IMF Executive Board Calendar
As part of the Fund’s increased transparency, the tentative calendar of the formal meetings and seminars of the Executive Board for the next seven days is shown below.
Please note that the calendar is subject to change, and that the agenda for each meeting is typically finalized the day before the meeting. The calendar posted below contains the latest available information.
At 2 a.m. on March 13, 2011, groggy Americans will turn their clocks forward one hour, marking the beginning of Daylight Saving Time (DST).
The federal law that established “daylight time” in the United States does not require any area to observe daylight saving time. But if a state chooses to observe DST, it must follow the starting and ending dates set by the law. From 1986 to 2006 this was the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October, but starting in 2007, it is observed from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, adding about a month to daylight saving time. (See: New Federal Law.)
Read more: Daylight Saving Time — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/spot/daylight1.html#ixzz1GRMpkLy7
IRAQ – Opportunities for U.S. Businesses
On Wednesday, March 23rd, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Iraq & Afghanistan Investment & Reconstruction Task Force and the New York U.S. Export Assistance Center, in conjunction with JP Morgan, will host a half-day seminar discussing the business opportunities for U.S. companies in Iraq. The seminar will give attendees a greater insight into the types of opportunities for U.S. companies in the reconstruction efforts in Iraq.
There are many business development projects available for U.S. companies, and during the seminar, companies will learn about how to navige the Iraqi market, the political and economic climate in Iraq as well as the financing opportunities available via the U.S. Government. A draft agenda for the conference can be found here!
Najaf, March 12 (AKnews) – Najaf province opened on Saturday the first International Commercial Arbitration Center in Iraq to settle the disputes over contracts and investment companies inside and outside Iraq according to the arbitration way adopted in the world with the participation of the French ambassador and representatives of the Dutch Embassy and economic, political, and cultural personalities outside Iraq.
Baghdad, March 12 (AKnews) – A deputy from the Kurdistan Blocs Coalition (KBC) said on Saturday that the vote for the Defense Ministry candidates will be held this week ahead of the other two unallocated security ministries.
Fuad Masum, a leader in the KBC, told AKnews that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will sumbit the names of candidates for the defense ministry post to parliament this week.
According to a member of the Committee on the parliamentary oil and gas, that the members of the Committee will hold a meeting Saturday to determine the problematic oil and gas law and the disputed points, indicating that the Commission intends to present the law to the House of Representatives in the coming weeks.
BAGHDAD— Iraq’s lawmakers tentatively agreed Saturday to cut their monthly pay in half and reduce the salaries of the nation’s top leaders in hopes of appeasing protesters who accuse them of living in luxury at the expense
of the poor.
However, the plan would leave untouched some $20,000 per month in lawmakers’ stipends and allowances.
IMF Headquarters
ZIMBABWE’S US$7 billion external debt will next week come to the fore when a visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) team meets treasury and central bank officials in the capital, a top government official has said.
The IMF mission will be on routine Article IV consultations that appraise economic policy issues between the multilateral institution and government.
Finance minister Tendai Biti this week told delegates attending the Zimbabwe Investment Conference organised by United Kingdom-based Euromoney Conferences that Zimbabwe, currently saddled with a ballooning debt, has to tackle its dues before sustainable economic growth could be realised.
Saturday, 12 March 2011
Hassani: Araji front-runner to fill the inner bag
BAGHDAD – The Feed – revealed Edwalthalv National Abdul Hadi al-Hassani said that there is more than one candidate among the components of the National Coalition for the Interior Ministry, noting that the character of a frontrunner for the post of Interior is the team Farouk al-Araji.
Saturday, 12 March 2011
BAGHDAD – The Feed – Uploaded member of the Iraqi MP Nahida Daini National Alliance candidates responsible for delays in resolving the security ministries until now. She said in a statement Daini told public opinion (and babysit): The delay in resolving the candidates of the security ministries due to the National Alliance, noting that Iraq provided more than one candidate for the Ministry of Defence.
Saturday, 12 March 2011
The member of the National Alliance and a member of the Legal Committee Attorney bright Naji The Legal Committee has begun a review of all the laws that existed in the previous parliamentary session and arrange them according to importance.
With search House of Representatives yesterday in the presence of 246 deputies, with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s government program, and reports of the provinces against the backdrop of recent demonstrations, says Deputy Prime Minister for Energy, Hussain al-Shahristani, the oil minister and the power to examine ways to provide services to citizens. And agreed Presidency of the parliament on the “road map” to pass important laws for citizens to speed up the legislation.
Range Rover
Announced Beramides to organize international exhibitions for the completion of preparations for the establishment of exhibitions (kakato otoshi) for motor vehicles and accessories and an exhibition of industrial machinery on the land of the Erbil International Fair for the period from March 17 to 20 this month.
Said Mohammed Sharif, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Beramdess that the exhibition car (kakato otoshi), involving major international companies in the auto industry and related accessories, spare parts, and these companies (April Japanese company Jaguar and Hyundai and Kia Curia and the Range Rover and all of the companies BMW and Mercedes of Germany and Volvo ).
