Saturday, January 25, 2020
Development of Accounting Systems in China
Development of Accounting Systems in China Abstract This report put the accounting development in China into perspective. Describe the history and changes in the accounting environment of China during the recent economic reforms by using the Greys (1988) accounting value to analyzing the culture impact on accounting systems development in China, and then, illustrate the institutional and environmental factors which driven Chinas accounting system made changes, the reasons of those changes and then describes the major problem in Chinas accounting development as well as to point out whether would be changes in the future. Introduction This report is aim to describe the development of accounting system in China, including the history of Chinas accounting except Hong Kong, the one country, two systems policy allowed Hong Kong remain its market-led capitalist system. Then, it would describe the traditional use of accounting and the factors that influenced Chinas accounting development as well as what the changes it has made what the major problems that China has face in developing the accounting system. Then, it would discuss whether China would have further changes of accounting system in the future in my opinion. There has a conclusion in the end. Country profile China had more than 1.34 billion population at the end of 2010. National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced Chinas GDP reaching 39.79 trillion yuan (approximately 6.04 trillion US dollars) over the course of 2010. (Du Xiaodan, 2011 Paul Pennay, 2011) Brief history ofà accounting in China According to Zhang Guohua (2005), Chinas economy has undergone three periods of change since 1949: 1949- 1978: a socialist, centrally controlled, planned economy. 1979- 1992: socialist commodity economy. 1992- present: socialist market economy. Chinas accounting system has changed with the economy, almost like the period of the Chinas economy. Development of accounting systems can generally be divided into the four stages: (more detailed information of Chinas accounting history can be found in Appendix 1.) 1949-1978 was the first stage which the uniform accounting system and the 1978-1992, Chinas accounting system has during the transition and the construction. Then, from 1992 to 1997, the construction of a new accounting system has issued. The fourth period is from 1997 to present. The ASC was set up in October 1998 by the Ministry of Finance to oversee the development of a complete set of Chinese GAAP. In order to join in the WTO, Chinas accounting standards made some change to closer to IFRS/IASs. The new Chinese Accounting Standards were adopted by all listed companies from 1 January 2007. Chinese Accounting Standards will continue to be updated in line with IFRS developments. (Gray et al, 1995 Wang Baozhong et al, 2009 Zhang Guohua, 2005 The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, 2010) Traditional use in China The basic function of financial accounting is to accounting and monitoring. With the founding of the PRC in 1949, all resources of production in the country came under State ownership. Accounting was primarily used for establishing information and reporting system for the implementation of national economic policies and resource allocation in the planned economy. (InterChina, 2009) The objectives of financial reporting system have been stated to serves one user primarily, the government, and then it is stated very broadly to strengthen accounting work of share enterprise, to protect the legitimate interest of investors and creditorsà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦ (Ministry of Finance, 1992).The change in industry and ownership specific accounting system is due to the need of macroeconomic planning require a uniform system. (Tang, Qingliang, 2000) During the developing of accounting system, there are a number of users makes use of accounting in different purpose. Such as Shareholders use accounts to examine the health of business, and the dividends that they can expect to make. The bank may use the account to see how much loan they would provide for the company, and government would see the how much tax the company needs to pay. The main use for accounting is to comply with legal and other requirements, to provide information for stakeholders about financial performance and viability, to provide managers with information for decision making and to provide a structure to business activity based on the careful processing of numerical data. (The Times 100, n.d) The cultural factor that influenced its development The development of accounting was influenced by both cultural and environmental factors. They shape the accounting system in China. As Merino (cited in Carnegie and Napier, 2002) mentioned, All source material must be viewed as a reflection of the culture. The transition from a communist economy to a capitalist market economy can summarize as contributed by the factors as politic, culture, as well as the reform of social and economic or regional and international integration. Before economic reform, Chinas communist culture (See appendix 2) has strongly influence all the means of accounting control, whether accounting plans, balance sheets, and income statements or, in a wider sense, audit techniques. (Cigdem Solas and Sinan Ayhan, 2008) all the surpluses were owned by the state. A table (See appendix 3) summarizes the information on the difference between capitalist and communist systems, and issues raised for examination regarding their reflection in accounting. The transitions of the culture and economy reform were both influence the accounting system in China. For example, the concept of profit is meaningless under communist culture due to the panned economy which the surplus goes to government. In capitalism culture, the economic entity would need to have a certain type of boundary; the profit is one of its results. Particular rules for payment of the various parties involved would also be required, and monetary assessments of economic flows registered would have to be at least partly based on market mechanisms. Its status as a measurement of a single entitys performance presumes that there is a capacity for free enterprise do not existing in communist economic structures. Greys (1988) model derived accounting values from studies of societal value dimensions by Hofstede (1984), and Greys model has been used to analyse the cultural impact on accounting development in China. Professionalism V Statutory Chinas accounting system is strongly controlled by state rather than professional. The state closely controlled all enterprises by centralized plans. The profession is also still relatively new, small and powerless and it is currently occupied with the problems involved in meeting the new audit requirements. And it is unlikely to give up this power to a professional body so far. (Roberts, Weetman and Gordon, 2008) This is mainly because the strong power distance in China. In China, power is unquestioned, no matter it is right or wrong, the accountants in China cannot rely on their professional view. Uniformity V Flexibility Due to the special circumstances, China has a dual approach which retained a uniform accounting system in the Accounting System for Business Enterprises (ASBE) while also developing accounting standards based on IFRS. Enterprises have no judgment at all on how to account for particular transactions or events according to the uniform system. (Roberts, Weetman and Gordon, 2008) It is just as the same as the statutory in China, the accountants has been regulated by the uniform accounting regulation, they have to do as the regulation told to. Conservatism V Optimism The accounting system in China is conservatism rather than optimism. The Accounting System illustrate that an enterprise should fulfill the requirements of the prudence concept. Including, an enterprise should not overstate assets or revenue, or understate liabilities or expenses. It should not provide for any hidden reserve. (Roberts, Weetman and Gordon, 2008) which means Chinas accounting system has high level of uncertainly avoidance. Chinese government likes to plan everything in advance just the five years plan, they do not want to see something happen unexpected due to the complex situation. Secrecy V Transparency Chinas accounting system has highly secrecy due to the large power distance and strong uncertain avoidance. The collectivist culture of China require the enterprise offer their information to the society but within a range of narrative disclosure which stated in ASBE 2001. (Roberts, Weetman and Gordon, 2008) only related people can see the accounting information such as the managers, shareholders and the government officers. This feature is due to Chinas prudent culture, it is different as the western country but it is totally consistent with Chinas situation. Problems for using the Greys model There have some problems by using either Hofsteade model or Greys model to analyzing Chinas situation. Those models has been stated many years ago, in addition, China is rapid development in every aspects those years, therefore, the model may not be 100% appropriate with the situation nowadays. Another problem is China is really big; there has huge gap between west area and east area no matter in economy or culture. Institutional and Environmental factors There are several environmental factors which influence accounting system in China. Economic and enterprise reforms have influence the financial reports by change of the contents, format and uses. Enterprises in China are no longer relying on fund appropriation instead of independence in their operational and financing activities. Banking and financing system has restructured, therefore, the role of the state as a source of funds has been reduced. (Tang, Qingliang, 2000) Furthermore, various forms of business combinations with joint ownership have emerged (Tang et al, 1992). The rigid, fund-orientated and industry/ownership specific financial reporting system and practices are no longer well-matched the changing business environment. As a result, a universal and user-oriented financial reporting system is necessary to meets the needs of the economic reform. Due to the economic factors, the Objectives of Financial Reporting has made some change as well as the Industry and Ownership Specific Accounting System. Furthermore, foreign investment started to influence Chinas accounting system since the open-doors policy. The increasing of foreign direct investment and international business transaction driven China change its accounting system close to international accounting and report standard. (Tang, Qingliang, 2000) The legal factors have been influenced by other factors. The government system is one of the legal factors. The new accounting regulation system (See Appendix 3) is being developed towards a legal one. The National Peoples Congress issued the first tier accounting law in 1985 and revised in 1993 and 1999. It is the basic law of accounting in China as well as the basis of Chinas accounting work and other related accounting regulations. The State Council and Ministry of Finance formulated second tier- the executive regulations which form conceptual framework and general principles of accounting. The third tier authorized by the PRC Accounting Law and formulated by the Ministry of Finance. (Zhang Guohua, 2005) The legal framework for Chinas accounting system and reporting standards have changed step by step to fulfill the need of economy development. Another driving force for the accounting change is the development of capital market. In 1990 and 1991, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange were established. The development of capital market has influenced Chinese accounting change toward to a capital market-oriented system. Therefore, the structure, content, format, and disclosure of financial information have been significantly influenced by the needs of the capital market. (Tang, Qingliang, 2000) Problems occurred in development There also appeared some problem during the Chinas accounting systems development and transition into international accounting standard. First is that Chinese accounting system and IAS requiring different practices; for example, inventory must be valued at historical costs under Chinese GAAP, but at the lower of cost and market (LOCAM) under IAS. Another example is accounting for long-term investment. Chinese GAAP offers companies a free choice between cost and equity methods if their investments in shares do not exceed 50 percent. But in other words, differences between Chinas accounting system and IAS can be reduced by changing accounting standards. (Charles J. P Chen, Ferdinand A. Gui and Xijia Su, 1999) Second, to implementation of IAS requires professional judgment from management