New edition of Studies in Economics and Econometrics available

1.Structural default models applied to South African banks Authors: Venter, J.H.; Styger, P.; Published: 2008From: Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Vol 32, Issue 1, Apr, Pages: 1-22

2. Estimating technical and scale efficiency and sources of efficiency change in banks using balance sheet data : a South African study Authors: Van der Westhuizen, G.; Published: 2008From: Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Vol 32, Issue 1, Apr, Pages: 23-46

3. An empirical analysis of the determinants of fertility in developing countries Authors: Dao, M.Q.; Published: 2008From: Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Vol 32, Issue 1, Apr, Pages: 47-56

4. The performance of value stocks and growth stocks : the Hong Kong stock market 1981-2005 Authors: Bo, L.; Krige, J.D.; Published: 2008From: Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Vol 32, Issue 1, Apr, Pages: 57-75

5. Interest rate derivatives in the South African market based on the prime rate Authors: West, G.; Published: 2008From: Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Vol 32, Issue 1, Apr, Pages: 77-87

6. A cointegration analysis of South African aggregate import demand function : assessment from bounds testing Authors: Ziramba, E.; Published: 2008From: Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Vol 32, Issue 1, Apr, Pages: 89-101

7. An explanatory model of South African white maize futures prices Authors: Auret, C.J.; Schmitt, C.C.; Published: 2008From: Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Vol 32, Issue 1, Apr, Pages: 103-131

New Journal Additions in ProQuest: ABI/Inform

ProQuest has recently added new journals to their ABI/Inform Global collection, they are:

1) The Tax Lawyer (full text coverage from Spring 2007)

The Tax Lawyer, the USA’s premier, peer-reviewed tax law journal, is published quarterly as a service to its members by the American Bar Association Section of Taxation.
The Tax Lawyer endeavors to provide scholarly articles by notable tax attorneys and professors, key reports by Section of Taxation committees and task forces, and student notes and comments on timely topics that the editorial board believes to be of professional interest to members of the Section and the tax profession.

2) Global Outlook Online (full text coverage from January 2008) published by The Bank of Nova Scotia. This journal covers the economic growth, conditions and statistics of Canada.

3) ICIS Chemical Business (full text coverage from October 2007) published by Reed Business Information, UK and covers the chemical industry news.

4) Telecommunications (full text coverage from July 2007) published by Horizon House, goes beyond superficial news headlines and plunges deeply into the business operations of service providers, the technologies they rely on and the applications they deploy to create competitive advantage.

New CPI Weights released

On 1 July 2008 Statistics South Africa will release the new weights for the Consumer Price Index.

The new weights will be released on their website and at an information session in Johannesburg, with a second information session in Cape Town.

In addition to an explanation of the new weights, Stats SA will also provide details on some methodological changes planned for the CPI. Both the new weights and the methodological changes only become effective with the January 2009 CPI release.

The sessions are open to the media and other users of the CPI.
Gauteng
Date: 1 July 2008
Time: 09h30 – 13h00
Venue: Indaba Hotel, Fourways
Cost: Free

Please RSVP with STATSSA before Wednesday 25 June 2008 by emailling rsvp@statssa.gov.za, indicating which meeting (Cape Town or Gauteng) you would like to attend. (Venue details will be forwarded once your RSVP has been received.)

New books @ the library!

I've sent out a list of all the new titles I've received in the last few days.

As there are quite a few, please refer to my email for the individual
titles.

Alternatively, you are more than welcome to come and browse the titles @ my office.

Telecoms in Africa - a state affair

Forbes published an interesting article on the state of telecoms in Africa ...

Worldwide, 61% of formerly state-owned fixed network operators were in private hands by 2005, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Yet, the figure in Africa was just 44%. Almost all of Africa's governments still own some, and many own all, of what was once the national phone monopoly.

In the mid-1990s, African telecoms markets were dominated by state-owned fixed network (wireline) monopolies. African telecoms markets have been transformed since then by mobile networks. Fixed line teledensity is still under 4% and stagnant--according to latest ITU figures (published in May), 1.6% outside North and South Africa.

