Pak-China Business Forum from March 23-26, 2013

Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) in collaboration with COMSATS Institute of Information Technology is organizing Pak-China Business Forum & Expo from March 23-26, 2013 at Pak-China Friendship Center, Garden Avenue, Islamabad.

The main objective of this forum is to promote academia-industry collaboration in business and the economic sector for mutual benefit of the two countries. The objectives set forth for the Pak-China Business Forum are as under:
•    To provide a platform for interaction between Chinese and Pakistani entrepreneurs and businessmen.
•    To explore possibilities of attracting FDI from China.
•    To provide business opportunities for Pakistani entrepreneurs.
The event will comprise project exhibition, seminars, workshops and industrial academic exhibition of various products of different sectors. Major Chinese and Pakistani companies, small and medium enterprises, entrepreneurs, universities, and research and development organizations will attend the forum. 



Prospective Participants

Following are the people likely participating in the Pak-China Business Forum 2013:
•    Chinese firms (around 50)
•    Chinese firms active in Pakistan
•    Pakistani business houses/SMEs
•    Universities and R&D organizations with products in the thematic areas.

Highlights

•    B2B Meetings
•    Textile Pavilion
•    Seminars
•    Food Court
•    Culture Show 3 Nights (Chinese performers and Pakistani performers)
•    Renewable Energy Technologies
•    New Energy Technologies
•    Information and Communication Technologies
•    Water Conversation Purification and Sanitation
•    Biomedical Materials
•    General [1]

Opening Ceremony of Pak-China Business Forum 2013 will be held on Saturday March 23rd, 2013 at 1000 hours (at Pak-China Friendship Centre, Islamabad)

 

The official time would be from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM on all four days of the event. The Rent of the stall is from Rs. 10,000 for all days of the event.

Why participate?

The main features of the event include:

• An exhibition of products, processes and technological ideas developed at CIIT and other participating organizations;
• Products display by the local and Chinese businesses;
• Seminars, workshops and road shows;
• Side meetings with Chambers of Commerce & Industry and related government entities.



Long Live Pak-China Friendship



*The exhibition will be open to the general public. [2]

When The Hail Hit Islamabad March 14, 2013

HAIL and the BeautifuL city ISLAMABAD, PakistaN

The twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad turned white today (14.03.2013) when heavy hailstorm coupled with rain lashed the cities, bringing the mercury down and making the weather a pleasant.

Light rain continued after the hailstorm and people along with their children came out of their houses and enjoyed the weather. They were seen on the roadsides taking pictures of hailing that was spread everywhere on green belts, car parking, open areas and roofs of buildings.
Hail spread everywhere looked just like snow, said a shopkeeper in Blue Area, Tofial Rehman, and added, “It is ironic that the skies have joined in the celebrations of the masses on getting rid of the corrupt government that was a burden on the shoulders of the citizens.”

Rabia Jamal, a costumer to Super Market, recalling her previous trip to Murree to enjoy snowfall there said she had come to the market for shopping, when heavy hailstorm started.
“We don’t know it is good or bad for agriculture sector but it is fascinating to see hail spread everywhere,” she added. 

On the other hand, traffic came to a standstill during the hailstorm and several commuters got off their cars to enjoy the weather and started taking pictures and recorded videos to capture the beautiful moment.


After the end of hailstorm, the business activities in various parts of the city remained low while the sale of chicken soup, pakoras, samosas, dry fruit and tea and coffee was high as huge rush of customers was witnessed outside the outlets.
Met Office official said the hailstorm will have negative impact on crops while the rain would be beneficial for agriculture sector, adding that it would also increase the water level in reservoirs.

CDA for ‘clean and green Islamabad’

ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Syed Tahir Shahbaz on Tuesday launched a ‘Spring Tree Plantation Campaign’ by planting a sapling between the green belt of sector E10 and E11.

Various members of the CDA Board, officials of the civic authority, students from different schools and universities, environmentalists and representatives of various NGOs were also present on the occasion.

The CDA chairman said, “Environmental pollution has become the biggest threat to human life and can only be prevented by maximum plantation of trees. The CDA is making efforts for fulfilling this national responsibility.” He also said, “Tree plantation is our national as well as religious responsibility, as deforestation in the country has increased the demand for tree plantation on a mammoth level to meet the required green cover for a better environment. Every citizen should plant trees to overcome the shortage of forests.”

