In the media you always hear a cloud burst of negative news about the Flemish economy. A lot of employees lost their job, enterprises went bankrupt, but there is also good news.
Every year fDi Magazine publish a list of the best 25 European cities and regions of the future. The lists are based on an independent data collection with more than 200 cities en 140 regions. FDi take into account next categories: economic potential, cost effectiveness, infrastructure, human resources, quality of life, business friendliness and FDI promotion strategy.
The most attractive regions for foreign investors are Southeast England, Ile-de-France and Nordrhein-Westfalen. Flanders was in 2008 on the second place, but tumbled to the seventh place in 2009. The Brussels Capital Region is on the 16th place and Wallonia is even not in the top-25.
There is also good news, of all European regions, Flanders is using the best strategy while recruiting foreign investors.
The Belgian regions are really doing well, because Brussels is second in this category and Wallonia 6th.
For this category fDi has taken into account the promotion and escort of investors, incentives or infrastructure projects.
I think that it is a good sign that the Belgian regions are doing well in the category of the best strategy. It shows that Belgium is really interested to attract foreign investors and take care of the future.
But it is also disappointing that in the general list Flanders is dropped from the second to the 7th place. At my opinion the financial crises is a very important factor, together with the political problems and the high tax pressure.
But after rain comes sunshine, the economy will resume and when Belgium keeps using their effective promotion strategy, they will once again become very attractive for foreign investors.
Benny De Meyer, 2FV4
Sources:
Metro Monday 22 February 2010
http://www.fdimagazine.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/3234/European_Cities___Regions_of_the_Future_2010_11.html
zondag 28 februari 2010
zaterdag 27 februari 2010
Why should I invest in a foreign country ?
This article (you can find the link below) talks, as the title says, about investing in a foreign country. This article states that most current investors keep on investing, putting money into their own country. This phenomenon isn’t actually that strange. It is normal people will invest in their own country cause they are of course more familiar with it, they are more informed about the development of the country.
Now the thing is, if you inform yourself well, you can actually get more profit out of investing in some foreign countries, than investing in your own. This article states that if you invest in some fast growing countries, you can easily maximize your returns. It says a foreign country possessing the resources and expertise for planned development is poised to generate better returns as compared to matured markets.
For example, the Chinese economy is the fastest growing economy in the world, registering an average growth of more than 9 percent each year. Cause of this, investing in this country could be very profitable if you invest wisely.
While reading this article, it became clear to me you can actually make real big profit by doing almost nothing. I figured out that if you simply trade your own money (like the Euro)for a sum of foreign money (like the Yen) you can make profit. If the value of the Yen rises after a while (and it will rise cause of the growth of the Chinese economy) you can buy Euros again. The amount of Euros will be bigger this time cause the value of the yen has risen. Result; a nice extra sum of money, earned by doing nothing.
Article link: http://www.squidoo.com/Global-and-international-investing
Niels Roels
Now the thing is, if you inform yourself well, you can actually get more profit out of investing in some foreign countries, than investing in your own. This article states that if you invest in some fast growing countries, you can easily maximize your returns. It says a foreign country possessing the resources and expertise for planned development is poised to generate better returns as compared to matured markets.
For example, the Chinese economy is the fastest growing economy in the world, registering an average growth of more than 9 percent each year. Cause of this, investing in this country could be very profitable if you invest wisely.
While reading this article, it became clear to me you can actually make real big profit by doing almost nothing. I figured out that if you simply trade your own money (like the Euro)for a sum of foreign money (like the Yen) you can make profit. If the value of the Yen rises after a while (and it will rise cause of the growth of the Chinese economy) you can buy Euros again. The amount of Euros will be bigger this time cause the value of the yen has risen. Result; a nice extra sum of money, earned by doing nothing.
Article link: http://www.squidoo.com/Global-and-international-investing
Niels Roels
vrijdag 26 februari 2010
Come visit the US - and create jobs!
Come visit the US - and create jobs.
Thursday the Travel Promotion Act was approved, it will create a nonprofit corporation to markets overseas visit to the US.
This venture will be funded by a $10 fee on foreign travelers and up to $100 million from the tourism industry.
The marketing campaigns funded by the act could attract an additional 1.6 million visitors a year which results in $4 billion in spending (by the tourists) and it could create up to 40 000 jobs.
The $10 fee (which you get once every 2 years when visiting the US) would only be charged to the tourists who are visiting from one of the 35 countries that don't need a visa to visit the US. These countries include most of the European countries but also Japan, Australia and South Korea.
Overseas travel to the US has gone down, the last few years due to this a lot of people have lost their jobs.
But by the act more people will come to the US and also their will be more jobs.
