PETALING JAYA: Employees surfing the Internet or chatting on social networking sites during office hours are costing companies of millions of ringgit annually in lost productivity.
This has caused some employers to ban Internet access at the workplace as they find the “freedom” given to staff members too costly.
Fashion retailer Voir Holdings Bhd recently banned employees from going online after 5% of its employees were caught using office computers to access Facebook and other networking sites. This did not include those tweeting on their mobile phones.
Its managing director Ham Hon Kit said in an interview that his company might risk losing up to RM2.4mil a year if employees spent two work hours a day on such sites.
“Any delay in work, even by one employee, can affect the performance of the rest. The company may also lose business deals,” he said, adding that employees whose work required them to go online did not come under the ban.
Cuepacs recently advised civil servants against accessing Facebook or similar sites during office hours following complaints that some were being distracted from their work.
Malaysian Employers Federation executive director Shamsuddin Bardan said employers should learn from the experience overseas and ban their staff members from visiting social networking sites during office hours.
He said it was wrong for employees to use company facilities or their own gadgets to go onto Facebook or Twitter during office hours, adding that some even went to the extent of badmouthing their employers in their postings.
According to British employment website MyJobGroup.co.uk, company staff who spent an hour daily on social networking sites during work cost British businesses £14bil (RM67.2bil) a year.
Its poll also revealed that 6% or two million of Britain’s 34 million workers spent an hour each day on social media sites.
A study by IT staffing agency Robert Half Technology showed that 54% of companies in the United States had banned their workers from using sites like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedln and MySpace during working hours.
Another 19% allowed social networking strictly for business purposes while a further 16% had “limited personal use”.
However, not all local businesses are against the use of social networking sites.
Retailer SenHeng Electric (KL) Sdn Bhd managing director Lim Kim Heng said there was no ban for its 1,250 employees because it had yet to pose a threat.
“About 25% of my staff have Facebook accounts. Social networking is the lifestyle of the new generation, particularly those below 30 years old.”
Editor's note: Several bank leaders met to discuss regional currency cooperation and RMB settlement at the recent Dianchi financial forum. Their speeches are featured here.
Wei Benhua, former deputy director, State Administration of Foreign Exchange
The most important reason Asia saw much less loss than America and Europe during the global economic crisis is that it has a good financial system. It is under strict supervision and has sufficient capital and good operating practices.
The huge amount of foreign reserves of Asian countries and regions also helped them weather the crisis. In 2009, Asia's economic entities' foreign reserves topped $5.2 trillion.
During the 1998 Asia financial crisis, we learned we need to establish a lender of last resort .
Several currency swap agreements were signed in 2000 between Asian countries to enhance their cooperation in lowering financial risks, but that is far from enough to combat the shock of a crisis from the outside.
In 2007, financial ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China, Japan and South Korea, decided to build the bilateral currency cooperation into a multi-lateral mechanism.
They called for a regional foreign reserve pool that requires member countries to provide a certain amount of capital to a country in need.
However, the capital in the pool is managed separately by each country. A unified supervision and management mechanism is not available. Whether the country in need can get financial aid in a timely manner is therefore in doubt.
Cheng Zhijun, deputy director-general, Ministry of Finance
The internationalization of a country's currency can increase its say in global economic affairs and lower the exchange rate risk. It can also promote the country's economic and trade development.
But we have to notice that currency internationalization is in line with the country's economic power.
Although China's economic volume is as huge as the US, Britain and Japan, China's per capita GDP is still at the mid and low-income levels.
In recent years, RMB has become a de facto currency of settlement and payment in the neighboring countries of Russia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The ministry has been supporting RMB's regionalization. Cross-border trade in RMB has enjoyed a tax rebate or exemption since 2010.
The ministry also issued 6 billion RMB treasury bonds in Hong Kong last year to promote RMB settlement.
In 1998, the ministry initiated a dialogue between ASEAN countries, China, Japan and South Korea. This has laid a foundation for RMB's regionalization.
The expansion of RMB cross-border settlement will be beneficial for China's border provinces like Yunnan, and neighboring countries.
Md. Ahsan Ullah, executive director, Bangladesh Bank
There is no doubt that globalization is occuring due to the tremendous development of communication networks.
