Leila Ben Ali

Poupança

Moreira Franco: Poupança em alta

Data: 10.11.2010

Rio - A presidente eleita Dilma Rousseff, além da vitória nas urnas, ganhou mais um presente em outubro: o anúncio de que a caderneta de poupança no mês passado bateu todos os recordes de depósitos. Foi o período de maior entrada líquida desde o início do Plano Real. 

Entrada líquida é a diferença entre os depósitos e as retiradas. Os brasileiros colocaram em suas contas mais de R$ 2,5 bilhões. Nos dez primeiros meses do ano, as cadernetas de poupança receberam quantia superior a R$ 28 bilhões, um dinheiro respeitável em qualquer país do mundo.

Essa disposição da população em poupar, tem muitos significados. O melhor deles é a confiança das pessoas na economia e no futuro. Claro, o cidadão ou cidadã que poupa está pensando nos próximos tempos, inclusive numa vida mais confortável na aposentaria, o que é bom para cada um isoladamente. 

Mas a poupança tem papel fundamental na economia porque é uma das principais fontes para os investimentos no país. 

E, todo mundo sabe, quanto mais investimento, mais forte ficam as empresas — que geram emprego, produtos e bens, enfim, mais riquezas, possibilitando o crescimento da economia. E todo mundo sai ganhando.

O governo Lula encontrou a fórmula de fazer a economia crescer, distribuindo mais a renda com suas política sociais, um caminho que nem todos os brasileiros acreditavam no início do seu mandato, há oito anos. A presidente eleita Dilma Rousseff, por sua formação e ideias, seguramente vai continuar na mesma linha. 

Assim, é possível acreditar que o hábito do cidadão em poupar uma parte dos seus ganhos vai aumentar ainda mais. Isso é muito bom para o país.

Moreira Franco é ex-governador do Rio de Janeiro

coletanea

Duda Mendonça lança “coletânea” de sucessos

Tags: Duda Mendonça

De volta ao cenário eleitoral, o marqueteiro Duda Mendonça lança agora seus “melhores momentos”, em um videoblog que leva o internauta a um giro pelas campanhas do publicitário no país.

Após um período no “casulo” – Duda saiu dos holofotes após o escândalo do Mensalão de 2005 –, o ex-guru eleitoral do presidente Lula aposta em um retorno bem humorado à vida pública. Além das campanhas estaduais, o site ainda traz um “show de talentos” com o publicitário contando piadas, na seção convenientemente chamada de Pérolas.

O videoblog também tem uma área dedicada especialmente aos seus “segredos”. Mas, obviamente, os melhores deles não foram contados.

Videoblog convida internauta a passeio pelas campanhas

DUDA

José Eduardo Cavalcanti de Mendonça, mais conhecido como Duda Mendonça, (Salvador, 10 de agosto de 1944) é um dos mais importantes publicitários brasileiros. Tornou-se notório no cenário nacional por comandar campanhas políticas vitoriosas em diversas eleições. Seu trabalho nas eleições presidenciais de 2002, quando da eleição de Luís Inácio Lula da Silva foi alvo de muitos elogios entre os profissionais da área. Também foi o responsável pela campanha de Paulo Maluf à Prefeitura de São Paulo em 1992, pela campanha de reeleição da ex-prefeita Marta Suplicy em 2004 e pelas campanhas de Ciro Gomes e de Cid Gomes no Ceará, respectivamente a deputado federal e a governador, em 2006.
Em outubro de 2004, durante as eleições municipais, Duda Mendonça, responsável pela campanha do PT em São Paulo, foi preso em flagrante na noite durante uma operação da Polícia Federal de repressão às rinhas de galo num sítio entre Recreio dos Bandeirantes e Jacarepaguá, zona oeste do Rio de Janeiro.
Em agosto de 2005 o publicitario é acusado de ser envolvido no escândalo do mensalão após dizer que tinha aberto conta nas Bahamas - por orientação do empresário Marcos Valério, acusado de operar o mensalão - para receber cerca de dez milhões de reais como pagamento por serviços publicitários e de assessoria política prestados ao PT, ele diz ter procurado Marcos Valério por orientação do então Tesoureiro do PT Delúbio Soares e que todo o dinheiro de sua empresa é limpo.
O seu contrato de publicidade com a Presidência da República lhe renderia um valor da ordem de 150 milhões de reais e, juntamente, com as outras estatais do governo federal, o montante total chegaria a um valor de 400 milhões reais.
As investigações referente às supostas irregularidades com Duda Mendonça tomaram proporções internacionais chegando aos Estados Unidos da América que forneceu dados financeiros aos parlamentares do Brasil.
Em 2004, Duda foi preso em flagrante durante operação da Polícia Federal de repressão a rinhas de galo em um sítio situado entre o Recreio dos Bandeirantes e Jacarepaguá, na zona oeste do Rio de Janeiro. [1]
De acordo com a Polícia Federal, mais de 200 pessoas estavam presentes no local, entre elas um político do PT, Jorge Babu. No local havia três arenas para realização de rinhas, além de viveiros. A polícia também encontrou cerca de cem animais, muitos deles machucados.
Segundo o delegado da Polícia Federal responsável pelo caso, Antonio Carlos Rayol, Duda Mendonça disse ser sócio do local. À imprensa, Duda Mendonça declarou não ter vergonha de nada, e disse se tratar de um hobby antigo e que não fazia nada de errado: "O Brasil todo sabe que eu gosto de rinha de galo e sabe que esse é o meu hobby".

