KERALAMONITOR.COM NEWS BUREAU India Offers Journalism courses for 15 Afghan Journalists
Janashalas Making a difference in Schooling
Pragya Paliwal Gaur
Roshni and Sanjay now look forward to coming to school as they get to play and sing while studying. Both the sister and brother are very friendly with their school teacher who teaches them and also plays games with them. Their mother Kiran is happy and satisfied, as her children do not have to go far off to study and neither are they supposed to wear school uniforms, which she cannot afford, owing to her low level of income.
- Nigeria : Protesters leave ChevronTexaco facility- Alcatel to Provide Internet Dial Access and Voice Over IP Network Solution to Turkey -Procter and Gample, Pantene unveils 'Shine Morning to Night' campaign -Ericsson wins GSM deal with Turkish Aycell
- Lebanese software industry reaches US$ 150 million, 10 per cent annual growth
- Gitex Dubai.-UAE Company -Telematics gets ISO Certification -Tech Data Reports Second-Quarter Net Income Grows 30%-NIIT and University of Indonesia join hands to offer IT Education-Dell hits 2.0 GHz performance in its three mobile computer lines
- Nad Al Sheba signs Service Level Agreement with Dubai Technology Partners -Panasonic signs Orient Planet as public relations agency for Middle East -Microsoft and Access Softek align to simplify financial data transfer - Nigeria Obasanjo expects judiciary to overturn stoning case -Maruti to buy and sell pre owned cars in Nagpur -Muslims, Christians agree peace pact in Kaduna -Earth Summit Mbeki calls for ''shared prosperity''
- Southern Africa : FAO calls for urgent donor aid -DRC: Rights group deplores arrests of Mobutu allies, MLC members -Sudan : Southern women's group moots conditions for voting- Sudan: Direct talks due between government and rebels
Government will not bring any pressure on the working of CBI -Vajpayee
PM Inaugurates conference on CBI and State anti-corruption bureau
New Delhi --August 26, 2002 Underlining the need to ensure that enormous budgetary allocations and non-budgetary spending on various programmes and schemes at the Centre and States are well spent for public good, the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, reiterated the Government’s commitment towards "zero tolerance of corruption" and reaffirmed that "the Government shall not bring any kind of pressure in the working of CBI or any other Constitutional agency".
Inaugurating the Conference of CBI and State Anti-Corruption Bureaux, here today, the Prime Minister called for an improvement in the performance of the state-level anti-corruption agencies. For this, he outlined five important imperatives which are: better coo-ordination; co-operation and timely exchange of information among various anti-corruption agencies; honing of skills by CBI and anti-corruption agencies to catch criminals indulging in large-scale economic offences including cyber crimes; need for fresh legislative and administrative initiatives; quick disposal of investigations and prompt, stern and demonstrable action against wrongdoing within anti-corruption agencies.
The Prime Minister concluded by summing up the strategy to combat corruption, which he likened to three sides of a triangle. "One side is the opportunities for corruption; these have to be reduced by appropriate policy reforms, laws and their proper enforcement. The second side of the triangle of corruption is the freedom from risks; this has to be diminished by improved functioning of the police; investigating agencies and the judiciary. The third side is the social acceptance of corruption; this has to be decreased through citizens’ own action", the Prime Minister said. The Minister of State for Personnel & Training, Smt. Vasundhara Raje Scindia and Director, CBI, P.C. Sharma also spoke at the inaugural session.
The following is the text of the speech of the Prime Minister on the occasion.
"We have gathered here for an important conference and I am very pleased to be with you this morning to inaugurate it.
I join all of you in congratulating the winners of the President’s Police Medals.
As far as I can gather, this conference has evoked a lot of public interest. Firstly because anything associated with the CBI arouses interest. Besides, this conference also provides a forum to the State anti-corruption agencies for sharing their experiences.
The focus on it is also enhanced by the fact that a conference that ought to take place every two years, is taking place after six years.
So, obviously, you have a packed agenda. But I need hardly remind you that people’s interest in the conference comes with people’s heightened expectation from the conference. At the end of your deliberations, they would like – and I would like – your assembly to come up with concrete proposals and initiatives towards a more effective fight against the menace of corruption.
The CBI Director, in his opening remarks, has done well to recall what I said on corruption in my Independence Day speech this year. Let me briefly elaborate on why I affirmed our Government’s commitment to combat corruption.
Today, India is on the threshold of a historic transformation. Both the people and the Government have a shared ambition to make India a Developed Nation in the shortest possible time, a future in which all our citizens can live better lives.
For this, we need to speed up our socio-economic development. We need to ensure that the enormous budgetary allocations and non-budgetary spending on various programmes and schemes, at the Centre and in States, are well spent for public good – and not siphoned off to fatten private pockets. Such corrupt practices are the chief reason why our developmental efforts have not yielded desired results. But they pose another danger.
Such private expropriation of public resources is also a moral hazard to society. For no society can remain healthy if the good of the collective is undermined by the greed of a few. Apart from being a foe of development and of public morality, corruption also endangers good governance. For its prevalence, if not effectively combated, weakens the people’s faith in the system. And no system can deliver optimally if it lacks people’s optimal support and participation.
I would like to quote here from a consultation paper on "Probity in Governance", which was prepared by the Commission for the Review of the Working of the Constitution.
"Corruption has flourished because one does not see adequately successful examples of effectively prosecuted cases of corruption. Cases, poorly founded upon; their half-hearted and incomplete investigation; and a tardy and delayed trial confluence a morally ill-deserved but legally inevitable acquittal. The acceptance of corruption as an inexorable reality has led to silent reconciliation and resignation to such wrongs."
Which is why, I have said that we shall not tolerate corruption, howsoever highly placed the offender may be.
The Government shall not bring any kind of pressure in the working of the CBI or any other Constitutional agency. This is not an assurance. It is a fact. It is our track record. Our Government has given the greatest autonomy to investigating agencies, including the CBI. I would like the State Governments also to give similar autonomy to their anti-corruption agencies.
However, you will readily agree that, with autonomy comes greater responsibility and higher accountability. This leaves no scope for passing the buck or for putting the blame on others.
Hence, my personal philosophy is simple: Let each institution in our democracy do the work that the law earmarks as its domain --
* in proper coordination with other institutions;
* with no interference or pressure from outside;
* with requisite autonomy;
but with full responsibility.Friends, I compliment the CBI for its good work and for its continuous efforts to improve its track record.
The strength of any institution lies in the trust and credibility it enjoys in the eyes of the people. By this yardstick, the CBI has much to be proud about. For whenever there is any case of wrongdoing, we hear a demand from the public as well as the political establishment for referring the case to the CBI.
I would like all the officers of the CBI to work with redoubled dedication and determination to further strengthen the people’s trust in their agency. I would also like the State anti-corruption agencies and vigilance officers in all public undertakings to aspire to earn the same kind of reputation.
It is especially necessary for State-level agencies to improve their performance, because they deal with cases of corruption that directly affect the common man. Precisely for this reason, their success or failure can influence the people’s attitude towards the system as a whole. In short, what we need is a system that can catch the big fish as well as the small fish.
I am, of course, conscious of the fact that it will not be possible for you to uncover every irregularity. But you can certainly create, based on a high rate of conviction, a deterrent impression that irregularities will indeed be uncovered – that no fish, big or small, can escape your net. It should be your common aim to ensure that, it is not the criminal but the crime-busting system that will always have the upper hand. What we need is a system-wide enhancement of credibility. This will come with a system-wide augmentation of efficiency and effectiveness. For this to happen, the system needs to address five important imperatives.
First, there has to be far better co-ordination, cooperation and timely exchange of information among various anti-corruption agencies in the country than is the case today. This is especially needed in crimes that have inter-State and international linkages. CBI, being the premier agency of the Central Government for investigating anti-corruption cases, is ideally suited to lead this effort.
I am told that some progress has been made in this regard. This needs to be broadened. Second, anti-corruption agencies, especially the CBI, should continuously hone their skills to catch criminals who indulge in large-scale economic offences. After liberalization of our economy, there has been a spurt in financial frauds, bank and stock market scams, money laundering and cyber crimes, running into hundreds and thousands of crores of rupees. Some of these channels are also used to finance anti-national and terrorist organizations.
I applaud the greater thrust that the CBI Director has lately given to training all his officers, from top to bottom, for more effective investigation of these crimes. This process of training and continuous learning should become an integral part of the culture of all the anti-corruption agencies.
Third, I realize that some fresh legislative and administrative initiatives are needed to curb the growth of economic offences. I would like your conference to make concrete suggestions in this regard. As you are aware, the draft Money Laundering Bill is already under consideration in Parliament.
Fourth, the test of systemic effectiveness lies in quick disposal of investigation. It is not a healthy situation when cases under investigation drag on for years together. I am happy to note that the CBI has made some significant strides in disposal of old cases, and has issued a directive to complete all investigations within one year. State agencies should emulate this example.
The test of systemic effectiveness also lies in a good record of convictions. Although the CBI’s conviction rate is 70 %, the people are deeply dismayed – and so I am – that the rate of conviction in non-CBI cases does not go beyond 5-6%. I would like all of you to do honest introspection on why this is so.
No doubt, shoddy investigation, leading to acquittal, is a part of the answer. However, a major part of the blame lies with our criminal justice system. Its long delays and arcane procedures inspire little confidence either among the people or even among investigating agencies. This calls for serious soul-searching and urgent self-corrective action by the judiciary.
