Around the Bloc: Scandal Brings Down Russian Defense Minister, Ukraine Warms to German Gas

Around the Bloc: Scandal Brings Down Russian Defense Minister, Ukraine Warms to German Gas

Author(s): Ky Krauthamer ,Ioana Caloianu,Nino Tsintsadze,Joshua Boissevain / Language(s): English / Issue: 11/13/2012

Keywords: Bulgaria; archeology; prehistory; Romania; Mona Pivniceru; Adrian Nastase; EU; Mercury City Tower; prosecutor; corruption; Russia; Vladimir Putin; Anatoly Serdyukov; Sergei Shoigu; military; architecture; skyscraper; Ukraine; RWE; Naftogaz; gas;

Plus, Bulgaria digs deep and Moscow aims high to claim European firsts.Around the Bloc is TOL's daily digest of the important, the trivial, the tragic, the weird, and the sober from its coverage region.

Around the Bloc: Russia Leans Harder on Moldova, New Georgian Leader Heads to Brussels

Around the Bloc: Russia Leans Harder on Moldova, New Georgian Leader Heads to Brussels

Author(s): Barbara Frye,Ioana Caloianu,Nino Tsintsadze,Joshua Boissevain / Language(s): English / Issue: 11/13/2012

Keywords: Georgia; EU; NATO; Kazakhstan; Poland; Rallies; Independence day; nationalists; defamation; media; Foreign affairs; Russia; conflict; consulate; Moldova; Transdniester; Break away regions; Azerbaijan; Internet; Hack; Russia; arrests; protester;

Plus, an investigative reporter in Kazakhstan faces another crippling court judgment and Baku turns an ugly face to EU officials. Around the Bloc is TOL's daily digest of the important, the trivial, the tragic, the weird, and the sober from its coverage region.

The Fourth Estate: Time to Take Out the Trash

The Fourth Estate: Time to Take Out the Trash

Author(s): Marius Dragomir / Language(s): English / Issue: 11/13/2012

Keywords: Romania; broadcasting; television; must carry; rules; cable; Eastern Europe; Taraf TV; operators; transmitters; EU; law; BBC; quality journalism;

Rules that once safeguarded worthy programs are now contributing to the trashing-up of the airwaves.

Arts and Culture: Capturing Kazakhstan's Character, Wrinkles and All

Arts and Culture: Capturing Kazakhstan's Character, Wrinkles and All

Author(s): Dariya Tsyrenzhapova / Language(s): English / Issue: 11/13/2012

Keywords: Kazakhstan; cinema; Yermek Tursunov; films; The old man; trilogy; heritage; 2010 Academy Awards; 2013 Berlin International Film Festival;

In Kazakh filmmaker Yermek Tursunov's hit trilogy, his homeland plays the lead.

Around the Bloc: Eastern Europe Gets a (Big) Loan, Czech Schools Still Discriminate Against Roma

Around the Bloc: Eastern Europe Gets a (Big) Loan, Czech Schools Still Discriminate Against Roma

Author(s): S. Adam Cardais,Joshua Boissevain / Language(s): English / Issue: 11/13/2012

Keywords: EIB; EBRD; Eastern Europe; Estonia; Russia; Missile Defense; US; Romania; environment; forests; Serbia; Kosovo; EU; economy; discrimination; Roma; children; Czech Republic; loan; World Bank; European Roma Rights Center; Amnesty International; court;

Plus, Serbs would choose Kosovo over the EU, and Romania gets green. Around the Bloc is TOL's daily digest of the important, the trivial, the tragic, the weird, and the sober from its coverage region.

Editors‘ Blog_Is it Safe to Go Home Now

Editors‘ Blog_Is it Safe to Go Home Now

Author(s): Ky Krauthamer / Language(s): English / Issue: 11/13/2012

Keywords: Balkans; EU; integration; Hans-Peter Friedrich; refugees; asylum seekers; visa requirements; European Commission; Serbia; Macedonia; Albania; Roma; Schengen area; Kosovo; political asylum; migrants; poverty;

Belgium’s “safe country of origin” list includes just seven countries, six from the Balkans.

Around the Bloc: Czechs Pass $3 Billion Church Restitution Bill, Georgian Authorities Arrest Former Interior Minister

Around the Bloc: Czechs Pass $3 Billion Church Restitution Bill, Georgian Authorities Arrest Former Interior Minister

Author(s): Jeremy Druker,Ioana Caloianu,Nino Tsintsadze,Joshua Boissevain / Language(s): English / Issue: 11/13/2012

Keywords: Georgia; arrests; Akhalaia; restitution bill; church; Bulgaria; communist-seized properties; Czech Republic;; prisons; Poland; TNT; Rzeczpospolita; Smolensk; plane crash; media; abuse; Kyrgyzstan; Tajikistan; military bases; Russia; financial aid;

Plus, journalists’ heads roll in Poland over an incendiary article and the contentious head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church dies. Around the Bloc is TOL's daily digest of the important, the trivial, the tragic, the weird, and the sober from its coverage region.

