In its prior corporate strategy announcement, Sony stated that through the combination of these structural reform measures and business portfolio realignment it expected to reduce headcount across the entire Sony Group, primarily in the electronics business, by approximately 10, 000 in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013 ("FY12"), including approximately 3, 000 to 4, 000 in Japan.

ENGADGET: Sony restructuring in Japan: camera lens plant to close with loss of 2,000 jobs

These are strong reform measures by Indian standards.

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And regarding the argument that these measures will somehow stifle reform efforts in China, Russia and other nations, just the opposite is true.

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While these measures are attempts at positive reform, in some sense, the more we constrain ratings agencies, the more we hurt an industry on which we are forced to rely.

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If these politicians were rehabilitated, he suggests, police reform would be accepted, just as other difficult centralising measures in defence and taxation have been.

ECONOMIST: Bosnia's government

These include measures to clarify the role of Japan's security forces, privatise parts of the postal service, reform health care and overhaul the tax code.

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These include measures reflecting proposals endorsed by the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness ranging from regulatory reform and tax simplification to reducing our dependence on foreign sources of energy.

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