ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER ON SATURDAY QUESTIONS ON QUALITY Days 75 to go #LiveitWinit qatarhandball2015.com Live it. Win it. Rebels set deadline for new Yemen government SANA’A: A Shia rebel leader in Yemen warned President Abdur Rabbah Mansour Hadi yesterday to form a new government within 10 days or a “national salvation council” would take its place. The warning came as Ansarullah rebels, also known as Huthis, gathered in the capital at a meeting called by the movement’s chief, Abdulmalik Al Huthi. “We are giving Hadi 10 days to form a gov- ernment as provided under the UN-brokered peace deal” on September 21 or “a national salvation council will be set up”, said tribal chief Sheikh Dheifallah Rassam from the northern rebel bastion of Saada province. Virgin Galactic spaceship crashes during test flight LOS ANGELES: A sub-orbital passen- ger spaceship being developed by Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic company crashed during a test flight yesterday at Mojave Air and Space Port in California, killing one crew member and seriously injuring the other, officials said. The vehi- cle had been undergoing first powered test flight since January and crashed over the Mojave Desert, 150km north of Los Angeles. See also page 24 Ozone hole the size of North America: Nasa WASHINGTON: The Antarctic ozone hole expected to reduce in size swiftly when man-made chlorine emissions were outlawed 27 years ago, is remaining the size of North America, new data from THE ISSUE Nasa suggests. The hole in the thin layer of gas, which helps shield life on Earth from harmful ultraviolet solar radiation that can cause Qatar has begun implementing industry. delays in getting approvals from the stand- skin cancers, grows and contracts through- Particularly affected are those dealing in ards agency. out the year but reached its maximum extent the unified GCC standards tyres and auto spare parts. Unconfirmed Food importers complain that as a result on September 9 when monitors at the south and specifications for various reports suggest a black market has been of delays they have been paying huge fines for pole showed it to cover 24.1m sqkm, about 9 goods, including construction thriving in the banned balloon tyres. containers stuck at the Doha Port. percent below the record maximum in 2000 They are being brought into the country Market operators claim that Qatar is but almost the same as in 2010, 2012 and materials, tyres and automotive allegedly by some transporters who are able implementing the unified GCC standards and 2013. accessories, to ensure that low- to hoodwink the customs authorities at the specifications “very strictly”, whereas, other Zilzar.com, the Islamic quality imported products do not check posts. signatory neighbouring states are “flexible” Trading circles claim an estimated 1,500 in their approach. enter the Qatari market anymore. retailers across Doha have shut shop as they At least one affected businessman, in answer to Amazon are unable to import and sell tyres that remarks to a popular call-in programme of LONDON: The Islamic world has are in popular demand since the standards Qatar Radio last week, suggested that some launched its competitor to the great global lectrical appliances are on the list of and specifications agency has banned their neighbouring states were even offering small online giants to corner the trillion-dollar items that are to be brought within entry. Qatari businesses — suffering due to the Muslim consumer market. Zilzar.com was the purview of the unified regional Automobile spare part dealers, also an esti- implementation of stricter regional quality unveiled by the Malaysian Prime Minister, quality benchmarks by early next mated 2,000 across Greater Doha, are said to benchmarks — incentives to set up shop in E Najib Abdul Razak, at the World Islamic year. be suffering losses to the tune of millions of free trade zones in their territories. Economic Forum. ‘Zilzar’ means earth- Substandard imported appliances are cited riyals as their businesses remain affected due Qatar’s Standards and Specifications quake in Arabic. by experts as the cause of most fires that to a ban on low-quality accessories that used Authority affiliated with the Ministry of The global market for halal products and take place in homes and offices here. As for to be brought unrestricted into the country Environment, has put its foot down and says services — not just foods but anything that air-conditioners, their regional standards and in large quantities. it will enforce the regional norms come what conforms to Islamic rules, including finan- specifications are being framed. The food industry is also adversely may since the quality of goods cannot be com- cial services, is