The World Trade Organization (WTO) seems incapable of bringing its members together in a binding agreement to complete the Doha round of trade talks, and yet countries are still queuing to join.
In September 2003, talks being held in Cancun, Mexico, collapsed in the face of irreconcilable differences between rich and poor countries. In December 2005, another make-or-break WTO meeting failed in Hong Kong.
Director-General Pascal Lamy reported to the WTO General Council on 1 May 2012 that, with regard to the Doha Round, “my conversations over the past few weeks with Ministers and delegations have provided me with a sense that Members wish to continue to explore any opportunities to gain the necessary traction and make tangible progress soon”.
So not yet dead, but certainly not about to come to a conclusion any time soon.
Nevertheless, the WTO remains open for business and countries continue to make their way through the long accession process, with the two most recent recruits being Montenegro and Samoa.
They have become respectively the WTO’s 154th and 155th member after both informed the WTO that they had accepted their membership package. Under WTO rules, a country becomes a member 30 days after national ratification.
As part of their accession commitments, both have agreed to further liberalise their trade regime and to accelerate integration in the world economy. The countries have also pledged to provide a transparent and predictable environment for trade and foreign investment.
Samoa has promised to fully implement the WTO Customs Valuation Agreement by June 2012.
See the WTO website for details of the accession package agreed by both countries.
What are the benefits of a positive work culture? Stronger teamworking, higher morale, better employee retention and increased productivity and efficiency – all of which are essential for business success.
But how do you foster a positive work culture?
We answer this question and more in a FREE webinar alongside Jodie Woodrow from Pure Executive and Tim Cornell from Planned Ascent. The webinar will be full of valuable insights and recommendations for you to implement in your business, and will cover:
What is culture?
Why has it never been more important than right now?
What businesses should do to ensure that they have a positive culture that will contribute to business success
MAD-HR Director Charlotte Bate will be providing helpful tips and advice on this subject from an HR perspective.
With an employment rights report, commissioned by the Prime Minister from a leading venture capitalist,a second publication has appeared with the aim of making life easier for businesses.
The TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) and the Institute of Directors (IoD) have put forward a comprehensive plan for growth which they describe as the culmination of 18 months’ evidence gathering by the 2020 Tax Commission and the start of a major new campaign.
A joint project by the TPA and IoD, the Commission in its final report calls for “radical but realistic reform” of the UK tax system including the abolition of eight taxes and the creation of just one – a Single Income Tax.
According to a full analysis of the proposals by the Centre for Economic and Business Research (Cebr), a leading economics consultancy, the changes would increase GDP by 8.4% over 15 years – equivalent to an additional £5000 per family in 2012-13.
Among other recommendations, the report suggests that marginal tax rates should not exceed 30%, and the personal allowance should rise to £10,000. Taxes on capital and labour income “disguised as business taxes” should be abolished and replaced with a tax on distributed income.
Furthermore, transaction, wealth and inheritance taxes should be abolished while transport taxes should be cut.
Income Tax and Employees’ and Employers’ National Insurance should be merged into a single tax on labour income, with rates levelled down so that certain groups do not face higher bills.
Corporation Tax and Capital Gains Tax should be replaced with a single tax on capital income – dividends, interest and rent – at a rate of 30%.
Allister Heath, Chairman of the 2020 Tax Commission, concluded: “It is time for Britain to make a vital choice between tweaking the status quo and letting our economy continue to be crippled by complex and punitive taxes, and drastically changing course with a radical but realistic plan for a tax system fit for the 21st century.”
“Effective leadership at all levels is the differential in the most successful organisations. Good leaders can inspire, drive, co-ordinate, engage, empower and enthuse their followers to great things. The followers become the leaders and the cycle continues. It stands to reason then that the impact of poor leadership on organisations is dramatic and costly.”
Alex set up Blue Heron Training in May 2023 to act as an advocate for genuine leadership and positive workplace cultures. Being a leader and manager is a wonderful opportunity to add real value to peoples lives – but it’s not easy. Statistics show that culture led organisations driven by a clear and ethical purpose are 125% more productive and drive 73% more engagement. Purposeful leadership underpinned with strong human principles are central to developing a positive culture that works for you and your people. It is our firm belief that if we can approach every different situation with the right intention, the humility required to always be learning and growing and a set of core skills, every workplace manager can be a success. We set up Blue Heron to help make this happen.
At Blue Heron we know the importance of enjoying life, so we bring you a humanistic approach to people management. We love working with people and we don’t pretend to be something we are not; we are genuine, humble, curious and kind and these characteristics are at the heart of everything we do. That, to us, means building trust and respect, it means being an advocate for you to get what you want, and it means creating a real partnership. We love what we do and we are here to help.
Specialties
✅ Working with Business Leaders and HR Managers to help drive culture change
✅ Working to help leaders and managers be more people oriented
✅ Working with accidental managers to give them the tools to be the best manager they can be.
We have two sessions available on Monday February 24th.
Food and Farming Minister Jim Paice has recently visited China on a mission to open up trade for Britain’s farming, food and drink sector.
