Archive for the ‘features’ Category

Rents will increase by 1.90% this year

October 14, 2011 - 12:24 am Comments Off

The benchmark rents (IRL) continues its momentum. Indexed to inflation, the index increased by 1.90% yoy in the third quarter 2011, according to INSEE, its largest increase since the first quarter of 2009.

Following the same curve as the price index, the benchmark rents had fallen sharply during the crisis, before recovering from the first quarter of 2010. However, according to figures released Wednesday by INSEE, inflation emerged up 2.2% year on year in September, despite a slowdown during the past month.

Consequence of this increase in the IRL, the owners can raise rents to their tenants under lease, 1.90% maximum per year. This ceiling is not to be confused with the increase that may require the owner at the end of the lease, and which itself is not subject to this limit.

Rising rents slows

They are also in the process of marking time, like the sale price. The latest observation Clamor, the rents charged to new tenants were up 0.9% over the first eight months of the year, against 1.4% a year earlier. In 34% of cities in France, this trend is even negative. This is for example the case in Paris (-0.1%), Bordeaux (-0.9%) or Toulouse (-0.4%).

In other cities of the Hexagon, however, rents remain strong on the upside. This is the case in Lyon (+1.2%), Nantes (+1.7%), Lille (1.9%) or Le Havre (+2%). For the full year, Clamor expects an average increase of 1.5% to 1.8% against 2.5% in 2010.

The Observatory notes wide disparities between the cities but also between the quality of rented accommodation.Owners who make improvements before entering into a new lease rent on average well 9.3% more than the previous occupant. However, when the property is rented without work, its rental value decreases by an average of 5.4%.

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"Managing e-mails takes two hours a day"

October 6, 2011 - 4:04 am Comments Off

Lefigaro.fr – messaging has it become a stress factor?

François Fatoux – Yes, definitely. The study we just completed, 38% of users receive over 100 emails per day. With the massive use of email, employees are saturated with information, most often to treat in an emergency. Because the immediacy of information has sometimes a perverse consequence: we are given less time for reflection. Faced with the constant flow, it is not uncommon that the employee feels outdated, it has the feeling of doing wrong. A situation even more difficult to live as e isolates, by discouraging physical conversations.

There are, as a result of addiction to e-mails, as measured by the researchers, maintains that stress.65% of users say they check email every hour, but actually do every five minutes! And smartphones, which allow employees to access their e-mails anywhere, increasing still potentially stressful situations. Have a blackberry was once a privilege to lead. It has become the door open to requests cascade.

Finally, the electronic mail increases, or harm their productivity?

It is very difficult to make a full and final conclusion. The mails are also many beneficial effects on work organization. In reality, everything depends on how a company and its employees use it. Very different practices coexist. All managers not only send such emails in 23 hours. But it is true that this is a very time consuming activity.More than half of the users spend more than two hours daily to manage their mailbox freecreditscore. The stress is relentless. When we know that an employee is 64 seconds to regain his train of thought after receiving an email, we have a sense of loss of concentration occasioned by email.

Another of his perverse priorities is to disrupt. The urgency tends to take the place of hierarchy. The employees work is undeniable, but spend more time on tasks accessories. Productivity is affected.

How to fight against these negative effects?

It is important for companies to seize this issue and are considering the use it makes their mesagerie mail. Should we encourage the use of mails to professionals outside the office? Should we require employees to respond instantly? The rules must be defined.

As for employees, a few simple rules can help minimize these adverse effects. Set the parameters so that every email that arrives is not reported, for example. Or take the time to reflect before answering. Or consider before each shipment: would it be more effective to pick up the phone? Is it necessary to put this or that person a copy? In terms of dependence on the tool, the answer seems to me, however, not individual but collective. Is to leaders to lead by example.

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Dexia France and Belgium in support

October 4, 2011 - 6:08 pm Comments Off

The story is she about to repeat itself? As in 2008, when Belgium, France and Luxembourg had given government guarantees the bank Dexia shareholder governments pledge to support the Franco-Belgian bank which could be dismantled. "The Belgian and French States will meet present as in 2008," assured the French minister of Finance, Baroin, on the sidelines of a meeting with his EU counterparts in Luxembourg. Luc Frieden, Luxembourg's finance minister, also said that his country would play an active role in restructuring the bank.

