Crown prince urges more jobs for Saudis
Prince Naif made this comment while receiving Commerce and Industry Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, President of the Council of Saudi Chambers Abdullah Al-Mubti and heads of 28 chambers of commerce and industry in various parts of the country.
During the meeting, Prince Naif underscored the remarkable progress achieved by the Kingdoms commercial and industrial sectors. There should be greater cooperation between the Commerce and Industry Ministry and chambers to boost growth and create more jobs for young Saudis, the crown prince said.
Defense Minister Prince Salman backed the crown princes directive to the business leaders. When we employ our youth with the support of businessmen, we can get rid of a large number of foreign workers, Prince Salman said, expressing hope that the businessmen would realize the states aspirations.
The defense minister also sought the businessmens support in developing a culture of work among young Saudi men and women. We should encourage our youth to work in order to achieve self development and earn money required for a decent living.
Al-Rabiah and business leaders congratulated Prince Salman on his new appointment and thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for selecting the right man for the right place. Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Al-Mubti commended Prince Salmans long-standing experience as an able administrator.
He said the private sector is honored to work for the Kingdoms military and defense sector. We appreciate your efforts to provide opportunities to the private sector in military industries and imports, Al-Mubti said and noted the wholesome coordination between the Defense Ministry and the Council of Saudi Chambers.
Unemployment is one of the major problems facing Saudi Arabia. In February 2011, King Abdullah set up a high-level ministerial committee to find a quick solution for the unemployment problem and make proposals on how to create jobs for the growing number of graduates in the public and private sectors.
More than 2 million people have applied for the SR2,000 unemployment allowance offered by the Labor Ministry. About 700,000 people have qualified for the allowance, 70 percent being women, said the director of the Human Resource Development Fund.
In a previous statement, Labor Minister Adel Fakeih said his ministry would launch 30 new initiatives to create jobs for the increasing number of Saudi university graduates. Addressing prominent businessmen and executives in the city, he said the new initiatives would include efforts to develop the skills of Saudi workers, informing the private sector about qualified Saudi jobseekers and opening new employment opportunities for women.
Abdul Aziz Al-Sorayai, chairman of the Industrial Committee at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the private sector would do everything possible to solve the unemployment problem.
"We consider it our national duty," Al-Sorayai told Arab News when commenting on the statements of Prince Naif and Prince Salman. "We have taken a lot of measures to increase job opportunities for Saudis in the private sector," he added.
US Rep. Richard Neal to meet with chambers of commerce in the new First …
WESTFIELD US Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, will meet Tuesday with chambers of commerce from towns he doesnt represent now, but might represent once new congressional districts go into force.
The new congressional district will go into force in 2013, following fall 2012 elections. Because congressional districts are determined by population, and Massachusetts population grew more slowly than other parts of the country, Massachusetts lost a congressional seat.
US Rep. John W. Olver, D-Amherst, is not standing for re-election. The state divided up Olvers old district between Neal and US Rep. James P. McGovern, a Worcester Democrat, with McGovern taking the northern portion of the Pioneer Valley should he win re-election.
Neal, should he win re-election, gets West Springfield, Holyoke, Westfield and Easthampton, as well as West Springfield and all of Berkshire County.
The event is at 3 pm Tuesday at Scanlon Hall at Westfield State University. Its sponsored by the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield. All the chambers felt this would be a great time to invite the congressman to meet with our boards early in the new year while he was in the district during this break, Jeffrey S. Ciuffreda, president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, said in a prepared statement.
Westfield State University President Evan Dobelle will welcome the chamber members and introduce Neal.
Andrea F. Nuciforo Jr., a Democrat from Pittsfield, has announced plans to run against Neal.
Red Hot Fun New Year’s Eve in Woodruff a Success
WOODRUFF - Residents in the Minocqua area rang in the new year with a bang at the annual fireworks display.
The Town of Woodruff and the Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce has had a New Years Eve fireworks display since their millennium celebration. But this year they went all out to kick off 2012.
