ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Golden decade for petrochemicals industry Business | 21 Thursday 27 November 2014 • 5 Safar 1436 • Volume 19 Number 6262 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Ministry survey Qatar win Gulf Cup on work habits sparks debate We are hardworking, say citizens DOHA: An official survey have the household and children suggesting that Qataris spent to take care of. much less time on income-gen- Meanwhile, a senior offi- erating activities has kicked cial from the Ministry of up a row, prompting the Development Planning and planning ministry to issue a Statistics, said at a news briefing clarification. yesterday that the lower average Some public representatives working hours mentioned in the objected to the survey whose survey were the average for the findings on Monday said the country’s entire population and average Qatari spent barely a not for Qataris alone. few hours a day on income-gen- Economically active Qatari erating activities. men on average actually spend If Qataris didn’t work hard, eight hours and 11 minutes Qatar wouldn’t be where it is a day on income-generating today in terms of economic and activities and this average was social advancement, said a public seven hours and 26 minutes for representative. (economically active) Qatari Qatari players celebrate with the Gulf Cup trophy after defeating Saudi Arabia 2-1 in the final of the 22nd edition of the tournament at the King Mohamed bin Ali Al Athba, women. Fahad Stadium in Riyadh yesterday. member of the Central Municipal The survey on ‘time use’ was council (CMC), told local Arabic conducted on 16,574 men and daily Al Arab in remarks pub- women (both, Qataris and expa- lished yesterday he rejected the triates) in the country for the No immediate plan to cut expat New firm to survey’s results. first time, said Nasser Saleh Al “Citizens get up quite early Mehdi, head of Family Survey monitor quality in the morning and begin their Department at the Ministry. work which lasts until 2pm,” said The lower average released on workforce, say Gulf ministers Al Athba. Monday was for the entire popu- of taxi service It is not true, as suggested by lation consisting of both, economi- DOHA: The GCC states are didn’t propose an immediate cut in states, Al Humaidan said it is only the survey, that nationals spend cally active and non-active people, likely to adopt a unified mecha- the expatriate workforce in mem- a proposal and includes ideas for DOHA: With a phased increase more time sleeping and shopping, he said. nism to rationalise employment ber countries. further studies. No final decision in the number of taxis in the he added. Qatari students, on the other of foreign workers and regulate “What the ministers agreed has been taken on this issue. country, public transport com- “They go shopping once a hand, spent eight hours and 19 their movement within the mem- is not to reduce the percentage of “This study will be circulated to pany Mowasalat is planning to week, and mostly shopping for minutes studying. ber countries by mid next year. expatriate workers but on job ration- members countries for their feed- set up a new company to moni- them is done by their drivers.” These figures were for men. This proposal was discussed by alisation and employment of citi- back and in mid 2015 there will be tor the quality of taxi service, a “Go to the airport and see. You Female students devoted eight the GCC labour ministers at their zens by preparing them to replace a workshop to discuss their views senior Mowasalat official said will find Qataris working there for hours and 24 minutes to studies. just-concluded meeting in Kuwait. expatriates in a number of areas to know the trends in employment yesterday. eight hours at a stretch,” said Al These are the best averages in They, however, postponed approval through training and rehabilitation of foreign workers and their move- Currently four private compa- Athba. the world and not less than the of the proposal until mid 2015, programmes,” said Humaidan. ment within the member coun- nies, besides Karwa are operating And housewives don’t spend figures for the advanced coun- Saudi daily Al Iqtisadiya reported, Regarding a study presented tries,” said the minister. taxis and two more private com- so much time on entertainment tries, said Al Mehdi. quoting Bahraini Labour Minister by the UAE at the meeting on THE PENINSULA panies will soon enter the fray, as suggested by the survey. They THE PENINSULA Jameel Humaidan. The meeting reducing expat workers in GCC Continued on page 9 Ali Bahzad, director, Taxi and Limpousine Services at Mowasalat told the International Association of Public Transport conference at Qatar National Convention Center. Each of these