text:
By Benjamin Jumbe
Coffee farmers in the country have been tipped on penetrating the international market.
This comes as a number of farmers continue struggling with the market for their products and low or fluctuating prices.
The executive director of the National Union of Coffee Agribusinesses and Farm Enterprises (NUCAFE) Joseph Nkandu says the most critical things to do are ensuring quality, increasing productivity, and traceability
He however argues that this can only be attained through organized farmers groups hence the promotion of the “farmer ownership model” which removes middlemen and increases the value farmers retain.
The country is expected to export 20M bags of coffee by 2025.


text:
Cleveland shopping mall transformed into greenhouse
March 10 2010
The glazed over mall had been battling a downturn in fortunes which had seen the temple to consumerism decline into vacancy as the recession bit chunks out of local disposable incomes.
Now rivals are green with envy after employees hit upon the notion of converting vacant units into an eco village by growing fruit and vegetables for sale on site, transforming the house of consumerism into a greenhouse
Dubbed “Gardens Under Glass” the first fruits of the initiative have already been placed in carts of produce alongside circulation routes whilst an education centre provides green fingered tenants with a shop window to individuals and restaurateurs.
The project has now secured $30k start up grant from Cleveland’s Civic Innovation lab which will allow the centre to engage with school children and teams of urban gardeners working beds of greens raised hydroponically, aquaponically and in organic soils.
Vast out of town malls are ten a penny in America and are seen as relics of outdated planning laws. Far from being temporary phenomena some developers foresee a fundamental shift in the type and nature of these “single-use environments” over the next 30 years.
Back to March 2010
Like us on Facebook
Become a fan and share
Features & Reports
For more information from the industry visit our Features & Reports section.

domain: news


text:
After being postponed from January due to Covid-19, the 52nd edition of Cairo International Book Fair began on Thursday in the Egyptian capital’s most prominent exhibition hall, the Egypt International Exhibition Centre.
Because the festival is being held amid a pandemic, this year things look much different at the fair, which has become a staple of Cairo’s annual events roster.
A much-anticipated affair for thousands of Cairenes each year, the fair usually takes place during the winter break in January, a time when schools are on holiday, allowing children and young adults – the fair’s most important target group – to browse freely the titles and engage their intellect.
For the first time, tickets to the fair are free of charge this year and must be booked online ahead of arrival to the venue in order to limit physical contact between visitors.
The Egyptian book market was hit hard by the pandemic, says Wagida Reda, the sales director at the state-owned General Egyptian Book Organisation, which organises the fair each year for the Ministry of Culture.
“For publishers in Egypt, the fair drums up a lot of demand from customers, something that they need this year more than ever before because of what the pandemic did to book sales nationwide,” says Reda.
The previous edition of the festival narrowly missed the onset of the pandemic as it took place in January 2020. Many of the fair’s regular patrons were worried that there wouldn’t be a fair this year.
“It’s one of my family’s favourite events each year, we usually come every day for the two weeks of the fair. We love the books, but we also love the atmosphere. There is good food and it’s always good to get out of the house. I am really happy that it ended up happening this year, even if it was delayed,” says Maysa El Leisy, 43.
Limited incomes of people due to the economic drawbacks of the pandemic were taken into consideration this year, says Reda. Under the Ministry of Culture's initiative called Your Culture, Your Books, it was ensured that there would be a wide range of titles on offer, priced between one and 20 Egyptian pounds ($0.06 to $1.3).
“The books included in the initiative are offered through state-owned publishing houses who print everything from theology to fantastical fiction. All in the stated price range,” explains Reda.
Independent publishers are allowed to price their titles as they see fit, but Reda says that most books on offer are affordable to make sure the majority of the fair’s visitors are included.
She said the most expensive books are encyclopaedias because of the high cost of printing them. There are also special edition copies of prominent titles, which cost a bit more as well.
Overall, there are 1,218 publishers presenting books at the fair’s 756 pavilions. There are also 25 foreign publishers participating this year.
The fair is divided among four massive halls at New Cairo’s 40,000 square metre Egypt International Exhibition Centre, each housing thousands of books in a wide range of genres.
While there are usually hordes of people visiting the many food vendors who set up shop in the open-air parts of the premises, this year, most people are spending their time indoors because Cairo is going through a heat wave that makes being out in the Sun a little unbearable.
Walking among the crowd are a number of health ministry personnel who check that all visitors adhere to the precautionary measures put in place by the fair’s organisers.
Absent from this year’s edition are book signings, which played an important role in past iterations of the fair. They've been cancelled due to Covid-19 preventive measures.
The fair runs for two weeks until Thursday, July 15, when a closing ceremony will be held to celebrate the end of the event.


