www.thepeninsulaqatar.com BUSINESS | 12 SPORT | 19 HHugeu prospects for UEFA names new rrenewablee energy general-secretary, in Mideast holds back on Platini SATURDAY 5 MARCH 2016 • 25 Jumada I 1437 • Volume 20 • Number 6726 thepeninsulaqatar @peninsulaqatar @peninsula_qatar Israel razes Qatar’s economy homes of 10 remains resilient Palestinian families $1.60 to $2.00 per million British The global credit Thermal Units, and is a profitable AFP producer of LNG. Its strategy has ratings services been to diversify into all major agency Standard & markets, adjusting the mix of desti- JERUSALEM: Israeli forces nations and contract types according demolished dozens of structures Poor’s has affirmed to market needs. Moreover, the including a school in the north- Qatar’s sovereign majority of its gas exports are under ern West Bank this week, leaving long-term contracts, which provides 10 families homeless, the UN said credit ratings at some certainty regarding the vol- yesterday. ‘AA/A-1+’ with stable umes sold. We expect that Qatar The demolitions took place in will maintain its cost advantage the village of Khirbet Tana, south outlook. over many new projects in other of Nablus in the northern West countries.” Bank. In total, 41 structures were In January 2016, the rene- destroyed, displacing 36 Pales- gotiation of RasGas’, Qatar’s tinians including 11 children, the The Peninsula second-biggest LNG producer, con- UN’s humanitarian body said in a tract with Petronet LNG (India’s statement. biggest gas importer) at a discount The army regularly destroys of almost 50 percent indicates an Palestinian paramedics help a protester who was shot in the leg by Israeli security forces during clashes, homes it says have been built with- DOHA: Standard & Poor’s has increasingly competitive envi- following a demonstration in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, outside the Ofer Prison out permission from the Israeli affirmed Qatar’s ‘AA’ long-term ronment for natural gas and LNG in the occoupied West Bank, yesterday. authorities. and ‘A-1+’ short-term foreign and sellers over the medium term. local currency sovereign credit rat- Existing LNG buyers committed ings. The outlook is stable. S&P also to long-term contracts and other affirmed the ‘AA’ long-term issue potential buyers may try to renego- ratings on the bonds issued by Qatari tiate or achieve similar commercial Diar Finance and SoQ Sukuk A Q.S.C. terms in an environment of persist- Farmers’ markets extend operations “We expect the country’s exter- ently low prices. nal position to shift to a deficit from S&P’s outlook assumes that the 2016. However, we note that we sharp drop in hydrocarbon revenues By Sidi Mohamed of the absence of middlemen who of fruits and 35 tonnes of fresh fish. cheaper than those available at the expect the large net asset position will be somewhat offset by reduc- The Peninsula jack up marketing costs. The idea The markets are managed by Central Market, he added. “The plan to be maintained. We are therefore tions to Qatar’s current spending, behind the extension is to encourage the Ministry of Environment, which this year is to extend the duration of affirming our ‘AA/A-1+’ sovereign which was reduced by 9.5 percent Qatari farms to increase their produc- is now part of the Ministry of Munic- the markets and the idea is to encour- credit ratings on Qatar”, the glo- in 2015 and is expected to fall further tion and help consumers access fresh ipality and Environment. age local farms to produce more and bal credit ratings services agency in 2016, as line ministries are closed DOHA: The three farmers’ markets produce at cheaper rates. In addition, in January and help consumers access the produce at announced yesterday. or merged, slow moving projects are where locally grown vegetables, The current season of the three February of this year, some 8,896 much cheaper rates,” Al Sulaiti said. According to S&P, Qatar’s sta- scrapped, subsidies removed, and locally-bred birds and livestock are markets began last November. The birds, understandably also includ- He pointed out that the Minis- ble outlook reflects its view that certain taxes introduced, including sold, have decided to extend opera- markets are located in Umm Salal ing chicken, and 2,354 cattle heads try has been holding workshops for the country’s economy will remain an increase in stamp duty. Capital tions to encourage local farms. (Al Mazrouah here is the largest of were sold at the three markets, said the representatives of Qatari farms resilient, supported by solid macr- spending will continue to slightly The markets are now open during the three), Al Wakra and one which Abdul Rehman Al Sulaiti. and make them aware of innovative oeconomic fundamentals, although increase as