estimated to be worth $1.6tn An instant outcome of the move to imple- impacted but, seemingly not as much, because promised and people’s lives cannot be endan- and forecast to reach almost $2.5tn by 2018. ment the regional quality norms has been of the tougher quality norms. gered just to help businesses make profit. There are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, a a big hue and cry in the local trade and The concern in the industry is over undue See also page 2 population growing at twice the rate of the global average. AGENCIES Saturday 1 November 2014 • 8 Muharram 1436 • Volume 19 • Number 6236 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 02 NOVEMBER 1, 2014 ON SATURDAY www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Home Traders decry import curbs Businessmen say bureaucratic delays causing huge losses as govt implements GCC quality standards BY MOBIN PANDIT “It is transport companies that are getting them here, and we are paying any in the local trade and them premium,” said Al Nuaimi. industry are fuming as “For 20,000 balloon tyres, for Qatar has begun tight- instance, the money being paid is Mening screws on imports, QR150,000.” These transporters are insisting that the goods entering its able to avoid quality approvals, he market must meet unified GCC bench- added. marks for quality, which experts agree Some get some of the banned tryes are world-class. from neighbouring states, he added. It has taken the GCC states years of High shop rents and now the “difficul- collective hard work to come up with ties” created by the country’s stand- what today are unified standards and ards agency are forcing many of an specifications for products and services estimated 1,500 tyre retailers in Doha of various types across sectors. to close shop. I am paying QR40,000 Ahmed Al Khalaf Faisal Al Marzouki Mahmoud Younus Particularly riled are the retailers of rent for my shop.” automotive tyres and spare parts in the The problem with Qatar Standards country as strict quality norms mean and Specifications Authority, now affili- business community on the new rules. that much of what they imported ear- ated with the Ministry of Environment, “Many businessmen came to know of lier can’t be allowed into the country is that it doesn’t ask businessmen to the changed rules from Qatar Chamber, anymore. send samples of what is to be imported some from newspapers and friends and And the increasingly popular bal- for laboratory tests before the import. acquaintances… This is a bureaucratic loon tryes are top the list of the banned “They tell us about tests to be done problem,” said Al Khalaf. items due to what the authorities insist only after the imported items have He said the Environment Minister is their non-suitability in Qatar’s harsh arrived… And since there are no labs should intervene and help end the suf- weather conditions. The increasing here, we must send the samples over- fering of the people. use of balloon tyres is being linked by seas,” said Abdullah Ahmed. Why on earth people should wait for experts to the high rate of road acci- “As a result, our import consign- quality certification until the imported dents in the country. ments are stuck at the Doha Port for consignments arrive? The certification If market operators are to be months on end and we have to pay huge can be issued beforehand. believed, the ban has not led to non- fines,” said Al Nuaimi. “Take the example of the UAE. They availability of balloon tyres. They If not approved, the consignments are not implementing the unified GCC indeed are available but in a thriving are sent back to their countries of ori- Pic: Qassim Rahmatullah norms 100 percent in all areas. In some black market. gin. And these countries treat them approval process. in public interest. “But, then, who takes areas, they are, so why shouldn’t we be “A 16-inch balloon tyre, for instance, as re-exports and imposes taxes. “Our “It has been a nightmare… We came care of businessmen’s interests?” Al flexible as well?” asked Al Khalaf. which was earlier available for QR550 losses double as a consequence,” he to know of the new standards when we Sheikh wondered. Meanwhile, newspaper columnist, is now available for QR800 on average,” claimed. went to the port to claim our consign- Early last week, a small metal fac- Faisal Al Marzouki, claimed in his col- a retailer of tyres and springs, Abdullah “Why can’t they tell us six months ments,” said auto spare parts dealer, tory owner in the Industrial Area told umn on the issue last week that while Ahmed, told local Arabic daily Al Raya in advance that we would be needing Nidal Yasser Al Sheikh. a popular call-in programme of Qatar businessmen waited for the Assistant in remarks published late last week.