CCP imposes Rs1m penalty
on paint company
ISLAMABAD (Staff Reporter): The CCP has issued an order imposing a penalty of Rs 1 million on a paint company, Jotun Pakistan (Pvt.) Limited, for violation of Section 10 of the Competition Act, 2010, while promoting its products.  The order was passed by a bench comprising Mueen Batlay, Dr Shahzad Ansar, and Ikram Ul Haque Qureshi, members CCP.  CCP initiated an inquiry after receiving complaints from Akzo Nobel Pakistan and Diamond Paint Industries alleging that Jotun was running a deceptive marketing campaign for its paint products in which it claimed to be ‘No. 1 Paint’ without having reasonable basis. CCP’s inquiry report found that the claim “No. 1 Paint” publicized by Jotun in its marketing campaign was prima facie in violation of Section 10 of the Competition Act, 2010.
 On recommendations of the inquiry report, Jotun was issued show cause notice by CCP.
In its order, CCP observed that the claim ‘No. 1 in Paints’ lacked reasonable basis and was therefore false and misleading and was capable of harming the business interests of Jotun’s competitors in the market.
In view of the commitment and compliance undertaken by Jotun during the proceedings, CCP only imposed a penalty of Rs. 1,000,000 (Rupees One Million Only) for the violation, and warned the company that future violations may attract stricter penal consequences. In addition, Jotun has been ordered not to use the claim again in its marketing campaigns.
CCP’s order stated that deceptive marketing practices have given rise to growing concerns within the field of marketing among the general public, consumer welfare bodies and competition agencies. This, in fact, is the very reason behind the establishment of the Office of Fair Trade within the Commission.

Illegal gateway exchange
raided in Gujrat
ISLAMABAD (NNI): Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), in its ongoing efforts to control grey trafficking, has unearthed an illegal gateway exchange in Gujrat. According to details, a successful raid against the grey operator was carried out along with FIA team at Dhudhrai Shariqi, Distt. Gujrat. An illegal exchange comprising of two gateways, one laptop, one PTCL DSL device and other digital media including SIMs were confiscated. The successful raids against the grey operators were made possible because of continuous monitoring, commitment and persistent efforts by PTA in curbing the menace of grey traffic thus curtailing the loss to the national exchequer because of grey traffickers in the country.

TDAP planning to send market exploration delegation to Nigeria
KARACHI (Staff Reporter): TDAP is planning to send a market exploration delegation to Nigeria very soon as CE TDAP S M Munir wants to establish direct linkages between business communities of both countries. S M Munir was exchanging views with Agha M Umer Farooq on his appointment as Ambassador of Pakistan in Nigeria. The Ambassador showed keen interest in the imports of engineering goods and cement from Pakistan and services of HR experts and many other goods. The Ambassador suggested that the single country exhibition would help in introducing the Pakistan goods and increasing its trade with Nigeria. It was also informed by Ambassador that a new Commercial Section is also being opened in Embassy of Pakistan Abuja.

CE TDAP assured Ambassador for maximum cooperation and support of TDAP for enhancement of export to Nigeria from Pakistan.
The Nigerian economy has continued to grow at a rapid rate of 6-8% per annum driven by the growth in agriculture, telecommunications and services and vast scope for Pakistani products in Nigeria market.

Scientists mull organic techniques for healthy grains storage
ISLAMABAD (INP): The scientists at Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) are earnestly mulling to propagate the organic techniques for safe storage of grains by abandoning in-vogue practices of using chemicals and pesticides for the purpose. During a meeting at the National Agriculture Research Council (NARC), the scientists were given detailed presentation on “Safe Storage of Grains” by Tom De Bruin, President/CEO Grain Pro Inc. The meeting was chaired by Chairman PARC, Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad     while among others DG NARC, Dr Azeem, Member PARC Crop Sciences, Dr. Shahid Masood, Director PARC Public Relations and Protocol, Sardar Ghulam Mustafa and other scientists were also present on the occasion.
“Farmers of Pakistan urgently need proper and organic storage facilities to preserve their grains and get reasonable prices of their yield,” Iftikhar Ahmad said.
He was of the view that the middlemen always exploit the farmers and purchase their crops on throw away prices as the farmers have no proper facility to store their grains for long time.
Secondly, the few farmers who fortunately are in position to store their grains, use pesticides and chemicals for preservation which affects the crop quality and involves hygiene risks.
The farmers are tired off these practices and crave for a technology that might help them preserve their food grains for long time, so the timely intervention by the agriculture scientists would not only provide them sigh of relief but would help them get reasonable prices of their farm production, he added.
Earlier, Tom De Bruin during his detailed presentation said that the organic preservation of grains was natural and through this technology the crop production could be preserved for as long as twelve years.
He informed the participants that traditionally there have been two ways of storing grains including developing clay structures or by underground pits through which people would preserve the grains for years. He said that these traditional technologies naturally reduce the oxygen inside the structures and enhance the carbon dioxide, resultantly all the insects and moths inside do not survive.
He was of the view that post harvest losses in Pakistan are as high at 26 percent, and if these losses are reduced, a huge food could be conserved for consumption. He said that grain waste of rice due to improper storage has also been recorded from 7 to 10 percent. “Most of the focus is given on boosting crop yield, although this is good, but reducing post harvest losses is also vital that would pile up the production,” Tom De Bruin said.
He was of the view that organic way of storing food would not only enable farmers preserve their grains for long but would also ensure preservation of hygienic content of it, which is beneficial for the human health.

21st TAPI summit in Kabul today

KABUL (INP): The 21st summit of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan- Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project is scheduled to be held in Kabul tomorrow (Thursday). Shakib Mostaghni, spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) says improvements have been made on the implementation of TAPI project and the implementation of this project will be discussed on its 21st summit in Kabul. He says that representatives from the mines and petroleum ministries of Pakistan, India and Turkmenistan will be discussing the implementation of TAPI project with their Afghan counterparts in Kabul on Thursday. Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project delivers Turkmenistan’s gas to Afghanistan and then to Pakistan and India.
Rafiullah Sediqi, spokesman for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan says that this 30 years long project will find job opportunities to Afghans and also Afghanistan will get millions of dollars as the transit from this project.
Turkmenistan-Afghanistan- Pakistan-India TAPI is an 1800 kilometers long pipe line will initially deliver 27 billion cubic meters of natural gas out of which two billion cubic meters will be allowed to Afghanistan and 12.5 billion cubic meters to each Pakistan and India every year.
The capacity will be increased to 33 billion cubic meters after the initial stages with Afghanistan also getting more than two billion cubic meters of the gas. The project is developed by the Asian Development Bank.