falconry

Qatar Falconry

by Fran Gillespie

Falconry | Trapping | Training | Hunting | Caring & Breeding | Movie

Falconry as a sport was widely practised in Europe in the Middle Ages, and was popular with noblewomen as well as with their menfolk. It is said to have been introduced into Britain by the Normans, and was restricted to the nobility - a peasant could be hanged for keeping a hawk. Each strata of society had its own birds: only kings could hunt with eagles and gyrfalcons, peregrine falcons were for princes, dukes and earls, knights could hunt with saker falcons, ladies used female merlins or sparrowhawks, priests could fly sparrowhawks, and knaves [teenage boys] had to be content with the humble kestrel.
Here in Arabia the art of falconry is not only a sport, practised exclusively by men, but among the nomadic bedouin in the pre-oil era was an important means of adding some protein to what was otherwise a meagre diet.

Trapping the Falcons

A falcon hide in the desert.

Various methods are used to trap the wild birds; here in Qatar when picnicking along the coast at weekends you may come across a hide, consisting of a shallow pit in the ground over which is constructed a domed shape of wire-netting and sticks, roughly coated with plaster, coloured to match the sand. A man conceals himself in this with either a pigeon or a tame falcon sitting tethered on a perch outside the entrance, and when a wild bird spots it and comes down to investigate he flicks a net over it.

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The bedouin employed various ingenious methods to trap falcons.

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The bedouin employed various ingenious methods to trap falcons. One way was for a man to be buried in the sand by his companion, leaving only his head and arms exposed which could be concealed under brushwood. He would hold a string attached to a fluttering pigeon. When a falcon was attracted to the helpless pigeon and dived to kill it, the hunter would wait until the bird was intent upon its meal and then very gradually draw the dead pigeon towards him, with the falcon still feeding, until it was close enough for him to either grab it or throw a cloth over it.
Another method was to use a kestrel, one of the smaller falcons, to trick a larger bird. Kestrels are common resident breeders in Qatar and easily trapped; the falcons the hunter hoped to catch were the larger peregrines and sakers arriving on the autumn migration.
The hunter would wait in a hide with the kestrel perched outside, a string fastened to its legs; attached to the legs would be a bundle of feathers concealing several fine snares. When the kestrel spotted a larger bird of prey approaching it would become agitated and try to fly away and the large falcon would see the bundle of feathers and try to rob the smaller kestrel of what it took to be its prey. Once entangled in the snares the struggling falcon, together with the kestrel, would plummet to the ground and the waiting hunter would then throw a cloth over them.

Training

A young Qatari man with his falcon.

Once the falcon was caught, the falconer had about three weeks to train it before the migrating houbara bustards and stone curlews began to arrive: these were the birds most favoured as quarry. The first thing was to calm the agitated bird by temporarily depriving it of its sight, this was done by threading a horsehair through each of its lower eyelids, drawing them up over the eyes and knotting the ends of the horsehairs on top of the head. From then on the falconer never left his bird, always keeping it with him, constantly talking to it, feeding it and stroking it until it became used to his presence. It was given a name and taught to sit quietly on the padded arm cover, the mangala, which is the Arab equivalent of the European 'falconer's glove.'

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When offered food, a bond of trust would be established between the bird and its trainer.

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When the horsehair was removed after a few days, the first thing the falcon would see would be the man whose voice it already knew. When offered food, a bond of trust would be established between the bird and its trainer. The next thing would be to attach it to a long string and let it fly from the mangala to some food placed some distance away. The distance would gradually be increased until eventually the bird would be allowed to fly free. It would also be trained to follow a lure, made from houbara wings or sometimes a dead pigeon, which was whirled around in circles on a long string. The falconer varied the circles in both height and path, to increase the bird's skill in tracking and swooping on its prey. Each time it did so it was rewarded with praise and a small piece of meat.