“Food and farming already plays a vital role in the UK economy but I believe there are still great opportunities for growth in emerging markets like China,” he explained. “We need to keep ahead of the game by developing strong trade relationships with the world’s second largest economy.”
China’s growing middle class is increasingly buying foreign food and drink, seeing it as aspirational and recognising its high quality.
Whether it is Scotch whisky or frozen lobster, artisan crisps or malt drinks, an increasing number of British favourites are becoming supermarket staples, the Minister claimed.
He was looking to build relationships with key retailers and importers to smooth the path for British producers looking to make their mark in China. At the same time he was also promoting high quality breeding pigs from UK producers.
China is the world’s biggest market for pig meat and, at the end of his visit, the Minister announced a £50 million trade deal to sell British pork.
As well as the trade in breeding pigs, Mr Paice promoted the skills and technologies available in the UK to support breeding programmes, which have the potential to be even more lucrative.
Leading tax and accounting franchise opportunity promoted in the UK, Canada, USA and Australia as expansion continues apace.
In a first for the established small business accounting franchise, TaxAssist Accountants held multiple Discovery Sessions in the same month across the globe, as it continues with its ambitious expansion plans.
For David Paulson QFP, Senior Vice President, Franchise Development, it is milestone moment, and the realisation of years of planning.
“Expansion across North America and Australia, as well as the UK and the Republic of Ireland has been a long term aim of The TaxAssist Group, and the interest we are now experiencing is very encouraging,” he said.
“We are promoting single unit franchise opportunities, as well as area representative opportunities in the USA. The sessions provide an overview of the range and depth of technical, marketing and business development support on offer through the franchise, and the scope and potential of the business model.
“I am involved in all of the online Discovery Sessions, alongside senior colleagues from both the UK and host countries, choosing a convenient time that works well across different continents, resulting in very positive feedback received from delegates.
“I’d encourage anyone who is thinking about running their own accounting practice for small businesses to get in touch. There is a huge demand for the services of a quality accountant right now – and will continue to be – as clients reach out for help to understand what their business is doing, how to access finance, plan for the future and make key business decisions. The visibility of our shop premises means we are ideally situated to attract and support clients, while offering our accountants the ability to build substantial practices.”
If you are interested in attending one of our online Discovery Sessions, please follow this link which will direct you to your country of interest.
“Effective leadership at all levels is the differential in the most successful organisations. Good leaders can inspire, drive, co-ordinate, engage, empower and enthuse their followers to great things. The followers become the leaders and the cycle continues. It stands to reason then that the impact of poor leadership on organisations is dramatic and costly.”
Alex set up Blue Heron Training in May 2023 to act as an advocate for genuine leadership and positive workplace cultures. Being a leader and manager is a wonderful opportunity to add real value to peoples lives – but it’s not easy. Statistics show that culture led organisations driven by a clear and ethical purpose are 125% more productive and drive 73% more engagement. Purposeful leadership underpinned with strong human principles are central to developing a positive culture that works for you and your people. It is our firm belief that if we can approach every different situation with the right intention, the humility required to always be learning and growing and a set of core skills, every workplace manager can be a success. We set up Blue Heron to help make this happen.
At Blue Heron we know the importance of enjoying life, so we bring you a humanistic approach to people management. We love working with people and we don’t pretend to be something we are not; we are genuine, humble, curious and kind and these characteristics are at the heart of everything we do. That, to us, means building trust and respect, it means being an advocate for you to get what you want, and it means creating a real partnership. We love what we do and we are here to help.
Specialties
✅ Working with Business Leaders and HR Managers to help drive culture change
✅ Working to help leaders and managers be more people oriented
✅ Working with accidental managers to give them the tools to be the best manager they can be.
We have two sessions available on Monday February 24th.
Location: Carrowbreck House, 7 Carrowbreck Road, Norwich, NR6 5FA Having an online presence for your organisation is a necessity as social media continues to grow, but how do you enhance your reputation & not ruin it? With statistics showing more than 53 percent of consumers say that they have decided against making a purchase after reading online recommendations, it’s important that you get it right. This course will improve your skills for using social media as a business communication tool, how to protect your reputation & what to do in a crisis. Duration: One-day course (9:30am – 4:00pm approximately) Equipment: No equipment is necessary for you to bring to the course. Pens and note paper will be available. Lunch provided: For full day training courses a lunch with sandwich or salad, crisps and cake or fruit will be provided. Refreshments will be available throughout the duration of this course. Course Content Effective use of Social Media for your business Summary of popular social media sites What not to do to keep your customers happy What to do and keep one step ahead of your competitors Case studies of Good/Bad social media Social media policies for employees Management tools for Social Media critical for effective time management Marketing plans Course price: £74.00 – £96.00 For more details or any enquiries, please do contact us on 01603 788950, or email carrowbreck@broadland.gov.uk
Open Banking is a safe way to share financial data, but have you heard of it?
We are always trying to make life easier for our customers, and Open Banking is a secure way to give providers access to your financial information.
We often need to see bank statements or accounts to help assess a finance application, and Open Banking is a smooth, easy process that not only saves time but is highly secure, enabling the customer to get their approval of finance quickly.
