Arizona Prop 200 Essay Example for Free

Arizona Prop 200 Essay As with any other impositions of the law elevated to the national government, there will always be a certain degree of advantages and disadvantages. In a specific aspect, implementing the Arizona Prop 200 will definitely change the economic processes of the US financial system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Arizona Prop 200 is an initiative which allows for a more strict process of requiring citizens to generate proofs of legitimacy of their citizenship. This equates to the right to vote and to acquire public benefits from different administration units. (Wikipedia, 2007). The main effect of the project can be seen in terms of financial considerations with respect to the actual expenditures of the entire federal government. Since there will be an increase in restrictions to sort out whether a particular person is a US citizen or not prior to be able to vote and get citizen benefits, there will also be an increase in expenses in order to adjust the budgetary allocation for the said government program. Doing some additional tasks and employing much more people in order to identify legitimate citizens will mean additional resource facilitation. Thus, allocation processes for the use of money will be altered.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a positive perspective, it is also possible to maximize the route of budget allocation which should be granted to the public’s needs and welfare. Since there will be a very good way of identifying people who are eligible to receive the government benefits, sufficient financial amounts will be sustained in a very optimized manner. All the collected taxes will be used by people who are actual legitimate citizens of the United States. Aside from achieving financial advantages, it would also be fair for the actual tax payers to receive the benefits they are entitled to. References Wikipedia. 2007. Arizona Prop 200 (2004). Wikipedia-The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 16 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_Proposition_200_(2004).

Export Cycle Of A Shipping Line Economics Essay

Export Cycle Of A Shipping Line Economics Essay Shipping Industry has always been subject to vagaries of different factors, such as, ocean monsoon, political and economical factors etc. Nowadays when the world economy is undergoing recession, its all the more necessary to study this integral line of transportation, which connects the globe through water. The objective of the project undertaken was to study the problems of the upcountry exporters with particular reference to ICD. When in late 70s and early 80s, the concept of containerized cargo and delivery at doorstep started getting popular the world over, a need was felt to set up an Inland Container Depot to cater to the needs of trade and industry of the Northern part of India.   With this background in mind and with a view to bringing the facilities of transportation and Customs clearance of import and export cargo at the doorstep of importers and exporters, an Inland Container Depot was set up at Pragati Maidan in 1983 under the control of an Assistant Collector of Customs.   Indian Railways were nominated the custodian of the goods.   In 1984, a Container Freight Station (CFS) was also opened at Patparganj, which was an extension of ICD, Pragati Maidan, and Central Warehousing Corporation was nominated as its custodian.   This was a new experience for the trade and in dustry of North India and the institution of ICDs caught their imagination.   Soon, the importers/exporters who earlier used to clear their goods from one of the ports, started using ICD: Pragati Maidan and CFS : Patparganj for the clearance of their import and export goods.   In 1988, a public sector enterprise, M/s. Container Corporation of India Ltd. (CONCOR) was set up which took over the responsibilities of custodian from Indian Railways for ICD: Pragati Maidan.   Within a decade of its inception, the volume of work at ICD had increased to such an extent that it became difficult to handle it at Pragati Maidan.   It was then decided (in 1983) to shift the venue of ICD from Pragati Maidan to its present location i.e. at Tughlakabad.   In 1995, the CFS : Patparganj was upgraded to a full fledged ICD with C.W.C. continuing as custodian of the goods.   Movement of containers by road was also permitted in addition to the movement of containers by rail through Tughlakabad.    Almost all commodities are being imported through ICD, major items being machinery, electronic goods, plastic, chemicals, motor vehicles and parts and metal and metal scrap.   On export side major items being exported through ICD are leather garments and leather products, readymade garments, machinery, agricultural products especially rice The project was majorly focused on ICD and the problems faced by the exporters with reference to the ICD. OBJECTIVE To study the problems of the upcountry exporters with particular refrence to ICD To study the workings of the study. To study the role of ICD in India. To study the role of Multimodal Transport Operators in the International Trade transactions. METHODOLOGY DATA SOURCE: The data was collected from primary and secondary sources. Primary data was collected through interactive sessions with exporters importers, Export Import managers, Commercial managers, Managing Directors, General Managers, Logistics managers and Supply chain managers. Secondary data was collected from internet, EXIM newsletter, Libraries and FIEOs directory. RESEARCH APPROACH: The approach adopted was survey of exporters and interactive sessions with various people. The presidential areas that were surveyed include Okhla Industrial area, NOIDA, Udyog Vihar, and Global Business Park etc. RESEARCH INSTRUMENT: Research instruments used were interactive sessions with various executives. CONTACT METHOD: Personal interviews were used to collect information because they are more authentic and the researcher can easily know and describe the attitudinal behavior of the respondents, which cannot be done by using other survey methods LINER REPRESETATION THE LINER INDUSTRYS CHALLENGE: There is no doubt that the challenges and opportunities facing the container liner shipping business get bigger as each year passes. As the years after 1999 passed half the way the future of those companies involved in providing container transport services seemed to hinge on two massive opportunities or challenges securing cost advantage and satisfying the need of customers. The consensus is that failure to seize either or both of these opportunities will ultimately condemn carriers, whatever their specialist niche or global coverage to commercial oblivion in a trading environment that each year becomes ever more competitive. The first analysis of the containerization international, published in May 1983 entrants which do not figure in the latest 1998 ranking, are Wilhelmsen Lines, Polish Ocean Lines, Hoegh Lines and Star Shipping, all of which unlike US Lines, are still operating. Number one shipping line, Maersk was ranked fifth in 1983, Mediterranean Shipping Co., fourth in the year was nowhere to be seen. Of course, back then Nedloyd and PO (then called OCL) were listed separately, as were APL and CGM, while the companies, which have recently acquired them, respectively NOL and CMA, did not even make the top 20 in 1983. Neither did Ships, Safmarine/CMBT, nor any of the South Korean