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How to Prepare your Company for the Charitable Status Application
By Ashley Coakley, 20th June 2022
The Charities Regulator, which maintains the Register of Charities in Ireland, accepts applications for Charitable Status and ensures registered charities are compliant with the law, primarily the Charities Act 2009 and the Charities Governance Code.
When deciding whether a Charitable Status application is right for your company, the following must be considered:
Is the company set up for the ultimate purpose of relieving or preventing poverty?
Is the company for the benefit of the public?
Is the company for the advancement of religion or education?
If any of the above apply, then this is the option for your company.
According to section 3 (1) of the Charities Act 2009, the following shall be deemed a charitable purpose:
To relieve poverty
Advance education
Advance religion
Any other purpose beneficial to the community or in the public interest
What is required to apply for Charitable Status?
There are certain requirements that must be met when applying for Charitable Status.
A standard Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) contains a minimum of two directors, a minimum of two members and an objects clause. If a CLG is set up to apply for Charitable Status, then the following requirements must be met in accordance with the Charities Act 2009:
Three unrelated directors (referred to as 'Trustees' in the case of a charity)
Three unrelated members
Objects clause outlining the main company activity, which is required to 'Make it clear what the organisation is set up to achieve, where the organisation operates, who the organisation helps and how the organisation's goals will be achieved'. The board of charity trustees should draft the company's main objects clause.
Steps to prepare for the Charitable Status Application itself
The first step is to register a Company Limited by Guarantee with us, which you can do online. Click here to order a CLG Company. Our company formation experts will draft a constitution that is acceptable by the Charities Regulator, as it is designed in compliance with regulations set out In the Companies Act 2014 and the Charities Act 2009.
We recommend that during the process of the company formation; an account is created with the Charities Regulator to make it easier to register the charity after incorporation.
As soon as the constitution has been approved by the members, the documents are signed and returned to our office, an application is made to the Companies Registration Office and the Company Limited by Guarantee should be incorporated within 2-3 working days. When the company is incorporated it is the company's duty to apply to the Charities Regulator for Charitable Status.
What does the Charitable Status Application Require?
The Charities Regulator provides a detailed registration guideline to help assist the company with the Charitable Status Application. The applicant must provide key policy documents and upload them to the Charities Regulator website. The constitution, which we provide when the company is incorporated, must be uploaded and clearly state the charitable purpose and objects.
Another requirement of the Charitable Status application is a detailed strategic plan and business plan drafted by the board of trustees. The board of trustees should draft the strategic plan outlining what the charity aims to achieve and how it will achieve this. The business plan should identify the charity outcomes and how the charity raises and proposes to raise funds.
The company must draft a conflict of interest's policy which will outline how the charity identifies, manages and records any conflicts that may arise. The Charities Regulator recommends that before the client drafts the conflict of interests policy, the company is familiar with the guidance document provided on 'managing conflicts of interests'. As part of this policy, the Charities Regulator will require details of any connected persons, whether familial or business related.
There are several other requirements which can differ depending on the intended activities of the charity. For example, if the charity intends on working with vulnerable members of the society or children, they must be garda vetted and must have a detailed risk assessment procedure drafted. If the charity is set up to assist a particular selection of people, for example people with a disease or illness, they must provide all details of who the beneficiaries are. If the Charity is to be set up for the sole purposes of enhancing religion, the client must inform the Charities Regulator of the location of the place or worship. The length and requirements of the application will depend on the intended activities of the charity.
What are the benefits of having Charitable Status?
There are many benefits of applying for Charitable Status including:
Tax-exemption granted by Revenue.
Applications for on-street collection permits are made easier with Charitable Status.
Good standing in the eyes of the public when recruiting volunteers.
If you wish to take the first step to register a Company Limited by Guarantee that is ready for the Charitable Status application, please do not hesitate to contact us or call +353 1 6461625.
Ashley Coakley
Formations Team Lead - Ashely joined the Company Bureau team in 2019 after completing her degree in Law & Media Studies at DCU. She quickly became a key member of the team, responsible for Irish company formations and managing client accounts. We are delighted to announce that Ashley has most recently been promoted to Formations Team Lead. Ashley has a positive can-do attitude and effectively leads her team in providing a high standard of service to our clients.
The Importance of NACE Codes
What is a Trust and Company Service Provider (TCSP)?


Playing his last the New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum scored the fastest century in the history of Test Cricket at Hegley Oval in Christchurch. Playing on a lively pitch against Australia it took only 54 balls for McCullum to achieve the feat. McCullum's century is two balls fewer thatn Sir Viv Richards record breaking century made against England at St. Johns. McCullum's century also became the 4th fastest in term of minutes. He completed his century in 79 minutes. Jack Gregory of Australia scored a 100 in just 70 minutes against South Africa at Johannesburg in 1921. New Zealand were in all sorts of trouble when McCullum arrived on the crease. He scored his first 37 runs in just 16 balls and took 21 runs off Mitchel Marsh's over.


In the last 6 years, 6 QB Country Trained QB's have been Drafted in the NFL Draft. QB Country has trained 11 Quarterbacks in the last 7 NFL Combine's.
This year is no different. A trio of talented quarterbacks are preparing for the NFL Draft with QB Country.
For the next few months, Daniel Jones (Duke), Brent Stockstill (Middle Tennessee State) and Devlin Hodges (Samford) will participate in QB Country's detailed training regimen designed to condition and challenge quarterbacks mentally, physically and specifically for the NFL Combine and Pro Day. This includes world-class strength, speed and nutrition programs and a strategic, disciplined approach to expanding each quarterback's knowledge and skills.
Jones, a QB Country trainee since 10th grade is widely considered the top quarterback prospec in the upcoming draft.
Jones is training with David Morris at QB Country headquarters in Mobile, Al.
Since 2011, QB Country trained QB's have won 3 FBS National Championships.