Hunting

The Houbara: A favourite pray of falconers in the Middle East.

Winter was, and is, the hunting season. In the early morning the hunters search for houbara tracks in the sand, which they follow, knowing that these birds, which are active at night, like to spend the day resting under a bush. Once a houbara is located and flushed from its hiding place the falcon is released. If the chase is successful, and it brings down its quarry, the hunter hastens to cut the throat of the houbara and the falcon is rewarded by being given the head and neck to eat.

After the hunting season

In spring, when the houbara return to their breeding grounds, some falcon-owners release their birds, hoping that next autumn they will be successful in capturing or purchasing new birds with which to hunt. Others keep their falcons throughout the year, but they need constant skilled care and have to be kept in air-conditioned rooms, often in a magilis, where the falcons provide a talking point and focus of interest for the owner and his friends in the evenings.

Caring and Breeding

Prize falcons can often fetch astonishing sums of money, almost equivalent to what is paid for race horses and racing camels, and breeders constantly experiment to produce ever faster, hardier birds. Hybrids bred from saker falcons and large white gyrfalcons, which are not native to Arabia, have proved popular. Specialised falcon hospitals in both Qatar and the UAE provide advice and skilled treatment for the various ailments to which falcons are prone.

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Prize falcons can often fetch astonishing sums of money...

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Among the most common is bumble foot, an infection of the area between the toes caused by small punctures inflicted by the bird's own curving talons, or by an unsuitable perch which does not allow for proper circulation of the blood in the foot. It can be treated with antibiotics and sometimes with surgery. Another common disease is aspergillosus, a fungal infection of the respiratory tract. Broken wing feathers can be mended with implants: fixing a new feather onto the remains of the old feather with superglue! Many owners nowadays have their valuable birds fitted with microchips.
Today, due to over hunting stretching back for many years, migrating houbara are becoming rare in Qatar, and many Qataris travel abroad each year to practise their sport in places such as Kazakhstan.
More: See Falconry in Qatar for the history, sounds and movies of falconry in the Qatar and the Middle East.


Read more: http://www.qatarvisitor.com/index.php?cID=430&pID=1668#ixzz15ZiAOQet

Qatari

QIA’s mission, as defined in Article 5 of Emiri Decision No (22) of 2005 (the QIA Constitution)) and detailed in Mission & Investment Objectives, is to

        “…develop, invest and manage the state reserve funds and other property assigned to it by the Supreme Council in accordance with policies, plans and programs approved by the Supreme Council.”
Values
QIA and its employees shall be guided by the following values:

- Integrity: QIA and its employees apply the highest ethical, moral and professional standards of conduct in all their undertakings.

- Mission focus: QIA has a noble mission on behalf of the Qatari people. In executing their day-to-day responsibilities, QIA’s management and employees are firmly focussed on this mission.

- Entrepreneurialism: QIA believes in the power of entrepreneurialism, and continues to encourage initiative and a flexible approach even as the organisation grows and institutionalises.

- Excellence: QIA strives for excellence in all aspects of its undertakings.

- Respect for people: QIA recognises that people are its most valuable asset, and it seeks to create a respectful workplace free of harassment or intimidation.

Governance
- Implementation of QIA’s mission is the responsibility of QIA Board.

- The QIA Board has established the framework for QIA’s operations through appropriate policies, including (but not limited to) investment policies, risk management policies, a Legal Policy, a Compliance Policy and a Code of Conduct.

- The QIA Board provides strategic guidance for QIA and monitors QIA executive management.

- The CEO, together with the management team, is responsible for the day-to-day management of QIA.

- Business decisions are the sole responsibility of the QIA Board and QIA’s executive management. Qatar’s government does not interfere in the QIA’s investment, divestment or other business decisions.

- The State Audit Bureau monitors and audits QIA’s accounts

History
The small peninsular country of Qatar has long occupied a crucial position in the important trade routes between India and Europe. In the 1940's, oil was discovered and, subsequently, huge reserves of natural gas - now known to represent one third of the world's reserves.

This forms the economic bedrock of this fast-growing nation's wealth, which His Highness, the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, has determined should be husbanded for the benefit of future generations.

A very important conduit for this investment is the QIA, which was set up in 2005, building on the heritage of sophisticated state investment over the last three decades.

