Friday, March 31, 2023

World Bank’s reform plan will boost lending by US$5b a year

WASHINGTON: The World Bank on Thursday (March 30) submitted a long-awaited reform plan that would boost annual lending to middle-income countries to fight climate change and other global crises by about US$5 billion (RM22 billion) annually while protecting the bank’s top-tier credit rating.

The bank said the “evolution road map” would be discussed with its Development Committee steering body on April 12, during the spring meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, but discussions would continue on further measures to boost lending, including to the world’s poorest countries.

“The World Bank Group (WBG) must evolve in response to the unprecedented confluence of global crises that has upended development progress and threatens people and the planet,” the document said. It said action was urgently needed to meet poverty reduction goals and respond to accelerating global challenges such as climate change, pandemic risk and conflict.

The paper, which includes changes since a draft reviewed in January, lays out short-term actions and some points to be considered after the April meetings, the bank said.

The World Bank estimates that governments in developing countries and the private sector would need to spend US$2.4 trillion a year on average through 2030 to address climate change, conflict and pandemics, or about 6% of the total economic output of developing countries.

The United States, which is the bank’s largest shareholder and has been pressing the World Bank to take bolder action, had no immediate comment on the road map.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday said the US nominee to succeed World Bank president David Malpass would be charged with accelerating progress on the reforms.

Malpass, who announced in February that he would leave his post by June 30, flagged the proposed boost in the financing capacity of the bank’s middle-income lending arm, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, in a speech in Niamey, Niger, earlier on Thursday.

He said the World Bank had doubled its financing for global public goods during his presidency, reaching US$100 billion from 2020-2022, and underscored his concerns about “unsustainable levels” of public debt in many developing countries.

More than half of the world's poorest countries were in or at high risk of debt distress, and their problems were mounting given higher interest rates and inflation that were leading to capital shortages, Malpass said.

As a result, governments needed to “plan for continued financial stress”, he said, calling for further efforts by developing countries to remove wasteful subsidies, improve public procurement and broaden their tax base.

In another development, Ajay Banga, the American pick to lead the World Bank, was the only candidate nominated for the position, the bank confirmed on Thursday, paving the way for his likely appointment in the coming months.

“In accordance with established procedures, the executive directors will conduct a formal interview with the candidate in Washington, DC, and expect to conclude the presidential selection in due course,” the bank said in a statement.

Under an unwritten arrangement, the United States has historically held the presidency of the Washington-based development lender, while the International Monetary Fund has been run by a European.

Banga, 63, was born in India and is a naturalised US citizen.

President Joe Biden announced his nomination last month to succeed Malpass, who is stepping away early from a presidency clouded by questions over his climate stance. – Reuters, AFP



Source: The Sun Daily

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Yellen: US bank deregulation 'may have gone too far'

WASHINGTON: The recent banking sector turmoil is a reminder that work on reforms remains unfinished, and there is a need to “consider whether deregulation may have gone too far”, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday (March 30).

Yellen’s speech, at a National Association for Business Economics conference, comes a day after US regulators charged with overseeing Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) acknowledged that they shared in the blame for its swift failure.

SVB’s collapse earlier this month following a bank run sparked a broader sell-off of banking stocks, while authorities including the Federal Reserve (Fed) and Treasury embarked on a coordinated effort to prevent contagion.

While the failures of SVB and later Signature Bank did not trigger a financial meltdown, the “substantial interventions” required suggests more work needs to be done, Yellen said.

Referring to banking turmoil and the pandemic, she said: “These events remind us of the urgent need to complete unfinished business.”

These include efforts “to finalise post-crisis reforms, consider whether deregulation may have gone too far, and repair the cracks in the regulatory perimeter that the recent shocks have revealed,” she added.

“We must also address new areas of risk,” she said, adding that any bank failure is a cause for serious concern.

For now, it is “important that we re-examine whether our current supervisory and regulatory regimes are adequate for the risks that banks face today. We must act to address these risks if necessary,” Yellen said.

Also on Thursday, US President Joe Biden called on banking regulators to reinstate tougher rules on midsized banks, saying that doing so would prevent future failures like that of SVB.

But American Bankers Association president Rob Nichols warned that with reviews by the Fed and other agencies ongoing, “it is premature to call for rule changes by independent regulatory agencies” before determining the extent to which supervisors failed to fully utilise their tools.

“Allowing for a thoughtful and deliberate process will yield better and more lasting results,” he said in a statement.

In her speech, Yellen said US authorities need to address vulnerabilities in the non-bank sector too, noting that “shadow banks” have grown in the past few decades.

She flagged money market funds as an area where vulnerabilities of the system to runs and fire sales have been “clear-cut”.

This week, US lawmakers accused regulators of failing to do enough to prevent SVB's collapse, despite knowing it was over-exposed to the risk of rising interest rates. – AFP



Source: The Sun Daily

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US stocks close higher as fears of banking crisis recede

NEW YORK: Wall Street stocks climbed on Thursday (March 30) as markets calmed after recent banking sector turmoil.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 141.43 points, or 0.43%, to 32,859.03, the S&P 500 gained 23.02 points, or 0.57%, to 4,050.83 and the Nasdaq Composite added 87.24 points, or 0.73%, to 12,013.47.

While investors have been wary since federal officials seized control of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) earlier this month – marking the collapse of one of three midsized lenders -– there have not been more US casualties since then.

This raised hopes that the emergency steps taken by regulators and private lenders have staved off contagion.

On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told a conference that recent events including the banking sector turmoil “remind us of the urgent need to complete unfinished business”.