Governments will particularly seek to support the activity of deposits in Belgium "by a guarantee of the deposits."Concerning the activity of loans to local authorities, which represents about 80 billion euros of assets, Baroin ensures that "whatever happens, we set up a quick and effective solution that will ensure a lack of drop charge this important activity. "

A cash injection, similar to that of 2008 which had led to bail out the bank to the tune of 6.4 billion euros is it to the agenda? No response yet from the French minister who is content to repeat that "States will meet present as in 2008." A source close to the talks for his part, told Reuters that recapitalization was not provided.

The creation of a "bad bank" proposed

Most talkative, the Belgian Finance Minister Didier Reynders confirmed discussions around the creation of a "bad bank" structure that will isolate the non-performing assets and portfolios of the bank. "There was much talk of a bad bank, a few possibilities," he said business card. "We need to look at how to change this group. We must remove all the dangerous parts of the bank, this is where the state guarantees come into play then we can give guarantees to customers, both depositors or solicitors of credit. "

Intended as reassuring, Didier Reynders recalls that "there is no reason to be of major concern about this group if we continue to accelerate the disposal of assets.Both France and Belgium are ready to provide a guarantee for Dexia's funding, regardless of the form it takes. "

Replica

Earlier in the morning, France and Belgium had already declared their support for the bank. "As part of the restructuring of Dexia, the Belgian and French, in conjunction with central banks will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of depositors and creditors. To that end, agree to bring their guaranteed funds raised by Dexia, "explained a joint finance ministers of two countries. Baroin said that the crisis in Franco-Belgian bank "is a replica of the Great Depression of 2008."

At the Paris Bourse, these guarantees seem to be a little effect.Dexia shares had lost up to 38% in the morning, cut its losses and was down from 16.46% to 1.086 euros on a market down 2.84% to 13.30. But caution is when a special meeting of the Belgian government is expected Tuesday evening "to take stock."

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The G20 mobilized to reassure the financial world

September 24, 2011 - 9:36 am Comments Off

Unity is strength. Armed with this saying and to respond to the stock market crash that plagues the financial markets around the world, the twenty richest economies in the world decided to act jointly. Thus, after a dinner Thursday in Washington, finance ministers and central bankers from the G20 pledged to provide "a strong and coordinated international response" to the crisis.

No statement should be issued initially. But given the urgency of the situation and "the common observation of the need for a collective response," said French Finance Minister Baroin, the G20 is prepared to take "all necessary measures to maintain stability banking systems and financial markets. " For banks, countries ensure that "they have adequate capital," they keep "sufficient access to finance."Central banks provide them with "the necessary liquidity."

At the same time and in response to a request by the G20 in September addressed to Nicolas Sarkozy, the euro zone countries have pledged to implement "necessary measures to increase the flexibility of the European financial stability and maximize its impact to prevent contagion bad credit unsecured personal loans. "

And G20 members say they are committed to act on all fronts: against "increased risk of deterioration" due to soaring public debt, against "the weakened financial system" and "turmoil" growth "low" and "unacceptable level of unemployment." To do this, they will take action to "support growth" while adopting "credible fiscal consolidation plans."And the time is short since the club 20 is the adoption of "an ambitious collective action plan before the summit in Cannes," in early November.

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Toxic Loans: how to get rid

September 22, 2011 - 7:20 am Comments Off

Very touched by the toxic loans, these loans whose interest rates can soar, the Socialist Mayor of Saint-Etienne, Maurice Vincent, claimed that the government take responsibility. "The Ministries of Economy and Interior are asking us to manage ourselves the question with the banks negotiating with them. But this can not be a solution! "Storm elected.

St. Stephen was able to renegotiate certain loans: from toxics declined from 70% to 34% of its debt. But not all. Because in some cases, banks are asking the community to pay a cash adjustment to transform the high-risk loans in a normal loan. The principle of the balance is logical: the bank must be "compensated" as she would have received in interest rates high – up to 24% in Saint-Etienne with toxic loans.But its amount, which varies according to market conditions, may be prohibitive. "For a loan of 20 million, Deutsche Bank in early 2010 we asked a cash payment of fifteen million. It had no advantage for us, "said Maurice Vincent. Which concludes that most communities are in this case. The Court of Auditors number between 7 and 12 billion the amount of toxic debt, total debt of a community of 160 billion. The mayor of Saint-Etienne believes that the cash payment to pay to get out is now about ten billion euros, given the market conditions. Or communities can not afford to pay such a sum to get rid of loans at risk.Or more precisely, they could afford at the cost of tax increases – from 15% to 20% in Saint-Etienne after its mayor – and lower public spending.