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Market Trends Report – December 2022 & January 2023
US and the World
As the days of 2022 grow short, farmers are able to truly measure how well this year went and continue to make plans for a successful 2023. In the United States the crop was a good one, but it was far from record levels as dry pockets throughout the land mitigated big yields in many areas. At the same time huge geopolitical events help shape our marketplace like never before. Wartime markets can do that. This, along with a diminished COVID 19 pandemic will surely shape our world as we continue into 2023.
On December 9th the USDA released their latest world agricultural supply and demand estimates. (WASDE) Generally speaking, the December report is usually one of the most noneventful of the year and the December 9th report was solidly in that realm. In this report the USDA decreased corn export demand by 75 million bushels from November, which had the effect of raising corn ending stocks to 1.257 billion bushels. Corn production was maintained at a three-year low of 13.930 billion bushels at an average yield of 172.3 bushels per acre. The other big demand factors such as ethanol and feed and residual use were kept the same as the November report, 5.3 billion bushels and 5.275 billion bushels respectively. Brazil and Argentina's corn production was the same as last month at 126 million metric tons and 55 million metric tons respectively.
On the soybean side of the ledger the USDA held fast with the status quo from their November report. The soybean number remains at 4.346 billion bushels with the national average yield of 50.2 bushels per acre. Soybean ending stocks remain at 220 million bushels. Searching hard for information that is different, the USDA actually increased soybean global ending stocks by half a million metric tons to 102.71 million metric tons. This reflected slightly higher stocks in India and Ukraine. On the wheat side of the ledger USDA peg wheat ending stocks at 571 million bushels which was unchanged from November and the lowest in 15 years. Globally, the USDA reduced global wheat production slightly with the caveat that Australia is looking at an increase in their wheat production this year to 36.6 million metric tons from 34.5 million metric tons last year. Generally speaking, world wheat stocks are at some of their lowest levels in several years.
On December 9th, corn and wheat futures were lower than the last Market Trends report. Soybeans were higher. December 2022 corn futures were at $6.44 a bushel. The January 2023 soybean futures were at $14.83 a bushel. The December 2022 Chicago wheat futures closed at $7.34 a bushel. The Minneapolis December 2022 wheat futures closed at $9.12 a bushel with the Sept 2023 contract closing at $8.98 a bushel.
The nearby oil futures as of December 9th closed at $71.02/barrel down from the nearby futures recorded in the last Market Trends report of $88.96/barrel. The average price for US ethanol in the US was $2.36 a US gallon, down from the $2.53 last month.
The Canadian dollar noon rate on December 9th, 2022, was .7337 US, down versus the .7475 US reported here in the last Market Trends report. The Bank of Canada's lending rate increased to 4.25%.
In Ontario, farmers have mostly put the 2022 harvest in the rear-view mirror as of December the 10th. The tremendous weather in October and November and still into December has been one of the best in years and lead to a rapid harvest which challenged logistical storage arrangements in many parts of the province especially eastern Ontario. Lots of field work was done as the opportunity presented versus past years where wet weather made that more difficult.
The lower Canadian dollar continues to provide stimulus to Ontario domestic cash grain prices. Basis levels have changed a bit from November. The corn basis is slightly lower than November. The soybean basis is higher. Eastern Ontario corn basis levels are not as high as they usually are compared to southwestern Ontario partly reflecting the big yields, we saw this year in the east. The final numbers are not in on crop size in Ontario this year but expect a soybean yield of 48 or 49 bushels per acre and a corn yield too come in around 170 bushels per acre.
The crop size will surely be a surprise to many and not to others. In southwestern Ontario dryness was the word for much of the growing season and that was reflected in much lower yields for some producers in the deep SW Ontario. However, timely rain even a few concessions over made quite a difference. The potential was there in 2022 for much bigger crop yields on an Ontario basis, but these dry pockets kept it at bay.
Old crop corn basis levels are $1.00 to $1.45 over the March 2023 corn futures on December 9th across the province. The new crop corn basis varied from $1.28 to $1.50 over the December 2023 corn futures. The old crop basis levels for soybeans range from $4.75 cents to $5.02 over the January 2023 futures. New crop soybeans basis levels range from $4.15-$4.37 over the November 2023 futures. Ontario SRW wheat prices are in the $8.56 range. On December 9th the US replacement price for corn was $9.04 /bushel. You can access all these Ontario grain prices in the marketing section at http://gfo.ca/marketing/daily-commodity-report/
2022 has been a pretty good year for crop prices, but now it's time to turn the corner. We've got a whole new year ahead of us with a whole new set of crop numbers. However, the USDA will release its final WASDE estimates on January 12th for 2022 crop year, and this always holds some fireworks for price action. Does a decent crop get bigger or does a smaller than expected crop get smaller? For any unpriced bushels from 2022 left going into 2023 the January report may represent opportunity.
Earlier in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24th we had the big take off in crop prices. This came after our Covid 19 supply constraint problems, which had pushed crop prices higher. The war in Ukraine was like pouring gasoline on a fire and it is continued to simmer all year. As we head into 2023, it is not over, and the war will continue to represent unfinished business for the agricultural commodity markets. At any time in 2023 a stray missile could make these markets erupt.
With such high prices you can expect producers around the world to move in to satisfy the demand at these high prices. However, in 2022 there were production problems in North America, Western Europe and even earlier in South America. An argument can be made as we look ahead that the whole world is relying on Brazil and other South American countries to be the breadbasket of the world to bail us out of our apparent production shortfalls. With the Brazilian set to produce 152 million metric tons of soybeans this coming season, customers like China are lining up. It goes without saying that good weather in Brazil is important to foster this production and to keep the world from seeing further price spikes in agricultural commodities. If we go off this script even just a little bit, we are likely to see much higher prices.
China continues to be somewhat of a wild card in world agricultural commodity demand. Their adherence to a zero COVID policy has met widespread resistance in China itself. Lately, it looks like the government is moving away from the zero Covid policy, which should spur agricultural commodity demand heading into 2023.
Commodity Specific Comments
Is it possible corn prices fall apart, or will they stay the course? USDA set corn ending stocks at 1.275 bbu, which should serve as a lever against prices drifting any lower. There is good demand, and this ending stocks number is very low historically. Looking ahead, good weather and a good US growing season in 2023 likely is the only way those corn ending stocks increase.
One facet of corn demand which has been lagging is exports, which are down 48% from a year ago. At a certain point, even with Brazil corn cheaper, it will be back one of these days. It won't necessarily be from China which has struck its own corn agreement with Brazil. Mexico and other countries will surely need the corn. However, Mexico and the US are currently in negotiations regarding Mexico's desire for no more GMO corn imports. The Americans are threatening to invoke USMCA. The story will continue.
The March 2023 corn contract is currently 1.25 cents below the May 2023 corn contract which is a neutral indication of commercial demand. Seasonally, corn prices tend to peak in early June and bottom out in October. The nearby March 2023 contract is currently in the 65th percentile of the past 5-year price distribution range.
Weather is certainly in the mix when it comes to the soybean price in mid-December and as we go into January. Argentina has been hot and dry, which can be good if you're planting soybeans, but a continuation of this trend does not bode well for Argentinian soybeans. The market has that dialed in at the moment and South American weather will continue to be a concern.
Soybean prices are benefiting from the rallies in soybean meal and the buoyant nature of soybean oil. Of course, we must remember that Argentina is the largest exporter of both soybean meal and soybean oil and the weather there continues to concern. $15 soybeans are the resistance level at the present time, but if South American weather gets hotter, we may be breaking above that.
The January 2023 soybean contract is currently 4 1/2 cents below the March contract which is a neutral to bearish sign of commercial demand. Seasonally, soybean prices tend to peak in early July and bottom out in early October. The nearby January soybean futures contract is currently in the 70th percentile of the past five-year price distribution range.
Wheat prices have dropped over the last month, something which was hard to understand. World wheat stocks are at very tight levels and the US crop needs moisture. In fact, the US winter wheat crop is in very rough shape. You could argue that the speculative funds influenced this market in its downtrend and a correction would likely be in the offing. However, the Australians have had a good crop down under and we know there is a lot of wheat in Russia. As is, the agreement between Ukraine, Turkey and Russia continues with lots of grain being moved out.
Statistics Canada is estimating that the Ontario winter wheat crop planted this fall at 1.344 million acres. This is up 44.5% from the 930,300 acres planted in the fall of 2021. This will be the biggest crop in recent Ontario history, the 2007/8 crop came in at 1.275 million acres. This should give wheat producers quite a bit to think about as they go over winter regarding pricing. A home will have to be found for so much wheat next summer.
The Bottom Line (cont.)
The Bank of Canada has continued its 2022 policy of increasing interest rates currently set at 4.25%. This should have the effect of raising the value of the Canadian dollar, but it has not this time around. In fact, the Bank of Canada has been following the US Federal Reserve that has increased interest rates as well. The US dollar has been falling since October, which makes the $0.73 Canadian dollar that much more unique. Usually, it is an inverse to the value of the American dollar. Needless to say, it is added tremendous stimulus to Ontario cash prices and producers will need to watch this as we head into the new year.
We all know as Ontario farmers the tremendous inflationary aspect apparent in our farm input purchases this past year. The cost of nitrogen for instance more than doubled and fertilizer prices were a lot higher. In fact, general inflation continues to be the focus of the Bank of Canada's monetary policy. In many ways it's hard to imagine these farm input prices being higher in 2023 than they were in 2022. It begs the question, as we look into 2023 will this be the scariest year ever?
It's unlikely, but the circumstances are in place to ask the question. As farmers, we are risk takers, and we also have risk management tools we use constantly to mitigate that risk. 2023 is just more of that. There is potential for big price spikes within war markets as we have now. At the same time if we have South American potential coming through and a continuation of grain moving in the Black Sea grain prices could move sideways to lower. If our Canadian dollar decides to go back into the $0.80 range by the end of 2023 it will make for a long slippery slide for farm revenues from 2021 to 2022 levels. As it is, 2023 futures prices at the moment should translate into profitable levels.
As we look ahead 2023 will surely provide some big challenges, not only for Ontario farmers, but for our whole Ontario grain industry. Our big Ontario wheat crop stands out as a potential that can be had when we get the chance to plant it. The key will be, along with corn and soybeans, to market that crop at profitable levels. Risk management never grows old. There is always marketing opportunity around the corner, standing resting marketing orders at the elevator can help in that mission. As always, daily market intelligence will remain key. Happy New Year to all.
Next: Long term field trials to examine corn, soybean and wheat production systems ›
Philip Shaw
Philip Shaw farms near Dresden, Ontario. He is the author of the Grain Farmers of Ontario Market Trends Report published 14 times per year. He speaks on grain prices across Canada and his commodity commentary can be read regularly in several publications.
Follow Philip Shaw on Twitter
Email Philip Shaw
Market Trends Report – November & December 2022

