ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Home | 3 Business | 17 Sport | 26 QRC to launch Qatar banks’ Qatar SC and WASH project for assets and Mesaimeer 1,038 families in liabilities rise by SC register Iraqi Kurdistan. QR42.1bn in June. impressive wins. WEDNESDAY 19 AUGUST 2015 • 4 Dhul-Qa’da 1436 • Volume 20 Number 6527 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Emir meets Hadi 355 seizures of Exit permit for drugs, snakes at airport last year DOHA: Bagfuls of poisonous Hajj pilgrims snakes, rare species of other reptiles, huge quantities of nar- cotics were among the banned items customs officials seized last year. on the spot The officials made 355 seizures of narcotics, including hashish, heroin, narcotic pills, marijuana and other banned substances, Counters at HIA will also renew RPs General Authority of Customs has disclosed. DOHA: Special counters for Awqaf and Islamic Affairs said The most surprising haul was a Hajj pilgrims will be set up at there will be a waiting list of large number of snakes concealed Hamad International Airport pilgrims. in six bags, from a passenger at (HIA) where, among other “Those who can’t go for Hajj Hamad International Airport things, expatriates will be for some reason must inform us. (HIA). The authority said the issued exit permit on the spot. We have a waiting list so we will bags contained 52 reptiles, includ- If it is discovered that the resi- choose one person in his place ing snakes. dency permit (RP) of an expatri- from this list according to serial In another incident at the air- ate pilgrim has expired or is about number,” officials from the minis- Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday met Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi at the Emiri port, officials foiled an attempt by to lapse, it would be renewed. try told the news conference. Diwan and discussed relations and topics of mutual interest. Hadi briefed the Emir on developments in Yemen. an Asian passenger to smuggle The counters will be manned They included Jassem Abdullah Deputy Emir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani and Hadi’s delegation were present. in 17kg of marijuana on a direct by staff from the Immigration Al Ali, Assistant Director of the flight to Doha. Wrapped with Department of the Ministry of department, and Ali Taleib Al several layers of plastic adhesive, Interior. Mohanna, Head, Public Relations, the ‘dangerous stuff’ was in three This was disclosed by Major at the ministry. packets concealed in clothes. Nasser Al Humaidi, from the The officials said pilgrims who Besides, about 1.5kg of ‘narcotic ministry, at a press conference opt out for some reason will have Big firms told of online wage opium’ was recovered from a pas- yesterday. to apply for pilgrimage afresh senger on a flight from an Asian “We (from the Passport Affairs next year. country. It was detected with the Department of the ministry) are The condition this year is that help of a fingerprint expert from deploying many of our employees no batch should comprise less transfer delay in advance the Ministry of Interior. to provide our services to Hajj pil- than 50 pilgrims. In another case, officials seized grims at the airport,” Major Al The package for Hajj by air this DOHA: Bigger construction being launched by the govern- month,” said the official. “We pay a huge cache of banned ‘Tramadol’ Humaidi said. year costs between QR20,000 and and contracting companies that ment for private sector compa- our workers cash every 32 to 33 pills concealed in sealed tea boxes, Some 1,200 people are going QR28,000 per person and those were to be part of the Wage nies. It was scheduled for launch days. from an Arab passenger. for Hajj, to be held in the fourth going by road must spend between Protection System (WPS) in its on August 18, but put off as some “We were coordinating with The boxes were wrapped in sev- week of September, from Qatar QR8,000 and QR12,000 each. first phase of implementation companies were not ready for it. our bank to be part of the WPS. eral layers and the pills hidden in this year and some 300 of them The Supreme Council of Health were told in advance about the Asking that neither he nor There were some minor glitches the bottom of the passenger’s bag. are expatriates. (SCH) is holding a seminar postponement of its launch to his company be named, a senior and we told our accounts depart- Officials also foiled an attempt to They will travel in 14 batches on healthcare precautions and November 2. officials told this newspaper that ment to sort them out. smuggle in 3kg of marijuana by — 12 by air and two by road. The preparations for Hajj tomorrow One such company with over they have some 1,680 employ- “However, as this was going another passenger. batches will begin travelling next at Ritz-Carlton Hotel. 