"That's why I want the government set up a bad bank," concludes Maurice Vincent. This structure would take over the toxic loans communities, which would then be freed of the problem. This would be the banks that finance the bulk structure défaisande. And so that would take the loss. So far the government has been opposed to this idea. And the Court of Auditors as well.

Communities have, however, a weapon used today: the trial. Saint-Etienne sued the Deutsche Bank and RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland), including failure to board. The first verdict next year.And in the meantime, the payment of interest is suspended.

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FNSEA challenges the candidates of 2012

September 12, 2011 - 7:32 am Comments Off

FNSEA (National Federation of Farmers' Unions) is back in service Tuesday Space in Rennes, the second largest European exhibition of livestock. Beyond the hot topics of the moment, like the crisis in the hog sector, the Central Agricultural eyes on May 2012. It intends to be present in the debate of the presidential election. It prepares a summary document together its proposals for meeting the challenges of French agriculture during the next five years.

This platform will be closed in mid-November. "The French agriculture is a key sector and must be present in the Presidential debate, said Xavier Beulin, a number of FNSEA. We will ask the candidates to express themselves and engage in relation to our proposals. "

Important themes, four stand out.On the top of the stack, that of improving the competitiveness of French agriculture. It has been deteriorating over the past five years. So much so that France, land of all agricultural production has shifted from first to third place behind Germany and the Netherlands in the field of agri-food trade. Fills a gourmet meal while the French end of 2010 was listed as World Heritage Heritage of Unesco, the Hexagon now imports many of its fruits and vegetables, cheaper to produce outside our borders.

To make France more competitive firm, offers FNSEA implementation of VAT "social antidélocalisation." Its goal: to reduce by at least 30% of the hourly cost of agricultural workers to align with that of its European competitors.A key position when you know that 60% of the cost in this sector, employing 200,000 people, from the cost of labor. Such a measure would cost $ 300 to 350 million euros to the state budget.

To finance it, the future tax soft drinks would not be sufficient. "This requires an increase in VAT terms to be defined. In addition this measure would also apply to imported products as opposed to an increase in the CSG, which again would penalize French farms, "says Xavier Beulin.

Second major issue, increased efforts in research and development in agriculture on G20.With, for example, the introduction of new varieties of animal and plant more to meet consumer expectations.

For a new irrigation policy

The third point concerns the inclusion of the entrepreneurial dimension of the French farm, including the creation of new legal status and accounting standards with the possibility of bankruptcy without affecting personal property.

Finally the fourth theme relates to the environment. FNSEA advocates a new irrigation policy to create water reservoirs to store winter and summer re-use rather than let her go to the sea This implies a reduction of administrative .

FNSEA does not give instructions to vote.The responses of presidential candidates will help farmers, who are no longer systematically acquired the right to guide their choice.

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The worsening economic and social crisis in Greece

September 3, 2011 - 1:44 am Comments Off

The debt crisis turns to Greek tragedy and psychodrama. Tuesday night, a committee of experts of Parliament in an official report revealed that the country's debt was "out of control." The next day, denial and criticism rang out, Evangelos Venizelos, the Finance Minister did not mince words, stating that these auditors did not have "neither the knowledge nor the experience nor the necessary responsibility to judge the debt ", a few hours later, the director of the parliamentary commission complained resigned.

Stock market crash

Friday, an additional layer was taken with the surprise announcement of the suspension for ten days, the mission started in Athens earlier this week by experts from the troika (EU, ECB and International Monetary Fund).This sudden departure caused an outcry in the country and the stock market plummeted at the opening, causing the European financial centers in its wake. The finance minister has tried to downplay the event: "There was no rupture of discussions between the country and the Troika," he said. But Evangelos Venizelos has failed to convince, especially as he admitted, following that "Greece will not hold its goals of reducing the public deficit in 2011 due to the deepening recession in the country. " GDP is forecast to decline by at least 5% this year, the government now provides, which leads mechanically to predict a deficit of 8.8% of GDP at end 2011, against a previous estimate of 7.4%.

It is a fact, almost a year and a half after the introduction of the first austerity plan, Greece is again up against the wall.The austerity measures have led to a sharp recession and sealed growth, competitiveness and production. The unemployment rate reached 16.6% last month. "The committee was right. The debt is really out of control because it is growing and will continue to grow, "Analysis Stefanos Manos, a former finance minister credit reports free. "It is sad to see that the government did nothing for months. No reform of the state system, not privatization, but only the imposition of taxes and cuts in wages! There are more public spending in 2009, before the crisis, he said. This time, it is urgent, bankruptcy is just around the nose. International leaders must tap your feet.They should refuse to grant the sixth installment of the loan of 110 billion euros granted to Greece if these measures are not implemented. "This is probably the direction of the departure of the troika, which means by this dramatic move to the pressure on the government.

