Conference calls for ban on harmful chemicals

“The use of unapproved chemicals and dyes has been reported to be the main cause of skin cancer,” a textile manufacturer cautioned. PHOTO: NNI

KARACHI: 

An international conference on resource efficiency here on Thursday called for strict application of regulations and introducing a new legislation to stop the use of restricted and unapproved chemicals and dyes in the textile industry.

Additionally, it has been observed that many textile units in different processes make unnecessary consumption and waste a lot of chemicals and dyes, which creates serious environmental and health problems besides adding to the cost of production.

Many textile manufacturers use substandard and banned chemicals and dyes to produce and sell finished products at cheaper prices in the local market. “The use of unapproved chemicals and dyes has been reported to be the main cause of skin cancer,” a textile manufacturer cautioned.

International and European Union conventions signed by Pakistan strictly restrict the use of unapproved chemicals and dyes, wastage of these and disposal of textile raw material without proper treatment.

In the conference, textile experts from Germany, Austria and Bangladesh emphasised that resource efficiency was a key to reducing cost in manufacturing industries and crucial for compliance with the demand of international buyers.

The event was organised by bfz gGmbH (Germany) in collaboration with Pakistani business associations including Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PHMA). About 150 representatives of the industry as well as representatives of the academia and public sector participated in the deliberations.

The main session was on chemical management with keynote speakers Kazy Mohammad Iqbal Hossain from C&A, one of the biggest European retailers, and Dr Jurgen Hannak, an expert on resource efficiency and environmental management.

Hossain highlighted the increasing requirements and strict conditions of international buyers in respect of chemical management in the textile value chain.

Hannak explained how manufacturers could tackle these challenges and ensure safe consumption, storage, transport and disposal of chemicals.

“International requirements are complex and enforcement is getting stricter,” Hannak said while pointing to the challenges. “But with proper chemical management, industries can meet the demand of buyers and save money.” He also presented various solutions for the textile manufacturers.

In the second session, Dr Bilquis Yasmeen, senior consultant at VRI-USA Inc, gave an introduction to productivity enhancement through material efficiency.

The third session focused on Good Housekeeping where Principal Consultant from Quality International Consultants Arshad Ali introduced practical approaches in the industries and their benefits.

The team of bfz gGmbH presented the services offered by project ESPIRE to support the industry in a bid to improve resource efficiency and occupational health and safety.

The participants had the opportunity to present their demands and suggest changes to the support offered.

Game plan: Pakistan can profit from relocation of Chinese firms

“Pakistan can make its unemployed manpower effective in the current scenario by providing technical training in industry-related work ambits,” said Afridi.. PHOTO: STOCK IMAGE

LAHORE: 

China’s decision to relocate part of its manufacturing sector to cost-effective locations should help Pakistan if the country can chalk out a strategy and train its labour according to the industry’s needs.

This was stated by Pak-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry President (PCJCCI) Shah Faisal Afridi after a meeting with his Chinese counterparts.

China is witnessing an economic transformation, following Europe’s model of relocating part of its manufacturing sector to economically viable places that offer skilled labour at cheap wages. Afridi said technical training should be provided to labour so that they can take advantage of China’s move.

“Pakistan can make its unemployed manpower effective in the current scenario by providing technical training in industry-related work ambits,” said Afridi.

He was confident that Pakistan can attract the Chinese manufacturing sector by developing a trained workforce for industries.

He termed this phenomenon a great industrial transfer, which has brought in plenty of opportunities. “One-third of Chinese manufacturers for textiles, garments, shoes and hats had already moved all, or part, of their production centres outside China,” he said.

Around 40% of the major companies had planned to move factories from China to other locations, which include Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Philippines, said Shandong Shifeng Group General Manager Yuan Lee.

The movement has also been verified by a survey conducted by the ‘Capital Business Credit’, a US-based financial consultancy firm, he added.

Pakistan has the ninth largest labour force in the world, according to the labor force survey 2013-14, clocking in at 57.24 million. Out of this, 3.4 million people are unemployed, while many are employed in areas not relevant to their expertise.