New mobile networks, by contrast, now cover most rural as well as urban areas:
--Continent-wide mobile teledensity has risen to 27%, with South Africa among countries achieving over 80%.
--Mobile phones now account for more than 90% of lines in most countries on the continent.
It is mobile rather than fixed networks that are expected to provide the platform for African broadband. Although many fixed incumbents have mobile businesses, this transformation has been led by private-sector competitors, mostly European, Middle Eastern and South African investors.
For more on this story, please go to Forbes or log in to Oxford Analytica

Find information on USA public companies

Searching for information on public companies in the USA?

All USA companies, foreign and domestic, are required to file registration statements, periodic reports, and other forms electronically through EDGAR. Anyone can access and download this information for free. Here you'll find links to a complete list of filings available through EDGAR and instructions for searching the EDGAR database.

Here's how to start: Go to the EDGAR home page. You will find a very thorough Quick EDGAR Tutorial and a Description of SEC Forms on the left side of the screen. To begin searching, click “Search for Company Filings” and then “Companies and Other Filers.” This will bring you to the Company Search page.

There are various other ways you can search:
- "Search Companies and Filings" allows you to retrieve real-time filings for a specific company and to find key company information — including its name, address, telephone number, state of incorporation, Central Index Key (CIK) number, Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code, and fiscal year end.
- You can also search for all SEC-registered companies in a particular state.
- Or you can search for all companies with a specific SIC code.
- Once you've found the company you want, you can limit the search results by date (for example, "Prior to 2002-01-01") or by the type of filing (for example, "10-K").
- Latest Filings is the most recent filings on the EDGAR system has received — from all SEC filers, including individuals and companies, paper filers and electronic filers. The list on this page features the most recent real-time filings from a broad range of companies and individuals for the current official filing date

You can also search in the Full Text, retrieve filings made the previous week, view prospectuses or proxy voting records for the mutual fund of your choice using the Mutual Funds Search feature, find Variable Insurance Products and associated filings for new filings with series and class/contract name and find Securities Act registration statements and post-effective amendments declared effective on the most recently completed business day.

Here is what a typical record looks like, it is a search for Microsoft:

In the left corner you will see the company name and below that the SIC code assigned to the company.

If you click on the code it will take you to a list of other companies operating in the same industry.

The SEC filings for the company is in the table form numbers, form formats, filing descriptions, and filing dates:

- Form 10-Q (contains unaudited quarterly financial statements)

- Form 10-K (contains audited annual financial statements)

- Form 8-K (current information including preliminary earnings announcements)

- Registration statements including Form S-1 (general registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933,used for new issuers) and

- Form F-6 (registration statement used by foreign issuers of American Depositary Receipts)

Executive compensation:

You can locate information about executive pay in:

- Schedule 14A (annual proxy statement)

- Form 10-K (audited annual report)

- Registration statements filed by the issuer

- Form 8-K (current company information)

Insider Transactions and Beneficial Ownership Interest

The specific forms are:

- Form 3 (initial statement of beneficial ownership)

- Form 4 (statement of changes in beneficial ownership)

- Form 5 (annual statement of changes in beneficial ownership)

For an extensive list on understanding the EDGAR search results, please read through the Researching Public Companies Through EDGAR:A Guide for Investors

Monetary Policy, Inflation Targeting and Inflation Pressures: Address by Mr T.T. Mboweni

The Monetary Policy, Inflation Targeting and Inflation Pressures address by Mr T.T. Mboweni, Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, to the Bureau for Economic Research Annual Conference of last Thursday is now available from the SARB's website.

Here is what he addressed:

• the SARB's response to recent criticism and comments on their handling of the inflation developments
• the inflation targeting framework
• dealing with economic shocks such as rising oil price; supply side inflation; electricity pricing etc
• should the SARB change the inflation target range or redefine the inflation target basket
• should the SARB invoke the explanation clause as a means to avoid further monetary policy tightening

New issue: AfricaGrowth Agenda

The new issue of AfricaGrowth Agenda (April/Jun 2008) is available via SAePublications.