Open Banking is a relatively new product that has come to the fore as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. It really started to take off during the second lockdown.
Sales Executive Jack Cleaver said: “It is another new way to help our customers.
“They don’t have the worry of sending confidential financial information on email. Everything is encrypted and you have a password.”
Open Banking means you can share your financial data with apps and websites but only with companies that have passed industry security checks so it safe and secure.
“It is something we have now adopted since the second lockdown. We have been doing it for a little while now and it is working really well. People are realising it is easy and seeing the benefits of it.
“There is so much written about it now that people are realising Open Banking is an easy way to go. It helps customers and us because we can see the documents in a perfect format, no more poorly scanned documents!”
Open Banking is another reason to contact us today for a quick and easy way to secure finance. So for more information on this or any other service we provide please do not hesitate to call us.
The Government understands the importance of trade and investment to delivering long-term growth and prosperity in the UK and around the world. The Government’s strategy on trade and investment was detailed in the White Paper, “Trade and Investment for Growth”, which was published in February 2011.
The White Paper identified three key goals:
help UK business trade and invest more and in new markets
attract investment to the UK
strengthen the multilateral trading system, including helping developing countries benefit from trade and investment.
ONE YEAR ON….
It has been just over a year since the Government launched the White Paper. Led by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and working closely with UK Trade and Investment and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the White Paper advocated a whole of government approach to trade and UK growth.
The Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Lord Green, has recorded a short message to acknowledge some of the achievements and challenges of the first year of implementation
Lord Green also said:
“We’re now one year on from the launch of the White Paper. I am pleased to report that we have laid much of the necessary groundwork and made some real progress. However, we are taking a long term approach and our strategy cannot be secured in just one year; this is a marathon, not a sprint.”
“Trade and investment are absolutely fundamental to rebuilding and rebalancing our economy. The UK has a strong history as a trading and investing nation and continues to be one of the world’s most attractive places to do business, but the world is changing and we cannot be complacent.”
“Encouraging businesses to export more is at the very heart of our approach. We need to ensure business, especially our small businesses, have all the tools they need to flourish, that we strengthen and improve our relationship with trade partners around the world, that we fight protectionism and ensure poor countries can benefit fully from free and fair trade.”
In supporting trade and investment in 2012, the Government will prioritise five key areas of activity:
1) Roll-out of the SME exporting campaign, to double outreach to companies to 50,000 per year by 2015 over the next few years.
This will see conferences in every region of the country; active engagement with support networks; targeted support of SMEs at trade fairs and on trade missions; and e-networking of SMEs to support mentoring and experience-sharing.
2) Marketing high value opportunities in fast growing markets
This will involve an ambitious programme of conferences and other country-specific activities, along with trade missions for key sector providers, including SMEs.
3) Showcasing inward investment opportunities, especially in key economic infrastructure developments and building on our world-class science base
This will include more proactive identification of major overseas investors; special programmes for strategically important countries; and a major and sustained client marketing progress.
4) Working to ensure a supportive financing environment for exporting and investment
This means close engagement with banks on trade finance; expanding UK Export Finance marketing efforts; and active marketing of international venture capital providers and angel investors.
5) Seizing the one-in-a-lifetime potential of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics through a major international business programme aimed at boosting British exports and attracting inward investment
Over the coming months they will also:
Support the EU to conclude Free Trade Agreements with India, Singapore and Canada; and open negotiations with Japan
Agree more elements of Doha; and
Find ways to press forward the international trade agenda with like-minded countries.
The Government’s commitment to open trade and investment is ambitious and long-term. It has already secured some key achievements. Their focus now is to build on this, and ensure the UK’s future prosperity
Aims to provide delegates with the required level of training, skills and knowledge in First Aid, and comply with the requirements of the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981.
Suitable For
Successful delegates will be awarded a certificate of competence accredited by Qualsafe Awards who are recognised by Ofqual. It is valid for three years.
Course Venue
Open courses are held regularly at our training venues in Norwich, Norfolk and Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. Alternatively, courses can be arranged at your own site anywhere in the UK (subject to suitability).
Syllabus
Introduction to first aid
Incident management and safety
The unconscious patient
Major illness: diabetes, heart attack, stroke
Fractures and dislocations
Head Injuries
Eye Injuries
Simple record keeping & first aid equipment
The legal framework for first and in the workplace
Basic life support
Use of AED
Control of bleeding and shock
Major Illness: epilepsy, allergic reactions
Burns and scolds
Poisons and harmful substances
Basic casualty handling
Knowledge and skills assessments
“Good course with refreshing content. Great value for money.”
“The use of video clips really helped. The course was a good pace and the content was made interesting. It’s the most enjoyable First Aid course I have attended in 20 years.”
On 30 May Charles Bean, Bank of England spoke to a packed Norfolk Chamber Breakfast at Norwich City Football Club. It was a terrific opportunity for him to speak with local business people and it is great that the Chamber are able to bring their members closer to organisations such as the Bank of England.
To read more on Charles’ view on the Norfolk economy, click here