This includes finalizing post-crisis reforms and considering “whether deregulation may have gone too far.”

President Joe Biden also called on banking regulators to reinstate tougher rules on midsized banks, saying that doing so would prevent future failures like that of SVB.

The KBW regional bank index ended down 2%, and the S&P 500 financial index fell 0.3%, the only S&P 500 sector in negative territory on the day.

“Tech is probably the furthest sector removed from financials,” so there has been a rotation away from financials, said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Cresset Capital in Chicago.

Meanwhile, weekly jobless claims figures released on Thursday edged slightly higher, fuelling hopes that the Federal Reserve could soon ease on interest rate hikes if the labour market cools further.

Fed funds futures traders are now pricing in a 55% chance of a 25-basis-point rate increase at the Fed’s May 2-3 meeting. – AFP, Reuters



Source: The Sun Daily

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51 New Shows and Movies on Netflix in April

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Are you getting your money’s worth out of your Netflix subscription? How do you know? The ever-popular streaming service has a dizzying array of comings and goings each month. Keeping tabs on the latest shows and movies can give you something to look forward to — or an excuse to save a few bucks by canceling until the arrival of something worth checking out. Here’s a list of specials...



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13 of the Most Beautiful Places to Retire in America

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Close your eyes and envision your ideal home in your retirement years. The chances are good that you’ve got a stunning setting in mind as part of that dream. Beauty certainly means different things to different retirees. You may picture the red rock mountains of Flagstaff, Arizona, or the storm-tossed seas of Portland, Maine, while others imagine living among the Spanish moss and Old-World...



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Thursday, March 30, 2023

Oil dips on profit taking, markets debate supply tightness

HOUSTON: Oil edged lower on Wednesday (March 29) in choppy trading as investors looked to pocket profits from two straight days of gains, and as markets debated supply tightness.

Brent crude closed 37 cents, or 0.5%, lower at US$78.28 (RM346.07) a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude fell 23 cents, or 0.3%, to US$72.97 (RM322.60).

“The markets are trying to find equilibrium,” said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial, noting heavy fund buying over the last two days.

On the supply side, worries of tightness after an unexpected draw in US oil stockpiles and a halt to some Iraqi Kurdistan oil exports were partially offset by a smaller-than-expected output cut in Russia.

US crude oil stockpiles fell unexpectedly last week, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said, as refineries ramped up operations after maintenance season and US imports fell to a two-year low.

EIA data also showed a larger-than-expected draw in petrol stocks, implying strong demand heading into the summer season.

“Today’s (Wednesday) EIA report was bullish, but the broader story is much more challenged right now,” said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital LLC in New York, citing economic fears and supply concerns.

News of the surprise drop in inventories came on top of a 450,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude export halt on Saturday from Iraq's semi-autonomous northern Kurdistan region following an arbitration decision.

Norwegian oil firm DNO said it had begun shutting down production at its fields in Kurdistan. The company’s Tawke and Peshkabir fields averaged output of 107,000 bpd in 2022, a quarter of total Kurdish exports.

US oil and gas activity stalled in the first quarter as production gains slowed and drillers' outlooks turned negative, a survey released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas showed.

Supply concern were, however, eased by reports that Russian oil production fell by around 300,000 bpd in the first three weeks of March, less than the targeted cuts of 500,000 bpd.

Meanwhile, markets also awaited clarity on the banking crisis and US Federal Reserve’s plans for rate hike. Oil prices had plunged to a 15-month low on March 20 after global financial markets were roiled as investors balked at the collapse of two US lenders and the rescue of Credit Suisse.

The dollar edged higher against most major peers, pausing its recent declines. A stronger greenback hurts oil demand as crude becomes more expensive for buyers who hold foreign currencies. – Reuters



Source: The Sun Daily

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US stocks rally on strength in banks, semiconductor firms

NEW YORK: Wall Street stocks powered higher on Wednesday (March 29) as markets cheered the apparent containment of a banking industry crisis that has rattled investors in recent weeks.

Worries are receding that the failure of Silicon Valley Bank and two other regional lenders would lead to other causalities.

“As the mini-bank crisis recedes a bit, equity investors look to what was oversold in the last few weeks,” said Art Hogan, an analyst at B. Riley Financial, adding that investors have also been encouraged at lower volatility in the bond market.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 323.35 points, or 1%, to 32,717.6, the S&P 500 gained 56.54 points, or 1.42%, to 4,027.81 and the Nasdaq Composite added 210.16 points, or 1.79%, to 11,926.24.

While all 11 industrial sectors posted gains, semiconductor firms were especially strong following a forecast from Micron that pointed to improving demand in the second half of the year.

Micron jumped 7.2%, while Dow member Intel surged 7.6% and Nvidia advanced 2.2%.

Regional banks were another winner, with First Republic piling on 5.9%and PacWest Bancorp winning 5.1%.

“We had a couple of good reads into the economy from a couple of companies,” said King Lip, chief investment strategist at BakerAvenue Wealth Management in San Francisco.

“Micron is sort of a microcosm of the global economy because their chips go into so many different industries and sectors. If they are optimistic about things in terms of orders, that means the overall economy is doing well.”

In a sign of potential further strength, the S&P 500 also closed above its 50-day moving average for the first time since March 6, before the onset of the bank crisis, and the CBoe volatility index, Wall Street's fear gauge, ended at its lowest level since March 8.

“People are feeling a little more comfortable with each day that passes since we had the failures,” said Michael O’Rourke, chief market strategist at JonesTrading in Stamford, Connecticut.