Baghdad, March 12 (AKnews) – The assembled members of the Iraqi Parliament voted unanimously on Saturday for the draft law to reduce the salaries of the three presidencies after the third reading.
MP Othman al-Juhaishi from the Iraqiya list told AKnews that the bill will now go to the financial and legal committees in order to determine the reduction rate.
Raising the Iraqi Council of Representatives its Saturday to next Monday with the adoption of a proposal to vote on the support of the Transitional National Council of Libya.
The MP said the Iraqi unit Jumaili told the Kurdish news agency (Rn) that “the House of Representatives to raise its next Monday,” pointing out that “the meeting witnessed the adoption of the proposal supported the National Council for the Salvation of Libya.”
There have been hosting the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister for Energy, Hussain al-Shahristani, Minister of Electricity Falh Raad Al-Ani, and Oil Minister Abdul Karim coffee was postponed for the next session, according to Jumaili.
Raised the presidency of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, Saturday, meeting of the Council of 41, to Monday next, after the vote in principle to reduce the salaries of the three presidencies and the first reading of the proposed law the Financial Inspection Office and complete discussion of the draft law of the Federal Court.
A parliamentary source said in an interview with “Alsumaria News”, “The Presidency of the Council of Representatives raised the regular session of the 41 held today, chaired by Council President Osama Najafi and the presence of 230 deputies to the next Monday,” noting that “the meeting witnessed the first reading of the proposed law on the Court of Auditors financial, and complete discussion of the draft law of the Federal Court. “
A number of energy affairs experts and members of the Iraqi Council of Representatives on Saturday, said the most important challenge facing the Maliki government to provide electrical power during the next summer season.
A member of the Energy Organization, “PLS”, one of the organizations, the Australian force in Iraq to provide expertise and advice to the Government in the implementation of energy projects, Abdul Karim al-Tahir, told the Kurdish news agency (Rn) that “the projects implemented by the Ministry of Electricity over the past years were not successful projects are possible in which to talk about relative stability of energy. “
“. He continued by saying “We have a project for the Ministry of Electricity in March of last year we launched the project system (WETP) any prosthetic projects accompanied by a major strategy projects.”
The deputy from the coalition of state law, led by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Saturday, deputies and political bloc for failing to provide the required laws to the Iraqi government to implement the demands of the demonstrators.
Saad al-Muttalibi of the Kurdistan News Agency (Rn), said that “there are many bills had not yet read in the House of Representatives,” noting that “the Council could not in nearly a year for his work to pass laws but only two.”
He described it as a logistical shameful to Iraqi lawmakers and political blocs that “vaunted reforms and demanding a law does not provide the executive power to operate and monitor the power.”
He stressed that “al-Maliki made a real solution in the House of Representatives that could contribute to raising these problems and to get Iraq out of its current crisis.”
The euro fell to the lowest level in a week against the dollar yesterday after Moody’s Investors Service lowered Spain’s credit rating, increasing pressure on EU leaders to find a solution to the region’s debt crisis.
Europe’s common currency has lost 1.5 percent against the dollar since climbing to a four-month high on Monday. Spanish debt was downgraded to Aa2 by Moody’s, which also cut Greece’s ranking this week.
The pound fell against the greenback ahead of yesterday’s interest rate decision by the Bank of England (BoE). The dollar rose on prospects jobs data will signal a continued recovery in the US economy. The Swiss franc and the yen gained as violence escalated in Libya.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan mobilised Japan’s Self-Defence Forces and the central bank pledged to ensure financial stability yesterday after a magnitude-8.9 earthquake struck off the coast of Sendai, a city of one million people, causing damage across the east coast of Japan.
“I call on citizens to act calmly,” Mr Kan told reporters in Tokyo after convening his emergency disaster response team.
“The Self-Defense Forces are already mobilised in various places. The government is making its utmost effort to minimise the damage,” he said, saying later in a news conference that the impact was widespread.
The Ministry of Finance said it was too soon to gauge the economic impact of the earthquake, the world’s biggest in more than six years.
Japan’s central bank set up an emergency taskforce and said it would do everything it could to provide ample liquidity.
Description of the independent MP for the Kurdistan Alliance, Mahmoud Othman, a parliament session that was attended by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s failure.
Osman said in a press statement that “the parliament speaker Osama Najafi did not improve the management of the meeting,” We went a full year of elections, and four months on the Council’s work, and so far have not discussed any law, only the budget law and the law of the Vice-President of the Republic, and confined to meetings on political speeches and concern holidays, as he put it.
Vice in Iraq: He was supposed to provide the names of candidates in the parliamentary session, security
BAGHDAD – The Feed – Expressed member of the Iraqi MP Mohamed Osman al-Khalidi was surprised at the lack of CVs of candidates bags through security last week during a parliamentary session attended by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
Khalidi said in a statement to the news agency public opinion (and babysit): He was supposed to provide the names of candidates in the parliamentary session for the purpose of voting on them and reduce the moment but did not submit CVs to Masa, who were nominated for the purpose of voting and ratify them.
Most foreign exchange points in Ho Chi Minh City stopped transactions in US dollar on March 11, due to fear of inspections from relevant authorities leading customers completing transactions in banks.