Syed Tahir Shahbaz added that the participation of a large number of children in the tree plantation campaign highlighted the importance of environment, as children are the true catalyst of change. He also said that strict monitoring should be carried out to ensure maximum survival of the planted saplings. He called upon the participants to inculcate the message of love for trees to the people they interact with. CDA Environmental Member Dr Kazim Niaz informed the media that during this campaign, 500,000 saplings would be planted in urban and regional areas of the Capital.

He also said that saplings would be planted in sectors I9, I10, G6 and G7, whereas 0.35 million saplings would be planted at the Margalla Hills and the National Park. The CDA management also organised a walk from Sector F11 to Sector E11 as part of the campaign. CDA Media Assistant Director Muhammad Saleem Aktar, describing the purpose of the walk, told Daily Times that the aim of the walk was to involve the general public in the efforts for a “clean and green Islamabad”.

During the walk, members of the CDA Environment Wing displayed posters, banners and streamers in different areas of the city and car-stickers, paper-bags and badges carrying slogans for planting trees and other informative material were distributed among participants of the walk.

Though the CDA conducts a two-day tree plantation campaign every year, in which hundreds of thousand of saplings are planted, surprisingly, the end result is quite opposite, as the tree cover in the capital has been decreasing at an alarming rate. A CDA official said, “The survival rate of the saplings is also a matter of great concern because the CDA’s directorate concerned shows enthusiasm only during the campaign but the passion subsidises with the passage of time.” The official also said, “There is no effective mechanism to monitor the newly planted trees and not enough staff to look after the saplings.”

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Islamabad Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry suggest measures to Resolve Energy Crisis

Islamabad Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry suggest measures to Resolve Energy Crisis - Press Release issued by Islamabad Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Following is the text of press release issued by Islamabad Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Quote

The Islamabad Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI) said on Tuesday government should push power companies using furnace oil to switch to coal driven low prices, stability and vast supplies for years to come.
Coal is the cheapest and the most common fuel used to produce electricity and heat in the world, its share in world's energy mix has hit record high with 5.4 per cent increase, it said.
With 1004 billion tonnes of known coal reserves left on earth and global consumption estimated at 9.98 billion tonnes per annum by 2030, Pakistan can become a major player with 175 billion tonnes of coal, said Farida Rashid, President IWCCI.
Thar coal is sufficient to meet our fuel requirements for centuries and help export electricity to regional countries opening door for prosperity but it remained largely ignored, she said.
Speaking to business community, she said that we are paying a very heavy price for running power plants on furnace oil and natural gas while the slow pace of the government's decision to convert some the furnace oil based power plants to coal is frustrating.
Conversion of furnace oil based power plants on Thar coal can save around 5 billion dollars of foreign exchange per annum as furnace oil imports stands at 40 per cent of total petroleum imports that are over 12 billion dollars.
Farida Rashid adding that switching on coal should be made easier for the private power producers seeking permission since long as conversion to imported coal will also save billions, she observed.
Conversion will cut oil import bill, reduce borrowings, clip subsidies and bring production cost down providing relief to domestic, commercial and industrial consumers, she added.
Farida Rashid said that conversion will also help cull circular debt which is biggest threat to the economy, bridge budgetary gap, make funds available for new investment on public welfare and power sector betterment and improve balance of payments position.
She said that some two billion dollars could also be saved by ensuring merit in provision of gas to the power plants, a decision implementable within an hour. This can be ensured by preferring most efficient power plants irrespective of the fact that they are state-owned or privately owned units.
Alternatively, government can take steps to improve productivity of inefficient public sector electricity generation companies which are preferred in provision of gas.
Business community believes that the resolution to power woes lies in conversion to relatively stable fuel because volatile global oil prices have resulted in huge circular debt and unmaintainable generation cost.
Government can consider asking IPPs to convert to coal, largest carbon-emitting energy source of all, otherwise the circular debt will soon cross Rs one trillion rupees mark, she warned.
Economy cannot be salvaged in presence of unstable power sector which is facing many problems none of which is impossible to solve.
Presently, coal is responsible for 41per cent of global electricity generation, with 1932 coal power plants, coal account for over 50 per cent of all US electric generation while India with 126 plants is expected to overtake America by 2025.
South Africa's 93 per cent and China's 68.7 per cent electricity comes from coal while Pakistan's coal-based power production is insignificant. We should take steps to balance our energy mix and improve dismal per capita energy consumption to boost economy.
For more information, contact:
Samina Fazil
President
Islamabad Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Mobile: +92323 5343199
Tel: +9251 2252256
Unquote

Copyright 2013 Business News Pakistan
All Rights Reserved Wire News provided by

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A dream of Free Tobacco Youth, Islamabad, Pakistan and WORLD.