Lastly, you must deal with wrongdoing within anti-corruption agencies promptly, sternly and demonstrably. Adherence of our motto of "Zero-Tolerance of Corruption" must be most visible in your own organizations.
In conclusion, if I were to graphically sum up our strategy to combat corruption, I would say that corruption is the area bounded by three sides of a triangle.
One side is the Opportunities for corruption; these have to be reduced by appropriate policy reforms, laws, and their proper enforcement. The second side of the Triangle of Corruption is the Freedom from Risks; this has to be diminished by improved functioning of the police, investigating agencies, and the judiciary. The third side is the Social Acceptance of corruption; this has to be decreased through citizens’ own action.
When all three sides shorten, the area of corruption will automatically nk.
With these words, I inaugurate your conference and wish it all success.
India Offers Journalism courses for 15 Afghan Journalists
New Delhi -August 28, 2002. A group of 15 Afghan journalists and Government Media Officers would undergo a Foundation Course in Journalism at the Indian Institute of Mass Communications, New Delhi in order to develop a trained manpower to meet challenges of the times and more so when the image and the events in the country need to be projected in right perspective and development and reconstruction efforts of the Government need media and information support. The Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Smt. Sushma Swaraj will inaugurate the two-month crash course on Wednesday, August 28, 2002.
The Course is basic in nature and aims at imparting conceptual and operational skills in relation to the entire process of news writing and presentation both in the newspapers and the electronic media. The objective of the course is not only to train them in all the professional aspects of journalism but also to equip them to handle the national and international media besides managing media relations of the Government in an effective manner. Enhancement of computer related skills would be another essential part of the course.
Another objective of the training programme would be to impart training to participants to enable them take up jobs of correspondents of foreign news organizations. The course is adequately designed so that skills can be imparted to report economic and socio-cultural development and processes of change. The participants will be trained in all the aspects of communication theory and research methods besides international communication. They would be given inputs on global media and political, economic, social and cultural trends of post cold war world order.
The Afghan media was isolated in past few years and was not able to develop at a time when information revolution set in. The country has been undergoing one or the other kind of civil war for over two decades. Now with the advent of new scenario, development of media has become imperative. The Afghan Government needs a lot of media and information support to meet the challenges.
Earth Summit : City water supplies at risk,
1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water
JOHANNESBURG, 26 August (IRIN) - Leaking pipes, pollution and unplanned urban sprawl risk depriving Africa's growing cities of a basic but precious resource - water.
"At the moment the poor are paying up to 40 percent of their income just to get water," said Anna Tibaijuka, executive director of the UN Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT), at the World Summit on Sustainable Development on Monday.
According to the UN Development Programme, at least 1.1 billion people lack access to safe water supplies and almost 2.5 billion do not have access to adequate sanitation. More than 2.2 billion people in developing countries die each year from diseases associated with unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and hygiene.
A Managing Water for African Cities project, run by HABITAT and the UN Environment Programme, aims to help African countries effectively manage their growing water needs while protecting the continent's threatened water resources and ecosystems from pollution.
Johannesburg is one of eight cities involved in the project.
Ronnie Kasrils, South Africa's minister of water affairs, explained that unequal distribution of resources in South Africa had deprived poorer areas of proper facilities. This meant that up to 60 percent of the vast township of Soweto's water was leaking out of faulty pipes.
In South Africa, the water management initiative involved the community, and urged them to cut down on leaks from their taps and prevent their rivers and streams from becoming a health hazard, Kasrils said.Ghana's Minister of Public Works Yaw Barimah, said that a recent study in his country revealed that up to 50 percent of Ghana's water usage was unaccounted for.
"If we can save even 25 percent of that percentage, it will benefit the people of Ghana tremendously," he said."If we are really serious about poverty, water has to be addressed, but we have to decide how to do so. We must engage municipalities, and they must engage people at grass roots level for better use of the resource," explained Tim Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation which provides funding for the project.
In a statement issued at the Johannesburg summit, the NGO the Sustainable Development Network (SDN), said government provision and management of water had failed poor people.
The organisation said water provided by government was typically of poor quality and was used wastefully. The organisation added that water delivered to agricultural and industrial users was often under-priced, which also encouraged waste, and destroyed wetlands and wildlife populations.
SDN suggested the decentralisation of water ownership and management, by enabling property rights to bodies of water, and eliminating subsidies to make water use more efficient.The other seven cities involved in the Managing Water for African Cities project are: Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Dakar, Lusaka, Nairobi, and most recently Dar es Salaam. Water for Asian Cities will be launched at the Johannesburg summit later this week.
Nigeria : Protesters leave ChevronTexaco facilityLAGOS, 26 August (IRIN) - US oil giant ChevronTexaco said on Friday a group of women protesters who had besieged one of its oil production facilities in southwestern Nigerian had voluntarily ended their nine-day occupation.A spokesman said the company had neither negotiated nor reached any agreement with the 100 women from the Ilaje community, who occupied the offshore Ewan oil platform on 14 August.
"We did a routine check at the Ewan facility and found that the protesters had left on their own," a company official told IRIN.The protesters had accused ChevronTexaco of damaging their environment, farms and fishing areas through oil pollution. They had demanded an agreement that would oblige the company to clean up the environment as well as provide amenities and jobs for the inhabitants of the area. But the company refused to enter negotiations with the protesters.
The incident was the latest of several such protests. Early in August women protesters picketed the offices of ChevronTexaco and Royal/Dutch Shell in the oil town of Warri. In July groups of women protesters took over ChevronTexaco's Escravos oil export terminal and several other facilities over similar demands. The company later signed agreements with the Ugborodo and Gbaramatu communities, where the protestors were from, promising amenities, such as electricity and potable water and micro-credit facilities.
Disruption of oil operations are common in Nigeria's southern oil region, where poverty-stricken communities accuse the government and oil companies of degrading their environment and depriving them of the oil wealth produced on their land.
NIGERIA: Obasanjo expects judiciary to overturn stoning case
LAGOS, 26 August (IRIN) - Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo said on Saturday he expected the judiciary to overturn the sentence of death by stoning passed on a 30-year-old woman for giving birth outside marriage.In his first public comment on the controversial sentence on Amina Lawal, which was upheld by a higher Islamic court in the northern state of Katsina last week, the president failed to give any firm indication that he would intervene against the sentence.
"I do sincerely hope that we will get through it, that Amina will not die," Obasanjo told reporters in the presidential residence in Abuja. "But if for any reason she is killed, I will weep for Amina and her family, I will weep for myself, and I will weep for Nigeria."
Amina Lawal was first sentenced to death on adultery charges in the small town of Bakori in March, according to the dictates of the Islamic or Shari'ah legal code, after giving birth to a child out of wedlock. A man she said fathered the baby was discharged for lack of evidence.
An Upper Shari'ah Court in the town of Funtua upheld the sentence last week. Lawal's lawyers have said they will appeal to a higher court.Under Nigeria's judicial system, the appeal could reach the Supreme Court if the sentence is not quashed at the state appeal level or the federal court of appeal. Even if Lawal fails to secure a reprieve through the courts, the president has the prerogative of granting her clemency.
Obasanjo did not indicate on Saturday whether or not he would take that step if the case goes that far. Lawal is the second woman to be sentenced to death by stoning since about a dozen states in the predominantly Muslim north of Nigeria began introducing the controversial Shari'ah code in 2000.Safiya Husseini was sentenced to death in Sokoto State last year. But the verdict was quashed on 19 March, the same day Lawal received her sentence.
Muslims, Christians agree peace pact in Kaduna
LAGOS, 26 August (IRIN) - Muslims and Christians in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna have signed a peace pact to end violent clashes which have claimed thousands of lives in the past three years, officials said on Friday.
The peace agreement, signed on Thursday by representatives of the national Muslim body, Ja'amatul Nasir Islam, and the Christian Association of Nigeria, was brokered by the Kaduna State government, Abdul Magaji, a senior Kaduna government official, told IRIN.
More than 2,000 people died in violence which broke out between Christians and Muslims in Kaduna city in 2000, following a dispute over plans by the state government to introduce Islamic or Shari'ah law.Unlike most states in northern Nigeria, which have predominantly Muslim populations, Kaduna State has fairly equal numbers of Christians and Muslims.
Tension remained high after the initial clashes but was largely defused after the state governor, Ahmed Makarfi, introduced a milder form of Shari'ah, the application of which was limited to Muslim communities."We are committed to ending the violence and bloodshed that marred our recent history," reads part of the text of the peace agreement. "We believe Nigeria belongs to both Muslims and Christians, who must learn to accommodate each other in peace."
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with 120 million people is divided almost evenly into a largely Muslim north and non-Muslim south.
Earth Summit Mbeki calls for ''shared prosperity''
JOHANNESBURG, 26 August (IRIN) - South African President Thabo Mbeki opened the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg on Monday with a call for a global "shared prosperity" rather than a system of survival of the fittest.
After a decade of "inertia" since the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - where the goals of sustainable development were set - Mbeki said this week's conference had an obligation "to adopt a meaningful Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, in the interests of all humanity and our common planet".
"All of us understand that the goal of shared prosperity is achievable because, for the first time in human history, human society possesses the capacity, the knowledge and the resources to eradicate poverty and underdevelopment," said Mbeki.