It is also a fact that regional financial and monetary cooperation is occuring. ASEAN, SAARC, and BIMSTEC are becoming more consolidated. And the Kunming initiative is a great step forward.
In addition to regional cooperation in trade & finance, bilateral cooperation is on the rise. Many countries are implementing free trade policies.
It is worthwhile to mention that while the ASEAN has been considerably successful, SAARC has not - despite its birth more than 25 years back.
There is an Asian Clearing Union System that exists in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Iran. In order to establish an RMB cross border payment system, we have to develop a modus operandi like that. I believe that it may take a little bit of time, but it's not impossible.
Gong Fangxiong, general manager, JP Morgan Asian-Pacific branch
It is just the right time to propose to pilot RMB's cross-border trade settlement while China's trade in Asia has made the currency a basis for Asia's trade settlement.
China's foreign trade is good in terms of exports. But the RMB lacks influence and purchasing power and is not a freely convertible currency.
The country needs to step up efforts to make the RMB convertible and to promote goods which can be invested and priced by the currency.
RMB settlement can be carried out first in the border areas and then seek regionalization and internationalization. But this is not the sole road, and the demand for RMB settlement should be increased.
Zhou Jiangong, editor-in-chief, Chinese-language edition of Forbes magazine
The first step for the RMB's internationalization should be its regionalization among neighboring economic entities which have close trade and investment ties with China.
Yunnan, as a border province in Southwest China, is crucial for the Chinese currency's regionalization.
In 2004, China's central government made tax rebate policies to encourage Yunnan's enterprises to use the RMB in cross-border trade. Now, more than 95 percent of the province's cross-border trade is settled with RMB.
RMB reserves in Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos are estimated to have topped 20 billion yuan, and annual RMB settlement volume is expected to reach 10 billion yuan after the RMB cross-border settlement is formally launched.
Cross-border trade in Yunnan will be further speeded up as the pilot program of RMB cross-border settlement expands.
China's growing investment in ASEAN countries will promote the RMB's importance in the free trade area.
Yi Huiman, vice president, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China
In an age of global economic restructuring, deepening financial and monetary cooperation in Pan-Asia serves the common interests of the parties concerned.
Cross-border RMB settlement, in particular, brings huge social and economic benefits.
It meets the growing needs of the enterprises for easier transaction and boosts regional trade. It helps enterprises avoid risks as foreign exchange rates of major currencies continue to fluctuate. It also sets the stage for other creative financial products and services.
Therefore, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) looks to it as a key growth area. ICBC is an important player in the global financial sector. As the most powerful bank dealing with the RMB settlement, ICBC takes the lead in risk management and service networks.
Pan-Asia is mainly composed of rising economies and developing countries. It is one of ICBC's target markets. Since its first foreign branch appeared in Singapore in 1992, ICBC has embarked on an ambitious venture to compete in the global arena.
Over the past years, it has been operating in more than 20 countries and has gained acceptance by local businesses.
Looking forward, ICBC is ready to strengthen cooperation with other Asian countries in cross-border RMB settlement by expanding its service network and providing more innovative financial services.
Yang Liping, Banking Supervision Department III director, China Banking Regulatory Commission
As the major watchdog of China's financial sector, China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) has opened the domestic market and allowed China's banks to compete on the global arena.
The efforts have born ample fruit. The total assets possessed by China-based foreign banks stood at 1.5 trillion this June, up from 300 billion in 2003.
CBRC helps the localization of banks while supporting their healthy development. It is attracting more foreign banks to operate in western and southeastern parts of China, which are in bad need of capital.
At the same time, CBRC encourages banks to invest in rural areas, medium and small enterprises and similar capital-strapped fields.
CBRC also encourages foreign banks to share experience in risk management and accelerate the internationalization of RMB.
Since Yunnan is an important communication hub in Asia, it has become a critical front in China's commitment to building the China- ASEAN Free Trade Zone.
Guan Jianzhong, president, Dagong Global Credit Rating Co Ltd
Cross-border financial and monetary cooperation is something of credit cooperation, or internationalization of credit, by nature.
