ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Sheikh Ali sparkles as Anyway II wins Sport | 20 Saturday 3 January 2015 • 12 Rabial I 1436 • Volume 19 Number 6299 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Iraqi soldiers fight jihadists Saudi King has GCC customs pneumonia, condition stable CAIRO: The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King union fully Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is suffering from pneu- monia and “breathing with the aid of a tube”, the royal court said yesterday. The long-ailing king was operational hospitalised on Wednesday for check-ups. He temporarily needed help Chamber urged to create awareness to breath through a tube yes- terday due to a lung infection DOHA: The long-awaited GCC of entry for imported goods meant but the procedure was success- customs union became fully for any member state. ful and his condition was now operational from January 1. Customs duty is to be paid stable, state media said. The move signifies a qualita- at this port and only once after AGENCIES tive leap towards a full-fledged inspection of the goods subject regional common market. to rules and regulations that are The first phase of the customs common for the region. Iraqi soldiers launch a rocket during clashes between Islamic State fighters and a coalition of combatants made union was launched in January Prohibited goods are to be up of the Iraqi army and pro-government fighters as they take part in an operation to retake Sayed Ghareeb, Oil hits fresh 2003 and its full implementation stopped. Certain goods are near Dujail, some 70km north of Baghdad from rebel control yesterday. has taken 12 years. Hurdles like exempt from customs duty. An how customs revenues would be imported consignment could then 5-year low shared by member-states accord- be moved to the country of desti- ing to their economic weight nation within the GCC. NEW YORK: Brent crude delayed the union’s final phase. As part of the customs union, reversed early gains yesterday Prominent businessman, Ali products manufactured within to fall to a fresh post-2009 low Hassan Al Khalaf, said Qatar the GCC states are considered Unmarked police vehicles below $56 a barrel, as a glut of oil Chamber should now take a lead national products and their move- that has halved prices since June and explain to foreign investors ment within the region is free, overshadowed investor position- about the GCC customs union. attracting no customs levy. ing at the start of the year for a The chamber must inform The UAE’s Alittihad newspaper possible eventual recovery. businessmen and investors about reported that customs revenues to curb traffic violations Brent slumped to its lowest the implications of the regional collected by each GCC state will DOHA: The authorities are in slots reserved for people with of the law-enforcement agencies in more than five years as Saudi customs integration for the local be transferred automatically to planning to use unmarked special needs and overtaking from as the population of people and Arabia and other large Gulf pro- trade and industry. the state concerned according to police vehicles as traffic patrols right. vehicles is increasing. ducers continue to pump oil amid A former bureaucrat, Al Khalaf its share with effect from January to curb increasing violations, Local Arabic daily Al Raya The daily quoted a traffic fast-growing US shale oil output, agreed to a suggestion by this 1 this year. The transfer is to be particularly on busy roads in the reported yesterday that since official, Captain Hamad Ali Al despite pleas from other members newspaper yesterday that the done within a month from the city and its sprawling suburbs. marked vehicles show police Misnad, as saying that the use of Organisation of the Petroleum chamber must have a committee date of arrival of an imported The unsuspecting civilian- presence and cause people near of unmarked vehicles for traffic Exporting Countries to rein in to address businessmen’s issues consignment. looking patrol vehicles will be them to drive properly, unmarked patrol is planned as chaos and production and shore up prices. related to customs. Abdul Qader Siddiqui from equipped with cameras to click cars will be used for patrolling, congestion on the roads have been “With no production cuts in the The customs union basically Jeddah’s Chamber of Commerce photographs of violations. recording violations and catching increasing. offing and a significant demand refers to a free trade bloc with was quoted as saying by Saudi Use of mobile phones by motor- those responsible. Violations and accidents hinder response years away, oversupply common external tariff — five Arabia’s Alyaum newspaper that ists while driving, not using seat Irresponsible motorists are smooth traffic, he