But this game of poker liar weary Greeks who bear the brunt of austerity. Last significant extent, the increase in VAT in catering from 13 to 23%. "A step too far, according to Giorgos Delastik, a political analyst. The Greeks are exhausted. They think that especially in terms of rigor is not applied the right way to save their country from the crisis, just as Ireland and Portugal. "

Strikes and demonstrations were not long in coming. After the Athens metro and teachers, the outraged calls for a mobilization in Parliament tonight.Ilias Iliopoulos for general secretary of the union officials, the Greeks played their all. "We are on the verge of a social explosion," said he. "In 2010, when the deficit would be reduced by five points, the Greeks had to make huge sacrifices. Today, they can not accept other measures or new cuts on wages. " However, the troika request 2.5 billion savings by the end of the year. The authorities now fear having barely contain the anger of the Greeks, who was radicalized after the summer break.

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Cars: French brands do not benefit from the recovery

September 1, 2011 - 11:04 pm Comments Off

The automotive market bounced back in August. For the first time in four months, new car registrations in France rose 3.2% year on year in August, according to figures from the Committee of French Automobile Manufacturers (CCFA) announced on Thursday. In total, 108,530 units were sold against 159,945 in July.

But this slight improvement has not benefited the hexagonal marks. Registrations of PSA Peugeot Citroen fell 3% to 31,867 cars sold, sealed by the brand Peugeot (-6.1%), while Citroën has increased slightly (+1%). The Renault was down 1.4% to 27,116 cars, despite the rise of the Renault brand (4.8%), due to the fall of its inexpensive Dacia vehicles (-22%). At the Paris Bourse, the new goes wrong with investors. Title Peugeot unscrewed from 3.73% to 20.53 euros by 10:50, in a market down by 1.10%.The action leaves Renault at the same time 2.88% to 27.52 euros.

Featured Nissan

Sales of French cars have fallen by 2.2% over the period while those of foreign cars grew by 10.5%. The Nissan group, whose sales volume is much lower compared to the French cars (3880 cars passed last month) shows still an increase of 32.5%.

BMW saw its registrations increase by 29.5%, while rising by 18.7% Hyundai, Mercedes 17.8% and 15.2% of Volkswagen. Fiat, however, is always the trouble with registrations down 21.5%.

Difficult recovery

To observers, this underperformance against French manufacturers is a surprise. "We were pretty confident and we did not think the market would collapse in August," said Francois Roudier, spokesman for the CCFA."But you still have to be careful because August is a very small volume in terms of months," he added. According to him, the market will "gradually reduce" to the end of the year, due to the effect of the removal of the scrapping took place in late 2010.

Since January, the car market grew by hexagonal only 0.4%. French sales of the first eight months of the year are down 4.4% while foreign groups are gaining 7.7%.

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Bernanke under pressure from the markets

August 26, 2011 - 4:56 am Comments Off

The speech will be delivered to a very limited audience, but it will be heard by the entire financial world. The head of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, will speak on Friday afternoon (French time) to his counterparts at the traditional central bankers in Jackson Hole Symposium, Wyoming.

While the U.S. economy slows dangerously, investors expect a tough response from the Fed. But they may be disappointed because, faced with two problems, the central bank runs out of ammunition.

Misdiagnosis

First, Ben Bernanke erred in economic diagnosis. He underestimated his own admission, the low growth in the first half and was counting on a rebound in demand in the second, which for now does not materialize.Problem with its main policy rate at zero since December 2008, the Fed has little room to revive again the supply of credit. Some members of the Monetary Committee refuses to go further. Among the reluctant, Richard Fisher, president of the Dallas Fed. It is estimated that on August 9 promises to continue until mid-2013 interest rates unusually low, the Fed made a mistake: the promise deters businesses and individuals to borrow quickly as they know that the rates are not nearly up.

So what can Ben Bernanke promised? The resumption of purchases of long-term bonds the Treasury is the preferred option by the markets. But given the high level of inflation, the method is risky.In addition, low interest rates leaves little hope that this new "quantitative easing" has a significant effect on credit supply.

Ben Bernanke should focus on technical measures. The Fed could cut the compensation of bank reserves. It would be a way to push banks to lend rather than storing their cash with her. The second measure seeks to change more or less gradually the composition of its balance sheet, which reached 2.7 trillion dollars. To maintain long-term rates as low as possible, the Fed may decide to increase the proportion of its balance sheet invested in long-term securities, while reducing the one placed in short-term securities. The decline in long rates will encourage companies and individuals to refinance their debts and support the real estate.

