Risk Assessment Approaches To Constructing Road

Risk Assessment Approaches To Constructing Road As an employer you have a business objective as well as a moral and legal obligation to provide and maintain a safe and healthy workplace that is, as far as reasonably practicable, free from risk and hazards. In doing so employers conducts risk assessment, this is intended to determine the potential harm to workers and other persons in the workplace, and implement control measures to eliminate these risks or to reduce them to a tolerable level. The most important element in the risk management cycle is risk assessment usually comprises of a combination of risk identification and risk evaluation techniques which make it also the most complex element of the risk management cycle. Evolving out of this were two parts in conducting risk assessment they being quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative Assessment was the more complex of the two as it depending on the collection and analysis of a great deal of data use to calculate probability and potential loss. This dependence of accuracy of data also acts as an Achilles heel for the process because of the share difficulty associated with data collection. However qualitative risk assessment is regarded as the lesser of two evils and is the most commonly used approach to risk analysis. This is due to the fact that probability data is not required thus making the process more attractive to safety practitioners and industries that are new to safety. Because there is no need for great amounts of historical data, companies that are newly expose to safety use this method simply because there is no data to collect. This paper discusses the different techniques to risk assessment, then describing the reasonable approach which can include both qualitative and quantitative approaches within a civil construction company. Company Overview Tee Pavers Limited is a local independent civil construction company locating at the southern part of Trinidad which has been in operation for the past 25 years. They have a workforce of over 120 skilled workers and a fleet of excavating, landscaping and asphalt paving machinery numbering in the hundreds. The company entertains government contracts for road construction and rehabilitation, they currently have a fully operating asphalt plant where they supply asphalt to several private and public companies throughout the country. Despite the number of years in operation the company was only recently introduced to Health and Safety as part of the compliance requirement of the OSH Act 2004 (Amended 2006). Figure 1 outline the detail process of road construction. Is simple and straightforward. Just what is needed in a safety- new company such as Tee Pavers Limited Can be complex and require suitable explanations. This process would not be well received at Tee Pavers Limited a company that is now being exposed to safety practices. The Calculation of frequency of risk to worker is largely judgmental and does not require extensive data. This proves to be effective due to the fact that techniques such as JSA and PHA focus on job task in identifying hazards and workers can participate. Calculation of frequency of risk to workers requires extensive, appropriate data that may not be relatively available. Thus as in the case with Tee Pavers where prior projects was done by gut feelings see that safety was never a concern. It provides estimation of risk levels to workers to particular fault and hazards. This is a simple process that could be understood by all workers. Provides numerical assessment of the level of risk. It is best carried out by an experienced team of people throughout the assessment which may include operators, supervisor and long standing workers. A team approach is best needed for the hazard identification stage. Techniques like FEMA and FTA usually need to be done by just a specialist to ensure consistency of logic. Processes and results are deriving objectively, easily supported. Process results are subjective and may not be repeatable. It requires structure logic to identify controls, protection and mitigation measures to support decision made by analyst. This was evident that Tee Paver workers were resistant to change. Logic is implied with quantitative, but requires explanation to support safety case arguments. Does not readily lend itself to assessment of combinations of failures leading to a hazard on the road. Assessment of combinations of failure is implied in techniques like FTA and ETA. Risk analysis of all hazards and consequences not readily achievable since it is largely judgmental. Risk analysis of hazards and consequences easily achievable. Appropriate at early stages before the start of new project when identifying major hazards and risk. The use of the PHA is ideal for Tees Paver road construction process. Mainly appropriate at the later stages of the project when details of design and intended operation are known and data is available to support the assessment. Evaluation of Risk Analysis of the Road Construction Process Taking into consideration the five steps risk assessment process (Health and Safety Executives) will determine the type of risk assessment techniques needed qualitative or quantitative. Table 2 shows all the various risk assessment that can be consider in the road construction process. However due the nature of the organization and past safety culture I believe that qualitative assessment Job Safety Analysis (JSA) and Preliminary hazard analysis (PHA) would be a more effective with comparison to the quantitative approaches like FEMA and ETA which is too intense in terms of complexity, dependence on historical data and time consuming which does not sit well with this type of business that strives on spontaneous contracts. Simplicity best describes Tees Pavers road construction process; therefore the qualitative approach is ideal in identifying basic hazard and risk. During the early stages of operation and the details of the project is identified PHA can be used. This process encourages participation and so the Project manager, Engineer, Supervisors and the Health Safety Environmental personnel all work together to identify the major hazards, and rank them according to severity with the aim of implementing preventative measures. The potential hazards