carriers. What was also different was the number of non-cellular vessels and converted to cellular ships 1983 stop carriers had deployed. Only just over half their fleet in terms of TEU capacity were purpose-built, fully cellular ships. Also, most of their ships were less than 2,000 TEU, the notable exception being those of US Lines. It had 14*4, 4,148 TEU ships in the pipeline. Capacity growth is largely attributable to expansion by leading players. For, such is the maturity of the market and so high the price of entry that the days of major new operations appearing on the scene are long since gone. The problem of underutilization of assets also exists. This problem doesnt vary only from trade to trade, but also from route segment to route segment. Similarly its impact on pricing is patchy. Container liner services rates continue to decline in real terms in many markets, despite considerable improvements in the level and range of services being offered by carriers. Some analysts suggest that rate levels will soon start to edge up in certain trades as careers seed to recoup the substantial investment they have made in vessels, boxes and information systems. It is argued that there is a limit to how long they can continue to survive in such tight margins. However, a rise in rates presupposes a level of discipline among carriers, which the industry has rarely displayed, often preferring instead to try and secure volume by buying market share. And with the conference system in terminal decline in the face of shipper and regulatory antipathy, there are few structures left to encourage price discipline with in the industry. Carriers will also continue to secure cost advantage by forming strategic alliances with other operators. Such partnerships are now a recognized means of achieving better results for carriers and their customers. On most trades such arrangements are now the norm and barring any regulatory ruling which might impede their progress they will continue to flourish. One of the advantages of such alliances is that thy enable participants o improve the coverage and service frequency they an offer their customers. Such considerations assume greater importance as lines seek to be more responsive to the needs of their customers. Increasingly operators are becoming less asset-focused and more customer-driven. This presents a host of opportunities for an industry which has only relatively recently realized it is in the service business. For the global operators the challenge is to think globally, but at the same time act locally, by providing services which are appropriate for local as well as global shipping needs. WORKINGS OF SHIPPING LINE Contract of shipment Booking space in a ship. Getting confirmation from the agent. Picking up of the cargo (according to the terms of the shipment). Warehousing, if required. The carrier issues the bill of lading when he receives the goods. Ones the ship sails the master informs the agent. Informing the principal about the shipment. Delivery according to the terms of shipment. Export Cycle Of A Shipping Line Shipping line negotiates freight terms, etc with the client and upon finalization of deal; client agrees to use MISC for export shipment. The client then approaches the Shipping Line. Operations office/counter at the ICD for the allotment of the container. Container is allotted to the client upon the presentation of a copy of shipping bill/invoice. There are three modes of operation. Factory stuffing: If the container is being taken to the factory for stuffing, the client organizes his own transportation and removes the container for house stuffing. After stuffing, the central excise puts a seal in the container and Line seal is also put by the shipper. The container is moved to ICD, where a customs inspection takes place, and after inspection Customs seal is put. After the sealing, the container moves to the railhead for further movement to Nhava Sheva. ICD stuffing: The cargo is brought to the ICD by the shipper and a container is allowed based on shipping bill a container is allotted. Cargo is stuffed at ICD and after the seals are put in the container, the container moves to the railhead for further movement to Nhava Sheva. CFS stuffing: The cargo is brought to the CFS by the shipper. After the customs formalities, the container is stuffed by the shipping line. After stuffing, a line seal and customs seal is put, and the container is moved to ICD railhead for further movement to Nhava Sheva. Many a times the shipper stuffs the container in his factory and instead of bringing it back to the ICD, hands it over directly to Nhava Sheva. Customs inspection of seal is done at Nhava Sheva. Last but not the least payment is collected from the concerned shipper. FLOW CHART OF THE EXPORT CYCLE OF A SHIPPING LINE EXPORT  ¯ FACTORY STUFFING ICD STUFFING CFS STUFFING  ¯  ¯  ¯ BROUGHT TO FACTORY FOR STUFFING BY SHIPPER CARGO IS BROUGHT TO ICD AND CONTAINER IS ALLOWED AGAINST S/B CARGO IS BROUGHT BY THE SHIPPER TO THE CFS  ¯  ¯  ¯ CENTRAL EXCISE AND LINE SEAL BY SHIPPER CARGO STUFFED AT ICD CONTAINERS STUFFED AFTER CUSTOMS FORMALITIES BY S/L  ¯  ¯  ¯ CONTAINER BROUGHT TO ICD AFTER CUSTOMS INSPECTION SEAL IS PU PUTTING OF SEALS PUTTING OF LINE CUSTOMS SEAL  ¯  ¯  ¯ CONTAINER MOVED TO RAILHEAD CONTAINER MOVED TO RAILHEAD CONTAINER MOVED TO ICD RAILHEAD ICD TUGLKABAD When in late 70s and early 80s, the concept of containerized cargo and delivery at doorstep started getting popular the world over, a need was felt to set up an Inland Container Depot to cater to the needs of trade and industry of the Northern part of India.   With this background in mind and with a view to bringing the facilities of transportation and Customs clearance of import and export cargo at the doorstep of importers and exporters, an Inland Container Depot was set up at Pragati Maidan in 1983 under the control of an Assistant Collector of Customs.   Indian Railways were nominated the custodian of the goods.   In 1984, a Container Freight Station (CFS) was also opened at Patparganj, which was an extension of ICD, Pragati Maidan, and Central Warehousing Corporation was nominated as its custodian.   This was a new experience for the trade and industry of North India and the institution of ICDs caught their imagination.   Soon, the importers/exporters who earlier used to clear their goods from one of the ports, started using ICD: Pragati Maidan and CFS : Patparganj for the clearance of their import and export goods.   In 1988, a public sector enterprise, M/s. Container Corporation of India Ltd. (CONCOR) was set up which took over the responsibilities of custodian from Indian Railways for ICD: Pragati Maidan.   Within a decade of its inception, the volume of work at ICD had increased to such an extent that it became difficult to handle it at Pragati Maidan.   It was then decided (in 1983) to shift the venue of ICD from Pragati Maidan to its present location i.e. at Tughlakabad.   In 1995, the CFS : Patparganj was upgraded to a full fledged ICD with C.W.C. continuing as custodian of the goods.   Movement of containers by road was also permitted in addition to the movement of containers by rail through Tughlakabad.   ICD : Tughlakabad (TKD) caters to the need of importers and exporters based in Northern India.   It is situated near Okhla Industrial Area and is spread over 44 hectares of land.   It has three storied Administrative block housing Offices of Customs, CONCOR, Bank, Shipping Lines, CHAs and Surveyors.   