Pharmacies out of stock

August 2, 2011 - 2:04 pm Comments Off

Twenty products absent from the shelves of the pharmacy on the first day of the week. This is the situation that a small pharmacy owner in the fifteenth arrondissement of Paris, a few days of the summer closure of his pharmacy. An almost normal, and shared by many of his colleagues. These problems of supply disruptions, the pharmaceutical companies (LEEM) have also identified a few months. Front-line antiretroviral drugs (treatments against AIDS), insulin, or steroids. In some small pharmacies, such as supply disruptions related antidepressants and vaccines.

"The mountain of pharmacies in these areas have alerted us, says we in the trade association of the drug industry, because in general, breaks off and still found the result of bad weather, or social movements. " This was not necessarily the case in recent months."For some specific drugs, including antiretrovirals, there is a significant difference between the amounts made available to the distribution channel for businesses, and far below the number of units dispensed by pharmacies in town," confirms the organization.

In this case, then those products which go missing? According to Leem, some drugs would be captured by "short liners," the new intermediate appeared recently (4-5 years), whose intervention "aims to capture the margins, and do not have to Unlike the traditional players, a culture of health professionals ", warns Leem.And the controversy grew about the possible disruptive effect that these new players would result in the drug market.

Introduction of quotas

These new entrants are currently only 2.5% of the market for thirty entities in competition with wholesale distributors, who are the traditional intermediaries between laboratories and the approximately 23,000 French owners of pharmacies. "This is especially true for drugs produced and distributed in small quantities, such as antiretroviral (ARV) where their intervention significantly affects the fluidity of the market, says Emmanuel Déchin, general secretary of the Chambre Syndicale in the pharmaceutical distribution (CSRP) , which comprises seven members, representing 97% of the French market."We know that none of these ARV box which is sold is intended for the French market.".

In addition, since the early 2000s in France, every distribution is given by pharmaceutical companies, quotas based on national market share. "We understand the concern of an economic actor such as a laboratory to better control the flow of production, Emmanuel Déchin tempers. But it also induces more rigid and can penalize us and expose us to break. " Today, about 600 drugs on the 5300 allowed the French market are subject to these quotas. And strong demand in France for some products, lead to regular stock-outs on nearly 270 specialties, according to the Union of pharmacists (USPO).

Also, some advance to explain that the pharmaceutical giants, or even distributors, do not hesitate to reserve a portion of their stocks of the more "lucrative". Indeed, patented products still sell for an average of three to five times more expensive in the U.S. than in France. And even within the European Union, large disparities persist. On average, the products can be sold 20% more expensive in Germany than in France, while in Spain, prices are generally lower than 10%. "I do not honestly believe that a laboratory, despite its economic imperatives, can do this type of arbitrage to the detriment of the health of patients' tempers Déchin Emmanuel.

The health minister is prepared to legislate

For his part, and face these charges, the Health Minister Xavier Bertrand was firm: "These systems are known to parallel importation, but I do not want that.What is planned for France should be consumed in France, "he said on Europe 1 radio on Tuesday. He was prepared to legislate if laboratories and wholesalers did not meet their obligations, "or you meet your quota, or I will oblige with a new text, he said. It's a shame to come here but I will not hesitate one second to do so. "

Therefore, to overcome these difficulties, some small pharmacists have no choice but to defeat the usual, explains that another pharmacist in a small pharmacy (800,000 euros of annual turnover): "either we manage with co-major pharmacies that are generally better off than us, or we go directly to the laboratory control. But this can only be temporary, because of course we pay more than the wholesaler! ".For two or three years, the pharmacist admitted being increasingly confronted with such situations, including antiretrovirals and cancer. Clearly, treatments that can not wait. Troubleshooting

Faced with this shortage, Leem and the French Agency for Safety of Health Products (AFSSAPS) have set up emergency solutions (stocks troubleshooting, short circuit …) and special issues to avoid the maximum out-of treatment for patients. A temporary workaround, which can not do without an in-depth study of the new challenges of the French system of drug distribution. What the Department of Competition and Fraud (DGCCRF) seems to be addressing.

In turn, dispatchers did not call for the abolition of quotas, nor to that of intra-EU trade, but felt that the resolution of this issue "very complex" pass through "pragmatism and a sense of responsibility on the part of all actors in the chain, given the economic pressure to which they are subjected. "

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