestyle and easy access to travel facilities such as medical and insurance, are encouraging more elders to travel around the world.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, out of 15 million outbound travellers from India in 2012, at least 1.3 million were above 60 years of age. While women business travellers, today pegged at 25 percent of the total, are set to rise by 89 percent, elderly travelers are likely to rise to 7.3 million by 2030.

So, what is drawing senior citizens to see the world?

Early retirement, high disposable income and healthy lifestyle are creating room for more leisure time.

Also, they have more time in hand and enjoy luxury holidays, unlike the youngsters who try to fit in short holidays in between their tight work schedules.

Customised services offered by travel companies are also wooing many senior citizens. From temple visits on their day of fasts, an accompanying family doctor and like-minded co-passengers and providing them a healthy diet are quite an attraction.

Source: http://www.firstpost.com/business/why-senior-citizens-are-ditching-haridwar-and-visiting-italy-switzerland-799087.html

Falkland Islands tourism industry keeps growing despite a drop in cruise visitors

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

According to the report details published by Penguin News, the UK is the most significant market for tourist arrivals with 4,234 visitors in 2012. The second largest market in 2012 was Norway, with 482 visitors (mostly oil workers). Argentina generated the third highest number of arrivals (usually the second largest generating market) with 374 visitors in 2012.

In 2012, over 54% of all arrivals were residents of the United Kingdom however this represents a considerable fall in market share compared to over 68% in 2000.

Over the period 2000-2012, British visitors increased by an average of 5.0% per annum, however they have lost market share due to higher growth rates from other countries. Whilst arrivals from the USA have barely changed over the same period, there has been a significant growth in arrivals from Canada, France and Argentina in the last five years.

The average length of stay of all tourists in 2012 was 15.9 nights.

The general satisfaction of Leisure tourists with the Falklands was also apparent with the value for money indicator, with almost 77% stating that they thought it was “good value” in 2012, compared to around 61% in 2011.

In terms of what those visitors felt could be improved, roads, information and communications were commonly mentioned. However, a large number of leisure tourists requested to “leave alone” or do “nothing” to the Islands.

The average spend per tourist per night in the Falklands in 2012 was £62.78, up £14.58 (or 30.3%) on 2011. Just over half of daily spend was on accommodation (£31.61). Total tourism expenditure in the Falkland Islands in 2012 is estimated at almost £7.8 million, up 50.1% on that recorded in 2011.

Regarding cruise tourism this season there was a total of 29,553 cruise passenger visits. Cancellations accounted for a loss of around 23,053 passengers over the season. Overall, cruise passenger arrivals have grown at an average annual rate of 12.6% over the period 1995/06 to 2012/13, despite a decline in visits over the last four seasons.

Most visitors describe their trip to the Falklands as “excellent” or “good.” In the 2012/2013 season there was a small increase in the number of visitors describing it as “fair.”

The largest age group within the cruise arrivals segment is the 45-64 year olds, which represented over 66% of all visitors in the 2012/13 season.

There has been a sharp decline in those who declare they “definitely” want to visit the Falkland Islands again. There was a significant increase in visitors stating “definitely not”, mainly at the expense of those previously stating it as being “unlikely”.

However despite this there has been an increase in the proportion that have a desire to visit as a land-based tourist. Almost a quarter (24.2%) of cruise visitors stated that the Falklands were “essential” when choosing their itinerary and a further 22.6% stated that it was “very important”.

Average spend per cruise passenger increased by £6.52 (12.8%) in 2012/13 to £57.27. Expenditure on food and drink and shopping decreased, however spend on tours was up on that measured in the 2011/12 season.

Despite a 15.9% decline in the number of cruise passenger arrivals in the 2012/13 season, the fall in total expenditure was only 5.1%. Overall, during the 2012/13 season, cruise passengers spent an estimated £1.7 million.

Source: http://en.mercopress.com/2013/05/21/falkland-islands-tourism-industry-keeps-growing-despite-a-drop-in-cruise-visitors

U.S. panel votes to speed up airport fingerprinting of immigrants

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

High-tech systems for tracking the movements of immigrants and other foreigners when leaving the United States would be installed at major U.S. airports under a plan approved by a congressional panel on Monday.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-5 for an amendment to a wide-ranging immigration bill that would require the installation of devices to check immigrants' fingerprints at the 10 busiest U.S. airports within two years of enactment of the legislation.

Checks currently are made at airports for foreigners arriving and re-entering the country but not when they leave. "It's just a matter of having records we can keep so we know where we're going," Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah told reporters of his successful amendment.

Advocates argued that the extra layer of screening also would help identify foreigners suspected of committing crimes or who are on terror-watch lists.

