Qu es la green card y que informacin hay que saber

La greencard es el documento que acredita que una persona es residente permanente legal en los Estados Unidos (LPR, por sus siglas en inglà ©s). Tambià ©n se la conoce como tarjeta de residencia permanente.  Los residentes gozan de importantes derechos, pero su estatus no es igual al de ciudadano, ya que entre unos y otros hay  importantes diferencias. Siendo el mà ¡s importante que salvo rarà ­simas excepciones la nacionalidad no se pierde mientras que la pà ©rdida de la residencia es un evento mà ¡s comà ºn. Cà ³mo se obtiene la green card y por quà © puede ser denegada Hay muchos caminos que conducen a la greencard, siendo los mà ¡s comunes las peticiones de familia, pero hay muchas otras. A la hora de obtenerla hay que tener en cuenta que los trà ¡mites pueden demorarse desde apenas unos meses a mà ¡s de 20 aà ±os, por lo que al iniciar el proceso es un dato a tener en cuenta.  La  forma mà ¡s rà ¡pidas para conseguir la green card es  por ser cà ³nyuge, hijo soltero menor de 21 aà ±os, padre o madre de un ciudadano americano. Tambià ©n conviene saber que hay mà ¡s de 40 razones por las que la greencard puede ser negada al final de la tramitacià ³n porque convierten a una persona en inadmisible para los Estados Unidos. Cà ³mo es la green card La green card es una tarjeta de tamaà ±o similar a una de crà ©dito o dà ©bito que sirve como prueba de que una persona es residente permanente legal. En otras palabras, que ese extranjero puede vivir y trabajar en Estados Unidos. Los residentes gozan de importantes derechos, pero su estatus no es igual al de ciudadano, ya que entre unos y otros hay importantes diferencias. Siendo el mà ¡s importante que salvo rarà ­simas excepciones la nacionalidad no se pierde mientras que la pà ©rdida de la residencia es un evento mà ¡s comà ºn. Pero,  ¿es verde la green card? En la actualidad el à ºltimo modelo de green card sà ­ es verde. Ademà ¡s, entre 1946 y 1964 tambià ©n lo fue. Y el nombre se conservà ³ durante dà ©cadas, a pesar de haberse ya modificado el modelo de la tarjeta en numerosas ocasiones y de emitirse en colores distintos al verde. Quà © informacià ³n contiene la Green card Entre la informacià ³n fundamental que ofrece la tarjeta de residencia destacan el nombre de su titular, identificacià ³n de su sexo y fecha de nacimiento. Tambià ©n contiene informacià ³n sobre la categorà ­a por la que se adquirià ³ la green card y la fecha de expiracià ³n, debià ©ndose renovar antes de que alcance esa fecha. Ademà ¡s, contiene el Alien Registration Number, un dà ­gito fundamental para los residentes permanentes legales. Cuà ¡les son sus medidas de seguridad Hasta hace apenas 15 aà ±os era relativamente frecuente poder adquirir en la calle tarjetas de residencia falsas pero que se asemejaban bastante a las verdaderas. Desde entonces las cosas han cambiado y las green card emitidas en los à ºltimos aà ±os ya contienen importantes medidas de seguridad que dificultan su falsificacià ³n. El modelo actual, que comenzà ³ a entregarse a partir del 11 de mayo de 2010 es una tarjeta con importantes medidas de seguridad para evitar tanto la falsificacià ³n como la manipulacià ³n de las mismas. Entre las medidas destacan: Tinta en color cambiante en tonos que van desde el verde al oro. Este efecto puede verse, por ejemplo, en la imagen de la cabeza del à ¡guila cuando se mueve la tarjeta.Foto hologrà ¡fica del titular, tanto en el anverso como en el reverso de la tarjeta.Huellas gravadas mediante tecnologà ­a là ¡ser que permiten la identificacià ³n rà ¡pida y exacta de la persona cuando se entra por la frontera a Estados Unidos. Es decir, con esta tarjeta se evita que un emigrante utilice la tarjeta de otro para ganar entrada al paà ­s.Personalizacià ³n tà ¡ctil tambià ©n realizada mediante là ¡ser.Tecnologà ­a de identificacià ³n por radio frecuencia que permite a los inspectores de Inmigracià ³n leer desde cierta distancia, sin tener la tarjeta en sus manos, un nà ºmero que està ¡ gravado en la tarjeta y conectarlo con toda la informacià ³n digital disponible sobre el titular de dicha tarjeta.Y almacenaje de todos los archivos digitales sobre el titular, incluyendo sus datos biomà ©tricos. Otra informacià ³n interesante que contienen las tarjetas de residencia En la parte posterior de la tarjeta pueden verse microfotos de altà ­sima resolucià ³n de las banderas de los estados y de Presidentes de los Estados Unidos.  ¿Debo solicitar el nuevo modelo de Green card? Las tarjetas de residencia con menos de diez aà ±os son perfectamente và ¡lidas aunque sean de un modelo anterior al actual y, por lo tanto, no hay obligacià ³n de reemplazarlas hasta que llegue su fecha de expiracià ³n. La green card y Real I.D. A partir de octubre de 2020 ya no serà ¡ posible subirse a un vuelo domà ©stico dentro de EE.UU. utilizando como identificacià ³n una licencia de manejar o de identificacià ³n ordinaria. Si no se tiene una licencia Real I.D. serà ¡ posible utilizar la tarjeta de residencia green card como documentacià ³n para embarcar. Obligacià ³n de cargar la green card y otros deberes Existe una obligacià ³n legal que aplica a todos los residentes permanentes legales mayores de 18 aà ±os: deben llevar consigo en todo momento su green card. El gobierno federal puede imponer multas de hasta $100 y/o pena de cà ¡rcel por un mà ¡ximo de 30 dà ­as a las personas que no cumplan con esta obligacià ³n. Esto tambià ©n afecta a la  tarjeta de residencia que està ¡ sellada en el pasaporte  de su titular y que es totalmente và ¡lida y sirve tambià ©n para viajar internacionalmente. Asimismo, los residentes permanentes deben notificar al USCIS sus  cambios de domicilio  en los diez dà ­as siguientes a que se produzca la mudanza. Finalmente, se recomienda tomar este  test  para verificar conocimientos bà ¡sicos sobre cà ³mo obtener y conservar la tarjeta de residencia. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Black Men And Public Space - 968 Words

Imagine being an African American and you see the police in your rearview mirror, is your first reaction fear and anxiety? Imagine being a Caucasian and you see an African American hooded male walking quietly behind you. Is your first reaction fear and anxiety? In both of these cases, the person who is targeted is African American. An understanding of where these feelings stem from could change the feelings in the future. Due to the stigma that black men are all thieves, robbers , and criminals, they are more likely to be targeted by the police. If that stigma was magically erased and people stopped viewing Blacks as criminals, the world would be much more peaceful. This can be done merely through education,telling the truth about blacks and less assumptions. This idea derives from Brent Staples’ â€Å"Black Men and Public Space† (Revelations 167) and Meta Carstarphen’s â€Å"Black Versus Blue: Time for a Cease-Fire?† (Revelations 185). Brent Staples in â €Å"Black Men and Public Space† (Revelations 167) ,expresses his personal issues when it comes to the stigma that has been placed upon him. Being black, he is seen to be a danger. Women clutch their purses and car owners lock their doors at the sight of him. He has done nothing to make them feel threatened except for the fact that he is an African American male. They have no way of knowing what he is capable of doing so they immediately feel fear. They have fear of what they think they know and what they actually don’t know. Although, itShow MoreRelatedBlack Men And Public Space Essay1038 Words   |  5 Pagesthat are an example of that are â€Å"Black Men and Public Space† by Brent Staples and â€Å"The F Word† by Firoozeh Dumas. The stories, â€Å"Black Men and Public Space† and â€Å"The F Word† are similar because both characters were discriminated against themselves, were not the only ones harassed, and each went through a tough moment . One of the ways the two essays are similar is because both characters were discriminated against themselves. For example, In Black men and Public Space Staples was discriminated againstRead MoreBlack Men And Public Spaces938 Words   |  4 Pagespersonality. Brent Staples is an author and writer for the New York Times. He gives two simple examples of two different people in his excerpts â€Å"Black Men and Public Spaces† and â€Å"Parallel Time† showing their differences and parallelism. â€Å"Black Men in Public Spaces† and â€Å"Parallel Time† show how two black men have been stereotyped. Brent Staples on â€Å"Black Men in public spaces† recited that â€Å"My first victim was a woman- white, well dressed, probably in her early twenties. I came upon her late one evening on aRead MoreBlack Men and Public Space841 Words   |  4 PagesBlack Men and Public Space Essay In Brent Staples’ personal essay â€Å"Black Men and Public Space†, he tells the readers what happen to a young black man in an urban setting. He pinpointed that people often stereotype you