But not everybody is positive about the act. Some say that it's not needed because the US hasn't done it in the past so now they don't have to promote their country ether and that there are better decisions than this act.
This is a way that people can invest in the US without doing much or even paying for it. They just need to send in an document and let it be approved by the embassy. When all the papers or OK then the tourist can get a $10 fee.
I think this is a really good act. Because everyone who will visit the US had benefits and can help the American people in their own way.
Because a tourist spends a lot of money on his vacation and when you promote your country so that more people will visit. The economy will grow by the tourists who consume a lot. But also it will create more new jobs, jobs that serve every need of the tourist.
This act is a very good thing for the US as a country, for it's economy and for the people who are without a job.
The article that I based my text on: http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/25/news/economy/travel_promotion/index.htm
Liesbeth Masschelein
This venture will be funded by a $10 fee on foreign travelers and up to $100 million from the tourism industry.
The marketing campaigns funded by the act could attract an additional 1.6 million visitors a year which results in $4 billion in spending (by the tourists) and it could create up to 40 000 jobs.
The $10 fee (which you get once every 2 years when visiting the US) would only be charged to the tourists who are visiting from one of the 35 countries that don't need a visa to visit the US. These countries include most of the European countries but also Japan, Australia and South Korea.
Overseas travel to the US has gone down, the last few years due to this a lot of people have lost their jobs.
But by the act more people will come to the US and also their will be more jobs.
But not everybody is positive about the act. Some say that it's not needed because the US hasn't done it in the past so now they don't have to promote their country ether and that there are better decisions than this act.
This is a way that people can invest in the US without doing much or even paying for it. They just need to send in an document and let it be approved by the embassy. When all the papers or OK then the tourist can get a $10 fee.
I think this is a really good act. Because everyone who will visit the US had benefits and can help the American people in their own way.
Because a tourist spends a lot of money on his vacation and when you promote your country so that more people will visit. The economy will grow by the tourists who consume a lot. But also it will create more new jobs, jobs that serve every need of the tourist.
This act is a very good thing for the US as a country, for it's economy and for the people who are without a job.
The article that I based my text on: http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/25/news/economy/travel_promotion/index.htm
Liesbeth Masschelein
maandag 22 februari 2010
Haiti earthquake: UN seeks records aid donations
The article" Haiti earthquake: UN seeks records aid donations" talks about the United Nations who has need $1.44 billion for humanitarian appeal to help the victims in Haiti. This amount is an absolute record for the reconstruction of an natural disaster followed by the Asian Tsunami in 2004.
It was Secretary-General Ban-Ki-Moon and Bill Clinton who have announced this appeal. They announced Haiti is the UN's main concern because the rainy season is coming and the situation will become worse if we not intervene immediately.
According to me the need to water, food and other basic products are the priority in these difficult times because more than one million people were left homeless by the earthquake.
A spokesman of the UN said that around $0.68 billion has been given for humanitarian help but special envoy Bill Clinton wants harder commitments of the donors; he said "if you are not able to give what you want, give less but give it".
I can understand his opinion but on the other hand the opponents have the right to know what's going to happen with the huge amounts that they invest for the reconstruction.
In my opinion the aid has to come very fast because the situation is untenable for millions of people who live there. Nowadays the assistance for such natural disaster isn't organised as it should be, for example we are not always able to reach the victims in the disaster area.
With this financial help I think we are able to solve or improve other problems such as employment and agriculture. Let's hope that the Haitians can lead a normal life in the near future!
This blog is based on the following article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8522732.stm
Mathias De Bruycker 2FV4
It was Secretary-General Ban-Ki-Moon and Bill Clinton who have announced this appeal. They announced Haiti is the UN's main concern because the rainy season is coming and the situation will become worse if we not intervene immediately.
According to me the need to water, food and other basic products are the priority in these difficult times because more than one million people were left homeless by the earthquake.
A spokesman of the UN said that around $0.68 billion has been given for humanitarian help but special envoy Bill Clinton wants harder commitments of the donors; he said "if you are not able to give what you want, give less but give it".
I can understand his opinion but on the other hand the opponents have the right to know what's going to happen with the huge amounts that they invest for the reconstruction.
In my opinion the aid has to come very fast because the situation is untenable for millions of people who live there. Nowadays the assistance for such natural disaster isn't organised as it should be, for example we are not always able to reach the victims in the disaster area.
With this financial help I think we are able to solve or improve other problems such as employment and agriculture. Let's hope that the Haitians can lead a normal life in the near future!
This blog is based on the following article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8522732.stm
Mathias De Bruycker 2FV4
zondag 21 februari 2010
General Motors sells Saab to Dutch firm Spyker
General Motors Company (GM) is the second largest car producer in the world. But due to the recession and the economical crises, the company got up in troubles itself. Begin June 2009 it asked for Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and GM started with a reorganization. General Motors decided to concentrate on their US brands and started to sell their other participations, like Opel.