"There is every need for us to demonstrate to the billions of people we lead that we are committed to the vision and practice of human solidarity, that we do not accept that human society should be constructed on the basis of a savage principle of the survival of the fittest," he added.
Sustainable development links economic growth, social development and environmental protection as interdependent elements of long-term development. The Rio Earth Summit endorsed Agenda 21, a comprehensive plan of action for a sustainable future that also emphasised a participatory approach to policy making and development.
Mbeki urged participants to the 26 August to 4 September summit to adopt a "practical programme for the translation of the dream of sustainable development into reality and bringing into being a new global society that is caring and humane".
While Mbeki called for a global vision to secure the development goals agreed at Rio in 1992 and those contained in the UN Millennium Declaration, analysts warned that forging a consensus between wealthy and developing countries at the conference, particularly on contentious issues such as trade and finance, would be an uphill task.
"The draft declaration for the Johannesburg summit acknowledges that 'eradicating poverty is the greatest global challenge facing the world today and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.' Yet rich-country governments have so far failed to agree on essential commitments relating to trade, aid and debt relief policies that are needed for Johannesburg to deliver on this primary objective," the development agency Oxfam said in a statement.
"If you take the need for poverty reduction and environment protection at face value, and ask is the conference going to deliver, it would be very difficult to say the conference is going to be a success under those terms," Oxfam spokesman Antonio Hill told IRIN.
"But there are concrete steps that can be taken by next week that can contribute incrementally," he added.
According to Oxfam, positive steps would include reform to the international trade system to remove subsidies and barriers that handicap poor countries, agreement by rich countries to meet their long-standing aid commitments to the developing world, and for more progress on debt relief in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals on tackling poverty.
Southern Africa : FAO calls for urgent donor aid
JOHANNESBURG, 26 August (IRIN) - Donor countries should urgently commit food aid and financial support to Southern Africa to avert a major humanitarian crisis, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned in a report on Monday.
The FAO report said only 24 percent of the US $507 million needed to provide food assistance to more than 10 million people until the next main harvest in April 2003 had been pledged. Assistance was also urgently needed to provide agricultural inputs to help farmers recover from the crisis.
"The food situation in Southern Africa is of grave concern," the report said. "A prolonged dry spell during the 2001/02 growing season, and excessive precipitation in parts, devastated crops in large growing areas. In Zimbabwe, reduced planting in the large-scale commercial sector due to land reform activities compounded the problem. Maize production in the sub-region fell sharply, reaching less than one-quarter of last year's level in Zimbabwe, one-third in Lesotho and just over a half in Malawi, Zambia and Swaziland."
In Zimbabwe, the report warned the "food and nutritional situation gives cause for serious concern following two consecutive sharply reduced cereal harvests and the country's prevailing economic crisis". More than half the country's population was reported in need of food aid and FAO called for "additional donor contributions" to stem the deterioration of the food situation. Assistance with agricultural inputs was also "urgently required to enable drought-affected farming families to restart agricultural production during the next main planting season starting October 2002".
Malawi had also been hard hit by the food crisis with instances of starvation reported in parts of the country earlier this year. The report estimated that some 3.2 million people had been affected by reduced food availability. Distribution of relief food had begun to about 500,000 people, and that number would rise to 3.2 million by December. So far, the report said, food aid requirements have been well funded by donor contributions.
In Zambia, the report said, "severe crop losses during the last cropping season due to drought have left some 2.3 million people, or about one-quarter of the population, in need of food assistance". In the worst-affected Southern Province, 60 percent of the population required relief food assistance.
In Angola, an estimated 500,000 people were in a "critical nutritional condition", FAO said. A ceasefire agreement had led to large numbers of severely malnourished people making their way to reception and transit centres across the country. More malnourished people were likely to be found as the security situation in the country improved, and more areas became accessible.
At the national level, Mozambique had a good cereal harvest, but the food situation in the southern region and parts of central regions was "extremely tight", because crops were devastated by drought. Cereal production in these areas declined by one-third from last year's already reduced level. The report estimated that 515,000 people in 43 districts of the Southern and Central regions were facing severe food shortages and needed emergency food aid.
In Namibia, the food supply situation was also described as "tight" following a sharp decline in this year's cereal production. The country faced a cereal deficit of about 156,000 mt in 2002/03. A recent vulnerability assessment by the government found that 500,000 people would need food aid as a result of the reduced harvest.
DRC: Rights group deplores arrests of Mobutu allies, MLC members
NAIROBI, 26 August (IRIN) - Voix des Sans-Voix (VSV - Voice of the Voiceless), a national human rights group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has protested against a wave of arrests by the Kinshasa authorities of people believed to be members of either the Mouvement de liberation du Congo (MLC), a former rebel movement backed by neighbouring Uganda, or soldiers from the army of the deposed late DRC leader, Mobutu Sese Seko.
According to a list published by VSV, at least nine such people have been arrested, accused of collaboration with the MLC or of having been soldiers of Mobutu's ex-FAZ [Forces armees zairoises], exiled since his regime was toppled in 1997.
"It is with great consternation that VSV once again notes an upsurge in abductions and arrests in [the capital,] Kinshasa of civilians and of officers of the ex-FAZ," said a VSV statement issued over the weekend.VSV reported that those arrested were all originally from Equateur and Orientale provinces, and ethnically close to MLC leader Jean-Pierre Bemba and Mobutu.
According to VSV, the abductions have usually taken place during the night by soldiers of the current DRC army, the Forces armees congolaises (FAC), national security agents or police without justification as to why an individual or his family members were being taken.
VSV also reported unlawful searches of victims' houses, acts of violence and brutality, cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment of victims, and threats of death in case of any attempt to escape from custody.
The most recent arrest was that of four family members of an ex-FAZ officer, Jean Bamona, which occurred during the night of 16-17 August.
By way of explanation, the government claims the arrests were fully justifiable. "The majority of these people were members of the rebellion. They were arrested because they attempted to enter Kinshasa secretly before the signing of the Sun City accord," Irung Awan, the DRC minister-delegate of defence, told IRIN.
The Kinshasa government and the MLC were two of the main signatories to an accord aimed at bringing about the establishment of a power-sharing interim government and the drafting of a constitution leading to a democratically elected national government. The agreement, signed in April in Sun City, South Africa, would allow current DRC President Joseph Kabila to continue in that position, while Bemba would serve as prime minister.
In a related development, the UK office of representation of the Union pour la democratie et le progres social (UDPS) political opposition party issued a statement on 23 August protesting against the arrest on 15 August of Jean-Baptiste Mulumba, the senior economic adviser of the UDPS leader, Etienne Tshisekedi.
"Despite the efforts by the international community to bring a peaceful end to the long and deep crisis that is engulfing our region, Mr Kabila's regime is still cultivating a political climate of terror to a number of its critics," said the UDPS statement. "A number of journalists and political actors and activists are still facing arbitrary arrests, intimidation or other forms of human rights violations."
The UDPS office in the UK urged the international community to exert pressure on the Kinshasa government to "open up the political arena to allow citizens of Congo to perform their political activities freely" and to "press Mr Kabila to unconditionally release Mr Jean-Baptiste Mulumba as no charges have been brought against him".
CONGO: Goods train attacked over weekend, ''Ninjas'' suspected
NAIROBI, 26 August (IRIN) - A goods train travelling from the coastal city of Pointe Noire in the Republic of Congo (ROC) was attacked during the weekend, some 300 km southwest of the capital, Brazzaville, its final destination.
Sources in Brazzaville told IRIN that assailants mined a section of the track near the town of Loulombo, causing the train to derail. Armed elements then surrounded the train, which was being escorted by a number of government soldiers, at least some of whom were reportedly taken hostage. The attackers were also reported to have pillaged the train of merchandise it was transporting, including petrol.
There were no reports of deaths, although some 30 people who had irregularly boarded the train were reportedly wounded.
A regional analyst suggested two possible motivations for the attack: that Ninja militias, who had been aggressively pursued by government forces for the past several months, needed to replenish their supplies, or that these same rebels wanted to send a message to the head of state, who has refused to engage in peaceful negotiations with them.
Another freight train was attacked on 31 July near Kikembo, just west of Mindouli, 120 km west of Brazzaville, leaving dead two government soldiers who were guarding it, and two others wounded. That attack occurred in a zone said to be one of the last remaining rebel strongholds in the troubled Pool region, where government forces have been fighting self-proclaimed "Ninja" militias since late March.
Renewed hostilities erupted in ROC in late March, when Ninjas attacked several government military positions in the Pool region, the government said. However, Ninja representatives said the clashes were provoked when they discovered government plans to arrest their leader, the Rev Frederic Bitsangou, alias Pasteur Ntoumi.
The fighting began just days after Denis Sassou-Nguesso was declared the winner of the 10 March presidential election, with over 85 percent of the vote.
At least two people died and 12 were wounded when a passenger train travelling from Pointe-Noire to Brazzaville was attacked near Kinkembo, some 150 km west of the capital. Passenger train services have been suspended since then.
The railway is Brazzaville's main commercial link to the country's coastal economic capital, Pointe-Noire.
Sudan : Southern women's group moots conditions for voting
NAIROBI, 26 August (IRIN) - A south Sudan women's group has said voting in the country's forthcoming referendum should be restricted to ethnic southerners.In a statement on last month's peace agreement, the Southern Women's Group for Peace (SWGP) said residency in southern Sudan should not automatically be the basis for acquiring the right to vote.