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/business/article/College-pays-off-but-watch-what-you-pay-13705831.php
TASCHINGER: College pays off, but watch what you pay out
Updated 12:08 pm CDT, Friday, March 22, 2019
The college bribery scandal is one of the crazier stories to break in a long time, and it has as many layers as the paint on the wall of an old house. The amounts paid out were huge — $500,000 by actress Lori Loughlin to get her two daughters into USC. The lack of oversight in athletic departments was also appalling; the University of Texas tennis coach was fired for taking bribes to provide athletic scholarships to kids who didn't play tennis. Uh, didn't anyone notice?
What really stands out, however, is the futility of it all. You really don't need a degree from Harvard or Yale to succeed in life. Study after study, expert after expert has said that a good education at a much affordable institution (like, ahem, Lamar University) will serve you just as well as a sheepskin from an Ivy League giant. And it does matter. The U.S. Department of Education said that in 2015, adults with bachelor's degrees earned an average of $48,500 a year, as compared to $23,900 for high school graduates.
Granted, if you're rich and you can get Timmy or Susie into Harvard, it won't hurt them. That instant name recognition will at least get them their first job, but most of them will have to rely on their talent and perseverance afterward. New hires have to adapt to their workplace culture, figure out what the boss wants done, and do it. If they want to get promoted, they will have to do it better than their co-workers.
A fancy degree does not guarantee this. If anything, a spoiled kid who thinks he's got it made because of that distinguished institution could set off warning signals at interviews that shout, "Don't hire me!" Graduates like that will not work as hard as they need to, which is pretty hard at any company that's serious about its profits, which is most of them.
The education available at many lesser-known, more affordable colleges — whether in business, medicine, engineering or law — is virtually the same as the one you get at Big Name U. Lamar has a list of highly successful grads in many fields (several are mentioned below) that would cover this page.
The famous debt-reduction guru Dave Ramsey preaches this often on his national radio show. He has hired hundreds of college graduates for very demanding, well-paying jobs. He doesn't care where they got their degree from, and certainly never hired one because of the college name on the diploma.
In an interview, he and other employers are looking at the young man or woman sitting in front of them, going over their resume and life story, sizing them up, trying to figure out if they will work hard and well for them.
The lesson that Ramsey and other smart people teach is that young people should not go into huge debt for college, and preferably no debt at all. If you doubt this advice, consider that the biggest problem for young graduates is — surprise — student-loan debt.
Some millennials have debts of $150,000 or even higher when they start working. But for a very few careers that guarantee big salaries, that burden can't be managed. For most people, it means a long, hard slog of paying back Sallie Mae while also trying to buy a home and start a family.
At schools like Lamar, graduates can leave with student-loan debt about the price of a new car. Those grads are just as well equipped for a bright future as the Yalies, and they can knock out their debt in five years or so instead of carrying it into their 30s or 40s.
It should also go without saying that if you're going to get a four-year degree, it should be in a field that will produce a reasonable paycheck. Going into debt for a degree that won't benefit you much is doubly stupid.
Pick that major carefully. The best investment you will ever make is an education that provides a good income, and you don't have to pay bribes to go to Harvard to get it.
ttaschinger@beaumontenterprise.com
Lamar graduates/business leaders:
Randy Best — BS Government 1967, Best Associates Chairman & CEO
Angela Blanchard — BBA Accounting 1984, President Emerita of BakerRipley
Jared Boudreaux — BBA Marketing 1998, President/CEO Vector Controls
Yolanda Conyers — BS Computer Science 1989, VP of Global Human Resources/Chief Diversity Officer of Lenovo
Rena Clark — BS Mechanical Engineering 1984, Managing Partner at Laurel Oak Capital
Paul Fregia — BS Electrical Engineering 1981, President/CEO of Grandma Maud's
Anthony George — BS Physics 1988, Nautical Control Solutions/FUELTRAX President and CEO
Jack Gill — BS Chemistry 1958, President of the Gill Foundation of Texas
Wea Lee — MA Government 1976, Chairman/CEO of Southern Chinese Newspapers Publishing Co.
Bill Mitchell — BS Mechanical Engineering 1958, Retired Vice Chairman of Texas Instruments, Inc.
Steve Moore — BS Communication 1978, Former CEO of the Country Music Association
Jorge Quijano — BS Industrial Engineering 1973, Master of Engineering 1974, CEO Panama Canal
Bill Scott — BS Government 1970, Chairman/CEO Trans-Global Solutions, Inc.
Dan F. Smith — BS Chemical Engineering 1969, Retired President/CEO/Chairman of the Board of Lyondell Basell Industries
Joe Tortorice — MBA 1971, President Jason's Deli (Deceased)
C.W. Conn — MBA 1969, founder/former CEO of Conn's Inc.
Charles Garrett — BS Electrical Engineering 1959, Doctor of Humane Letters 2011, former President/CEO Garrett Metal Detectors — became the world's largest manufacturer of metal detection and invented the metal detectors used in most airports
Tom Giannopoulos — BS Electrical Engineering 1962, retired President/CEO/Chairman of the Board of MICROS Systems, Inc.
Source: Lamar University
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Jefferson Co. suspends low-level pot prosecutions


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Title | Meghan Trainor
Meghan Trainor, the fresh-faced overnight sensation who came out of left field last summer, is gearing up for a 2015 that was just as busy as her 2014 as she preps the release of her major-label debut studio album, Title. It comes after Trainor's two breakthrough singles and an extended play that was discontinued after this album absorbed the four songs that were on it. The extended play (which somehow shared the same name as this new release) gave us a strong taste of Trainor's infusion of modern pop and 1950s-era doo-wop, but this full-length set also gives us sparks and flares of contemporary singer-songwriter styles, R&B, and light rap. Meghan Trainor had a lot to prove on this album to be seen as more than '2014's Carly Rae Jepsen,' and she may have used enough quirky charm to do just that.
Innocent songwriting and running vocal harmonies are Trainor's specialty. Title's variety of offerings orbit around the teenage fantasy of a perfect husband ("Dear Future Husband," "Title"), cheating and lying boyfriends ("Lips Are Movin'"), accidental one-night stands ("Walkashame"), and M. Train's attraction towards drummers ("Bang Dem Sticks"). Lyrically, she's sufficiently cute with her own set of romantic idiosyncrasies, but her musicality keeps listeners interested for the whole album. While many pop artists save the extensive backing vocals to add depth to choruses, almost every track on this record features simple yet effective harmonies in both verses and choruses to stay true to her doo-wop tendencies. Even the double Grammy-nominated "All About That Bass," as simplistic as people want to make it out to be, hides more aural goodies than an average pop song.
With Title, Trainor effortlessly throws listeners back to the 1950s with her bouncy tracks led by hand claps, jazzy brass blows, and heavy booms of drums while she manages to simultaneously appeal to a modern audience by toying with raps and sexing up some lyrics. (Just imagine the music of Grease being replaced with "Title," though. It would actually fit quite well.) While some are still angry with some of the lyrics of "That Bass" and continually slam her popularity, many listeners have learned to accept Trainor for what she is: a pop singer. She writes primarily to make catchy music, not to promote social justice or to offend others. Whether she's singing smooth doo-wops over a ukulele stem or playfully rapping over some strong drum beats, Meghan Trainor has proved that she does deserve the Title of a starry-eyed chanteuse.
Title will be released January 13, 2015 under Epic Records.
Album Reviews, Meghan Trainor


Single glance fingers person enough to learn about his abilities to exchange game. Success at Exchange ensured holders longest nameless finger.
Such dependence is established, scientists from Cambridge University. Scientists have suggested that traders with a low ratio of the length of the index finger to the nameless (2D: 4D) will receive in the long term, more revenue and will remain in business longer, reports RIA Novosti .
To test this hypothesis, they measured the fingers of his right hand in 44 traders in the City of London on one of the stock exchanges, where they sell about 200 traders. The most successful of them earn more than 4 million pounds per year. Players at this floor use strategy dubbed "high Trading.
Scientists compared the finger-length ratio of traders with their earnings and losses. They found that the lower the ratio of 2D: 4D from a trader, the higher his income. According to data obtained when the ratio of 2D: 4D is low - about 0.93 - the average annual income trader was about 680 thousand pounds sterling. With high regard, about 0.98, revenue was nearly ten times smaller - 61,000 pounds sterling.