Investors are awaiting Personal Consumption Expenditures data on Friday for further clues on inflation. – AFP, Reuters



Source: The Sun Daily

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4 American Values That Are Fading Fast

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A handful of core values have guided America throughout the country’s history. But a recent survey suggests those bedrock principles are beginning to fade among the nation’s citizens. Recently, a joint poll conducted by The Wall Street Journal and NORC at the University of Chicago found significant erosion in the percentage of Americans who say a handful of core values are important.



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Challenging a Medical Bill Usually Pays Off, Study Finds

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Nearly 8 in 10 people who challenge a medical bill — 78% — end up getting the charges lowered or removed, according to a new survey by Akasa. The company — which bills itself as a “leading developer of AI for healthcare operations” — asked YouGov to survey more than 2,000 Americans and ask whether they ever had challenged a bill. Nearly two-thirds — 64% — said they had not. But among those who did...



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10 Places With the Most Home Sellers Slashing Prices

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If you are a home seller, it is both the best and worst of times. Properties in desirable areas that are “near-turnkey” still sell fast, often above listing price, according to new research from Realtor.com. But everyone else is learning a hard lesson: Their home probably is not worth as much as they thought it was just a year ago. For some home sellers, that tough reality is setting in.



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Writing an Effective Resume After You’ve Been Laid Off

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Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on FlexJobs.com. Whether you saw it coming or not, a layoff can be devastating. However, a layoff isn’t a stain on your career, nor is it a reflection of your qualifications as a professional. If you’ve just been laid off and are wondering what to do next, the first thing you should do is update your resume. We share how to write a resume after you’ve...



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Wednesday, March 29, 2023

The 10 Most Affordable Housing Markets for Single Women

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In recent years, single women have been more likely to become homeowners than ever before. By 2021, nearly as many single women owned homes as did single men, according to Zillow. The gap widened a bit last year, with female homebuyers falling behind their male counterparts. But the longer-term trend is unmistakable, with single women increasingly having the resources to purchase their own piece...



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US stocks fall as Treasury yields climb

NEW YORK: Wall Street stocks finished lower on Tuesday (March 28), shrugging off solid consumer confidence data as US Treasury bond yields climbed.

The Conference Board’s closely watched consumer confidence index increased unexpectedly in March, although it remains below last year’s average.

“While consumers feel a bit more confident about what’s ahead, they are slightly less optimistic about the current landscape,” said Ataman Ozyildirim, senior director for economics at The Conference Board.

Meanwhile, the yield on the 10-year US Treasury note, a proxy for Federal Reserve monetary policy, advanced, pressuring tech shares that are seen as more reliant on debt.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 37.83 points, or 0.12%, to 32,394.25, the S&P 500 lost 6.26 points, or 0.16%, to 3,971.27 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 52.76 points, or 0.45%, to 11,716.08.

Equities have seen intermittent pressure in recent weeks after the failure of Silicon Valley Bank and two other mid-sized US banks fuelled worries about contagion.

Regional banks, which had rallied on Monday, mostly fell on Tuesday, KeyCorp down 0.8%, First Republic off 2.5% and PacWest Bancorp shedding 5%.

Michael Barr, the Federal Reserve’s top banking regulator, told a Senate panel that Silicon Valley Bank did a “terrible” job of managing risk before its collapse.

Among other individual companies, Alibaba shot up 14.3% after announcing it will split into six business groups. The Hangzhou-based firm has business operations spanning cloud computing, e-commerce, logistics, media and entertainment, and artificial intelligence.

Shares of Apple and Microsoft along with other technology-related shares ended down and were among the biggest drags on the S&P 500.

“It’s a little bit of a follow-through from yesterday’s (Monday) pullback in tech stocks. You’re seeing a little bit of profit-taking,” said Michael James, managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles. “Some of the enthusiasm is waning a little bit.” – AFP, Reuters

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Source: The Sun Daily

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8 Essential Products for Homebodies

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Advertising Disclosure: When you buy something by clicking links on our site, we may earn a small commission, but it never affects the products or services we recommend. Do you enjoy spending most — or all — of your time at home? If so, we’re here to help make you even more comfortable in your favorite environment! From covers that dim LED lights and a sofa cup holder to a luxury bath pillow, we’...



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6 States That Are Taxing Retirees Less in 2023

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Filed your 2022 tax return yet? If you haven’t, there are just a few weeks left to settle up for last year. As for the 2023 tax year — the one for which your return is due in spring 2024 — some retirees might just find their state tax refund will be bigger, or their state tax bill smaller. According to a recent Tax Foundation report, in a handful of states, certain types of retirement income...



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Alibaba to break up empire into six units in major revamp

SHANGHAI: Alibaba Group plans to split into six units and explore fundraisings or listings for most of them, it said today (March 28), in a major revamp as China vows to ease a sweeping regulatory crackdown and support its private enterprises.

The US-listed shares of the Chinese e-commerce conglomerate, which have lost nearly 70% of their value since the curbs started in late 2020, rose nearly 9% in early trading.

Alibaba said the biggest restructuring in its 24-year history would see it split into six units – Cloud Intelligence Group, Taobao Tmall Commerce Group, Local Services Group, Cainiao Smart Logistics Group, Global Digital Commerce Group and Digital Media and Entertainment Group.

The revamp comes a day after its founder Jack Ma returned home, ending a year-long stay abroad and as Beijing looks to spur private sector growth after a two-year-long crackdown on its showpiece private enterprises.

“The original intention and fundamental purpose of this reform is to make our organisation more agile, shorten decision making links and respond faster, chief executive Daniel Zhang said in a letter to staff, which was seen by Reuters.