Editors‘ Blog: Punching out Saakashvili’s Lights

Editors‘ Blog: Punching out Saakashvili’s Lights

Author(s): Barbara Frye,Nino Tsintsadze / Language(s): English / Issue: 11/13/2012

Keywords: Georgia; Mikheil Saakashvili; Bidzina Ivanishvili; presidential palace; costs; electric bill;

Georgia's new prime minister is gunning to evict the president from the country's immense presidential palace. Literally.

Book value, deferred taxes yersus market value of firm - statistical verification of relations

Wartość bilansowa, podatki odroczone a wartość rynkowa przedsiębiorstwa - statystyczna weryfikacja zależności

Author(s): Rafał Wójcikowski ,Urszula Wójcikowska,Ewa Walińska / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 15/2003

The paper is connected with relationship between market and book value of company. Market value of firm is different than its book value. Trying it's display these differences the authors make analysis of the deferred tax assets/liabilities role in the deviations between market and book value of firm. In the paper the statistical methods were constructed to veriftcations research hypothesis in the 1996-2000. The results confinn the hypothesis that the company in which deferred assets/liabilities contribution in eąuity are more than 4%, deviation between value are going down.

Policy of accounting in the decision-making process- questionnaire research results

Polityka rachunkowości a zarządzanie jednostką- wyniki badań ankietowych

Author(s): Joanna Zakrzewska,Ewa Walińska / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 15/2003

In this article the authors try to answer the question if the accounting policy is treated as one of the factors influencing the management process in polish enterprises. The first part of article presents the main fields of policy of accounting and explains the impact of tax law on accounting policy in polish entities. In the second part the results of questionnaire research are presented. They were conducted in 1996-2001 among polish enterprises. The results let say that most of them use the policy of accounting to decisions - making process. It means that the policy of accounting will be more important in the future because of its harmonization with IAS.

The reform of Lithuanian accounting system

Reforma litewskiego systemu rachunkowości

Author(s): Jonas Mackevičius,Laimutė Kazlauskienė / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 15/2003

The article analyses reorganization of Lithuanian accounting from the Soviet into the Western accounting system meeting the requirements of free market economy. The main events and dates in the reorganization of Lithuanian accounting during 1990-2002 are provided. Analysis of the structure of three accounting laws, namely Act on Accounting, Financial Reporting and Consolidated Financial Statements is provided, and national accounting standards of business and budgetary institutions and the order of preparation thereof is introduced. Next, main deficiencies of the Soviet training system of accounting specialists - strict centralization and ideology - are shortly described. Compulsory lecturing of various pseudodisciplines (social political economy, scientific communism, atheism, etc.) stopped creative initiative and independent thought. Therefore, when the independence of Lithuania (the 11th of March, 1990) was rebuilt and when the market economy relationships started to develop there was a need to take decisive actions to raise the status of the accounting profession and to improve professional qualifications. The article describes how the training process of accounting specialists in the universities of Lithuania was transformed and how qualification update system of accountants - practitioners was created. The programs of Bachelors and Masters studies in accounting are presented in some detail.

Objectives of financial reporting by nonbusiness organizations: an American approach

Cele sprawozdawczości finansowej organizacji nie dla zysku: perspektywa amerykańska

Author(s): Wojciech A. Nowak,Magdalena Koczuba-Sobieraj / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 15/2003

In the paper , the orientations and contingencies of financial reporting by not for profit organizations , mainly from private sector , are pres ent ed. For this purpos e , the Ame r i c a n approa ch ha s been taken into account . FASB' s Statement of Financial Accounting Concepts No. 4: Objectives of financial reporting by nonbusiness organizations, issued in December 1980, i s us e d as the bas i s of presentat ions . The ci rcle of the addr e s s e e s /us e r s and the obj e c t ive s of thi s kind of f inancial repor t ing had be e n presented. An d these has be e n conf ront e d wi t h the addr e s s e e s /us e r s and object ives of f inancial r epor t ing by for profit organizat ions . An Ame r i c a n approa ch towar d the f inancial repor t ing by not for profit organizat ions has b e c ome the dominant global tendency. The r e for e the impor t anc e of i t s k n owl e d g e for par t ies interested i n the di f f e r ent aspect s of account ing and f inanc i a l repor t ing by thi s kind of organizat ions . FASB' s conc eptua l s tatement s on the object ives of f inancial r epor t ing by e c o n omi c ent i t ies has es tabl i shed f u n d ame n t s for an integrated conc eptua l f r amewo r k of f inanc i a l a c count ing and repor t ing by, general ly, all kinds of e c o n omi c ent i t ies (in cur rent pract ice, such a f r amewo r k immedi a t e ly conc e rns only pr ivate sector e c o n omi c ent i t ies) . Th u s t h e me aning of the general k n owl e d g e of conc ept s covered by each of these conc eptua l s tatement s .

