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LONDON – About half of the companies in the UK plans to freeze employee salaries despite the signal recovery from the worst economic crisis.

Concludes a recent survey conducted CBI Group and manpower recruitment firm Harvey Nash, which was released in London conducted last August and September of 243 respondent companies employing a total of more than 500 thousand people. Both institutions also found that only 4 percent of companies surveyed plan to increase the percentage of employee salaries above the inflation rate.

Despite holding a raise, according to the survey, the number of companies that do not hire new employees has decreased from 61 percent to 31 percent in the spring of this year. In the survey were also known to only a few companies that saw the need for extreme cost-cutting like to close operations and pay for overtime. “The worst may be over, but the company remains very cautious to raise wages,” said CBI deputy director John Cridland as quoted by the BBC yesterday.

He added that market conditions in 2010 will continue to be very hard and caused the growth in that period to be weak so that payments will be reduced salary for some time. “A new spirit of cooperation between employers and workers will become evident to stimulate the competitiveness of the British when they returned to growth. This will provide more flexible space for improvement of the balance of life,” he said.

CBI survey also found that half of the company has reduced the recruitment of university graduates, and only a fifth of hiring new graduates. This causes the number of unemployed youth in England in the period of July-September 2009 increased to 19.8 percent or 30,000 people increased, the highest in history. According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), total unemployment in the UK in third-quarter 2009 reached 2.46 million people, equivalent to 7.8 percent of the total population. Of these, youth unemployment was 16 – 24 years increased to 15,000 so the total 943,000 people.

Related to business conditions, the survey data found that nearly half of the respondents considered the UK as a less attractive place to do business than five years ago. Respondents estimated that these conditions will be much better in the next five years.

Inflation Start Up

On the other hand, the consumer price index (CPI) in October and then in the UK rose 1.5 percent from 1.1 percent the previous month. Another indicator that the retail price index (RPI) which is used to increase the rate of inflation rose to a level of -0.8 percent from -1.4 percent previously.

The index includes the price of mortgage interest payments and housing costs. Recent inflation data released was in line with the ONS previous analyst estimates because of rising inflation sparked October increase in fuel prices compared to last year. According to the ONS, the largest impact of rising inflation in October 2008 compared with prices derived from fuel and lubricants in which only 0.7 percent decline in October.

The percentage is smaller than the decrease in the same period last year of 6.1 percent. In addition, the increase also occurred at a used car prices by 13.2 percent and is rising fastest in the last year.

JAKARTA – PT Pertamina (Persero) has a great chance to be world-class companies. In fact, the position of Pertamina and PT Medco Energi Internasional Tbk (MEDC) is now considered balanced in terms of production.

“The position is equivalent to Pertamina Medco, nothing special. So, subsidies encouraged Pertamina did not like that,” said former state enterprises minister Sugiharto, in the Refreshment of Commissioners and Directors of state enterprises, the ASEAN Free Trade-China FTA: Challenges and Opportunities SOEs to Home ” , at the Hotel Sultan, Jakarta, Thursday (18/2/2010).

Currently, he said, there is a tendency in the world that the major players in the petroleum sector is state-owned companies or companies whose shares are mostly owned by the state. “We must encourage Pertamina into a world-class companies such as state-owned oil and gas from other countries in Asia,” he said.

State-owned oil and gas from various countries who became world players such as Petro China and CNOOC (China), SK of Korea, Indian Oil (India), Nippon Oil (Japan) and PTT (Thailand).

Therefore, Pertamina is very likely to be a world-class oil and gas companies are not only a major player in Indonesia, but also oil and gas exploration and services in various countries.

He said, with the steady depletion of oil reserves in Indonesia, oil and gas companies in the country could no longer rely on it, but should be expanded to other countries. “I saw the potential for oil services in the world is very big,” he said.

He saw the five countries with the largest oil reserves in the world is Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates, who reserves reached 716 billion barrels is a great potential.

But he admitted, making Pertamina as a world-class company takes hard work and political will from the government and Parliament. He considered, it was time Pertamina exploration extended to many countries

TOKYO – Japanese electronics giant, Toshiba, states are in talks with billionaire’s TerraPower United States (U.S.) Bill Gates, co-operation related to the development plan of nuclear reactors small scale.