The success of Qatar's economic strategy is widely acknowledged, reflected in the country's Standard & Poor's credit rating of AA-, which means it has a risk profile equivalent to some of the world's biggest and most advanced industrially developed nations.

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Strategy
Economic backdrop
The Qatar Investment Authority is an integral part of Qatar's strategy to diversify its finances into new asset classes, so strengthening and broadening the country's fast-growing economy which is rooted in the natural resources sector.

Under the far-sighted policy of reform implemented by His Highness, the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Qatar economy has been one of the most dynamic. Current GDP is estimated at some $52bn, up from $8bn as recently as 1995. Growth forecasts for the economy vary, but most estimates put growth at 10% per annum at least for the next 5 years, with further growth of at least 7% per annum foreseen beyond that.

This growth is due in part to the rising energy prices and higher exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Qatar has huge gas reserves ­ as much as one third of the world's total gas reserves lies within its territory. The Qatar government is using this resource and the funds flowing from it to develop the country's infrastructure, including education and health facilities, and modern hydrocarbon operations. Some $130bn is earmarked for investment over the next 5 ­ 6 years, of which $65bn will be devoted to energy-related projects.

Economic growth has been further strengthened by very open and competitive economic conditions, including respect for the rule of law, stability, the encouragement of private enterprise and the promotion of foreign investment.
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Diversifying the economy
To diversify the economy, Qatar is taking steps inside and outside its territory.

Inside Qatar, measures have been put in place to grow the non-hydrocarbon economy. These measures include the development of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs); promotional activities such as the Asian Games (Qatar was host to the games in 2006); the creation of the Qatar Financial Centre; property and project development by Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company; creation of international brands such as Qatar Airways; investments in energy-intensive industries and research and development facilities and the establishment of world-class educational institutions.

Outside the territory, the QIA is responsible for investing funds in asset classes such as equities and fixed income and private equity, as well as through direct investment. These investments will complement the state's huge wealth in natural resources. The QIA adheres to the strictest commercial and financial disciplines in line with the standards to be expected of a world class investor.
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Investment strategy
Set up as a vehicle through which the State of Qatar can help secure the future prosperity of its people by building up a diversified asset base to complement its wealth of natural resources, the QIA's investment strategy is based on its responsibility to generate a strong and sustainable return for the shareholder.

The QIA fulfills its mission of building this global investment portfolio by pursuing financially sound investments across various asset classes, industries and geographies. Although the QIA was formed as recently as 2005, it has already built up a strong track record of diversified investments, ranging from listed securities, property, alternative assets and private equity.

Backed by very significant resources, the QIA forms part of an elite of financial institutions which can truly claim to be global investors. Although its approach adheres to the strictest commercial disciplines, the QIA benefits from being a central part of the State of Qatar's economic vision which allows it to invest in a manner which transcends the cyclicality of economic cycles and fluctuations of the financial markets. The QIA's ability to take the long view in its investment strategy offers the benefits of stability to all the stakeholders.
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<>About Qatar
The State of Qatar is an emirate occupying the Qatar Peninsula, located halfway down the west coast of the Arabian Gulf.

Qatar gained its independence from Britain in 1971 and became a constitutional monarchy, ruled by the Al Thani family. Qatar is a member of both the United Nations and the League of Arab States. The Qatari economy has grown strongly in recent years, and current GDP is estimated at some $52bn, up from $8bn as recently as 1995. Growth forecasts for the economy vary, but most estimates put growth at 10% per annum at least for the next 5 years, with further growth of at least 7% per annum foreseen beyond that.

This growth is due in part to the rising energy prices and higher exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Qatar has huge gas reserves ­ as much as one third of the world's total gas reserves lies within its territory. The Qatar government is using this resource and the funds flowing from it to develop the country's infrastructure, including education and health facilities, and modern hydrocarbon operations. Some $130bn is earmarked for investment over the next 5 - 6 years, of which $65bn will be devoted to energy-related projects.

However, the government is keen to diversify away from depending on natural resources, and has established a number of organisations and bodies to ensure the security of future generations by diversifying income streams, as well as seeking to stimulate the private sector. Economic growth has been further strengthened by the benign economic conditions, including respect for the rule of law, stability, and the encouragement of private enterprise.

The state now has 743,000 inhabitants (2004 population census), 83% of inhabitants reside in the capital city, Doha, and its main suburb Al-Rayyan.

Arabic is the official language in Qatar, and English is widely spoken.

The official currency is the Qatari Riyal (QR), which is divided into 100 dirhams. Exchange rate parity has been set at a fixed rate of US $ = 3.65QR's.

Daawlat Qatar