What is Tobacco?
Tobacco is a green, leafy plant that is grown in warm climates. After it is picked, it is dried, ground up, and used in different ways. It can be smoked in a cigarette, pipe, or cigar. It can be chewed (called smokeless tobacco or chewing tobacco) or sniffed through the nose (called snuff).
Nicotine is one of the more than 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes and its smoke. It is the chemical that makes tobacco addictive or habit forming. Once we smoke, chew, or sniff tobacco, nicotine goes into our bloodstream, and our body wants more. The nicotine in tobacco makes it a drug. This means that when we use tobacco, it changes our body in some way. Because nicotine is a stimulant, it speeds up the nervous system, so we feel like we have more energy. It also makes the heart beat faster and raises blood pressure.


MEDICAL experts have termed cigarette and sheesha smoking a major cause of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which may become the third largest killer disease in the world by 2020.
 The COPD has been spreading fast in our country as 50 per cent men and 11 per cent women have become addicted to sheesha smoking. While an ordinary cigarette contains 4,700 chemicals injurious to health, the sheesha smoking is far more dangerous due to its composition of tobacco, flavour and even drugs,” explained medical experts Dr Kamran Cheema, professor of pulomonology, Services Hospital and Dr Zafar Iqbal, professor of Pulmonology, Jinnah Hospital, during a discussion on “Chronic lungs compression - symptoms and prevention” held in connection with World COPD Day under the auspices of Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Memorial Society (Jang Group of Newspapers) here at a local hotel of Lahore.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Kamran Cheema said that COPD was growing as a cause of death, whereas the death rate was decreasing in paralysis and heart diseases. He said that the causes of COPD included hereditary ailment, tobacco smoking,, smoke emitting from wood and dung burning, environmental pollution and childhood infection, adding that the symptoms of COPD were sputum, uneasy breathing and coughing. He said that the COPD patient lost his breath quickly during exercise and afterwards even lost his breath during inactivity, which then led to a sudden attack, which could be diagnosed through a specific test.

Prof Zafar Iqbal, while talking about the diagnosis and treatment of COPD, said that GOLD - the global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease - had set a guideline for diagnosis and treatment of COPD. He said that a cigarette contained 4,700 injurious chemicals, which caused diseases other than cancer as well.
He said that quitting smoking, using nicotine gum, blocked disease growth, improved quality of life, avoiding pollution, education, exercise, vaccination, medicines and nutritional support were the major interventions for prevention, control and treatment of this disease. He said that inhalers, nebulizers, oxygen as medicine and anti-biotics were used as treatment of COPD. He, however, stressed upon steps to prevent COPD because all efforts to treatment this disease were never enough to eradicate the disease.
 Qari Fasihuddin stressed upon the public to adopt cleanliness to prevent not only COPD but many other diseases as well. He also urged the electronic and print media to give time and space to health issues to create awareness among public for prevention, control and treatment of diseases in Pakistan.

MKRMS Chairman Wasif Nagi, who hosted the seminar, said that the COPD was a very expensive diseases, which required a lot of money for its treatment. He stressed upon the public to adopt measures to prevent this disease.

Islamabad to be made tobacco free city

Saturday, March 09, 2013. In a bid to make Islamabad a tobacco free city, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, Amir Ali Ahmad has directed better enforcement of anti tobacco laws.A meeting held the other day to review ongoing anti tobacco operation in federal capital initiated in collaboration of Tobacco Control Cell (TCC).

The deputy commissioner said that Islamabad Capital Administration, TCC and other concerned departments should make all out efforts to make Islamabad a tobacco free city.

The meeting was informed that fines of Rs250,000 have been imposed upon violation. Amir Ali directed concerned authorities to take strict action against violators, saying that negligence on the part of officials in enforcing anti tobacco laws would not be tolerated.

Passive Smoke

Choosing not to smoke usually is enough to prevent lung cancer—but not always. Studies have shown that smoke from the cigarettes of others contains carcinogens (car-SIN-o-jenz), cancer-causing chemicals that can affect people who are around smoke often. The secondhand smoke from cigarettes contains more tars and other chemicals than does the smoke inhaled by the smoker. Most cigarettes are filtered and remove at least some of the harmful chemicals. To protect yourself and others:

• Avoid places where people are smoking whenever possible.
• Encourage smokers to quit for their health and yours.
• Prevent children from regularly being exposed to smoke.
• Encourage restaurants, stores, and other social settings to provide nosmoking areas.

Source Links.

1. The News International
2. Pakistan Observer
3. History & Economics of Tobacco
4. Human Diseases and Conditions
5. Picture