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Akash Kalita
Automobile . Lifestyle . Technology . Travel
Home » All Posts , Interview , TIPS » Life at Reliance Jio : A talk with an Insider
Life at Reliance Jio : A talk with an Insider
July 25, 20201 comment
We often come across the term "dream companies" but, what are these dream companies? Dream companies are those organisations that one dreams to join after completing college or any time in his or her life. When we talk about such companies the most common names that pop into our head are Google, Facebook, Microsoft, IBM, Apple, etc. The list would hardly consist of any Indian company. But, recently an Indian company, Reliance Jio has been observed growing exponentially unlike any other company in the country. It is growing so rapidly that it now holds the potential to become one of the top desired companies in the world for the millions of people joining the work force every year.
Recently the company has received funding from top investors like Google, Facebook, Qualcomm, Silver Lake, Vista and many more. The total investments from these companies summed up to provide investments of billions of dollars to Reliance Jio. This provides us with a clear picture about how much Reliance Jio is going to expand in the coming years. It is nothing new that expansion of a company is directly related to the expansion of its workforce. The dream to become a part of any giant organization for many is inevitable.
So, recently I had a small talk with my friend Mr. Uddipaan Hazarika who holds the position of a Deputy Manager and is largely involved in 'web app development' at Reliance Jio, Mumbai, India. The main motive of the conversation was to gain some insight about the life at Reliance Jio, Mumbai, India and also to throw some light to the path that leads to Reliance Jio. Mr. Hazarika is a computer science engineering graduate from the Global Royal University, Guwahati, Assam, India and had joined Jio long before this "gold rush" to Jio had even begun.
1. Let us start from the very obvious question that is, when did you join Reliance Jio?
I did join this organization on 2017, July to be precise. Since then I have been a part of this company till date.
2. Like any other college student, which companies were you aiming to join after graduation?
Haha, every college student dreams of joining these "dream companies" as you have stated, but we can't really ignore the fact that it's not really rainbows and butterflies in real world.
Well, according to me the real drive should not really be about getting employed by certain company or organization; it should really be about what you would want to do or see yourself doing in near future. In my case, I was always into problem solving. So mainly, I wanted to get employed in an organization where I could use my creativity and skills honed in my undergrad level to address certain tasks.
3. Was it tough to get into a company as big as Reliance Jio? And what can one expect to face during an interview for a job at Jio?
Well up to some extent it was a bit tricky as these organizations not only challenge you on technical level but also, they try to figure out how good you can face challenges and your decision making. When I was interviewing for Reliance, I had around 4-5 rounds where they challenged me on logical reasoning and technical knowledge as well with a little bit of general knowledge.
4. As someone involved in web app development how challenging or interesting is your job role?
For the most part, I find it interesting as you get to know a lot of things about how different systems work and service people all across a certain defined demography. I mean, it is really fascinating to see organizations such as Netflix or Google services, that can scale to a worldwide level without a major downtime in their services. Now of course, these systems didn't just get created or spawned overnight. All the amazing and talented engineers in these organization has spent countless sleepless nights while making these systems what they are today; which brings me to the second aspect, challenges…. Let me tell you it's really not that easy. There are a lot at stakes, as these systems that we build serves a business that drives the organization. Now the business is ruthless, this is more so in case of huge technological giants and the "dream companies" as they need to keep up with the cutthroat competition and stand on the expectations of the users. Can you imagine a single day with downtime in WhatsApp messenger? It really comes down to all the teams; from development to business to site reliability and everyone involved to drive their organization to fulfil the needs of our end users.
5. While working in a particular project, do individual members involved in the project get to explore his or her creative side or are all the perimeters to attain a result are predefined by the company?
Yes, this is really an interesting and a good question. Prior to me getting involved in core development, I was really into the impression that we have to adhere to business logics and what our lead or/and manager wants us to build. Even though we are working towards a certain goal, there is always a possibility to apply your creative side here and there. In my opinion, we must pay emphasis not on just building and making the application work but our focus is mainly into building it better and making it sustainable.
6. Since Jio is a tech company, students mostly from engineering background might want to join it. So, what are the subjects they need to be good at if they would want to join a tech company like Jio?
Jio when it started was just a company which dealt with telecommunication services as we all know. But now as we can see it has evolved a lot and became one of the leading tech organization in India. There are a lot of skillsets that any organization needs and Jio is not any different. There are scopes ranging from developers to designers to sales and marketing people etc. For web developers, I would say, basic knowledge of any widely used languages such as Java, Python, Rust, GoLang etc. Also, frameworks such as Spring MVC, Liferay, Laravel, Django, Flask. Additionally, knowledge of basic concepts of data structures, computer networking and web technologies are important. I really can go on and on and that too this is only in case of web development. There are more fun areas such as AIML, Data Science and Dev Ops.
7. Here is a funny question for you. To any layman, Jio is just a telecommunication network provider. So, do people you know ask you for help regarding issues related to Jio network?
Haha, really a good question… Yes, I do get asked a lot about grievances and challenges people face on the network. But my answer remains the same, no, I really cannot help with the network issues because that's entirely a different domain than the one, I am concerned with. I am the guy who makes applications for proper functioning of the business processes. But yes, maybe a backhaul engineer or a network infra lead employed by the organization may help you. Also, people can raise their concern in the service desk in jio.com or myjio application.
8. You have joined Jio long before all these big investors like Google, Facebook, etc across the world started investing in Jio. How these investments have opened up new opportunities for Jio?
As we all know about the investments pouring in for the organization and all the partnerships be done; it is really an exciting stage for all of us being the end user because we all are aware of surprises Jio has given us from time to time.
Even for the organization, all these tie ups have opened doors to exciting new opportunities that needs to be explored.
9. I know it is not possible to disclose discreet information but, here is a question that you can answer without disclosing any vital information. Since Reliance Jio is rapidly bringing new technology into the Indian market, what new can we expect in nearest future that would revolutionize the Indian tech scenario?
Hahaha, unfortunately I really can't disclose any information. Well for the most part, the organization really does a good job keeping sensitive information from leaking. Information that might disrupt an opportunity. Even it is concealed from us if we are not directly associated with it. And if we are working on some such "secret project" we do have a strict non-disclosure policy.
10. How is the work culture or the work environment at Jio?
In a single word, its well balanced. I mean you need to work hard and complete the tasks assigned to you and its same for any company you would work for. But other than that, there are fun activities from sports events to family day. Also, the work place is beautiful. But then this is really my opinion and I understand people other people may not share the same experience.
11. How much has lockdown and COVID-19 affected the efficiency of work for an IT company like Jio?
During the recent times of pandemic, we are allotted tasks and need to join meetings from home, basically work from home. The efficiency is really not that affected in my case. But I can't really say much about other people. In my team, or specifically in my projects, I ensure that all my tasks meet the predefined deadlines but then again there are certain ups and downs sometimes that takes the prior planning to a detour, haha.
12. Here is one more "chilled" question for you which many people also might be wondering about at this point of time. Have you ever met Mr. Mukesh Ambani yet?
Haha, Yes, I have met the chairman/managing director a few times. I was infact, physically present in the 40th Annual General meeting of reliance where the jio phone was launched for the first time. Prior to the launch I was involved in some work related to that.
13. Apart from the people from technical background, what are the other major areas does Reliance Jio recruit people from?
There are a plethora of professionals and candidates being recruited into Reliance from various domains just like any other organization of this scale. Speaking in terms of areas, from engineering sciences to business facing domains such as sales and marketing, the organization is always in need of good candidates to drive towards the organization goals and be a major player in digital revolution of the country.
14. Before ending this conversation, we would like to know how has been your journey so far at Reliance Jio? And how much Jio has helped you to grow as an individual?
My journey until now has really been fruitful. I mean, every day has been a new challenge which ends with something really valuable for me to take away. I have also faced hard times and difficult scenarios and people having high expectations from me to deliver a sustainable solution to really difficult problems. I have failed quite a few times but those were just stepping stones in life and in my opinion, those are just lessons that are necessary for me to grow as an individual.
15. Here is the last and an easy question. How can one apply to be a part of Reliance Jio?
Referrals and personal portfolios. I mean mostly people would be chosen based on their capabilities and individual skills. In terms of channels, there are always job portals such as Linkedin and also some competitions such as Jio TechGig Code Gladiators and hackathons.
Last but, not the least, Mr. Uddipaan Hazarika apart from being a tech expert, is also an amazing guitarist. You can check out his videos by visiting his instagram page, _uddipaan_ (https://www.instagram.com/_uddipaan_) or if you want to more about him visit his website, www.uddipaanhazarika.cf
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text:
Hôtel Solvay je secesní dům, který se nachází v belgické metropoli Bruselu na Avenue Louise (č. p. 81). Vznikl na přelomu 19. a 20. století. Jeho architektem byl Victor Horta.

Výstavba byla zahájena v roce 1898 a dokončena roku 1900. Dům byl vybudován (a pojmenován) pro Armanda Solvaye, syna bohatého belgického průmyslníka a chemika Ernesta Solvaye. Díky vysokému rozpočtu, který dostal Victor Horta pro výstavbu tohoto domu, mohl architekt vybrat ty nejlepší materiály a stavební postupy pro zbudování stavby. Sám Horta navrhl každý detail budovy; nábytek, koberce, osvětlení, ba dokonce i zvonky. Pracoval s velmi kvalitními materiály, mezi které patřil mramor, onyx, tropické dřevo bronz aj. Pro tvorbu schodiště v domě spolupracoval Horta s malířem Théem van Rysselberghem. V 50. letech 20. století koupila od Solvaye dům rodina Wittamerů, která jej vzorně udržovala a obnovila do původního stavu. V současné době dům, který je zapsán spolu s ostatními díly Victora Horty v Bruselu na seznam kulturního dědictví UNESCO nicméně není veřejně přístupný.

Externí odkazy

Stavby v Bruselu
Postaveno v Belgii 1900
Secesní stavby v Belgii

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
// Copyright 2014 Google Inc. All rights reserved.
//
// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
// license that can be found in the LICENSE file or at
// https://developers.google.com/open-source/licenses/bsd

package com.google.u2f.server.messages;

import com.google.gson.JsonArray;
import com.google.gson.JsonObject;
import com.google.gson.JsonPrimitive;
import com.google.u2f.server.data.SecurityKeyData;
import com.google.u2f.server.data.SecurityKeyData.Transports;

import java.util.List;
import java.util.Objects;

public class RegisteredKey {
  /**
   * Version of the protocol that the to-be-registered U2F token must speak. For
   * the version of the protocol described herein, must be "U2F_V2"
   */
  private final String version;

  /**
   * websafe-base64 encoding of the key handle obtained from the U2F token
   * during registration.
   */
  private final String keyHandle;

  /**
   * The transports registered for this key handle.
   */
  private final List<Transports> transports;

  /**
   * The application id that the RP would like to assert. The U2F token will
   * enforce that the key handle provided above is associated with this
   * application id. The browser enforces that the calling origin belongs to the
   * application identified by the application id.
   */
  private final String appId;

  /**
   * A session id created by the RP. The RP can opaquely store things like
   * expiration times for the sign-in session, protocol version used, public key
   * expected to sign the identity assertion, etc. The response from the API
   * will include the sessionId. This allows the RP to fire off multiple signing
   * requests, and associate the responses with the correct request
   */
  private final String sessionId;

  public RegisteredKey(String version, String keyHandle, List<Transports> transports,
      String appId, String sessionId) {
    super();
    this.version = version;
    this.keyHandle = keyHandle;
    this.transports = transports;
    this.appId = appId;
    this.sessionId = sessionId;
  }

  public String getVersion() {
    return version;
  }

  public List<Transports> getTransports() {
    return transports;
  }

  public String getAppId() {
    return appId;
  }

  public String getKeyHandle() {
    return keyHandle;
  }

  public String getSessionId() {
    return sessionId;
  }

  @Override
  public int hashCode() {
    return Objects.hash(version, keyHandle, transports, appId, sessionId);
  }

  @Override
  public boolean equals(Object obj) {
    if (this == obj)
      return true;
    if (obj == null)
      return false;
    if (getClass() != obj.getClass())
      return false;
    RegisteredKey other = (RegisteredKey) obj;
    return Objects.equals(version, other.version)
        && Objects.equals(keyHandle, other.keyHandle)
        && SecurityKeyData.containSameTransports(transports, other.transports)
        && Objects.equals(appId, other.appId)
        && Objects.equals(sessionId, other.sessionId);
  }

  public JsonObject getJson(String defaultAppId) {
    JsonObject result = new JsonObject();
    if (appId != null && !appId.equals(defaultAppId)) {
      result.addProperty("appId", appId);
    }
    result.addProperty("version", version);
    result.addProperty("keyHandle", keyHandle);
    result.addProperty("sessionId", sessionId);
    if (this.transports != null) {
      result.add("transports", getTransportsAsJsonArray());
    }
    return result;
  }

  private JsonArray getTransportsAsJsonArray() {
    JsonArray transportsArray = new JsonArray();
    for (Transports transport : this.transports) {
      transportsArray.add(new JsonPrimitive(transport.toString()));
    }
    return transportsArray;
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I would want to store localized versions of the title and description. I could have up to 10 languages, so I want to design this smartly. My initial thought is to break out the title & description fields into a separate translation table with the ID and the local as keys.
When querying, I would always pass in the locale, join the tables etc etc.
Is this the general approach that most others use? It makes sense in my head, but if there are other examples or some DNN API stuff I should take advantage of, please comment.
Full disclosure - GS-F is a friend of mine...and I still think it 's a good book!
a) either separate the localizable properties into a dependent table using parent key + locale and use an inner join and filter by locale.
Benefit: there is always at least one language available, but there might be a value for same language in base and translation table. You would need to use (slower) left JOIN.
c) if there is not always same initial language you may store initial language in base table as well. Benefit nearly same as b), a little bit more flexible but difficult to retrieve.
d) same base table as b) or c) and a central translation table with key (keyObject, keyID, keyproperty, language) key. you just need a single central table, but it is difficult to implement integrity, as it is not supported by SQL.
Thanks for the input. Option A makes the most sense to me.
Any other insights from the DNN community?