private com- GCC approves Ferguson protests panies will be operating 800 taxis under a five-year agreement with unified police spread across US Mowasalat. Mowasalat is not likely to fur- KUWAIT: GCC countries FERGUSON: Police arrested scores ther expand its fleet of Karwa have eventually decided to have of people in cities around the United taxis and restrict them to the a unified police force to help States who were protesting a Missouri existing 1,200 to allow the fran- boost their internal security. The grand jury’s decision not to indict chise firms to expand their busi- regional police force will have its a white police officer for killing an ness, hinted Bahzad. headquarters in Abu Dhabi, GCC unarmed black teenager, authorities “The current Karwa fleet is Secretary-General Dr Abdullateef said yesterday, but the town where 1,200 with additional fleet of bin Rashid Al Zayani, said, QNA the shooting took place was a little about 3,000 from our franchises. reported yesterday. calmer. We would maintain Karwa taxi The ministers of interior of GCC Protests in Boston, New York, Los to 1,200 and will allow our fran- states yesterday gave green signal Angeles, Atlanta and elsewhere came on chisee family to expand business to the proposal to set up a com- a second night of street violence in the opportunity and add more taxis mon police force, Al Zayani added. St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Missouri, gradually to reach a total of 7,000 The Prime Minister and Interior where policeman Darren Wilson shot before Qatar hosting 2022 FIFA Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah to death 18-year-old Michael Brown on World Cup,” said Bahzad. bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani August 9. The shooting has highlighted Mowasalat has set up a taxi attended the meeting in Kuwait. the often-tense nature of US race rela- management office which is A study was conducted by the tions and the strains between black com- responsible for laying down qual- interior ministries of the GCC Demonstrators march to the City Hall as they protest a grand jury’s decision not to indict white police munities and police. ity standards for taxi service. This on the proposal to set up uni- officer Darren Wilson for killing unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, in St Louis, Missouri, yesterday. See also page 14 office functions like the Road fied police force after the GCC Transport Authority in the UAE, leaders at one of their Summits said Behzad, giving a presenta- approved it. THE PENINSULA tion on the salient features of taxi transport in Qatar. Vehicles on loans to be registered in buyer’s name THE PENINSULA Israel president Continued on page 9 DOHA: The Traffic Department taken on loan and hypothecated get the vehicle registered in his second after real estate that has blasts Jewish bill will discontinue registering to banks and financial institu- name. Such complexities in the been booming and it would be vehicles bought with bank loans tions will have to change the registration process with regard hit by inflationary pressure due TODAY’S EDITION OF TEL AVIV: Israel’s president, in the name of lending institu- ownership. to vehicles bought with bank to the new registration system Reuven Rivlin, has voiced his tions, from early next year. They will need to provide loans would be removed once the being introduced. A national told THE PENINSULA strong opposition to a contro- Such vehicles will instead be details of the loans taken and new system is implemented from Al Sharq that lenders would suffer INCLUDES versial new law that would registered in the name of the repayment schedules with docu- the start of 2015. under the new system as people define “national rights” in Israel buyer directly, a local Arabic mentary proof, after which a vehi- Banking sources said car loans could run away with cars bought as reserved for Jews only. daily reported. This means that cle’s registration will be changed. could now be given by banks as with bank loans. The “Jewish nation-state” bill for registration purpose, the traf- Under the current system, the personal loans where the salary The new system would, though, would recognise Israel’s Jewish fic authorities will not take cogni- road permit mentions if a vehicle of the borrower transferred is the make it easier for people crossing character, institutionalise Jewish zance of hypothecation—whether has been bought with loan from only guarantee of repayment. Car the border by road in their cars law as an inspiration for legisla- the buyer is an individual or a a bank or a financial institution. dealers, on the other hand, said as they wouldn’t need to produce GUIDEGUIDGUIDE NOVEMBER 2014 tion and possibly de-list Arabic as company.