as well as auditors. Professional independence and implement of standards have been identified as the two critical issues in international auditing. (Stamp and Moonitz, 1982) The severe shortage of qua lified accountants and auditors in China delay the development of professional auditing (Winkle et al. 1994; Graham 1996) Further changes The development of Chinas accounting system needs to fit Chinas special circumstance. It is impossible to expect independent/professional auditing to be achievable in China in the future. This implies that the proposed accounting standards will have to operate without independent/professional auditing. It is likely that the flexibility in the detailed accounting standards will provide opportunities for managers to engage in aggressive earnings management, reducing, even eliminating the probability of showing a true and fair view. Therefore, the lack of independent/professional auditing can neutralize the objective of prudence and turn the flexibility into a land of opportunities for earnings exploitation. (Bing Xiang, 1998) In my opinion, there has a trend, which the Chinas accounting system would slightly change towards to the international accounting system in the future, but would never be exactly the same with the international accounting system because of Chinas special circumst ance like one-party policy, different situation in different area, huge power distance and not so easy to managing the big land of China. Conclusion In conclusion, China has undergone profound changes in recent years, not only the economic system but also the accounting standards. China has moved from a system of public ownership of all enterprises to a mixed system with increasing private ownership of both small and large companies. There have many factors such as cultural and institutional factors which led to those changes as well as some problem which hold the change back, but Chinas accounting system would still change towards to the IAS due to the requirement of economic development. References Bing, X., (1998) Institutional Factors Influencing Chinas Accounting Reforms and Standards. Accounting Horizons. 12(2) pp: 105-119. Carnegie, G.D. and Napier, C.J., (2002) Exploring Comparative International Accounting History, Accounting, Auditing Accountability Journal, 15(5). pp 689-718. Chen, J. P., Gui, A.F., and Su, X., (1999) A Comparison of Reported Earnings Under Chinese GAAP vs. IAS: Evidence from the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Accounting Horizons. 13(2) pp: 91-111. Chiapello, E., and Ding,Y., (2005) Searching for The Accounting Features of Capitalism: An Illustration with Economic Transition Process in China, SASE, Budapest. Chow, L.M., Chau, G.K. and Gray, S.J. (1995) Accounting reforms in China: cultural constraints on implementation and development, Accounting and Business Research, 26(1): 29-49. Du, X., (2011) China has 1.34 billion populations by 2010. [WWW] Xinhua NEWS. Available from: http://english.cntv.cn/20110228/109748.shtml [Assessed 1/3/2011] Graham, L., (1996). Setting a research agenda for auditing issues in the Peoples Republic of China. The International Journal of Accounting. 31(1). pp: 19-37. InterChina, (2009) Accounting in China. InterChina Consulting. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, (2010) Chinese accounting reform: Towards a principles-based global regime. ISBN: 978-1-904574-62-0. Edinburgh: Technical Policy Board of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS). Ministry of Finance, Chinese Government, (1992). Accounting system for foreign investment enterprises. Pennay, P., (2011) Chinas GDP Increased by 10.3% in 2010. [WWW] the Economic Observer online. Available from: http://www.eeo.com.cn/ens/homepage/briefs/2011/01/20/191877.shtml [Assessed 1/3/2011] Roberts, C., Weetman, P., and Gordon, P., (2008) International Corporate Reporting: A Comparative Approach. 4th ed. FT Prentice Hall. Stamp, E., and Moonitz, M., (1982). International Auditing Standards: Part I. CPA Journal. pp 24-32. Solas, S., and Ayhan, S., (2008) The Historical Evolution of Accounting in China (Novissima Sinica): Effects of Culture (2nd Part). Spanish Journal of Accounting History. No.8 pp: 138-163. Tang, Q.L., (2000) Accounting Reforms in China: A Transition from State Plan and Control-Oriented System to Capital Market-Oriented System. Managerial Finance. 26(5) pp: 80-99. Tang, Y., Chow, L., and Cooper, B., (1992). Accounting and Finance in China: A review of current practice. Hong Kong: Longman. The Times 100, (n.d.) Accounting Functions. [WWW] The Times 100. Available from: http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/theory/theoryaccounting-functions111.php [Assessed 2/3/2011] Wang, B.Z., Huang, J.Y., Wang, B.Q., (2009) Change of Accounting System Review. Communication of Finance and Accounting à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ NG. Issue6. Winkle, G., Huss, H., and Chen, X., (1994). Accounting standards in the Peoples Republic of China: Responding to economic reforms. Accounting Horizons. Issue: 8. pp: 48-57. Zhang, G., (2005) Environmental factors in Chinas financial accounting since 1949. Netherland: Erasmus University Rotterdam. Appendix 1 History of accounting systems development in China Chinas accounting history can be traced back 2000 years ago. The word accounting first appeared in Western Zhou Dynasty à ¯Ã ¼Ãâ 11th century BC to 770 BCà ¯Ã ¼Ã¢â¬ °. During the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), Account book appeared for recording the annual fiscal revenues. The basic traditional Chinese accounting theory such as the scientific bookkeeping method and the four pillars accounts was created in Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279). A new method called Long Men Zhang which is similar to the double-entry bookkeeping method has created in Ming Dynasty (AD1369-1644). Single-entry bookkeeping has been used in prior to 1911. (Zhang Guohua, 2005) Since 1949, Development of accounting systems can generally be divided into the four stages: First stage is from 1949 to 1978: 1949-1952 a unified accounting system of affiliated enterprises was developed by the central government. 1958-1959, the accounting system has been severely damaged by the scholasticism thinking, some people claimed to simplify the accounting system. 1960 to 1966, due to economic development, people realized the importance of accounting. Critical theorists illustrated the error approach of simplify the accounting system, then, the accounting system design work has received attention. Furthermore, the industry-specific regulation has been issued. (Gray et al, 1995 Wang Baozhong et al, 2009 Zhang Guohua, 2005) Second stage is from 1978 to 1992: Chinas accounting has undergone drastic changes due to the opening-up and beginning of reform. 1979-1922, Enterprises started to issue equity shares in 1984. The number of Sino-foreign joint venture has increased; Ministry of Finance has issued the Laws on Sino- foreign Joint Venture to solve the problem of difficult of foreign staff in accounting and use the accounting information. These included a joint venture income tax law and laws on contracts and foreign exchange. Accounting Regulations for Sino-Foreign Joint Ventures and Charts of Account and Accounting Statements for Industrial Sino-Foreign Joint Ventures has issued in 1985 which is the first accounting system reference to international conventions to satisfy the new accounting system in China. (Gray et al, 1995 Wang Baozhong et al, 2009 Zhang Guohua, 2005) Third stage is from 1992 to 1997: Ministry of Finance and the National Committee of Economic Structure Reform jointly promulgated Accounting Regulations for Share Enterprises in 1992. Furthermore, Accounting System for Business Enterprises (ASBE) issued in November 1992. The ASBE was a major attempt both to unify the accounting systems used by different industries and to move financial accounting towards international accounting practices. Because of the development of foreign exchange markets, these regulations which made in 1985 were replaced by Accounting Regulations for Enterprises with Foreign Investments and Charts of Accounts and Accounting Statements for Industrial Enterprises with Foreign Investments in 1993. (Gray et al, 1995 Wang Baozhong et al, 2009 Zhang Guohua, 2005) The fourth stage is start from 1997 to present: the Accounting Standard Committee issued to establishing a complete set of accounting standard. The Accounting Law of the PRC which revised in 2000 is the highest level of authority which replaced the pervious law of 1992. (Gray et al, 1995 Wang Baozhong et al, 2009 Zhang Guohua, 2005)
Friday, January 17, 2020
Indian Price Rises
Rising Price in India wrote by : MILAN CHATERJEE ,india from : http://www. publishyourarticles. org/eng/articles/rising-price-in-india. html Today, India is facing many problems ââ¬â the problem of corruption, the problem of unemployment, the problem of illiteracy, the problem of population, so on and so forth. The problem of rising prices is one of the most important problems that Indian is facing now. This problem is two-fold to check the rising prices and, if possible, to bring the prices down. The economists are of opinion that growing economy of the country has given rise to the rising prices. Such economy causes inflation.In inflation purchasing power runs ahead of purchasable goods. In other words, in a growing country, the supply of money increase at once but the supply of goods takes time to increase. Again the population has increased. This has further increased inflation. Because of growing population the current corruption is increasing. There is another cause of risi ng prices. The production of consumption goods has been very slowly rising. Our plants are also responsible for the present food situation. High targets were set to be achieved in defense and development. Levels of outlay on the development were suggested.No consideration was given to the existing state of economy. The pressure on real resources has been increasing. The gap between the return and investment also has its effect upon the present price situation. Thirdly, the kind of system of Government is liable to inflation. Restraint cannot be exercised in spending. Often it happens that claims have to be met mainly allocating funds. In the period of rising prices, the rich got richer and poor, poorer. The rich own the means of production. They pay the laborers handsomely. But they take of the left hand what they gave with right hand.The cost of goods swells up. The prices naturally go up. What his master gives him, the market takes. Rising prices encourage hoarding, profiteering, black ââ¬âmarketing and corruption. They discourage export. They cause devaluation of currency. Lastly, they seriously disrupt equitable distribution of wealth. The problem is very dangerous. It needs measures ââ¬â short and long term, to be adopted. These measures include as appeal mixed up with threat to the sellers, raids on go downs and other hoards of grain, the seizing of black, the cut of Rs 400 crores in central expenditure, the ncrease in bank rates to 5 %, the opining of fair price shops, the rationing of provisions, the imports of food-grains from some foreign counties, the curbing of unproductive expenditure by the Government, the readjustment in the scale of pay and the emphasis on small plants. The short term measure will help the government to hold the price-line. The long term measures will help the government to withdraw the huge amount of money pumped into circulation during the last year. Corruption has also given rise to rising prices. Analyze the news In dia has been having this economic cycle for centuries.But the issue of price of goods has been rising in India had been considered just a while ago. In the past, this economic cycle started with the problem of its population. The inequality distribution of wealth makes the poor suffer from starving as they do not have money to buy food or clothes. On the other hand, the rich just kept taking advantage of whomever underneath them. Nowadays, India has been intervened by other countries that want to help to improve the quality of life of the poor in India. Due to the better quality living of the people, they seem to have more purchasing power than before.The growing population in India, is also the result of improving quality of life, is creating a shortage of consumption goods. Because the demand increase rapidly more than the supply of goods. The increasing of population also creates more corruptions between the government and the investors, because rising price guides them the ways of making more benefits. These all situations have just creating further problems continuously from the past. It seems like these problem would never end because if they cannot fix one spot on the cycle, the other spot would never be solved.