Four full length rail lines are available in the Customs area which bring the containers by train from Gateway ports such as Mumbai, Nhava Sheva, Chennai, besides bringing the containers by road from other ports such as Haldia, Calcutta and Kandla, etc.   ICD:TKD is equipped with most modern facilities such as rail mounted gantry of 40 metric empty lifting capacity, rubber tire diesel powered cranes, billoties and lift trucks, etc.   two covered sheds, one for import and another for export with a total area of 16,000 sq. mts. has been provided in the Customs area for stuffing and de-stuffing of import and export   goods.   With these ultra-modern facilities, ICD:TKD, New D elhi, has developed into the largest hub of multi-modal centre in the Indian sub-continent.   Containers meant for ICDs: Patparganj, Faridabad and Gari Harsaru are first brought at TKD by rail and then transported to their respective destinations.   Almost all commodities are being imported through ICD, major items being machinery, electronic goods, plastic, chemicals, motor vehicles and parts and metal and metal scrap.   On export side major items being exported through ICD are leather garments and leather products, readymade garments, machinery, agricultural products especially rice The ICD Tughlakabad is the largest dry port in South Asia and the leading centre for importers and exporters of the Northern Region.   This ICD began functioning at Tughlakabad in 1993, prior to which it was located at Pragati Maidan.   The Custodian of this ICD is Container Corporation of India Ltd (CONCOR), which is the Public Sector Undertaking.   CONCOR are also the carriers, through rail, of import and export containers between ICD Tughlakabad and the Gateway Ports of Mumbai, Nhava Sheva and Chennai.   This ICD is the focal Port for the ICDs at PPG,   Faridabad and Garhi Harsaru and the movement of the containers between the ICDs to and fro takes place by road.   The Customs area houses two covered Sheds, one for import and the other for exports.   The main CONCOR building houses the administrative staff of Customs and CONCOR as well as the offices of CHAs and Shipping lines.   The staff working at ICD Tughlakabad is the regular Departmental staff and not on cost recovery basis.   The traffic as well as the revenue from this port has been going up over the year which can be seen in the charts below: Containers Handled: CONTAINERIZATION INFRASTRUCTURE IN INDIA Worldwide, the containerization of cargo has steadily been gaining popularity because of the several advantages it provides to manufacturers and exporters. Some of these are listed below: Lower transit time Safety of cargo from pilferage and in-transit damage Ability to avoid sales tax and Octroi checks at each state border crossed. In India, however, the proportion of total internal trade that is containerized is still quite insignificant. The total annual volume of internal trade is estimated to be 650 million tonnes, of which 250 million tonnes are moved by rail and the remaining 400 million tonnes by road. The volume of containerized cargo movement is less than 5 million tonnes (of which 3-4 million tonnes are handled by the railways). There is thus substantial potential for growth in the containerization sector. CONTAINER CORPORATION OF INDIA The Container Corporation of India, or CONCOR, was established in 1987, under the Ministry of Railways. Its stated objectives were to promote containerization and thereby boost Indias domestic as well as international trade. CONCOR is the monopoly service provider for containerization via railways. Present infrastructure Since taking over the Railways container handling facilities, CONCOR has developed a vast network of container terminals at prime locations across India. It has 31 Exim terminals. While most CONCOR terminals are rail linked, road is preferred in some cases depending on local conditions. (E.g.: some hubs like Tughlakabad are fed by satellite locations like Agra and Panipat by road). Growth As a pioneer in this field of containerized transportation, CONCOR has grown impressively since it was established in1987. The cargo throughput has grown from only about 74,890 TEUs in 1990-91 to over 8,01,000 TEUs in 1998-99. In the first ten years of its existence, its throughput has seen an average growth of 20% per annum. EXIM traffic Only about 30% of port traffic originates from and terminates at places within 300 km from the port. The remaining 70% is to and from the hinterland, representing a potentially large demand for CONCORs services. CONCOR provides transport linkages between ports and the hinterland. Regular container trains are run to and from ports to CONCOR terminals in the hinterland. Some of these terminals are also served by road. Future Terminal Development plans Plans are afoot to embark on a large-scale terminal development programme. Region-wise plans have been drawn up. The 31 existing Exim terminals are to be increased to about 50 by 2002-03. CONCOR would then be located in almost all cargo receiving/generating areas of the vast hinterland. Terminals would also be expanded. Presence in the hinterland as also in the port towns would tie up both end-points of the shipment route, facilitating control over the entire logistics chain. 3800 high-speed flat wagons are being procured with the help of a US$94 million World Bank loan. These wagons will be put to use in all EXIM streams and subsequently in domestic streams. As these container trains will run at the speed of mail/express trains, the transit time between ports and hinterland will be substantially reduced. WORKINGS OF ICD IN INTRNATIONAL BUSINESS ICD is a common user facility with public utility authority status, equipped with fixed installations and offering services for handling and temporary storage of any kind of good (including containers) carried under Customs Control and with Customs and other agencies competent to clear goods for home use, warehousing, temporary admission, re-exports, temporary storage for onward transit and out right exports. Facilities at a dry port : Export and import warehouse: They are used for international trade and are located near dry ports. They are provided transit storage facilities for goods awaiting onward movement; separate provisions for break bulk, packaging inspection of goods, marking, etc. Container handling equipment for ISO container. Container yard (storage place of containers) It is provides space of offices of the shipping agents, customs clearance and freight forwarder agents, banks,road vehicles operators(transporter), packing service, consolidation service, fumigation, weightage of cargo and marshalling and train information service etc. Export procedure : Export of goods from India moving in containers is usually done through road and rail from ICD to Gateway ports. Types of shipping bill: White shipping bill (for duty free goods) Green shipping bill (for duty drawback) Blue shipping bill (for duty entitlement passbook scheme) Yellow shipping bill (for eatable goods. It depends on goods) GRI (Guarantee Remittance Forms) This is prepared in duplicate, the original is retained by the customs and the duplicate is sent to the RBI by the customs after processing of documents and finalization of shipping bill. Type of bill of entry: White bill of entry for home consumption goods. Blue bill of entry for goods are to be deposit in a customs bonded warehouse Green bill of entry fro goods are cleared from the customs bonded area Yellow bill of