National, World, Business News

Pierre Mariani denied Wednesday a decision on his replacement as head of Dexia, the Franco-Belgian bank being dismantled, and tried to defuse a polemical ; economic initiated in Belgium he would receive a golden parachute when he left.

Several Belgian newspapers reported that the Belgian government would like to replace Karel De Boeck, former CEO of Fortis. They add that Pierre Mariani was ready to leave his position as Group CEO on condition of receiving severance pay of EUR 1.2 million provided in the contract .

Reacting to the press articles, Pierre Mariani has denied having set conditions for his eventual departure.

"The Group CEO has made no request to the Belgian and French about the conditions of his eventual departure contrary to news reports published so far," he Pierre Mariani informed in an email to Reuters.

"No decision on the replacement of the CEO and President (Jean-Luc Dehaene, Ed) Board has been taken to date" he continues. 

"NO GOLDEN PARACHUTE!"

In Belgium, the assumption of payment of severance pay as described by the press was greeted coldly by the government and by politicians.

"Certainly, this should be discussed with the French authorities, as (with) shareholders. But my position is clear: no golden parachute! "Said Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo on his twitter account

." 1.2 million euros of golden parachute for Pierre Mariani is unacceptable as incomprehensible! ", were on their side exclaimed MPs environmentalists in a statement …… Dexia

… already saved from bankruptcy in 2008 by Belgium, France and Luxembourg, was cornered in the fall due to the dismantling of the crisis of sovereign debt

. Luc Coene, the Governor of the Central Bank of Belgium, said Monday Dexia, which enjoys state guarantees for its refinancing needs, would probably need to be recapitalized again

……. .. Since the crisis, the banking group has seen its market capitalization collapse. It is no longer valued on the stock market than about 370 million with a share price below 20 cents.

"CONFIDENCE TO PETER MARIANI"

Asked by Reuters, Michel Bouvard, president of the supervisory board of the Caisse des Depots (CDC), Dexia's largest shareholder with 17.7% stake, has in turn brought ; support for Pierre Mariani.

"Personally, I have every confidence in Pierre Mariani," said Michel Bouvard. "When you are in managing a complex issue, which is the case, it is better that he who began managing the file management ends until one goes to the next step. "

"I did not speak on matters of internal governance of Dexia," he nonetheless added.

Since the decision late last year to dismantle Dexia, the Belgian authorities have carried out the nationalization of retail banking activities in Belgium while France has decided to return via the CDC and the Postal Bank, the activities of local government financing.

The European Commission must still approve the plan and set the price that Dexia will have to pay in exchange for 90 billion euros of state guarantees provided. 

Dexia posted a net loss of 11.6 billion euros in 2011, and some analysts said the bank could continue to generate losses in the coming years.

Although in sharp decline, the size of the stock of Dexia is considered by some analysts as systemic because a failure to pay the bank would have incalculable consequences for the entire sys European Banking me.

Crude prices have come down on Friday, announcing a slowdown in Chinese economic growth led investors to harbor doubts about the changing demands of the consumer of the second pe PETROLEUM.

On the Nymex, the May contract on U.S. crude (WTI) ended on a loss of $ 0.81, or 0.78%, to 102.83 dollars a barrel.

For the week, a barrel of WTI lost 48 cents, 0.16%, recording a fourth weekly decline in the space of five weeks.

Analysts warn, however, it is still too early to suggest a downward trend, especially as several geopolitical files remain on the table, including Iran.

This operation is of course to re-inflate the coffers. The police equipment, like helicopters, can also be rented from private individuals. Police for rent, 30 euros per hour.

Police for rent, 30 euros per hour: whoever can afford it can now in Greece seek the reinforcement of security forces and their equipment, an innovation designed to pump up the public coffers, said Sunday the Ministry of protection of the citizen.  

The department confirmed in a statement late March the adoption of a ministerial decision to this effect, "in order to amortize the cost of using equipment and infrastructure of the police, and to modernize."