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Analysis Of `` My Last Duchess And Carol Ann Duffy s ...
Several poems in the anthology explore the intensity of human emotion. Explore this theme, referring to these three poems in detail and by referencing at least three other poems from your wider reading.ââ¬â¢ The potent emotion of jealous love permeates throughout both Robert Browningââ¬â¢s ââ¬ËMy Last Duchessââ¬â¢ and Carol Ann Duffyââ¬â¢s ââ¬ËMedusa.ââ¬â¢ Jealous love forms a central concern of the poets, with each one focusing on different aspects, which the reader may come to identify the poems as exploring the intensity of human emotion. The themes of both poems show the complete mental consumption of the voiceââ¬â¢s. Their pre-dominative behaviour appears to emerge from perverted good values. The paranoid voice of a woman, angered with her supposed cheating husband runs throughout the duration of ââ¬ËMedusa,ââ¬â¢ seeming to grow in anger as it meets every line. In addition, Carol Ann Duffy creates an extended metaphor of this womenââ¬â¢s transformation into the monstrous character ââ¬ËMedusa,ââ¬â¢ using members present in Greek mythology, in order to paint a metaphorical juxtaposition of a once beautiful woman, now a hideous ââ¬Ëgorgonââ¬â¢ due to the impact of detrimental human emotion. Detrimental emotion being, as shown by the phrase: ââ¬ËMy brides breath soured, stank,ââ¬â¢ with the use of sensory imagery demonstrating how a slight ââ¬Ësuspicionââ¬â¢ has taken hold of the voice. Moreover, this build-up and outpour of the slight ââ¬Ësuspicionââ¬â¢ and emotion over the po em suggests that the voice has succumbed to and has allowed herself
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
An author of the Declaration of Independence - Free Essay Example
Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2058 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/10/31 Category People Essay Level High school Tags: Thomas Jefferson Essay Did you like this example? On our third presidents gravestone, Thomas Jefferson is proclaimed as both an author of the Declaration of Independence and the father of the University of Virginia, yet there is nothing mentioned about his time as the highest political rank in American history. This is primarily due to the fact that Jeffersons presidential run was extremely underwhelming. Jefferson, known as one of the most profound figures in American history, was marked with one of the worst eras in American history during his presidency. Donââ¬â¢t waste time! Our writers will create an original "An author of the Declaration of Independence" essay for you Create order By the end of his second term, Jefferson was criticized heavily about how he lead the country and the future turmoil that was caused due to his actions as president. Jefferson had various issues during his time as president, but nearly all of them can be linked to three distinct problems present throughout his time as president. Although he faced many problems during his eight years as president, Thomas Jeffersons presidency ultimately failed because of his struggle to keep peace with foreign countries, his hindrance in the progression of the American economy, and his overly-high development of liberalism. One of Thomas Jeffersons most significant issues during his presidency were his issues with foreign relations. Modeling after George Washington during his farewell address, Jefferson believed in staying as neutral as possible in foreign affairs. However, this came to be more difficult than initially expected, as Britain continuously sought to impress American ships and sailors. In taking action, Jefferson believed in the Monroe-Pinkney treaty,1 in which he sent James Monroe and William Pinkney in order to resolve this issue. No treaty was signed, and the British impressment of American ships remained a prominent problem. In this matter, Jeffersons view on foreign relations proved to be unsuccessful as the British found no need to stop impressment as there was no opposing American threat present. Thomas Jefferson was in refusal to propose any significant threat to an opposing country. As seen in the Monroe-Pinkney Treaty, this caused us to become continuously disrespected by countries - England and France especially- and no legitimate response from our government. As stated by Dumas Malone in his book Jefferson The President: Second Term, Jefferson was far too optimistic when looking for resolution with France and England and thus was unsuccessful in the majority of his attempts to maintain the peace.2 In stating this, Malone implies that Jefferson was too absorbed in the ideology that restraining from foreign affairs was ideal, and thus caused more issues than before due to the belligerence of both Britain and France. Although he tried to adapt to these issues during his presidency, Jeffersons adaptation was poor at best. In 1807, Jefferson passed the Embargo Act,3 which prohibited American ships from trading in all ports. This proved to be Jeffersons biggest embarrassment and was disastrous, as it put the American colonies in a deep economic depression. Jeffersons belief was that in cutting off trading with British and French ports, their reliance on America would be emphasized and they would resolve their issues in order to maintain the flow of traded goods. However, this plan backfired, and evidently led to Britain and France finding other trade markets and causing Americans to take the toll for the act. Jeffersons outlook to avoid foreign affairs as much as possible eventually diminished the country and thus caused his presidency to be a significant disappointment. As mentioned by Malone, Jefferson had conducted his government from the beginning on the theory of peaceable coercion.4In saying this, Malone implies that Jefferson always had the vision of avoiding war, and thus would primarily tolerat e the pesterance of foreign countries through subtle threats that would maintain a form of peace. This was Jeffersons most ineffective approach to a problem, and caused severe damage to the progression of the country. Malone says that During Jeffersons presidency his attitude toward Great Britain and France varied directly with his hopes and fears, especially his fears, for the security and well-being of his own country.5Jefferson was confined to what the satisfaction of foreign countries in order to stay neutral in foreign relations and maintain the protection of his country, and therefore Although he attempted to reduce problems in foreign affairs through remaining neutral in all issues and avoiding war with foreign relations, Jeffersons way of handling those foreign issues was evidently extremely ineffective and increased the issues with foreign countries rather than finding any type of resolution. In Jeffersons struggle to facilitate peace with outside nations, America took a brutal toll and rather than feeling the safety which Jefferson sought, they ended up feeling both vulnerable and dependent on other nations. Although Jeffersons Embargo Act lead to be a profound economic problem for the country, it was his agrarian outlook on the country which caused the most significant economic problem. As stated in Jefferson and the Ordeal of Liberty, Jefferson believed that the plow was the most useful of the instruments known to man.6 In saying this, Jefferson stressed his sole belief that the agrarian society needed to be the principle basis of the economy. He believed in the fundamental rights of every man, and this was most widely expressed through his outlook on internal taxes. Jefferson believed in the elimination of internal taxes. However, this would just accumulate the problems prevalent in the country. As described by Joseph J Ellis in the American Sphinx, the elimination of internal taxes further reduced the public visibility of the federal government in the most sensitive area of public opinion, tax collection.10In saying this, Ellis depicts that in Jeffersons attempt to eliminate these t axes for the common people, he was causing a distortion for the people and deliberately masked the publics issue with the collection of taxes. Though his actions expressed support within the nation and were widely agreed upon as being beneficial to the country at the time, Jeffersons outlook for the countrys agrarian culture would be contemporary and would limit the countrys ability to thrive. Jeffersons outlook on the functionality of the countrys economy was extremely over optimistic and he became ignorant over the reality of Americas progression. As it was mentioned by Richard K. Matthews in The Radical Politics of Thomas Jefferson, he says, Jefferson perceives direct relationships between individual freedom, economic autonomy, and democratic community.7In stating this, Matthews implies how Jefferson implemented his beliefs of equality for the common man into his belief in the American economic system. Jefferson constantly subsidized the liberties of all men, yet was too reliant on his beliefs and consequently damaged the economy of the nation. In revolving his ideology of a successful economy around the belief in valuing the rights of all men, he shortchanged the progression in industrialist societies like the North. Though both important factors to represent as the president, there is little to no correlation between liberty and economy. Although it is essential to re present both as president, Jefferson did it in an ineffective manner and hurt the economic balance within the system of the nation. Additionally, one of Jeffersons greatest achievement during his presidency came in 1803, when he bought the Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon for $15 million, which is considered one of the greatest bargains in history. However, Ellis of the American Sphinx expresses that this was one of the most consequential actions in all of American history.7Although Jeffersons purchase of the mass of land was extremely exciting for the country and its future, it couldnt have come at a worst time. The country was already in a significant amount of debt, and Jeffersons Embargo Act would put them in one of their greatest economic depressions. Additionally, Napoleon had no motivation to settle his empire in the New World. Therefore it was a means of desperation on Napoleons part to use the money paid by America to supply more troops. After buying the Louisiana Purchase, Jefferson did nothing to enforce a push for westward expansion. To seize an empire, Ellis expressed, required an imperial president. 