The referendum on self-determination is to be held in six years' time in accordance with the provisions of the Machakos Protocol.The organisation said voting should be restricted to southerners "in the context of a clearly specified southern region". It said a southerner should be defined as a person whose parents' ancestry was traceable to any of the ethnic communities residing in south Sudan since 1820.
A referendum law should be part of the final agreement reached between the Sudanese government and the rebel the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), which would include the principles and outlines of the referendum processes, the SWGP added.
It said that in the event of a ceasefire, the agreement should be guaranteed and safeguarded by international bodies including the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union and the countries involved in the regional Inter-Governmental Authority on Development mediation.The government and the SPLM are currently negotiating in a second round of peace talks in the Kenyan town of Machakos following the landmark peace deal signed on 20 July.
Alcatel to Provide Internet Dial Access and Voice Over IP Network Solution to Turk Telekom
Paris, August 26, 2002 - Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) has been
awarded a contract by Turk Telekom for the deployment of a Internet dial
access and Voice over IP (VoIP) network in Turkey. Alcatel's solution will
allow Turk Telekom to provide new revenue-generating services in a
multimedia environment.Under the agreement, Alcatel – the sole supplier for this project – will
provide a fully integrated solution including its Alcatel 5020 Softswitch
and the Alcatel 5735 Service Management Center, supporting SIP protocol,
and Commworks TC1000 Dial-IP/Media Gateways. This deployment will enable
Turk Telekom to face efficiently and cost-effectively the growing amount of
Internet dial-up traffic in their traditional network. It will also enable
them to smoothly migrate towards next generation networks and offer
additional services such as click-to-call, Internet call waiting, virtual
second line and advanced call forwarding.This project, which is a premiere in the region, will cover over 100
locations throughout Turkey and will be deployed in four phases. Deliveries
for the first phase will start this summer, and are expected to be
completed by October 2002.Lutfi Yenel, Chairman of Alcatel in Turkey, said: “This project reinforces
Alcatel's leadership in providing powerful and reliable solutions to help
incumbent operators migrate towards NGN. The primary factor for this
success is the strength of our Alcatel 5020 Softswitch family in terms of
flexibility, modularity, open architecture and price competitiveness,
enabling any type of multimedia services.”Alcatel's next generation solutions are currently deployed with 35
customers around the world; 20 NGN applications are in commercial
deployment with 11 customers and 43 are in field trials.Alcatel 5020 Softswitch platform
The Alcatel 5020 Softswitch is a carrier class, highly scalable Softswitch
that is deployed with major carriers in live networks on a worldwide basis.
The Alcatel 5020 Softswitch supports IP off-load applications, providing
Signaling #7 connectivity and Softswitch control for a wide variety of
Remote Access Servers, offering operators enhanced control and flexibility
over their dial IP services and brings them considerable cost savings by
off-loading IP traffic from the PSTN. Furthermore, the Alcatel 5020
Softswitch supports Voice over IP multi media services such as
click-to-call, Internet call waiting, virtual second line, video-telephony
and advanced call forwarding. Taking advantage of the flexible and powerful
VPN based routing mechanisms the Alcatel 5020 Softswitch allows the
carriers to deploy VoIP services towards residential subscribers, but also
in wholesale mode and providing hosted services for enterprises.Sudan: Direct talks due between government and rebels
NAIROBI, 26 August (IRIN) - Direct negotiations between the Sudanese government and the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) were due to begin on Monday after a week spent deliberating the agenda, the state-run Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported.
The current round of negotiations is being held in the Kenyan town of Machakos. SUNA said the announcement was made by Ghazi Salah al-Din al-Atabani, the presidential adviser on peace affairs.He said documents presented by international experts and discussed by the warring parties included wealth-sharing at national and state level, and power-sharing arrangements.
Meanwhile, President Umar al-Bashir on Monday reaffirmed his government's commitment to the provisions of the Machakos peace agreement, signed between the two sides last month, Sudanese radio reported. He said he hoped agreement would be reached between the government and the SPLM during this second round of talks, and stressed the need to present the agreement to the public, saying the option of unity would be left to the Sudanese people.
Pantene unveils 'Shine Morning to Night' campaign
Pantene, the world's largest selling shampoo from Procter & Gamble conducted a consumer research on identifying the top hair needs which revealed that Indian women rated 'Shine' as the No.1 hair attribute.August 26, 2002, Mumbai: Research further indicated that the major cause of dull hair that lacks shine is weakness of hair, misalignment and roughness. Pantene's unique Pro-V formula has been researched and identified as one of the best solutions to achieve long-lasting hair-shine, because it penetrates dry strands better, smoothens roughness, reduces frizz and fly-aways thus making hair smooth, straight and polished. Supporting the research, Pantene unveiled the launch of "Shine Morning to Night" campaign that has two exciting components to it; The MTV "Shine Your Soul" contest which has diamonds worth Rs. 12.5 lacs to be won and the launch of 'Pantene Shine Booths' across the country that helps to achieve shine that lasts from morning to night.
Complementing the "Shine Morning to Night" campaign P&G has launched Pantene Shine-Meter, a unique device that measures the level of hair shine, followed by a recommendation from the Pantene Beauty Assistant on the right variant of Pantene shampoo. To help consumers attain long lasting hair-shine, the Pantene Shine Meters will be covering 30 cities across India through Pantene Mobile Vans and Pantene Shine Booths. The Pantene Shine Booths will be set up at more than 1100 leading retail stores across the country for the next six weeks.
The "Shine your Soul" contest with MTV gives consumers an opportunity to win an exquisite Diamond Necklace and 19 diamond sets from Inter Gold. All Pantene users are eligible to participate in the MTV 'Shine Your Soul' contest by answering the simple question - "What gives you a Shining personality" (a) Wealthy Mind and Wealthy body, (b) Healthy mind and Healthy body and (c) Stealthy mind and Stealthy body. Entries could be submitted by calling 9604001234, or posted to MTV, P. O. Box No. 7906, Tulsiwadi, Tardeo, Mumbai - 34 or faxed to (022) 4972890 or logging on to www.mtvindia.com or www.rediff.com.
Commenting on the Pantene "Shine Morning to Night" campaign, Mr. Rahul Malhotra, Brand Manager, P&G India said: "Only hair that is healthy can have long lasting shine. Pantene's unique Pro Vitamin B formula strengthens hair, smoothens roughness and leaves hair looking shiny from morning to night. We have tied up with MTV and Intergold for the "Shine your Soul" contest to communicate Pantene's ability to deliver long-lasting shine, through the simple analogy between diamonds and shine."
Said Ms. Neha Dhupia, Miss India-Universe'02, at the launch, " With the everyday pollution hair is exposed to and the routine hustle-bustle, there is very little time to invest in your hair and possess dream hair that shines 'Morning to Night'. But truly, Pantene with its remarkable range of shampoos; Smooth & Silky, Volume & Fullness, Balanced clean, Anti-Dandruff and Lively Clean offers the right shampoo variant for every hair type and gives hair that shine all day long ".
All Pantene shampoo variants are available at Rs.61 for the 100 ml pack and Rs. 117 for the 200 ml pack. Procter & Gamble Home Products, India also has in its portfolio, Head & Shoulders' Shampoo in three variants; Smooth & Silky, Refreshing Menthol and Clean & Balanced, Ariel Total Compact, Tide detergent and Gain Super Soaker.
Procter & Gamble Worldwide has in its beauty-care basket, brands like Vidal Sassoon, Pert Plus, Pantene, Head and Shoulders, Rejoice, and Physique in Hair care; Olay Skin Care and Cosmetics; Max Factor and Cover Girl cosmetics and fragrances from Hugo Boss.
Maruti to buy and sell pre owned cars in Nagpur
Maruti Udyog Limited, the car market leader in the country, today announced its entry into the business of pre-owned cars in the city. This business will be conducted under the brand name 'Maruti True Value'.August 26, 2002, Nagpur: The first True Value outlet in Nagpur was launched at channel partner Automotive Manufacturers ltd. by General Manager, New Business - 1 of Maruti Udyog Limited, Mr G.C.Dwivedi, here today.
To provide reassurance to customers, every vehicle bought under True Value will carry a one-year warranty and three free services. Convenient finance options will also be offered to buyers of Maruti True Value cars.Maruti True Value will also offer benefits for sellers of pre owned cars. Under Maruti True Value, Maruti cars less than 4 years old, having been driven upto 60,000 km and not changed two previous ownerships, will be accepted for purchase. Designated engineers from Maruti will be present at True Value outlets. They will conduct a standard 120-point check of a vehicle brought to the outlet.
All this will allow a transparent and fair evaluation process. This is currently missing in the existing market for pre-owned cars, which is highly unorganised. The new systems and processes that Maruti True Value brings will improve the condition of the market and make it more convenient for customers to buy and sell pre owned cars.
Under True Value, the seller will have the option to be paid in cash, or get a True Value car in exchange or a brand new Maruti car in exchange.
'No one knows your Maruti car better than Maruti' - based on this premise, Maruti will channelise its expertise to ensure that transactions in pre owned cars are transparent and fair. Cars bought from owners by Maruti True Value will be taken to state-of-the-art workshops. Using Maruti Genuine Parts, skilled technicians will refurbish them for resale under the Maruti True Value brand.
