INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE, DUQM PORT, OMAN
Seminar on
Investment Opportunities in Special Economic Zone, Duqm Port, Oman
28th Sept 2017: Hotel Leela Palace, Chankayapuri, New Delhi
Dear Sir/Madam,
I have pleasure in inviting you to the seminar being co-organized by Duqm SEZ, ASSOCHAM and FICCI with the support of Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India to promote Indian companies set up businesses in Duqm Port. Schedule of the seminar is as follows:
Day / Date : Thrusday, 28th September 2017
Venue : Hotel Leela Palace, Chankyapuri, New Delhi
The Sultanate of Oman is a strategic partner for India in the Gulf region and the government of Oman is very keen to have companies from India set up business in Duqm SEZ. The Government of Oman has giving highest priority to attract Indian companies in Special Economic Zones created in proximity to Ports of Salalah, Sohar and Duqm in the Eastern part of Oman. Around two dozen Indian companies have already invested in the zones adjacent to Salalah and Sohar ports.
The Zone offers an attractive package of investment incentives and tax cuts that aim at enhancing the business environment for the private sector and improve its competitive standing which includes:
- Easy and facilitated access to land based on long term leases and reduced rates.
- Removal of any restrictions on foreign ownership and minimum investment capital; waiver/reduction of corporate tax and customs duties.
- This is in addition to nationally applicable incentives such as the waiver of personal income tax, convertibility of currency, and the full repatriation of investment capital and profits.
We feel investments by Indian companies in Oman open up job opportunities for Indian professionals and workers, as Indian companies investing in Oman invariably prefer to employ Indians at various levels of management and operations. They also tend to import equipment and supplies from India.
Given your interest in the region, we take pleasure in inviting you to participate in this seminar. May I request you to please send in your confirmation to my colleague Mr. Anurag Sharma at E: anurag.sharma@assocham.com , T: 011-46550539, latest by Sept 25, 2017.
I look forward to your active participation in the seminar.
With regards
Deepti Pant (Ms.)
Additional Director- International Affairs
HEAD – AFRICA, ARAB, EAST ASIA, SAARC, BRICS & BIMSTEC
“REALISING POORNA SWARAJ THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP” O
I am writing to invite you to the fourth seminar on “Realising Poorna Swaraj through Entrepreneurship” on 5th October 2017 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM at Seminar Hall 2, Kamaladevi Complex, India International Centre, Max Mueller Marg in New Delhi. The Registrations & Hi-Tea will be from 6:00-6:30 PM followed by the seminar.
This year, as we celebrate Gandhi Jayanti, the context of “Startup India” and “Make In India” emerge aptly to the foreground. How are we, as fellow citizens of this country, enabling complete economic freedom through self-reliance for those in India’s Tier II towns and rural areas? After all, 60% of India’s population resides in them.
Helping rural industries grow and develop, therefore, directly facilitates self-employment, resulting in more economic and industrial activity within rural areas. It also helps utilise locally available resources and labour more effectively. But due to limitations pertaining to land and seasonality, many agricultural outliers migrate to the closest towns and cities for a regular source of livelihood. India’s towns are, in turn, becoming stepping stones for budding entrepreneurs. In fact, they are abuzz with entrepreneurial activity.
But entrepreneurs of small-town- as well as rural enterprises face a few key problems in their ventures:
- Access to Finance: Working capital for raw materials, production trials, quality improvements, etc. is a major challenge. The entrepreneurs may exhaust their own monetary resources at an early stage and may not know which source to tap for further funds, and how to use them judicially.
- Policy Changes: Changing policies also pose a challenge for rural and small-town entrepreneurs as they often come to know about new developments later than their urban compatriots or information about compliance is not easily accessible.
- Education and Cultural Preparedness: In addition, marketing, management (legalities, procurement, etc.), and human resource issues (low skill levels of labour, retaining good talent, and unfavourable opinion about entrepreneurship).
The fourth session of the Ananta-IEF Entrepreneurship series discusses how everyone – whether at the level of policy creation, among corporations, as torch-bearers of community creation, individual entrepreneurs, and media – can reignite this spark of self-reliance in India’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, and help achieve Bapu’s dream of Poorna Swaraj.
Invited panelists include experts from the entrepreneurship ecosystem in India.
We will be glad if you could join us or nominate your colleagues for this interactive seminar on 5thOctober 2017. We shall share the speaker bios and the agenda for the Seminar with you closer to the date after your confirmation.
Best Regards,
Ananta Aspen Centre
PERUVIAN PRESIDENT APPOINTS NEW PM
Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski appointed a former Economy Minister as his new Prime Minister today, two days after a no-confidence vote by the opposition-led congress forced the entire Cabinet to resign. Mercedes Araoz, who is also a lawmaker and one of Peru’s two Vice Presidents, is the new Chief Minister in a reconstituted Cabinet. She served as economy minister during part of the 2006-11 administration of President Alan Garcia.