identified during the phase 2 processes (Asphalt Paving). When laying the asphalt base the main hazardous events would be unprotected physical contact with the hot asphalt. The probability of a person getting burn from the hot asphalt is medium to high and the severity of injuries will also be medium to high. Therefore putting preventative measures in place would be easier, for instance; having workers wear insulated PPE thus reducing the risk factor. This type of assessment is effective because it deals with the hazards and risks before the commencement of the projects and the fact that a wide array of employees are included means that effective preventive measures can be put in place. Some might argue that some of the hazard and risk may be overlooked since it is done before the project starts but in Tee Pavers case this process never changes, the worker are experience and thus the accident or incident rate is close minimum. Feasibility Safety is inevitable. The Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2004 (amended 2006) states that every employer must conduct a suitable and sufficient risk assessment. In complying with the OSH Act the safety official can achieve a two prong approach by introducing task based assessment (a form of qualitative assessment). This allows every worker irrespective of educational background to participate thus fostering awareness. Appendix 1 shows a simple effective JSA for asphalt laying road works which has deemed suitable and sufficient meeting all the requirements stated in TTS 620: 2008. Appropriateness When you look at the culture of the workforce that predominates Tee Pavers you get the sense of being expose to the 1980s ones again. Workers with the average age of 46, limited educational qualification (some even partial illiterates), most of them originate from areas within 10 square miles of each other and the general sense of simply coming to work to do an honest day job without concern for safety ills driven by the competitive nature of individually pleasing the boss. Taking that into consideration one can only select the qualitative approach considering conducting risk assessments. Initially introducing safety measures must be done in simple steps even thought safety is becoming mandatory the intension is to encourage the worker to buy into it not to view it as a hindrance or a threat. Conclusion Tee Pavers is undoubtedly a prime example of a company that would greatly benefit from qualitative assessment. Some of these benefits include complying with legislation fulfilling the requirements of every employer providing a workplace that is free from risk. I my view conducting qualitative risk assessments over a period of time prepares a company for the more detailed, accurate and more complex quantitative approach. The workers who were once naive with regards to safety and health would now be coached into maturity. This would prove to be a welcomed combination when companies would be venturing toward greater horizons. However the stark reality is its all about money. With legislation playing a bigger part in the world of safety company now know that in order to be viewed as an attractive commodity they must show some level of compliance to these safety laws thus a concerted interest in the employment and establishment of safety department within these companies. These departments are mandated to establish safety guideline and assessments for projects (existing and proposed). The companies know that they will be audited and that successful audit would indicate compliance thus making them more marketable for new contracts. As distasteful as it sounds it is a reality that we face every day with existing and emerging companies competing for government contracts.

The Shifting of Pangea :: essays research papers

The Shifting of Pangea Have you ever noticed that a map of the world looks like a puzzle and the continents look like the pieces that would fit together to complete the puzzle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1912, Alfred Wegener, a German scientist and an adventurer, came up with a theory that the continents had once been part of a â€Å"supercontinent†. Wegener proposed that, over 200 million years, what he called Pangea had separated and became individual pieces. Pangea means â€Å"all lands† in Greek, and that is what Pangea was, a very large landmass when all of the continents were connected. When Wegener first proposed this idea in 1912, people did not buy into this theory. One of the problems that Wegener faced was that he believed that the continents had drifted apart, but he couldn’t explain how they had drifted apart. Another problem was that there was a theory already in place called the â€Å"Contraction Theory†. This theory stated that the Earth was once a molten ball and in the process of cooling, the surface cracked and folded up on itself. One of the problems with this theory was that it suggests that all mountain ranges w ere the same age, and this could not be true. Wegner’s explanation was that continents shifted and these shifting plates would collide, encounter resistance from one another, compress, then fold upwards to form mountains near the edges of the plates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eons ago India and an ancient ocean called the Tethys Ocean sat on a tectonic plate. This place was shifting northward towards Asia at a rate of 10 centimeters per year. The ocean got progressively smaller unit about 55 million years ago when it collided with Asia. There was no more ocean left of lubricate the subduction and so the plates formed the High Plateau of Tibet and the Himalayan Mountains.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Evidence that Pangea may have existed can be found in land animals, vegetation, mountains, and the climate. Fossils and plants that are the same, can be found on different continents, across oceans. Assuming that the land was once connected, animals could have walked across the large land mass and not have to swim. For example, the mesosauras (a land animal) could not have traveled from South America to Africa because of the Atlantic Ocean. Yet, there are fossils of this animal on both continents. Another example is there are trees in South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Antarctica that are of the same origin.