Maruti True Value will verify the bona fide of the seller as well as buyer to ensure neither party is put to inconvenience as a result of the transaction.The service has so far been launched in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Chandigarh, Faridabad and Lucknow.Maruti True Value is one of the four service businesses that Maruti has entered into. The others are - lease and fleet management for companies, auto insurance and auto finance. Together, these businesses are enabling Maruti to provide mobility-related solutions and extend its relationship with the customer during the entire ownership cycle.
Maruti True Value will expand the family of Maruti customers and provide reassurance to existing Maruti customers about resale of their cars. It is further proof of Maruti's commitment towards enhancing customer satisfaction.
Somalia: Decline in livestock reproduction due to famine
NAIROBI, 26 August (IRIN) - A third consecutive year of below normal rainfall in northern Somalia has caused a significant decline in animal reproduction due to damaged pasture and adverse water conditions, a report has warned.
USAID's Famine Early Warning System (FEWS) said this was particularly true of the grazing lands of the Sool plateau, where this year the reproduction rates of sheep, goats, cattle and camels have dropped by 44 percent, 73 percent, 77 percent, and 90 percent respectively compared to a normal year.
This had caused "a significant decline" in the building up of herds, and in the supply of milk as well as meat, FEWS reported.
Despite the decline however, the continuing import ban on livestock from Somalia to the Gulf states had caused an oversupply of animals to local markets, which in turn served to depress prices. This had resulted in "unfavourable" terms of trade for pastoralists.
Food prices had also risen in the capital, Mogadishu, during June and July, due to insecurity. Clan fighting in central and southern Somalia had disrupted the movement of people and commodities between Baidoa - the main food-producing area -, Gedo in the southwest and the capital.
"If the clan fighting extends to the neighbouring sorghum-producing belt during this critical stage of crop harvest, it could further hamper harvesting and exert a negative impact on food security throughout Somalia," FEWS added.
ESCORTS FINANCE LIMITED - FIXED DEPOSIT RATING REAFFIRMEDThe CRISIL rating reaffirmation reflects the continued support received by EFL from the Escorts group. The rating also continues to factor in EFL's strategy of focusing on construction equipment financing, where its long presence and linkage with construction equipment manufacturer Escorts JCB has enabled it to exercise better control over asset quality. The rating is, however, constrained by EFL's low profitability, its low funding diversity and funding constraints.
EFL, which is part of the Escorts group, is primarily engaged in the hire purchase and leasing of construction equipment, manufactured mainly by Escorts JCB Limited. The company is one of the larger players in the construction equipment financing business with disbursements aggregating Rs.1370 million in 2000-01. The company reported a profit after tax (PAT) of Rs.31.6 million on a total income of Rs.625 million in 2000-01. For the nine months ended December 31, 2001, EFL has reported a profit before provisions and tax of Rs.25.6 million.
EFL's rating primarily factors in the support received from the Escorts group in terms of resources, sharing of infrastructure and management. The group, which has a significant presence across business segments in north India, has a 49.3% stake in EFL, while an additional 2.5% is held by the EFL Employees Trust. These factors imply a strong moral obligation on the part of the Escorts group to support EFL. CRISIL expects this support to significantly offset the impact of any potential financial stress on EFL.
CRISIL has revised the rating of the non-convertible debenture issues of Escorts Limited from A to A-. However this downgrade is not expected to materially impact the support available to Escorts Finance Limited from Escorts Limited. CRISIL will however relook at the rating of Escorts Finance Limited in event of any further change in the rating of Escorts Limited.
August 26, 2002
ESCORTS LIMITED
Rs. 1500 Million Non-Convertible Debenture Issue A- (Downgraded from A)
Rs. 204.6 Million Non-Convertible Debenture Issue A- (Downgraded from A)The rating revision reflects the increased likelihood of Escorts Limited (Escorts) being required to raise its investments in the Escort group's telecom business so as to ensure that the guarantees extended by it to the group's two main telecom companies, Escotel Mobile Communications Ltd and Escorts Telecom Ltd, are vacated as per the envisaged plan. Consequently, the current year's inflows from the sale of Escorts' investments in Escorts Claas Ltd and Escorts JCB Ltd may not be available to reduce Escorts' own debt to the extent that was envisaged earlier. Although the group's promoters have been seeking a financial partner in the telecom business for about 18 months, the falling valuations of the business have reduced the realizable cash benefit to Escorts from any such transaction.
Moreover, the continuing pressure in the company's tractor business, in general, and the large increase in working capital that was needed to maintain its wholesale market share in 2001-02, in particular, have put further pressure on the company's financial flexibility. Although the company has cut back on wholesale volumes in the first quarter of 2002-03 to ease the working capital situation, pressures to maintain market share over a 12-month period may call for increased working capital deployment in the tractor business by the end of the year.
The present rating reflects CRISIL's expectation that with a relatively small incremental investment by Escorts, the promoters would be able to attract a financial investor in the telecom business at a valuation that would ensure that all of Escorts' present guarantees to this business would be vacated over the next 12 months. In the event that this does not happen, the company's financial risk profile would be strained leading to a further weakening of its credit profile.
Escorts is engaged in the business of the manufacture and sale of agricultural equipment (mainly tractors) and shock absorbers. The company reported a net profit of Rs. 81.3 million (as compared to Rs. 1,073.9 million in 2000-01) on net sales of Rs. 10.81 billion in 2001-02 (Rs.12.59 billion). For the three months period ended June 30, 2002, Escorts reported a net loss of Rs. 296.5 million (net profit of Rs. 332.3 million) on net sales of Rs. 1.67 billion (2.50 billion). This was mainly on account of the significant inventory correction undertaken during this period.
August 26, 2002
Lebanese software industry reaches US$ 150 million and grows at 10 per cent annually
Strong participation from Lebanese ICT companies at GITEX Dubai 2002
August 26, 2002
The Lebanese software industry has grown to US$ 150 million, inclusive of related services such as consultancy, training and implementation, according to a spokesperson from Professional Computer Association (PCA) in Lebanon. Market research indicates that over the past five years Lebanon has achieved a phenomenal growth rate of between 10 to 20 per cent in the software development sector. It is currently estimated that Lebanese exports in the software field amount to $50 million.
In an effort to highlight this upward trend, Lebanon's IT industry will be well represented at GITEX Dubai 2002 with a group of leading Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) companies, showcasing their software expertise under the umbrella of the Lebanese Pavilion, which is organized by the PCA.
The Lebanese Pavilion will also be hosting a delegation from the Investment and Development Authority of Lebanon and the Lebanese Business Council, which is expected to provide a major boost to their participation. Both bodies are expected to announce major export initiatives at the region's largest IT event.
"There has been a major increase in Lebanese software exports to the Gulf, which serves as our largest customer base, due to geographical proximity and competitive pricing," said Michel Nseir, Head of the Lebanese Pavilion, at Gitex Dubai 2002. "This will be our fifth consecutive year at GITEX, as it has proved to be the most significant platform for us to display our software capabilities. By participating at the leading IT exhibition, we hope to attract high end users from big corporations in the region as well as sign up with dealers looking for new and innovative products to launch in the region."
"Lebanese companies have acquired high levels of expertise in recent times. We have witnessed two major developments in the Lebanese software industry. ICT companies developing software have started opening offices in the Gulf and North Africa," he added.
The companies participating at GITEX this year include Automation Computer Technology (ACT), Software Design, International Gateway, Dot Lb, Terravision, DC Soft, BMB, SETS, Internet Facilities and Al Yousifi.
"These companies are keen to utilize GITEX Dubai 2002 as a platform to forge stronger links with the UAE and other Gulf countries in the field of ICT, by networking with high-end users from big regional corporations and signing up deals for launching new products and solutions in the region. The UAE, which has emerged as the IT capital of the region, is indeed a major priority for Lebanese ICT companies," Nseir added.
"The difficult economic situation in Lebanon has made it necessary to drastically increase exports to all markets. We will leverage the event to emphasize to the Lebanese government and the Ministry of Finance the need to render assistance to ICT companies in the form of export incentives and investment incentives to sharpen our competitive edge and further improve the economy," Nseir said.
Nseir said the participating ICT companies would also be exploring opportunities for UAE investment in Lebanon's ICT sector. "Of late, many companies based in the UAE have opened offices in Lebanon and we expect it to become a trend in the coming years, in view of the rapid strides undertaken by the Lebanese IT sector."The participating Lebanese ICT companies will use GITEX 2002 to display their world-class applications and programmes as well as highlight their competitive pricing, estimated to be 3 to 5 times lower than the European counterparts.