Afridi pointed out that the export of quality manpower is the main driver in growth of remittances, adding that the country has a 60% economically active population that can increase productivity if their services are properly utilised

Philips’ innovation can come in handy

Philips Chief Executive Officer Frans van Houten says the company is in a transition phase of developing products and services that not only focus on innovation but the overall improvement of lifestyle as well. PHOTO: PHILLIPS

KARACHI: 

Pakistan has been found wanting when it comes to adopting modern technology. Innovative solutions in the field of health care and energy hardly make their way to the mainstream.

For an energy-starved country that consists of a predominantly rural population, innovations in health care could provide people in remote areas with facilities that are literally out of reach.

The recently-held Philips Innovation Experience, held in Eindhoven, Netherlands, highlighted such innovations that could come in handy for the Pakistani market as well.

Health care innovations and lighting solutions were emphasised as the company wanted to showcase ways to improve the standard of living.

According to Philips Chief Executive Officer Frans van Houten, the company is in a transition phase of developing products and services that not only focus on innovation but the overall improvement of lifestyle as well.

Incorporating technology into health care

In terms of health care, Philips showcased cTnI (Minicare Cardiac troponin-I), a small device that can allow doctors lab-equivalent results in blood tests for instant patient diagnoses and treatment decision making. This device could be utilised in rural areas where hospitals are hard to find.

Visiq, a portable ultrasound device that can be linked to a tablet, allows one to perform diagnostic obstetric, gynaecological and abdominal scans on the spot.

In collaboration with clinical partners, the company is developing solutions that help to treat cancer in more personalised ways.

Another similar device that Philips developed was the BlueControl – a wearable drug-free therapy that controls mild to moderate psoriasis vulgaris with blue LED light – reducing the redness, scaling, thickness and extent of psoriasis vulgaris plaque across the body.

The eCareCompanion and eCareCoordinator are the first two clinical applications developed to be used on the cloud based Philips digital health platform to help monitor and engage patients with multiple chronic conditions in their homes.

Pakistan takes EU to WTO over plastic trade

European Union flags fly in front of the European Commission headquarters in Brussels. PHOTO: REUTERS

GENEVA: Pakistan launched a trade dispute at the World Trade Organisation on Wednesday to challenge the European Union’s punitive duties on Pakistani exports ofpolyethylene terephthalate (PET), the WTO said in a statement.

Pakistan says the EU has broken WTO rules in the way that it imposed anti-subsidy duties on PET, which is used in synthetic fibres, plastic bottles and food containers.

Under WTO rules, the EU has 60 days to try to settle the dispute in direct talks, after which Pakistan could escalate the issue by asking the WTO to set up a panel to adjudicate.

Pakistan’s exports of PET were worth just over $200 million last year, according to data from the International Trade Center, a UN-WTO joint venture.

Although its exports have grown, sales to the EU have dwindled in the past few years. The EU accounted for over 80 per cent of Pakistan’s foreign sales of PET a decade ago, but less than 10 per cent of Pakistani PET exports went to the EU in 2013, a tiny slice of the EU’s $4.3 billion imports of the material.

The dispute is the first that Pakistan has initiated in almost a decade and its first against the EU. It previously launched three disputes – two against the United States and one against Egypt, which was settled in 2006.

#Opulent: World's richest Pakistani sails into London in some style

The world's wealthiest Pakistani has arrived in London and in some style as well.

Florida-based multi-billionaire Shahid Khan sailed into the Thames this week in his brand-spanking new 308-foot long mega-yacht, appropriately-named 'Kismet'.

Mr Khan 64, is in the capital not only to watch his National Football League (NFL) team, the Jacksonville Jaguars play in an NFL game at Wembley Stadium this weekend but also to take in some matches featuring his Premiership Football team Fulham FC, which he bought for a reported £200 million from Harrod's owner Mohammed Al Fayed last year.

According to reports, Mr Khan - the world's 367th wealthiest individual with a personal fortune of £3 billion - bought his latest toy after selling up his previous yacht, which was a mere 223 feet in length.