Research Paper on Tax Incentives in Singapore

1. INTRODUCTION 1. Tax Incentives for Investments in Singapore Tax incentives have been an integral part of Singapore's economic development strategy since the 1960s. For more than 30 years, tax incentives have been used to attract investments and create jobs. Now we are the focal point for foreign investments, research and development and services in Asia. Over the years the government has introduced a wide range of tax incentives for a balanced economic growth of the various business sectors. This paper analyses how these incentives play a part in attracting foreign capital inflows to enhance the financial and industrial sectors in Singapore and their effectiveness in achieving our goals. 2. Purpose The purpose of this research is to gain an understanding of the tax incentives scene in Singapore, how it works and it effectiveness in achieving our aim of being a vibrant and robust global hub of knowledge-driven economy. 3. Our Research Questions for this Study As part of our research, the following questions were asked to direct us on our study: †¢ What are the tax incentives available under the ITA, EEIA and DTA to attract foreign capital inflows? †¢ How effective are these tax incentives? 4. Methodology We derived our information from books, online journals and other internet resources. 2. BACKGROUND 1. The Birth of the Income Tax Act, EEIA and DTA From a small fishing island to a cosmopolitan country within a span of 44 years is what Singapore has become today, with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe (Central Intelligence Agency, 2008)[1]. As a small island with limited, or rather, no resources to depend on, we have simply taken the world by surprise through the phenomenal economic growth that has taken place in a short period of time (Fordham, 1992)[2]. Our only resources are fish and deepwater sea and despite all the limitations that we were faced with, we have secured a place in the world map as the leading financial, educational, services, manufacturing and research and development hub. Then, â€Å"what is the clandestine of our achievements? † is the question that arises in all our minds. After being separated from Malaya, the government’s ambitious plans for the country to be industrially developed seemed too far-fetched especially with no natural resources to call its own (Fordham, 1992). It did not, however, relent to the fact that achieving its goals is uncertain now with its given economic state. Its leaders knew at that time Singapore needs to promote investment in new industries so that its goals can be achieved. Being under developed and with no achievements or resources to call its own, it was a palpable fact that Singapore had to make radical changes to attract foreign investors,. This is when tax incentives were spotted as a viable option to magnetize foreign capital inflows. The pre-existing Income Tax Act (1948) was evaluated to see how tax incentives could be integrated to accomplish these aspirations. Along with this, in 1967, the Economic Expansion Incentives Act (EEIA) was first introduced to solidify the expansion and development programs that were being carried out by the Economic Development Board (Fordham, 1992). In early 1960s, Singapore recognised the need for a dynamic manufacturing sector and export policies to draw MNCs so that we could be used as a production base to export goods worldwide. As a result of these aims, EEIA was introduced to grant tax benefits to manufacturing companies setting up production in pioneer areas in Singapore (Fordham, 1992). The development of international trade and multi national corporations has increased the issue of double taxation. As a company or individual looking beyond your own country for business opportunities and investments they would naturally be concerned with the problem of double taxation. Consequently they would seek to structure your operations at a minimum tax cost. This is where DTAs or tax treaties come into play 2. Incentives Available under ITA to Attract Foreign Capital Inflows Singapore has always been maintaining a competitive tax rate by being the lowest among the developed countries. Its purpose is to create an encouraging business environment for economic expansion (Tan, 1996). According to GuideMeSingapore, 2008, a web portal providing one-stop information on Singapore’s business environment to entrepreneurs, commented that â€Å"Singapore is often cited as the leading example of countries that continues to reduce corporate income tax rates and introduce various tax incentives to attract and keep global investments†. This is obvious in the frequent lowering of corporate tax rates since 1987. In 1989 the corporate income tax was reduced to 33 percent from 40 percent to follow the worldwide trend of lowering corporate