because of color, race, gender, culture or appearance. In addition, the author expresses to us that he notices the space between him and other people, such as women on the street. Some people may disagree that women set a certain amount of space when walking by a black man on theRead MoreBlack Men and Public Space1084 Words   |  5 Pagesrepresented God and all good. From literature we, as a society, have built what later became social rules, giving rise to things such as prejudice. In Brent Staples essay â€Å"Black Men and Public Space† this is clearly shown by the authors own experiences of antipathy and hostility towards him caused by his own self. In â€Å"Black Men and Public Space†, Brent Staples begins by coming to the realization of the way he’d be viewed for the rest of his life. He describes feelings of uneasiness towards his newfound self-imageRead MoreBlack Men And Public Space Essay1505 Words   |  7 PagesIn the news we hear stories about how another black male have been sent to prison. The big question that most people ask is â€Å"why?† He was selling drugs. A petty crime like that gets a black male at least 10 years in prison. Whereas, a white male selling drug gets probation. African American are portrayed as thugs who either sell drugs or are always in the streets terrorizing people. For instance, in the article, THE FIGHT FOR BLACK MEN, by Joshua Dubois. A man named Joe, who lived in a typical africanRead MoreBlack Men in Public Space670 Words   |  3 Pages In the short essay, â€Å"Black Men in Public Space† written by Brent Staples, discusses his own experiences on how he is stereotyped because he is an African American and looks intimidated in â€Å"public places† (Staples 225). Staples, an intelligent man that is a graduate student at University of Chicago. Due to his skin complexity, he is not treated fairly and always being discriminated against. On one of his usual nightly walks he encountered a white woman. She took a couple glances at him andRead MoreBlack Men And Public Space1609 Words   |  7 Pages According to Brent Staples, in his book, â€Å"Black Men and Public Space†, he articulates about his experience as a young black man, moving from his small hometown to Chicago, to attend the University of Chicago. He shared that one late evening, walking on a deserted street in Hyde Park, which was an upscale neighborhood in the impoverished section of Chicago. While walking alone on the street, he saw a white, well dressed young lady, walking alone on the same street. He was a distanceRead More Black Men and Public Space in America1804 Words   |  8 PagesBlack Men and Public Space: An Agent of Change African-American men and white men are born and raised within the continental U.S.; each of their own faculty empowered to change the social injustice of a society. The innate qualities of the African American do not compare to those of the white man, yet - â€Å"empowered† they are with character. The foundation for the concept –â€Å"character† is best defined as â€Å"holistic,† meaning of physical, mental and social qualities – A. Adler’s school of thought,Read MoreJust Walk On By : Black Men And Public Space1464 Words   |  6 PagesThe portrait of black men that people have had in their mind for many decades has narrowed their vision about black men and has automatically affected black men’s identity. When it comes to black people, one already has a picture in his or her mind and draws a conclusion about how black people have to look and how they will act. After I read the essay entitled, â€Å"Just Walk on By: Black Men and Pu blic Space,† written by Brent Staples, in which he talks about the fearsomeness mistakenly given to himRead MoreThe Portrayal Of The Young Black Men And Public Space1298 Words   |  6 Pagesthe young black male in the late 1980s has not changed much in the United States. Brent Staples is able to reveal the truths of racial stereotyping in the United States, and the stigmas placed on young black males with the use of imagery in Black Men and Public Space. Appealing to the readers’ senses allows for better understanding of the time period Staples is writing about. Visual imagery is used to contrast how Staples appears to his â€Å"victims† and how these â€Å"victims† appear to the public. The fear

Amadio Versus Commercial Bank of Australia