The arrival of the sleek vessel, built by famed German yacht-builders Lurssen unsurprisingly attracted plenty of attention around Canary Wharf with dozens of people clicking photographs and enquiring who the boat belonged to.

The 'Kismet' reportedly features 6 staterooms - mega-suites in British parlance - with Mr Khan's master stateroom boasting its own private deck and a jacuzzi.

The boat also has its own heated swimming pool - for the days when the Thames is not quite there for a quick dip - as well as barbeque areas, a helipad and even a mammoth cast-iron jaguar upfront in tribute to Mr Khan's beloved Jacksonville Jaguars.

Shahid Khan

Born in Lahore, Mr Khan is believed to have travelled to the US at the age of 16, immediately finding his own version of the American Dream; working as a dishwasher and earning $1.20, a "fortune" compared with what his countrymen were earning back home.

After gaining an engineering degree from the University of Illinois, Mr Khan joined the automotive manufacturing company Flex-N-Gate, a business he would go on to purchase and build into a $4.4 billion car parts giant.

In 2012 he purchased the Jacksonville Jaguars, becoming the first ethnic-minority team owner in a uniquely American sport.

Kompany: I wouldn't join Arsenal for £60m & two Ferraris!

The Belgium international responded to a Twitter invitation from celebrity Gunners fan Piers Morgan by insisting he would have no interest in a move to the Emirates

Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany has insisted that he would never consider joining Premier League rivals Arsenal - even for £60 million (€76m) and two Ferraris.

The Belgium international was responding to a Tweet from 

celebrity

 fan Piers Morgan, who had optimistically enquired as to whether he would consider a move to the Emirates.

The enquiry came as Arsenal threw away a three-goal lead against Anderlecht in the Champions League on Tuesday, with the 3-3 draw ensuring they would miss out on the chance to qualify for the knockout stages on the night.

Kompany, a former player for the Belgian champions, was quick to laugh off the suggestion of a move, though, insisting that while Arsenal are a "great club", he would never be interested in a switch to north London.
 


 

Kompany's City side face a crucial Champions League group stage clash with CSKA Moscow on Wednesday, where anything but a victory would likely see them struggle to qualify for the latter stages.

Pjanic: I rejected a transfer to Bayern Munich

EXCLUSIVE: Ahead of Roma's trip to the Allianz Arena, the gifted midfielder has revealed that he turned down the chance to join the reigning Bundesliga champions at the age of 18

By Jasmin Ligata

Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic has revealed that he was close to joining Bayern Munich in the summer of 2008, but he eventually opted to move to Olympique Lyonnais instead.

The Bosnia-Herzegovina star was one of Europe's most sought-after youngsters at the time following an impressive 2007-08 campaign with Metz.

Bayern were one of the teams looking to lure him to the Bundesliga, but the midfielder felt he wasn't ready for a move abroad.

"I went to Munich to discuss a transfer with Bayern when I was 18," the creative midfielder told Goal.

"It's not that anything went wrong, but I simply decided that Olympique Lyonnais would be a better option for me in the end.

"I don't think I was ready for a club as big as Bayern at the time, so I decided to stay in France. I already knew the language and people knew me, so Lyon were the best option.

"And I don't have any regrets over that decision. It was the right move at the time."



Pjanic enjoyed two fine seasons with Lyon before then joining Roma in the summer of 2010, where he has since developed into an important first-team member.

The 24-year-old then went on to discuss Wednesday's Champions League encounter with Bayern at the Allianz Arena and stressed that Roma are determined to make amends for their 7-1 home defeat two weeks ago.

"I would be happy with a draw in Munich. I am convinced that a result like the 7-1 defeat will never happen again," he stated.

"We went through something similar to Brazil at the World Cup. This week's game will be much closer, though. 

"We are not really talking about revenge, but getting a point would leave us in a good position to qualify for the knockout stages. The game against Manchester City is the most important one for us."

Roma currently sit second in Group E with four points from three 

games

.