8What he means by this is that with the expansion of the Louisiana Territory, it was necessary to have a president who would utilize that expansion to fulfill the economic needs of the country. However, Jefferson did a minimal amount of execution and hurt the economy through his lack of action. Jefferson had the right ideologies in his actions during his presidency, but failed to execute his actions in a profound way that Although the Louisiana Purchase seemed like a good investment, Jeffersons utilization of the land made it a waste of money in a time where money was scarce. The third and final issue with the Jeffersonian belief in the future of the country was the overvalued ordeal of liberty. Richard K Matthews states that his unwavering faith in democracy and the ability of humanity to govern itself places him in the radical progressive tradition.9In saying this, Matthews implies that Jefferson takes the fundamental values of the liberties of the common man and applies that to his means of governing. However, he is inefficient in doing so and becomes too reliant on the people rather than a structured system of government. This can be expressed during his Inaugural Address, in which he said the infamous saying, We are all democrats. We are all Federalists.10Jefferson optimizes his belief in that the people can be self-governed, yet it came back to haunt him. He continuously failed in multiple attempts to express democracy for all and implement a self-governed nation into what it was during that era. Though his optimism in the countrys people and their ability to govern themselves gave a greater outlook on the country and its future, it ultimately had a negative effect on the country and was proven to be ineffective in the course of his presidency.Malone expresses in Jefferson and the Ordeal of Liberty that Jefferson held too high a belief in liberalism which evidently caused problems, one of the primary problem being the lack of security on the western border.11There were continuous complaints about Indian attacks and the lack of security for the people, but due to Jeffersons belief in a weak federal system, there was no availability to protect these people being attacked.12Although Jefferson was portrayed as representing the common man, his belief in distribution throughout the states proved to contradict himself as he was not able to provide basic needs through limited federal power. Additionally, his liberalist views are most significantly expressed through Jeffersons most famous document, the Declaration of Independence. Though not during his presidency, the Declaration of Independence modeled the same views and ideas expressed throughout Thomas Jeffersons presidency in order to sustain representation for all during his presidency. Though they are the founding documents of the country and were essential to the growth of the country, the potential of something occurring from the time the document was signed to the time of Jeffersons presidency could change significantly, and it is up to Thomas Jefferson and all other high officials to represent the law relative to the present time. However, Jeffersons modeling of liberty through the Declaration of Independence was an antecedent towards the development of the country. Lastly, Matthews says that Jefferson rejects the design of allowing a social structure and limiting human nature to provide stability .13In saying this, Matthews expresses how Jefferson constrained the rights of men in order to stabilize the country as a whole. This is another faulty belief of Jefferson as it expresses how his values of equity to all men are both hypocritical and unjust. Jefferson rejects the ideology of stabilization as he believes there is too much loss in that form of governing. However, people will not be able to exercise their rights and privileges without the stability and development of the nation as a whole. Therefore it is a negligent outlook to believe in something greater than the stability of the country. Jeffersons outlook and reliance on the belief of liberty proves to be problematic and overly weighted on the ideology of the rights for others. In summary, Jeffersons failure during his presidency election was primarily dependent on these three virtues. In no means are Jeffersons political viewpoints wrong, as both the Federalists and Democrats had an argumentative platform which many thought were accurate. However, the means in which Jefferson handled his presidency was the primary cause of issues during his eight years.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
The Strain On Taxpayer s Money Essay - 1429 Words
The strain on taxpayerââ¬â¢s money to sustain an inmate has been the source of many debates in recent years. Per the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, on average, it costs 31,286 dollars to house one inmate. Some Maximum-Security prisons cost as much as 60,000 dollars an inmate and goes on to name that the most expensive prison, Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, costs approximately 90,000 dollars a year (The Law Dictionary, 2012). While the thought of alleviating the cost associated with jails and prisons, is an unreachable goal, the goal of lowering the number of recidivist and in turn lowering overcrowding is attainable. Prison programs that do their best to rehabilitate offenders often see a cycle of returners coming through their doors in a matter of years or even months. Once the rehabilitated offenders are released, they often find themselves without the proper tools to find jobs or housing and resort to illegal activity to support themselves; thus, landing them back in jail or prison. The adv antage of allowing offenders to partake in reentry programs is the wide range of services that can be beneficial to their reentry back into society and it explains the importance of having reentry programs in corrections. Having quality programs for offenders such as educational programs, work release programs, and drug abuse programs. A proper program geared towards reducing recidivism should appease the many issues an offender may have which requires correctional funds to be allocated to reentryShow MoreRelatedHazardous Waste and Superfund Sites1143 Words à |à 5 PagesStrain on Superfund At its inception, Superfund was initially asked to identify and clean-up hazardous waste sites. However, thirty years later the United States is facing additional new threats to the health and safety of the American people. 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Many of these studies included the criminalRead MoreImmigrant Children and U.S Education1257 Words à |à 6 Pagesallowing illegal immigrants the right to free public education because the effects affect us as individuals and future generations in the american society. It is important for us to see if the benefits of allowing immigrants free education outweighs the strain it puts on our public education system. Researching and answering the question ââ¬Å"How should the government better manage the influx of undocumented immigrant children in the public education system?â⬠, will help americans realize what laws and policiesRea d MoreUnlawful Immigration Has Been A Generally Examined Topic1195 Words à |à 5 Pagesthe budgetary security of the district s lawful citizens. This effect plays out in various ways. Illicit Immigration Reduces Wages. Those unregulated laborers are regularly come up short on, which keeps wages low in a specific occupation and locale. 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Monday, December 16, 2019
Financial Analysis of Oil Marketing Companies Free Essays
string(22) " OF FIGURES Figure 4\." ?ANALYSIS OF OIL AND GAS MARKETING SECTOR- AN OVERVEW OF ITS GROWTH OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS (2001 ââ¬â 2005) AUTHOR: Akhlaq Ahmad Enroll No. 111031-004 Cell no: 03215008455 BBA-6 (Morning) SUPERVISOR: Mr. Musbashir Sadiq Bahria Institute of Management Computer Sciences, Bahria University Shangrila Road, Sector E-8, Islamabad ABSTRACT Pakistanââ¬â¢s economy is undergoing significant structural changes since 1999-2000. We will write a custom essay sample on Financial Analysis of Oil Marketing Companies or any similar topic only for you Order Now The real GDP growth is accelerating over the last five years. Over the next five years, 7-8 percent growth is targeted to be sustained, which will demand a huge rise in the energy use. The energy sector in Pakistan comprises of oil, natural gas, power (hydro and nuclear) and coal. The oil and gas sector has a lot of potential in Pakistan. Pakistan is classified as low priority by foreign investors because of the unstable economic and political situation. However, efforts are being made by the Government to promote investment in the oil and gas sector, by various incentives such as liberal granting of exploration licenses, restructuring and reform of the oil and gas sectors, deregulation of prices, and privatization of selected assets. The reform has enhanced transparency, making decision makers aware of the various The objective of this thesis is to analyze whether the Oil and Gas sector in Pakistan has really progressed and whether there are better opportunities for investment and growth in this sector now than there were in the past. For the purpose of determining the trend of growth in the Oil and Gas Sector, four Oil and Gas Marketing Companies (OGMC) were selected and their financial data analyzed over a period of five years (2001 ââ¬â 2005). Financial data relevant to the sample companies was gathered from published accounts