Each business group, he said, had to tackle the rapid changes in the market and each Alibaba employee had to “return to the mindset of an entrepreneur”.

Zhang will continue as chairman and CEO of Alibaba Group, which will follow a holding company management model, and also serve as CEO of Cloud Intelligence Group.

Each of the six businesses will have a CEO as well as a board of directors and will retain the flexibility to raise outside capital and seek an initial public offering, the company said.

The exception would be Taobao Tmall Commerce Group that handles China commerce businesses and will remain a wholly owned unit of Alibaba Group.

Zhang said the company would “lighten and thin” its middle and back office functions, but did not detail job cuts.

Investors said the announcement stems concerns that Alibaba had lost growth potential and signals the clearing of regulatory worries.

“It releases additional value,” said Kenny Ng, a strategist at China Everbright Securities in Hong Kong.

“With this expectation, investors will be more positive on Alibaba. It may reflect a new round of development for the business and reduce worries of regulatory issues.”

The restructuring is among the biggest corporate moves by a major Chinese tech company in recent years, as the industry cowered under tighter regulatory oversight, causing deals to dry up and dampening risk appetite among businesses.

Lately, authorities have been softening their tone towards the private sector as leaders try to shore up an economy battered by three years of strict Covid-19 curbs.

Companies, however, have been hesitant, privately pointing to a lack of new supportive policies and the new regulatory framework.

Alibaba’s shares had received a boost on Monday after founder Ma returned to China, ending a stay overseas of more than a year that industry viewed as a reflection of the sober mood of its private businesses.

China’s new premier, Li Qiang, had recognised Ma’s return to the mainland could help boost business confidence among entrepreneurs and since late last year had begun asking him to come back, five sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

“It does seem something of a coincidence that this is happening just as Ma seems comfortable returning. To me it suggests something that Alibaba has been wanting to do for some time, but has been waiting for the opportunity,” said Stuart Cole, head macro economist at brokerage Equiti Capital.

The restructuring “does inject an element of flexibility and adaptability into the company, which currently is something of a behemoth,“” he said. – Reuters



Source: The Sun Daily

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Ramsay, Sime Darby said to be planning to revive sale of joint venture

SINGAPORE: Australia's largest private hospital operator Ramsay Health Care and Malaysian conglomerate Sime Darby plan to revive the sale of their Asia-focused healthcare joint venture in a deal that could value the business at some RM6 billion, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

The companies are in talks with financial advisers to explore a sale of Ramsay Sime Darby Health Care to strategic investors, three sources said.

Deliberations were ongoing and no decisions have yet been made on the sale, said the sources, declining to be named as the matter is private.

Ramsay declined to comment.

“Sime Darby Berhad continues to review strategic growth options for our healthcare segment,” a company spokesperson told Reuters in an emailed statement. “Any decisions will be made with a view on creating value for the group.”

Ramsay Sime Darby did not immediately respond to comment.

The possible revival of the sale comes as healthcare assets gain favour, with investors betting on the sector's ability to weather the current challenging economic environment.

The Australian and Malaysian companies' earlier discussions to sell the joint venture to Malaysia's IHH Healthcare fell through six months ago.

IHH, one of Asia'’s biggest private hospital operators, had submitted an indicative proposal in March 2022 to buy Ramsay Sime Darby Healthcare.

Two of the sources said the Australian and Malaysian companies were also weighing an IPO for the joint venture on the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange.

Discussions for the joint venture's sale were called off in early September, weeks after a group led by private equity firm KKR & Co Inc withdrew a near US$15 billion all-cash buyout offer for Australia-listed Ramsay Healthare.

Ramsay Sime Darby was established in 2013 via an equal joint venture of Ramsay and Sime Darby to expand their healthcare business in Southeast Asia.

Its portfolio consists of 1,567 licensed beds across seven hospitals in Malaysia and Indonesia, and a day surgery facility in Hong Kong, according to Sime Darby's 2021 annual report. – Reuters



Source: The Sun Daily

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Tuesday, March 28, 2023

15 Common Thrift Store Shopping Mistakes to Avoid

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I’ve been an enthusiastic thrift shopper for the better part of 30 years. It’s my entertainment, my therapy and a big part of what feeds my online resale business. But successful thrift store shopping doesn’t happen by accident; you have to know what to do and what not to do. Here are common thrift shopping mistakes to avoid.



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How to Land the Right Life Insurance Policy at the Right Price

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Advertising Disclosure: When you buy something by clicking links on our site, we may earn a small commission, but it never affects the products or services we recommend. Though it’s not much fun to think about, getting life insurance is a good idea for most people, because when you die, it provides money for surviving family members (or whomever you have designated), helping them cover costs such...



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The 15 Worst Types of Produce for Pesticide Residue in 2023

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Strawberries again rank as the “dirtiest” produce, at least according to the annual analysis of one nonprofit. The sweet summertime staple earned the No. 1 spot on the Environmental Working Group’s latest ranking of fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residue — the “Dirty Dozen” list. More than 90% of strawberry samples tested positive for residue of at least two pesticides...



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The Top 10 Housing Markets for 2023, According to Zillow

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Last year was a roller coaster for the housing market. At the beginning of the year, home values soared. But by December, higher mortgage rates and other factors had brought housing sales to a standstill in many places. This year, the cooling in housing is likely to continue, according to Zillow. In a recent report on the state of housing in America, Anushna Prakash, economic data analyst at...