This reform, which was adopted in secret, had just been revealed by the Sunday newspaper Proto Thema sensational, including, according to police sources, the recently appointed acting Minister Michalis Chryssohoidis, who has enjoyed little of n ' have not been informed in due course. According to Proto Thema, the bill varies from 30 euros per hour for a police officer, or 40 for a patrol car, 200 euro for a celebrity or 1,500 for a helicopter.

According to the Ministry, this lease will concern only "exceptional cases", and will not receive the required approval only if it does not reduce the operational capacity of the body. The range of services offered ranges from "the escort transportation of hazardous materials or works of art", to "support people" or filming.

These services were "available for free" for years, the ministry said, is regularly accused of in recent years to grant favoritism and opacity in any police protection to the costly political and economic elite of the country. The department also relies on what the practice would spread "in many countries of the European Union".

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Wednesday the payment of 5.17 billion euros in Portugal under the assistance program recovery of public finances.

The IMF cites recent progress in budget reforms including the restructuring of public sector enterprises.

The Fund and the European Union have set up an aid to Portugal over three years totaling 78 billion euros.

The bailout and the austerity measures that accompany it are beginning to bear fruit: Wednesday, Portugal was able to borrow on the market 18 months, the maximum term Long since his ouster issued the bond market in March 2011. 

According to Nemat Shafik, Deputy Director of the IMF, Portugal will ensure a vigorous implementation of the program to regain market confidence. She adds that the deficit target for 2012 should be achieved.

"The implementation of policies under the program has progressed well and the first signs that the economic adjustment required is taking place," said Nemat Shafik.

The IMF has established an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for Portugal, which allows faster access to credit. The fund said to have distributed 18.56 billion in this context.

China may relax regulations on foreign investment in the private sector, announced Tuesday the central bank governor, less than a week after green light given by the Government in a pilot project of financial reform.

The State Council (government) of China announced last week that it planned to allow direct investment abroad by residents of the coastal city of Wenzhou, st in the country, as part of an experimental project. This was seen as an important step towards liberalization of transactions.

The central bank governor, Zhou Xiaochuan, speaking at the Boao Forum for Asia 2012, on the island of Hainan, said China would encourage capital outflows, which help reduce the imbalances caused by net capital inflows.

"There could be a further de-regulation to give businesses and residents easier for Chinese investment abroad," said Zhou Xiaochuan.

He did not say whether the reforms would be limited to Wenzhou or extended to other areas. Wenzhou, located in Zhejiang Province, is known throughout China as a platform and an entrepreneurial place parallel loans.

Many private Chinese companies are forced to turn to the gray market for loans because they can access loans at official rates, which will first state banks to state enterprises.

On the unofficial market of credit, interest rates can reach 100% annualized. 

The idea of ​​an area of ​​financial reform emerged in late 2011 after newspaper articles on entrepreneurs from Wenzhou who would be gone underground or s' had committed suicide after being found unable to repay loans at high rates contracted outside official channels.

People's Bank of China considered this market to 2400 billion yuan (285 billion euros) in late March 2010, representing 5.6% of total loans market in China.

In a report in late March, the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs denounces malfunctions in the purchase, adaptation and monitoring of training job seekers. Agency employment center in Nice

Procurement procedures by training employment center for the unemployed are too rigid to be fully effective, agents lack a simple tool to identify a suitable training to all job seekers, underlines the Igas in a report in late in March. While Nicolas Sarkozy has made training for the unemployed a hot topic of his campaign and he expects in the coming days the proposals of Senator Gerard Larcher UMP to get the number of trained unemployed 10 to 40%, the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs estimates that the "excessive rigidity" group purchasing system "undermines the quality of training purchases."