entry for eatable goods. Concept of customs : Custom procedure through out the world is similar so it is a valuable e source of assistance of administration involved in the modernization of National Customs Legislation. Hence allowing easy identification of out of date procedure Customs Act as a requirement for a financial guarantee to be established in the transit country by the party responsible for transit operation to meet possible claims by the customs. Customs also acts as a watchdog as it physically examines the goods being exported or imported out/in the country for their quality and also appropriateness. SHIPPING POLICY OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Globalization of trade and industrial production on the scale presently observed is not only affecting maritime transport in different ways, but has also been decisively shaped by shipping developments. Globalization in the widest sense has dramatically changed the demand for transport and related services and has forced all transportation companies to better adapt the services rendered to the requirements of the trading community. At the same time, important technological developments in maritime transport created the precondition for the expansion of world trade based on an intensified international division of labor. Changes in the provision of shipping services have been brought about by market driven forces, but their realization was largely made possible through policy reforms. Countries have relaxed or removed protective legislation and have started a process of renegotiating or renouncing bilateral agreements providing for market access restrictions. In parallel there has been a general move towards privatization of state-owned shipping companies and the opening of the market for shipping and related services to private sector competition. These policy reforms have been the more remarkable as shipping has been generally considered a strategic industry and lines a national asset. Liberalization of market access has led to increased competition among shipping lines and to greater commercial flexibility with regard to capacity management, pricing and entry into trade routes. At the same time, however, liberalization has also provided the basis for concentration processes, which perpetually chan ge the structure of the industry. A policy Environment Conducive to the Development of Shipping Markets: In order to ensure that development objectives are being met, Governments must give higher priority to transport issues, must review and revise the regulatory framework to allow greater participation of the private sector, introduce reform measures to make providers of transport service more responsive to user demands, streamline administrative procedures, introduce a system of transport performance indicators, promote the use of information technology and strengthen training programs in this sector. At the international level, it is important that policies and regulatory regimes be harmonized and Governments be assisted in devising the necessary policy measures required to ensure that transport supply capacities in developing countries be created or strengthened and to ensure that traders be placed in a position to effectively take advantage of transport opportunities offered in liberalized and globalized ocean transport markets. While general frameworks are being elaborated at the global level, it is also important that parallel efforts are pursued by governments towards market and policy reforms in the context of regional integration arrangements. Policy Principles: Problems faced by developing countries relate both to supply-side dynamics and to protection of users interests in transport markets. In many developing countries shipping and transport were considered to be strategic industries calling for public ownership in line with generally pursued economic policies. In order to increase the efficiency of the sector in general, programs of commercialization, privatization and liberalization have been set in motion. These programs are an integral part of a policy reform program which involves a shift in policies away from market access restrictions to a fleet development policy based on strengthening of commercial capabilities of national service suppliers and to support policies increasing the competitiveness of the maritime services sector. This shift is important to note, as it underlines the fact that shipping policy is not only a matter of market access policy. Market access is only one facet, with others, such as policies relating to fleet development and sector efficiency being equally important. This aspect is particularly relevant as it shows the need to complement WT O negotiations in the context of GATS. At the same time, developing countries need high-level and specific advice both in negotiating and implementing liberalization instruments. Liberalization and privatization are the two main pillars of maritime policy reform programs of developing countries. While restructuring of State-owned companies is necessary to ensure market orientation, it may not be a sufficient condition for successful privatization. Support measures need to be put in place that would give a concrete meaning to the notion of progressive liberalization. These measures would aim at improving the capabilities of developing countries operators to produce transport services and to create a level playing field enabling operators to compete successfully in the new transport markets. For developing countries to gain or to maintain a significant position as producers of transport services in a competitive environment, where ownership and nationality are o longer central elements, it is crucial, that competitive and exportable services be produced that can be offered in an increasingly international market. In order to arrive at such a situation it is essential that policies are being pursued that aim at capacity building and removing obstacles for national operators. These policies of competitiveness and thereby of raising the efficiency are intrinsically linked to liberalization processes. At the same time it is important that local suppliers benefit from an environment that creates a level playing field and gives them a reasonable chance of success. This need for a level playing field, however, is not to be confused with a call fro restrictive or discriminatory measures that would impede on the freedom of choice of the users of transport services. It does, howev er, call for a certain amount of harmonization of the administrative and regulatory environment, such as conditions for ship registration, taxation, labor movement, etc. Modern and efficient ports are necessary and powerful tools of facilitating and fostering trade and development and more so at a time of globalization of trade. Nowadays, ports must offer efficient and reliable services to ships and cargo, including communication systems, documentation and customs procedures, to allow the timely flow of goods through the transport chain. To assist in this flow, some countries have developed distribution or logistics centers in the port areas, which are used for the storage, preparation and transformation of cargo. Therefore, ports are no longer simply a place for cargo exchange but are a functional element in the dynamic logistics chains through which commodities and goods flow. An efficient transport system is also a prerequisite to attract foreign direct investment. Ports can be crucial element