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Monday, March 27, 2023

The 10 Highest-Paid American Athletes of All Time

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Not every professional athlete is rich. In fact, the median pay for athletes and sports competitors in 2021 was $77,300, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But some athletes are making bank. In fact, the highest paid athletes of all time can count their earnings in the billions. Sports business publication Sportico recently pulled together a list of the 50 highest paid athletes.



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SIBS 2023 targets RM1.5 billion potential negotiated sales

PETALING JAYA: The Selangor International Business Summit will be back for the seventh year in 2023, and targets RM1.5 billion of potential negotiated sales with 50,000 visitor turnout and participation of 1,050 booths.

This year’s summit, SIBS 2023, themed “Selangor, Gateway to Asean”, will be held from Oct 19 to 22 and will take up eight exhibition halls and two conference halls at the KL Convention Centre.

It will feature six concurrent main events, bringing into the limelight a broad range of business and investment opportunities available, comprising Selangor International Expo (F&B), Selangor International Expo (Medic), Selangor Industrial Park Expo, Selangor Asean Business Conference, Selangor Smart City and Digital Economy Convention as well as Selangor R&D and Innovation Expo.

The summit will also showcase three other parallel events, including Selangor International Culinary Festival, Selangor International Healthcare Conference and Selangor International Business Summit Invitational Golf Tournament 2023.

Selangor State Executive Councillor for Industry and Trade Datuk Teng Chang Khim announced that it has opened its visitor registration at its website: www.selangorsummit.com.

“We hope that this year’s summit opens up more opportunities to multinational corporations, small and medium enterprises to showcase their products and services, and act as a strategic avenue for collaborations and partnerships.

“We had a huge success in SIBS 2022, and we are confident that SIBS 2023 will at least reach the same success, if not more,” he said in his speech during the media launch of Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS) 2023 & Iftar with the media here.

Teng shared that it is targeting to garner foreign participation of 20% to 30% this year, compared with 10% recorded in 2022, while expecting about 80% of local participants from 90% registered for last year’s edition.

“(In terms of foreign participation this year) we are looking into more than 20%. 30%; it’s not too high for us to achieve but in the long run, we are looking at perhaps 20% of local and 80% of foreign participation. I think that can only make us proud as an international platform,” he told reporters during the press conference.

Teng said that last year’s summit saw support from Asean countries and, for the first time, received participation from all local states. He saw it as a “good sign” that other states look at the summit as not just a Selangor event, but as a national platform.

“Regionally, we have participation from the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and we are looking into having pavilions for as many Asean companies as possible, this is our target,” he remarked.

This year SIBS will continue its role as the region’s premier summit for local and international industry players to convene and explore the great potential of the Malaysian and regional markets.

SIBS will embark on an Asean roadshow starting in May, visiting key cities to create more awareness and generate interest in the summit and to attract a diverse range of businesses and individuals to the event.

SIBS is an annual event hosted by the Selangor state government and organised by Invest Selangor Bhd. It is a great platform for businesses to showcase their brands and services to a diverse audience from various industries and countries.

Those interested to exhibit or to sponsor and increase brand visibility through the summit may contact Invest Selangor’s secretariat. There is a 30% discount for exhibitors who join before March 31.



Source: The Sun Daily

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Green Equilibrium – Solving the EU’s deforestation riddle

EVERY nation has the right to protect the environment and reduce the negative impacts. For example, in Malaysia, the relevant laws are being amended where penalties for pollution will be increased and, in some cases, affected parties can claim compensation. These steps are to deter polluters from committing such crime.

Similarly, the European Union (EU) has increased its environmental requirement for imports that are linked to deforestation. While it is the EU’s right to impose any new requirement, the affected parties will see this as a form of environmental trade barrier.

This is not the first time industries face such a trade barrier. More than two decades ago, ISO 14001 was used as a trade barrier to push downstream industries to comply with basic environmental management system. This step actually benefited the industries that quickly adhered to the new requirement and those which already had ISO 9001 certification.

However, with a ‘net zero’ target by 2050 and many voluntary commitments globally, the probability of more stringent, wider and technically challenging environmental trade barriers is very likely to happen. This situation will tilt the supply-demand situation globally for premium markets and will provide opportunities to demonise developing markets.

Protest and diplomatic channels are being used to request the EU to loosen the new requirement. Will the EU reverse its environmental policy? Can we prevent new and more stringent environmental policies in the future?

In 2023, the government is allocating RM10 million to fight the anti-palm oil campaign and a total of RM67 million was already allocated between 2020 and 2022.

After spending RM67 million, is the fight against the anti-palm oil campaign really working? Has the negative perception about palm oil subsided? How does publishing books for Malaysian school children and campaigns solve trade barriers built against the sectors which directly linked to deforestation?

Due to global misconception of sustainability, Global Warming Potential (GWP) has come into prominence and dictates overall sustainability parameters.

We hold the view that this is an extreme measure that will cause environmental imbalance globally. Environmental impacts from nuclear waste (which is a radioactive material), solar panels, batteries and electronic components cannot be measured using GWP alone as there are other environmental adverse impacts caused by these materials.

When the EU adopts power storage via battery as one of the solutions for net zero, what holistic environmental impact parameters has the EU considered?

Batteries rely highly on the mining sector and the contamination to water from mining is a very real environmental issue that needs to be solved. The contaminants may directly enter our food chain. We also know for a fact that there is no such thing as sustainable mining.

Thus, a “toxic tsunami” will engulf the world’s fresh water, soil and sea by sticking to GWP dominance. It is important that more parameters are included to achieve an aggregate value to meet balanced sustainability measurement to represent actual sustainability. We have communicated these issues clearly to the government in the past few years.

The Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (Awer) has repeatedly suggested to the government to use a more scientific and data-driven approach that will benefit Malaysia and improve palm oil and other related sectors’ standing globally. Recently, this suggestion was addressed to the finance minister and the plantation industry and commodity minister again to ensure Malaysia is prepared for more environmental trade barriers that will impact our industries and ability to attract foreign investors.

We need to accept the truth that monocrop and large-scale plantations have adverse environmental impacts not only in Malaysia but throughout the world. Thus, the important rule in this situation is that, all monocrop are subjected to the same negative impacts but it varies based on the climate and the time duration such large-scale land clearing took place. We need to quantify these parameters and develop scientific data to carry out relative comparison to benchmark actual environmental performance of all products.

Again, we urge the government to consider developing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for palm oil and expand it to other sectors. The LCA development starts with the “Gate to Gate” approach. This is a simplest form of LCA that only tabulates an operation’s environmental parameters.

Merger of “Gate to Gate” approaches will create “Cradle to Grave”, which is from resource until disposal. Finally, when resource recovery is being carried out at various stages, a “Cradle to Cradle” approach can be developed.

If government and industry sectors do not step up, we have more to lose as we do not equip ourselves with sufficient scientific data to fight the trade barriers using GWP against our businesses.

This article is contributed by Piarapakaran S, president of Awer, a non-government organisation involved in research and development in the fields of water, energy and environment.



Source: The Sun Daily

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Tax Matters – Luxury Tax is on the way

THERE is a lot of noise around Luxury Tax. Some regard this as taking money from the rich and giving it to the rakyat. There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding this tax: What goods will be subject to Luxury Tax; what is the threshold at which it will be imposed; rate of tax; how will it be collected; etc.

Malaysia will not be the first country to be introducing Luxury Tax. Other countries such as Australia, Canada, China, Indonesia, South Korea, India, have different forms of Luxury Tax. Some countries impose it on specific items, and some impose it on items above certain values. For example, South Korea imposes tax on jewelleries, pearls, corals, luxury watches, luxury cameras, and bags.

The starting point is to define what is considered “luxury” in the context of the Malaysian economy. Generally, luxury goods are expensive goods bought by rich people that are not essential items for day-to-day living.

Therefore, the scope of the tax must be limited to a narrow list of items, or above a value which will not affect the middle class or the M40. Effectively, this should only affect the T20. If the tax affects those below the T20 group, then we have moved in the wrong direction.

The main purpose is to broaden the tax base and, in a way, to redistribute the wealth from the ultra-rich to the others. Equally important in light of the current budget deficit we are facing, is to generate additional tax revenues to reduce the deficit. Although the amount collected may be small when compared to the expected tax collection by IRB and Customs of RM164 billion and RM54 billion respectively, every extra million helps.

The problems that need to be addressed

Selecting the items or determining the threshold will be tough as the general feedback from the affected businesses will be the common pushbacks such as their sales could drop, Malaysians may purchase these goods overseas, Malaysia will be less attractive to tourists, may affect the tourism industry generally. Some of these concerns are genuine, and the others may not be entirely supportable, such as the Malaysian economy will be adversely affected as this tax is only imposed on the items that the ultra-rich buys. Majority of our tourists are not ultra-rich.

However, it is important that if the government decides to impose Luxury Tax on specific items such as sport cars, yachts, aircraft, paintings, precious metals, and ornaments, the authorities should understand the type of customers who will acquire these items.

For example in the case of gold jewellery, people from the lower end up to the higher end buy gold for both investment purposes and for personal enjoyment. It may not be appropriate to impose luxury tax on items that may be expensive, but it is bought by both the rich and the middle class.

Ultimately, it is extremely important to study the economic profile of the buyers.

How do you tax it?

It is anticipated that the rate of tax could be small, perhaps not more than 10%. If it is based on value, then it is possible to have tiered rates, but in practice, this will be cumbersome to implement. If the authorities plan to have different rates at different value levels, then you may have more than one rate (i.e. 5% at the lower threshold, and 10% at the higher threshold). This in a way helps mitigates the impact on the lower sections of society if they wish to buy luxury items as they are likely to buy lower value luxury items.

This could be imposed either at the point of sales via the sales tax regime, or through the introduction of a separate tax. The alternative is to impose it at the point of import.

However, imposing at the point of import will unnecessarily burden businesses as the sales will only take place later. This tax should be confined to purchases by individuals.

This article is contributed by Thannees Tax Consulting Services Sdn Bhd managing director SM Thanneermalai (www.thannees.com).



Source: The Sun Daily

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Have passion in what you do – career or business

IN this week’s Success: The Insight Story column, Analytical Scientific Sdn Bhd managing director Christy Goh (pic) tells SunBiz about the key to success in entrepreneurship.

How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?

I would say that my study as well as working/research experience abroad has made me the person I am today. The work culture in the US is more results-oriented as well as interactive. Furthermore, having grown up in a family with a family-run business, has cultivated my entrepreneurship from young.

What traits do you look for in your talent or how do you decide who is right for a job?

We see more interest in life science studies especially post pandemic Covid-19. However, recruiting talents in the scientific field would be more challenging because we treasure potential talents who have more hands-on skill in research and laboratory work, part from the typical academic credential. Most importantly, talents with good integrity, self-motivation and results oriented.

How do you think the industry you are in will evolve in the future?