UAE Company -Telematics gets ISO Certification
: Monday, August 26th, 2002
Panchanathan Raja (2nd from the left) of independent auditing firm DNV presents Mike Atkinson with its ISO certification. Idris Kasmani, Finance and Operations Manager, Telematics (Far left) and Kashif Rahman, Operations Associate, Al Bawardi Enterprises (Far right) were also on hand.--keralamonitor.com
Telematics, a leading regional provider of information and
communications technology (ICT) solutions, has been awarded the
internationally recognised ISO 9001:2000 accreditation for the design,
installation, support and provision of professional services within the
ICT sector.Part of the UAE's Al Bawardi Enterprises (AE) technology group,
Telematics received accreditation after six months of stringent
operational reviews, which led to the initiation of internal changes
aimed at driving efficient and effective operational practises
throughout the organisation."We had to realign our policies and overall strategies to meet the
exacting criteria set down," said Mike Atkinson, Managing Director, Telematics.According to Telematics the ISO certification move is part of its long-
term strategy to deliver unparalleled customer service."Adherence to ISO guide lines gives us a framework of inter-related
business processes, leading to the identification of key performance
indicators enabling continual improvement in operational efficiency."Atkinson says the accreditation will directly impact the way Telematics
conducts business, by bringing a structured approach to quality management."It will help us focus on meeting and exceeding customer needs by
allowing us to identify opportunities for potential improvement and
ensuring the systems in place allow future changes to be implemented."ISO accreditation is Telematics' first step in developing quality
businesses deliverables, says the company. Telematics also plans to
introduce other quality management tools such as Six Sigma, a quality
control methodology designed to improve business process activities by
removing defects and their causes, and the Balanced Scorecard, a
management system created to help organisations clarify strategic
posture and translate it into action."Our aim is to deliver unsurpassed customer service and value for money.
By ensuring our internal processes are streamlined and seamlessly
inter-operable we can achieve maximum efficiency. This will directly
benefit the customer through reducing the time and cost of Telematics'
ICT solutions," said Atkinson.Ericsson wins GSM deal with Turkish Aycell
Ericsson and Aycell have signed an agreement for expansion of the
Turkish operator's GSM mobile network in seven major cities. The
agreement covers a three year period and is valued at Euro 55
million."This new agreement with Ericsson supports our strategy of
continuously and rapidly expanding our coverage area and to providing
better and more widespread services to our subscribers. We have
chosen Ericsson because of our previous successful collaboration. The
agreement ensures we will continue to benefit from Ericsson's
expertise and support," said Tahsin Yilmaz, Vice President of Aycell.Aycell is a wholly owned subsidiary of Turkish Telekom. Established
in October 2001, Aycell is the fourth GSM 1800 operator to enter the
highly competitive Turkish mobile market."The agreement confirms the very good cooperation between our
companies, which began when Aycell was first established. The new
agreement is also an affirmation of Ericsson's leading technology and
services in Turkey's highly competitive mobile market," said Cem
Agaoglu, Vice President and Account Executive for Turk Telecom and
Aycell account at Ericsson in Turkey.Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet
communications through its continuous technology leadership.
Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson
is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the
world.Tech Data Reports Second-Quarter Net Income Grows 30%
“We have maintained a slow and steady growth in the face of a global market decline,” says managing director for Tech Data FZ-LLC.
Dubai, 26th August 2002 - Data Corporation (Nasdaq: TECD), a leading provider of IT products and logistics management services, today announced sales and earnings for the second-quarter ended July 31, 2002. Net income for the second-quarter increased 29.7% to $35.3 million, or $.60 per diluted share, compared with $27.2 million, or $.49 per diluted share, in the prior year, excluding the prior year's second-quarter pre-tax special charges of $20 million.Second-quarter sales grew 9% in Europe and declined 11% and 16% in the U.S. and in rest-of-world, respectively, over the prior year. Reported European growth for Tech Data includes the Middle East region. “Our region hasn’t suffered quite the same huge drops in volumes as other world markets. This is partly due to the strong regional growth in the Middle East market, which has been a buffer for the UAE market that trades a lot on its re-export sector. We have maintained a slow and steady growth in the face of a global market decline, and that is pleasing. We also managed to invest in our own expansion in different areas of our business. As for our parent company, Tech Data has managed to weather a very stormy and recessive period very well: huge effort has gone into building an ever-more efficient distribution and logistics business globally, and I think we have performed very strongly in the circumstances,” says Steve Lockie, managing director for Tech Data FZ-LLC.
Net income for the six-months ended July 31, 2002 grew 19.4% to $70.4 million, or $1.20 per diluted share, compared with $59.0 million, or $1.06 per diluted share in the prior year, excluding the prior year's second- quarter special charges. Including these special charges, net income for the six-months ended July 31, 2002 grew 54% from $45.8 million, or $.83 per diluted share in the prior year six-month period. Sales for the six-months ended July 31, 2002 totaled $7.9 billion, a decline of 10.2%, compared with $8.8 billion in the six-month period last year.
Tech Data again ended the quarter with one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry. With continued strong cash flow generation through working capital management, the company has reduced its net indebtedness by $281 million during the second-quarter, and by $1.2 billion since January 31, 2001, resulting in a ratio of debt to total capital of 32% at July 31, 2002. Additionally, the company has reduced inventory levels to 22.5 days of supply at the end of the second-quarter, while continuing to maintain excellent customer service.
Sales of software and systems increased 10% and 2%, respectively, during the second- quarter while peripherals and networking declined by 9% and 10%, respectively. The peripherals business represented 43% of total second-quarter sales, systems 24%, software 18% and networking 15%. Electronic commerce sales grew to represent 36% of sales in the second-quarter this year, up from 29% last year.
"Tech Data continues to stand out as one of the best-performing companies in the IT industry," commented Steven A. Raymund, Tech Data's chairman and chief executive officer. "We're executing extremely well, adeptly managing our costs and making operational improvements that we expect to further strengthen our long-term leadership position. Our success in this challenging economic environment is clearly due to the hard work and dedication of Tech Data employees worldwide."
Nad Al Sheba signs Service Level Agreement with Dubai Technology Partners
Dubai - August 26th 2002: The Nad Al Sheba Club has signed a service level agreement (SLA) with Dubai Technology Partners to receive support for their entire IT Infrastructure and to get over the horizon assistance in IT planning and strategy. The agreement will cover Nad Al Sheba's technology infrastructure, which includes 70 nodes and 5 servers.
"Dubai Technology Partners have been very helpful on all levels of our Information Technology systems and we look forward with their help to continuing to improve our facilities" said Jerry Kilby, General Manager of Nad Al Sheba Club. "Since we joined forces with Dubai Technology Partners, we have been more than satisfied with their level of service and we are pleased to cement our relationship with the signing of this Service Level Agreement".DTP's Consulting arm provides a unique combination of IT consultancy, turnkey solutions, software auditing, information security and project management services.
"We are proud to have signed the service Level Agreement with the Nad Al Sheba Club. We would like to provide to them an exceptional level of service, quick response time and our technical know-how thus strengthening the IT infrastructure of the club. Says James Forbes, the CEO of Dubai Technology Partners.
"The Service Level Agreement signed by the Nad al Sheba Club is in tune with Dubai Technology Partner's vision to become virtual extensions of its customer's Existing IT Support Group. Our key focus is to reduce the clients overall IT Expenditure through preventive maintenance and proactive support." commented Andrew Boyd, Head of Consulting at DTP. "Our team is specialised and built to the customer's requirements. We monitor the operating environment and anticipate potential issues before they arise and thus we minimize system down time and maximize end user productivity. "
The Dubai Technology Partners are innovators and technologists who work with the clients to produce viable solutions to meet their business needs. All the consultants have a common goal, cost effective solutions which meet the clients' requirements well beyond expectations.Working with Dubai Technology Partners, Nad Al Sheba Club is looking to display some leading edge technologies the customer experience at the Nad Al Sheba Club.
Panasonic signs Orient Planet as public relations agency for Middle East
Renowned global leader in consumer electronics and telecom products set to further develop its regional presence
August 25, 2002Panasonic Marketing Middle East FZE (PMM), the regional marketing headquarters for Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Japan, has appointed Orient Planet PR & Marketing Communications as its public relations agency in the Middle East. Well known for its leading brand National, Panasonic & Technics, this move is part of a strategic plan to strengthen its presence in the Middle East and Africa region.
"Panasonic has devised an aggressive strategy to expand its operations and product diversity in the Middle East, as market trends have identified the region as one of the fastest growing as far as electronic and telecommunication products are concerned," said Masato Tomita, Managing Director, PMM. "With its diverse range of hi-tech products, Panasonic is poised to dramatically increase its market share in the months to come, and one of the most effective ways of achieving this is through media communications."
"A strong corporate communications strategy is a crucial component of Panasonic's plan for regional expansion. The appointment of Orient Planet as our PR agency for the region is part of that strategy aimed at generating higher growth through brand development and media coverage," says Atsushi Hinoki, GM, PR & Advertising, PMM. "We were impressed by Orient Planet's proactive approach and extensive reach of the regional market, as well as its portfolio of clients, including leading IT companies. We look forward to a rewarding relationship that will help us achieve our objectives of consolidating our gains in this vital market."
"We are extremely pleased with this new gain because it gives us a chance to work with a multinational corporation whose work culture and innovation have made it a formidable force in the world of electronics and communications," said Nidal Abou Zaki, Managing Director, Orient Planet. "We are well versed with the peculiarities of this region and are therefore in a strong position to tailor specific marketing communications strategies for Panasonic. We believe in Panasonic's commitment to excellence, which is reflected in its products and innovative solutions, all of which have tremendous demand in the region. Backed by our regional network, we are geared to offer result-oriented marketing communications solutions to a global company that is driven by innovation and futuristic vision."