Training, subject to competition rules, are subject to tendering procedures with bidding. Procedures to reduce and respond more quickly to the needs of the regional employment center buy training packet. Based on a survey conducted in four regions (Brittany, Picardy, Poitou-Charentes and the Rhone-Alpes), the peak Igas a series of malfunctions: bidding "when no match was found necessary "or" training provision was anyway available in the region ", and especially tools" still often craft "in the hands of advisers employment center," which is a major obstacle to access seekers job training ".

"The rate of filling internships are only up to 100%", generating "additional costs" for the employment center for the training are paid hourly and ordered not to the number of students present, is still Igas . The economy of scale is not to go: Poitou-Charentes, the actual average cost is 4,500 euros per student in group training, against € 1,800 in individual training. This principle of payment should be reviewed in the next framework agreement laying down the purchasing of training, employment center told AFP. The Igas also criticizes the weakness of monitoring tools for trainees and training organizations who "deserve to be professionalized."

It suggests defining monitoring indicators (time to begin the program, fill rate, rate of return to work), that are among the very few actors in training, unlike other countries. To increase productivity and reduce the workload of councilors employment, "the establishment of + platforms + training entrusted with the functions of + back office + (registration, payment, recovery certificates, etc..) Should be generalized," continues the 'Igas. The calls finally Igas better "joint" with the regions, who buy them as training for the unemployed: skills training for the regions, training for rapid re-employment to employment center. Employment center has a monopoly in the prescription of training the unemployed but the fact that some funds (17% in 2010), the remaining regions the major funders (57%).

Poweo released Friday a net loss of 64.3 million euros for 2011 – divided by more than two compared to 2010 – due to poor performance of its generation assets sold in early 2011.

The alternative supplier of gas and electricity French, being merged with Direct Energy, has recorded sales of 503 million euros (-28%) and a gross margin of 47, 6 million (-30.1%).

However Poweo reported net earnings of 6.3 million euros in its new scope, which includes its core activities in the supply and optimizing energy and a gross operating income of 12.8 million and a turnover of 405 million. 

With the implementation of the Law on the reorganization of the electricity market, which gives it access to nuclear EDF, Poweo also stresses that its gross margin s is improved but without covering all of its operating costs.

Due to lack of capabilities to compete with the public electrician, had to sell Poweo early 2011 its means of power generation to its former shareholder of re Verbund conference to provide the resources necessary for the continuity of its operations. 

The group then announced in July the purchase by Direct Energy of the 46% stake held by Verbund, prior to the merger of two French operators, whose boards of directors come from approve in principle which will create a new group of more than one million residential and business customers.

List of values ​​to follow on Wednesday at the Paris Bourse, where the CAC 40 is 0.7% to 3574.70 points at 12:55, at its highest since meeting on March 2, in a market supported by the improving economic outlook in the United States and an overall positive result of stress tests undergone by U.S. banks.

* PSA earns 5.4% more increase in the CAC 40, on purchases cheaply and redemptions of short positions. The total European car takes 2.2% and 2.8% RENAULT.

According to La Lettre VN Auto K7, orders for new cars in France fell by only 7% in February.

* The FINANCIAL are again the first to enjoy the return of risk appetite. AXA gained 4.3%, 3.6% BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole and Societe Generale 3.4% 2.7%. Outside CAC 40, Natixis is 5.5%, the second largest increase in PSA after SBF 120, and CNP ASSURANCES earns 3.5%.

* BIOMÉRIEUX however lost 5.5%, largest drop in the SBF 120, severely punished after revising down its organic growth target in 2012 and abandoned ambitions to provide long term.

* ARKEMA down 4.8%, while Groupe Bruxelles Lambert has sold 6.2 million shares of the chemicals group, is 10.01% stake. GBL sold its share at a price of 69.90 euros / share, it was learned on the market.

* EURO DISNEY (+6.4%) expects to exceed this year's attendance record in 2011 (15.7 million tourists) despite the difficult economic environment in Europe, de clare its CEO Philippe Gas in an interview with Le Figaro.

