Emir, PM send cables of greetings

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani have sent cables of congratulations to the King of the Federation of Malaysia on the occasion of his country’s National Day.
The Emir and the Prime Minister also sent cables of congratulations to the President of Kyrgyz Republic and President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on the occasion of their countries’ Independence Days.

 Q Investment, China firm sign pact to build Pak power plants

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was reached between the federal and Punjab governments of Pakistan, the China National Power Company and Q Investment Qatar on Friday for building 10 coal-based power plants with a combined capacity of 6,600 megawatts to meet the energy-deficient South Asian country’s growing power requirements, according to a report published in The Nation newspaper of Pakistan.
The combined cost of the projects would be more than $5bn.   
The report said under the tripartite agreement, the plants of 660 megawatt each will be set up at Gadani. The projects of 3,000 mw will be completed within first 30 months while the remaining projects of 3,600 megawatt will be executed in the next two-and-a-half years.
Q Investment was represented by its CEO Tamim Hamad al-Kuwari at the signing ceremony. It was attended by Punjab Chief Minister Mohamed Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Mohamed Asif, provincial ministers, various federal and provincial secretaries as well as senior officers.
Pakistan federal secretary for water and power Saifullah Chatha, secretary of energy (Punjab ) Usman Bajwa, president (Middle East) of China National Power Company Wu Wenhao also signed the documents, along with al-Kuwari, according to the report.
Sharif said at the function that the agreement involving Pakistan, Qatar and China would prove to be a milestone in energy sector and promised all-out efforts for the early completion of the project which relies on imported coal.
The Punjab chief minister said the Q Investment Company would make investments worth billions of dollars in the energy projects in the coming years. He also thanked the Qatar government and Q Investment for making heavy investments in energy projects in Pakistan.

Blood donation campaign

A blood donation campaign will be conducted at JBK Controls employees’ accommodation at Street 38 of the Industrial Area tomorrow from 3pm to 9.30pm.
A mobile blood donor unit from Hamad Medical Corporation will be available
onsite. The event is organised by JBK Controls. Those interested to donate blood should contact: 55472531.

Workshop discusses wood packaging safeguards

The Ministry of Environment recently organised a workshop on the implementation of the International Standards For Phytosanitary Measures No 15 (ISPM 15) for wood packaging.
A lecture was delivered by an expert from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), local Arabic daily Arrayah has reported. The     workshop was attended by a number of officials, including Adil al-Kindi, head of the MoE’s plant protection and agricultural quarantine section. The event was aimed at informing the ministry’s employees about the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the ways in which the standards could be implemented, the report said. The convention seeks to secure effective action to prevent and control the introduction and spread of pests of plants and plant products.

Mowasalat gets ready for school transportation


Mowasalat has prepared the school bus fleet for the new year, a report in a local Arabic daily said. The Mowasalat bus fleet has been made ready for the new school year with the inclusion of additional buses in order to meet the increasing demand for school transportation of existing and new students in the country. The company has also carried out maintenance works and technical examination of the vehicles. The buses are equipped with safety belts on all seats and each bus contains a fire extinguisher and an automatic extinguisher in the engine room, which work when the engine temperature rises. In addition, there is an alarm bell to warn the driver and the buses are also equipped with first aid equipment.

Some housing complexes not following fire safety norms

Some housing complexes in the country are not implementing the fire safety regulations laid down by Civil Defence, local Arabic daily Al Sharq has reported.
The safety norms include the installation and proper upkeep of warning devices and fire extinguishers as well as the provision of adequate emergency exits, among other measures.
However, not all buildings comply with the rules and this becomes evident when a fire breaks out in a building and the warning devices fail to function as they are not regularly maintained or replaced as and when required, according to the report.
It is imperative to keep fire warning devices and other safety equipment in running condition as these can help prevent fatalities during a blaze. It is felt that the authorities need to strictly monitor all housing complexes and buildings in the country to ensure compliance with the rules, according to the report.
Some residents pointed out that the fire extinguishers installed in many housing compounds were old and not replaced on time. They also said there should be regular maintenance of the extinguishers.