Business newspaper, Nikkei, reported, such cooperation include the development of compact nuclear reactors that the latest generation can operate more than 100 years and the target can produce emission-free energy.

“Toshiba has entered the initial conversation with TerraPower and we are looking for possibilities to work together,” said Toshiba spokesman Keisuke Ohmori of Tokyo, as quoted by AFP,

According to, Nikkei, Toshiba cooperation with TerraPower designed to be easy to operate in the city or region with a more simplified operational level.

Ohmori added, along with executive Bill Gates has visited TerraPower nuclear laboratory in Tokyo’s Toshiba last year.

“TerraPower develop small-scale nuclear reactor and Toshiba makes little different reactors. They are interested in our technology and intend to put it together, “he said.

He continued, as the beginning of the two sides have started to exchange information but no that any decisions, including investments.

“Gates hopes to use the wealth they have to develop TerraPower. Investment could reach billions of dollars, “the Nikkei.

Still according to the Nikkei, TerraPower talks cooperation with Toshiba is not just knowing the needs of manufacturing nuclear power plants.

In the U.S., the company operates Toshiba Westinghouse nuclear reactors. The company designed the ultra-compact nuclear reactors that can operate for 30 years.

“Our company was asking for approval from the U.S. government to
start building a similar reactor in 2014 can be operated more practical, “said Ohmori

JAKARTA – To manage better network service, telecommunications companies from Latin America NII Holdings Netwoks pointed Nokia Siemens (NSN) as a partner.

NII Holdings to use the Nextel brand requested NSN in managing network operations throughout Latin America. This partnership makes the NII can better improve the quality of services as expected by their customers.

This agreement covers the management of NII network in all the markets of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Peru. Based on the deal, NSN will combine expertise with experience NII employees who are transferred to the company to plan, design, optimize, and operate the NII network more efficiently.

“Our goal is to provide sound products and superior data for key customers in Latin America is focused on providing world-class network quality and customer experience,” CEO Steve Dussek NII Holdings.

In the meantime, NSN will use their expertise to improve operational NII network. In his statement, Friday (5/3/2010), NSN said, the core of this solution is an efficient operational model, flexible and focused on customers that make up the framework to deliver network operations services best in class.

“We are very pleased to partner with NII in network quality and deliver the best service for customers in five countries,” said Head of Global Service NSN Ashish Chowdary.

According to NSN offers unparalleled strength in terms of human resources, execution capability and network operations expertise. Thus the NII will benefit from this partnership in terms of increased efficiency and cost savings.

JAKARTA – In his third year, Connectivity Scorecard for the first time shows the change in the economic leadership that is driven by innovation. U.S. is almost always superior in this case defeated by Sweden.

Although still a very strong player, the U.S. has not proved strong consistency of Sweden during the past year. U.S. leadership in the continuing business infrastructure was assessed Connectivity Scorecard 2010 is not enough to overcome the gap with the countries with the best performance, especially in the consumer broadband sector.

Connectivity Scorecard is an annual research carried out Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) of the useful connectivity applied in 50 countries. Connectivity is defined as a combination of useful infrastructure, complementary skills, software, and is informed that the use of ICT can be a key driver of productivity and economic growth. So as mentioned in the written statement NSN, Friday (12/2/2010).

Research Connectivity Scorecard this year was written by Professor Leonard Waverman of the University of Calgary, along with the economic consulting group LECG.

Connectivity Scorecard study in 2010 stated that the focus on improving the ICT infrastructure, broadband penetration, and workforce skills development is very powerful right against prolonged effects of the recession is going on.

“Telecommunications and technology sector proved very resilient during the financial crisis and the global economy. The penetration of broadband and mobile phones continues to grow in most areas of the economy, both in developed and still developing, as well as other ICT technology adoption,” says Waverman.

“Economic recovery and the government stimulus package intended to encourage the deployment of broadband and ICT development should make room for optimism in the years to come,” he added.

The study shows, Sweden successful leadership narrowing Asian countries like Korea and Japan, in the latest generation broadband infrastructure for a large market.

In addition, Sweden showed a very consistent increase of ICT pp. Marked by the use of internet banking, internet trading, and supply of eGovernment which indicates the use patterns of advanced ICT.

“Comparison between the United States and Sweden actually brings us to the essence of the Connectivity Scorecard. Sweden has the best combination of equipment today,” said Waverman.