in developing a competitive advantage for a country and therefore Governments and port authorities need to adopt suitable port policies to allow the nation to reap this potential benefit. It is of the greatest importance that an environment is created where Governmental and intergovernmental activities on the legislative, regulatory and institutional fronts are discussed with the inputs of all users. Market Access Policies-National Policies and GATS: Maritime Transport- The successful employment of larger vessels and fleets, be they single company fleets or joint ones in the consortia or other cooperative arrangements is dependent on the existence of and the unimpeded access to sufficiently large cargo flows. Such flows rarely exist in bilateral trades but can only be assured by a mix of home and cross trades. Rationalization of services thus achieved requires planning security based, inter alia, on a predictable regulatory policy framework. A high degree of liberalization of trade in maritime services and the existence of multilateral rules establishing the framework within which lines operate are clearly in the interest of these service providers. Similarly, the extension of activities into logistics services requires access to inland transport and so-called auxiliary services, either as service providers or as users with guaranteed and unconditional access to such services, which might raise a great deal of opposition. The General agreement on Tr ade in Services (GATS) partly addresses these issues in the sectoral agreement on maritime transport. Port and Auxiliary Services: Modern and efficient ports are necessary and powerful tools for facilitating and fostering trade and development and more as at a time of globalization of trade. Nowadays, ports must offer efficient and reliable services to ships and cargo, including communication systems, documentation and customs procedures, to allow the timely flow of goods through the transport chain. To assist in this flow, some countries have developed distribution of logistics centers in the port area, which are used for the storage, preparation and transformation of cargo. Therefore, ports are no longer simply a place for cargo exchange but are a functional element in the dynamic logistics chains through which commodities and goods flow. An efficient transport system is also a pre-requisite to attract foreign direct investment. Ports can be crucial element in developing a competitive advantage for a country and therefore Governments and port authorities need to adopt suitable port policies to allow the nation to reap this potential benefit. It is of the greatest importance that an environment is created where Governmental and intergovernmental activities on the legislative, regulatory and institutional fronts are discussed with the inputs of all users. Port infrastructure developments, for example, involve a closely coordinated partnership between the private and public sectors. Governments should therefore

Managements incentives for establishing and maintaining strong internal control

Managements incentives for establishing and maintaining strong internal control 25. Discuss managements incentives for establishing and maintaining strong internal control. Before we start answer this question, let us understand what the definition of internal control is. Internal control is designed and implemented by an entitys management, those charge with governance of the entity, and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives. In addition, internal control is also can be refer to a process wherein the structure of the organization, the information system and authority are designed in such a way that it can helps the organization achieve its objectives and goals. (Bhattacharyya, August 2010) Internal control plays an important role in how management meets its stewardship or agency responsibilities. For example, internal control for a bank is the systems, policies, procedures, and processes effected by the board of directors, management, and other personnel to safeguard bank assets, limit or control risks, and achieve a banks objectives (Internal Control Comptrollers Handbook January 2001). A system of str ong internal control is the backbone of an associations management program. Strong internal control may helps a company to meet their objectives and goals, and to maintain a healthy, successful operations.For a bank, Good internal control can help a bank to avoid surprises and achieve its objectives. After we understand the internal control, let us see the managements incentives for establishing and maintaining strong internal control. There are few management incentives such as provide safeguard of assets and company records, effectiveness and efficiency of operations, prevention and detection of fraud and error, compliance with applicable law and regulation, avoid wastage of resources, risk management systems are effective and decreased risk of damage to the associations reputation. First, the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to ensure company records and assets can be properly safeguard. A strong internal control can ensure that asset was not been stolen and certificates or company records are proper keeping. Then, a proper safeguard of company records and assets can generate reliable information for the company because the records will not easily be manipulated. Besides, Management also needs reliable information to ensure the fairness of financial report. It can reduce the problem between the principal and agent. So, what is mean by principal and agent? Actually, principal is referring to absentee owner such as shareholder and agent refers to manger who is working in company. The problem is information asymmetry and conflicts of interest are occurring between themselves. This is because manager has more information about true financial position than shareholder. Moreover, they are different objectives in someti mes, so it will lead to conflict of interest. For example, the goal of shareholder is to obtain higher dividend from the company which they invest. However, the goal of manager is to maximum the profit of the company. Therefore, they will be a conflict such as whether using the excess earning to maximum the dividend for each of the shareholder or increase their market share by increases the advertising. It will lead to the problem between shareholder and manager, because the shareholder did not know whether the manager has done a correct or win-win decision. Then, they did not know the financial statement have incurred error or fraud or not. However, a strong internal control may ensure a safeguard of companys records and assets and it will increase the trustiness to the company. Then, decrease the problem between agent and principals. Besides this, reliable information is important to make a good decision to a company. If the information system does not provide reliable information , management may be unable to make quick and informed decisions such as product pricing, profit information and cost of production. It is important that the top management is generated with accuracy information, as they rely on these data to make important and critical decisions. Therefore, a strong internal control is necessary in order to make financial information transparent and accessible to the managers or decision makers. Second, the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to have an effectiveness and efficiency of operations in a