But opponents questioned whether the move would improve the ferreting out of foreigners who have overstayed their visas and expressed concerns that it could open the door to broader fingerprinting of travelers.

If the "biometrics" systems at major airports work out, they would be expanded to more airports across the United States and eventually be used at land and sea ports as well, under the amendment.

During a work session that extended into the night, the Judiciary Committee defeated several Republican attempts to narrow the bill, including limiting some immigrants' access to federal programs, such as food aid and healthcare for the poor.

The panel, however, added protections for young children of parents being deported from the United States and approved additional screenings for those coming from countries or regions seen as presenting a security threat to U.S.

"RESPECTFUL EXCHANGE"

After four long work sessions, the Democrats and Republicans on the committee have mostly been workmanlike, avoiding the contentious arguments that marked the last attempts, during the Bush administration, to revamp immigration law.

Angela Kelley, an immigration expert with the liberal Center for American Progress, said that while the attempt in 2007 "was a real nail-biter, this feels more like a respectful exchange."

With a growing Hispanic population in the United States demanding immigration changes, Republicans have become more open to enacting a bill this year, although it still faces many hurdles in Congress.

The Senate panel is trying to wrap up work by mid-week on a nearly 900-page immigration bill that aims to ratchet up security along the southwestern U.S. border with Mexico and establish a path to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants already in the United States.

The bipartisan bill also would create a new visa system so that farmers, high-tech firms and other American companies could get better access to both low- and high-skilled foreign workers.

If the measure is passed by the committee this week, it could be ready for debate in the full Senate next month - a debate that could take several weeks to complete on the first major overhaul of U.S. immigration law in 27 years.

The United States has been trying for years to tighten the monitoring of entries and exits by visa holders. An estimated 40 percent of the nation's 11 million illegal immigrants have overstayed their visas, according to government estimates.

But the implementation of equipment at ports has lagged.

Last week, the Senate Judiciary panel defeated an amendment from Republican Jeff Sessions that would have required the installation of biometric equipment at all U.S. ports before any of the undocumented could be eligible for permanent residency, or a green card.

Sessions of Alabama, an outspoken opponent of the immigration bill moving through the Democratic-controlled Senate, argued on Monday that the United States has the ability to fully implement the program now.

Saying that many local police departments already use the technology in their cars, Sessions said, "I'm getting ... tired" of the delays.

HIGH-SKILLED WORKER VISAS

Meanwhile, senators were working behind the scenes on a controversial move to reduce the steps high-tech companies would have to take before hiring foreign workers.

Hatch has emerged as one of the most influential lawmakers working on the immigration bill and has introduced amendments to make it easier for companies to hire foreigners.

In an attempt to secure his vote, Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York is trying to broker a deal between technology companies and the AFL-CIO labor organization on the high-skilled H-1B work visa program.

During a break in the committee's work, Hatch told reporters that he must have changes to the high-skilled worker visa program, otherwise "you're just pushing these businesses off- shore."

Lobbyists for technology companies and trade associations said the two senators were nearing a deal. But sources close to the AFL-CIO disputed industry's characterization.

Even if Hatch gets what he wants on the H-1B program, he said there are other amendments he would insist upon during the Senate floor debate.

Without those amendments, which he refused to elaborate on, "I will vote against it (the entire immigration bill) on the floor," Hatch said. One amendment is thought to require that undocumented residents who win legal status must provide their own health insurance and not take advantage of government-backed programs.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/21/us-usa-immigration-idUSBRE94K00L20130521

Cruising West Africa

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

West Africa is not visited as much for tourism due the many civil wars, unrest and political turmoil that has ravaged these lands and its people. In recent times, however, tourism is being encouraged. So when Silversea Cruises put their vessel, The Silver Explorer, into the Atlantic Sea with West Africa, I booked the Owners Suite in a flash. A good thing, as the ship was full within a few hours once the bookings opened.

Indians need visas for South Africa and Namibia. The rest of the visas are obtained en masse by the ship. With so many countries, it is impossible to list all the delights of travelling to West Africa. The crew of the cruise had an expedition team that included learning for anthropologists, archeologists, a geologist, botanist, two ornithology and a fisheries expert. Here are 10 not-to-be-missed sights of West Africa...

Raw diamonds on the sand created a gold rush in the 19th century and the ghost town of Kolmanshok, near the port town of Luderitz, Namibia, is a surreal experience. Buildings and homes were left abandoned when the diamonds were depleted, leaving behind a town with the dunes entering schools, hospitals and homes.