Araoz replaced Fernando Zavala, who lost Friday’s vote of confidence by lawmakers. The single-house congress is led by the opposition party of Keiko Fujimori, who is the daughter of jailed former President Alberto Fujimori and loser of a close 2016 presidential runoff election to Kuczynski.
All 19 ministers in the previous Cabinet were forced to resign under Peru’s constitution because of the no-confidence vote. Kuczynski reappointed six of the 19 ministers in the previous Cabinet.
MORTAL REMAINS OF MARSHAL ARJAN SINGH CONSIGNED TO FLAMES
Arjan Singh’s son, Arvind Singh on his father Marshal Arjan Singh last rites said, He was a great man but never acted great, was very humble. He was destined for greatness.ANI
The mortal remains of Marshal of Indian Air Force Arjan Singh was consigned to flames in New Delhi a short while ago. He was accorded 17 Gun salute and a fly past before the final rites. Marshal Arjan Singh was accorded a state funeral. His mortal remains were taken to the funeral site from his residence Kautilya Marg in a gun carriage procession.
Marshal Arjan Singh passed away in New Delhi on Saturday evening. 98-year old Singh had been admitted to Army’s RR Hospital following a heart attack.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Vankaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to legendary soldier at his residence. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, former Prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani were present at the funeral.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Vankaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to legendary soldier at his residence. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, former Prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh and BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani were present at the funeral.
KEY MESSAGES ON SBM FOR THE MEDIA ROUND TABLE
Key messages on SBM for the media Round Table on 18 September 2017 (UNICEF)
Good morning to everyone present here and especially to our media friends.
This is an important day as we are collected to discuss the very important issue of Sanitation and Hygiene. I will begin with the evidence that we have on the impact due to a lack of proper sanitation and hygiene, and how until just three years ago, India used to pay a huge price because of poor sanitation.
At the early stage of the SBM, in 2015, we estimate that there was around half a billion people defecating in the open.
Lack of hygiene and sanitation contributes to spreading fecally transmitted infections; this is not only diarrhoea, it is also worms, helminths, and other intestinal parasites. This is mainly due to widespread open defecation practice. This lack of hygiene and sanitation, particularly affects the poorest communities, and the most vulnerable children.
Consequences:
- it is estimated that in 2015, 117,000 under five children died of diarrhoea alone (WHO – 2015); this is more than 13 children per hour; this is 22% of the global burden with regard to under 5 mortality due to diarrhoea.
- Repeated FTIs damage the capacity of young children to absorb nutrients, for its entire life; because of this nutrition issue, children become stunted, this means that their body and brain do not develop normally. In India, 39% of children are stunted.
- There are many other issues due to poor hygiene and sanitation. For instance, as a consequence of weak infection prevention and control in health care facilities, sepsis (common healthcare-acquired infection) is directly responsible for 11% of maternal and 15% of new-born mortality deaths in India
- With regard to economic development, India is paying a heavy price because of these preventable water-borne diseases: a study from the World Bank published in 2008 shows that the total economic impacts of inadequate sanitation in India was amounting to US$53.8 billion per year, equivalent of 6.4 percent of India’s GDP at the same period.
And having seen how poor sanitation can affect the health and lives of children and communities, I know move to my next message of how a movement around sanitation and hygiene, in the country has been able to catalyse and mobilize the efforts of millions of citizens. The SBM, is a once-in-a generation opportunity
In UNICEF, having at heart the wellbeing of children, we advocate relentlessly in many countries of the world to obtain a slightly increased prioritization of the issue of open defecation in the agenda of governments.
In India, the leadership comes from the Prime Minister. The SBM has been able to create a ‘once-in-a-generation’ movement with the alignment of public sector interest, public budgets, and social awareness behind the formerly intractable problem of open defecation.
UNICEF has a permanent mission in 15 of the most populated states of India, and we see the SBM happening concretely on the ground. Some key highlights I would like to share are as follows:
- Beyond the hundreds of thousands of toilets being built, a genuine prioritization of behavior change interventions is taking place. With the support of UNICEF and other partners, Sanitation armies are being created in the field and their capacities for community mobilization are being built. This is a crucial shift form the hardware engineering to the social engineering to tackle the issue of open defecation, and we must make sure that this reacheds every corner of the country.
- Behaviour change is a complex issue, particularly in India where open defecation is a deeply rooted habit for many households. Hence, this requires the mobilisation of the entire Indian Society, including the government, civil society, the private sector, the religious leaders, and the media who also have a critical role to play, to pass the message: use a toilet, WASH your hand with soap, to put pressure on performances and sustainable achievements, and also to shed the light on the unknown heroes on the ground who create Open Defecation Free villages, blocks and districts.