Question: Discuss about theAmadio Versus Commercial Bank Of Australia. Answer: Introduction Mr. and Mrs. Amadio argued that the guarantee was not enforceable by the bank since: There was undue influence when they entered into the contract There was omission of information and misrepresentation of facts. Disguise of facts in obtaining the contract. It was duty of the bank to disclose the overdraft of $270,000 to parents of Mr. Vincenzo Amadio. The bank went ahead to offer them the contract while it was well aware that some information was withheld. and Mrs. Amadio believed that they owed the bank $50 000 for six months as it was explained to them by their son Vincenzo. At the time of signing the document the respondents did not only believe that their liability was limited to $50 000, but also that it was limited in point of time. Had they known the true effect of the document they would not have signed it. They were only induced by the words of their son. For this period the banks never bothered to say a word to Amadios. Therefore the contract amounted to unconscionable bargain. The three conclusions that led to reversing the decision of the trial judge by the court of appeal after examination of the facts are as follows, and Mrs. Amadio were influenced to sign into documents whose contents they did not well understand or rather were unaware of. The Vincenzos parents were subjected to certain special weaknesses due their advanced age, lack of the formal education and their inability to speak English fluently which is the formal language in court and documentation plus less experience in the field of business. Misrepresentation and concealment of some information was wholly blamed to the bank since it was their duty to disclose all facts. The banks was bestowed the responsibility because the banks agent on realizing Vincenzo had not disclosed some information to his parents, he never took action, The bank was obligated to present all information regarding the financial status of companies owned by Mr. Vincenzo. It happened the bank took advantage of the aged parents and refused to unveil all facts of the contract. It was argued by the court of appeal that since the contract was unconscionable, remedy to provide relief is equity. This means that the contract was unfair to one party leaving it without option due to its weakness in bargaining power. There is no award issued for inducement into unconscionable contract but both parties are relived off their obligations (Wood, 2007). Sometimes a bank will need a guarantor to give credit to its customer. Guarantor is a person who will pay the debt of a customer if the customer defaults to pay the debt (CCH Australia Limited, 2010). It is important for one to seek legal advice if he or she intends to be a guarantor. If the bank asks for a guarantor, it means that it has no complete confidence in financial position of the guarantor or his ability to service the loan. A person becomes aware of the borrowers financial difficulties when he is called to act as a guarantor. Normally the bank is no obliged to tell the guarantor about financial status of the borrower (Collins, 2009). Therefore the answer to question three part one is no. However in some circumstances a lender may be required to break this norm and disclose the financial status of a client. In specific provisions both the borrower and lender should agree on disclosing this information to the guarantor. For example if there exists an unusual feature in some particular account that is being guaranteed. Failure to reveal this information may amount to implied representation that the unusual feature did not exist (Liability, 2005). References CCH Australia Limited, 2010. Australian Consumer Credit Legislation. North Ryde: CCH Australia Limited. CCH Australia, L., 2011. Understanding Australian Consumer Credit Law. Macquarie: CCH Australia Limited. Collins, H., 2009. The Law of Contract. revised ed. cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Liability, L., 2005. Lender Liability. London: Sweet Maxwell,. Office of The Federal Register, E. b. I. L., 2014. Title 12 Banks and Banking Part 1100 to End (Revised as of January 1, 2014): 12-CFR-Vol-10. Scottsdale: IntraWEB, LLC. Pearson, G., 2009. Financial Services Law and Compliance in Australia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Wood, P. R., 2007. International Loans, Bonds, Guarantees, Legal Opinions. illustrated ed. London: Sweet Maxwell. Yann Aubin, L. d. L. J.-C. V., 2011. International Bank and Other Guarantees Handbook: Middle East and Africa Volume. New York:: Kluwer Law International,.