There's a beast inside all of us. Fortunately, most of us tend to keep it hidden away beyond the reach of daylight. For our friend Logan, that's not the case. This week, we explore the more bestial side of humanity as we take a look at the child ownership and experimentation going on in this dystopian movie. Spoiler alert: we spoil things.


This is The Global Sharknado Threat Map. Created by an unprecedentedly cross-discipline team of nameless chain-smoking scientists in white lab coats, this map is intended as a resource to coastal communities regarding the nature and likelihood of a sharknado incursion. Right?
This map was originally conceived by Drew Skau, and commissioned by Visual.ly. This is a reconstruction to show how the how-to-edness of it, step by step. Reasonably easy to assemble, it is a fun experiment with tapered hatched fills and call-outs. Here's exactly how it was made, and how you can make it, too. If you dare!
This is a bathymetric layer showing delicious undersea terrain. It requires a subscription to use, so, if you don't have that, here are some alternatives: You can download this enhanced satellite image, which looks slightly different but is still really cool. Or you could download these bathymetry layers and stack them up in cool ways. Or come up with whatever basemap you think looks cool.
Believe it or not, I'm not a shark expert. So take these files for what they are worth: illustrative data for use in a tutorial. The habitats were manually digitized from various online references, then clipped to 150, 200, and 250 mile buffers of the coast.
The source of this storm data is curated and made freely available by NOAA, and goes back to the mid 1800s. For this map, we'll use hurricane categories 3, 4, and 5.
Any country border file will do. It's used as a minor reference. You can download one here or here. Or any old place.
A full-coverage 500km-cell hexagonal mesh of the world. I'll use it to select a handful of locations of interest, for annotations.
Handy little glowing dot images for use as point icons in any old map.
Sweet shark graphics for use in the legend. They have been colorized and given a hatched pattern roughly matching the data. I've also included a semi-transparent image to use as a vignette overlay -as is my way.
Alternatively, you can download this whole big massive ArcGIS Pro project package.
Ok, let's begin our important service to humanity.
Starting off with a generic shape of land as a reference, I manually digitized the general shapes of Great White and Great Hammerhead habitats. These shapes are really rudimentary and cobbled together from a handful of estimates I'd seen on the web. I used ArcGIS Pro's feature creation and drawing tools.
Then, I generated some buffers out from the land. I made three separate buffer zones, 150 miles, 200 miles, and 250 miles from the coast.
I ran a spatial intersection of each buffer distance against the Great White habitat and the Great Hammerhead habitat. The result is a set of three habitats for each shark, trimmed to coastal distances of 150, 200, and 250 miles.
Take a look at the table of contents in the image, above. Rather than a solid fill for the polygons, I've given them a hatched pattern fill. See how each zone, at increasing coastal distance, has a slightly thinner stroke used in the hatching? That's a simple hacky way to give the edges of the habitat zones a sweet sweet tapered hatchline effect. I like it because it helps to imply a fading off feel of uncertainty, which is just fine given our topic.
If you haven't already, you can download these shapefiles and try the hatching trick yourself.
Time to pull in some background data to provide context. I've added the bathymetric layer and a countries layer. The bathymetric color ramp is super dark, going from black, to almost black (dark blue -a contrasting color to the habitats, so it does not bias them). The countries layer has a black fill with a similarly faint dark blue outline. Since these layers are only there to provide a sense of location, and don't impart their own message themselves, I kept them sparse, low-contrast, and devoid of unnecessary detail. Busy basemaps are just the worst amiright?
I also modified the projection to have a Pacific-centric focus. This is the "Times" projection. Don't think for a minute that I would have been using unprojected wgs84 / equirectangular / plate carrée / etc.
Ok, we have a representation of oceans and some serviceable coastal predatory shark habitats. Now what? It's no secret that hurricane forces have tremendous uplift capabilities, capable of picking up and depositing material far inland. Additionally, the phenomenon of coastal hurricanes spawning powerful tornadoes is well known. Naturally, enormous, hungry, enraged sharks will use this confluence of natural and unnatural forces to enable coordinated aerial incursions into coastal areas. We live in the age of the sharknado.
Pulling in a big pile of historic hurricane location data reveals some clear concentrations and structure. Try it out yourself with this data, using these icons. Here is a side how-to related to mapping hurricanes.
A quick visual inspection of the map shows some interesting areas, that could use some explanation. I'll pull in that global hexagonal mesh, and manually select cell clusters that bear some explanation.
Based on the selected hex cells, I create a separate layer for the new call-out zones. Notice in the table of contents that I've duplicated it three times. One is a fine line, and the other two are given line weights of increasing transparency and thickness, to give a hacky nebulous glow effect.
Now for easily the most time-consuming portion of this map…putsing around in the layout! I created a new layout view, and added in my map. Here, we can pull in all sorts of secondary content.
The top and bottom of my map are pretty busy with coastal and bathymetric detail. Since they are far away from the action, and since I spent countless hours in the darkroom in college photography classes, I've pulled in a vignette overlay image. It's just a PNG image with dark opacity at the top and bottom and a smooth transition to full transparency at the middle.
Now it's time to append this map with all sorts of fascinating scientific analysis. I used Courier New to give a retro teletype sort of feel. The call-out lines were drawn manually.
Same font for title and legend. Some folks like to mix a couple of fonts for their maps, but I'm not nearly good enough at judging type to pull it off. So I play it safe an go one-fonted.
The legend is a series of labeled images (if you haven't already, you can download them here). In a graphic design tool, I traced some shark outlines and filled them with a hatched pattern similar to the map. Using the shape of the sharks in the legend has two big benefits. The first is that it reinforces the theme with a visceral, recognizable shape. The second is that I can avoid the clunky math equation style legend of "[box] = shark habitat".
Once you have all the pieces in place there are lots of export options. Here's a look at the PDF export settings. I like that you can adjust the output resolution.
And that's it! You made a sharknado map. And lent your skills to the service of combating this terrible scourge. I, and posterity, commend you.
Really cool graphic, and very useful to see how you made the effects. Thanks for posting. Hopefully it brings some much needed awareness to the danger of sharknadoes.


text:
BRICS New Development Bank in Changing World Economic Order
by Manoj Kumar 10 February 2019
The New Development Bank (NDB) is a multinational bank established by member states namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, specifically as per Agreement of the NDB, "the Bank shall support public or private projects through loans, guarantees, equity participation and other financial instruments." Also, the NDB "shall cooperate with international organizations and other financial entities, and provide technical assistance for projects to be supported by the Bank." In 2012 it was realized by the member States that lack of proper international intergovernmental institutions is averting the BRICS development. At the 4th summit held at New Delhi in 2012, the creation of new development bank was the main theme of the summit. More importantly in 2012 BRICS countries initiated an inquiry into the benefits of a New Development Bank "to mobilize resources for the infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other developing countries." Finance ministers and central bank authorities of the member countries were directed to explore, "the construction of a financial safety net for BRICS through the establishment of a currency reserve with the Contingency Reserve Arrangement (CRA)." The NDB started its operations in July 2015, and a Treaty for the establishment of BRICS CRA also entered into force in 2015 itself. The main purpose of CRA is to immunize the BRICS countries, "in the event of any liquidity pressures that might arise in the wake of persistent sovereign debt crisis and uncertainties in the financial sector of Western economies."
The Rationale of NDB
The rationale behind the NDB can be dissatisfaction of developing economies with the pace of reforms at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). At Ufa Summit during 2015 the BRICS leaders expressed dissatisfaction with the IMF, "We remain deeply disappointed with the prolonged failure by the United States to ratify the IMF 2010 reform package, which continues to undermine the credibility, legitimacy and effectiveness of the IMF." It is an acknowledged fact that the IMF along with World Bank has been the key international financial institutions in the world and the main reason why BRICS countries are asking for their reformation is the overt influence of developed countries on the said institutions. In 2015 share of voting power of US was 16.5 percent whereas the share voting power of BRICS countries combined was 14.1 percent. It implies that as far as decision making is concerned the US along with developed nations have qualified majority and are able to assert their policy making decisions. In the words of Nobel Economist Joseph Stiglitz who hailed creation of NDB which will challenge US economic hegemony in IMF and World Bank, "It's very important in many ways, this is adding to the flow of money that will go to finance infrastructure, adaptation to climate change — all the needs that are so evident in the poorest countries. It [also] reflects a fundamental change in global economic and political power. The BRICS countries today are richer than the advanced countries were when the World Bank and the IMF were founded. We're in a different world — but the old institutions haven't kept up." The New Development Bank therefore was created due to, "resentment over the World Bank and IMF's main donors stubbornly clinging to their over-weighted voting shares. It also reflects a difference in philosophy over the need to prioritize physical infrastructure over other priorities (such as education, healthcare, women's rights, etc.) towards which the World Bank has been drawn in recent decades. From a holistic point of view, all such investments are crucial for equitable national prosperity and wellbeing, but nothing creates jobs and literally drives 'state-building' like infrastructure."
Democratic Structure of NDB
In the NDB the decision making power is divided equally among all the five member countries, the decision making process and the voting rights are not dependent upon factors like economic size, size of population, or the amount of contribution by the member country. It is important to note here that China alone contributes half of the BRICS financial output but it does not have any special or numerically superior voting rights over other members, unlike with the Bretton Woods institutions. Further the membership is open to all UN members, with the consent to the conditions prescribed by Board of Governors with a qualified majority of four original members. Though there is a limit to new member so that the share of total voting power will not fall below 55 percent, with the maximum voting power of any new member is set at seven percent.
Financing Needs of Developing Economies
The main purpose of the NDB is for funding the development and infrastructure projects in developing economies. The lack of regular supply of finance for infrastructure such as power and transport infrastructure impedes the economic growth. In fact, the deficit in infrastructure financing is proving to be main impediment in growth of economies. Although even in the case of World Bank's loans almost 80 percent have been directed towards development of infrastructure projects. But critics of Bretton Woods institutions like Joseph Stiglitz and Glinanvos, expresses strong opposition to 'conditions' attached with 'investment loans' like trade liberalization, cuts in public spending, privatization, and openness towards Foreign Direct Investment. In this way the conditionality still being practiced by these international financial institutions, "in the way that lending is focused on countries with a strong track record in successfully implementing the conditions tied to the previous loans." There is also great need for financing the projects according to local needs; there was case in 2013 with World Bank when it declared that it will avoid funding towards coal sector, such kind of moves will adversely affect fulfillment of energy requirement of coal dependent energy production, for example in case of India coal-based thermal power plants alone makes up 60 percent of its total power generation.
Another important measure that has been adopted by NDB is provision of releasing loans to countries in their own currencies. Such move is aimed at allowing the NDB to use a larger pool of currencies for lending and borrowing, although the default operating currency of the bank will remain as US dollar only for raising funds from global markets as well in its lending to other countries.
BRICS through NDB strongly seems to be building an alternative international financial institution for member and developing countries comparatively more suited for local conditions. The creation of NDB may be viewed as changing the present world economic order to be replaced by new one and may end the continued dominance of West-led financial institutions. It is also felt that macroeconomic issues of BRICS countries will also be dealt effectively by dynamic and extensive quality assessment of loan requirements of the developmental projects supported by NDB.