The Post became a limited company with public capital has eliminated nearly 12,000 jobs in 2011 according to the CGT and SU. La Poste, "office of the future"

Nearly 11,000 jobs lost by departures not replaced. This is the figure announced by the CGT and SUD for the Post last year. Became a public limited company on 1 March, the Post employs about 240,000 people.  

For unions, these job losses have a direct impact on working conditions of postal workers.

In a statement, said the CGT and the Post recording of financial results up "with increasing job losses and tragedies that are multiplying," saying that "behind the numbers, a real human catastrophe develops within the company, "marked by the suicide of a young executive in Rennes last week.

SOUTH evokes his side a "precipitous drop" job with "10,091 jobs lost, or" about a replacement for four starts "seeing" a bleeding even more disastrous for the working conditions that mail traffic has declined 3%, "a weaker pace than expected 5%. The union stresses that" the number of CSD rose by nearly 10% "in 2011 with 2,000 additional employees with this type of contract to December 31. SUD also pointed out that the number of sick days per officer does not drop, reaching 20.45 days in 2011, against 20.86 the previous year.

After the suicide of the frame of Rennes, the CEO of La Poste, Jean-Paul Bailly, is committed to rapidly start "a cycle of listening and dialogue on health and welfare at work".

A series of meetings with trade unions to take place next week. Regarding employment, the direction of the Post reported in mid-February that it undertook to recruit at least 10,000 people on permanent contracts over the period 2012-2014 as part of a management agreement of estimates of jobs and skills (GPEC) subject to the signing of trade unions.

Executive added that 7500 study contracts would be offered over the same period.

PSA Peugeot Citroëna unveiled Tuesday the terms of the capital increase of about 1.0 billion euros related to its alliance with General Motors, an operation marked by a substantial discount to the American group that will take 7.0% stake.

This capital increase, announced last week at the presentation of the alliance between the two automakers, will open on Thursday and until 21 March inclusive.

The operation with maintenance of preferential subscription rights will be on the basis of 16 new shares for 31 existing shares, said in a statement PSA. 

The subscription price is set at 8.27 euros, showing a discount of approximately 42% over the closing price on Monday (14.2050 euros), and 32.4% compared to the theoretical subscription right off (12.23 euros).

Discount as the French group finance director, Jean-Baptiste de Chatillon, a relativized in a teleconference with reporters.

"What must be considered as haircuts, the calculation is compared to the theoretical price after issuance of one billion, ie about 32%, and this de ; rating is quite usual in the market, "he said. "What matters now is the time and size of the capital increase."

The action PSA yielded 2.56% in pre-market transactions in Frankfurt after the announcements.

For analysts at CM-CIC Securities, "this discount is explained by the fact that the success of the capital increase would condition the entry of GM capital of PSA and thus the birth of the alliance ".

PRIORITY INVESTMENT

The Peugeot family, the largest shareholder group, 45.4% exercise of his rights for $ 140 million and sell its remaining rights to General Motors. The latter will invest a total of 304 million euros in the operation, including the purchase of these rights and the acquisition of treasury stock (4,400,000 shares).

Following the capital increase, the Peugeot will own 25.2% stake in GM and PSA 7.0%.

"This round of money for PSA Peugeot Citroën will fully intended to fund our strategic projects with General Motors," said Jean-Baptiste de Chatillon.

"These investments will enable us to accelerate our globalization strategy and go upmarket, and (…) access to technologies and projects much faster and mania re wider ", he added.

Priorities for which he also argued for the decision of PSA do not pay a dividend this year. 

"We need our cash to fund these investments," he summarized.

Last month, SAP announced a major plan asset sales totaling 1.5 billion euros after the publication of annual results marked with an operating margin born NEGATIVE activities in the automotive industry, a "free cash flow" negative EUR 1.6 billion and a doubling of the debt in six months.