What are Advantages and Disadvantages of Doing Business on the Internet Essay Example

What are Advantages and Disadvantages of Doing Business on the Internet Paper The past a few years saw the boom and bust of the Internet sector, which is perhaps one of the most dramatic business events for several decades. Shutdowns of Internet companies more than doubled in 2001. However, based on a conservative estimate, only at most ten percent of significant Internet companies have shut down or declared bankruptcy. With the burst of the Internet bubble, people now are becoming more rational. Internet has become an important part of business and government, and less a part of frenzied speculation. Electronic commerce, which covers a much broader scope than mere Internet companies, has been penetrating our life to various degrees. It is no longer time to consider whether it should get involved in our existence but time to examine its implications and so as to make it bring positive changes to us. This paper provides an overview of e-commerce and an analysis of the opportunities and challenges for the world, especially the developing countries. Emphasis is placed on the evaluation of trade-related issues. Electronic Commerce Defined Kevin Kelly, the author of New Rules for the New Economy, describes the new business landscape, It is global. It favors intangible things ideas, information, and relationships. And it is intensely interlinked. These three attributes produce a new type of marketplace and society, one that is rooted in ubiquitous electronic networks. That is, the New Economy has been transformed by digital technology in the postindustrial period. Value creation for customers has shifted from physical goods to an economy that favors service, information, and intelligence as the primary sources of value creation. E-commerce may be understood in a broad sense or a narrow sense. The former refers to all the business activities (like buying, selling, and other transactions) that are conducted via communication and business technologies. By this definition, a transaction may be done through telephone, fax, credit card, TV shopping, and the Internet. We will write a custom essay sample on What are Advantages and Disadvantages of Doing Business on the Internet specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on What are Advantages and Disadvantages of Doing Business on the Internet specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on What are Advantages and Disadvantages of Doing Business on the Internet specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer A narrow sense of definition for e-commerce is different, which refers only to the Internet-based business activities. What we are discussing here is related to the latter kind, i. e. business activities conducted with the help of Internet. According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), electronic commerce is the production, advertising, sale and distribution of products via telecommunication networks. It includes: 1) the searching stage where producers and consumers, or buyers and sellers, first interact; 2) the ordering and payment stage once a transaction has been agreed upon; and 3) the delivery stage. In addition, the member states of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have agreed on a working definition of e-commerce: the networks over which E-commerce activities are carried out (Internet or others), the specific business processes related to e-commerce and the different actors involved (businesses, households or Governments). Economically speaking, e-commerce is a cheap way, by connecting computers everywhere, to carry out those activities which used to cost so much time and money from businesses. All those actions like product promotion, invoicing of merchandise, inventory control, communication with suppliers and customers, etc. can be accomplished over the Internet. With the help of Internet, your communication with your boss or employees two thousand kilometers away is as convenient and efficient as if you were in the same city. The market used to leave too little room for small businesses. However, things are different for the e-commerce. In e-commerce, so long as the business, no matter it is big or small, can move onto the electronic highway, you just go ahead with your business. It is up to the e-commerce consumers to decide which company they like and what products they would like to buy. In a way we may say that e-commerce has brought a revolution to businesses in an all-round way. Unfortunately, up to now, quite a number of companies have not yet realized the significance of e-commerce, not to speak of taking real steps to meet the challenge. Advantages E-commerce has opened an enormous market for all businesses. More and more companies have started doing business on/via the Internet. In Canada, one out of ten companies sold goods and services on the Internet in 1999. The total value for the customer orders received over the Internet was $4. 4 billion (with or without online payment). At present, according to Toronto research firm International Data Corp. the Internet business has grew to a total of US$ 435 billion worldwide by the year 2002. What business owners are mostly concerned about is in what way they can benefit from doing e-business over the Internet, which sounds quite reasonable and understandable. Actually, once you set up a store on the Internet, you have expanded your market to the whole world, which is beyond the customs tariff or the political influence. Although not all visitors to your Net store will ever do any shopping at your store, you should try your best to win them over by your marketing strategies. In fact, what you do for your products/services promotion on the Internet is only a supplementary effort to and not a replacement of your traditional ways of promotion. By your careful designing, consumers are encouraged to become more involved with your products or services. It is highly necessary for e-commerce to think of some special programs. Like the traditional way of building consumers loyalty, companies on the Net may practice the membership reward programs. Many consumers are interested in programs like Frequent Buyers, Point Accumulation or Free Internet Access offered by the credit card companies/banks, airlines, or bookstores. There are a number of ways to conduct B2B transactions online. Ever since the late 1960s, big companies have been doing business on the standardized electronic forms by using EDI. The traditional one-to-one