Similarly, a visit to the fantasy coffin makers in Accara, Ghana, is amusing and creative. Want to be buried in the Concorde, Chicken, Mercedes Benz... You can order one for yourself. They ship worldwide.

Shopping lovers will find fabric and antiques in Lome, Togo’s main market. Bargaining is encouraged as friendly people banter for a good rate. Like me, plead that you are a poor Indian and not a wealthy American. And for shock and gore, visit the Fetish Voodoo market. Go with a stomach of steel!

At Walvis Bay, Namibia, take a plane ride over the wild desert of Namibia. Flamingoes and seals, myriad-coloured salt pans, dramatic sand dunes and a thrilling low ride make this a fabulous journey.

Luanda in Angola is West Africa’s most expensive city. See the Antonio Augusto Neto Memorial, the diplomatic quarter, the fort, the Anthropology Museum and the metal house designed by Gustav Eiffel.

Near Kribi port in Cameroon, marvel at one of nature’s wonders near Lobe. The wide river falls directly into the ocean creating rainbows and a majestic roar.

On the cruise, enjoy the days filled with enriching lectures, trivia or a good suntan by the jacuzzi.

Birding, hiking trails, village performances and wild life sanctuaries on islands like Sao Tome and Principe, Guinea Bissau or inland at Togo and Benin will leave you stunned.

West Africa was the gate of no return for many slaves who were shipped across to the Americas in a disgraceful manner. There are many ports where one can view the prisons.

The most beautiful is the Cape Coast Castle which is a UNESCO site. The stunning locale and imposing rooms could well be converted partially into a seven-star hotel in a flash.

Sierra Leone is visibly still affected by the war. If you get a chance, restore your hope in the human spirit by watching a football game on the beach by men who have lost their limbs, but not their fervour. As they race along in their crutches, you are assured this is the most emotional football game you will ever see.

Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/1837249/report-cruising-west-africa

Bank statement required to sponsor family in Dubai

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

Residents wishing to sponsor family members in Dubai now have to submit their bank statements to the residency department, Gulf News has learnt.

The move is to ensure people on a very low salary do not bring their families into the emirate.

According to new rules set by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA) all those applying for a new residency visa for their families must provide a bank statement showing their monthly salary.

“Those who wish to bring their family members to Dubai on a residence visa must present the GDRFA with the sponsor’s bank statement,” a senior official said. At least three months’ bank statement is required for those who want to renew their family’s visas and at least one month’s salary statement or a bank letter confirming the salary transfer for those who are new to the country and want to sponsor their families.

He said that previously applicants had to submit a labour contract showing their salary and a salary certificate from the company.

The official said this was no longer enough and bank statements were also required.

He said this step had been taken because some people had been submitting a salary certificate or labour contract which showed a higher salary than they actually received.

“We have seen some illegal action involving companies giving their employers salary certificates which state a higher salary than the one they are receiving to help them bring their families here,” the official said.

“Such behaviour is unacceptable,” he added.

“We have across cases in which the salary of a person who wants to sponsor his family was less than Dh2,500 but they provided us with a salary certificate for Dh10,000,” he said.

“We are asking for a bank statement in order to avoid this happening,” he said.

He said a bank statement is required only from those applying for a new residence visa for their families.

Those renewing their family’s residency visas are not required to submit bank statements. A bank statement is also not required from those applying for a visit visa for their family members.

The official said no new residency visa application will be accepted without a supporting bank statement.

“People need a proper amount of money in order to live. How can a person bring families here if they earn very low salaries?” the official said.

Those who want to bring their spouse, children, or parents under humanitarian cases are required to undergo the necessary procedures, including submitting a medical certificate for family members over 18. They must submit their labour card, a copy of their employment contract and salary certificate in addition to their bank statement and tenancy contract, which should be in the name of the applicant, and also an ID card.

The sponsor’s salary should be at least Dh4,000 a month plus accommodation. A salary of Dh10,000 is required if a person wishes to sponsor their parents.

Source: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/visa/bank-statement-required-to-sponsor-family-in-dubai-1.1185841

Swiss salaries show real growth in 2012

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

Salaries in Switzerland are rising slowly but steadily. Last year they increased by an average 0.8 percent, according to government statistics.

Adjusted for negative annual inflation of 0.7 percent, salaries actually rose 1.5 percent in 2012, the Federal Statistical Office reports.

The nominal increase in 2011 was higher, at 1.0 percent, but last year saw the first increase in real wages since 2009.

Employees in almost all branches of industry saw their wages grow. The biggest increases were in the hotel and hospitality sector, where they rose an average 2.4 percent.

The Statistical Office said this was mainly due to an increase in minimum wages and in more workers receiving a 13th month’s wage.