infrastructure projects the winter months—they operate from is common for Al Khor and Al Dha- “The current season of the mar- methods of marketing as well as to it anticipates continued institutional advance. It also project a decline in November until the onset of summer. kheera municipalities. kets has achieved a big success due to guide them as to how to maintain the weaknesses and an only moderate hydrocarbon income, namely in the The markets that also retail fish, According to a senior government the efforts of the ministry and larger quality of their produce. increase in hydrocarbon prices over financial transfers from Qatar Petro- are quite popular as they vend fresh official in-charge of the farmers’ mar- participation by Qatari farms,” he These markets, according to Al the next two years. leum to the budget, which come to vegetables grown in local farms and kets, in the first two months of this said. The prices of the produce here Sulaiti, are a direct link between the On the possible global challenges the government budget with a six- locally bred cattle and birds at much year some 284,000 boxes of vege- are competitive and much lower as local farmhouses and consumers and Qatar might face in medium-to-long month lag. cheaper rates. tables grown in Qatari farms were compared to those at the Central Mar- that is the reason why the prices of term, the report said: “Qatar has one The prices are even cheaper than sold at the three markets. And the ket, he said. the produce are so low and the qual- of the lowest costs of production, →Continued on page 2 those at the Central Market because sold produce also included 469 tons Some items are much, much ity is high, he added. 16 dead in gun attack on Yemen Syrians should decide care home Assad’s fate: UN envoy AFP AFP “Yesterday, there were four people killed. ADEN: Gunmen attacked a care Very sad,” he said. “But do you know how many home run by missionaries in were dying just two weeks ago? Up to 120 per Yemen’s southern city of Aden yes- day. An average of between 60 and 80 every terday, killing 16 workers including PARIS: United Nations envoy Staffan de Mistura day. “How many people were being reached four foreign nuns, officials said. said yesterday the Syrian people, not foreigners, by humanitarian aid in the 18 besieged areas? There was no immediate claim should decide the fate of their President Bashar Zero. What happened in the last 10 days? Well, of responsibility but Aden has seen Al Assad. “Can’t we leave the Syrians to actu- 242 truck-loads of humanitarian aid reaching a surge in attacks by the Islamic ally decide on that? Why should we be saying seven of those areas.” State (IS) group and rival Al Qaeda. in advance what the Syrians should say, as long He said 115,000 people had now received Four gunmen entered the ref- as they have the freedom and the opportunity aid, but accepted this was still “not enough”. uge operated by Mother Teresa’s of saying so?” de Mistura told France 24 TV. French President Francois Hollande criti- Missionaries of Charity in Aden’s “We say that it is supposed to be a solution cised Bashar Al Assad for scheduling elections Sheikh Othman district, killing a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned,” he added. in his war-torn country next month, calling the guard before tying up and shooting Syrians ride their motorbike as smoke billows in the background following air strikes on De Mistura said he remained optimistic move “provocative” and “unrealistic”. employees, security officials said. the rebel-held village of Al Chifouniya, on the outskirts of the capital Damascus, yesterday. about the ceasefire that came into force last Screams of elderly residents weekend, despite continued breaches. →See also page 3 echoed from the home during the shooting rampage, witnesses said. They recounted seeing the bodies of slain workers with their arms tied behind their backs scat- FameLab to pick young and aspiring scientists today tered on the blood-stained floor as the aged residents cried out in fear. Apart from the four foreign nuns — whose nationalities were The Peninsula sity (HBKU) Student Center. They will be judged on content, clar- Student winners from the ‘Young efforts of the British Council and Qatar the subject of conflicting reports Divided into two categories, ity, and charisma. Scientists’ category will go to the National Research Fund (QNRF), a — the rest of those killed were Yem- ‘Young Scientists’ and ‘Aspiring Sci- The winner from the researchers London International Science Youth member of Qatar Foundation Research enis working at the facility, officials entists’, each contestant will deliver a and teachers category, ‘Aspiring Sci- Forum (LIYSF) and meet with young & Development (QF R&D), as well as the said.