You know, theres not a lot of things for families to do on New Years. We thought, we really want to get the whole family out, and not just sitting in their car watching fireworks, but give them something to do, says Beth Wetzler, Events Coordinator at the Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce.
They teamed up with Woodruff Volunteer Fire Department, who held a chili feed and made an ice rink and a bonfire to add to the festivities.
Its all been good. Theyre going to do fireworks at seven, so I look forward to that, says Nikki Main from Minocqua.
On a night when adults often call a babysitter and go out with friends, partygoers say its an ideal way to ring in the new year with their families.
I think its a great thing, because otherwise we would just sit at home tonight and not do much, says Rolf Eckert from Minocqua.
I really like it. Weve always kind of spent New Years together, but weve never gone out, says Elena Twelmeyer, from Hazelhurst.
Im really excited because I think its going to be really fun to spend time with my family out here, says her sister Samantha.
First timers and fireworks veterans alike all have their favorite thing to do at this party.
I really like skating, says Carly Main, from Minocqua.
Yeah, me too. I like skating, says her twin brother Liam.
So far my favorite is the apple cider. Its really good, says Rose Main, from Minocqua.
I like the hot cocoa, says Sydney Zier, from Arbor Vitae.
The ice skating! agree the Twelmeyer sisters.
So the big question remains, will these kids be able to stay up late enough for the countdown?
No. No way. I cannot stay up that late, says Elena Twelmeyer.
Yeah. Im going to make it up till four oclock, says Liam Main.
Whether they made it or not, the first Red Hot Fun New Year Celebration was a hit, and Chamber Events Coordinator Beth Wetzler says they definitely plan to make this an annual tradition.
Proceeds from Saturdays event will go to the Woodruff Beautification Fund.
New campaign to stub it out
GRAPHIC warnings illustrating effects of smoking cigarettes and sheesha will be displayed on cigarette packets in Bahrain and other Gulf countries from April.
National Anti-Smoking Campaign co-ordinator Dr Ejlal Al Alawi said the Health Ministry had forwarded sample images to the Industry and Commerce Ministry for approval.
They depict different types of cancers and other illnesses caused by smoking and will cover almost a third of the front of each pack.
We have sent the graphic images that will be displayed on the cigarette packs to the Industry and Commerce Ministry, which needs to finalise the specifications - including the image should not be less than 30 per cent on the cover, Dr Al Alawi told the GDN.
She said the hope was that smokers would be scared into kicking the habit after seeing the gruesome effects.
The warning pictures were approved by the Health Ministry after being tested on a sample of smokers.
From April onwards, all cigarette packets sold in GCC countries will display these graphic warnings, added Dr Al Alawi.
Tobacco companies should abide by the law or else their products cannot be sold in Bahrain.
The GCC Standards Commission will begin implementing the new measure across the region as part of clampdown on smoking.
Dr Al Alawi said inspectors had also intensified spot visits to cold stores and supermarkets to ensure they followed guidelines, which include not selling loose cigarettes or selling tobacco products to children.
In addition to this, we are also co-operating with Customs officials to tackle the smuggling of chewing tobacco products from India and Pakistan to Bahrain, she said.
Such products include paan (betel leaf) and gutka (crushed betel nuts), which are packed by manufacturing companies into sachets - making them difficult to spot by airport authorities.
Some travellers smuggle them by mixing them with powder similar to any packet of spices, revealed Dr Al Alawi.
Earlier this month, the Health Ministry raided an illegal tobacco factory in Isa Town selling banned tobacco products to cold stores and shops.
The GDN reported on November 23 that thousands of dinars worth of tobacco was seized and destroyed following raids on cold stores and warehouses by health inspectors as part of a major crackdown on banned products.
The seized products included chewing tobacco illegally imported into Bahrain from India and other South Asian countries.
Those found importing the banned products are referred to the Public Prosecution and face fines ranging from BD100 to BD3,000.
Acting Health Minister Dr Fatima Al Balooshi earlier said Bahrain would implement the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and its 2009 law on combating tobacco and controlling its consumption.