taxes. The corporate tax rate was further lowered in 1990 to 31 percent to encourage multi-national companies (MNCs) to locate their treasury and financial operations here (Tan, 1996). From then on, corporate tax rate has been gradually decreasing. In 2004 corporate tax rate was reduced to 20 percent and with the release of the 2009 budget speech, corporate taxes will be cut to 17 percent in 2010. The aim of these reductions is to help businesses to curb operational costs so that Singapore can gain a competitive edge in continuing to attract high-tech and high value-added investments (Liu, 2007). From our research we found that there are several tax incentives in place to pull foreign investments to Singapore (IRAS, 2008) and we will be focusing on those that are relevant to our study. 1. DEDUCTION FOR EXPENSES ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (R) This incentive was introduced in 2003 to allow company to deduct a second round of qualifying expenses from its income in addition to the automatic first deduction allowed under section 14D. Further amendments[3] were made in 2008 to entitle companies for an automatic 50 percent tax allowance (PWC, 2008). This R allowance can be used to offset against the company’s chargeable income for the next 3 years (i. e. 2009 to 2013) to motivate companies to carry out more R projects. This is coupled with meeting our aim to be a research and development hub in the global arena (MOF, 2008). After the introduction of the tax incentive, total R expenditure increased from $3. 4 billion to $4. 6 billion in 2005 (Lai, 2007)[4]. Majority of the R spending was contributed by the private sector, whose gross expenditure on R (GERD) increased by 1. 2 percent. By the end of 2005, GERD was at 2. 4 percent of GDP. Singapore had surpassed the EU-15’s[5] and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) averages of 1. percent and 2. 3 percent respectively (Lai, 2007). The increase in figures shows the effectiveness of the tax incentive program. According to the report, this figure is still lower compared to U. S (2. 7 percent) and Japan (3. 0 percent). Considering the fact that these countries are bigger in land and population size, our achievement is still commendable. 2. CONCESSIONARY RATE OF TAX FOR APPROVED HEADQUARTERS PROGRAM The purpose Headquarters Program was to encourage multinationals to base their main back offices in Singapore. This was to be achieved through reduced tax rate which is applied primarily to large-scale multinational corporations that relocate the management and headquarters functions of their subsidiaries and affiliates from other countries to Singapore. Section 43E of Income Tax Act provides that companies with their substantial operations located here can qualify for a 10 percent concessionary rate of tax (IRAS, 2008). This tax incentive has pulled and is continuing to pull foreign venture capitalists who provide the foreign capital infows. One such company is Societe Generale who received the OHQ award in January 2000. Besides this, Legg Mason Asset Management, Deutsche Asset Management, Merrill Lynch Mercury Asset Management and Zurich Scudder Investments are a few that were named in the MAS publication on New Initiatives for Enhancing Financial Sector Expertise, 2001. The motive for large-scale multinationals to relocate in Singapore is not only because of our highly advanced infrastructure, telecommunication and information facilities. It is also due to the support and encouragement that our government has been continuously offering through such tax incentives. 3. CONCESSIONARY RATE OF TAX FOR FINANCE AND TREASURY CENTRE (FTC) Foreign and Treasury Centre was introduced with the aim to entice foreign corporations to use Singapore as a base for conducting treasury management activities for related companies in the region. Under this scheme, foreign companies can enjoy a 10 percent concessionary tax rate from fee income from FTC subsidiaries, related companies and associates for provision of FTC services. According to Mr. Lee Chuan Teck, Executive Director for Financial Markets Strategy in MAS, by 2006 a total of 600 companies had chosen Singapore as their focal point to operate their financial services (MAS, 2006). According to the Survey on Corporate Risk Management Practices, 75 percent of the foreign MNCs cited EDB’s incentives as a reason for relocating their treasury centres in Singapore (Craig, 1997). This tells us the success of this incentive. 