26 January 2010 General Motors declared that it had reached a deal with Spyker Cars about Saab. Spyker would pay 74 million dollar in cash and GM will receive 326 million dollar preferred shares in Saab.
Spyker is a small Dutch luxury carmaker and sold only 43 cars in 2008, which give them a loss of 35 million dollar. But it has made a compromise with the Swedish government, which will warrant a 563 million dollars loan from the European Investment Bank for Saab Automobile.
First of all, I think it’s good news for the employees, dealers and customers that Saab, a carmaker with a large history is saved from bankruptcy.
But on the second place, if you ask me, the marriage between Spyker and Saab is a lost cause.
Because Spyker is just a small firm and it’s used to produce a few cars every year and Saab has to produce thousands.
Could a firm which never have realised profits improve Saab, that lost 412 million dollar in 2008?
In maths, the sum of two negatives numbers will always be negative, why should it be different in this case?
My conclusion is that General Motors is succeeded to sell Saab, but the future of the Swedish carmaker is not without risk. The Swedish government will try to save their national icon. The future will show if this was a good solution.
Based on following article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8481621.stm
Benny De Meyer, 2FV4
Venezuelan Government Invests in Electricity Infrastructure
At the beginning of this month, president Hugo Chavez has announced the creation of a special fund of 1 billion USD for the strengthening of the national electricity system. This new special fund will be used to finance different projects such as generation, distribution and operation projects.
In my opinion, this special fund must be followed by many more. Knowing that 70% of the Venezuelan people don’t have electricity or still have problems with the electricity supply, it is obvious that there is still a lot of work to do, especially in the northern regions. These problems with the electricity supply are mostly due to extreme weather conditions such as drought, rain, etc.
I think the government and experts now have to look into this problem to find a good and not-to-expensive solution for this. If the expenses are too high, the plan won’t be effective cause of the size of the country: only a certain region will be helped with this budget.
In addition, the government is planning to add 1,692 megawatts between now and May, and 2,315 megawatts in the second half of the year. Chavez urged the relevant ministers to speed up the installation and purchase of electricity generation plants.
These measures are certainly a step forward for Venezuela. This will help their development in the future and maybe make them a leading country in electricity supply.
This blog is based on the following article: http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/5114
Niels Roels
zaterdag 20 februari 2010
Soros doubles investment in gold.
Soros doubles investment in gold.
US billionaire George Soros has more than doubles his investment in gold. He increased his holding in SPDR Gold Trust to 6.2 million shares. One ounce is now worth $1 100 which is $ 126,56 less than in December.
Just a week ago Soros said that gold may not be a good investment. But a while ago he also said that gold is the ultimate hedge against inflation.
The company of Soros also bought more shares in different areas suchs ass; seed producer Monsanto, Brazilian oil producer Petrobas and Wall street Citigroup.
If you think that Soros himself said that gold is ' the ultimate hedge against inflation ' it's just normal that he increased his shares in gold into his different holdings, surtenly when the inflation is rising to its highest point ever.
Many people will follow his example, due to is previous good results. When more people buy gold shares, the price of a share of gold will grow. When the economy is doing well it automatically has an impact on the inflation.
If this is a good solution against the inflation nobody knows at the moment. We will see after a few months what the impact will be on the inflation by investing in gold. I think investing in good and stable shares is a good thing. When shares are doing good so is the economy. The economy always has an impact on the inflation whether it good or bad.
My blog was based on this article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8521680.stm
Liesbeth Masschelein
US billionaire George Soros has more than doubles his investment in gold. He increased his holding in SPDR Gold Trust to 6.2 million shares. One ounce is now worth $1 100 which is $ 126,56 less than in December.
Just a week ago Soros said that gold may not be a good investment. But a while ago he also said that gold is the ultimate hedge against inflation.
The company of Soros also bought more shares in different areas suchs ass; seed producer Monsanto, Brazilian oil producer Petrobas and Wall street Citigroup.
If you think that Soros himself said that gold is ' the ultimate hedge against inflation ' it's just normal that he increased his shares in gold into his different holdings, surtenly when the inflation is rising to its highest point ever.
Many people will follow his example, due to is previous good results. When more people buy gold shares, the price of a share of gold will grow. When the economy is doing well it automatically has an impact on the inflation.
If this is a good solution against the inflation nobody knows at the moment. We will see after a few months what the impact will be on the inflation by investing in gold. I think investing in good and stable shares is a good thing. When shares are doing good so is the economy. The economy always has an impact on the inflation whether it good or bad.
My blog was based on this article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8521680.stm
Liesbeth Masschelein
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