Three days ago, foreign exchange points maintained normal operations while announcing trading at VND21.400 to US$1. They now refuse to buy the dollar and have stopped all dealings.
An employee at a gold shop said that since the authorities had been cracking down on foreign exchange traders for the last few days, gold shops dared not transact in dollars publicly any longer.
Many shops traded mainly in gold, especially gold jewellery and others suspended all foreign currency transactions.
BAGHDAD – The Feed – A member of the Iraqi List Mutashar al-Samarrai said the government should take actions quickly in order to satisfy the demands of the protesters, referring to the demonstrators, who came out did not ask for Climate System Awatharp confusion, but demanded their legitimate rights.
Samarrai said in a statement to the news agency public opinion (and babysit): “The duties of government are to meet the demands of the protesters by calling them because their applications normal text of the Constitution to demand their rights.
Opened in the Governorate of Najaf on Saturday, the first Centre for International Commercial Arbitration in Iraq, to settle disputes over contracts and investment companies inside and outside Iraq, in a manner of arbitration adopted in the world with the participation of the French ambassador and representatives of the Dutch Embassy and economic figures, political and cultural and outside Iraq.
The Chairman of the Arbitration Board Mohammad Javad Turaihi to the Kurdistan News Agency (Rn), “The Center establishes for the first time in Iraq headline” “Center of International Commercial Arbitration in Najaf” and would work across Iraq, to resolve disputes on investment contracts and companies inside and outside Iraq in a manner of arbitration adopted in the world civilized. “
And on the Commercial Court, explained that we are “to Anattabr Arbitration Centre substitute for the judiciary, but the judicial process take wider areas and the Centre takes the speed until they reached a solution, and will take the ranges on the subject of objection and appeal and discrimination, and court procedures under way for longer term, these stretching affect trade issues and cause material losses multiply with the passage of time. “
And the mechanism of work of the Centre, between Turaihi that “if the impact of the conflict and bickering, is to apply to the Arbitration Center, the title Secretary General Zuhair drink, turn it in turn to the arbitrators who usually Maeconon choose a rival, and then made a referral to the Arbitration Board, a body of specialists from judges and others, discuss the report and issue resolution. “
He pointed out that “The decision needs to review the Court and an injunction to believe, and this is binding,” noting that “The topic was dealt with Code of Civil Procedure in Iraq, and there is a project called the Arbitration Act, but it was not issued until now, despite the completion of the preparation” stressing that “the Arbitration Centre will be helpful to eliminate shorten the time and effort.”
For his part, between Hussein’s World is a member of the jury at the International Center in Lebanon that “the arbitration center in Najaf is the first of its kind in Iraq is interested in resolving differences administrative, legal, investment, problems of labor disputes, which is an important step and lead depending on the circumstances that went to Iraq for long periods of by a succession of events. “
He pointed out that “The global economy is open today, there are a lot of barriers and laws that hinder the movement of international trade and investments and the global economy have been removed, and more vulnerable to extinction soon,” adding that “Iraq needs investment and companies operating in diverse sectors.”
He said the global “The Iraqi competencies need to organize things and keep up with innovations that have taken place on the laws, and economic legislation in the world, and the idea of establishing the center pilot and the process of a insight into the things that take into account the requirements of the economic situation in Iraq and requirements of human rights, because the economy needs to be legislation, legislation Iraqi law has not kept pace Therefore, changes in the international commercial arbitration has become a way to help eliminate trade, but not a substitute for, a way to help shorten a lot of time and restore rights to their owners soon as depending on the laws that take into account the rules of arbitration. “
He said the “center of international commercial arbitration to deal with many international centers around the world, in Cairo, Abu Dhabi, and Paris, The Hague, has opened channels of communication in Beirut, and there were sessions of the trial jury there.”
In turn, said the secretary-general of the Centre and President of the Chamber of Commerce Najaf Zuhair drink that “the business and the diversity of contracts and investments cast a shadow over later to the business, and imposes requirements need to cooperate with international arbitration centers other, so it was necessary to find a separate and organize the process of resolving conflicts, save time the judiciary, and be a tool to help him, especially given that the parties to the conflict accepted by reference to the center. “
And the actual need of the Centre, said a drink that “the purpose is to activate the Iraqi investment law, because the presence of law is not sufficient alone to promote investment in Iraq, and one of the basic supplies in its success is the presence of arbitration centers contribute to the resolution of disputes in the case of its existence.”
The Council of Representatives, Saturday, its the 41, headed by Speaker Osama Najafi and the presence of 230 deputies, with parliamentary source that the meeting will host the Deputy Prime Minister for Energy, Hussain al-Shahristani and the ministers of electricity and oil, and introduced the draft Law of the salaries and allowances of the three presidencies and special grades for the first reading, and reading the first proposal of Supreme Audit and the proposed law on the Integrity Commission.
A Legislature, representing al-Iraqiya Coalition, led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, has said on Saturday that the Council of Ministers would not be able to present much for citizens during the 100-day period, defined by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
“There are a lot of piled problems that would prevent the ministers in the present cabinet to overcome during the 100-day period, defined by the Prime Minister, being a period of experience,” Wihda al-Jumeily told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