4. CONCESSIONARY RATE OF TAX FOR FINANCIAL SECTOR INCENTIVES (FSI) The FSI scheme offers a concessionary tax rate of 5% for qualifying high growth and high value-added activities and 10% for mature but tax-sensitive activities. The FSI is a measure designed to invite the front and back offices of multinational financial groups to Singapore so as to meet our overall goal to be a leading centre for competence in knowledge-driven activities and a choice location for company headquarters with responsibilities for product and capability charters (Geeta, 2002). Singapore’s vision is to be a pre-eminent financial centre in Asia. Technopreneurship 21 is the initiative that the government launched to achieve this goal. FSI plays a key role in attracting foreign multinationals to start-up their financial services in Singapore so that its dream of becoming a financial hub in the international arena can materialize. How far have been successful in this attempt is the question that we should be asking. As at 2005, 24 foreign full service licensees, 35 wholesale licensees and 46 offshore licensees operated in Singapore. Statistics provided by EDB (Embassy, 2006) for 2005 shows that foreign financial institution J. P Morgan Securities Asia, U. S. based MNC, had assets totalling up to US$14. 5 billion in Singapore. Singapore Department of Statistics reported that the financial and insurance services sector had generated US$49,223 of Foreign Direct Investments in 2003. That is 34 percent of the total FDI for that year (Embassy, 2006). 5. APPROVED GLOBAL TRADING COMPANY Global Trading Company was launched to facilitate and develop international trading activities. The GTP is a merger of the Approved Oil Trader (AOT) and the Approved International Trader (AIT) programmes. The programme encourages global trading companies to use Singapore as their regional or global base to conduct activities along the total trade value-add chain from procurement to distribution, in order to expand into the region and beyond (IEsingapore, 2009). Over the years, the programme has attracted a vibrant cluster of global trading companies to hub their strategic business functions in Singapore. These companies are key players in their respective industries such as oil trading, petrochemicals, agri-commodities and metals (IEsingapore, 2009). Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Lim Hng Kiang announced in his speech during the Global Trader Networking Cocktail 2008 that in 2007, offshore trade by companies under IE Singapore’s Global Trader Programme, GTP, grew more than 30% to reach over US$465 billion. These companies employed over 7,000 staff and contributed S$7. 8 billion worth of total business spending. Much of the spending was in shipping, freight management and storage services, lending further testimony to Singapore’s strengths as a logistics and auxiliary services hub. From a modest start of 25 companies in 1989, there are currently more than 230 companies under the GTP (MTI, 2008) . 3. Incentives Available under EEIA Tax incentives available under EEIA are discussed below (IRAS, 2008). 1. PIONEER INDUSTRIES INCENTIVES The first aim of Pioneer Industries was to attract capital from both local and foreign companies who invest in new industries in Singapore. This incentive was introduced to draw investment in innovative areas to enhance Singapore’s industrial development (Fordham, 1992). Companies which qualified for PI were given a full tax exemption on qualifying profits for a period of time ranging from 5 years to 15 years. Implementation of this incentive saw a surge in the number of manufacturing industries that were set up here. By 1997, petroleum industries and electronics industries were dominating the Pioneer Manufacturing Establishments. MNCs like Exxon, Shell Sumitomo, Seagate, Hewlett-Packard and Compaq were already located here then contributing a total of S$117,104 million of foreign equity investment in Singapore (H H, 1997). As at 2004, the qualifying activities include services such as medical, publishing, education, automated warehousing facilities, exhibition and conference, financial, venture capital fund activity and so on (H H, 1997). 2. DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION INCENTIVE (DEI) This incentive is granted mainly to manufacturing and service industries that are engaged in capital investment to upgrade or modernize production capacity. The purpose of this incentive is to encourage greater growth and attract more companies to move into higher value-added activities. Under this scheme, eligible companies are entitled to preferential corporate tax rates for qualifying profits above a pre-determined base for a specific period (SPRING Singapore, 2008). According to the statistics collated by Ministry for Trade and Industry, the total investment by foreign companies in Singapore in development projects increased from$6,608 in 1997 to $17,187 in 2007. 