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals and the machine industry also contributed to the overall wage jump. These key export sectors benefited from an improvement in the international economic situation.

An increase of just 0.7 percent in the financial and insurance service sectors reflected continuing insecurity following the 2008 crisis, the government office said.

A separate report by the economic forecaster KOF showed more firms were considering taking on new staff, Tages-Anzeiger reported.

The KOF employment indicator showed a 0.5 percent increase in April. Employment is forecast to grow in the second quarter for the first time since the second quarter of last year.

Source: http://www.thelocal.ch/20130429/swiss-salaries-show-real-growth-in-2012#.UZsa46LqHSk

Canada Calling

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

As higher education becomes difficult in the U.S. and U.K., amidst a weak economic climate, Canada has emerged as an attractive destination for Indian students. With significantly lower tuition fees compared to its southern neighbour, the maple leaf country offers bright prospects for students.

Much like the U.S., Canada has become a hot destination for students wanting to pursue their Master’s in the fields of technology and engineering. Courses like Electrical engineering and Computer Science are quite sought after in Canadian universities. Dani Zaretsky, Managing Director of Canadian University Application Centre says, “Till a few years ago we had mostly students coming for their Master’s in Engineering but recently there is also a growing interest among students for under-graduate programmes in areas like I.T. and Communication.”

One of the areas where Canada excels is in the transportation sector. Zaretsky says, “We have considerable expertise when it comes to automobiles, planes and trains. Be it engineering or logistics, we are quite strong in this area.”

Ram Balachander, Executive Director at Centre for Executive and Professional Education at University of Windsor says, “Automotive engineering is one of the most prominent courses especially here in Windsor. Windsor being the automotive capital of Canada, there is demand for engineers and managers. With cars becoming sophisticated, jobs in the automobile industry these days are not only restricted to mechanical engineers but even Electronic and Electrical engineers.” He also says that there is a lot of scope in logistics and supply-chain management.

According to Zaretsky another area where there is growing denand is in solar energy and other renewable-energy-related courses.

Majid Ahmadi, Professor in Department of Electrical and Computer Science Engineering at the University of Windsor, says, “For decades we have polluted our planet. So areas like solid-waste management, water treatment, garbage disposal and use of bio-fuels are some of the emerging areas. North American and European countries have realised they need to start cleaning up the mess and have started to work towards it. There are many job opportunities in these areas.”

Scholarships

For students wanting to pursue their Master’s in the thesis-based streams in engineering and technology, there is a bright chance for the student to get full funding for his/her course. In a course-based stream, students get a maximum of 1000-3000 Canadian dollars.

In the undergraduate courses, students can get anywhere between five to 20 per cent of the tuition fees as aid in the first year.

According to Balachander, at the University of Windsor, the students for UG courses are selected based on the marks they secure in their Class XII exams where the board a student studied also matters. He says, “We don’t take international students without scholarships for UG courses. At the entry level they will be given about 1000-4000 Canadian dollars a year. For subsequent years, students performance will be taken into consideration.” If a student has completed his schooling in an English medium school throughout, then he/she may not need to take an English standard test.

Work Permit

One of the most important aspects a student looks at while pursuing higher education are the job opportunities and Canada unlike the U.S. or U.K. is more welcoming in this regard. With demand for skilled workers like engineers and managers rising and also with an ageing population, Canada offers a good scope for students to realise the return on their investment.

A graduate is offered a work permit. The work-permit is usually for three years for a graduate student and one-three years for Master’s students, depending on the length of their academic programme. Students can also apply for a permanent resident status subsequently.

As with any English-speaking nation around the world, a student must have taken a TOEFL/IELTS test for admission in Canada.

On the flip side, though the tuition fees is comparably less, the living expenses is a bit on the higher side and roughly works about to 500-750 Canadian dollars a month.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/features/education/college-and-university/canada-calling/article477461.ece

Top ten list for Germany Tourists

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

More than 15,000 international visitors responded to a poll by the German National Tourist Board to find out which of Germany's sights and places of interest were most popular among foreign tourists. See the full list at www.germany.travel. Here are the Top 10.

10. Museum Island, Berlin

9. Lake Constance with Mainau Island, Monastic Island of Reichenau, Lindau, prehistoric pile dwellings, Meersburg Castle, Lake Constance, Baden-Württemberg

8. Heidelberg Castle, Baden-Württemberg

7. Nature reserves in the Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg

6. Loreley rock in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, Rhineland-Palatinate

5. The Berlin Wall

4. Brandenburg Gate, Berlin

3. Cologne Cathedral, North Rhine-Westphalia

2. Europa-Park, Rust, Baden-Württemberg

1. Neuschwanstein Castle, Schwangau/Füssen, Bavaria

Source: http://www.philly.com/philly/travel/20130519_Top_10_List.html

Indians are the largest business group in Singapore

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

Connecting Singapore, a one-day seminar on improving ties between the countries, was attended by business delegates and heads of state.