transaction model has been gradually renewed with the advent of Internet: sellers sell directly from their websites; almost all computer-related companies have their own stores on the Net; and some smart virtual marketplaces attempt to bring both sellers and buyers together in one place. It is not hard for us to see that Internet has brought more vitality to the business transactions. Disadvantages of E-commerce As you begin to write your first column in the electronic commerce series, you realize that some business processes may never lend themselves to electronic commerce. For example, unique and high-cost items, such as jewelry or antiques, may continue to be difficult to inspect from a remote location. Most of the disadvantages of electronic commerce today, however, stem from the newness and rapidly developing pace of the underlying technologies. These disadvantages will disappear as electronic commerce matures and becomes more available to and accepted by the general population. Many products and services require that a critical mass of potential buyers be equipped and willing to buy via the Internet. Another example of a technology problem on the Web today is that the color settings on computer monitors vary widely. Clothing retailers find it difficult to give customers an accurate idea of what a products color will look like when it arrives. Most online clothing stores will send a fabric swatch on request, which also gives the customer a sense of the fabrics texture. As technology improves, this disadvantage will become less of an issue. Businesses often calculate their potential profits before committing to any new technology. These calculations have been difficult to perform for investments in electronic commerce because the costs and benefits have been hard to quantify. Technology costs can change dramatically during electronic commerce implementation products (processes) because the technologies can change so rapidly. Many firms have trouble recruiting and retaining employees with the technological, design, and business process skills needed to create an effective electronic commerce presence. Another problem facing firms that want to do business on the Internet is the difficulty of integrating existing databases and transaction-processing software designed for traditional commerce into the software that enables electronic commerce. In addition to the technology and software issues, many businesses face cultural and legal impediments to electronic commerce. Some consumers are still afraid to send their credit card numbers over the Internet. Other consumers are simply resistant to change and are uncomfortable viewing merchandise on a computer screen rather than in person. The legal environment in which electronic commerce is conducted is full of unclear and conflicting laws. In many cases, government regulators have not kept up with technologies. Laws that govern commerce were written when signed documents were a reasonable expectation in any business transaction. As more businesses and individuals find the benefits of electronic commerce to be compelling, many of these technology- and culture-related disadvantages will disappear. Values that Electronic Commerce Creates Electronic commerce creates value by vastly lowering the cost of transferring many types of information, on a one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many basis. On the demand side, the advantages are improved information about the available goods and services, improved access to them as well as more customization that matches the taste of the buyers. On the supply side, electronic commerce can streamline transaction processes and reduce cost. When Cisco Systems replaced its phone and fax ordering process with online ordering, the company saved more than half a billion dollars and reduced error rates from 25% to 2%. Study also shows that there is a lot of cost savings in delivery directly to the home rather than doing so through a store. Internet makes the time when transactions take place flexible, a very important feature in a global economy with different time zones. Thus 24-hour online banking service has brought much convenience at low cost both to the banks and the customers. E-commerce also enables better matching of buyers and sellers, which means more transaction volume and higher market efficiency. In addition, e-commerce has created opportunities for brand new products and industries. Examples are Internet appliances, such Palm Pilots, and Internet-based services, such as PC-to-Phone calls. Moreover, e-commerce creates new markets where preciously transaction and coordination costs were prohibitively high. New View Technologies, formerly known as eSteel. com, aggregates steel producers and purchases from around the world into a single online marketplace. On the macroeconomic level, it is widely recognized that e-commerce, both B2C and B2B models, reduces overall transaction cost, allocates resources better, increases economies of scale and improves the competitiveness of business in general. Despite some existing murkiness, recent studies show that e-commerce does have a positive impact on national growth of productivity and GDP. It is expected that European countries will catch up quickly with the United States, and developing countries, with a certain degree of preparedness, could also converge in productivity with the leading e-commerce countries. Prerequisites of Electronic Commerce The benefits of being integrated in e-commerce look inviting, especially in trade-related issues. But in order to reap these benefits, there are many prerequisites. First, the implementation of e-commerce needs sufficient technologies and infrastructures of computer and telecommunication, whose development is ever accelerating. Countries should have reached a certain stage of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) development so that the buyers and suppliers can actually materialize the possibility of conducting e-commerce. Second, electronic commerce also requires the technological and processing capability to make on-line payments and to deliver goods and services to consumers both physically and over the Internet. The appropriate development of financial services and logistics is also an indispensable part of the e-commerce. Despite its prevalence in certain sectors and regions, e-commerce is still in its infancy. There is urgent need, both on the national and international levels, for the establishment of standards, regulations and laws to create an environment of certainty, trust