Writing down deferred tax assets

Odpisy aktualizujące wartość aktywów z tytułu odroczonego podatku dochodowego

Author(s): Barbara Gierusz / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 15/2003

Recognizing deferred tax assets probably is the most complex and subjective area of financial accounting. Companies must reduce deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance. Application of this provision will be affected by each company's circumstances and by management's evaiuation of those circumstances. This article provides guidance on determining valuation allowances

Outlook of deterministic methods of using the economic analyses

Z historii metod deterministycznych analizy ekonomicznej

Author(s): Adam Żwirbla / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 15/2003

The management accounting - related literature stresses its emphesize on the fact that the variance analysis is essencial to cope with the problems, which may erise in business managing. Thus, it is absolutely necessary to improve the methods of conducting research into the said problems and, therefore, it is analysis of causes that should also be improved. The idea of this study is to familiarize the readers with the evolution of applying the methods of causes. It is showed that within a 50-year history of using the methods like that, a great deal of creative efforts have been made to criticize so called sequence substitution methods and, to determine 'an ideal method,' which made it possible to find some ideal solutions to the problems, as above. Eventually, the sequence substitution method is re-used. The above mentionned efforts, however, cannot be regarded as needless actions; as a result thereof, a lot of inspiration to conduct research into the new problems has been given.

Some Ideas on Recording and Valuation of Bank Loans at Amortised Cost

Zamortyzowany koszt kredytów. Zarys problematyki wyceny i ewidencji

Author(s): Piotr Wójtowicz / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 15/2003

The aim of this paper is to present the proposition of recording, valuation and disclosure of bank loans in terms of amortised cost and effective interest rate. The above propositions are based on the Accounting Act amended on 9th November 2000 and the decrees of Ministry of Finance concerning principles of bank accounting (issued on 10"' of December 2001). The principles of valuation and disclosure of bank loans and receivables originated by the enterprise and not held for trading allow to present values of assets fairly in the financial statements of banks. On the other hand these new regulations cause doubts about their interpretation and feasibility in practice. Valuation of loans at amortised cost is not mandatory until 31st December 2003, while amended Accounting Act came into force on 1st January 2002.

Measurement of Risk-Adjusted Profitability in Banks

Pomiar rentowności banku skorygowanej o ryzyko

Author(s): Monika Marcinkowska / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 15/2003

Statistical veryfication of cash flow relevance

Statystyczna weryfikacja istotności przepływów pieniężnych

Author(s): Dariusz Wędzki / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 15/2003

In a paper the results of statistical verification of cash flow materiality were presented. Cash flow plays a fundamental role in corporate finance and managerial accounting and is also a matter of cash flow statement made in financial accounting . Reliable statistical tests were used to investigate a Spearman correlation of net profit and EBIT with net cash flow and cash flow from operating activities. Next it was investigated a correlation of such shortened measures of cash flow as net profit + depreciation , EBITDA, simplified cash flow, free cash flow with net cash flow and cash flow from operating activities. The conclusion is that cash flow statement and profit and loss statement are relevant. The best shortened measures of cash flow from operating activities are simplified cash flow and EBITDA and for net cash flow calculation it is free cash flow.

Table of content

Spis treści

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 15/2003

Legal opinion on the Bill amending the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction and certain other Acts.

Opinia prawna na temat projektu ustawy o zmianie ustawy o przeciwdziałaniu narkomanii oraz niektórych innych ustaw.

Author(s): Marek Szydło / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2011

Keywords: Poland; Act on Countering Drug Addiction; Penal Code; advertisement;

The opinion concerns the Bill amending the Act on Counteracting Drug Addiction and certain other Acts (Sejm paper no. 3420). The bill amends also the Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Act on Waste. It prohibits the advertisement of certain products. According to the author, the bill requires additional legislative work. He also claims that the prohibition of advertisement of substitutes of drugs is aimless since it has been already established in another act. The author criticizes the elimination of the requirement that narcotic and psychotropic substances be acquired by the State authorities in the inquiry procedures only from qualified entrepreneurs.

Draft position of the Sejm on a constitutional complaint concerning the Extradition Treaty between the United States of America and the Republic (...)

Projekt stanowiska Sejmu w sprawie skargi konstytucyjnej, dotyczącej umowy między Rzecząpospolitą Polską a Stanami Zjednoczonymi Ameryki o (...)

Author(s): Marzena Laskowska / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2011

Keywords: Poland; constitutional complaint; extradition; international treaty;

The author claims that the phrase: ‘but the Executive Authority of the Requested State shall have the Power to extradite such persons if, in its discretion, it be deemed proper and possible to do so’ of Article 4(1) of Extradition Treaty Between the United States of America and the Republic of Poland, signed at Washington on July 10, 1996 (Dziennik Ustaw of 1999 No. 93, item 1066) is – 1. consistent with Article 55(2) as to the principle of specificity of legal provisions, which arises from Article 2 of the Constitution 2. inconsistent with Article 55(1) and 55(2) of the Constitution. After thorough examination of the matter, she concluded that Article 55(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland with its ambiguous wording, allows the extradition of Polish citizens solely in the case where the obligation to extradite stems from an international treaty. Therefore, it is constitutionally unacceptable to use Polish citizenship in international treaties as an optional basis for extradition refusal and, at the same time, give Polish public authorities the “possibility” to extradite Polish citizens upon foreign request.