company. Effective of internal controls can be sure that all duties are being completed according to standards, rules and all quotas are being met. However, efficiency of internal control is very important to the achievement of sustainable competitive advantage and the maximization of profitability. Operational procedures, best-practice and performance reviews are effective internal controls of efficiency. (Ingram, eHow Contributing Writer) A strong internal control increases the effectiveness and efficiency of operations, reduces the risk of asset loss, and helps to ensure compliance with laws and regulations. Third, the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to prevent and detect of fraud and error in company. Error is unintentional misstatements make by staff or manager such as making mistakes in gathering or processing financial data used to prepare financial statements. Then, fraud is intentional misstatements make by staff or manager such as manipulation, falsification, or alteration of accounting records or supporting documents used to prepare financial statements. Therefore, a strong internal control can prevent and detect the error and fraud. For example, segregation duty between record shipping inventory and calculate inventory physically can prevent theft or stolen of inventory occur. Besides, a proper accounting information system can prevent the error or fraud, such as sales clerk only can access and key in the information about the sales and account receivables only. Therefore, the sales clerk cant access to cash account in order to c reate a fictitious customer. Moreover, monthly bank reconciliation can check the mathematical accuracy of the bank reconciliation working paper and agree the balance per the books to general ledger to detect the error or fraud in account bank. Next, the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to compliance with applicable law and regulation. Following law and regulation set by government require huge investments, especially that of time. Therefore, a strong internal control is necessary in order to avoiding legal consequences by follow the rule and regulation. That mean, it can reduces or avoid the costs which may have to occur if the company dont follow rules. Then, the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to avoid wastage of resources. A strong internal control can helps company avoiding wastage of precious resources, besides increasing efficiency. It is because maximize the profits or income by utilization the resources is one of the method of efficiency. Strong internal controls can avoiding wastage of resources like an effective accounting information system can ensure the reliability and appropriate of the information for avoid to making an inefficiency and inaccurate decision and wasted asset of the company in investment in that decision such as wasted cash or establish a useless debt for an ineffective investment. The managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is to making risk management systems effective. An entitys risk assessment process is its process of identifying, evaluating, and responding to the identified business risk. For example, mobile phone company such as Nokia always facing business risk not because of its competitive environment only but rapid changing technology is also a main reason. To suit for the customer trend and favourite, Nokia facing business risks that are always need to make investment in Research and Development Department to design a new model and rapid upgrade their product. However, not all the mobile phone produce by Nokia will be the favourite of the customer and making a profit, so a strong internal control is important to assess the business risk and reduce the business risk to an acceptable level. The last managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control is decreased risk of damage to the associations reputation. It is because a strong internal control can produce a reliable financial statement, making operating procedures more effective and efficiency, prevent and detect the error or fraud and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Therefore, the financial report will be more credibility and decreased risk of damage to the associations reputation. Last but not least, after we review the managements incentive for establishing and maintaining strong internal control, we can conclude that a strong internal control is very important to every company to achieve their businesss goal, such as provide a safeguard of records and assets or making an effectiveness and efficiency of operations. Therefore, a strong internal control is one of the factors that ensure the company may successful also.

The Major Catalysts in the Formation of the Internet and Digital World :: Internet Digital Essays

The Major Catalysts in the Formation of the Internet and Digital World Introduction There exisits two schools of thought concerning which components have been the major catalysts in the forming of the internet and digital world as we know it today. Both entertain stimulating and valid arguments. Manovich stipulates that the visual format of the internet is purely based on the visual reasoning that erupted out of the late nineteenth century as a result of constructivist principles and the tremendous introduction of the cinema, while Cook provides a good argument that although the assertions made by Manovich are true, Manovich overlooks an important component to the aesthetics and organization of the digital internet. Cook describes the importance of late Victorian logic in the form of diagrammatical information put forth by visual reasoning and mathematical pioneers such as Venn, Marshall, and Carroll. It is my opinion that a combination of certain elements of both Manovich's and Cook's arguments creates a visual reasoning amalgam of why the internet looks like it does today. Each school of thought represents a portion of what we see when we click on the little blue link called "e" and escape into a world of dazzling, creative expressions of information and interpretation. I believe that the methods of Victorian logic are the vehicles in which information is organized and made easily accessible to the interactive users; while Victorian logic has adapted into the utilitarian aspect of the internet, the principles of constructivism which had originally sprung out of the art historical movement called soviet constructivism (early twentieth century) have formed the aesthetic and more directly interactive part of the internet. Manovich's Argument "The techniques developed by the artistic avant-garde of the 1920's became embedded in the commands and interface metaphors of computer software. In short, the avant-garde vision became materialized in a computer."(1) Manovich declares that there are three main developmental stages in the historical context of visual reasoning; I believe Cook's description of these three stages is very clear and succinct, and generally gives overall essence of Manovich's basis for his argument: "First of all he outlines an early period between 1870 and the 1920's, during which there occurred 'a profound change in the cultural attitude toward vision.' This initial cultural shift paved the way for a second stage in the modern history of vision, a stage which arrived around or soon after the Second World

Macbeth :: English Literature Essays

