Hukoomi portal sees 1.1mn transactions in five months
Hassan al-Sayid, assistant secretary-general (IT sector, ICT government programmes) at the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQATAR), has said the Hukoomi portal has recorded nearly 1.12mn transactions in the first five months of 2013, local daily Al-Arab reported.
The official said the portal saw a 25.7% jump in the number of visitors during this period compared to last year - from 334,519 in 2012 to 420,690 now, according to the report.
Al-Sayid said the Hukoomi portal, which is managed by ictQATAR, provides around 400 services of which 150 can be completed electronically by companies, nationals, residents and visitors. He also referred to the addition of some more services soon and the recent establishment of a co-operation with the Ministry of Justice, the report said.
Qatar, Fiji sign agreement on
avoidance of double taxation
QNA/Doha
Qatar and Fiji have signed an agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, Qatar’s Ministry of Economy and Finance said in a statement yesterday.
The agreement aims at avoiding double taxation in both countries and prompting co-operation in various areas that support the economic and investment exchange between them, the statement said.
The agreement was signed by the director of the Public Revenues and Taxes Department Muftah Jassim al-Muftah and Fiji’s permanent secretary for Finance Filimone Waqabaca at the Department of Public Revenues and Taxes in the Ministry of Economy and Finance in Doha.
The signing ceremony was attended by the delegation accompanying the Fijian Minister and several officials at the Public Revenues and Taxes Department in the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
National Day
greetings
HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani have sent cables of congratulations to the president of Iceland on his country’s National Day.
Advisory panel
holds meeting
The Advisory Council held its weekly meeting under its Speaker HE Mohamed bin Mubarak al-Khulaifi yesterday.
The Council discussed the Internal and External Affairs Committee’s report on a draft law amending some provisions of law No 14 of 1999 on weapons, ammunition and explosives and decided to refer its recommendations to the Cabinet.
Ministerial
decision
HE the Minister of Economy and Finance Yousef Hussein Kamal has issued a decision appointing a number of assistant directors and heads of administrative units in the Ministry.
The decision included the appointment of Kaltham Sultan al-Hajri, assistant director of the Office of Strategic Planning and Performance Management.
The decision also included the appointment of Khaled Abdulrahman al-Muftah assistant director of Public Revenues and Taxes (Policies), Nasser Mohamed al-Khalifa, assistant director of Public Revenues and Taxes (Operations), Mashael Ibrahim Abdulghani assistant director of Government Audit and Abdullah Ahmed al-Sediqi assistant director of Financial Information Systems.
Qatar-Kenya
ties reviewed
Kenyan Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed met Qatar’s Ambassador to Kenya Ibrahim Mohamed al-Abdullah in Nairobi yesterday. They discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations.
Stores ‘exploiting sales campaigns’
Some stores, including those selling famous brands, exploit sales campaigns to ‘unload stagnant, obsolete or defective stocks,’ local Arabic daily Al Arab reported yesterday quoting a cross section of shoppers.
Colourful ads in the media and on billboards on streets, announcing discounts up to 50%, are deceptive, they alleged. One of the women interviewed by the daily recalled she had been waiting for the sales season to buy gifts for her relatives back home. “I was totally lost when I visited one store, as the clothes on offer were totally out of fashion,” she said.
Another lady confirmed that though sales announcements indeed attract customers, but upon visiting these stores, they find the discounted goods are of poor quality and end up buying goods which are not on sale.
Other shoppers urged authorities to enforce strict monitoring during sales in order to protect customers from price manipulation, considering that many stores conduct sales ‘just to sell defective goods or inferior quality products,’ the daily added.
Aspire Zone to host summer fun run
As part of its commitment to active lifestyles, Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) is organising the Khalifa International Stadium Run-Around at 7pm on June 20.
Set over a distance of approximately 5km, the event will take place on the running track and other areas of the iconic sports venue. Pre-registration is open until tomorrow morning at www.aspirezone.qa/events
Aspire Zone is also offering a selection of indoor exercise options this summer. Those who wish to run or jog can use the indoor athletics track at Aspire Dome every Tuesday from 6pm to 7pm.
For cycling enthusiasts, Aspire Zone is offering turbo bike sessions at Aspire Dome every Monday between 6pm and 7.30pm. A “turbo” is a device that enables bicycles to be put on stands and cyclists can ride on the spot.
In addition, earlier this week, Aspire Zone announced the launch of its Ramadan Festival – Hayyakum B Aspire. Set to take place this summer.
Plan to have industrial area for medium, small units
There are plans to establish a new industrial area for small and medium enterprises and export activities, local daily Al-Sharq has reported.
Under the plans, the owners of such enterprises will get land to set up warehouses and labour accommodation and for various related services. The move is part of an initiative to support such enterprises with the objective of developing national industries and provide facilities to commercial activities and business initiatives, the report says.
The initiative also envisages the establishment of an exports section and training of entrepreneurs so as to enable them to manage their enterprises, according to the report. The support also includes conducting economic feasibility studies to ensure the success of such enterprises.
It has been learnt that certain procedures will be implemented to reduce the burden on new investors and lower the cost of production, resulting in industries that offer reasonably-priced products that will prove competitive in terms of exports. The report also says steps will be taken to increase the number of factories and provide an industrial climate that attracts companies and capital through support, provision of finance and liquidity and easy procedures.