Scope of the publication:
The Africagrowth Agenda is a quarterly Magazine which publishes high quality articles covering development issues in Africa. Special focus of the magazine is on:
* Investment Climate in Africa
* Intra-African trade
* African capital markets
* Development finance/economics
* Issues surrounding African Development Institutions
* Best practice articles

Here is the table of content for the April/Jun 2008 issue:
1. Oiling the growth engine of Africa : editor's letter Authors: Biekpe, Nicholas, Pages: 4-5
2. Globalization of microfinance markets : some conditions for success Authors: Morales-Nieto, Jairo; Pages: 6-8
3. When Iceland was Ghana Authors: Gylfason, Thorvaldur; / Jun, Pages: 11-13
4. 5th African Finance Journal Conference Pages: 15
5. Interest rate deregulation policy in developing countries - some controversies Authors: Odhiambo, Nicholas M.; Pages: 16-18
6. Reparations for apartheid human rights abuses : the case of Khulumani Authors: Bohler-Muller, Narnia; Pages: 20-22
7. Developing financial architecture for small scale enterprises in Africa : a proposal on formal-informal sector linkages Authors: Tella, Sheriffdeen A.; Pages: 24-27
8. Inward foreign direct investment and Ghana's employment generation Authors: Abor, Joshua; Harvey, Simon K.;Pages: 28-29
9. Characteristics of Kenya's informal ("Jua Kali") economy and the unbanked : a briefing for the banking and financial markets Authors: Owino, Alexander George; Pages: 30-34
10. Africa SMME Conference and Awards 2008 Jun, Pages: 36
11. Success story : Staza cleaning services AuthorsPages: 37-38
12. Success story : House of Tara International Pages: 40

Which parts of the CPI publication do you use?

As many of you already know StatsSA is changing the CPI publication effect as from January 2008 and the new CPI index will highlight shifts in the consumer basket.

They would like your input on what parts of the CPI publication you actually use - to make the new CPI publication more user friendly. Please complete the survey on their website.

This June, Stats SA will release the new CPI weights - derived largely, but not exclusively, from the results of the income and expenditure survey released last month.

The release of the weights follows the publication last year of the draft CPI basket.

In new CPI basket certain products will move category and new products will be introduced.

New products include:

• minibus taxis, which account for over 60% of public transport. Collection of these prices is now possible as a result of the establishment of a national team of price collectors for CPI;


• funeral costs and funeral insurance enter the basket as expenditure on these items increases;


• restaurants, take-aways and hotels, now appear as a distinct category in the new CPI classification and Stats SA proposes to publish their price change explicitly;


• internet service provider fees and laptops enter the basket as this technology becomes more pervasive;


• DVD and CD players and disks replace VHS and audio tapes and players as a result of changes in technology;


• tickets to sporting events are added to the entertainment basket; and


• the lottery will be included in the basket if it is operational on 1 January 2008.

The CPI will continue to be published on the basis of the current basket and weights until the December 2008 release (in January 2009). The January 2009 CPI (published in February 2009) will be the first to be published on the basis of the new basket and weights.

Journals now part of SAePublications

Enterprise Risk is now part of the SAePublications journal collections from the June 2007 issue to present.

Scope of the publication :
Enterprise Risk provides essential information to executive management to assist in identifying and measuring risk.

This magazine bridges the divide between the risk manager and the boardroom to enable informed decisions preventing or insuring against enterprise exposure.