Two problems that may arise in this process are credit risks and information imbalance. Information imbalance, in particular, is an urgent issue.
China's credit has enormous impact on the value of RMB and the confidence of its holders in other countries. A credit rating platform is badly needed. With such a mechanism in place, investors can reduce possible risks. It is more than a financial system; it is also a system that has to bear social responsibility.
Rapid development of cross-border RMB settlement surely will encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest overseas. Supported by a scientific credit system and rating system, China and its neighboring countries will be on a fast track towards closer cooperation.
Fang Xinghai, Shanghai Financial Services Office director, Shanghai municipal government
More efforts should be taken if we are to transform Kunming into a financial center in cross-border RMB settlement.
To begin with, we should expand the service network. Banks in China and other Pan-Asian countries have to expand their service networks in each other's markets.
Yunnan, however, still has to improve local banking services, and concentrates on market expansion in neighboring countries.
On the other hand, Yunnan has to cooperate with other parts of China. It must fight for a bigger share in the growing domestic market.
Zheng Yang, Shanghai Bureau deputy director, State Administration of Foreign Exchange
In 2009, Shanghai began the pilot project of cross-border RMB settlement. It has grown rapidly. Last July, its total volume reached 20.3 billion yuan in Shanghai.
The success is attributed to many factors. Shanghai government officials check on its progress. They hear the complaints of local banks and enterprises on a regular basis.
In addition, new laws and regulations were enacted to steer the project towards healthier development.
The banking industry informs local enterprises of settlement procedures and policy changes to ensure smooth transactions. They also provide many creative financial products to meet changing needs.
RMB Cross Border Payment & Receipt Management Information System has a crucial role to play. Some 40 domestic and foreign commercial banks participate in the system, constituting an influential financial mechanism.
We are optimistic about long-term prospects, but we have to remain cautious in the immediate future.
The task is to expand the settlement service network and explore every possible avenue of RMB settlement. Also, we have to learn how to manage risks as we continue to extend our business overseas.
ScienceDaily (Sep. 5, 2010) — The fact that our female ancestors dispersed more than our male ancestors can lead to conflicts within the brain that influence our social behaviour, new research reveals.
Scientists from Oxford University and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, examined the impact that genes 'knowing' which parent they come from -- a process called 'genomic imprinting' -- has on how selfish or altruistic they want their carriers to be.
A report of their research is published in the journal Evolution.
They found that because, historically, women moved about more than men, and so are less related to their neighbours, our paternal and maternal genes are in conflict over how we should behave -- with our paternal genes encouraging us to be altruistic whilst our maternal genes encourage us to be selfish.
'When women disperse more during their lifetime than men, as seems to be the case for ancestral humans, this leads to you being more related to your neighbours through your father than through your mother,' said Dr Andy Gardner of Oxford University's Department of Zoology, an author of the report.
'This leads to conflicts over social behaviour: the genes you receive from your father are telling you to be kind to your neighbours, whereas the genes you receive from your mother, like a demon sat on your shoulder, try to make you act selfishly.'
Mutations in imprinted genes have previously been linked to growth disorders in infants and, more recently, it has been suggested that they could underpin neurological disorders such as autism and psychosis. This study reveals how such disorders of the social brain can evolve by mutations favouring the expression of paternal genes (favouring altruism) or maternal genes (favouring selfishness).
Dr Gardner said: 'What our research reveals is that the popular idea of someone battling their psychological 'demons', that are telling them to behave in a selfish way, has some basis in our genetic makeup -- we are all coalitions of conflicting genes.'
Story Source: The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by University of Oxford.
We must be brave enough to confront the racist bullies in our midst. If we remain silent, we will unwittingly allow them to hijack our national goals.
"We need to stand up at some point and say that we cannot tolerate racism!"
THE message has been made loud and clear – there will be zero tolerance for racism. No rational and reasonable Malaysia would argue against this in the wake of racist remarks made by bigoted Malaysians.
We are used to bankrupt politicians uttering hurtful words about other communities in the belief that they can win votes by projecting themselves as racist supremacists and, by extension, as protectors of their race.
But this sickening action seems to have grown, with more racial champions being given bigger space in the media, which would only encourage them further.
