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KYC Newsletter

Korea-Yemen Center

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Çѱ¹¿¹¸à±³·ù¼¾Å¸  Korea-Yemen Center

No. 11 July, 1998


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Osaka JAMES
 

(Dr. Hong, President)

JAMES(Japan Association of the Middle East Studies) 14th annual conference held on May 19-20 at International Buddhist University(IBU; ÞÌô¸èÝÞÑÏÐð·ÝÖÎçÓÞùÊ) in Osaka . This seminar started with the registration at 1:00 PM in IBU. The first day of this seminar consists of special lecture by Morimoto Kosei (Todai-ji), music performance; Shonrpur Project, general conference and welcome party. Total 27 papers were read on the next day including 3 papers from KAMES.

In Korean Side, I presented the paper by the title of "Economic Cooperation in the Middle East". Prof. Song Kyung Sook(Hankuk University of Foreign Studies) read a paper by the title of "A Study on Mahmud Darwish" and Prof. Nasr Eldin Salah of same university read the paper by the title of The diectic expressions in Sibawayh's Book (Al-Kitab).

Especially Morimoto Kosei's special lecture gave me a great impression. I, as a buddhist, found the deep study on his lecture between Islam and Buddhism. Thus I would like to introduce his work in our newsletter briefly. According to Morimoto Kosei Islam absorbed foreign elements from Judaism, Christianity and Hellenistic culture, and was infleunced by them. I introduce the summary of his lecture as follows;

" In this context, when we consider elements that possibly came from Buddhism, we can point to a part of the origins of Sufism as having come from Buddhism ot Indian thought. However, on a doctrinal level, Islam and Buddhism are completely different religions. The reason for these differences is that the religious experiences of their founders were fundamentally different.

The 'Abbasid Dynasty (750-945), the early period of Islamic history, was a transitional time in the formation of Islamic law, known as Shari'a. This was a time when the fundamental aspects of Islam mixed with a variety of foreign elements, when they became conjoined. Did Islam receive influences from Buddhism during this time and if it did receive influences, what shape did those infleunces take?

It is from this perspective that today I wish to take up the various problems concerning Buddhist elements in Islam through this period and to touch upon al-Hallaj, a figure who is known to have had a special existence in the history of Sufism. I Believe that this analysis will assist us in learninng more about the nature of early Islamic society."

Kawai Tomoko's paper was an interesting study among the other subjects. I found the word of happiness in his paper. According to Kawai Tomoko', "The famous muslim philosopher in Middle Ages, Al-Farabi(870-950) uses the word 'happiness'(as-sa'aadah) as the object of the ruler and citizens in the perfect city. And he treats the word as one of the most important technical terms in his political articles. Moreover, he wrote about the 'happiness' in his two treatises "the Attainment of happiness (taHSillu s-sa'aadah)" and "Guidance of the access to happiness (at-tanbiih 'alaa sabiili s-sa'aadah)."

JAMES meeting in Osaka rendered a good opportunity to seek various subject on the Islam and Oriental culture. I also never forget the kindness of all the members of JAMES. I hope to see the JAMES members in Korea or Japan again like this symposium. I would like to express my great thanks to all the members of JAMES again.

 

 


 

Yemeni Information

Economic Growth and Development in R.O.Y

By Minister of Oil Statement in 31/3/1997.

In view of the general economic level, the available indicators and datacollected during 1996; relating to the production in a number of economic sectors and branches, indicate positive signs of achieving standard averages in the economic growth for most of the sectors.

This lead to an expectation of an increase of GNP by about 7% in conformity with the fixed price rates. This can be identified in various ways: -

- The agricultural production is expected to grow within a 2% ratio.

- Due to rise of crude-oil prices, the average growth rate is expected to reach round a 13% increase.

- In oil-refinery sector, without considering the rise in price, it is expected to achieve an average growth rate of 11% approximately.

-The production of transformation industries is expected to rise up to 10%.

- As for the sector of building and constructions (Contracting) it is estimated during 1996-97 to achieve a rise ranging between 8 to 13%.

-Year 1996 witnessed a decrease in the value-added charges in the electricity and drinking water.

-A retreat of average growth rates during 1996 of the Government services sector.

The Investment Expenditures: -

These are of two angles: On relating to expenses incurred for executing the Government development projects, while the other is related to the investment in the private sector's projects.

There was, during year 1996, a rise to about 90% in the financial execution of the projects related to the investment program. Fortunately, the value of external loans usable to finance current year's development projects is expected to amount 150 million dollars i.e. an equivalence of 60%the total external loans expected during the Year 1996.

Private-Sector Investment: -

It is expected a continuance of a positive -reflected direction in the private sector activities, and development of its role within all its divisions. The number of projects licensed during January -September 1996 by the Public Investment Authority were 162, involving employment of 8214 persons and costing around a value of 22,7 billion Rials. These projects have been of mainly service, touristic and industrial natures.

