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Archive for March, 2012

Employment in Dubai

“All that glitters is not gold and all that promise will never come true”

Thousands of people from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the other developing countries dream about securing a dream job in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.  This tiny Sheikdom in Middle east surrounded by the oil rich other Sheikdoms is known for its lavish lifestyle and high-rise modern building and futuristic infrastructure.  It lures many people across the world to have an exciting career. Indeed few people do make it to the top and make their future, but the majority of the people will end up disappointed with its exploitation and manipulations by the employers.  Unskilled and semi-skilled workers are the most affected and live a life of a bonded slave. However, over 80% of the workforce consists of these unskilled and semi-skilled workers. They live in cramped porta cabins or rooms sharing space with 10 to 15 other workers with unhygienic conditions.

The discrimination levels are very high in UAE. Arabs and Muslims will always be favored against others.

Its not surprising that if you are a non-Arab your junior will get more salary than you and better living conditions provided by the employer. Even the yearly salary hikes will be better for Arabs as compared with the non-Arabs.

If exploited laborers protest or strike against their employers then they are faced with arrests and deportation. These laborers pay almost $1000 to $2000 USD to the employments agency in their country to seek job in gulf, but these workers are hardly able to recover that amount even after two years of continuous employment. The workers are paid min AED 400 to AED 800 ( $109 to $218  per month salary ). They work for minimum 12 hours everyday and most of the time the employers will not pay overtime wages for work done more than 12 hours. The worst situation is of the female housemaids. They work almost 24/7 and will be paid approximately $250 per month and have to undergo harsh living conditions and torture. These expatriate workers dont have any choice as their consulates will not fight for them if any case registered and even before any complaint can be lodged the workers will get deported. Furthermore, these workers come from third world countries and live in a state of poverty back home, they dont have much choices and eventually have to face the hardships of Dubai life.

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Virat Kohli’s brilliant knock does it again for India. The kind of skills and composure displayed in the innings against Pakistan was one of the best I have seen any batsman do that for his country.

Virat-Kohli-Ind-vs-Pak-5th-ODI-Asia-Cup-2012

Well there are several websites, news channels and news papers covering everything in terms of grammar and composition and phrases and comparison of Virat Kohli. Mostly they all praise him like the next cricketing God and compare him with Sachin Tendulkar and other great batsmen of last two centuries.

I guess comparing Virat with some other batsmen is the worst possible idea to do so. I have seen many talented young players being compared to other great players and mess up their career even before it could take off. Virat must have hos own identity and not get into the paradigm of getting such comparisons and lose his own focus.  Virat has not reached that level of success just because of that comparisons but to his own powerful magnitude of cricketing skills combined with hard work and concentration, not to overlook the  confidence that he displays. I have not seen a cricketer in Indian side recently  like his ability which he displays.

Just like Sachin Tendulkar should not be compared to Sir Don Bradman, so should Virat never be compared with Sachin.

Each player is good for its time period and for the intensity of the cricket which the specific period of time requires sportsmen to unleash their potential.

Just a short advice to Virat – He should play his natural game and be Virat Kohli himself, not to get carried away with the hype of media and others , but to be humble and let his bat do the talking.

Well played Virat

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Finally justice done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Šaban Bajramović (Serbian Cyrillic: Шабан Бајрамовић, Serbian pronunciation: [ʃǎban bajrǎːmɔʋitɕ], Romani: Šaban Bajramovičh; April 16, 1936 – June 8, 2008) was a Serbian-Romani musician.

 

I heard Saban Bajromovic on Claude Challe’s 3 CD Album “Just Good Music” on Just Vibe CD and I had to repeatedly listen to “Pena” from Saban Bajramovic. His style was very unique and the music very heart touching. I had never heard about Saban before that. It was love at first sight with his music and after few days I did some search on Youtube and found another song from Saban very inspiring with Mostar Sevdah Reunion.  Mostar adds that extra flavour to the voice of Saban doing great justice to this legendary singer by composing some enigmatic and heart throbbing music full of pulsating drums and awe-inspiring trumpet style in Gypsy way.

 

Biography

He was born in Niš where he attended primary school for only the first four years. On quitting school, he picked up his musical education on the street.

When he was 19 he ran away from the army out of love for a girl. As a deserter, he was sentenced to three years prison on the island Goli otok, but as he told the military court they could not hold him for so long as he could survive, they raised his punishment to five and a half years. He survived as he was a good goalkeeper in the prison football team. Because of his nimbleness and speed, they called him “Black Panther”. Soon he forced his way into the prison orchestra that played, among other things, jazz (mostly Louis Armstrong, Sinatra, and sometimes John Coltrane) with Spanish and Mexican pieces.