1,500 workers said it came to ees, including 1,500 workers who on, we were told last week that In another major haul, a cus- month. It is organising the event in col- know of the postponement from were to be part of the WPS. The the WPS was being put off to toms team seized 23,000 banned About exit permit, Major Al laboration with Hamad Medical the “government” through its remaining 180 are senior staff November 2,” he said. ‘psychotropic pills’ from an Arab Humaidi said a pilgrim could get Corporation for people working representative (mandoob) nearly who have bank accounts with As reported earlier, the WPS is passenger at the airport. it any time he wished. in the public and private sectors. a week ago. monthly salary transfers. to be launched in phases. Other major seizures included The Hajj and Umrah Affairs THE PENINSULA The WPS is a mandatory online “We usually pay our workers THE PENINSULA 5.4kg of marijuana from another Department of the Ministry of Continued on page 3 workers’ wage payment system before the 8th or the 10th of every Continued on page 3 passenger. THE PENINSULA WEDNESDAY 19 AUGUST 2015 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME Qatar Rail backs transport PM meets outgoing envoys Emir receives message from forum as platinum sponsor Afghan president DOHA: Qatar Railways of Qatar’s Transport Master DOHA: Emir H H Sheikh Company (Qatar Rail) has Plan. We will be pleased to share Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani announced its participation progress in Doha Metro, Lusail received a written message as a platinum sponsor of the Light Rail network and Long from Afghanistan President fourth Annual Qatar Transport Distance Passengers and Freight Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on Forum, which aims to focus on Rail project, exchange thoughts relations and means of develop- the sharp increase in transport and push further towards Qatar’s ing them. project activity in Qatar over national transportation objectives It was presented to Foreign the next few years. originating from Qatar National Minister H E Dr Khalid bin The event from September 14 Vision 2030. Mohamed Al Attiyah by Afghan to 16 at Sheraton Hotel in Doha “We believe the event will serve Deputy Minister of Labour and will be held under as an opportu- Social Affairs Husam Al Din the patronage of nity to show- Hamrah. Prime Minister case Qatar Rail’s and Interior vision as a key Eritrean president Minister H E element in build- Sheikh Abdullah ing an integrated arriving today bin Nasser bin transport system Khalifa Al Thani and shaping an Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani separately met outgoing ambas- DOHA: Eritrea’s President and in the pres- advanced urban sadors Fernando Manuel de Gouveia Araujo (Portugal), Sayyed Massoud Mahmoud Khandoukar (Bangladesh) Isaias Afwerki is arriving today ence of Transport living environ- and Wahid Mubarak Sayyar (Bahrain). He wished them well in their future missions and relations between Qatar on a working visit. Minister ment that trans- and their countries further progress. Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin H E Jassim Seif forms the way we Hamad Al Thani will hold talks Ahmed Al Sulaiti. live and work.” with Afwerki on cooperation, It aims to bring A session means of enhancing it and mat- Qatar’s invest- on ‘Rail and ters of mutual interest. ment opportunities and projects Metro projects’ will be dedicated to the forefront. It will draw par- to Qatar Rail. Topics include Qatar reiterates ticipants’ attention to initiatives achievements in Qatar’s mega rail and projects such as Hamad Port, network, including long distance QRC to mark World support to Kuwait Civil Aviation Authority, Qatar passenger rail, freight transport, Ports, Karwa, Civil Aviation metro systems and LRT; Qatar’s DOHA: Qatar condemned the College and Qatar Rail. section of the proposed GCC rail terror and criminal plot which The one-of-a-kind event will network and opportunities for aimed to destabilise Kuwaiti be hosted by the Transport contractors. security and stability and Ministry and participants will A panel of Qatar Rail and Humanitarian Day stressed that Kuwait’s security meet peers, delegates and c-suite experts in the railway industry is an integral part of that of the decisionmakers. will discuss ‘Challenges and dif- GCC states. Engineer Saad Ahmed Al ficulties faced in rail and metro Activities include tributes to martyred volunteer doctors In a statement, the Foreign Muhannadi (pictured), CEO, projects in Qatar and how to Ministry affirmed that Qatar Qatar Rail, said: “Qatar Rail is overcome them’.