ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Home | 5 Business | 17 Sport | 28 Qatari embassy GCC entities Michel attends annual issue $48.13bn Platini set to Eid festival in sukuks and run for FIFA London. bonds. presidency. WEDNESDAY 29 JULY 2015 • 13 Shawwal 1436 • Volume 20 Number 6506 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 25 die in Egypt factory fire 100 teachers Exchange firms leave Gaza for jobs in Qatar GAZA CITY: About 100 ordered to stop Palestinian teachers have left Gaza Strip for potential teach- ing positions in Qatar. Two buses with banners prais- ing Qatar and Emir H H Sheikh special fee Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani dropped them off yesterday after- noon at the Gaza side of the bor- Qatar Central Bank issues circular der crossing with Israel. From there, they will travel to DOHA: Qatar Central Bank yesterday prove that exchange Jordan and arrive in Qatar. (QCB) has issued strict warnings houses levying the fee from the They are the first batch of to money exchange companies first of this month have been vio- teachers who have applied for jobs against collecting commissions lating QCB regulations. in Qatar since the state launched from customers while selling Enquiries revealed that man- a new Palestinian employment and buying foreign currencies. agement of a section of money programme. In a circular to the companies, exchange houses has been unilat- Qatar recently launched ini- QCB Governor Sheikh Abdulla erally taking decision to charge tiatives in Gaza, building a hos- bin Saoud Al Thani asked them the fee to meet their growing Firemen put out a blaze that broke out at Al Helw furniture factory, north of the capital Cairo, yesterday. At least pital, repaving roads and funding to stop levying the fee with imme- rentals and logistics, ignoring the 25 workers were killed when the fire raged through the three-storey plant and its warehouse after a gas cylinder construction of a large housing diate effect. fact that they are under QCB’s exploded. Report on page 5 project to accommodate 1,000 “We have noticed that a section direct supervision. families. of money exchange companies has While almost 90 percent of According to the World Bank, been collecting fee while selling exchange houses have been charg- Hamas-run Gaza has the highest and buying foreign currencies. ing the fee, the remaining pre- unemployment rate in the world “Those involved in unlawful ferred not to flout central bank at 43 percent. business must stop the activity regulations. Kindergarten shut down for with immediate effect. As per the They said there had been no UAE hikes petrol law, money exchange companies directive or permission from QCB are not allowed to levy charges on in respect of the levy. prices by 24pc, buying and selling foreign curren- “It is very surprising that some three months over violations cies,” Al Sharq said, quoting the exchange houses are charging a diesel cheaper circular. fee without any directive from QCB warned the companies the regulator. We are not aware DOHA: A misdemeanour court and childcare facilities by enact- to formulate and submit a set ABU DHABI: The UAE is that any violation of its order will as to what kind of approval they has ordered temporary closure ing the and have intensified of their internal administrative raising petrol prices by 24 per- be treated as a violation of the have obtained,” an executive of a of a kindergarten for three inspections. policies, including fee structure, cent but prices will still be low central bank’s Law No. 13/12012. leading money exchange company months and fined it QR20,000 According to the law, nurseries, healthcare, entertainment, food by international standards, a A section of exchange houses said. for repeatedly violating Law day care centres, play schools and and other details for the minis- government committee said has been charging QR2 for buying Driven by growing population No. 1/2014 that stipulates rules similar facilities require licence try’s approval. yesterday. or selling foreign currencies from and demand for foreign curren- for nurseries and childcare from the Ministry of Labour and Penalties for an institution From Saturday, a litre of petrol the beginning of this month. cies, Qatar’s money exchange facilities. Social Affairs to operate. operating without a licence could will cost 2.14 dirhams at petrol Some exchange houses put up market has grown an estimated The kindergarten manage- To acquire the licence, they include a fine of QR100,000 and stations. However, diesel prices a notice at their service centres 15 percent over the past couple ment was found guilty of organ- need to make a deposit of a jail term of up to two years for will be cut by 29 percent to 2.05 across the country which read of years. ising an exhibition and