text:
Sam Feldman
When my daughter sculpted Joe out of silly putty and macaroni elbows, I didn't expect he would grow into a six-foot, two-hundred-pound golem. Neither did my daughter's teachers. So now I'm sitting in a chair meant for fifth-graders, and none of us—myself, the school principal, and Joe—really want to be here.
"We caught Joe smoking marijuana in the bathroom again," says the principal. "It's becoming a pattern of misbehavior."
I could ask Joe if this is true, but I know it is. Since he exited his youth phase, which lasted about a week, he's entered a phase of typically rebellious adolescence. Because of him, my whole house smells like pot.
"Why don't we let him skip a few grades?" I suggest. "Isn't smoking weed more common in middle school?"
In his slow, mud-cluttered voice, Joe says that he would rather go to college. That would be swell, I think. Get this fucking monster out of my house.
"For now," says the principal, "We're going to suspend Joe for two weeks. After that, we'll chat again."
In the car outside of the school, Joe squeezes into the passenger seat. I admit, his size scares me. He's got a head like a bruised watermelon, shoulders like bowling balls, and a gut like an NFL center. All this tied together with joints of dry pasta.
Don't get the wrong idea, Joe is a decent guy, as far as inanimate-objects-turned-into-living-beings go. What he lacks in intelligence and good manners he makes up for with loyalty—the first time he got in trouble at school, it was because he punched another student who told my daughter, Lily, 'Your mom left you because she doesn't love you.' I'm glad Joe was there to teach that little turd a lesson. On the other hand, I worry that Lily might not always want a guardian. Isn't that what ninety percent of parenting books are about? Don't hover over your children. Don't smother them. And Joe definitely hovers. Soon, he might start smothering.
We drive through the cottonwood-lined streets of Laramie. Past Stink Lake Park, stinking so bad I can smell it through the car windows. As we pass the high school, Joe turns to stare. Is it just me, or is he growing again? His head is touching the roof of the car.
"I want to make another me," Joe says.
"Well, Joe, that's the thing. People are unique. There can never be another you."
"Don't be dumb, Dad. You made one golem. You can make another. A female."
Yikes. First off, the last thing I want to do is build Joe a girlfriend. Second, I didn't 'make' Joe. Lily did, and I doubt she could do it again. See, she had this crinkled old sheet of papyrus covered in Hebrew letters, and after she finished sculpting Joe she stuck this sheet into his putty-head and said, 'I'll call him Joe!' Next morning, Joe was already in the crawling stage of infancy. I asked Lily what on God's green earth she'd done, and she just shrugged. 'Well,' I said, 'Where's that sheet with the Hebrew?' Another shrug. 'Well,' I said, 'Where did you get the sheet?' 'I found it.' She sighed like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Fucking kids.
As the high school fades in the rear-view, Joe faces forward, and the top of his head leaves a dark smudge of sediment on the roof. His belly falls across the gearshift, and I have to shove it out of the way. He's definitely getting larger. "If you don't make another me," Joe says, "I might do something bad."
Fucking kids! Think they can blackmail you with misbehavior, and the worst part is, a lot of times they can. But Joe isn't my kid, he's a freak of not-quite-nature, and even though Lily loves him something has to be done. Because Joe isn't like a normal kid, whose idea of 'bad' means giving their parents the silent treatment. Last week on a family hike, I saw Joe tear a twelve-foot aspen out of the ground—he could actually do some damage.
"Fine," I say. "We'll go to the hardware store."
I tell Joe to find whatever he wants to put into the new golem. He slinks down the aisle, stops to pick up a box of nails, probably for the female golem's hair—I watch from around the corner, and when I'm sure he's preoccupied, I jog to the front of the store.
"I'm looking for C4," I tell the cashier. "Explosives."
"Aisle ten."
I buy the C4 and slip it into my pocket a split second before Joe appears at the check-out. He carries nails, a forty-pound bag of gardening sod, and two cans of yellow paint. "She'll be quite a looker," I say.
The cashier stares at Joe while bagging the items. I want to say, What, never seen a golem before? Learn a little about Jewish folklore, you goy fuck. But I don't say anything, because even I can see the irony in defending Joe when I'm about to blast him to pieces.
I stop the car in the driveway before pulling into the garage. I sigh, the time-for-serious-discussion sigh. I can't stop thinking about how upset Lily will be after I destroy her golem. For better or worse, she loves him. He's the only other Jewish kid in town. For my daughter, I'll try one more time.
"Look, Joe. I have to say something, because if I don't it'll be too late." He won't look at me. He picks at his knee, where a dust bunny has sunk halfway into his silty skin. "I know you think that another golem will make you feel less alone. That having another creature like you will make you happy. But that's not true. The connection, the satisfaction, whatever you think is waiting for you once we make another golem—it's just a sham. Take people, for example. Billions of us on this planet, and not one of us is happy. That's just life. So, what do you say? Why don't we forget about making another golem?"
Joe scrubs at his cheeks, and I realize he's crying. "You're wrong, Dad. It doesn't have to be like that."
"Well, Joe. We'll see."
Joe is hunched over the kitchen table. Sod everywhere, nails, paint, and poor Joe—he can't get his creation to stick together. The C4 is in my right pocket, a Bic lighter in my left. Time is 2:30. Lily will be home in an hour, and I hope to have everything cleaned up by then. I'll tell her Joe went on vacation. I'm sure she'll get smart, and say something to the effect of, 'On vacation like Mom?' To which I'll reply, 'Yup. Just like Mom.' And I'll buy her ice cream.
"Argh," Joe cries, head in his hands. "I can't do it! I can't—"
I jam the C4 into the back of his neck. The fuse sticks out like a tampon string. He reaches around, clambering for it, searching for the truth of what I've done. I flick the lighter—click, click, spark. Dive under the table, cover my ears.
The boom thunders through my head, vibrates down my spine. Putty spews everywhere. At least his death was quick. When my ears stop ringing, I stand up, go to the laundry room and grab the mop. Back to the kitchen.
The room—besides the sod Joe left on the table—looks clean. "Shee-it," I say.
Joe grabs me from behind. Lifts me into the air, closes off my windpipe.
"Don't," I squeak. "Lily. Lily." Lily needs her father, is what I'm trying to say. Don't kill me because I'm all she's got.
Joe doesn't let up. My eyes bug. The mop slips from my hands, clatters to the floor. "I'm your kid, too," he says. "I'm your son. I'm Joe."
He lets through just enough air for me to croak. "No. You're nobody's son. You're not even Joe." Immediately, his grip loosens. He looks stunned. His deep-set eyes look like they're peering into another dimension. "Joe is a name for a person. Or a dog. A living thing. You're just silly putty and macaroni elbows." As I speak, he lowers me, my feet touch the floor. Its arms drop to its sides. And just like that, the golem melts into dust.
Sam Feldman is currently pursuing an MFA in Fiction Writing at Columbia University. His fiction has appeared in The Journal of Wild Culture. He grew up in Wyoming.