3. OVERSEAS ENTERPRISE INCENTIVE (OEI) OEI was put in place to encourage local businesses to invest in a venture company, technology investment company or overseas investment company. OEI provides tax exemption on the qualifying income. Overseas investment should result in new business opportunities, activities as well as new technology to be introduced in Singapore. For instance DBS Bank, Bakerzin and Charles and Keith are a few prominent local bred companies which have ventured overseas. DBS Bank, Singapore’s local bank, has ventured into countries like Thailand, Hong Kong, India, Japan, U. S and many more (IESingapore, 2008). Bakerzin has franchises in KL, Jakarta, Shanghai and US while Charles and Keith had ventured into the Middle East and Asia Pacific markets (IESingapore, 2008). . Effect of DTA in attracting foreign capital inflows According to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, we have 59 Double Taxation Agreements with various countries. These treaties were signed to relieve taxpayers from the burden of double taxation when they repatriate their earnings to their home country. These treaties aim to offer relief from double taxation, either by way of tax credit, tax exemption or a reduced tax rate. These reduced rates and exemptions vary among countries and specific items of income. Treaty provisions generally are reciprocal (apply to both treaty countries). Only Singapore tax residents and tax residents of the treaty country can enjoy the benefits of a DTA. Signing of these treaties has resulted in increased foreign investments from countries such as Europe, U. S. and Japan. In 1996 the total foreign investments was $125,274. The major investors then were Japan, Europe and U. S. In 2006 the investments rose to $363,935 and the major players are Japan, Europe, U. S, European Union and South and Central America and the Caribbean. 3. CONCLUSION Policies have been the driving force for a small nation like Singapore to achieve so much within a short period of time. With no natural resources, foreign capital inflows in the form of foreign direct investments has played major part in shaping our nation to what it is today. With less to offer, tax incentives are one of the key reasons that had attracted many foreign companies creating a pool of foreign capital inflows. Our research on the various tax incentives has showed us that, indeed, they were effective enough to attract foreign companies to locate here with their technology and know-how. The early years efforts to industrialize our economy paid off and that had enabled us to improve our air and seaport facilities, telecommunication, information technology, warehousing and logistics facilities. Tax incentives have been working in the background and today these are some of our achievements (www. sedb. govs. sg): Now as we move towards being knowledge based economy with technopreneurial goals, our tax incentives have been further enhanced through the R deductions and allowing more activities to be qualified under the Pioneer Industries. Thus in our opinion, the tax incentives offered under ITA, EEIA and DTA have been effective in attracting foreign capital inflows which have shaped our country thus far. BIBILIOGRAPHY Agency, C. I. (2008). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved March 28, 2009, from CIA: www. cia. gov Craig, F. (1997). Survey of Coporate Risk Management Practices 1997. Retrieved April 3, 2009, from Singapore Foreign Exchange Market Committee: http://www. sfemc. org/annual_report/Tansformation_AR_1997_-b. pdf D. J. (1996, December). Learning from Singapore: Road to Non-agonised Budgeting. Asian Journal of Public Administration . E. o. (2006, January). Singapore Investment Climate Report. Retrieved April 3, 2009, from http://singapore. usembassy. gov: http://singapore. usembassy. gov/uploads/images/HiMDAFJ23iuXGl0Th5mNsA/InvestClimate2006. pdf Fordham, M. (1992). Tax Incentives for Investment & Expansion (2 ed. ). Longman Singapore Publishers (Pte) Ltd. G. H. (2002). Singapore as an Investing Ground: A Review. Retrieved April 2009, from www. excelsol. com. sg: http://www. xcelsol. com/env/envsg. pdf GuideMeSingapore. (2008, April 14). Singapore Corporate Income Tax Guide. (GuideMeSingapore, Editor, & Janus Corporate Solutions 2006) Retrieved March 28, 2009, from GuideMeSingapore: http://www. guidemesingapore. com/corporate-taxation/c321-corporate-taxation-system-overview. htm H H, A. T. (1997, August 27). Official Efforts to Attract FDI: Case of Singapore's EDB. Retrieved April 4, 2009, from National University o f Singapore: http://www. fas. nus. edu. sg/ecs/pub/wp/previous/AHTAN2. pdf IEsingapore. (2009). Global Trader Program. Retrieved April 2, 2009, from IE Singapore: http://www. iesingapore. gov. sg/wps/portal/AssistanceProgrammes/FinancialIncentives/GTP IRAS. (2008, February 14). Applying for Tax Incentives. Retrieved April 2, 2009, from Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore: http://www. iras. gov. sg/irasHome/page04. aspx? id=1746 L. D. (2007, March). Growth of Research and Development in Singapore: 