The Middle East region is estimated to have a total market turnover of US$ 7 billion for consumer electronics, of which about 15 to 20 per cent is commanded by the UAE. Panasonic is now poised to increase dramatically its current share of 22 per cent of the UAE market, and make significant inroads into the regional markets of the Gulf, Middle East and Africa. Its turnover in the Middle East and Africa region for the last financial year ended March 2002 was US$1 billion.
Dell hits 2.0 GHz performance in its three mobile computer lines
Dell has closed the performance gap between desktop and notebook computers, announcing worldwide availability of its three portable computer lines with processors running at up to 2.0 GHz.
August 22, 2002, Mumbai: Dell is now offering Intel's Mobile Pentium® 4-M processor at 1.90 and 2.0 GHz in its Inspiron™ 8200 and Latitude™ C840 notebook computers and Dell Precision™ M50 mobile workstations. The new systems are designed for customers who require the most performance in a mobile computer, whether it's for editing, viewing and storing home digital movies or for compiling geographic data and global positioning systems coordinates for offshore petroleum facilities."These are incredibly powerful, highly mobile computers that should be viewed beyond speeds and feeds," Danny Young, Dell director of marketing for Asia-Pacific Japan, said. "Our customers trust us to deliver the right combination of relevant leading edge technologies and convert them into highly usable mobile solutions to best serve their needs."
In addition to the powerful mobile processors, all Dell desktop replacement notebooks and mobile workstations feature: Large 15-inch high-resolution displays suited for aficionados of high-end video games, engineers presenting schematics around a conference table or students watching a DVD movie in a dorm room. A selection of fast optical drives, including 8X and 24X CD-RW drives and CD-RW/DVD combination drives. The drives enable quick transfer or back up of large files, like digital photos and videos, MP3s and populated spreadsheets and databases.
An array of ports including IEEE 1394, frequently used for fast transfer of large files like digital video, S-Video out with S-PDIF audio out to allow for the viewing of DVDs or presentations on televisions. Others are two USB ports that allow for easy connections to a variety of peripherals such as scanners and USB miniature storage devices.
Fully integrated communications, enabling easy connectivity most anywhere via modem or Ethernet.
Dell Inspiron 8200. Inspiron 8200 notebooks are designed for home users and small businesses requiring optimum performance for their investment. For customers interested in high-end, multimedia performance, a sample configuration includes a 2.0 GHz processor, 256 MB DDR memory, a high performance 40 GB hard drive, NVIDIA GeForce4 440 Go 64 MB graphic solution, 24X CD-RW/DVD combination drive, Microsoft's Windows® XP Home Edition operating system with Works Suite 2002, Music Match, Dell Picture Studio and Dell Movie Studio for Rs 1,67,846.Latitude C840 notebooks provide powerful performance, portability and flexibility. Common peripheral modules and docking solutions help lower the total cost of ownership. A sample Latitude C840 configuration includes a 2.0 GHz processor, 20GB2 hard disk drive, 128 MB DDR memory, NVIDIA GeForce 4 440 Go 32 MB graphics solution, 24X CD-RW drive and Microsoft Windows XP Pro for Rs 2,09,294. Dell Precision mobile workstations are designed for professionals who require exceptional performance and certification in the digital content creation, engineering, computer-aided design, geographic information systems, computer animation and software development applications.
Pricing for the Dell Precision M50 mobile workstation with the 2.0 GHz processor begins at Rs 2,96,3281. This configuration includes the NVIDIA® QuadroTM4 500 Go GL graphics processing unit with 64MB DDR graphics memory, 512 MB DDR system memory, 15-inch UltraSharp™ display, integrated IEEE 1394, a 40 GB2 high performance ATA-100 IDE hard drive (5400 RPM), 8X CD-RW/DVD combination drive and Microsoft Windows XP Pro.
NIIT and University of Indonesia join hands to offer IT Education
IT Training major, NIIT, and the University of Indonesia's Faculty of Engineering, have forged a strategic partnership to set up a high tech computer education center. August 26 2002, New Delhi: University of Indonesia, a 52-year old state owned educational institution covers a sprawling 318-hectare campus in Depok (on the border of South Jakarta and West Java) and caters to higher learning needs of over 40,000 students.To be located within the University of Indonesia's campus, the center would offer globally recognized, industry relevant IT education programs designed and developed by NIIT. The new center will strengthen NIIT's presence in the island country. An agreement to this effect between the two partners was signed recently to finalise this relationship.
"We are proud to partner with the Faculty of Engineering, University of Indonesia, known for excellence in the field of engineering education. The alliance will offer to over 40,000 students of the University most relevant IT Education using NIIT's innovative and unique training methodology," said P Rajendran, NIIT's Chief Operating Officer.
"The new education center, conveniently located within UI's campus will make quality computer education accessible to our students. NIIT, with its global curriculum and unique education delivery will complement the programs offered by UI to its students. Through this relationship, we will also leverage NIIT's expertise and experience in building skilled software talent and add to the country's knowledge manpower base," added Professor Ir Budi Susilo Soepandji, Dean, Faculty of Technology, University of Indonesia.
The UI-NIIT alliance will offer NIIT's bench marked quality training to the Indonesian youth based on its Technology curriculum "Futurz" that incorporates the latest e-Commerce, Internet and mobile computing technologies. The professional IT learners would be trained on latest technologies from Microsoft, Oracle and Sun Microsystems. The Center will also offer its IT literacy program -Swift (Short Work Programs in Information Technology)-- to the uninitiated learners. Training on the first batch of students commences at the University campus this month
Microsoft and Access Softek align to simplify financial data transfer
Access Softek's Converter Allows Consumers to Effortlessly Import Their Personal Finance Management Data to Microsoft Money 2003.August 23, 2002, Redmond, Wash and Berkeley, Calif: Microsoft Corp. and Access Softek Inc. today announced the companies' joint effort to produce and deliver the Converter for Quicken® files within Microsoft® Money 2003, the award-winning personal finance software brand. With the converter tool from Access Softek, consumers can quickly and easily transfer their personal finance data from Quicken into Money 2003.
The conversion tool is a result of the most recent collaboration between Microsoft and Access Softek, which have worked together for more than a decade on a variety of projects, including wireless, PDA and Open Financial Exchange (OFX) connectivity. With the Converter for Quicken files, Access Softek helps Microsoft ensure that consumers' important financial data, including account registers, portfolio information and more, is imported into Money 2003.
"Microsoft continues to work with Access Softek because of its financial technology expertise and its ability to create effective solutions for our products," said Karen Redetzki, product manager for Microsoft Money at Microsoft. "With Access Softek's sophisticated converter, consumers can easily switch to Money 2003 and trust that their financial data will be imported quickly and securely."
"Access Softek values the long-term client relationship it shares with Microsoft," said Chris Doner, president and CEO of Access Softek. "We are dedicated to providing companies such as Microsoft with the financial technology software solutions they need to meet the needs of their customers."
Upon using the converter tool, former users of Quicken can immediately take advantage of new and enhanced features in Money 2003, designed to help them organize their day-to-day finances and better manage their long-term financial plans. Money 2003 further simplifies personal financial management with valuable premium services at no additional cost,2 including free online bill pay from the MSN® network of Internet services, free online tax filing from H&R Block, a free credit report and ongoing monitoring from Equifax Inc., and a free consultation with an American Express financial adviser.
Microsoft Money 2003 Standard is available at an estimated retail price3 of $34.95 (U.S.) with a $10 rebate; Money 2003 Deluxe is available for an estimated retail price of $64.95 (U.S.) with a $20 rebate; Money 2003 Deluxe & Business is available at an estimated retail price of $84.95 (U.S.) with a $20 rebate; and Money 2003 Suite: Finance, Tax & Legal is available at an estimated retail price of $94.95 (U..S.) with a $20 rebate. To order Money 2003, consumers can visit www.microsoft.com/money or a local retailer, or call (888) 218-5617.
Middle East businesses urged to integrate physical and financial supply chains through paperless document transfer
Adoption of bolero.net's global online document exchange system can eliminate many of the existing supply chain inefficiencies
August 26, 2002
Businesses in the Middle East need to adopt more advanced solutions to integrate physical and financial supply chains if they are to stay ahead in the global marketplace which has been transformed beyond recognition with the predominance of Information Technology and the Internet, said Hussein Rifai, CEO of Bolero Middle East & North Africa. "Unless these companies move to dedicated online document transfer platforms, they will not only lose money but also find themselves part of a business community that refuses to shake off traditional ideas of doing business," added Rifai.Bolero Middle East & North Africa, is a joint venture between Eastern Networks, the Dubai-based IT solution developer and integrator, and Bolero International, the global company that provides secure electronic document transfer systems for global trade. "A supply chain is a network of facilities and distribution options that performs the functions of procurement of materials, transformation of these materials into intermediate and finished products, and the distribution of these finished products to customers. To stay competitive, enlightened companies have strived to achieve greater coordination and collaboration among supply chain partners in an approach called supply chain integration. Information technology and the Internet play a key role in furthering the goals of this integration," said Rifai.
Two supply chains exist in virtually all forms of commerce - the physical supply chain and the financial supply chain. Financial products and information are used throughout the physical transaction process. Emerging financial products such as online trade financing and letters of credit are helping companies speed up the process and reduce the cost of facilitating international trade.
Traditionally, international trade has learnt to live with financial, logistic and time inadequacies, costing the business world hundreds of billions of dollars every year. According to a United Nations study, adoption of online document transfer procedures will save the international trading community an estimated $620 billion per year, over 10 per cent of the $6,000 billion value of world trade.