and security of the purchase and sales, as well as for the conveyance and use of information provided online. What E-commerce Means to Developing Countries? E-commerce is unique in its great capacity to go beyond the boundaries of time, space and information. An OECD study shows that there is a linkage between the openness of an economy and ICT spending. Trade in the goods and services are facilitated by the dissemination of ICTs. Countries where ICT spending has increased sharply usually also have sharp growth in trade. Therefore, given its immense effect on international trade as well as investment, e-commerce influences the development and globalization processes of the world. To meet the prerequisites of e-commerce requires a great amount of resources and efforts invested over a long period of time, so e-commerce is one more challenge that the developing countries are facing in the era of so-called new economy. In this realm, there is still much to accomplish for the developed countries and the way is probably even longer for the developing countries. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has studied this issue and come up with two scenarios. In Scenario I, the developing countries may be able to skip certain stages of development, jump on the express train of e-commerce and better integrate themselves in the world economy. A 1% productivity growth in the services sector in Asia would result in welfare gains of US$ 12 billion, GDP growth of 0. 4%, a wage increase of 0. 4% and a growth in services exports of between 2% and 3%. Therefore, e-commerce can become an important tool for development and fast catching-up. However, in Scenario II, developing countries might lag further behind technologically. While developed countries will have welfare gains of US$ 117 billion, the developing world as a whole will experience a huge loss in welfare (close to US$ 726 billion) and GDP, reduction in wages and deteriorating terms of trade. E-commerce could hence constitute an additional factor widening the gap between developed and developing countries. For individual countries, the trade effect of e-commerce is two-fold: On the one hand, new demand and market for goods and services has been created and expanded. Tourism industry, an information-intensive industry, is an important employer and foreign currency earner for developing countries. E-commerce can help maintain and improve their comparative advantage over developed country destinations. Although developing countries lack in modern ICT and financial infrastructures, their customers usually come from developed countries where such infrastructures are modern. Therefore, this obstacle is not formidable. With the adoption of e-commerce and other improvements in the business, the developing countries can reach their customers more directly with more comprehensive and flexible tourism products, reducing and/or eliminating the cost associated with a chain of intermediaries. As a result, the tourist industry of developing countries can become more competitive. E-commerce also makes it possible for consultancy type work such as software development and support to be carried out in the developing countries where consultants are employed to serve customers abroad. This means the sale of services in which the developing country has a comparative advantage (relatively low labor cost), which has not been fully utilized because of restrictions on the movement of natural persons. Microsoft has just moved its Global Technology Engineering Center to China. This is a net benefit to the exporting country in terms of income, retained earnings and employment. On the other hand, sectors that have been shielded from international competition will now be challenged by foreign producers. This might create serious problems for the developing countries, at least in the short term. In various WTO agreements, they have been granted special treatment for a certain period of time so that their domestic industries will not be overwhelmed all at once. With the advent of the e-commerce, it has to be determined what degree of openness is optimal so that the countries can gain from efficiency rather than suffer from the by-effects such as threats to national security and sovereignty as well as unemployment. Over the past decade, the regions with the highest annual growth in goods and services exports were Latin America, North America and Asia, whose shares of world exports also rose, while those of Europe, the Middle East and Africa declined. Africa posted the lowest export growth rate (at 1% per year). The most dynamic regions in terms of exports were also the most dynamic in terms of imports, reflecting a better integration into trade. This shows that although trade has increased in every region of the world, not all regions have benefited equally from the dissemination of trade as a result of new economy, where e-commerce plays a major part. E-commerce helps enhance global economic integration because the new opportunities that it creates bring in certain countries that have previously been left out. For example, www. EthioGift. om is selling Very big sheep- a 35 KG Sheep for Your Familys Feast ($97), featuring a photo (with zoom view) of an attractive brown and white ovine. This Ethiopia-based website is a model of its kind an e-commerce venture based in a developing country doing a booming business with clients in the industrialized world. However, without the necessary infrastructure and technology to connect them in the network of e-commerce, the most disadvantaged countries are threatened with even greater exclusion from trade and investment flows. Africas regression in international trade statistics proves that the digital divide does exist. According to OECD, some countries exclusion is made even more visible by the digital divide. However, the number of those excluded has been dropping steadily thanks to the new technologies. Although it appears that the developing countries have an interest in trading ICT products, the inequality of access to the new technologies is blatant. As long as this inequality persists, the problem cannot be totally solved. Therefore, the impact of e-commerce has two sides. Although its overall impact on the world is positive, we cannot assume that, for any single country under current conditions, the net effect of e-commerce is positive, too. Since e-commerce seems an irreversible trend, measures must be taken to make it work better and fairer for each player. Such efforts shall come both internationally and domestically.