National Savings: -

As the national Consumption raised during year 1996 from 439 in 1995 to 553 billion Rials i.e a 26% rise, the national Savings and Deposits equally rose to 99 million Rials. This confirmed safety of the directions in distributing the resources between the various utilities. The value of fixed capital -assets have risen in the year 1996 to 136 billion Rials against 94 million Rials in 1995 i.e a 45% rise

Foreign Trade:

Even with a proportional rise of crude -oil export value, preliminary indicators showed a deficit in the commercial equilibrium of foreign trade. This deficit amounted to 200 million Rials in the year 1996 for foreign trade balance!

Investment Program for Year 1997

Source: "Investment Program" Yearly book 1997, by the Ministry of Planning and Development

 

Due to the fact that investment is the main motive for economic and social development, evaluation and achievable progress in the Government investment field shall, thereby, mainly be concentrated in three main issues, these are:

a) Improving criteria of evaluation and choice of the Government investments to the level appropriate to achieve the economic and social objectives contained within the First Five-Years Plan;

b) Estimating the volume of Government investment as compared to the current expenditures for objective of securing its continuous increase within the limits of the overall economic policies; and

c) Follow-up executing the Government development projects to secure its speediness, and start of its operation within its per-planned efficiency standards.

The objective, in this case, is minimization of current economic and financial irregularities and/or violations, in addition to increase of public and private sector investment, which will in -turn lead to improvement in the living standards of the people.

Though fiscal limitations imposed limits on the size of investment allocations for year 1997, the subjective necessities oblige investment in the economic and social infra-structures of the economy -viz, roads, electricity, water, and projects related to education and public health.

The table below indicates the sources of financing such investments:

TABLE
 

Year

Total Allocations

Sources of Finance (Millions Rials)

-

-

Gov.

Private

local loans

foreign

1997

81181.8

28829.4

12269.2

---

40083.2

1996

41875.7

19873.2

5391.4

194.5

16416.6

 

Yemen Oil. Annual Return. Production .. Consumption

The annual Oil returns reached about 970 million dollars, while it was 650 million dollars and half year ago.

The factors that led to the increase were:

1)-International Price Increase.

2)-Cost Price decrease of the oil producing companies in Yemen.

3)-Yemeni involvement in the capital investment for some of the oil producing companies in Yemen in addition to the preservation of its shares in the original percentage that reached to 4% of the production rate.

-Yemeni labor force employment in the oil producing companies in the country.

The actual production currently is between 370-380 thousand barrels crude oil on a daily basis. It has been expected that oil production will reach daily 420 thousand barrels a day. This expectation included the Namer Oil producing company's estimate to produce 20 thousand barrels per day.

There are about 18 oil producing companies working currently in the field of exploration in the country.

Moreover, it has been contracted with five new companies. Local oil consumption was estimated with more than 70 thousand barrel per day, 65 thousand out of that came from Aden Refinery and the rest from Saffer Refinery in Mareb.

Yemeni Gas export will start by the year 2001 and the returns was expected to reach between 650-750 million dollars per annum for 25 years. The cost of Yemeni share is 24% (through Yemeni Gas Corporation). French total has 36% and 14% each for American Hunt and Exxon companies.8% for the Korean Company venture as sub-contractors.

(ÀÚ·á: Minister of Oil Statement in 31/3/1997., H.E. M.S. Al-ATTAR by YEMEN Gateway http://www.al-bab.com/)


 

Activity

 

  

Embassy of Republic of Yemen held a National Day Reception on May 22, 1998.

 

 


 

Yemen Statistics

Basic Indicators for the Two Yemens (1989)
 


YAR

PDRY

ROY

000 §´)

195

333

528

Population(mn, mid-1989)

10.1

2.5

12.6

GDP($mn in 1988)

5,631

1,275

6,906

Remittances ($mn)

264

173

437

External Debt ($bn)

3.3

2.5

5.8

Exchange rate (=$)

9.76

0.345

----

Sources: World Bank, World Development Report, 1990; IMF, International Financial Statistics Yearbook, 1990.

 

Table 2. Trend of GDP
 


1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

YAR:GDP(mnYR)

24,756

30,969

38,389

43,559

54,959

real growth %

3.3

4.6

9.4

4.7

19.2

PDRY:GDP(mnYD)

350

510

400

430

440

real growth %

8.8

-6.6

-11.8

3.2

0.3

Sources: IMF, International Financial Statistics Yearbook, 1988; World Bank, World Tables,1990-91.

This publication is consisted of  Korean, English, Arabic and the other languages concerned. The contents of the newsletter do not necessarily reflect either the position or the views of KYC.

EW is a character of RIES. RIES means East-West and Research Institute of Economy & Society.

å¥Ú¦ á¼ãÓ KYC Newsletter  Publisher: Dr. Seong Min HONG, President , Editor: Dr. Joo Heon Kang, Director of Research, KYC.

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