2000 – 2005. Retrieved April 2, 2009, from Singapore Statistics Department: http://www. singstat. gov. sg/pubn/papers/economy/ssnmar07-pg1-7. df L. Y. (2007). Nanyang Technological University. Retrieved April 2, 2009, from ScienceDirect. com: http://www3. ntu. edu. sg/home/ayuliu/2007%20JPM%20LYH%20-%20Facing%20the%20challenge. pdf MAS. (2006). SPEECH ON REGIONAL TREASURY CENTRES IN SINGAPORE BY. Retrieved April 3, 2009, from Monetary Authority of Singapore: http://www. mas. gov. sg/news_room/statements/2006/Speech_on_Regional_Treasury_Centres_in_Singapore. html MOF. (2008). L iberalization of R&D Tax Deduction. Retrieved March 28, 2009, from Ministry of Finance: http://www. gpolitics. net/budget2008/annexb-2. pdf MTI. (2008, May 25). Global Trader Networking Cocktail 2008 Speech By Minister Lim Hng Kiang. Retrieved April 3, 2009, from Ministry for Trade and Industry: http://app. mti. gov. sg/default. asp? id=148&articleID=13861 PWC. (2008, November). IRAS issues a circular on research and development (R&D) tax measures . Retrieved April 2, 2009, from PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited: http://www. pwc. com/extweb/manissue. nsf/docid/6D2E3517BF8BE91DCA25753C00373526 T. T. (1996). Corporate Income Tax in Singapore: Issues and Future Directions. In M. G. Asher, & a. Tyabji (Eds. ), Fiscal System of Singapore (p. 196). Pagesetters Services Pte Ltd. ———————– [1] CIA – The World factbook – https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sn. html. [2] Fordham, Margaret BA Durham â€Å"Tax Incentives for Investment and Expansion 2/E 1992 [3] Based on the IRAS circular, definition of R&D was amended to incorporate the requirements that the R&D study must be systematic, investigative and experimental. R&D project must involve novelty or technical risk and be undertaken with the object of acquiring new knowledge or using the results of the study for the production or improvement of materials, devices, products, produce or processes. The list of specifically excluded activities in the definition of R&D has also been expanded so that routine modifications, cosmetic modifications or stylistic changes, as well as the development of software that is not intended for sale, lease or license to third parties are excluded. However, an exception is introduced for research in the social sciences and humanities and for software development that is undertaken wholly or mainly to support a qualifying R&D project. In these cases, the expenditure can be included as part of the qualifying R&D project expenditure. More information is available at http://www. pwc. com/extweb/manissue. nsf/docid/6D2E3517BF8BE91DCA25753C00373526 [4] The National R&D Survey is attached as Annex 2 [5] The European Union-15 comprises Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom.

Gatsbys Revelation essays

Gatsbys Revelation essays When F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the novel The Great Gatsby, he used a unique writing technique. It used a first-person point of view in the form of a narrator, Nick Carraway, who was also involved in the story. This style allowed the author to withhold any information that he did not present to the narrator in the story, causing the reader to learn things the same way the narrator did. The protagonist in The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby, was revealed to the narrator, Nick, gradually throughout the course of the novel. On the surface, Jay Gatsby appeared to be extremely wealthy and generally happy with his place in life, and this is how he appears to Nick at the beginning of the novel. Gatsby threw big parties and people were not invited; they just showed up, as explained by Nick on page 45: "I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited. People were not invited-they went there"(45). As Nick began to know Gatsby better, he began to realize there was something wrong with Gatsby. Gatsby was obviously unhappy, but the reader was not told why. When Nick goes to New York with Gatsby and meets Meyer Wolfshiem, the reader is given some suspicion that Jay is involved in illegal dealings, because of the hints that Meyer Wolfshiem drops and the things Jay tells Nick about Meyer. The reader is finally told why Gatsby is unhappy at the end of chapter four, when Jordan Baker tells Nick about Gatsby's love for Daisy. The next major revelation about Gatsby does not happen to Nick until much later, but the author decided to place it earlier in the novel so the reader could understand what was going on more easily. Jay Gatsby tells Nick about where he came from, how he got there, and why he got there. Nick realizes that Gatsby is so in love with Daisy that he is crazy and will do anything to get her. It has consumed his life so much that he spent five years leading an illegal life just because of her. Th ...

