Month: December 2018

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Investor Forum brings together G20 leaders to mobilize sustainable investments

BUENOS AIRES:Heads of state, finance ministers, top global investment executives, and leaders of international organizations gathered on the eve of the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires to identify steps for boosting long-term, sustainable private sector investments that tackle development challenges and promote economic growth.

The first Investor Forum of its kind – hosted by the World Bank Group and the Government of Argentina –was comprised of investors holding over US$20 trillion in managed assets alongside key global leaders, including Argentine President Mauricio Macri and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, along with ministers and regulators. Forum participants agreed on the key role that private sector investment can play in mobilizing much needed long-term financing to support sustainable projects in the developing world. Participants agreed that new solutions are needed to overcome obstacles to investment, particularly in infrastructure. This is even more important at a time when governments’ budgets are constrained and focused on priority social programs.

“For a country to grow, infrastructure for development is key, both physical and virtual, for the creation of employment and economic progress,” said Argentine President Mauricio Macri.

Participants highlighted the significant role that G20 leaders see to further develop capital markets to mobilize private sector investments in projects with high impact. For their part, senior investment executives pledged to ramp up collaboration with governments to deliver capital for development.

“This kind of cooperation is a win-win – good for investors, good for governments and, in the long-run, good for the poor,” said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim. “Investors will get the kind of stable, long-term returns they are looking for, while countries will reap the benefits of increased and more predictable financing to meet long term development goals for people around the world.”

A key topic of discussion was how governments and the private sector can work together more effectively to generate sustainable, long-term investing that can address development challenges while also generating new revenue streams for investors. Infrastructure projects were identified as an area where this cooperation could be greatly increased. Urbanization worldwide is creating additional pressure to provide a growing population in cities with access to services, including water, electricity and transportation.

Sustainable investing that incorporates environmental, social and governance principles was viewed as critical. Such investments not only have the potential to lower financial and reputational risks, but can also improve returns and provide long-term revenue streams for investors.

Several priority areas for action to scale-up sustainable long-term investments were identified, including fostering regulatory reform and market mechanisms to increase incentives and remove barriers to investments, particularly in infrastructure.

The Investor Forum was an important first step towards crowding in the private sector investments that will be fundamental for speeding up inclusive and sustainable economic growth to improve the lives of billions across the world and achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

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Nine US companies set to bid for NASA delivery services

NEW YORK:Nine US companies now are eligible to bid on NASA delivery services to the lunar surface through Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contracts, as one of the first steps toward long-term scientific study and human exploration of the Moon and eventually Mars.

These companies will be able to bid on delivering science and technology payloads for NASA, including payload integration and operations, launching from Earth and landing on the surface of the Moon. NASA expects to be one of many customers that will use these commercial landing services.

“Today’s announcement marks tangible progress in America’s return to the Moon’s surface to stay,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “The innovation of America’s aerospace companies, wedded with our big goals in science and human exploration, are going to help us achieve amazing things on the Moon and feed forward to Mars.”

The selected companies are: Astrobotic Technology, Inc.: Pittsburgh; Deep Space Systems: Littleton, Colorado; Draper: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Firefly Aerospace, Inc.: Cedar Park, Texas; Intuitive Machines, LLC: Houston; Lockheed Martin Space: Littleton, Colorado; Masten Space Systems, Inc.: Mojave, California; Moon Express: Cape Canaveral, Florida; Orbit Beyond: Edison, New Jersey.

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) initiated the request for proposals leading to these selections as the first step in achieving a variety of science and technology objectives that could be addressed by regularly sending instruments, experiments and other small payloads to the Moon. SMD serves as the NASA interface between the agency’s mission directorates, the scientific community, and other external stakeholders in developing a strategy to enable an integrated approach for robotic and human exploration within NASA’s Moon to Mars Exploration Campaign.

The Commercial Lunar Payload Services contracts are indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts with a combined maximum contract value of $2.6 billion during the next 10 years. The agency will look at a number of factors when comparing the bids, such as technical feasibility, price and schedule. Lunar payloads could fly on these contracted missions as early as 2019. In October, NASA issued a call for potential lunar instruments and technologies to study the Moon, with proposals due in January. These early missions will enable important technology demonstrations that will inform the development of future landers and other exploration systems needed for humans to return to the lunar surface, and help prepare the agency to send astronauts to explore Mars.

NASA will re-examine the private market periodically for new and emerging lunar delivery capabilities, and may offer additional companies an opportunity to join Commercial Lunar Payload Services through a contract process called on-ramping.

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Zardari condoles with ex-home minister Siyal

LARKANA:Former President and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari Saturday offered condolence with former Sindh Home Minister Suhail Anwar Siyal at Siyal House, Faridabad, near Larkana over the demise of his father and prayed for his departed soul. A large number of Siyal community members were also president on the occasion. They included Tariq Siyal, Munwar Ali Siyal, Dr Imdad Siyal, Nadim Akbar Siyal and Muhammad Khan Siyal.

Tight security arrangements were made on the occasion. Later, Zardari reached Bhutto House, Naundero, via helicopter where he is expected to meet party leaders of Larkana division.

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Body formed to pay group insurance to retired employees

LARKANA:The Sindh Finance Department has finally constituted a high level committee for renewal of agreement signed between the Sindh government and State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan for payment of group insurance to retired employees.

The committee will be headed by Special Finance Secretary B and R while it will have seven other members. Finance Department Section Officer (B and E-IX) will be its secretary. In this connection, a notification has been issued.

