Summary: Interview with Tim Brown who helped start e-commerce site, Goodz.com.au, sourcing quality products directly from China, which has grown into www.360dsc.com, a supply chain solutions business for various third party sales and group buying sites in 11 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, United States, United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. The business now employs more than 100 people and helps local Australian and New Zealand consumers get better deals online. Interview with PricewaterhouseCoopers economist Jeremy Thorpe Leon and Garry discuss issues including: · Growth in China's factory sector accelerating to a six-month high in September, a preliminary survey showed, as stronger domestic and foreign demand added to recent signs of a tentative turnaround in the world's second-largest economy. · Eurozone business activity continuing to pick up in September, hitting a 27-month high as the economy climbed out of a record recession. The Composite Purchasing Managers' Index compiled by Markit Economics jumped to 52.1 points for September from 51.5 in August, pushing further beyond the 50-points boom-or-bust line. The rise confirms a recovery for the embattled single currency bloc, which finally exited 18 months of recession in the second quarter this year. The emergence from recession is again being led by Germany, where better days helped propel Chancellor Angela Merkel to a resounding electoral victory on Sunday but she is five seats short so she will have to partner with the Greens or Social Democrats who will push for stimulus spending. · United States consumer confidence edging a bit lower in September, held back by job and income worries. · The big focus on the future of the National Broadband Network with the new Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull forcing the board to resign. Turnbull was frustrated by cost blowouts and rollout delays, frustrated by their lack of experience and is seeking the installation of Ziggy Switkowski as executive chairman. Under Dr Switkowski three separate reviews and a forensic audit of NBN Co will be undertaken immediately to look at the ownership structure, which could include the private sector being invited to take equity to help fund the rollout. NBN Co will switch from a fibre-to-the-home network to the cheaper fibre-to-the-node and fibre-to-the-basement network, which will require massive changes to contracts and relationships with contractors, Telstra and other networks. It will require a renegotiation of the Telstra/NBN deal to arrange copper access and compensation as well as redesigning the rollout. · A look at the revised NBN business plan showing the company received revenues in the 2012-13 financial year of $17 million -- slightly below earlier forecasts. This compares to rising operating expenses, excluding all network construction costs and payments to Telstra and Optus, of $712m. Operating costs jumped from $500m the previous year and are forecast to hit $1.07bn this year. · But Turnbull has his work cut out, with Australia starting so far behind the rest of the developed world in broadband connection