Jump on a flight to Innsbruck late in the year and you'll find yourself amid the gluhwein, gingerbread and fairylights of not one, but four Christmas markets. Skiers and snowboarders bustle through the streets headed for the slopes, and the nearby mountains glisten white with snow.
Come outside the winter months and you find a very different city. I say city, but the word doesn't quite seem to fit. Here, giant limestone peaks rise well above any manmade structures, seemingly endless alpine meadows surround downtown on all sides, and an impressive selection of rainbow-coloured, elaborately decorated baroque houses pepper the streets.
Innsbruck mixes historic and futuristic architecture – much of latter having been designed by the award-winning Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid. It's a place made for walking and gawping up at the facades – especially in the warmer temperatures of summer and autumn, when you can do so free from the crowds of Christmas shoppers.
It's practically obligatory to visit the main square, with its glistening Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof), built in 1500 so Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I could watch events unfolding below. Also worth exploring is the imposing Cathedral of St James, and the many museums and shops that surround it.
When you're all walked out in the city, find the spaceship-like shelter of the Hungerburg Funicular. It will whisk you from the city centre up to the Nordketten cable car; take that and from the last station, after only ten minutes of proper effort, you'll be standing atop the summit of Hafelekarspitze. At 2,334m, it's the best place to get an all-encompassing view of the area.
From there you may spot the Bergisel Ski Jump across the valley, along with the Olympic Stadium (Innsbruck hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976, and the first Winter Youth Olympics in 2012), proving that winter sports really are never far from Innsbruckers' thoughts. The jump is another futuristic Hadid creation – but she's not the only Brit associated with the place.
Back in the early 1800s it's said an Englishman called Richard Tooth Townsen got wind of the Tiroleans leading a revolt against Napoleon and the Kingdom of Bavaria. In 1809, on that same Bergisel hill, the Tiroleans were overrun. But rumours of these brave people in the centre of Europe circulated and, after the fighting ended, Townsen was keen to seek them out. On reaching Innsbruck he fell in love with the place and spread the word. Thanks to him, Innsbruck's tourist trade was born. Some 200 years later, the city still hasn't lost any of its charm.
When to go: Innsbruck can be enjoyed year-round. In winter it's the perfect snowy jaunt, with ample opportunities to ski and Christmas markets galore. In summer (mid-June to September) the temperatures are at their peak – low to mid 20°Cs – making it ideal for walking (though rainfall is at its highest too). Spring sees the lower mountain flanks burst with blooming flowers; autumn is cooler but less crowded. Always travel prepared for all seasons, no matter when you visit – in the mountains anything can happen!
Getting around: Innsbruck is a compact city with an efficient and reasonably priced public transport system that includes trams, buses and cable cars. If you plan to use this network, it's cheaper to buy the Innsbruck Card (from €33; includes admission into museums/sights, a return trip on the cable car, travel on public transport and more). Getting into the city centre from the airport is easy: catch the F route bus from outside the arrivals hall (€2 one way/free with Innsbruck Card; journey time approx 20mins).
Where to stay: Perfectly placed in the city centre, and recommended for its sumptuous old-world-meets-new-world bedrooms, is the Grand Hotel Europa. Doubles from €126 (£100) including breakfast.
Where to eat: In Innsbruck you are spoilt for choice – there is everything from street cafes to Tirolean taverns and gourmet fare. To sample some traditional gröstl (potatoes, onion and bacon with a fried egg), dumplings, schnitzel or strudel head to Gasthaus Goldenes Dachl (Hofgasse 1).
Head down to the Inn River, which gives Innsbruck its name (it means 'bridge crossing the River Inn'), to admire the colourful houses.
Next head into the pedestrianised Altstadt (Old Town). Stop in the main square at the end of Herzog- Friedrich-Strasse to gaze up at the sparkling gold roof (actually gold plated) of the Goldenes Dachl, which glitters amid the 15th and 16th century buildings. Note the relief below the roof depicting Emperor Maximilian I, who commissioned it.
It's a short walk to the cathedral, Dom St Jakob, with its sumptuous interior decor. Look closely at the ceilings – the apparent 'domes' are actually cleverly painted flat surfaces. Next, head to the Imperial Palace where an audio guide will talk you through the city's history. For lunch try Café Sacher; the hot chocolate is legendary.
Spend your afternoon at the Hofkirche, which features the empty but ornate sarcophagus of Maximilian, and the Volkskunst Museum, with its selection of folk art. Then visit Grassmayr Glockenmuseum (Leopoldstrasse 53), the Bell Foundry, which has been in the same family for 14 generations.
Finally, indulge in a little retail action on Maria-Theresien Strasse before tucking into some hearty dishes at Gasthaus Goldenes Dachl.
Today, discover the legacy left by two Winter Olympic Games and peer a little further into Innsbruck's past.
Begin with brunch at the Panorama Cafe on the Bergisel Ski Jump. The food is a little pricey but it's good, and the views are unrivalled. Before you leave, take the lift to stand at the top of the ski jump, notice the cemetery that the participants bomb down towards and ask yourself: 'how on earth do they do it?'.
Keeping your feet firmly on solid ground, head next for Das Tirol Panorama and the Kaiserjägermuseum (Imperial Infantry Museum). Take a look at the city vista first: inside the Panorama is a 360° painting of the battle that took place on this very hill back on 13 August 1809.
From here you can catch the bus/train to the medieval Ambras Castle. Built in the 16th century, it houses an art collection and an armoury. There's a café here too.
End the day (if you dare) with a visit to the Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track where, for a mere €30, you can experience the thrill of travelling at 90km/h down a 1,270m long track.
Use your last day to get up high. Ride the Hungerburg Funicular up to the last station, then catch the cable car up to Seegrube, then another to Hafelekar. From this point the walking possibilities are many. The easiest is to take a stroll to the summit of Hafelekarspitze, checking out the old Geierwally hut en route. The more energetic could try the walk to Pfeis alpine hut on the Goethe Path (4.5hrs round trip) – check the last cable car times before you start.
From Hafelekar summit, consider walking down to Seegrube. Here you can grab some lunch at the restaurant; on Fridays it also offers an evening meal/cable car deal (€53), and on Sundays it serves a jazz brunch (11am-1pm, €29.50) – book in advance. After you've eaten, walk the circular Panoramic Trail (25mins) for more views.
On your way back down, stop at the small Cable Car Museum in Hungerburg to learn about the cableways you've enjoyed. End the day in Innsbruck with drinks at Bar 360 for nightime views of the city and mountains, and to toast a perfect short break.