Speaking on the occasion Consul General of the Republic of Singapore Ajit Singh pointed out that while the global business environment faced a slew of challenges Singapore’s economy was in a new phase of growth. “We recognise that the days of high growth are over and we need to be content with modest growth rates,” he said, adding that the nation’s ‘open’ economy was susceptible to adverse effects in the economies of India and China.

Singh conceded that the high cost of doing business there was proving to be an impediment but added that the focus would now be on the island nation not losing its competitive edge. He listed several policy initiatives that Singapore had undertaken — such as investing in human capital and focusing on R&D — to provide a healthy business environment.

On the synergy between India and Singapore he pointed out that more and more Indian businessmen had begun viewing the island as a springboard to enter other Asian markets. “We have become the second most popular destination for overseas investment from India. Indians are the largest business community in corporate Singapore — ahead of of the Chinese, Malaysians and Indonesians.”

Stressing that Singapore wanted to be part of the Indian growth, Singh said cash-rich companies would be encouraged to invest in India. “India can also leverage our free trade agreements with countries like China, Japan and Australia.”

The event was attended by C S Muthu Subramaniyan, president of the India-Asean-Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Indra Suppiah, centre director of International Enterprise Singapore, G B Srithar, area director of Singapore Tourism Board, Mumbai, and Carol Ong, manager - southern India, Singapore Airlines Limited, Chennai.

The event was co-organised by DBS Bank and Hindustan University.

Source: http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/%E2%80%98Indians-are-the-largest-business-group-in-Singapore%E2%80%99/2013/05/20/article1597204.ece

France: Hospitality industry to Create More Jobs in 2013

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

According to the report, French employers plan to increase hiring by 0.3% in 2013 compared to 2012 employment totals. This will create 4400 new jobs, bringing the total nationwide to 1,610,000. Approximately half of these jobs are contract positions.

The hospitality industry accounts for 14% of this planned increase in hiring. Tourism in the country is the main industry, especially in the largest cities. Business services and health services each total 12% of the total hiring plans.

Often the newly created positions require minimal skills and qualifications. They include cooks, servers, home-care providers and nursing aides. Professionals who specialize in applying socio-cultural concepts to business are also in high demand.

Many of these jobs have low pay or difficult working conditions, making them less attractive to potential workers. Engineering and IT professionals are among the ten most sought-after employees, and certainly garner higher wages and benefits.

Many of the unfilled hospitality and service industry positions are seasonal. For instance, the French hotel industry enjoyed better performance in February 2013 compared to January 2013 simply because occupancy rates increased.

Analysis of the hotel markets by the BMO and other industry-specific reports reinforces the existence of geographical and regional differences in job creation and recruiting needs. Employers report difficulty recruiting and retaining qualified and appropriate candidates for these positions. 40.4% of companies reported difficulties recruiting in spite of a rising unemployment rate that is currently over 10%.

More than 20,000 people have been hired in the hospitality industry every year for the past three years, making this employment the main growth sector in the French economy. Hospitality employs over 4 million people, the fourth largest industry employer in the country. Kitchen help and specialized chefs in 5-star restaurants are in demand as much as cooks and servers in cafeterias. Restaurant and hotel directors are also in demand, along with yield managers to maximize hotel bookings and occupancy rates.

Source: http://www.tourism-review.com/french-hospitality-industry-to-create-more-jobs--news3706

Switzerland wooing Indian tourists from smaller towns

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

As summer holidays beckon, Switzerland is wooing first time Indian travellers from smaller cities and towns offering the experience of snow clad mountains like Titlis and Jungfraujoch.

Switzerland Tourism, responsible for promotion of the country’s tourism, is looking beyond the affluent Indians from metros, as it looks to increase the number of tourists by moving to tier II and III towns to tap the potential there.

“For us the feedback from our partners in the travel trade are indicators of where we get clients. And from there we hear that sales in Tier II and II are going very strong. A good sign for yet another great travel season for India’s number one destination in Europe: Switzerland,” Switzerland Tourism India Director Stephan A Heuberger told PTI in an e-mailed interview.

Explaining the reason for the strong focus on smaller cities, he said based on study of market research data, tier II and III will have Switzerland on the radar soon, “and so we started to be present there early“.