- Another key differentiator is the focus on verification and sustainability. The government has instituted a multi-tier bottom-up verification system, with the support of UNICEF and other partners. They are also carrying out national third party surveys, household surveys to ensure that States are on their toes.
- To date, Nearly 239,000 villages and 196 districts reported to be Open Defecation Free. This is an outstanding achievement. And the work does not end there. Government’s guidelines specifies that surveillance must continue after the verification of the ODF status to ensure sustainability. UNICEF will continue to focus its support on this specific issue to help sustain the new social norm of using a toilet for defecation.
Finally I would like to share with you the Findings from the costs and benefits Study of the SBM(G)
UNICEF just recently finalized an independent survey, across 10,000 rural households randomly selected in 12 states, to estimate the costs and benefits of the SBM(G)
This study showed that:
– 85% of the household members use their latrine to defecate
– In a fully Open Defecation Free community, considering medical costs averted, the value of time savings, and the value of mortality averted, the financial saving for each household is 50,000 Rs per year.
– In terms of cost benefit ratio, considering in one hand the expenditures from the households and from the government, and in the other hand the financial savings induced by improved sanitation, the study found a cost-benefit ratio of 430% on average, this means that 1 Rs invested allows a saving of 4.3 Rs.
– The benefits are highest for the poorest quintile of the population.
Hence these are very encouraging result just 3 years down the line of the implementation of the SBM.
Once again, I thank each and every one of the media partners present here and we value our association with you. We look forward to your support in covering these issues and catalysing this people’s movement of SBM even further.
This 15 day’s campaign is a great opportunity to galvanize this unique movment
STORM KILLS EIGHT IN ROMANIA, DAMAGE HITS SERBIA, CROATIA
A strong storm killed eight people and injured at least 67 in western Romania on Sunday as winds of up to 100 kph (over 60 mph) also brought destruction to parts of Serbia and Croatia, officials said.
Road and rail traffic in parts of Romania was halted by fallen trees. Several hospitals, schools and apartment buildings had roofs damaged and dozens of towns and villages were left without electricity.
Some of the casualties were people strolling outside or coming out of supermarkets, the emergency services said. A group of tourists was stranded for an hour in a chairlift in the northern county of Maramures.
In Serbia, a man went missing on his boat on the Danube river near Belgrade and six people, including a five-year-old child, were injured by falling trees. Arcing from power lines, caused by the high winds, triggered several wildfires.
In Croatia, flooding brought traffic to a standstill in several coastal towns.
“We can’t fight the weather,” Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose told Antena3 TV. “The entire medical sector is focused on the injured.”
He said the government would help support the communities hit by the storm.
Nicolae Robu, mayor of the Romanian city of Timisoara spoke to local TV station Digi24 as he was surveying the scene outside.
“There are dozens of trees on the ground, roads blocked, we are out of electricity and water. There are roofs torn off houses, apartment buildings. There are overturned trucks. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Romania’s national weather agency has issued warnings of strong winds and rainstorms for western areas.
Emergency responders have urged people to take shelter indoors, unplug household appliances and park in areas not close to trees or power lines.
FIFTY KILLED IN CLASHES IN EASTERN ETHIOPIA & SOMALIA REGIONS
Skirmish to sporadic clashes along the border of Ethiopia’s Oromiya and Somali regions are old tale this has led to displaced around 50,000 people, a senior regional official said on Sunday, in violence that has prompted the government to send the military in.
Spokesmen from the two regions told regional news outlets earlier this week that at least 50 people were killed. Each side blames the other.
“It is not just deaths that occurred. More than 50,000 people were displaced from their homes,” Lema Megersa — the president of Oromiya province — told local journalists on Sunday.
“Those responsible should also be held to account,” he added without providing the death toll.
The area has been plagued by sporadic clashes for decades. A referendum held in 2004 to determine the status of disputed settlements failed to ease tensions.
Unrest in 2015 and 2016 in Oromiya — and, to a lesser extent, other regions — killed 669 people, according to a parliament-mandated investigation.
The clashes are likely to fuel further fears about security in Ethiopia — the region’s biggest economy and a staunch Western ally.
Each side gave contradictory explanations about the cause of the clashes. Some officials in Oromiya said it was sparked by the killing of a local district head and raids by a paramilitary force from the Somali region.
Officials from the Somali region denied those claims. Fifty ethnic Somalis were killed in the town of Aweday in Oromiya on Tuesday, a spokesman for the Somali region told local media on Friday.
International media were not permitted at the briefing.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said soldiers deployed to the region to quell the violence would disarm residents and safeguard highways straddling the regions.
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