said. looks to be with us for a while,” percent duty is to be levied on full implementation of the cus- belts, throwing trash from cars making the roads in Doha and To begin with, eight unmarked said RBN Energy analyst Rusty goods imported from countries toms union will further lift the and making children sit in front its suburbs less pleasant for peo- vehicles (Land Cruisers and Braziel in a note. “$100 a barrel outside the GCC. Air, sea and land economies of the GCC states and seats are some common violations. ple, so new measures to enforce Nissan Patrol) will be deployed for crude oil prices are in the rear view ports anywhere in the GCC that bolster internal trade. Other common breaches of traffic and road safety laws are traffic patrol, Al Misnad added. mirror, at least for a few years.” have direct connection with the THE PENINSULA road safety rules include driving needed. THE PENINSULA REUTERS outside world can be a single point Continued on page 3 and parking on sidewalks, parking Traffic safety is a major concern Continued on page 3 See also page 14 Italian ferry to be probed South Sudan vows Palestinian mission submits poll, amnesty to rebel leader ICC membership request to UN UNITED NATIONS: The Palestinian UN observer mission yester- JUBA: The government of day delivered to UN headquarters signed documentation, request- South Sudan has promised to ing membership in the International Criminal Court and 17 other hold elections this year despite international treaties. Chief Palestinian Observer Riyad Mansour the ongoing civil war, with the confirmed the handover to reporters. UN Secretary-General Ban president promising to give Ki-moon is to review the letters on Palestine joining the Rome rebel leaders an amnesty. Statute, which governs the ICC, and notify state members on the According to a government request within 60 days. statement yesterday, elections will See also page 5 be held “at some point between May 1 and July 2015”, with New complex for visa, traffic services President Salva Kiir “determined that the poll is transparent”. DOHA: A complex to offer all services provided by the Ministry “We will hold elections in 2015 of Interior, including visa issuance and renewal and traffic-related as we will not allow our democ- services, is to be built in Mesaieed Industrial City, the hub of Qatar’s racy to be held hostage to vio- downstream industries. lence. A budget has been approved The area’s population has been increasing as more industrial units and we urge all parties to par- are being set up. The complex is at the planning stage and expected ticipate,” government spokesman to be ready in 2019, according to a report of the Secretariat-General A helicopter flies over the Italian-owned Norman Atlantic ferry off the coast of the port of Brindisi yesterday. Ateny Wek Ateny said. of the Cabinet. THE PENINSULA Prosecutors ordered the vessel to be towed to Brindisi so that it can be searched for corpses and clues as to The statement said Kiir was what caused the huge fire on board on December 28, killing 13 people. Report on page 9 “in the process of securing an amnesty for people who have com- mitted crimes against the govern- ment”, but did not say when a full amnesty to rebel leaders would be granted. Mixed reaction to closure of car showrooms Fighting broke out in South Sudan, the world’s youngest DOHA: Opinion among businessmen on daily Al Arab in remarks published on “So they exploit customers in terms of provisions, the matter should be decided by nation, in December 2013 when the government’s recent action against Thursday that some firms were taking pricing and after-sales servicing, so puni- court, not government inspectors, he said. Kiir accused his sacked deputy some car showrooms for allegedly violat- undue advantage of customers’ ignorance. tive action will make them deal with cus- “Ordering closure of a showroom, that Riek Machar of attempting a ing consumer protection rules remains “It is not justified for a company to pass tomers properly.” too, of a big company, is not a matter that coup. divided. on a damaged car after repair and painting A former bureaucrat and prominent can be decided by a public servant,” he said. The fighting in capital Juba set While a section feels that only the court to a buyer as brand new,” he said. businessman, Ali Hassan Al Khalaf, how- The ministry should have a department to off a cycle of retaliatory massa- should have the authority to shut a business Another businessman, Jaber Al ever, said crucial decisions like punishing a supervise its inspectors, said Al Khalaf who cres across the country, pushing in punitive action, others have welcomed Mansouri, said the showroom closure move big company for breaching rules should not was director of commercial affairs at the it to the brink of famine.