Heuberger said Switzerland Tourism will offer different kinds of packages depending on tourist profiles. For instance, for first time travellers, who have not spent time in Switzerland, “touching the snow on the unique mountains like Titlis and Jungfraujoch” would be an experience and “clearly, they travel in guided groups”.

On the other hand, younger, educated and experienced may tour on FIT (free independent travellers) basis allowing them to experience travel with public transport, which allows them to hop on hop off anywhere they want.

“For these clients, we must ensure a wide range of individual programmes to be available in the market place,” Heuberger said. He, however, added that Switzerland Tourism is not shifting focus from tier I and metro cities.

“Keeping the pace in Tier I and adding an add-on pace for tier II and III is necessary,” Heuberger said.

Besides, in order to woo more tourists from India, it has also added meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) and Incentive travel to its offers while continuing to focus on the leisure area.

“More and more niche marketing can be introduced in mainly tier I cities. Soft adventures, for which Switzerland may have the most developed offers, are being more and more looked for by our young, dynamic clientele from mega cities,” he added.

Switzerland is looking for a 8 per cent growth in overnight visitors from India during this year from 5,50,000 in 2012. For 2013, Switzerland Tourism is focussing on ‘Living Traditions’, showcasing the customs and way of life that reflects Switzerland.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/travel/switzerland-wooing-indian-tourists-from-smaller-towns/article4729838.ece

Ottawa to change immigration age limit of dependent children to under 19

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

Age at immigration is key to newcomers’ economic outcomes, Ottawa says

Older children of immigrants will be prevented from joining their parents and siblings in Canada under a new federal government plan to restrict the definition of "dependent child."

The change, which takes effect Jan. 1, will narrow the definition of a dependent child to someone younger than 19, rather than the current 22, and remove an exception for older children who study full time. The new rules could make roughly 7,000 immigrants a year ineligible to come to Canada.

According to an outline of the plan obtained by the Star, the changes reflect the government's immigration goals: to fuel economic prosperity, transition to a fast and flexible economic immigration system and target those with the skills to meet labour needs.

"The earlier in life immigrants arrive, the more their educational experience will resemble that of their Canadian-born counterparts and the easier it will be to learn an official language and adapt to Canadian cultural traits and social norms," it says.

Under the current immigration law, one's child is considered a dependent if they are under 22 and remain single. Exemptions are given to those over 22 if they depend on the parents' financial support and have attended school continuously as full-time students.

According to 2012 government statistics, dependents under the age of 19 made up 90 per cent, or 64,757, of all sponsored children to Canada, while those 19 or over made up just 10 per cent, or 7,237.

The change will ultimately apply to live-in caregivers and refugees. For these groups, the process of qualifying for permanent resident status in Canada varies and can take years; by then, their children may miss the age cut-off.

A seven-page outline of the plan says Canada's economic stability has remained fragile.

"Age at immigration frequently determines where a person receives his or her education. With the difficulties in determining a foreign credential's value in Canada and evidence that the return on Canadian education is much higher," it says, "age at immigration becomes the most important factors in determining the economic outcomes of immigrants."

Instead, immigration officials suggested these older children could come here separately as international students, who normally must pay double or triple the tuitions than domestic students. Upon their graduation, officials said, they could try to apply for immigration on their own.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada said it is time-consuming to process applications of older children.

"The verification of attendance and enrolment is both labour intensive and vulnerable to fraud," wrote Caroline Riverin Beaulieu, assistant director of CIC's social policy and programs.

The proposal also cited a survey result that found 54 per cent of the general public supported a proposal that would limit sponsorship to principal applicants and their spouses only, with 34 per cent disagreed.

There will be transitional provisions in place for immigration applicants already in the process. However, those who file an immigration application after January 1 will be bound by the new rules.

Source: http://www.thespec.com/news-story/2878280-ottawa-to-change-immigration-age-limit-of-dependant-children-to-under-19/

Jobs news good for older workers, bad for the young

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

More than one in four people aged between 65 and 69 are now employed, most of them full-time, as older workers have absorbed half of Australia's net growth in jobs since the global financial crisis.

But Bureau of Statistics figures also show less than half of those aged 15-19 now have a job. Younger workers have shed 93,000 jobs in the past five years, while school retention rates have soared.

The bureau's data shows Australia has become a different labour market after the global financial crisis. It has more workers aged more than 55 than under 25. The number of those between 25-34 has bulged with the inflow of young foreign workers.

And we now have more than a million workers aged 60 and over - almost 300,000 or 40 per cent more than five years ago.

The most startling growth has been in men and women working on into their late 60s. In five years, their numbers have shot up from 172,000 to 278,000.