Leading the way in this relatively new area of empowering businesses to exchange trade documents electronically is Bolero.net, the only internationally recognized platform enabling secure electronic exchange of documents. Founded in 1998, Bolero.net is a global initiative to create a secure, open system to exchange trading documents electronically. A key benefit of Bolero.net is its codification of a standard legal framework, accepted by all trading parties, effective across 192 countries, since without a standard legal framework, attempts to make significant improvements in efficiency will achieve no purpose - as has been proven by competitors who have failed.
"Forward-looking global corporations whose operations span countries and continents have been quick to move to online systems when it comes to transferring trade documents, having suffered long enough logistically and financially. Importers, exporters, freight forwarders, port authorities, ship agents, customs agencies and financial institutions are increasingly adopting the online transfer routes and have gone on record to say that the days of paper documents are over," said Rifai.
"Bolero.net is waiving out traditional inadequacies of international trade by elevating the world trade onto the Internet, through enabling documents and data to be exchanged online between all parties in the trade chain," added Rifai. "Bolero.net exceeds the comfort level that businesses currently have while conducting trade transactions by paper. Businesses in the Middle East have been slow in reaping the benefits of electronic trade due to their reluctance to embrace emerging technologies like Bolero.net, which are rapidly changing from being an option to becoming essential in a world where speed and efficiency carry a high premium. On the international level, the online transfer of trade documents has become a byword, because it makes trade easier to execute, lowers transaction costs, reduces inventory cycles and cuts administrative charges."
Bolero.net is not a payment system, but a platform for a shared, open system i.e. one that works on all computer systems, by which businesses can exchange legal trade documents and data via the Internet. It acts as a neutral party to ensure secure delivery and receipt of information and provides a legal structure that binds all parties. Bolero has created a legal framework which companies have to agree to before they can join. Once they are connected, all the necessary paperwork for an international trade deal can pass through the bolero.net system, which includes digital signatures, an authentication and non-repudiation mechanism which confirms who has sent and received certain documents during the transaction.
The bolero.net service includes a title registry, which allows the ownership of goods to be transferred online while maintaining a legal status. The title registry provides the electronic equivalent of a bill of lading, a certificate giving details of goods shipped, the ship on which the goods are consigned and the names of the consignor and consignee. Because bills of lading are documents of title conferring ownership to the buyer, they can be transferred to a bank for settlement of a letter of credit. The bolero.net platform enables this process to be done in one hour, compared to 10 days required in the offline world.
Barry Morse, CEO of bolero.net summed up the platform's mission when he said, "Despite many efforts to change traditional ways, paper still rules international trade. The challenge before bolero was to remove that paper, so that we could create an environment that is more efficient and less fraught with security risks, and design a streamlined process where the goods can be delivered much quicker and the costs can be dramatically reduced for all players in the game." Businesses are looking to release the capital float that is tied up in inefficient international trade processes and, to succeed, they need to improve their financial logistics. This demands that they collaborate across supply chains internationally. The investment to develop the solution has already been made and early adopters have blazed the bolero.net trail.
The last word is best left to a report published by Gartner's Research & Advisory Services which has projected that bolero.net will become the major player in, and the most widely adopted secure transaction network for, electronic international trade by 2006.Bolero MENA was launched in May 2002 to boost electronic trade in 21 countries in the region, by offering the highly respected bolero.net System from Bolero International, the global company that provides a secure electronic document transfer for global trade. Bolero MENA is based at the Dubai Internet City with four regional offices in Cairo, Riyadh, Amman and Istanbul. Bolero International Ltd was set up in 1998 to provide a secure, electronic document transfer system to automate, simplify and streamline the information flow associated with global trade. Over the past two years, over 500 companies and industry organizations around the world have worked together to review the functional and legal capabilities of the Bolero service.
Janashalas Making a difference in SchoolingPragya Paliwal Gaur
Roshni and Sanjay now look forward to coming to school as they get to play and sing while studying. Both the sister and brother are very friendly with their school teacher who teaches them and also plays games with them. Their mother Kiran is happy and satisfied, as her children do not have to go far off to study and neither are they supposed to wear school uniforms, which she cannot afford, owing to her low level of income.
These kids are two of the 80 children studying in the Samudayik Janshala (Community school) of Mahavar Basti located in the Hawamahal Zone of Jaipur. Almost all the young children of the basti are now enrolled in this school which is predominantly inhabited by SCs&STs who are engaged in petty jobs and small enterprises. Many of the children studying here also work as child laborers in gem polishing work. However, due to the flexible timing, even these children are able to study and also later on during the day can contribute to their family income.
The teachers Ms Maya and Mr.Ashok reveal the basic change witnessed in two-year time after the start of this Janshala. Earlier very few children of the community went to school, as it was far off. Then in the year 2000 this school was started at a temple land. Initially 41 children were enrolled. The community got together and decided to construct a building on their own. The people themselves collected 2.50 Lakhs and now the students study in a big hall. The teachers have been the prime mover in the community and along with the members of the community have also addressed social issues such as adolescent girls, health and hygiene apart from the educational needs of the school going children. The women folk are fully involved and hence they themselves take interest in their children’s progress in the school.
Such instances of success aimed at universalisation of elementary education(UEE) are the result of the Janshala Programme a collaborative effort of the Government of India and five UN agencies viz. UNDP, UNICEF ILO, UNESCO and UNFPA. While UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA together have committed a contribution of US dollars 20 million for the programme. UNESCO and ILO have offered technical know-how. This is the first ever programme in the world where five UN agencies have collaborated and pooled resources to support an initiative in education. Janshala, a community based primary education programme aims at making primary education more accessible and effective especially for girls and children in deprived communities, marginalised groups, SC/ ST groups, working children and children with special needs.
The uniqueness of the programme lies in the fact that it has a flexible, open, decentralized and a community based approach. There is no rigid pre-determined framework and the local specific needs based plans are prepared for each work covered by the project. The programme now covers 139 blocks and 10 cities in 31 districts of nine States. i.e., Andhra Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand , Karanataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orrisa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The United Nations has adjudged the Janshala programme one of the best education projects for the year 2002-2003. India was invited to make a presentation on Janshalas at the special session of UN Economic and Social Council at New York in July 2002.
The Janshala programme in Rajasthan has targeted specially the urban deprived children living in the city slums. A study on ‘Socio -Economic Profile of the government school children’ of Jaipur undertaken by Bodh (an NGO) and Institute of Development Studies in Jaipur city revealed that 78 per cent of the government school student population comprised of children from SC/STs and other backward communities. The study further revealed that only 50 per cent children were admitted to schools between the age of 4 to 6 years and about 40 per cent between the age of 6 to 8 years, the rest between 8 to 11 years. This state of affairs in urban slums could be clearly attributed to the fact that previous education interventions in the state were focussed primarily on rural areas of Rajasthan, with the underlying presumption that these were considerably better off with respect to education. The continued neglect of education in urban slums led to increasing gaps in education between slum and non-slum areas. It was this premise that formed the basis for launching an urban slum education initiative under the Janshala Programme in Rajasthan.
The programme was launched in 1999 in Jaipur City and later extended to Ajmer, Jodhpur and Bharatpur in the following year. The primary focus of the programme remained the unserved city slums. The objective was to ensure accessibility, enrolment and retention of all deprived urban children in order to achieve the goal of UEE, to enhance and sustain community participation for effective school management, to ensure those qualitative standards which contribute to an equitable base of good primary education; to reach the unreached, to improve the quality of teacher performance in use of interactive, child centered and gender sensitive methods of teaching in multi grade classroom situations and to ensure the rights of the child relating to his/her social psychological and physical well- being.
Decentralization, use of joyful learning aids, community participation and management in the running of Janshalas have been the force behind their growing popularity in urban slums. In the Rajkiya Janshalas (government schools) and the Samudayik Janshalas (community schools) in the four districts there all 771 schools where 1,44,446 students are studying. Of these 74,857 are girls which shows that a change in the perception of families and communities has resulted through the Samudayik Janshalas and special Bridge Courses. Constant interaction with communities and formation of women’s groups has had a visible impact on the attitude of women and their outlook to girl’ s education.
As part of its strategy for achieving UEE in each city, Janshala has attempted to reach the reluctant working children’s group through Bridge Courses as per the convenience of the children and communities. The flexibility of the bridge Courses has helped more working and non-school going girls (2,359) than boys (1,415) as circumstantial compulsions force girls to indulge in domestic chores and livelihood activities much earlier than boys. Construction of toilets in 42 government schools in Jaipur city have rendered them girl - child friendly and has facilitated the implementation of an integrated School Health and Sanitation activities in these schools. The average enrolment has increased by 10 to 20 percent in government schools. Improvement in infrastructure and quality of teaching-learning processes, special community contact drives, change in attitudes and behavior of teachers in government schools have resulted in a sharp decline in the drop-out rate from 3.4 per cent in 1999 to 2.6 per cent in 2001.
The success achieved so far is proving to be a motivating factor for teachers, Government and UN agencies . The Janshala Programme has enabled thousands of boys and girls like Yashoda (8 year old girl studying in Samudayik Janshala at Cheepiwara Basti in Jaipur who wants to become a teacher like her ‘Didi’ teaching in the school with full dedication) to embark on the road to a bright future