of the companies, in their annual reports. This data was condensed and summed up for the four companies and presented in tables and then used for analysis. The results were held to be representative of the entire Oil Marketing Sector and seem to show a marked trend of growth in the financial indicators reveal that there has been a marked improvement in the growth of this industry. ACKNOWLEDGMENT First of all I am very much thankful to ALLAH ALMIGHTY, who gave me strength power to complete this task efficiently effectively. I am also very much thankful to my parents who gave me the basic knowledge of how to read write, who also prayed for me every time, especially in the hour of need trouble. Thanks to my most prestigious Supervisor Mr. Mubashir Sadik for providing me guidelines for each every aspect. Thanks to Mr. Abdul Ahad Maud and Mr. Faisal Subhan who were very cooperative and considerate during the whole period of data collection. I am also very grateful to all those who helped me gave me up-to-date information or any other information regarding this analysis while completing this task. Thank you in anticipation. DADICATION TO MY LOVING PARENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACTi ACKNOWLEDGMENTiii DADICATIONiv TABLE OF CONTENTSv LIST OF TABLESvi LIST OF FIGURESix CHAPTER 11 INTRODUCTION1 Broad Problem Area/Background1 Rationale5 Problem Statement6 Objectives of the study7 Research Questions8 Limitations9 CHAPTER 210 LITERATURE REVIEW10 CHAPTER 315 METHOD15 Procedure17 CHAPTER 421 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION21 CHAPTER 566 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION66 Conclusion66 Recommendations 68 GLOSSARY 69 REFERENCES73 LIST OF TABLES Table 4. 1: Pakistan State Oil Company Limited Balance Sheets (2001-2005)21 Table 4. : Pakistan State Oil Company Limited Income Statements (2001-2005)22 Table 4. 3: Pakistan State Oil Company Limited Vertical Common Size of Balance Sheets (2001-2005)23 Table 4. 4: Pakistan State Oil Company Limited Vertical Common Size of Income statement (2001-2005)24 Table 4. 5: Pakistan State Oil Company Limited Horizontal Common Size of Balance Sheets (2001-2005)25 Table 4. 6: Pakistan State Oil Co mpany Limited Horizontal Common Size of Income statement (2001-2005)27 Table 4. 7: Shell Pakistan Limited Balance Sheets (2001-2005)28 Table 4. : Shell Pakistan Limited Income Statements (2001-2005)29 Table 4. 9: Shell Pakistan Limited Vertical Common Size of Balance Sheets (2001-2005)30 Table 4. 10: Shell Pakistan Limited Vertical Common Size of Income Statements (2001-2005)31 Table 4. 11: Shell Pakistan Limited Horizontal Common Size of Balance Sheets (2001-2005)32 Table 4. 12: Shell Pakistan Limited Horizontal Common Size of Income Statements (2001-2005)34 Table 4. 13: Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited Balance Sheets (2001-2005)35 Table 4. 14: Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited Income Statements (2001-2005)36 Table 4. 5: Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited Vertical Common Size of Balance Sheets (2001-2005)37 Table 4. 16: Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited Vertical Common Size of Income Statements (2001-2005)38 Table 4. 17: Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited Horizontal Common Size of Balance Sheets (2001-2005)39 Table 4. 18: Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited Horizontal Common Size of Income Statements (2001-2005)40 Table 4. 19: Sui Southern Gas Company Balance Sheets (2001-2005)41 Table 4. 20: Sui Southern Gas Company Income Statements (2001-2005)42 Table 4. 1: Sui Southern Gas Company Vertical Common Size of Balance Sheets (2001-2005)43 Table 4. 22: Sui Southern Gas Company Vertical Common Size of Income Statements (2001-2005)44 Table 4. 23: Sui Southern Gas Company Horizontal Common Size of Balance Sheets (2001-2005)45 Table 4. 24: Sui Southern Gas Company Horizontal Common Size of Income Statements (2001-2005)46 Table 4. 25: Oil and Gas Marketing Sector Consolidated Balance Sheets (PSO, Shell, SNGPL, SSGC) (2001-2005)47 Table 4. 26: Oil and Gas Marketing Sector Consolidated Income Statement (PSO, Shell, SNGPL, SSGC) (2001-2005)48 Table 4. 7: Oil and Gas Marketing Sector Vertical Common Size of Balance Sheet (PSO, Shell, SNGPL, SSGC) (2001-2005)49 Table 4 . 28: Oil and Gas Marketing Sector Vertical Common Size of Income Statement (PSO, Shell, SNGPL, SSGC) (2001-2005)51 Table 4. 29: Oil and Gas Marketing Sector Horizontal Common Size of Consolidated Balance Sheet (PSO, Shell, SNGPL, SSGC) (2001-2005)52 Table 4. 30: Oil and Gas Marketing Sector Horizontal Common Size of Consolidated Income Statement (PSO, Shell, SNGPL, SSGC) (2001-2005)53 Table 4. 31: Important figures to be used in the calculating the ratios54 Table 4. 2: Ratios for measuring the Liquidity of the sector 55 Table 4. 33: Ratios for measuring the Long Term Debt Paying Ability57 Table 4. 34: Ratios for measuring the profitability of the sector59 Table 4. 35: Ratios of the measurement of the market value of the sector63 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 4. You read "Financial Analysis of Oil Marketing Companies" in category "Marketing" 1: Ratios for measuring the Long Term Debt Paying Ability55 Figure 4. 2: Ratios for measuring the Long Term Debt Paying Ability57 Figure 4. 3: Ratios for measuring the Long Term Debt Paying Ability59 Figure 4. 4: Ratios for measuring the Long Term Debt Paying Ability61 Figure 4. : Ratios for measuring the Long Term Debt Paying Ability63 Figure 4. 6: Graphs to specify the growth of the oil gas marketing companies65 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Broad Problem Area/Background It is universally recognized that energy is one of the most important inputs for economic growth and national development. The consumption of energy is one of the critical indicators of the level of development of any country. Developed countries use more energy per unit of economic output and far more energy per capita than developing countries. Economic growth is the key to this situation and for economic growth we need energy. Pakistanââ¬â¢s economy is undergoing significant structural changes since 1999-2000. The real GDP growth is accelerating over the last five years. Over the next five years, 7-8 percent growth is targeted to be sustained, which will demand a huge rise in the energy use. The energy sector in Pakistan comprises of oil, natural gas, power (hydro and nuclear) and coal. The total primary energy supplies measured in terms of oil equivalent (toe) stood at 50. million tonnes in 2003-04. Oil and gas account for almost 80% of the energy sector of Pakistan with oil and gas being 29. 9 percent and 49. 7 percent respectively. In order to measure the growth of the energy sector the best proxy might be to evaluate the performance of the oil marketing companies. As these are the companies which are not only selling the oil based products which meet the major needs of the energy in Pakistan but also these companies are dealing in the recently made popular Compressed Natural Gas. As this Oil and Gas sector represents more than 80% of the energy consumed in Pakistan so the companies which are dealing with the marketing of these fuels need to be assessed for their financial performance and results in the past few years. If these companies are showing growth we might assume that the energy sector is growing and the economy is on the right path. The first gas field was discovered in at Sui in 1952 and provides the basis for Pakistanââ¬â¢s extensive gas network. Pakistan imports crude oil (it only produces 17% to 20% of what it needs), however is self sufficient in natural gas. Of the companies that are being researched in the present study, Pakistan State Oil Company Limited (PSOCL) and Shell Pakistan are the main planks in the oil industry. Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), distributes major portion of the natural gas. Pakistan declared 1997-98 an ââ¬Å"Oil and Gas Yearâ⬠. As a result of offering incentives to potential investors, including foreign companies, some $2. 5 billion of investment was attracted. Oil and Gas Consumption Figures? Oil Consumption (In tones): 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 17,768,000 17,648,000 16,950,000 6,542,000 13,421,000 Gas Consumption 2003 ( In mmcft): 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 712,001 768,068 872,604 872,264 1,051,418 Consumption of oil and gas has been fairly steady throughout the 1990s with the gas consumption increasing at a rate of 4. 9 percent while the oil consumption increasing at a slightly reduced rate of 2. 5 percent. Until 1999, the govern ment tightly controlled the oil and gas industries of Pakistan. No decision could be made without referring to the higher authorities, and when decisions were made, they were often based on political as opposed to economic considerations. Since early 2000, an ambitious pro-market reform program is being implemented, and gradually, the straightjacket under which the industry used to operate is being dismantled. As a result, the sector has changed dramatically over the last five years, and Pakistan now leads South Asia in sector reform (Economic Survey of Pakistan, 2004-05). The government actions have focused on promoting private investments in the upstream, deregulating most of the market for petroleum products, establishing a regulatory agency for the gas sector, and introducing market-related price caps for petroleum products. The governmentââ¬â¢s long term goal is to create a competitive, efficiently-run, financially smooth, and a largely privatized oil and gas sector providing supplies to a large share of population. It is important to note that a structural shift is taking place since 2000-01. The last five years have seen a positive trend towards greater gas consumption and a negative trend in the petroleum products consumption. Substantial progress has been made in the restructuring and reform of the oil and gas sectors, deregulation of prices, and privatization of selected assets. The reform has enhanced transparency, making decision makers aware of the various aspects of the business. Rationale Oil and Gas is an important sector in Pakistan economy and it largely affects the GDP of Pakistan, therefore there is a great emphasis on exploration and marketing. The consumption of Oil was 16. 