The newest issue is Jan/Feb 2008:

1.Sugar and spice and all things nice : editor's note Authors: Van Reenen, Retha; Pages: 3
2.Corporate investment : is it worth the risk? Authors: Van Reenen, Retha Pages: 4-5, 7-9
3. Evaluating the next 5 years : internal auditing Pages: 10-11
4. Beware, risk ahead : insurance matters Authors: Van Reenen, Retha Pages: 12-13, 15-17
5. In the fine print : insurance matters Authors: Terrazas, Monique Pages: 18-19 Notes: Due to a large file size, this article (pdf) may take a while to download.
6. Business law in SA : how are we faring internationally? : legislation risk Authors: Van Reenen, Retha Pages: 20-23
7. Employment contract pitfalls : legal update Authors: Venter, A.J Pages: 24-25
8. Keep it rolling : business continuity Pages: 28-29
9. Estate duty implications for investors : investment column Authors: Goodall, Brian; Pages: 30-31, 33, 35
10. Unfolding the future : economic risk Authors: Terraraz, Monique
11.Investigating the USB flash drive : information technology Authors: Mudeliar, Thumeshni; Pages: 40-41, 43
12.Under the spotlight : disaster risk strategies : disaster management Authors: Terraraz, Monique Pages: 44-45
13.A cableless existence : case study Pages: 46-47
14.Improving on our successes : president's message Authors: Haman, Reginald Pages: 48
15.Fighting HIV / Aids internally : editor's comment Authors: Van Reenen, Retha Pages: 3
16.Risk absorption by medical aids : HIV / AIDS Authors: Van Reenen, RethaPages: 4-7
17.A reputable reputation : reputation risk Authors: Van Reenen, Retha Pages: 8-9
18.Can SA business combat HIV / AIDS? : business insight Authors: O'Sullivan, Steven Pages: 10-13
19.The ombudsman : your partner in need : insurance matters Authors: Van Reenen, Retha Pages: 14-17
20.Plotting your way through HIV / AIDS : business continuity Authors: Van Reenen, Retha Pages: 18-19, 21
21. Stay in business by adapting a learning culture Authors: Geyser, Yolande Pages: 22-23
22.How to manage outsourced resources effectively : cost-effective outsourcing Authors: Geyser, Yolande Pages: 24-25, 27
23.How to screen your directors : corporate governance Authors: Van Reenen, Retha Pages: 28-31
24.Edifying morality : corporate governance Authors: Furter, Edmond Pages: 32-35
25.HIV/AIDS battle strategy : corporate governance Authors: Furter, Edmund Pages: 37
26.In the dark : Eskom vs. Ekurhuleni : legal update Authors: Terrazas, MoniquePages: 38-40
27.Duties everywhere : legal update Authors: Vivian, Robert W. Pages: 42-45
28. A dog's breakfast : Royal Canin : case study on reputation risk Authors: Terrazas, Monique; Pages: 46-47
29. President's message : governance, ethics and risk Authors: Winks, Steve, Pages: 48


Taxtalk now forms part of the SAePublication journal collection as well.

Scope of the publication :
TAXtalk has been one of the premier suppliers of tax-related information to the South African taxpayer since its establishment in 2002. TAXtalk is the appointed journal of The SAIT (South African Institute of Tax Practitioners) The concept behind this informative multi-media tax forum is to empower South African taxpayers, both corporate and individual.


Publication details :
6 issues per year

Currently Issue 8 Nov/Dec 2007 is available:

1. A word from the top : cover story Authors: Connor, Janine Pages: 1
2. Readers' forum Authors: Krause, Steven; Pages: 3
3. SAIT : a haven for tax Authors: Klue, Stiaan; Pages: 4-5
4. A global evolution of indirect taxes Pages: 6
5. Putting a sparkle into spending Pages: 8
6. Watershed judgment on working papers Pages: 10
7. Summaries of the interviews broadcast on Summit TV. Pages: 11-12
8. Nifty little tool to calculate tax Pages: 13
9. Certainty on private equity tax : a reality at long last Authors: Lister-James, Chris; Pages: 14-15
10. The 7 habitual tax mistakes and their solutions Authors: Goertz, Gavin Pages: 16, 18

New Open Access Journal Collection - from Sabinet

Welcome to the beta version of Sabinet's Full Open Access Journal Collection.

The collection currently comprises 44 South African journals and provides immediate access to the PDF versions of 6 000+ full-text articles.