After Goli otok, his intensive music career began. He made his first record in 1964. He is believed to have composed 650 compositions.

In 2008, it was revealed that Bajramović was living impoverished in Niš with serious health complications and was no longer able to walk. The government of Serbia intervened to provide him with some funds, 10 000 euros.He died in Niš on June 8, 2008, from a heart attack.

Indeed Saban is indeed an iconic figure in NIS and a great Roma singer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Government fund to settle unpaid loans of UAE citizens

 

Dh2b due from 6,830 people will be paid off

 

  • Image Credit: WAM
  • Ahmad Juma Al Za’abi, Deputy Minister for Presidential Affairs and chairman of Supreme Committee of the Debts Settlement Fund for Citizens with Limited Income.

Abu Dhabi: Loans of citizens who have defaulted on payments will be settled as per the initiative of His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, through the Debts Settlement Fund, according to an agreement signed with eight banks yesterday.

The agreement stipulates that the defaulting personal loans of 6,830 citizens, worth about Dh2 billion, will be paid off and cases against the defaulters will be dropped immediately.

The banks involved in the agreement are the National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, First Gulf Bank, Union National Bank, Ras Al Khaimah Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and Mashreq Bank,

The fund has carried out a survey in cooperation with the Central Bank to assess the level of the default.

The initiative aims to alleviate the suffering of citizens who cannot pay back their loans due to different reasons.

Encouraging savings

The fund aims to encourage saving and to incentivise citizens not to fall into debt traps again.

As per the agreements, the banks will represent the fund in receiving applications from the defaulters.

The forms will specify the sources of their income which will help calculate instalments on a feasible basis.

The presidential gesture would settle the personal loans of citizens, whose debts are less than Dh1 million, be they in detention pending trial or convicted, or settling their debts through instalment schedules set by the courts.

Those in prisons will be released and have their loans settled in accordance with specific settlement mechanisms, including deduction of 25 per cent from their monthly salaries, with undertakings not to borrow again until the loan is settled.

CEOs and representatives of the banks were present to sign the agreement.

Shaikh Khalifa’s gesture follows the recommendation submitted to him by the Supreme Committee of the Debts Settlement Fund for Citizens with Limited Income, chaired by Ahmad Juma Al Za’abi, Deputy Minister for Presidential Affairs.

The Dh10 billion fund was set up upon the decree issued by the President to ease the burden on the citizens with low incomes.

Earlier, Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, issued the decision to set up the higher committee to implement the directives by the President.

Signing ceremony

The signing ceremony was attended by Ahmad Juma Al Za’abi and Khaleel Mohammad Shareef, Chairman of the UAE Central Bank and a number of deputy ministers, Mohammad Abdullah Al Rumaithi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Presidential Affairs for the financial sector and procurement committee member of the fund and other officials.

Ahmad A., 32, told Gulf News, that this initiative will help many citizens who are facing financial difficulties.

“I myself took Dh750,000 from three banks and spent almost all my salary to pay the loans. Once this is settled by the fund, it will be easier to pay as no more than 25 per cent of the salary,” said Ahmad.

Fatima M., 27, told Gulf News the fund “will give defaulters a new life and will help banks regain their money. What is important is that the fund takes a pledge from the beneficiary that he will not take a future loan while paying instalments.”

President’s initiative

  • Dh10b: fund set up to help citizens who have defaulted
  • 25%: maximum deduction from salaries