45 million tonnes in 2002-3 and consumption of gas was 872,264 million cubic feet. The acceleration in growth of energy consumption is not surprising when seen against a 15. 4 percent growth in large scale manufacturing and an 8. 5 percent growth in real GDP. Higher consumption of energy simply reflects the rising of economic activity in a country. Oil and natural gas are an integral part of the everyday life. Not only do they make the economy move, they heat and cool our homes and provide electricity. A large number of products are made from oil and gas, including plastics, life-saving medications, art silk, cosmetics, and many other items you may use daily. Even from Strateg ic point and defense view point Pakistan is dependent on oil and gas. Problem Statement Oil and gas sector of Pakistan has changed dramatically over the last five years and Pakistan now leads South Asia in sector reform. The endeavors made to increase the oil and gas supplies need to be analyzed and companies encouraged. With this premise in mind four, Oil and Gas marketing companies have been selected to analyze their financial performance that would also indicate their success. Objectives of the study The objective of research study is to analyze the growth and development of the Oil and Gas Marketing Sector in Pakistan. Currently according to the Board of Investment of Pakistan there are 26 (local and international) companies operating in upstream, 7 downstream companies, and 4 refineries. The focus of this analysis is on the progress of downstream companies that are based in Pakistan. Four leading downstream companies have been selected and their financial performance studied for a period of five years from 2001 to 2005 to see whether these companies are financially stronger and what their rate of growth is and to determine reasons behind the growth. Research Questions 1. What is the importance of Oil and Gas sector in Pakistan economy? 2. What is the growth scenario of Oil and Gas Marketing companies in Pakistan? 3. What is the financial performance of the selected Oil and Gas marketing companies during the research period (2001-2005)? 4. What conclusions can be drawn about the industry based on the financial performance of the selected companies? Limitations Limitations: This research study has certain limitations that are not easy for the researcher to overcome at this level. The general level of inflation has not been adjusted for. Overall prices of oil have increased due to unavoidable natural phenomenon like war in Iraq and Hurricane Katrina. The profitability of the oil marketing companies could be due to increase in prices of petroleum and it may not be the true measure of their financial performance. Some secondary data was not easily available and was very difficult to obtain. As the research work was given to the researcher during the semester so the time constraint played its role. Despite time constraint, the researcher has conducted a comprehensive research. The limited experience in the research field is also a matter of consideration. This is the first study that goes to researcherââ¬â¢s credit. Hence, the researcher does not possess any experience in the field. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW The firm itself and outside providers of capital- creditors and investors ââ¬âall undertake financial statement analysis. The type of analysis varies according to the specific interests of the party involved. Trade creditors (suppliersââ¬â¢ owed money for goods and services) are primarily interested in the liquidity of a firm. Their claims are short term, and the ability to pay these claims quickly is best judged by an analysis of firmââ¬â¢s liquidity. The claims of bond bondholders, on the other hand are long-term. Accordingly, bondholders are more interested in the cash flow ability of the firm to service debt over a long period of time. They may evaluate this ability by analyzing the capital structure of the firm, the major sources and uses and uses of funds, the firmââ¬â¢s profitability over time, and projections of future profitability over time, and projections of future profitability. The purpose of financial statement analysis is to examine past and current financial data so that a companyââ¬â¢s performance and financial position can be evaluated and future risks and potential can be estimated. Financial statement analysis can yield valuable information about trends and relationships, the quality of a companyââ¬â¢s earnings, and the strengths and weaknesses of its financial position (Woelfel, 1989). Investors in a companyââ¬â¢s common stock are principally concerned with present and expected future earnings as well as with the stability of these earnings about a trend line. As a result, investors usually focus on analyzing profitability. They would also be concerned with the firmââ¬â¢s financial condition insofar as it affects the ability of the firm to pay dividends and avoid bankruptcy. Internally, management also employs financial analysis for the purpose of internal control and to better provide what capital suppliers seek in financial condition and performance from the firm. From an internal control stand point, management needs to undertake financial analysis in order to plan and control effectively. To plan for the future, the financial manager must assess the firmââ¬â¢s present financial position and evaluates opportunities in relation to this current position. With respect to internal control, the financial manager is particularly concerned with the return on investment provided by various assets of the company and in the efficiency of asset management. Finally, to bargain effectively for outside funds, the financial manager needs to be attuned to all aspects of financial analysis that outside suppliers of capital use in evaluating the firm (Horne Wachowicz, 2001). Financial analysis of a company should include an examination of the financial statements of the company, including notes to the financial statements, and the auditorââ¬â¢s report. The auditorââ¬â¢s report will state whether the financial statements have been audited in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. The report also indicates whether the statements fairly present the companyââ¬â¢s financial position, results of operations, and changes in financial position in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Notes to the financial statements are often more meaningful than the data found within the body of the statements. The notes explain the accounting policies of the company and usually provide detailed explanations of how those policies were applied along with supporting details. Analysts often compare the financial statements of one company with other companies in the same industry and with the industry in which the company operates as well as with prior year statements of the company being analyzed (Foster, 1999). Comparative financial statements provide analysts with significant information about trends and relationships over two or more years. Comparative statements are more significant for evaluating a company than are single-year statements. The analysis of financial data employs various techniques to emphasize the comparative and relative importance of the data presented and to evaluate the position of the firm. These techniques include ratio analysis, common size analysis, study of difference in components of financial statements among industries, review of descriptive material, and comparisons of result with other types of data. The information derived from these types of analyses should be blended to determine overall position. No one type of analysis supports overall findings or serves all types of users. Financial statement analysis is a judgmental process. One of the primary objectives is identification of major changes (turning points) in trends, amounts and relationships and investigation of the reasons underlying those changes. Often, a turning point may signal an early warning of a significant shift in the future success or failure of the business. The judgment process can be improved by experience and by the use of analytical tools. The components of financial statements, specially the balance sheet and the income statements, will vary by type of industry (Gibson, 1998). Economies ââ¬â all economies ââ¬â run on energy. Energy is needed to produce food and manufacture goods, power machines and appliances, transport raw materials and finished products, and provide heat and light. The more energy available to a society, the better its prospects for sustained growth; when energy supplies dwindle, economies grind to a halt and the affected populations suffer (Klare, 2005). Since World War II, economic growth around the world has been fueled largely by abundant supplies of hydrocarbons ââ¬â that is, by petroleum and natural gas. Since 1950, worldwide oil consumption has grown eightfold, from approximately 10 to 80 million barrels per day; gas consumption, which began from a smaller base, has grown even more dramatically. Oil and gas will account for 65% of world energy in 2025, a larger share than at present; and because no other source of energy is currently available to replace them, the future health of the global economy rests on our ability to produce and consume more and more of these hydrocarbons (U. S Department of Energy, 2004). Petroleum refers to crude oil and natural gas or simply oil and gas, found in petroleum reservoirs generally thousands of feet below the surface. Exploratory wells are drilled to discover petroleum wells, while development wells are drilled to produce a portion of previously discovered oil and gas. Estimated volumes of recoverable gas within the reservoir are called oil and gas reserves (Brock, Jennings Feiten, 1990). The oil and gas sector or the petroleum industry has the following four major segments: 1. Exploration and Production r EP where oil and gas companies explore for underground reservoirs, and produce the discovered oil and gas using drilled wells. This thesis focuses on this sector of the oil and gas industry. 