Frankly, some of these figures, who now also include obscure academics, have been created by the media. Without this platform, they would otherwise be just nobodies. In fact, most Malaysians would prefer for them to stay that way as their actions have created ill feelings and polarisation.
Their racially warped writings and statements, which may seem supportive of the government, have not helped the ruling party.
They may like to think that they are doing the national leaders a service, but the truth is they are held in disgust and contempt by most Malaysians. They have, in fact, inflicted serious damage to the government.
The media, both mainstream and alternative, should downplay their racist statements: better still, spike it – or delete it, as the modern journalist would say.
After 53 years of independence, Malaysian politicians and community leaders, by right, should be more confident, outward looking and politically mature but the perception is that we have gone downhill.
The ugly side, or more aptly the darker side, of some politicians seems to have emerged, which must be one of the dampeners to the National Day celebrations.
How can we remain indifferent when politicians, people we used to hold with high regard, suddenly start to beat the racial drum instead of passing the pipe of peace around?
What has shaken many Malaysians is that the appalling actions of some of these racists seem to have garnered a following.
Otherwise, how does one explain reports of Perkasa expressing support for the headmistress from Johor who purportedly made racist remarks or the outpouring of support for her in her Facebook page?
Most of us have been brought up by our parents to believe that there can be only be right or wrong. They also taught us that there are only good and bad people.
But there are also the ugly people now. Racism in whatever form is sickening. We have all experienced it in one form or another.
None of these experiences were pleasant, even if they seemed minor and were not worth getting upset about.
But we need to stand up at some point and say that we cannot tolerate racism and will not allow politicians to get away with statements which cause unhappiness.
Neither should the government be seen to be dragging its feet when taking action against people such as the headmistress. Why in the world do we need a task force to investigate the simple case of a headmistress? It’s either she did it or she didn’t.
If she didn’t, and that the issue has been hyped up unnecessarily, let her enjoy her holidays in peace. If she is guilty, then act against her. Let’s get this case over and done with so the nation can move on.
The Education Ministry must also issue notices to all schools to stress that racist statements cannot be accepted nor tolerated and that action, including expulsion of students, would be carried out if anyone is found violating these rules.
This is a normal practice in many British schools and we should adopt this disciplinary code if we are committed to zero tolerance. It will be a mockery to have the 1Malaysian slogan painted on the school walls if the teachers or students within do not practise it.
We must be brave enough to confront racist bullies. We must be ready to tell those who claim to champion the cause of our community that their myopic line will not benefit Malaysia.
It is when some of us remain silent that we unwittingly allow these self-appointed community leaders to hijack our national goals. We must realise that by choosing to close an eye, we may well give the impression that we are silent racists.
The coming weeks will be a time when Malaysians come together to celebrate Hari Raya. It will be a time for sharing and, more importantly, for forgiving. Let politics take a back seat and use the opportunity to turn down the political decibel.
Malaysians cannot afford to be bogged down by inconsequential debates which put the country in a bad light. If Malaysia is seen to be divisive, racial, unsure and insecure, how can we expect investors to come here?
PUTRAJAYA: Being mindful of one’s words and actions and not questioning issues agreed upon by the nation’s founding fathers and spelt out in the Constitution are critical matters in race relations, says Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The Prime Minister said it was important to regard the two points as “political management” because it was critical and equally important as managing the country’s economic and social affairs.
“Political management doesn’t necessarily mean politics based on parties and ideologies, and this (gathering) is not the right forum for me to touch on it,” Najib said at the Prime Minister’s Department monthly gathering here yesterday.
“Political management includes race relations. If one can refrain from uttering words or committing acts which can offend other races, then ‘temperature-raising incidents’ can be avoided.
“We also must not question what has been agreed to by our founding fathers, especially what is stated in the Constitution, which is based on the social contract among the different races.
“If we take heed of these two critical points, I believe we can further strengthen the country’s two pillars, which is national unity and political stability,” he said.
Also present at the gathering were Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan.
Najib said stability and unity would be threatened if race relations were not managed well.
He called on civil servants to embrace and understand the 1Malaysia concept so that the two pillars remained steadfast and strong.