The journals are individually searchable. The coverage per journal varies, with some journals having full-text issues available from 2000 onwards.
Of the journals in the collection, 14 appear on the Approved South African Journals list, the ISI list, or the IBSS list. These include: Meditari, SAJIM and the South African Business Review.
New journal titles and issues are added to the collection on an ongoing basis. Some journals also contain metadata records (including abstracts) for older articles where full text is not available.

Publishers who would like to make their journals available as Open Access journals, are welcome to contact Sabinet.

New issue: The Accountant

The new edition to the Professional Accountant is available via SAePublications.

1. Accounting for SMEs - sunshine or still dawn? Authors: Rossouw, Cobus
2. Security for the costs of litigation Authors: Williams, R.C. (Bob);
3. Avoidance closure alert : - funnel financing masquerades
4. Financial reporting supply chain Authors: Lyle, Norman
5. The finer points of Taxable Gross Income Authors: Desmond, Tim
6. Consumer Rights are Human Rights!!!!
7. Research shows the global economy is still solid
8. Credit bureaux must help consumers - it is the law!!!
9. Order your SAIPA Tax Guide 2008/9 today Authors: Bester, Stanton
10. Industrial accounting Authors: Bentley, Roger
11. Business consulting - adding value or an expensive resource? Authors: Swanepoel, Boetie
12. Predictability builds trust Authors: Scheepbouwer, Marc
13. Make early provision for retirement funds upon sale of a business Authors: Gera, David
14. The future of micro-insurance regulation in South Africa
15. SAIPA National Convention - 15-17 October, 2008

Accounting & Finance journal

Now Internationally Accredited

Accounting & Finance is now included in the Social Sciences Citation Index. Congratulations to the editorial team, reviewers and authors for this great achievement. The journal will receive a 2009 impact factor which will be released in 2010.

Extra issue published in 2008!

Accounting & Finance will be publishing a 5th issue this year. The extra issue will be published in print and online in December.

2nd Annual Anti-Money Laundering in Financial Institutions Conference

The 2nd Annual Anti-Money Laundering in Financial Institutions Conference will be held on 12th-13th June 2008 in Barcelona.

Join this two-day five star exciting forum and have your questions answered by industry practitioners and experts on money laundering prevention. Hear the practical case studies on how they tackle day-to-day issues linked to AML. Participate actively in the interactive roundtable discussions and benefit from networking sessions with your industry peers to make this event an excellent learning opportunity.

Key topics:

* Trends and future outlook in Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing
* 3rd Directive - what is implemented, what remains to be done
* The risk of not managing the risk in AML
* Risk based approach and its impact on KYC, PEPs ,UBO
* AML risk as a part of enterprise-wide risk management
* The effectiveness of AML systems
* Global vs. local approach – is there one size that fits all for a global company?
* Regulator’s panel

Key Speakers:
Zurich Financial Services, Head of Global AML, Switzerland
Société Générale, Head of Global Due Diligence, France
AXA, Anti-Money Laundering Policy Adviser, UK
Banque Federale des Banques Populaires, Head Group AML CFT Compliance, France
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Director of UK Chapter, UK
The Bank of New York Mellon, Vice President Legacy BNY Group MLRO, UK
ING Bank, Director of the Department of Operating Risk Management, Poland

For further information please contact: Sherisse Shelton - Smith (sherisse.shelton-smith@jacobfleming.com).

New RefWorks features just released!

RefWorks has just released three new features:

1. Write-N-Cite III for Windows with Offline Capabilities
This means that you can not use W-N-C without being connected to the Internet. Simply download your RefWorks database from within Write-N-Cite while online, then feel free to disconnect from the Internet.
Full Write-N-Cite functionality is available – inserting temporary citation placeholders, viewing reference information, using the citation editor – even formatting your paper in the output style you choose.
Download the new Write-N-Cite III for Windows from within your RefWorks account by selecting Tools, Write-N-Cite.

2. Write-N-Cite v2.5 for Mac
This Write-N-Cite for Mac version 2.5 works with Microsoft Word 2008 for Mac and the Leopard operating system and has the same features as the current Write-N-Cite for Mac (citation editing, two document format, etc.).
Download the new version from within your RefWorks account by selecting Tools, Write-N-Cite.