It led to the National Anti-smoking and Tobacco Committee banning smoking in shopping malls, schools, universities, restaurants, the airport, places of worship, on public transport and in private cars where there are children onboard.
sandy@gdn.com.bh
M-commerce dominated by Apple devices
The popularity of the iPhone and the iPad is allowing Apple to rule the roost when it comes to safe shopping online from portable gadgets, according to a new report.
RichRelevance has conducted a study which found that 92 per cent of people who bought an item from an e-commerce site in the past month were using a device running the iOS platform, which powers all of Apples most up to date mobile phones, media players and tablets.
In April of 2011, it was revealed that Apples dominance of the m-commerce market was at 88 per cent but it is clear that it has had even more success towards the end of the year, given the increase in iOS browsing that has been detected.
RichRelevance spokesperson, David Selinger, said that m-commerce accounted for about five per cent of safe shopping online, but with increasing traffic generated by portable devices and conversions rates improving all the time, he believes that it can only become more important over the ensuing months and years.
Despite Apples current dominance of the m-commerce market, it is thought by many experts that it will soon be fighting to hold onto such a significant proportion, due to stiff competition from rival device manufacturers.
The Amazon Kindle Fire is set to arrive in the UK next month and it has already broken sales records in the US because it is one of the most affordable, powerful tablet computers on the market.
This evolution should allow a larger number of consumers to experience m-commerce without having to pay a premium price for an Apple product and, as such, the number of iOS devices used to make online purchases could drop relative to the total number of consumers who actually have browsing capabilities on their gadgets.
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Jan. 4: Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center empty arms support group for families recovering from the loss of a newborn or infant, 7 pm, sixth-floor dayroom at GWV, 1000 East Mountain Blvd., Plains Twp.; register, 808-7920.acirc;??nacirc;??Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, bariatric support group, 3 to 4 pm, GI Nutrition Conference Room at Geisinger Specialty Services, 675 Baltimore Drive, Entrance A, Plains Twp.
Jan. 5: Misericordia University Admissions Department open house for adult learners, 4 to 7 pm, Huntzinger Room 218 of Sandy and Marlene Insalaco Hall on campus. Appointments may be made, but registration is not required. Information, Admissions Office, 674-6791 or www.miseri cordia.edu/adulted.
Jan. 10: Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center brain tumor support group, 5 to 6:30 pm, Candys Place, 190 Welles St., Suite 120, Forty Fort, details, Sara Beyer, 808-6407.acirc;??nacirc;??The Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce seminar, OSHAs Impact on Residential Construction, 9 to 11 am, Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce, 20 W. Broad St., Downtown Hazleton, $25 for members, $30 for nonmembers, registration, hazletonchamber.org or Leann Fallabel, 455-1509 or lfallabel@hazletonchamber.org.
Jan. 11: Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce 2012 luncheon series, 11:45 am, Purkeys Pink Apple, Tunkhannock, free for members, $10 for nonmembers. Attendance is limited, with just one representative per company. Reservations, Chamber, 836-7755 or Robin@wyccc.com.
Jan. 12: Community Medical Center Better Breathers Club meets, 6:30 pm, CMC Professional Building, Colfax Avenue, featuring Dr. Srinivasar Ramakrishna, who will speak on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; registration, 969-8986.
Jan. 13 and 14: The Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce 10-hour OSHA training classes in general industry, 9 am to 2:30 pm each day, Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce office, 20 W. Broad St., Downtown Hazleton, $175/members and $225/nonmembers, includes training, materials and lunch, registration, Leann Fallabel, 455-1509 or lfallabel@hazletonchamber.org, registration forms, www.hazletonchamber.org.
Jan. 18: Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce Womens Network program series, Strong Women Leading Today, Posh at the Scranton Club, 404 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, featuring Paul J. Mackarey, PT, DHSc., OCS., president, Mackarey amp; Mackarey Physical Therapy, $20 for members, $30 for nonmembers; information, chamber, 342-7711 or www.scrantonchamber.com.
March 2-4: Building Industry Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania home expo, Kingston Armory, free parking, food vendors, nominal admission fee; reservations for booth space and additional information, 287-3331.
