www.thepeninsula.qa Monday 6 April 2020 Volume 25 | Number 8219 13 Sha'aban - 1441 2 Riyals SPORT | 01 PENMAG | 05 BUSINESS | 12 FIFA to Classifieds AM Best tackle and Services revises pay-cut section QIIG’s outlook complaints included to ‘positive’ FREE Wi-Fi device! Ooredoo FREE installation! Full fun! ONE *Terms & Conditions Apply Qatar to use QDB launches National Guarantee robots to monitor public gathering violations Program to support private sector THE PENINSULA — DOHA QNA — DOHA The program's mechanism of work includes providing a 100 The Ministry of Interior has In implementation of the direc- percent coverage guarantee by started using a robot to raise tives of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim Companies can submit Beneficiary businesses QDB to the commercial and awareness of the importance bin Hamad Al Thani, to support requests exclusively to pay the banks within Islamic banks granting the of social distancing among the and provide financial and through commercial and a maximum of three financing without any fees or community. economic incentives amounting Islamic banks operating years. commissions being charged to The Ministry tweeted that to QR75bn to the private sector, in the country the guarantee granted, whether the “Al-Asas” security robot and directives of Prime Minister Program by the commercial or Islamic will be used “to educate the and Minister of Interior, H E Program aims launched in banks or the beneficiary com- community on the importance Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin to support cooperation with panies for the grace period, pro- of preventing gatherings to Abdulaziz Al Thani, to allocate salaries and the Ministry of vided that the financing is paid limit the spread of the QR3bn guarantees for local rents of Finance, Qatar by the beneficiary company to coronavirus". banks, Qatar Development companies in Central Bank, and the commercial and Islamic The robot will also monitor Bank (QDB) has launched the the private all banks in the donor banks within a maximum violators of the decision to National Guarantee Program to sector. country. of three years, including a one- prevent gatherings during provide guarantees for local year grace period. patrols as it is equipped with banks to grant loans to affected Companies that Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al 6 fixed cameras. companies, in cooperation with QDB will provide National Guarantee wish to benefit Khalifa, Chief Executive Officer The Ministry had earlier the Ministry of Finance and QCB a 100 percent Program is part of the from the of QDB said the launch of the used drones with loudspeakers coverage guar- and all banks operating in the QR75bn incentives package program are National Guarantee Program to to broadcast awareness mes- country, in response to the antee to the required to be respond to the consequences of sages in various parts of the banks granting implications of the spread of the for the private sector. fully owned by COVID-19 in cooperation with country. the financing. coronavirus (COVID-19). the private the Ministry of Finance and the The National Guarantee sector. Qatar Central Bank and all com- Program aims to support sal- mercial and Islamic banks in Govt Contact aries and rents of companies Qatar, is a continuation of the in the private sector. QDB will benefit from the program are mechanism to benefit from the in which their accounts are reg- efforts of the State to provide Center receives manage and issue the guide for this required to be fully owned by the program, QDB indicated that istered for the wage protection all types of support for SMEs program, while banks operating private sector, and to be registered companies wishing to benefit or system, and submit requests and various components of the 4 million calls in the country will grant financing in the wage protection system in their official representatives exclusively through commercial private sector in Qatar during with a guarantee from QDB. QDB force in the State of Qatar. should communicate only with and Islamic banks operating in the the current circumstances. annually stated that companies wishing to Regarding the application the commercial and Islamic banks country. `P2 SACHIN KUMAR THE PENINSULA Qatar reports 4th death, 279 new virus The Government Contact Center has received over cases; over 3,800 tested in 24 hours 340,541 calls in March regarding services related to healthcare, education, FAZEENA SALEEM spreading, or in contacts of is increased of testing. commerce and business. THE PENINSULA those travellers. The Ministry conducted The center, one of the The new cases announced 3,806 laboratory tests for largest government contact The Ministry of Public Health yesterday were detected in cit- COVID-19 yesterday, bringing centers in the Gulf region, has (MoPH) yesterday announced izens as well as the expatriates, the total number of tests per- become an important 279 confirmed new cases of the Ministry said on its website. formed