Covid-19 has taught us quite a few things – technology and science have never been more important and certainly brought a swift in society – behaviour and economy. With the evolve of life sciences, it’s expected to see more investment from biotech-minded venture capitalists into biotech, pharmaceutical and clinical research.

Having technical background and scientific experience, it would be exciting to see more funding into the field of biotech, healthcare and clinical research/testing. Although medical device and scientific products in clinical testing/research as well as the pharmaceutical industry are my forever love, I do plan to venture into other sectors.

What advice can you offer those looking to start their career/own business?

One must have passion in the work that they like or the business that they are planning to venture into. It would be handy to start up with what you know and comfortable with rather than venture into a new business sector. The key to success in entrepreneurship is to start something that you are familiar with and passionate about.

How has mentorship made a difference in your professional life?

I think mentorship in the early part of my career started when I was a chemist in a pharmaceutical firm. It has certainly provided me the direction and the guidance on my career path.

What do you want to accomplish in the next five years?

I would like to take advantage of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership to explore and venture into a new business.

Best piece of advice you ever got on your career.

My ex-boss once told me “It would take 3-5 years real job experience to be considered in the field”. I take it seriously and truly that helps.

If you could have an hour with any thought leader in the world, who would it be and why?

Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore – his persistency, consistency and huge passion to run Singapore and turn it into one of the superpowers of the world.

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced ? And what did you learn from it?

Biggest challenge being a businesswoman is to achieve a balance between business and family. It’s important to take care of both and to make sure the equation is fairly equal in order to achieve long-term sustainability. My advice is never give up your career, where there’s a will there’s a way.

Malaysia’s greatest brand.

Jimmy Choo. Proud to be Malaysian whenever I see this luxury brand overseas.

What are the top three factors you would attribute your success to?

> Technical skills with good education

> Persistency & consistency

> Risk-taker/problem-solver



Source: The Sun Daily

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Sunday, March 26, 2023

Radium Development set to list on Main Market in Q2

PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur-based affordable high-rise residential property developer, Radium Development Bhd, is set to list on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia in the second quarter of this year, aiming to raise more than RM400 million, to fund its current and upcoming projects as demand continues to surge.

According to Radium Group managing director Datuk Gary Gan Kah Siong (pix), since the launch of its first project in Jalan Semarak in 2017, the company has had almost 100% take-up for its development units. Fast forward to October 2022, the company has achieved a total revenue of RM2.4 billion.

“For 2023, we are focused on the construction of our first prime development R Suites Chancery Residences that has a gross development value (GDV) of RM521 million and another development located in Salak South/Sungai Besi with an estimated GDV of RM1 billion,” he said in an interview with SunBiz.

The 2.18-acre Chancery project, a freehold development, consists of 944 residential suites and 145 hotel rooms. Radium intends to engage a well-known and established independent hotel operator to manage the hotel, which Gan said will generate revenue to cover the property’s operating expenses.

“Chancery project completion is anticipated by Q4’25, well ahead the contractual date of Q4’27 approved by the Ministry of Housing and Local government, demonstrating our commitment to completing and delivering the project well ahead of time,” he said.

Radium’s Salak South/Sungai Besi project, meanwhile, includes two property components – urban residences and affordable homes. With a total of 1,218 units, the project is targeted to launch in Q2’23.

Radium is confident that it will achieve strong sales this year, thanks to Kuala Lumpur’s growing population, robust infrastructure, numerous job opportunities, and various government initiatives to increase homeownership among Malaysians.

“The key drivers for us this year would be the forecast sales take-up of 80% from Chancery and 60% from the future development in Salak South/Sungai Besi,” Gan said.

Due to Chancery’s strategic location and state-of-the-art modern facilities, Radium is confident that it will achieve an 80% market take-up by the end of 2023, with the remaining 20% to be achieved in 2024.

“It is strategically located 200m from the exit into AKLEH and less than 2km away from the exit into DUKE highway. It is also located just across KPJ Ampang Putri and less than 2km away from Gleneagles Ampang,” he said.

He added that inflationary pressures and rising interest rates have impacted the property market as he did not see property prices to go down in the future, posing a challenge for buyers.

“However, the location of the property is still the number one factor for a purchaser in deciding to own a property and this is where Radium has the upper hand as our developments are within the high demand area where job opportunities are at large,” concluded Gan.



Source: The Sun Daily

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Store N Go returns to its roots – offline operations

SHAH ALAM: E-commerce fulfillment company, Store N Go, will venture into an offline model to complement its online model this year, according to its founder and CEO Tee Kee Lion (pix).

He confirmed that the company, which started in the offline sphere before focusing on online, will return to its roots and start its offline operations, expected in the second quarter of this year.

“We have to put in more resources to make sure that we are really number one, that no one can overtake us within these few years. But it’s now time for us to move to offline because we are from offline before. We have connections already. For us, going to offline from online is easier,” he told SunBiz.

Tee said that there is a huge market in Malaysia which offers the company huge opportunities to improve and grow in the e-commerce sphere.

He also believes that companies in the same market should work together to complement one another, which in turn can provide leverage to the whole market and take it to the next level.

On how it differentiates itself from its competitors, Tee said that the company is able to provide both marketing services as well as e-commerce warehouse fulfillment services to clients, which only a few companies are able to offer.

It is in talks with four overseas brands, two each from China and South Korea, to be both an online and offline distributor for brands looking into entering the local market, which he reckoned will be rolled out in the early second quarter and third quarter of this year. The products will be in the cosmetics and skincare categories.

“We help new online brands from overseas, bring them into Malaysia, not only would it be available online but also make it available offline,” he shared.