One in every 40 workers in Australia is now in their late 60s. One in 100 is 70 or above.

The reasons are well known. Older Australians today enjoy better health than any earlier generation. They are less likely to be worn out by physical work, and their jobs no longer require it.

They can look forward to a much longer lifespan - life expectancy of 60-year-olds is increasing at the rate of nine years every half-century - but most lack the retirement savings to last that distance.

The bureau figures show workforce participation has risen for women, especially older women - and fallen for men, especially younger men.

Thirty years ago, most women aged 45-54 spent their days at home, outside the workforce. Today they have replaced 20- to 24-year-olds as the peak age for female participation: 77 per cent of them are now in work or looking for work. Back in 1983, only 11 per cent of women aged 60-64 were in the workforce. By 2008, that had jumped to 38 per cent, and five years later, it has soared to 46 per cent. What used to be unusual is becoming the new norm.

Comparing the first four months of this year with the same period in 2008, the bureau found the number of women over 60 in work has grown by half, from 280,000 to 423,000. A quarter of all job growth has gone to women aged 55 and over.

The flipside is that jobs for younger men have shrunk rapidly: 57,000 fewer teenage males now have a full-time job, down 31 per cent. The main reason is that more are staying at school, but 19,000 more teenage males now have no job and no full-time education.

The upside is that while the teenage population has barely grown, 75,500 more of them now spend their late teens full-time at school or university. The percentage of 15-19-year-olds in full-time education has soared from 66.9 per cent to 71.6 per cent.

There is a similar trend among people aged 20-24; most of the growth is in those outside the workforce, presumably studying. But unemployment grew sharply in both age groups: from 13.5 per cent to 17.4 per cent among teenagers, and from 6.4 per cent to 10 per cent for those in their early 20s.

The changes have been less dramatic among those of prime working age. Employment rates have risen for women aged 35 and over, but fallen among men in every age group below 55.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/national/jobs-news-good-for-older-workers-bad-for-the-young-20130517-2jrze.html

Immigration stablilises population as birth rates plummet

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

For the first time ever, more people might die in Denmark than are born to replace them

Denmark’s population would have shrunk in 2013 if it weren’t for immigration, according to new figures from Statistics Denmark.

In the first three months of 2012, Danish women gave birth to 13,572 children while 15,155 people died, leaving a 1,583 person deficit – the largest since the fourth quarter of 1993.

Denmark’s population remained steady, however, because of a net immigration of 7,766 people over the same period, a 24 percent rise on the same period last year.

According to Bent Greve, a professor of social science at Roskilde University, the trend is worrying.

“It is probably a reflection of the fact that people are worried about their careers and don’t think it’s possible to have both a job and children,” Greve told Jyllands-Posten. “But it’s surprising and paradoxical that so few people want children because, compared to the rest of the EU, we have some of Europe’s best facilities for caring for them.”

Greve added that while immigration was supporting Denmark’s population and helping ensure there isn't a labour shortage, Denmark faces some demographic challenges.

“Our reproductive level is negative and it has been for some years. It means that our population pyramid will soon be distorted, with many old people and fewer young people because we are living longer and longer.”

In the 2000s, the birth rate was on the rise until 2008, when 65,000 children were born. Last year, births dropped to 58,000 and the number looks set to drop even further.

“We may even have more deaths than births this year, and we haven’t experienced that before,” Greve said.

Source: http://cphpost.dk/news/national/immigration-stablilises-population-birth-rates-plummet

Solna voted best place to live in Sweden

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

Solna, a suburb just north of Stockholm, is the best place to live in Sweden, according to a new ranking published on Friday by Swedish news magazine Fokus.

In this year's ranking, Greater Stockholm was blessed with four suburbs inside the country's top five spots. Nacka came in second, Lidingö third, and Danderyd fifth. Lund in the nation's south made the fourth place.

Solna, meanwhile, rocketed to first place despite a lowly 22nd in last year's ranking. The suburb, Sweden's third smallest in terms of geographic size, boasts the new Friends Arena, as well as three of Sweden's royal palaces.

Solna was voted as the best to be young in, and the second best to have a family.

Fokus magazine has published the list annually for the past eight years, ranking all of Sweden's 290 Swedish municipalities based on factors ranging from unemployment to teacher-pupil ratios, property prices, number of people on benefits, and tax rates.

Last's year's top place to live, Habo, inexplicably plummeted to 66th this year, despite also topping the list in 2010.

As for Sweden's other major cities, Stockholm came in at number 7, Uppsala at 24, and Gothenburg soared 100 places from last year to 107th.