“We will be celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri with the open house concept. Let us not just open our house to others. We should open our hearts and minds too. On behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Government leadership, my wife (Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor) and I, we wish everyone Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.”
WE never seem to run out of jargons whenever a recession is upon us. An economist marvels at the use of them – phrases such as capital control and fiscal stimulus are thrown around as though it were second nature to them (as it should be).
What of the common people though?
Many of us seem content with the validity of such terms and do not feel the need to question what they mean.
This leads to us assuming the meaning of certain phrases, without feeling the need to consult the great sage that is the world wide web.
My point is, few of us actually understand what we are talking about when we subtly slip in such jargons over coffee with our mates.
In fact, many of us assume that economics is a subject far detached from our everyday lives (a bit like nuclear physics) and that any analysis requiring knowledge on the subject should be left to the experts.
Indeed, piecing together how all the pieces of an economy fit together can be a daunting task – although, if anything, the imminent slow dip back into recession has proven that perhaps the experts themselves are having trouble as well!
It is a popular argument that it was the experts who got us into this mess in the first place.
The push toward Keynesian economics that began after the second world war was a time bomb waiting to explode – at the core of Keynesian’s ideas were that governments could smooth out the volatility of free markets by expanding the supply of money and running budget deficits when times were tough (there’s more jargon for you).
Common sense would suggest that such policy is not sustainable in the long run – all it does is create artificial bubbles in certain sectors of the economy that will come crashing down sooner or later.
How an Economy Grows and Why it Crashes by the Schiff brothers is an advocate of such common sense.
Inspired by How an Economy Grows and Why it Doesn’t by the Schiffs’ father Irwin, they have decided to write a more tongue-in-cheek book.
Using illustration, humour and storytelling, the authors attempt to take economics off its lofty shelf and place it back on the kitchen table where it belongs.
The book follows the lives of settlers living alone on a far away island, the actions they take to improve their standards of living and their eventual maturity into the strong, developed nation of Usonia.
Along the way, they face trials and tribulations not unlike those faced by the United States – in fact the reader will encounter many recognisable events and personalities in US economic history as the authors use this as an allegory throughout.
Certain names are changed for comic effect – Ben Bernanke is called “Ben Barnacle”, possibly to highlight his tendencies to inflate the economy, while Richard Nixon is referred to as “Slippery Dickson”, for obvious reasons.
The authors have done a fine job in explaining how economics is relevant to our daily lives.
It must seem taxing, forgive the pun, on us to attempt to understand how banks work, why self sacrifice contributes to society or why comparative advantages should be pursued – but the truth is that the answers to all these questions are much simpler than we think.
The book also does a good job of explaining how the global economic crisis came about.
Once mysterious jargon such as “credit crunch” and “sub-prime mortgages” become clear to the reader, as does the housing glut.
It is also interesting to note how politics seems to have begun to overlap with economics in Western countries, pushing the idea of civil liberties and the free market to the edge.
The converse might also be true, as governments in developing countries begin to realise the best way forward is by gradually relinquishing their control on their economies, thus allowing market forces to exert a greater degree of autonomy.
In hindsight, the best part about the book is that it is much more enjoyable to read than most daily financial papers or certain sites on the Internet offering dryer, more textbook style explanations (Wikipedia being the possible exception).
Somehow, the introduction of characters and events always seem to make any subject more appealing and accessible to readers, and that is certainly very true for a subject with a reputation for being boring like economics.
After going through the book, the reader will no doubt feel more secure over coffee table conversations, having picked up an understanding of economics like no other (as well as meanings to jargons one never attempted to find out).
It does make a person look less pretentious if he actually knows what he is talking about. I leave the last words on this book to a review I found on the Internet: ‘This is a phenomenal book that makes economics so easy a Congress could understand it. Very enlightening!’
The Standard and Poor's (S&P) downgrade of Irish sovereign debt to AA- on Aug. 25 was consistent with the other rating agencies, yet it had a greater effect on market sentiment. This is largely a question of timing--in the weeks since the Moody's downgrade on July 19, the extent of Ireland's banking crisis has become better understood.
The Irish banking sector faces several problems:
--Asset write-downs. The scale of asset write-downs and debt defaults to which Irish banks, building societies and firms are subject has grown as assessments of the residential and commercial property and development portfolios of institutions have come to light.