taking a QR100,000 covering the licence the owner. dirhams. The panel said the prices ‘Exchange Companies will be Accordingly, money exchange an entrance fee from visitors in period and renewal and fulfil Children above four years can will be adjusted each month. applying a nominal flat service companies have expanded their violation of activities permitted other conditions. be admitted to kindergartens The UAE decided last week charge of QR2 for every foreign networks across the country. by its licence. The ministry will refund the while those under four can be to end fuel subsidies, a move currency transaction receipt Besides, Qatar’s robust growth Inspectors found the kinder- deposit if the owner decides to enrolled in nurseries, play schools expected to save billions of dollars starting July 1, 2015’. is increasingly attracting foreign garten repeatedly holding such shut down the nursery. or crèches. a year. Fuel prices in the coun- Questions were raised in investors and regional and inter- events despite several warn- It will also set up a separate All staff of these facilities are try are the highest of any of the the financial circles as to how national companies, which has ings, an Arabic daily reported entity to monitor the practices of required separate certification six GCC member states but still exchange houses could charge the further bolstered their businesses yesterday. these institutions. from the ministry and regulated among the lowest in the world fee without QCB’s prior consent. in Qatar. Authorities implemented Within a month after obtain- by the labour law. because of the subsidy. The central bank’s directives THE PENINSULA tougher regulations for nurseries ing licence, nurseries are required THE PENINSULA AGENCIES Summer Festival from Saturday Kurdish peace impossible: Erdogan ANKARA: President Recep in tatters after a bombing blamed in Brussels to discuss Ankara’s Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday on Islamic State (IS) militants strikes against the IS fighters Turkey cannot continue the in a mainly Kurdish border town and Kurdish rebels. But some peace process with the Kurds last week that killed 32 people members expressed concerns in the face of attacks against and triggered revenge attacks that strikes on Kurdish fighters Turkish targets. by Kurdish militants against could torpedo peace talks with “It is not possible to carry on Turkish security forces. Since the rebels. the (peace) process with those then, Turkey has launched strikes Erdogan said the formation of who target our national unity against IS group in Syria and an “IS-free” safe zone in the north and brotherhood,” Erdogan told PKK positions in northern Iraq. of war-torn Syria would help the a news conference at an Ankara The PKK warned after the aer- return of many refugees. airport before leaving for a visit ial bombardments that the truce “The clearance of those regions to China. “Those who exploit the largely observed since March and of a safe zone there will lay tolerance of the state and the peo- 2013 has lost all meaning. The US the ground for 1.7 million citizens ple will receive the answer they backed the right of its Nato ally here to return home,” he said. deserve as soon as possible,” he to bomb PKK. Meanwhile, the military said an said. Erdogan vowed to press ahead army sergeant was shot dead by Turkey, which considers the with anti-IS and anti-PKK opera- a Kurdish militant near the Iraqi outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ tions. “Any step back is out of the border, a day after gunmen killed Party (PKK) a terrorist organisa- question. This is a process and a paramilitary police commander. tion, launched peace negotiations this process will continue with Two Turkish F-16 jets later made with its jailed leader Abdullah the same determination.” “direct hits” on PKK targets in Ocalan in late 2012 when Erdogan Nato affirmed support for a mountainous region bordering was prime minister. Turkey’s fight against “terrorism” Iraq. AGENCIES But the process has been left at an emergency meeting called Picture on page 5 Workers instal entertainment equipment for the Summer Festival at Doha Exhibition Centre yesterday. The festival organised by Qatar Tourism Authority begins on Saturday and runs until August-end. SALIM MATRAMKOT Death penalty for Gaddafi son Oil steadies after 4-day loss TRIPOLI: A Libyan court yesterday sentenced NEW YORK: Oil prices steadied yesterday, with Bahrain blast kills two policemen a son and eight aides of slain dictator Muammar Brent recovering from near six-month lows and US Gaddafi to death for crimes during the 2011 upris- crude settling over 1 percent higher as bets for a DUBAI: A bomb blast killed weapons from Iran. targeting police in Shia villages, ing, in a verdict denounced by rights campaigners.