On the other end of the scale, Flen, Perstorp, and Grums were ranked as the worst municipalities to live.

Source: http://www.thelocal.se/47956/20130517/#.UZcXlqI9Ge0

German motor vehicle manufacture job up 2pct in March

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

At the end of March 2013, 5.2 million people worked in local manufacturing units with 50 or more employees in Germany, up 0.8% compared to the end of March 2012 and stable compared to the end of February 2013.

As reported by the Federal Statistical Office on the basis of provisional results, as of March 31st 2013 YoY basis particularly strong employment figures were seen in the mechanical engineering sector with 2.1% growth, and in the manufacture of motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts with two percent growth.

As of March 31st 2013, the number of employees in the production of motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts increased by 1,000 persons compared to the end of the previous month to 750,000 persons.

However, 240,000 persons worked in metal production and processing in Germany at the end of March 2013, unchanged month on month and down 0.7% compared to the end of March of the previous year.

Meanwhile, employment in the manufacture of metal products in Germany rose 1.3% YoY to 500,000 persons by the end of March 2013, while the figure was up 1,000 persons compared to the end of February 2013.

Source: http://www.steelguru.com/international_news/German_motor_vehicle_manufacture_job_up_2pct_in_March/312514.html

Research and Markets: The Austrian Economy Is Expected To Reach $427 Billion by 2018 with A CAGR Of 1.7% from 2013 Through 2018

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

Austria is a landlocked country located in Central Europe, bordering European countries such as Hungary, Slovakia, Germany, Slovenia, and Italy. Like the entire continent, the Austrian economy was greatly affected by the global financial crisis that began in 2008-2009. The Austrian economy grew moderately in 2011, and the country achieved good growth due to its economic reforms, currency appreciation, and huge inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

The service and manufacturing sectors are the main contributors to Austria's GDP. The economy is expected to slow down somewhat in 2013, which can be attributed to the manufacturing industry and the agricultural sector. Labor wages in Austria are also high affecting labor-intensive industries and the flow of FDI into the country. Lucintel's study discusses the major drivers of the Austrian economy. High per capita income is a key component of Austria's economy. This higher per capita income is leading the strong domestic demand especially for consumer durable goods, finance, and insurance, food, and accommodation services. The service sector is also another key driver and contributed 69% of GDP in 2012. Industries such as business services, financial, insurance, and accommodation also are driving growth.

The report provides an analysis of the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental conditions of Austria. The study includes an analysis of the macro economy of the country, its political scenario, and the social, technological, and environmental influencers of the Austrian economy. Lucintel has performed a SWOT analysis of Austria and it is included in the report as well. The narrative also provides the knowledge on leading industries, the emerging trends in the country, and the market entry strategy for doing business in Austria.

Source: http://www.fortmilltimes.com/2013/05/17/2698571/research-and-markets-the-austrian.html

Migration intake stays the same

info@opulentuz.com (Opulentus)

The Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA) has welcomed the Government's decision to maintain the country's permanent migration program at 190,000 places and its humanitarian intake at 20,000.

Australia's migration program will be maintained at 190,000 places in 2013-14 to help fill skills shortages and reunite Australian families, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Brendan O'Connor announced.

"The permanent migration program is about getting the balance right between our economic and social objectives," Mr O'Connor said.

"Our migration program ensures skilled migrants will continue to fill critical gaps in regions and sectors with genuine skills shortages."

The 2013-14 program provides 128,550 places for skilled migrants; 60,885 places for family migration and 565 places for migration under special eligibility.

The government has made a small shift of 700 places - from the skill stream to the family stream - in response to the continuing high levels of demand for family stream places from Australians, particularly in the partner category.

Migrant community groups have also welcomed additional funding for health and education programs, saying some of the extra funds will be specifically targeted at Australians from a non-English speaking background.

FECCA chairman Pino Migliorino believes migrant communities will particularly benefit from the government's $10 billion school reforms, with some funding targeted specifically at students whose first language is not English.

And he has also welcomed the government's 20 million dollars in extra funding for SBS, saying this will help multicultural broadcasting in a highly competitive media environment.

The government will accept 20,000 refugees through the humanitarian program in 2013-14.

"Millions of people are displaced around the world and we should be very proud of Australia's part in providing refugees with protection," the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Brendan O'Connor said.

Key features of the humanitarian program include: the resettlement of displaced populations in the Middle East and South West Asia, primarily Afghans and Iraqis; higher refugee intakes from countries in the Australian region; maintaining the focus on vulnerable women and their families through the 'woman at risk' program, which the government maintains at 12 per cent of the refugee component of the program.

Source: http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/migration-intake-stays-the-same