2. Hydrocarbon processing which includes oil refineries and gas processing plants. 3. Transport, Distribution and Storage by which petroleum is moved from the producing well areas to crude oil refineries and gas processing plants. Oil is moved by pipeline, truck, barge or tanker and Natural gas is moved by pipeline. 4. Retail/Marketing which ultimately markets in various ways the refined products. CHAPTER 3 METHOD Sample For the sample selection of four marketing companies, out of the population of 7 companies listed in the KSE, the criteria used were: 1. Share Capital of the company 2. Sales Revenue 3. Distribution data of the companies Based on these criteria the four companies selected that are operating in Pakistan were the following: Pakistan State Oil Company Limited (PSOCL) Pakistan State Oil Company Limited (PSOCL) is the market leader in Pakistan having 73% of the share of Black Oil Market and around 59% of the share of White Oil market. It is engaged in the import, storage, distribution and marketing of various petroleum products including Fuel oil, HSD, Jet Oil, petro-chemicals, LPG and CNG. Shell Pakistan Limited (SPL) The Shell brand name enjoys a 100-year history in this part of the world, dating back to 1899. Shell Pakistan has been taking a keen interest in expanding recently which shows the confidence in the economic growth and progress in the oil and gas sector. Shell is at present controlling approximately 30% share of the white oil products presently and during the last financial year the Capital Expenditure amounted to Rs 1. billion. Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL, is the largest integrated gas company serving more than 2 million consumers in North Central Pakistan through an extensive network in Punjab and NWFP. The Company has over 41 years of experience in operation and maintenance of high-pressure gas transmission and distribution systems. It has a lso expanded its activities to undertake the planning, designing and construction of pipelines, both for itself and other organizations. SNGPL operates in that region of the nation which has a rapidly growing demand for natural gas and power generation due to significant industrial development. Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) is Pakistanââ¬â¢s leading integrated gas Company. The company is engaged in the business of transmission and distribution of natural gas besides construction of high pressure transmission and low pressure distribution systems SSGCL transmission system extends from Sui in Balochistan to Karachi in Sindh comprising over 2780 KM of high pressure pipeline ranging from 12 ââ¬â 24â⬠³ in diameter. The distribution activities covering over 650 towns in the Sindh and Balochistan are organized through its regional offices. An average of about 234,553 million cubic feet (MMCFD) gas was sold in 2001-2002 to over 1. 7 million industrial, commercial and domestic consumers in these regions through a distribution network of over 22,890 Km. Type of Study This study aims to analyze the financial statements of oil and gas marketing companies and then generalize the result for the whole industry. Thus due to the purpose of the study it is classifies as descriptive study. Procedure Base Year and Period of Analysis For the analysis, 2001 has been taken as the base year, and the performance in the next five years has been compared with the base year. Analysis Methods The analysis of financial data uses various methods to evaluate the relative importance of the data that was presented in financial statements of a firm. The methods used in the analysis of the marketing sector of Pakistan are a blend of Ratio analysis Common size analysis Ratio Analysis The following ratios were used on the composite data of five years: 1. Liquidity Ratios related to the liquidity of short term assets and short term debt paying ability were Working Capital Current Ratio Sales to Working Capital 2. Profitability Ratios measure the ability of a firm to generate earnings. The ratios used were: Total Asset Turnover Operating Income Margin Return on Total Equity Return on Investment Gross Profit Margin Net Profit Margin 3. Debt Ratios that measure the long term debt paying ability of the firm used were: Debt Ratio Debt to Equity Ratio Fixed charge coverage 4. Market Value Ratios that measure the return that is being given to the stockholders were: Earning per share Dividend per share Dividend Payout These financial ratios were calculated for each of the years from 2001 to 2005 and then plotted to see the general trend. They were then studied to identify various turning points in the trends, and to see the underlying reasons behind the changes in trends that were occurring. Common Size Analysis A common size analysis expresses comparisons in percentages. For the financial data there was -Horizontal and vertical analysis of the following balance sheet items, using 2001 as a base year (horizontal) and total assets as base (vertical): Fixed asset Capital work in progress Long term investments Current assets Reserves surplus Equity and liabilities were shown as a percentage of total liabilities. -Horizontal and vertical analysis of the following Profit and Loss items with 2001 as a base year (horizontal) and Net Sales as base (vertical): Financial Charges Operating expense Gross Profits Taxes Profit before Tax CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Table 4. 1: Pakistan State Oil Company Limited Balance Sheets (2001-2005) Table 4. 2: Pakistan State Oil Company Limited Income Statements (2001-2005) 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Sales (Net) 43305. 67 133136. 52 172445. 77 161537. 98 212503. 65 Cost of Sales 136933. 58 126359. 13 163490. 58 152346. 86 198757. 32 Gross Profit 6372. 09 6777. 39 8955. 19 9191. 12 13746. 33 Operating Expenses 2367. 97 2210. 69 2750. 26 4223. 43 5443. 58 Operating Profit 4004. 12 4566. 7 6204. 93 4967. 69 8302. 75 Financial Charges 778. 7 979. 22 274. 78 189. 08 370. 7 Other income 225. 94 1549. 77 279. 17 1484. 36 1294. 34 Profit Before Taxation 3451. 36 5137. 25 6209. 32 6262. 97 9226. 39 Taxation 1200 1949 2179 2181 2183 Profit After Taxation 2251. 36 3188. 25 4030. 32 4081. 97 7043. 39 Table 4. : Pakistan State Oil Company Limited Vertical Common Size of Balance Sheets (2001-2005) 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Current Assets 81. 44% 74. 84% 69. 41% 74. 60% 78. 22% Fixed Assets (Gross) 21. 99% 24. 10% 29. 01% 25. 40% 21. 78% Depreciation 11. 02% 11. 90% 13. 96% 12. 51% 12. 08% Fixed Assets (Net) 10. 97% 12. 21% 15. 05% 12. 89% 9. 70% Capital work in Progress 2. 28% 2. 72% 3. 53% 2. 76% 2. 39% Long Term Investment Deposits 5. 32% 10. 23% 12. 01% 9. 75% 9. 69% Total Assets 100. 00% 100. 00% 100. 00% 100. 00% 100. 00% Current Liabilities 63. 63% 62. 39% 55. 40% 59. 72% 62. 92% Deferred Taxation 0. 00% . 44% 1. 15% 1. 33% 1. 21% Long Term Liabilities 3. 82% 1. 85% 3. 05% 2. 53% 2. 63% Total Liabilities 67. 45% 65. 69% 59. 60% 63. 58% 66. 76% Paid-Up Capital 4. 74% 4. 36% 5. 30% 4. 04% 3. 29% Re serves Surplus 27. 80% 29. 96% 35. 09% 32. 38% 29. 95% Total Liabilities Capital 100. 00% 100. 00% 100. 00% 100. 00% 100. 00% Analysis: The vertical common size of the B/S of PSO shows that the current as well as fixed assets are pretty much the same and there is major improvement in long term investment deposits while on the liability side again the current and long term liabilities are pretty much constant. The reserves surplus have been increasing with the passage of time. Table 4. 4: Pakistan State Oil Company Limited Vertical Common Size of Income statement (2001-2005) 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Sales (Net) 100. 00% 100. 00% 100. 00% 100. 00% 100. 00% Cost of Sales 95. 55% 94. 91% 94. 81% 94. 31% 93. 53% Gross Profit 4. 45% 5. 09% 5. 19% 5. 69% 6. 47% Operating Expenses 1. 65% 1. 66% 1. 59% 2. 61% 2. 56% Operating Profit 2. 79% 3. 43% 3. 60% 3. 08% 3. 91% Financial Charges 0. 54% 0. 74% 0. 16% 0. 12% 0. 17% Other income 0. 16% 1. 16% 0. 16% 0. 92% 0. 61% Profit Before Taxation 2. 41% 3. 86% 3. 60% 3. 88% 4. 34% Taxation 0. 84% 1. 46% 1. 26% 1. 35% 1. 03% Profit After Taxation 1. 57% 2. 39% 2. 34% 2. 53% 3. 31% Analysis: The detailed analysis of the I/S of PSO shows that the oil marketing company has been able to slightly reduce its cost of sales which has resulted in a significant increase in the gross profit while the operating profit has also shown an increase as the operating expenses have increased but in a lesser proportion. The financial charges have been drastically cut down due to a better financial performance. There has been a marked improvement in the other income which shows that the company has increased its sources of income and all this has resulted in higher profits. Table 4. 5: Pakistan State Oil Company Limited Horizontal Common Size of Balance Sheets (2001-2005) 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Current Assets 100% -0. 001% -8. 54% 28. 90% 65. 98% Fixed Assets (Gross) 100% 19. 269% 41. 53% 62. 56% 71. 13% Depreciation 100% 17. 468% 35. 91% 59. 74% 89. 36% Fixed Assets (Net) 100% 21. 078% 47. 18% 65. 40% 52. 81% Capital work in Progress 100% 30. 150% 66. 47% 70. 52% 81. 58% Long Term Investment Deposits 100% 109. 346% 142. 40% 158. 6% 214. 84% Total Assets 100% 8. 811% 7. 30% 40. 72% 72. 81% Current Liabilities 100% 6. 701% -6. 57% 32. 08% 70. 88% Deferred Taxation 100% 47200% 37250% 56425% 63018% Long Term Liabilities 100% -47. 371% -14. 53% -7. 05% 18. 70% Total Liabilities 100% 5. 958% -5. 19% 32. 63% 71. 02% Financed By Paid-Up Capital 100% 0. 000% 20. 00% 20. 00% 20. 00% Reserves Sur plus 100% 17. 237% 35. 44% 63. 87% 86. 15% Total Liabilities Capital 100% 8. 