SUBMIT BUSINESS BRIEFCASE items to business@timesshamrock.com; Business Editor, The Times-Tribune, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503; or via fax to 348-9135.
Report: E-commerce sales up this holiday season
E-commerce sales hit $35.3 billion for the holiday season so far, up 15% compared with the same time period last year. During the week that ended on Dec. 25, e-commerce retailers brought in more than $2.8 billion alone in spending, a 16% increase from the corresponding week last year, according to a Dec. 28 report from comScore.
The comScore report -- which tracked retail e-commerce spending for the first 56 days of the November-December 2011 holiday season -- found Cyber Monday to be the biggest day for online spending for the season for the second consecutive year. While the season had a number of billion-dollar days, consumers spent $1.25 billion on Cyber Monday, an increase of 22% year-over-year.
Online sales increased on Christmas Day this year, as consumers loaded up their new devices with digital content purchases such as music, movies and apps. On any given day during the 2011 holiday season, digital content purchases accounted for 2.8% of retail e-commerce sales, but on Christmas Day this category accounted for more than 20% of e-commerce sales, according to the comScore report. ComScore predicts sales in this category to remain elevated through New Years Day.
Theres no question that online retail has been bigger than ever this year. Some have seen tremendous growth in just the last eight weeks alone, and we fully expect this trend to grow in the coming years, said Kathy Grannis, director of media relations at the National Retail Federation (NRF). At the same time, we also know that retailers have been using their websites as a tool to drive people to their stores.
To help drive sales, many retailers this season took a multichannel approach and many kept their brick-and-mortar stores open around-the-clock before and after the holiday. Macys and Toys "R" Us both held 24-hour store openings for the week leading up to Christmas at select locations. In addition, some retail chains, such as Family Dollar Store, opened select stores on Christmas Day.
Still, Grannis noted that the NRF found that the average consumer said they would do 38% of their holiday shopping online. For nearly four in 10 items to be bought online, thats a huge step, she said.
"The growth in e-commerce is being driven by two things, convenience and price," said Gian Fulgoni, executive chairman and cofounder of comScore. "This year, it is clear that price has become more important to people, and now people are able to find the lowest prices using mobile devices.
"I suspect that well look back on this holiday season as a tipping point in the way that people shop," he continued. "Mobile devices are not just changing the way people check prices, but also how they buy."
Grannis concurred, I think this holiday season was the year of mobile, she said. But there is still some growing up to do with both retailers and consumers in maturing the mobile shopping experience. Many people are still hesitant to hit the submit button.
E-commerce was not the only channel to see sales increase this year. The NRF estimates that overall holiday retail sales will be up 3.8% this year to a record $469.1 billion. While this increase is above the 10-year average sales increase of 2.6% per year, it is still lower than the 5.2% increase the retail industry saw last year.
Not every retailer did well this holiday season. Sears Holdings Corporation, the company that owns both Sears and Kmart stores, did not go into the black this quarter. For the eight weeks ending Dec. 25, Kmarts quarter-to-date sales were down 4.4% and Sears stores sales were down 6%. As a result, the company plans to close 100 to 120 Kmart and Sears stores, Sears said in a statement.
Sears, Macys, Toys "R" Us and the Family Dollar Store did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Greece Chamber plans trip to Australia, New Zealand
The Greece Chamber of Commerce is hosting a 15-day trip to Australia and New Zealand in September in conjunction with Collette Vacations.
A free informational session about the trip will be at 6 pm Jan. 25 at the chamber office, 2496 W. Ridge Road, Suite 201.
Cost of the trip is $5,249 per person based on double occupancy. The tour price includes roundtrip coach airfare from Rochester, 20 meals, hotel accommodations, arrival and departure transfers, ground transportation, a tour guide and admission to sightseeing locations.
Travelers who register before Feb. 1 can save up to $300 per person.
Information about the trip is available at GreeceChamber.org. To register for the informational session, call Chris Sortino at (585) 227-7272.