--Banking crisis. Although no Irish bank failed the stress tests of 91 European banks, the European Commission approved 24.3 billion euros ($31.1 billion) to support the nationalized Anglo Irish Bank on Aug. 10. Three weeks later, on Aug. 31, Anglo Irish Bank reported the worst half-year results in Irish corporate history--a loss of 8.2 billion euros. The European Commission is expected to rule in the next few weeks on the Irish government's plan to split Anglo Irish into "good" and "bad" banks, though the weak capital base of any configuration of the former limits the relevance of such a scheme. In addition, Ireland's two main banks, Bank of Ireland and AIB, are now heavily subsidized and have also reported massive losses this year. AIB must raise 7.4 billion euros to meet new capital reserve rule requirements, or face state control.
--NAMA strategy. The prospects for a Swedish-style asset recovery under the National Asset Management Agency is rapidly decreasing. At the outset, it was expected that 80 billion euros of loans would be transferred from banks to NAMA, with a modest haircut of 20%. However, the write-downs are now well over 50%, averaging 38% for Anglo Irish Bank loans, while the Irish Nationwide BS loans were transferred at a 90% write-down. Due diligence has found that the banks misled NAMA about the real value of their loan books as well as the number of debts producing income streams.
--Public finances. The government's commitment to cut Ireland's deficit from 14.3% of GDP in 2009 to 3.0% by 2014 lacks credibility. Already, the state is borrowing 25 billion euros annually to finance public services despite harsh cuts in public sector spending. Rising unemployment and the associated uptake of social benefits are a further strain. Future hardship is likely, as the major domestic mortgage lenders have raised their non-fixed rates three times this year, despite the stability of the ECB rate. On Aug. 26 bond investors pushed 10-year Irish bonds to 344 basis points over German bonds.
Debt dynamics. The economic crisis in Ireland is about debt--individual, institutional and firm, and state. Peculiar to Ireland is the deep intertwining of the banking sector, state institutions and property developers, which produced convoluted, low-collateral loans, a porous regulatory culture and complacency about continuing property-based asset escalation. In a small state, gargantuan property loans take on similar-size debt.
Raising capital. Irish banks face debt repayments of about 30 billion government-guaranteed euros in September, with an equivalent amount of bank debt liabilities maturing in the rest of the year. Owing to the increased cost of Irish state borrowing, these banks will have to pay more than expected, which means they must raise fresh funds in the markets. Such banks' funding costs are normally based on government bond yields coupled with a premium. (The cost of Irish bank bond credit default swaps on senior debt has also risen.) If the banks have trouble raising capital to refinance, they will have to rely on the ECB, which further weakens sovereign debt spreads. The banks can use NAMA bonds (government-backed bonds which replace the real-estate loans deposited with NAMA, which are ultimately ECB-backed) to raise capital.
Outlook. Despite short-term success in raising capital in bond markets, debt is accumulating. Future Irish governments will have to pay back these bond-based borrowings. Taxpayers now face a generation of repayment. This debt, rather than the deficit, is the real fiscal challenge facing the Irish government and its partners within the euro-area.
Oxford Analytica is an independent strategic-consulting firm drawing on a network of more than 1,000 scholar-experts at Oxford and other leading universities and research institutions around the world. For more information, please visit here.
High Street banks have been accused of leaving some customers in "dire poverty" after taking money out of their accounts without permission.
Setting off typically sees banks move between £100 and £200, usually to pay off a credit card account
Banks can move cash between different accounts belonging to the same person, and only have to tell them afterwards.
The practice, known as "setting off", typically involves banks moving money from a current account to pay off a credit card account which is overdrawn.
Citizens Advice says it has seen an 80% rise in inquiries about such transfers.
It is not illegal for banks to move money in this way. They only have to tell the customer after they have done it.
"Setting off" typically involves banks moving sums of between £100 and £200, usually to pay off a credit card account.
For many people that can actually be helpful, as it will save them interest charges.
I have no money for food, let alone for other essentials like washing materials”
End QuoteJohn Gates
But for others, particularly those who receive benefits, it can cause serious hardship.