811% 7. 30% 40. 72% 72. 81% Analysis: The horizontal common size of the B/S of PSO significantly tells that the current assets have increased substantially mainly due to the increase in sales. Another important aspect to note is the great deal of increase in the long term investments which is due to various new projects that have been undertaken and this shows that the company is expanding. The increase in current liabilities is mainly due to the increase in credit sales and also because a significant portion of long term loans has been converted into current portion while the increase in long term liabilities is mainly due to the increase in employee benefits which again shows that the company has been doing very well. Another good indicator of the good performance is the increase in the reserves surplus section of the B/S. Table 4. 6: Pakistan State Oil Company Limited Horizontal Common Size of Income statement (2001-2005) 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Sales (Net) 100% -7. 096% 20. 33% 12. 72% 48. 29% Cost of Sales 100% -7. 722% 19. 39% 11. 26% 45. 15% Gross Profit 100% 6. 361% 40. 54% 44. 24% 115. 73% Operating Expenses 100% -6. 642% 16. 14% 78. 36% 129. 88% Operating Profit 100% 14. 050% 54. 96% 24. 06% 107. 36% Financial Charges 100% 25. 751% -64. 71% -75. 72% -52. 40% Other income 100% 585. 921% 23. 56% 556. 97% 472. 87% Profit Before Taxation 100% 48. 847% 79. 91% 81. 46% 167. 33% Taxation 100% 62. 417% 81. 58% 81. 75% 81. 92% Profit After Taxation 100% 41. 614% 79. 02% 81. 31% 212. 85% Analysis: The horizontal common size of the I/S clearly indicates the drastic improvement in the sales which is almost around 50% while due to a lesser increase in the cost of sales the gross profit is up by over 115%. The financial charges have been reduced to more than 50% and a huge increase in other sources of income has led to higher profit before taxation. Table 4. 7: Shell Pakistan Limited Balance Sheets (2001-2005) 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Current Assets 6470. 64 7145. 22 6149. 68 7912. 63 12725. 13 Fixed Assets (Gross) 6027. 49 6705. 37 7554. 29 8708. 5 9569. 78 Accumulated Depreciation 2189. 29 2738. 78 3290. 57 3852. 84 4532. 53 Fixed Assets (Net) 3838. 20 3966. 59 4263. 72 4855. 21 5037. 25 Capital Work in Progress 464. 52 534. 61 564. 44 544. 07 582. 38 Long Term Investment Deposits 1294. 68 186. 27 1998. 93 2032. 22 1988. 13 Total Assets 12068. 04 11832. 69 12976. 77 15344. 13 20332. 89 Liabilities Current Li abilities 6470. 65 5934. 76 7029. 83 9042. 39 11951. 06 Long Term Liabilities 66. 84 47. 51 77. 86 43. 49 48. 22 Deferred Taxation 141 29. 24 17. 26 126. 42 20. 74 Financed By Paid-Up Capital 350. 66 350. 66 350. 66 350. 66 350. 66 Reserves Surplus 038. 89 5470. 52 5501. 16 5781. 87 7962. 21 Total Liabilities Equity 12068. 04 11832. 69 12976. 77 15344. 13 20332. 89 Table 4. 8: Shell Pakistan Limited Income Statements (2001-2005) 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Sales (Net) 65725. 15 69042. 05 77822. 82 79180. 35 98526. 62 Cost of Sales 61628. 48 64164. 23 72049. 47 72973. 11 89684. 58 Gross Profit 4096. 67 4877. 82 5773. 35 6207. 24 8842. 04 Operating Expenses 2486. 67 3292. 92 3794. 36 3806. 01 4609. 77 Operating Profit 1610. 00 1584. 90 1978. 99 2401. 23 4232. 27 Financial Charges 50. 27 46. 76 51. 48 224. 33 596. 55 Other Income 191. 72 154. 46 110. 32 12. 02 22. 33 Profit Before Taxation 1630. 45 1572. 44 1899. 91 2188. 92 3658. 05 Taxation 574. 42 509. 62 644. 91 680. 91 1197. 19 Profit After Taxation 1056. 03 1062. 81 1255. 00 1508. 01 2460. 86 Table 4. 9: Shell Pakistan Limited Vertical Common Size of Balance Sheets (2001-2005) 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Current Assets 53. 62% 60. 39% 47. 39% 51. 57% 62. 58% Fixed Assets (Gross) 49. 95% 56. 67% 58. 21% 56. 75% 47. 07% Accumulated Depreciation 18. 14% 23. 15% 25. 36% 25. 11% 22. 29% Fixed Assets (Net) 31. 80% 33. 52% 32. 86% 31. 64% 24. 77% Capital Work in Progress 3. 85% 4. 52% 4. 35% 3. 55% 2. 86% Long Term Investment Deposits 0. 73% 1. 57% 15. 40% 13. 24% 9. 78% Total Assets 100. 00% 100. 00% 100. 00% 100. 00% 100. 00% Current Liabilities 53. 62% 50. 16% 54. 17% 58. 93% 58. 78% Long Term Liabilities 0. 55% 0. 40% 0. 60% 0. 28% 0. 24% Deferred Taxation 1. 17% 0. 25% 0. 13% 0. 82% 0. 10% Financed By Paid-Up Capital 2. 91% 2. 96% 2. 70% 2. 29% 1. 72% Reserves Surplus 41. 75% 46. 23% 42. 39% 3 7. 68% 39. 16% Total Liabilities Equity 100. 00% 100. 00% 100. 00% 100. 00% 100. 00% Analysis: Vertical common size of the B/S of Shell Pakistan shows that the company has been pretty much maintaining its proportion of all the assets, liabilities How to cite Financial Analysis of Oil Marketing Companies, Essays
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Black Boy Hunger free essay sample
Literal hunger plays an important role in the story because it helps his determination of success become larger and larger. We see him talk about hunger, literally, more in the beginning of the story because that is when he is a young boy and he complains a lot more than when he is a teenager out of school. In a scene when he is living with his aunt and uncle he tells us, ââ¬Å"I was afraid that somehow the biscuits might disappear during the night, while I was sleeping. I did not want to wake up in the morning, as I had so often in the past, feeling hungry and knowing that there was no food in the house. So, surreptitiously, I took some of the biscuits from the platter and slipped them into my pocket, not to eat, but to keep as bulwark against any possible attack of hungerâ⬠(Wright 50). We will write a custom essay sample on Black Boy Hunger or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Before living at his aunt and uncleââ¬â¢s house he grows up having very little to no food at all when he is hungry, so he does not know what to expect when he starts living in a different house. I definitely feel sorry for him here because he has to be sneaky and take the bread because he is scared that he would not have anything to eat in the morning. When one is young, food is a necessity for oneââ¬â¢s body because you are growing so quickly. I think Richardââ¬â¢s hunger for food definitely contributes to his wanting to work because he knows that if he works, he would get money, which would then lead to having food and him being satisfied instead of having to hoard food. Richard also has the hunger to leave the place where he has been growing up in (the South) and to be free so he can start fresh somewhere new. Where he is at in life right now is not satisfying him and he wants more out of life. Richard also cares so much about his mother which makes him want to do omething better than what he is doing now. He sees other people, who have come from the North and wants to be where they are because he hears he can have a better life there. He lets us in on his struggle and says, ââ¬Å"There were hours when hunger would make me weak, would make me sway while walking, would make my heart give a sudden wild spurt of beating that would shake my body and make me breathless; but the happiness of being free would lift me beyond hunger, would enable me to discipline the sensations of my body to the extent that I could temporarily forgetâ⬠(127). From this quote, I think Richard is finally realizing that if he keeps focusing on his hunger to live a better life and ââ¬Å"be freeâ⬠in the North then that would soon diminish his hunger for food for a while. He may be physically hungry, but he is mentally hungry for freedom and starting a new life. That kind of ambition that he has to be successful is what he is worried about more than anything that is going on in his life physically at that time. Richard is hungry for happiness, and what comes with success comes happiness, and I think that he is willing to risk just about anything in order to get to where he wants to be. For that to happen, he knows he has to go to the ââ¬Å"other world,â⬠which is the North. There is a point in Richardââ¬â¢s life where he realizes that his literal hunger eventually transforms into his hunger for success: ââ¬Å"But this new hunger baffled me, scared me, made me angry and insistent. Whenever I begged for food now my mother would pour me a cup of tea which would still the clamor in my stomach for a moment or two; but a little later I would feel hunger nudging my ribs, twisting my empty guts until they ached. I would grow dizzy and my vision would dim. I became less active in my play, and for the first time in my life I had to pause and think of what was happening to meâ⬠(15). After having that feeling of hunger in his body, Richard knows that he has to do something about it. I think at this particular time, he begins his journey onto becoming a stronger person than how he was before. He knows that he cannot go on with this kind of lifestyle and he is the only one that can change it and make it better. Even though he may still be oblivious to some other things going on around him, Richard knows what is important, which is his health because that is what really matters. He must then figure out what to do in order to get what he wants and how he is going to do it. You can definitely tell that Richard is a smart boy because he feels and thinks very differently than other kids his age. I think that other kids his age would not actually ââ¬Å"pause and thinkâ⬠of what was actually happening to them like Richard does. None of them would have the drive to do something about their ââ¬Å"hungerâ⬠, which is why he is able to strive above his peers and begin his path to a successful life. The way that Richard uses the word ââ¬Å"hungerâ⬠literally and metaphorically helps make his story so much more compelling. He gets to where he wants to be by making a lot of sacrifices throughout his life because without them he would not be able to get anywhere. His hunger to be successful in life is what drives him each and everyday to work harder so he can provide not only for himself, but for his family as well.
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