Macbeth The character of Macbeth is a classic example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. Some of the factors that justify this title to Macbeth are his greatness and outstanding potential, both as a warrior and a nobleman, his very powerful sense of ambition, and the outweighing of this flaw over his exceptional goodness. One of the many reasons that Macbeth is categorized as a tragic hero is his courage and success as a war hero. This is evident when, in the beginning of the play, the Captain narrates Macbeth’s braveries to Duncan, and the king himself refers to Macbeth as â€Å"noble Macbeth†. Right from the beginning of the play, Shakespeare clearly defines Macbeth as a well-respected war hero. The Captain talks about how Macbeth killed everybody in his path to get to Macdonwald and then â€Å"unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops† before finally spearing the head of his enemy. Furthermore, King Duncan himself refers to the protagonist as â€Å"noble Macbeth†, as he tells his noblemen, â€Å"What he (the Thane of Cawdor) hath lost, noble Macbeth had won† Therefore, the above mentioned instances convince the reader that Macbeth is indeed heroic, popular and courageous. Another reason leading to Macbeth’s tragic ending is his overpowering sense of ambition. This is discussed by his wife, Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth himself.After reading Macbeth’s letter, his wife voices concerns for him, one of which includes his ambition. She says that her husband has the ambition to be anything he wants, but not the heart to do what he has to do to get there. Moreover, Macbeth also characterizes himself as having a "vaulting ambition" which takes control of him and consumes his thoughts. Thus, Macbeth’s tragic flaw eventually leads to his self-destruction Yet another example of Macbeth’s tragic heroism is his flaw overtaking his capability to be naturally good. The murders of Duncan, Banquo and Macduff’s family are proof enough to show that Macbeth’s inner goodness and humanity have been destroyed and replaced by his ambition. When Duncan names Malcolm the Prince of Cumberland, Macbeth decides on the murder of the king. This involves him having to overcome hesitations, but aided by the persuasion of his wife, he undertakes this task. Additionally, Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son, due to the witch’s prediction of Fleance becoming king. Finally, the slaughter of Macduff’s household by the same murderers, to ensure he would reach his ambition without obstacles, is a final seal to prove that Macbeth’s sense of ambition drives him to near-insanity. Macbeth :: English Literature Essays Macbeth The character of Macbeth is a classic example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. Some of the factors that justify this title to Macbeth are his greatness and outstanding potential, both as a warrior and a nobleman, his very powerful sense of ambition, and the outweighing of this flaw over his exceptional goodness. One of the many reasons that Macbeth is categorized as a tragic hero is his courage and success as a war hero. This is evident when, in the beginning of the play, the Captain narrates Macbeth’s braveries to Duncan, and the king himself refers to Macbeth as â€Å"noble Macbeth†. Right from the beginning of the play, Shakespeare clearly defines Macbeth as a well-respected war hero. The Captain talks about how Macbeth killed everybody in his path to get to Macdonwald and then â€Å"unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops† before finally spearing the head of his enemy. Furthermore, King Duncan himself refers to the protagonist as â€Å"noble Macbeth†, as he tells his noblemen, â€Å"What he (the Thane of Cawdor) hath lost, noble Macbeth had won† Therefore, the above mentioned instances convince the reader that Macbeth is indeed heroic, popular and courageous. Another reason leading to Macbeth’s tragic ending is his overpowering sense of ambition. This is discussed by his wife, Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth himself.After reading Macbeth’s letter, his wife voices concerns for him, one of which includes his ambition. She says that her husband has the ambition to be anything he wants, but not the heart to do what he has to do to get there. Moreover, Macbeth also characterizes himself as having a "vaulting ambition" which takes control of him and consumes his thoughts. Thus, Macbeth’s tragic flaw eventually leads to his self-destruction Yet another example of Macbeth’s tragic heroism is his flaw overtaking his capability to be naturally good. The murders of Duncan, Banquo and Macduff’s family are proof enough to show that Macbeth’s inner goodness and humanity have been destroyed and replaced by his ambition. When Duncan names Malcolm the Prince of Cumberland, Macbeth decides on the murder of the king. This involves him having to overcome hesitations, but aided by the persuasion of his wife, he undertakes this task. Additionally, Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son, due to the witch’s prediction of Fleance becoming king. Finally, the slaughter of Macduff’s household by the same murderers, to ensure he would reach his ambition without obstacles, is a final seal to prove that Macbeth’s sense of ambition drives him to near-insanity.

Existentialism and Metamorphosis Essay

Existentialism is defined as a modern philosophical movement stressing the importance of one’s experience and accountability. Its focus is the make on the personal reflections that these make on the individual, who is seen as a free agent in a deterministic and seemingly meaningless universe. Its philosophy is meticulous that, in a nutshell, advocates a diverse arsenal of responses and solutions to the ‘existentialist attitude’; which, essentially, is what an individual feels when confronted by the absurdity of life. Throughout humanity, rumination and self-proclaimed ‘ultimate’ truths have assumed various forms: poetry, religion, and numerous other doctrines and textual works. In The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka narrates the ramifications of a metamorphosis in which the subject and protagonist, a man named Gregor Samsa, is transformed into a bug. Despite the novella’s literary methods and influences, the most prominent being the way Kafka so nonchalantly describes such irregularity in his life, The Metamorphosis is also hailed as a prime textual work of existentialism, the previously mentioned philosophical movement. Both prior and subsequent to the transformation, Kafka portrays Gregor as a man who seems lost within himself, and lacking identity. The reminiscences of his past are neither nostalgic nor poignant: his human life is seen to revolve solely around trivial matters. His social life pays the price from this, his failure to assert a concrete and consistent existence. The extent of his lack of individuality is further exemplified by his reaction to the metamorphosis: finding himself â€Å"transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect† (Kafka, 296), he prioritizes work over all else, even in his newly equated insect form. Furthermore, he panics because â€Å"the next train went at seven o’clock; to catch that he would need to hurry like mad and his samples weren’t even packed up† (297). Gregor’s identity crisis is a device for conveying Kafka’s belief of an impersonal society where individualism is drastically mitigated as a result of excessive materialism. Gregor, in the context of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Notes from Underground analogy, would be the ‘ant’ in the anthill— thus rendering his metamorphosis ironically. Another dominant theme prevalent throughout the novella is the absurd situation Gregor is confronted by. These nonsensical happenings (296-327) reflect the world as seen from the existentialist perspective: a world absent of a rational and comprehensive objective. Jean-Paul Sartre postulated that ‘every existing thing is born without reason, prolongs itself out of weakness, and dies by chance’. This meaninglessness is precisely what Gregor is victim to in the microcosm of society that Kafka generates: Gregor flounders about, beleaguered by absurdity and helplessness, presumably because he is unaware of Nietzsche and Kierkegaard’s somewhat consoling conclusions that one must devise meaning for one’s own existence ex nihilo. Once again, Kafka utilizes a combination of plot and character to convey his angst concerning an apparently pointless existence. Freedom— or rather the lack thereof— is another existentialist tenet that Kafka addresses. Gregor is depicted as someone constrained by self-imposed burdens, the most demanding being the role as the financial pillar of the family. Despite having the freedom to repudiate this role, Gregor instead pursues it with feverish ardor to the extent that it becomes his ‘sole desire’ (310). Yet his harangue regarding his career (297-298) reveals that this is not due to personal desire, but rather the belief that he must replace his father financially, regardless of preference. Gregor’s delusion regarding an absence of choice contradicts what Kafka perceives as the truth: that freedom is ubiquitous in spite of any ethical obligations we may be expected to adhere to, and that the individual defines his or herself via one’s decisions. A quasi-motto of existentialism coined by Sartre, ‘existence precedes essence’. In conclusion, Kafka employs the fictional literary elements he constructs to address the very non-fictional, existentialist aspects of society and life. Akin to Dostoyevsky’s Notes from Underground, it can be interpreted as both a rumination and tirade against impersonal communities, restriction of freedom, and the absurdity of life.

History 1302

The mind set of Americans during the decade prior to the Spanish American war, the influence of the Americans during the war. Expansionism and imperialism and the causes of the war and what did the Americans gain and lose. The Americans had a long history of imperialism from the expulsion of the native Americans, the Mexican American war, the Spanish American war, the control of cuba and the Philippine, the annexation of Hawaii and Samoa and also the occupation of much of latin America between 1890 and 1930.Their tendencies were outgrowth of ethnocentrism which was the belief in manifest destiny. Expansionism was the control of another country’s market or political system through the use of trase and diplomacy and imperialism was the control of another country’s market or political system through the use or threat of use of force. The causes of the American Spanish war, united states had little interest in economic cuba and the south had yet to regain its stature.The Cu ban rebels began to attack Americans owned properties, McKinley sent the battleship maine to Havana to protect the American interests, the battleship blew up due to coal dust or the magazine too close to the boiler room, Theodore Roosevelt also wanted war, he dispatched dewey to the Philippines with out the knowledge of the secretary of navy or the president of united states. America was in the mood for war to demonstrate its strength, and what better nation to go to war with, manifest destiny, racism and imperialism were also cause to the war.The United States gained almost all of Spain's colonies, including the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Cuba was granted independence, but the United States imposed various restrictions on the new government, including prohibiting alliances with other countries, and reserved for itself the right of intervention. Cuba remained technically independent but was required to submit its foreign policy to American approval. By gaining these territo ries it helped America gain some more resources.3.The conditions and causes of the progressive era, how it affected people, where did the reforms begin and why, who were the three of the most famous national leader. The causes were the deplorable state of america’s cities including the boss system with it’s corruption, graft and the resulting high taxes which fell on the middle class. Uncontrolled monopolies which ran roughshod over small business and the interest of the people. The corrupt relationship between big business and state and federal government’s elected officials. Lack of any control of the negative impacts on the public of the rampant abuse of the public trust by big business. And then the abuse of children and women in the work places.5. General reasons for the war in Europe and specific causes and the reasons for the U. S entry into the war. The general causes of the great war, imperialism each major European nation had its colonies in Africa and asia and each saw its colonies as a measure of its own national prowess and also colonies meant sources of raw materials and markets for finished goods for each country. Nationalism was such an ingrained part of the culture and different nationalities in Europe that it is had to separate it from what it means to be british, French, german, or Russia.Its also played apivot role for the Serbians who assassinated the arch duke of Austria hungary, played a role second to pride and marital fealty which bought the arch duke to Sarajevo on that fateful day and also bought America into war. Militarism could not separate from a country’s nationalism in 1914, it was the struggle for the military to make sure that their country would not loose territory if attacked that led to the war that could have been prevented, it also helped the deformed Kaiser Wilhelm to compensate for his short stature.Disintegration of the ottoman empire, vacuum caused by the dissolution of the ottoman empire caused the other nations to lust for those territories and it also liberated yearnings of nationhood and ethnic pride and revenge. Secret and entangling alliances were developed in order to maintain an equilibrium while other nations were trying to upset that equilibrium and gain a power advantage over their rivals were a material cause for the war.War was viewed as an extension of diplomacy and relatively risk free way to gain territory and advantage over a rival, the memory of the diplomats was short, it did not take into account the suffering caused by the Napoleonic wars. Continuing rivalry between france and germany following the franco-russian war. The lack of meaningful communication and understanding internally between the military and diplomatic wings of the various European countries.The U.S entry into the war, Wilson called on his fellow citizens in 1914 to remain which was impossible for a nation of immigrants from all of the countries in the war. Economic realities also made imposible the task of dealing with the belligerents on equal terms, the british put a blockade on german and the germans were using the new submarine warfare to challenge british domination on the atlantic. Wilson demanded that german promise not to repeat such outrage and the germans agreed to his demands. He also demanded that german abandon its unlawful tactics and the german government.