The government’s retired employees have been agitating since long for the payment of group insurance immediately after their retirement so that they could be able to get medical treatment and fulfill their other basic responsibilities on the pattern of Balochistan and KP provinces, but Sindh government kept on avoiding for unknown reasons which need to be probed thoroughly.

The aged employees have again urged the committee to decide the matter on emergency basis so that they may be able to finalize their left-over jobs and earn their blessings.

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Bifurcation of Chitral into two districts celebrated

CHITRAL:The people of Chitral have expressed jubilation over bifurcation of the picturesque valley, Chitral, into two districts.

The youth of the district arranged a lively music program to celebrate the announcement about bifurcation of Chitral. The program was greatly enjoyed by the participants, as local singers presented attractive and melodious songs.

The youth presented local dances and the singers sang songs which were greatly enjoyed by the participants. A walk was also held in Drosh area to celebrate the announcement, which was participated by the local people in a large number.

Some of the youth were carrying the copies of the notification by the provincial government regarding bifurcation of Chitral into two districts and were showing the notification to everyone.

A local leader, Shehzada Sikandar said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had fulfilled its promise made with the people of Chitral. He thanked former chief minister Pervaiz Khattak and Prime Minister Imran Khan for fulfilling the wish of the Chitral people.

Other people present in the walk said Chitral has a lot of natural resources and is a great tourism destination. They said the water resources of the valley could be utilized to set up reservoirs. They said water reservoirs would fulfill energy needs of the country and provide jobs to the local youth.

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World AIDS Day: Khuhro says second name of HIV is death

LARKANA:PPP Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said Saturday that relevant authorities should wage a war against deadly HIV/AIDS disease spreading fast among the residents of Larkana.

He was addressing a seminar at Paeds Auditorium here on today to mark the World AIDS Day. Khuhro said he had been told that the number of HIV positive people in Larkana had risen to an alarming level of 900.

He said that he had been informed that Larkana district topped the list of HIV positive cases among the divisions which was a shameful due to which this district was being defamed.

He said: “We need to save precious lives for which responsibility lies solely on the shoulders of Sindh Health Department. We will have to fight against HIV/AIDS on war-footings so that it could be eradicated.

Khuhro said the employees should be posted to fully screen blood to save further spread of this viral disease. He said before blood transfusion it must be ensured that the blood had been properly screened for HIV, Hepatitis and other ailments and it must be made mandatory throughout the province.

Khuhro said second name of HIV is death. He said it must also be seen whether doctors and paramedics were taking proper required care of HIV positive cases and how many people had so far been saved. “Actions were taken against quacks in the past but their clinics are reopened. When doctors are being produced from medical colleges and universities, then there is no need of quacks and dispensers to run clinics unlawfully. They are playing with the lives of innocent and illiterate people,” he said.

The PPP Sindh President said HIV test had been made mandatory before marriage and nobody could marry before 18 years.

Before the seminar, an awareness walk was held from the Administration Block of Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH) which culminated at Paeds Medicine Department.

Dr. Ali Gohar Dahri, CMCH Medical Superintendent, PMA Sindh President Dr. Saeed Memon, Dr. Rafia Baloch, DHO Dr. Abdul Rahman Baloch, doctors, paramedics and general public participated in the walk in large numbers.

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First HIV positive case detected in Larkana in 1992

LARKANA:The first HIV positive case was detected in Larkana in 1992. This was disclosed by Dr. Farooq Rahman Soomro, former Focal Persons for HIV/AIDS, Larkana, while talking to this Scribe here on Saturday on World AIDS Day. He said in 2003 as many as 170 Intravenous Drug Users (IDUs) were tested out of which more than 20 were detected HIV positive and most of them were young males hooked on drugs.

He said a large number of children are also inhaling drugs i-e glues apart from other kinds of drugs. He said the cause of using drugs are unemployment, poverty, lack of parental attention, peer pressure, frustration, anxiety, depression, illiteracy, lack of awareness of drug use and smoking, family problems, easy availability of drugs and limited role of society. He said these things have pushed Larkana into a concentrated epidemic.

Dr. Soomro said that large drug user population in Larkana, rapid shifting from inhalation to injecting drug use, sharing of needles and syringes, injecting in groups and risky sexual behaviours indicate that the future of HIV/AIDS epidemic in Larkana will be derived through injecting drug use. He said drug users of same injections are vulnerable not only to HIV/AIDS but also Hepatitis B and C. He said drug users buy and sell sex, donate blood for money and some of them are married with children. He said apart from leading to numerous medical problems like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C and syphilis, drug users create social problems also such as theft for money, buying and selling sex.

He said multi-sectoral efforts are required by Health Department, Anti-Narcotics Force, Excise, Police and Social Welfare Departments, for providing rehabilitation services, harm reduction services and control on drug selling to prevent further escalation and spread of this viral disease. He said advocacy with authorities, mobilizing the public opinion and strict implementation of drug laws can play a vital role in curbing this menace.

He said for curbing further spread, all blood banks must work as per guidelines of Safe Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA) for which SBTA needs working in top gear. He said all departments dealing with narcotics/drug control shall have to mobilize efforts to frequently check, control and stop the supply and spread of drugs. He said Center for sexually transmitted diseases should be established at each Taluka Hospital which will help to stop the disease and aware the victims at preliminary stage.

He said Rehabilitation Center is also must for case finding, case holding and health education in collaboration with donor agency. He said thousands of drug users are roaming in the streets of Larkana and most of them are likely to have been infected through sharing same syringes who need to be fully screened. He said government should ensure that only fully screened blood is used in all public and private medical centers and hospitals which must include HIV test as well.