What Caused the French Revolut essays

What Caused the French Revolut essays France had a large population and prosperous trade during the 1700's. It was considered to be the most advanced country of Europe. However, when high taxes and disturbing questions about the Enlightenment were sprung upon the French citizens, mainly the Third Estate of the Old Regime, the people needed a change. King Louis XVI left these problems of France unresolved and contributed to new dilemmas. Thus the French Revolution was started by such causes as the thoughts of Voltaire and Rousseau in the Enlightenment, weak leadership by King Louis XVI in his incapability to solve France's financial problems, and the sudden power felt by the French radicals. The once powerful economy of the French was ruined as taxes corrupted their trade and production industries. As the population rose, the price of living did as well. While the French people reached a stage of starvation, King Louis XVI reached a large debt. As Louis' weak leadership qualities increased their debt, which doubled after the financial costs of helping the Americans in their war against the British, he and his wife spent more on extravagant indulgences. The crisis was put off until France faced bankruptcy when a meeting of the Estates-General was called approving for a tax reform. However, this tax reform lead to a reform dictated by the people of France. The Old Regime remained in place in France in the 1770's excluding the third estate from any form of equality. As this group, making up 98 percent of the population, was educated about the Enlightenment ideas of equality, liberty, and democracy their resentment began to build. Great philosophers such as Voltaire and Rousseau used the success of the American Revolution to wet the appetites of the Third Estate for freedom. The merchants, farmers, and peasants of France needed a guide or spokesperson, which they found in Abbe Sieyes, a sympathetic clergyman for the radica ...

Article Review Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Article Review - Research Paper Example The research question of this study is: What do current advances in genetic research say about the genetic causes of intellectual disability and autism, and what are some of the effective tools of diagnosing intellectual disability and autism? This paper reviews this article through describing its research design and findings, as well as identifying flaws and relevance of the study in society and understanding human development. This study did not explain its research design, and it does not specifically ascertain whether it is a systematic review or meta-analysis. After reading the article, it is inferred that it is a basic review of existing studies on the genome of autism and intellectual disabilities. The sampling of articles came from respected journals. It is possible that Feero et al. (2012) conducted the study using peer-reviewed journal databases and it reached its findings using relevant themes and recurring outcomes. The research findings of this article explained the pote ntial genetic causes of intellectual disability. The article explained copy-number changes, deletions, and duplications. A copy-number change refers to the deletion or duplication of an elongation of DNA as compared with the reference human genome. Feero et al. (2012) used research that stressed that some patients with syndromic kinds of intellectual disability showed deletions in the same chromosomal region, where normal cohorts would have a different number or set of chromosomes. These researchers stressed the identification of specific copy-number changes in affected patients, when compared with control subjects, where they showed that novel microdeletion and microduplication syndromes were connected with intellectual disability and autism. For three studies that this article used, they determined that heterozygous deletions of 17q21.31 were connected with moderate-to-severe intellectual disability, hypotonia, facial dysmorphic features, occasional cardiac and renal abnormalities , and seizures. These deletions were not present in healthy control subjects. This article also noted that deletions of 16p11.2 were present in around 1% of those with autism spectrum disorders, but these deletions were also related with intellectual disability with no autistic features. Feero et al. (2012) recommended physicians to conduct chromosome microarray analysis and not the usual standard karyotype analysis, when conducting early diagnostic workup of children with developmental delays and intellectual disability. Feero et al. (2012) also showed that there is a significant overlap among the copy-number changes that have been determined for intellectual disorders. Studies showed microdeletions of 15q13.3 that are related to intellectual disability, autism, and schizophrenia. Moreover, microdeletions of 1q21 are connected with autism, schizophrenia, and epilepsy and, most frequently, with intellectual disability. This article also noted studies that analyzed genes on the X chr omosome, partially because X-linked forms of intellectual disability can be passed on through unaffected females in families, permitting pedigree analysis. Moreover, mutations in PTEN are linked with autism and macrocephaly in some patients and mutations in SHANK3 have also been determined. Feero et al. (2012) highlighted the importance of sequencing of the protein-coding parts

Theme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theme - Essay Example The theme applicable to her story is the importance of developing a strong sense of one's own identity and personal strength, despite challenges and difficulties in life. The essay aims to proffer justifications for the theme of developing a strong sense of identity to enable Ying-ying to regain the life she had, not only for her personal benefit, but more so for her daughter, Lena. Ying-ying’s story through the Moon Lady presented her vivid remembrance of the particularly special day when she was merely four years old and her nursemaid prepared her for the Moon Festival. The depiction of her character was so accurate in portraying a strong sense of fiery identity, always curious, on top of things and wanting to get her way. Despite being told to stay put or to observe traditional norms, Ying-ying defied everything as she narrated running after dragonflies, climbing to the rickshaw with her mother (instead of her amah), running through the length of their boat, watching a bird catch fishes, and falling into the water to be lost during the height of the Moon Festival. With all the commotions, the experience of being lost coincided with the metamorphic loss of her personal identity and strength as the fear that enveloped her during the experience transformed her life to silence and as she failed to relay her wish to the Moon Lady: to be found.