Their News [Archives:2008/1164/Local News]

First compensation payments by Yemen LNG made to Balhaf landowners

The distribution of first land compensation cheques that passed the approval of the state-run Land Compensation Committee was launched today in Balhaf. Land compensation claims underwent a very rigorous scrutiny of all landownership documentation to ensure their validity and hence the eligibility of claimants to compensation according to Yemeni laws. Eight compensation payments were handed over to landowners from the Balhaf area out of an initial 48 confirmed beneficiaries from the district of Rodhoum, Shabwah Governorate.

At the event, Dr. Ali Hassan Al-Ahmadi, Governor of Shabwah, expressed his happiness that the process has started by paying those “claimants with genuine documentation”. He also emphasised the need for to promptly review pending claims from Balhaf and the pipeline route and issue recommendation for endorsement by the relevant authorities.

Marking the occasion, Mr. Abdul-Malik Alama, Chairman of the Land Compensation Committee, explained to attendants the various steps undertaken in the process. He also stressed that “the Committee has done its best to ensure that those who have right are compensated based on complete and valid legal documentation”.

The initial stages of the land compensation process began as early as 1995 when Yemen LNG in conjunction with the Government carried out a detailed survey of households that may be impacted by the project, both on the coast around Balhaf and along the pipeline route. The detailed surveys which were updated and revised in February 2006 have concluded that there is a relatively small number of cases of loss of property and land ownership. It was also concluded that no one will be relocated as a result of project activities, neither on the coast nor on the pipeline route.

To handle claims from landowners and users affected by the Project, two government decrees were issued to set up a Land Compensation Committee which is chaired by Mr. Alama. In addition, the Committee includes in its membership members of the Parliament, the Deputy Governors of Marib and Shabwah, the two governorates which the pipeline route crosses, and representative from the Land Authority and a Yemen LNG observer.

Technical committees were also created for both Marib and Shabwah to handle the initial review process of claims and legal documentation and recommend appropriate and fair action. Yemen LNG settles the final amounts agreed through this process.

Yemen LNG is committed to compensate all validated claims fairly in accordance with relevant Yemeni laws and international best practices.

Pharma Drugs Company receives exclusive contract to market Ranbaxy medicines

After winning the contract to be the sole agent for the well known Indian drugs company Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd, Pharma Drugs company conducted a number of introductory and promotion sessions on the drugs. The sessions were carried in Sana'a, Aden and Taiz cities in the presence of a huge audience of medical related people including drug companies, doctors and pharmacies.

Acording to media reports To strengthen its presence in the Middle-East, Ranbaxy Laboratories has started operations in Yemen by tying up with a local firm, Pharma.

It is the healthcare division of Natco a diversified regional company with interests in various businesses including Pharma, FMCG and automotives, among others. It is learnt that it is essentially a marketing alliance with no equity participation between Ranbaxy and Pharma.

Pharma is one of the pioneers in the healthcare sector in Yemen while Ranbaxy will be among the first Indian companies to set up presence in the country.

The Yemen company already has alliances with top global companies such as Pfizer, Roche, AstraZeneca, Novartis and Eli Lilly, among others.

The Indian drug producer has robust plans for the Yemen pharmaceutical market and will focus on therapeutic areas such as anti-infectives, gastro-intestinal, cholesterol lowering and anti-allergic categories.

Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, India's largest pharmaceutical company, is an integrated, research based, international pharmaceutical company, producing a wide range of quality, affordable generic medicines, trusted by healthcare professionals and patients across geographies. The Company is ranked amongst the top ten global generic companies and has a presence in 23 of the top 25 pharma markets of the world. The Company with a global footprint in 49 countries, world-class manufacturing facilities in 11 and a diverse product portfolio, is rapidly moving towards global leadership, riding on its success in the world's emerging and developed markets.

Royal Jordanian's Majalia is New IATA Chairman, Cathay Pacific's Tyler To Follow In 2009

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced today that Royal Jordanian Airlines CEO, Samer Majali, commenced his one-year term as the Chairman of the IATA Board of Governors. Majali succeeds Fernando Pinto, CEO of TAP Portugal who served as Chairman from June 2007.

Majali, is a 29-year veteran of the air transport industry who has served as CEO of Royal Jordanian since 2001. He successfully led the airline through one of its most challenging periods as it prepared for a successful privatisation. Majali takes on the Chairman duties at a difficult time as the airline industry falls back into the red with fuel prices skyrocketing to unprecedented levels.

“With fuel prices at record highs, the industry faces a crisis and the agenda for the year ahead has extraordinary challenges. Change must be even more aggressive. Finding even more efficiency gains)not just for airlines but throughout the industry value chain)is crucial for our survival. We celebrated a great achievement)100% e-ticketing. But there is no time to lose in pushing forward with the next phase of Simplifying the Business)Fast Travel,” said Majali.

Majali noted that change must also involve governments. “In the unexplored territory of astronomical fuel prices, the environment debate takes on a completely new dimension. The incentive for airlines to improve performance has never been bigger, but governments stand in our way. They must overcome their obsession with punitive and unilateral emissions trading schemes and start working on real solutions to reduce CO2. A Single European Sky is critical. Equally important is the Agenda for Freedom. To fight the many crises that beset this industry, we must liberalise. Airlines need the same commercial freedoms that almost all other businesses enjoy to manage risk and grow our businesses into truly global enterprises,” said Majali.

Giovanni Bisignani, IATA Director General and CEO said, “First