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The London Bullion Market Association
Responsible Gold Guidance
About the London Bullion Market Association
The LBMA is the international trade association that represents the market for gold and silver bullion, which
is centred in London but has a global client base, including the majority of the central banks that hold gold,
private sector investors, mining companies, producers, refiners and fabricators. The current membership
includes 129 companies which are actively involved in the loco London bullion market, including trading
houses, banks, refiners, miners and fabricators as well as those providing services to the market such as
consultants, supervisors and assayers. The membership encompasses a total of 22 countries. The LBMA was
formally incorporated in 1987 at the behest of the Bank of England to take over the roles previously played
by two separate organisations, the London Gold Market and London Silver Market, whose origins go back
to the mid-nineteenth century.
The LBMA Good Delivery List
In the refining industry, the LBMA Good Delivery List includes the world’s pre-eminent refiners of gold and
silver, located in 31 countries. The List is widely recognized as the de facto standard for the quality of gold
and silver market bars. This recognition is based on the stringent criteria that applicants must satisfy before
being listed, as well as the regular proactive monitoring of accredited refiners by the LBMA. In addition to
satisfying the LBMA’s technical standards, a refiner seeking LBMA accreditation must meet a number of
non-technical criteria in relation to ownership, tangible net worth and operating history. In response to the
Dodd-Frank legislation on conflict minerals emanating from the DRC, the LBMA has informed all gold
refiners on the List that in order to maintain their Good Delivery status, they will have to demonstrate that
their refined output is conflict-free. To allow them to do this, the LBMA has developed a Responsible Gold
Guidance Scheme.
LBMA Responsible Gold Guidance
The LBMA will require that, from 1st January 2012, all LBMA Good Delivery Gold Refiners comply with
the LBMA Responsible Gold Guidance. Listed refiners have been sent a draft of the Guidance in September,
2011 and during the final quarter of the year they will be consulted before the final version is issued. The
current draft can be obtained from the LBMA Executive or via the LBMA website (www.lbma.org.uk). The
final version will also take account of the rules to be announced by the SEC as well as the OECD guidance
on gold supply chains.
The LBMA Guidance is based on anti-money laundering principles as well as the five steps framework for
risk-based due diligence of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals
from Conflict-Affected and High Risk Areas. The LBMA guidance is intended to provide a flexible
framework for carrying out due diligence in this area and thus to minimise the cost of compliance for
refiners, whilst ensuring that their feedstock and thus their output remains conflict-free.
OECD Due Diligence for Responsible Supply Chains – Gold Supplement
The LBMA supports the work of the OECD in the area of supply chain due diligence and has been
actively involved in drafting the Gold Supplement section of the OECD Guidance. A number of
members, both banks and refiners have contributed to this work and Ruth Crowell, the LBMA’s
Commercial Director, is the co-facilitator of the OECD Gold Guidance Drafting Committee and the
LBMA’s main contact for Responsible Gold.
The London Bullion Market Association
13-14 Basinghall Street London EC2V 5BQ
Tel: +44 20 7796 3067 Fax: +44 20 7796 2112 http://www.lbma.org.uk email: ruth.crowell@lbma.org.uk

click on the link to download the documentLBMA Gold Guidance 2012

 

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Click on the link to download documentOECD Financial action Task Force Gold

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OECD Due Diligence Guidance for
Responsible Supply Chains of
Minerals from Conflict-Affected and
High-Risk Areas
Final draft Supplement on Gold
v. 3.0

This Supplement on Gold forms an integral part of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. The Introductory section of the Guidance as well as Annex I (Five-Step Framework for Risk-Based Due Diligence in the Mineral Supply Chain), Annex II (Model Supply Chain Policy for a Responsible Global Supply Chain of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas) and Annex III (Suggested Measures for Risk Mitigation and Indicators for Measuring Improvement) applies to the Supplement on Gold. Therefore the term “Guidance” may be used throughout this Supplement to refer to both this Supplement on Gold as well as the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas.
This Supplement provides specific guidance on supply chain due diligence of gold from conflict-affected and high-risk areas according to the different positions of companies in the gold supply chain. It distinguishes between the roles of and the corresponding due diligence recommendations addressed to upstream companies and downstream companies in the supply chain (see Definitions), and includes, where necessary, specific recommendations to the specific actors within those two broad categories.Companies falling into these categories should carry out due diligence regardless of whether they own, lease or loan the gold.
This Supplement focuses on the steps companies should take to avoid contributing to conflict and serious abuses of human rights in the supply chain of gold potentially sourced from conflict-affected and high-risk areas. This Supplement includes due diligence measures to be taken on recycled/scrap or previously refined gold (“Recyclable Gold”) only insofar as recycled material is a potential means of laundering gold that has been mined in conflict-affected and high-risk areas in order to hide its origin. Gold investment products (ingots, bars, coins, and grain in sealed containers) held in bullion bank vaults, central bank vaults, exchanges and refineries with a “verifiable date”1 prior to 1 January 2012 will not require information on their origin (“Grandfathered Stocks”). However, gold investment products will require “Know Your Counterparty” due diligence to ensure the trade in Grandfathered stocks is not carried out in violation of international sanctions or does not enable money-laundering resulting from, or connected to, the sale of gold reserves in conflict-affected and high-risk areas.
In order to determine the applicability of this Supplement, all companies in the gold supply chain should carry out Step 1 (Establish strong company management systems) and begin Step 2 (Identify and assess risks in the supply chain) to determine whether they actually or potentially source gold from conflict-affected and high-risk areas. The remainder of the Steps in this Supplement will then only apply to companies sourcing gold from conflict-affected and high-risk areas and actors in the gold supply chain that operate in a conflict-affected or high-risk area………………kindly download the document for indepth information on the sameOECD Gold guidance supply chains 2012

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