10:50 AM: Arriving at Palace and ecstatic to see 17 names on the list for this game. Last time I was here – late on Wednesday night – there were only 5 names on the list and I was legitimately concerned that this might not happen.
I like to buy in for at least 37.5 big bets for LHE games, but I typically buy bigger for red chip games. I will be sitting down with $1500.
11 AM: Okay, make that 20 names on the list. Not sure how many of them are actually here.
11:06 AM: Cards in the air starting 6-handed with the 20th name on the list getting a seat. Oh oh.
11:19 AM: Still 6-handed. I can see three people on the list that are in other games right now. If you scared, say you scared!
12:07 PM: This is fun. We are still 6-handed and the only reason this game is going is because the right players are losing (me!) and right players are winning.
Currently -$500 as the only pots I've won are preflop steals and small continuation bluffs.
I just had this awesome hand: open 66; cutoff and button cold call and big blind defends. Flop 742 two diamonds, I bet and get two callers. Turn 7h, opening up backdoor flush draw. I bet and both call again. River is a black ten and I check-call, losing to T8 of hearts.
12:13 PM: We gain our first player! And he's a certifiable maniac. Game on!
12:37 PM: Taking my first break. I'm down $500 and still haven't won a showdown. I was pretty close to reloading – which is at about 1.5 racks for me – but I just made a flush in a decent pot and didn't get called on the river.
Had our first hit and run. No surprise there. Picked up two players though – we are now 8-handed.
12:46 PM: A new player sat down with $300 as I was getting up to take my break and was busto before I sat back down 8 minutes later.
1:16 PM: Game fills up for the first time!
People buying in for $500 and taking $20/$40 overs buttons. Uhm. Okay.
1:23 PM: The maniac is batting 1.000 against me. Seems like KJ will turn the tides on KJx two club flop but he check-raises me on 9c turn, and I decide to call down unimproved. He shows JJ and his expert slow play costs him multiple bets. Bright side?
Still haven't won a showdown. Down ~$800 and working on my Zen deep breathing exercises!
1:35 PM: Reloaded! In for $2500.
1:46 PM: Early break. I'm officially steaming.
Maniac raises three limpers, I cold call KT of clubs, and we go six ways to T84 with two spades. Everybody checks to me and I bet. Folds to the maniac and he check-raises me. Unbelievable. I call him down and he shows me 44. Dude risks a free card in a huge pot with 5 opponents just so he can raise me? Oh, it hurts! This dude is SMASHING me.
2:06 PM: I'm down over $1100. I still haven't won a showdown. The maniac has over $1600 in front of him on my direct right. If the Poker Gods really hate me today, he will rack up and leave in the next hour.
2:33 PM: I three bet a LAG with 66 and flop middle set. The flush gets there on the river and I'm actually ever so slightly disappointed when I don't get check-raised. I won my first showdown! 3.5 hours into my session – and I was playing 6-handed for over an hour. Pretty impressive.
2:40 PM: I sit down and buy the button and the maniac button straddles. I defend Q9dd and two others come along. The pot doesn't go off for five bets each so I might actually have a shot here.
Flop is QJ8 one diamond and only the maniac calls my flop lead. Check around on 9 turn and he calls when I bet the 9 river. He shows J8. We are breaking some serious ice here! Maniac is no longer 100% against me and I sucked out on him.
Finally picking up a little momentum with four showdowns won in the last hour.
3:30 PM: The Legend is in the box. The mother#%$*ing Legend!
3:47 PM: Someone asks for a setup. There's no escaping that nonsense.
A short while ago, there were 11 names on the list, but when someone got up, half of them passed and now there are 6.
4:00 PM: Five hours into my session and I'm stuck $1200 or $1300. I have not been running good when I play pots but I've also been crazy card dead. I've had TT once. I've had JJ+ zero times.
This game is good right now but if the wrong people get up it could turn in a hurry. Three of the next four players on the list are either solid or nitty.
4:37 PM: Finally picked up QQ! In a 3-bet multiway pot no less. Didn't show it down but I'll take it.
Also added on for another $1000, so I'm in this game for $3500 now. I can hardly wait for people to stop by and comment on how well I'm doing.
5:24 PM: The maniac just cashed out. For like $200. He peaked around $1700, mostly winning pots against me. I got basically none of that back as he sprayed it around to everyone else. I'm still -$1500. His departure and replacement by a nit makes this game significantly worse.
6:09 PM: My buddy Peter sits down an hour ago and just immediately goes to crushing and already has a $499 jackpot under his belt. Dealer didn't see the straight flush and I was trying to back him up, but they are paying Peter anyway.
6:22 PM: Peter raises a series of limpers and I 3-bet AK from the small blind. Limpers fold! Well that certainly doesn't happen in a Palace $8/$16 game. 3-handed and I bet A98 and they both call (Overs). Turn is a 7. I bet, one snap folds, and Peter tank-folds and asks "Ace no good, right?" Claims A2. Peter, always a thorn in my side.
6:30 PM: Cha Mang in the game. Getting close to house game status.
7:07 PM: Just a brutal session so far. Currently stuck about $1800. Still super card dead and any step forward is followed by three steps back. Absolutely no momentum in 8+ hours of play. The game is far worse than it was a few hours ago. There's a chance I might not try to stretch this into Marathon territory tonight.
7:19 PM: Now I'm really on tilt. Cha just took my extra water because he "didn't want to wait for the server to come back around." Oh, really?
8:04 PM: Captain America is in the box. I told him he probably won't be saying "thank you" to me tonight and he promptly deals me QQ which flops top set and holds up somehow.
Before that, I picked up AJdd in the small blind. Peter raises the whole table on the button and since the limpers have been folding to 3-bets I just call and play a multiway pot.
The flop is all medium cards with two diamonds and I act without thinking – I check. With the PFR on the button I actually like leading out here better as it gives the field a chance to call one bet before Peter likely raises. I want to get as many bets in on the flop as I can and betting is the best way to do this. Especially since Peter isn't a reckless c-bettor. If he flopped no immediate equity, he's not torching a bet here.
He does check and I get zero bets in on the flop. Ugh.
Turn is another small or medium card and I don't think I will win by betting so I check. There's a bet, a raise, and a cold call back to me and this pot is large enough for me to continue.
It stays at two bets and, by God, I make my flush. Two players call and I scoop my only substantial pot of the day. Currently at -$1300.
9:12 PM: I'm finally on a little heater. Sets and overpairs winning showdowns and my buddy Radio Mike sits down and immediately tries to triple barrel bluff me with AK high in a four bet four-way pot. I call down with 99 on T High run out. Only stuck $1100 now. I actually thought I was in better shape than that, but I'll take the forward momentum!
10:29 PM: Heater over. Back to card dead and flop whiffs. Back to -$1500. Radio Mike's been playing for 90 minutes and has had QQ+ three more times than I've had them in 11.5 hours.
11:42 PM: Peter is no longer running good. He is running really, really bad. Like so bad, I can see that he's in actual physical pain.
Two players limp in, Peter calls, I check with AJo from the BB, which is something I basically never do in this situation so maybe I'm on tilt myself. But really I've been whiffing so many flops that I've been doing a lot of raising pre and checking on the flop. So I decide to check in bad position with a strong hand.
Flop is A62 rainbow and Peter leads from the small blind. Very tempting to raise here but the pot is micro and I have a monster for this situation. I flat and so do the other two players.
Turn is a 5 and now Peter checks. I bet, one caller, and Peter check-raises! What?! I can't fold here so I call and so does our straggler.
River is another 5 and now Peter checks! I think about for quite some time before saying "I want the pain" and betting. The other player folds and Peter shows immediate vocal and physical exasperation which is basically like turning A2 face up. He doesn't though. He folds it instead.
I've had some better luck recently and am currently stuck less than $1000 for the first time in HOURS!
12:45 AM: The Riddler distracting me for the last half hour.
1:15 AM: After going my first 14 hours of this session without getting AA, I get them twice in three hands, the first time flopping A99 in a 4-bet pot. I have come all the way back to -$500. I can still salvage this thing!
1:27 AM: AA again! Crazy how these streaks happen. All three hands good too.
1:32 AM: Variance is INSANE. AA again! Four times in less than 20 minutes. That's just crazy.
1:50 AM: I took a short break as a player was cashing out and there were 6 people still on the list. I somehow came back to a 7-handed game with no list 5 minutes later.
3:35 AM: I just got home. I was severely distracted my last few hours, but a flurry of KK and QQ followed those Aces and somehow managed to book a +$25 win for the day. Perhaps the best $25 I've ever made. I've been stuck more chips in a poker game and booked a win, but I've never been stuck $1800 and booked one. I would say it feels amazing but I'm too drained and tired to feel anything. Looking forward to a real day off tomorrow!


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A tight schedule has been agreed for Cambodia's WTO membership negotiation to end in July, allowing the possibility for all the formalities to be completed by the Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancún, 10–14 September 2003.
At the end of the Cambodian accession working party's fourth meeting on 16 April 2003, participants agreed on the July target for completing the working party's report, although a lot of work remains on completing bilateral negotiations and the final multilateral package.
The substantive discussion during the meeting focused on a first version of the working party's draft report.
A revised draft may be considered at an informal meeting in mid-June, possibly together with draft schedules of commitments for access to Cambodia's goods and services markets.
Earlier this year, Cambodia had revised its market access offers, further reducing proposed tariff ceilings and adding more service sectors. In return, Cambodia is asking for more technical assistance to help it adjust, although it has agreed not to make this a condition for opening its markets.
In the meantime, several members still have to complete their bilateral negotiations with Cambodia on particular market access issues that concern them, but many said they are close to agreement.
"We should not miss this opportunity. We have all the elements before us," said chairperson A. Meloni of Italy as he urged members conclude their bilateral talks and to follow the timetable. He praised Cambodia and working party members for their flexibility.
Cambodia applied to join the WTO in late 1994. It appears set to become the first least-developed country to join since the WTO came into being in 1995.
This was the first meeting of the Cambodia working party since the WTO General Council agreed at the end of 2002 on guidelines to help least-developed countries negotiate membership more easily — document WT/L/508 (Word format, 3 pages, 34KB) (link opens in a new window).
By considering the first draft of its final report, the working party has moved into the final phase of the negotiations.
Cambodian Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh reported on the many revised documents and replies to questions that his government supplied in the weeks before the meeting, particularly in March. Some of the information included updates on legislation.
Services:Cambodia is ready to accept specific commitments in over 60 service sectors or sub-sectors, but it feels that responding to a few other requests would be inappropriate.
Goods: Cambodia has revised its offers on goods, making substantial reductions in proposed tariff rates for agricultural and non-agricultural products.
The minister said Cambodia has been committed and flexible, and urged working party members also to be flexible. The latest package is the best possible, he said.
Thanking developed countries for the technical assistance they had provided, he added that more will be needed to help Cambodia adjust.
ASEAN members of the WTO (represented by Malaysia) repeated their strong backing for a swift conclusion to bring fellow-member Cambodia into the WTO. The ASEAN countries urged developed countries not to make tough demands since Cambodia is a least-developed economy. They said they were disappointed that some demands went beyond normal WTO rules, for example the demand for Cambodia to bind its tariffs at current applied rates, or to make market access commitments in maritime services, where no WTO member has made a commitment. Least-developed countries and China echoed the sentiment.
Several countries reported that they were close to agreement on bilateral issues discussed in recent meetings in Geneva, Phnom Penh and elsewhere. The EU said its deal is "all but finalized". Japan said only technical issues remain. Chinese Taipei and Australia also said they were close to agreement. The US and Rep. of Korea said there were still a number of issues to discuss.
Among the other issues raised in the meeting were: customs valuation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, intellectual property, textiles, and transparency.
Bilateral meetings will continue. The chairperson asked for comments and proposed revisions of the draft report within the next two weeks. An informal meeting will consider a new draft in June, with the aim of formal agreement in the working party in July.
The working party's mandate will be completed when the report, membership protocol and schedules of commitments are agreed and forwarded to the General Council or Ministerial Conference for approval. After that, Cambodia would have to ratify the agreement. It would become a member 30 days after informing the WTO that it has ratified.
Cambodia's Working Party was established on 21 December 1994. Cambodia submitted a Memorandum on its Foreign Trade Regime in June 1999. Replies to questions concerning the Memorandum were circulated in January 2001, the latest revisions and updates arriving in March 2003. Contacts on market access in goods and services have taken place on the basis of offers in goods and services.
The 14 November 2002 meeting was the working party's third. It marked an advancement of the accession process because for the first time members focused on texts for inclusion in a draft Working Party Report and, thereby, concentrated on agreeing Cambodia's terms of entry. The 16 April 2003 meeting was the first to consider the report.