£3 a day
John Gates, from Brixton in south London, has a £4,000 debt on his credit card.
He relies on housing benefit and Job Seeker's Allowance for his income.
On at least four occasions his bank took money out of his current account to put towards the credit card debt. It only informed him afterwards.
After paying for his rent, John says that left him with just £3 a day to live on.
"It's devastating," he says. "It means I go on a forced diet. I have no money for food, let alone for other essentials like washing materials."
Another couple, from Dundee, told the BBC that they were left without enough money to pay for their baby's nappies after their bank also transferred money to a credit card account without their knowledge.
The couple agreed to be interviewed, until their bank apparently offered them a £1,000 payment if they agreed to remain silent.
Bank consolidation
Citizens Advice says such cases are not rare. "It's actually leaving people in dire poverty," Sue Edwards from the service told the BBC.
Up to 2% of all bank customers are affected by set-off payments, and the practice has increased markedly in the last four years.
The onus is on the banks to make sure they treat individuals sympathetically and positively”
End QuoteEric LeendersBritish Bankers' Association
That is partly because of the consolidation of banks, so that where customers used to have accounts in separate banks, they now find those accounts come under a single new owner.
The Lloyd's Banking Group includes Halifax and Bank of Scotland, for example, while RBS includes Natwest.
Sue Edwards says she would ideally like to see the whole practice banned, but because that would require legislation, it would be difficult to achieve.
In the meantime she is asking banks to leave at least £1,000 in people's accounts, to cover basic living costs.
"It wouldn't help everybody," she says, "but it would help more people than at present."
'Beneficial' practice
Banks say they are well aware of the problem.
"It can be a big challenge for people," admits Eric Leenders from the British Bankers' Association (BBA).
But he also points out that the practice can be beneficial to customers who have simply forgotten to make a payment.
Such customers could avoid an unarranged overdraft, or arrears on a loan or mortgage.
And he rejects the idea of leaving a minimum of £1,000 in customers' accounts.
"It would be difficult to say a specific amount," he says.
But after the BBA published extra guidance to the lending code in March this year, Eric Leenders is promising that banks will be more considerate towards customers.
"The onus is on the banks to make sure they treat individuals sympathetically and positively," he says. "Banks should make sure there's sufficient left for reasonable living expenses."
The Financial Services Authority, the banking regulator, is currently consulting on its own new guidance on set-off practice.
Among its planned recommendations, it says money should not be taken from joint accounts or where the cash involved has come from a benefit payment or a tax credit.
JOHOR BARU: A tyre shop owner has disowned her son after Ah Long harassed her over his RM60,000 gambling debt.
Bong Swee Yin, 50, said although she could tolerate her son stealing from her to fuel his online gambling habit, the visit by the Ah Long was “unbearable.”
“I can accept and even forgive him for stealing from me over the past eight months. However, leaving me to settle his RM60,000 debt is too much.
“I have decided to disown him,” she told reporters at a press conference organised by Johor Baru MCA public complaints bureau deputy chief Michael Tay here.
Fed up: Bong airing her woes to Tay during a press conference at the Johor Baru MCA public complaints bureau.
She said she hoped the Ah Long would stop harassing her since she had severed family ties with her 25-year-old son who would often stay up until the wee hours of the morning gambling online on his computer.
“Whatever the Ah Long want to do to him, I don’t care anymore. I am very disappointed with his behaviour,” she said, adding that her son had been missing since Aug 25.
Bong also vowed that even if her son were to repent and beg for forgiveness, she would not help him pay his debts.
“If he comes home and explains his actions, I am still willing to take him back. I will not, however, help pay his debts. That will be his problem,” she said.
“Before the Ah Long came to my shop last Wednesday, I had no idea that my son’s gambling habit was so serious.
“He has always been rebellious and disobedient but I never imagined him getting into this kind of trouble,” she said, adding that the Ah Long had threatened to seize goods from her shop if her son did not settle the debt soon.
Tay said almost 90% of the Ah Long cases the bureau received this year were linked to debts incurred through online gambling.
“Many people turn to Ah Long when they get into debts. I urge the public to never ask Ah Long for help no matter how deep the trouble they are in,” he said.