New Singapore partner to help Rochester company in Asia
Idea Connection Systems, a Rochester-based company that specializes in innovation consulting, has formed a partnership with a Singapore company, Inspire Imagine Innovate Ltd. Under the arrangement, the Singapore company will be a representative of Idea Connection Systems products and services in the Asia-Pacific area. The deal took effect Sunday.
Idea Connection Systems, which has branches in Texas, Brazil, India, Europe and Canada, helps companies unlock the human dynamics that in turn foster innovation.
With workshops, printed material and other methods, Idea Connection Systems helps client companies create a culture of creativity.
Working with Inspire Imagine Innovate will leverage our products and services in a way that will boost our impact with clients all over the Asia-Pacific region, company founder Robert Rosenfeld said.
Rosenfelds book on the topic of corporate innovation is titled Making the Invisible Visible: The Human Principles for Sustaining Innovation. He is co-author, with Gary Wilhelmi, of The Invisible Element: A Practical Guide for the Human Dynamics of Innovation.
Finger Lakes Healths pharmacy director receives two honors
Memphis, Tenn.-based Comprehensive Pharmacy Services honored Leza Hassett, director of pharmacy at Finger Lakes Health in Geneva, for the 2011 Site of the Year for the Northeast and Southeast.
Happy New Year from your county Chamber
Henderson County has a very active Chamber of Commerce, so the answer to this question can be extensive.
The Chamber puts on at least 24 seminars a year educating our business members on changing tax laws, human resource legislation, marketing ideas, utilization of social media in business, application of technology and a host of other business related educational topics.
The Chamber hosts trade shows that allow our members to network with other businesses and showcase their companies and products and services to potential customers.
The Chamber provides monthly networking opportunities like Business Morning Update and Business After Hours where members are able to further market their company to their fellow Chamber members.
In addition, the Chamber hosts an annual golf tournament, bowling tournament, trivia contest and numerous ribbon cuttings and ground breaking events.
The Chamber has a special task force, staffed by volunteers, that advocates Shop and Dine Henderson County. The message is consistent and loud we must spend our disposable dollars in our community and support the businesses that employ our friends and neighbors.
Our area businesses build strong neighbourhoods by sustaining communities, contributing to local charities, supporting sports teams, festivals, service clubs, school activities and the list goes on. Every dollar that leaves Henderson County shortchanges our community.
We are all too keenly aware that this economy has impacted Henderson County. We all know someone who has lost a job or had their wages cut.
The Henderson County business community is no exception as we hear consistently that our small business owners struggle to maintain revenue and watch expenses.
Your Chamber has mirrored this and has reduced staffing and expenses to become more efficient and has learned to do more with less.
This has been accomplished due to our dedicated staff and volunteers who work tirelessly on our multitude of events, programs and services.
Most importantly, your Chamber is an advocate for business with local, state, and national governments. It works behind the scenes to lobby for positive legislation and lobby against harmful and onerous regulation.
Divided, we, as a single business, are only one against a sometimes very vocal minority who would impose a harmful burden on our local economy.
Together we are a powerful constituency of over a 1,000 businesses that advocate for regulations and laws that enhance entrepreneurial activity and reduce or eliminate red tape.
United, as a Chamber, we are a voice for the business community that is appreciated for its vigor in advocating for responsible and balanced legislation.
Your Chamber has an outstanding Board of Directors for 2012 that is committed to advancing Henderson County. They, along with countless volunteers, are dedicating their time and resources due to their unwavering conviction of the great importance of an active Chamber to Henderson County.
If you are a Chamber member, I invite you to use your membership and become involved. If you are not a Chamber member, I would invite you to join. The Chamber is relevant and important to every member of our community who appreciates a vibrant local economy, strong employment, good schools and roads, and a healthy Western North Carolina.
I look forward to seeing you at a Chamber event. On behalf of the 2012 board of directors, I would like to thank every member and volunteer.
Sometimes your labor and support does not get the attention and appreciation your service merits.
The gravity of your impact is momentous.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!
I wish you a happy and prosperous new year in 2012!