until yesterday to platform for providing infor- COVID-19 in the country. All new cases have been put 35,757. mation related to several The Ministry also reported in quarantine where they are “We are in the most sen- government entities. a fourth death from the disease receiving necessary medical sitive month of infection. With According to the Ministry of Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, Director of Public Health yesterday. The total number of care. the increasing temperature, the Transport and Communica- Department at MoPH, speaking to Qatar TV, yesterday. people who have recovered has Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin weather would be more tions (MoTC), the center reached 123. Hamad Al Thani, Director of favourable to fight against receives around 4 million Some new cases of infection Public Health Department at COVID-19,” said Dr. Mohammed situation by being safe at their citizens, expatriates to stay at calls annually. were detected in returning trav- MoPH, said the major reason while talking on a Al Rayan TV homes. Dr. Mohammed said their homes which is very nec- Out of total calls received ellers from other countries behind the increase in number yesterday. He urged the public that among the infected cit- essary for their safety and the by the center in March, where the epidemic is of positive cases in recent days to bear with the present izens, majority have come from safety of others. 124,341 calls were related to abroad. “If everyone abides by The increase in number of the services of Primary the instructions, the cases will patients is due to the use of new Health Care Corporation; reach a reasonable number by laboratory techniques and 46,091 calls were related to the end of this month and we increase of the number of lab- the Ministry of Public Health, can deal in hospitals and protect oratories being used by the Min- and 19,155 calls were related our country,” said Dr. istry. The Ministry also said that to THE Ministry of Education Mohammed. it continues to work to increase and Higher Education, said Talking in a Qatar TV pro- the capacity of laboratories. MoTC in a tweet yesterday. gramme, Dr. Al Thani said: In addition, 14 cases of There were 21,412 calls “When people in Qatar promise recovery were registered yes- related to Ministry and Com- they fulfill it usually. If people terday, bringing the total merce and Industry, while in Qatar adhere to the State’s number of people having 129,542 calls concerned other preventive and precautionary recovered from COVID-19 to departments. measures, the world will be sur- 123, in Qatar. The Ministry has The center was swift in prised to see the achievements announced the death of an solving callers’ query as the of Qataris in overcoming the 88-year-old Qatari citizen. average response speed was crisis of coronavirus.” He asked `P2 just 11 seconds. `P2 QU adopts new procedures for Spring 2020 class evaluation SIDI MOHAMED semesters without taking his/ University says policy of absenteeism and maximum benefit,” said Qatar students through e-mail, THE PENINSULA her grade into account.” attendance will not apply in remote lectures. University on its website. affirming the university’s Giving students an oppor- The distance learning keenness on their academic Taking new measures related tunity to maintain their aca- depends on the technical side future, and that the university to the evaluation process for demic levels, the university has Students allowed to repeat courses without and communication through administration has taken students in the current also decided to maintain the network, which may be a chal- special measures that increase semester, Qatar University (QU) scale of final estimates currently affecting their GPA. lenge for some students. the chances of success and has announced that the in use (the letter system A, B+, Therefore, the university said excellence for them.” academic position of students B, etc.) The university has decided to maintain the that the professors will record He expressed confidence shall not be changed at the end It also announced the sus- the lectures and uploaded them that the university had chosen of Spring 2020 semester except pension of student termination scale of final estimates currently in use (the on the appropriate platforms so the optimal evaluation method in the case of improvement. due to exceeding the timelines letter system A, B+, B etc.) that students can benefit from and the additional procedures The university explained stipulated in the Graduation them at all times,” the university outlined above will guarantee that “in other words, the aca- Policies. said. that students will not be nega- demic position of the student Moreover, the university has said that it fully understands university has taken a decision Meanwhile, Qatar Uni- tively affected from this sudden will not be affected if student’s suspended student’s GPA (Grade students’ concerns related to the not to apply the policy of absen- versity President Dr.