He also shared that e-commerce platform Shopee has contributed about 64% overall of its gross merchandise value (GMV), while the balance of 36% is split equally between Lazada and TikTok platforms.

This year, he foresees that its sales on TikTok will continue to strengthen and increase in market share.

In 2022, its warehouse GMV totalled up to about RM145 million, which this year it projects to increase to between RM180-200 million. He said that as a seller, it registered a revenue of RM28 million last year and expects it to increase to about RM58 million.

In terms of outlook, Tee is “very optimistic” on the promising online retail trend and shared that last year, the company grew to about 94%, underpinned by higher orders from new brands which it was able to handle due to its newly set-up warehouses.

However, he said that this year he is projecting a lower growth rate of 35%, driven by its strategy to reinforce its current workforce through training and hiring new staff to cope with demand as orders increase.

“When we grow faster in the next three years, we have more warehouses coming onboard. I think this year is a good year to train our people to be ready for the future,” he explained.

By taking its time to realign and strengthen its staff in 2023, Tee said that the company will be able to grow its business further in the next three years where it will go all out for the years 2024 until 2027, and he reckoned that the company will grow further than the past three years.

Within five years, Tee said the company plans to have a 1 million sq ft warehouse in Selangor that is equipped with advanced automation capabilities which it will model after China’s automation standard.

“E-commerce industry in warehouses is very manual work and as a player in the market, (we want) to really invest into a technology that is able to uplift the entire e-commerce fulfillment market in Malaysia ... to increase the entire capability and efficiency,” he said, adding that it is not in talks with any investors yet.

In addition, Tee said that it hopes to list on the Bursa Malaysia exchange within three to five years.

Meanwhile, Store N Go has set plans to be a key regional warehousing and cross-border shipment provider in Southeast Asia, starting with Indonesia within the year.

Last month, it has officially launched its flagship hub and headquarters in Shah Alam. To date, the company and its workforce of 150, provide end-to-end e-commerce solutions to over 30 local and international brands.

Over the years, the company has won the SIDEC’s Top E-Commerce Merchant Award and Shopee’s Top 5 Premium Enablers in Southeast Asia.



Source: The Sun Daily

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Principal proposes matching programme to boost savings

KUALA LUMPUR: Employers and the government should introduce a matching programme to raise financial understanding and the desire to save more to prepare Malaysians for retirement.

Principal Financial Group’s executive vice president Thomas Cheong said the level of financial awareness for retirement in Malaysia is low and by 2040, the oldest age group comprising those 65 and above is projected to make up 14.5 per cent of Malaysia’s total population.

Based on United Nations statistics, a country is at the ageing nation status when seven per cent of its total population is 65 years and above, Cheong, who is also Principal Asia president said.

On his matching savings proposal, he said this can be conducted as a one-off incentive.

“If an employee saves a certain amount, the company or the government could match the savings amount at a certain percentage. This diversifies their Employee Provident Fund (EPF) savings and also increases their financial capabilities,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama.

He said some companies have partnered Principal Asset Management to conduct such initiatives to boost retirement savings and opines that the practice could be widened and encouraged.

“From our experience, we did see a rise in voluntary savings which directly increased the saver’s future financial stability,” he said.

Cheong said that this initiative could be one of the solutions over the long run as more move into retirement but are inadequately prepared for it. He said only half of those in the labour force are contributing to the EPF or on government pension, leaving the other half, especially those in the informal and gig economy sector, without old-age pension coverage.

He emphasised that only three per cent of Malaysian retirees could afford to retire and two million in the gig economy do not have a solid retirement plan. This situation is “worrisome”, he said.

Based on EPF’s latest study, about 6.6 million contributors have less than RM10,000 in savings.

“With Malaysians having a longer lifespan, inflation and rising healthcare costs, Malaysians require additional retirement savings to complement their mandatory savings,” he said.

He added that Principal is also expanding its financial literacy programmes by collaborating with local higher learning institutions to educate students on basic money management and investing.

He added that parents should teach their children about saving and money habits from young to ensure that they “do not get lost along the way” after getting their first salary and loan/credit.

In light of this, Principal has expanded its retirement offering by providing a RM100 entry point for private retirement scheme (PRS) funds.

Investors could enjoy personal tax relief for contributions up to RM3,000 annually, equivalent of up to RM840 tax relief annually.

The EPF recently said that the “bare minimum” to retire over the next 20 to 30 years is RM1 million. It also said that Bumiputera and Indian contributors’ savings have dropped significantly following the multiple COVID-19 pandemic-related withdrawals totalling RM145 billion over the past two years.

Bumiputera EPF members saw a whopping 70 per cent drop in median savings to RM4,900 as at December 2022, from RM15,500 as at April 2020. Indian EPF members’ median savings declined 40 per cent to RM14,900 from RM25,700 during the same period.

To help increase depositors’ savings, the government under Budget 2023 also contributed RM500 to EPF members aged between 40 and 54 who have less than RM10,000 in their Account 1.

Principal Asset Management Bhd is a joint venture between Principal Financial Group and CIMB Group Holdings Bhd. It focuses on investment management and total retirement solutions. - Bernama



Source: The Sun Daily

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Saturday, March 25, 2023

The Secret to Serving a Quick, Cheap Family Dinner Every Night

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Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Living on the Cheap. In today’s crazy-busy world, family dinner is especially important. Even though Susie has karate, Joey has swim lessons and Mom and Dad commute to work, you need time to connect as a family and eat a nutritious meal. Even better if that meal’s a home-cooked one. The idea of cooking dinner every night and getting everyone to sit...



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