3. Attachment Feature
Now it’s even easier to store your research documents along with your references! RefWorks has made it’s attachment feature available to all users at UJ and each user receive 100 MB of default storage space each. You can attach any type of file – the only requirement is that you have the software necessary to view the attachment.
For information on how to attach files to references, see the online help section Adding References Manually or review the RefWorks Basics tutorial section Entering References Manually.

New Books!

I've emailed you all the list of the newest books I've received for each department.

Due the large amount of new books I have received in the last few weeks, I will keep them at my desk only until Friday 9 May, where after they will be shelved.

If you would like to have a look at some of the books, please let me know and I will keep them for you at my desk.

South African Reserve Bank Release of Selected Monthly Data

The following publication has been added to the - Statistical & economic info - area of the South African Reserve Bank website.
Title: Monthly Release of Selected Data
For period ending March 2008

Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity

The following publication has been added to the - Statistical & economic info - area of the South African Reserve Bank website.
Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity

Data in this template cover the short-term foreign currency assets of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and of the Central Government of South Africa. A wider definition was used up to December 2005.

See the Note on the redefinition of gold and other foreign reserves in the balance of payments in the South African Reserve Bank Quarterly Bulletin, December 2005, p. 56-59.

NetLibrary eBook of the month

The New Paradigm for Financial Markets: The Credit Crisis of 2008 and What It Means
by George Soros PublicAffairs, 2008
George Soros, the legendary financier, philanthropist and bestselling author, has written a new book on the current financial crisis that will be available as the NetLibrary eBook of the Month selection for May.
Print editions of this thought-provoking new work will not be released until May 19.

In The New Paradigm for Financial Markets: The Credit Crisis of 2008 and What It Means, Soros explores the origins of the current financial crisis and its implications for the future. Soros, whose breadth of experience in financial markets is unrivaled, places the current crisis in the context of decades of study of how individuals and institutions handle the boom and bust cycles that now dominate global economic activity.
"This is the worst financial crisis since the 1930s," writes Soros in characterizing the scale of financial distress spreading across Wall Street and other financial centers around the world.

Higher Education News

Highlights of The Chronicle include:

PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR PEER REVIEW The National Institutes of Health considers changing its policies to entice more senior scholars to evaluate grant applications.

TALES OF WESTERN ADVENTURE The rigid standards of hiring and tenure are all that stand in the way of humanities professors as thriving public scholars.

PEER REVIEW: The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study gets a permanent leader ... The University of California at Irvine's engineering school hires a climate expert as its new dean ... Bruce Shepard is the new president of Western Washington University ... A new chancellor steps in at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
HACKING BACK College students learn real-life lessons in Internet security when they go up against hackers in the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition.
GOLD MINES OF INFORMATION Vast education databases maintained by states can yield invaluable data, say education researchers, but concerns about privacy limit their development and use.

LINKED IN WITH: Kelly Sutton, a founder of a student-run blog about improving lives through technology.
WHERE THE MONEY GOES: Students are paying a growing share of higher-education costs, but institutions are spending less money on them in the classroom, a report says.

MOUNTAINS OF BLAME: Two administrators from West Virginia University have stepped down in the wake of a transcript scandal, but the president's job seems secure.

WHAT THEY THINK: Most college financial officers expect tuition increases to continue outpacing inflation.

Times Higher Education

Clocking on Fee-paying students want more teaching contact hours for their money. But do the bald figures on how often they see their tutor tell the whole story?
Journals test software to catch cheats Academic articles will, like student essays, be checked for plagiarism. Universities across the UK monitor students' work using Turnitin, a program that assesses the originality of assignments.Now a new program based on the same technology is being developed to apply similar high-tech scrutiny to research papers.
Engaging with students’ spirituality Students’ religious convictions need not hinder the learning environment; treated respectfully and inclusively, their presence may enhance the experience for all