text:
Indian Pharmas Look To Own Brand Extensions In Combo Market
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Indian pharmas are increasingly drawn to applying for brand extensions as they adopt a strategy usually confined to foreign drug makers. The change is due to the popularity of combination drugs in the Indian market, according to a study by ORG IMS. The research firm's report said a third of every new drug launched in India qualify for the term brand extension, accounting for about 18 percent of sales in the country. Analysts see a large increase in brand extensions yet to come as physicians overwhelmed with new products settle for brands they recognize. (Click here for more
You may also be interested in...
AstraZeneca's research head admits that half dose approach was a lucky mistake - but one that could boost the vaccine's effectiveness and supplies. The US regulator may not be persuaded, however.
The FAST 01 feasibility trial is evaluating a modification to Varian’s ProBeam particle accelerator that enables ultra-high dose radiation to treat cancer.
HBW Insight speaks to new Global Self-Care Federation chair and Bayer CH chief Heiko Schipper about the role that self-care can play in alleviating pressure on national health care systems, the importance of self-care's scientific credentials and of maintaining supply chain continuity during the coronavirus pandemic.


text:
One Philadelphia website is bringing food drives back into style, making it possible for potential donors to hold a drive without all the difficult physical labor. Philabundance.org has launched a program called The Virtual Food Drive. On the site, groups of people can sign up to donate “food” or join a preexisting cause.
Charity-minded individuals can sign up for the drive, encouraging people not to buy them gifts—instead purchasing donations of food from the online charity. “It’s a really fun way for people to fight hunger,” says Marlo DelSordo, who is spokeswoman for Philabundance. “And it’s also a way to familiarize people with what’s really needed in the community.”
Philabundance has seen a steady decline in the amount of donations in the past three years. That, coupled with nearly a 100 percent growth in the need for food, is part of what has driven this change in accessibility and ease.
“The idea is to get as many people on board, because collectively that donation will be larger and the impact will be larger,” says DelSordo. Charitable involvement is often stronger in groups, where people can encourage others to help. Sometimes a gentle reminder and an easy solution is all that is needed to get the collective philanthropic spirit growing.
“Food” donors can add certain foods to their cart, virtually shopping for food items they would have purchased at the store for the drive had they done so in person. The marketplace items are set up to reflect market price, but often those dollars can be stretched even further once translated.


text:
Catalyst Fund is set to launch $4.3 million Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator (IDCA). The new accelerator would be launched in partnership with Mastercard Foundation and the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST).
The IDCA is aimed at scaling digital commerce companies in Ghana to support the digitization of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in the country. It is expected to improve the livelihoods and financial resilience of Ghanaian MSEs, especially those hard hit by COVID-19.
The Catalyst Fund Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator will be officially launched on November 4, 2020 (register to attend the virtual event). Some of the people that would be speak at the virtual event include Alex Bram of Hubtel, Lexi Novitske of Acuity Venture Partners, Albert Biga of Zoobashop, Kweku Fleming of MEST Scale, and Jane del Ser of BFA Global.
During the launch event, the Investor Advisory Committee (IAC) of Catalyst Fund will select six digital commerce and innovative companies that can enable informal MSEs to reap the benefits of digital commerce.
The IAC members include Anthemis, Quona Capital, 500 Capital, 500 Startups, Flourish Ventures, Accion Venture Lab and Gray Ghost Ventures. According to Catalyst Fund, the IDCA is a two-year programme.
The Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator is the first expansion of Catalyst Fund from its flagship inclusive fintech accelerator, which aims to advance financial inclusion for the underserved population. Catalyst Fund was launched in 2016 and it is managed by BFA Global, a 14-year-old consulting firm that provides research, advisory and data analytics services.
Earlier in June 2020 when it announced its seventh cohort of six startups, Catalyst Fund said: "We are focusing more on businesses building solutions that go beyond financial access and inclusion. We are focusing on solutions that improve the overall financial health of underserved consumers".
According to Catalyst Fund, the IDCA would leverage its extant model and the expertise and deep market knowledge of its country partner MEST — a 12-year-old Pan-African entrepreneurial training programme, seed fund, tech incubator and hub.
The selected startups in the Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator would receive:
- flexible grant capital of up to $120,000 each;
- deep, bespoke, expert-led venture acceleration support;
- portfolio meet-ups and curated cohort-based workshop sessions with local expertise and operational support by MEST;
- a commitment to sharing best practices, toolkits, learnings, and insights with the digital commerce sector;
- connections with Catalyst Fund’s growing global Circle of Investors (65+) and Circle of Corporate Innovators; and
- ecosystem acceleration to create a more enabling investment and business environment in which digital commerce companies can prosper.
It is pertinent to note the difference between digital commerce and e-commerce. E-commerce is online selling. According to Gartner — a research and advisory firm, digital commerce is "the buying and selling of goods and services using the Internet, mobile networks, and commerce infrastructure".> Digital commerce includes the marketing activities that support these transactions, including people, processes, and technologies to execute the offering of development content, analytics, promotion, pricing, customer acquisition and retention, and customer experience at all touchpoints throughout the customer buying journey.
In the statement released on Monday, Catalyst Fund said it will be building an open database of digital commerce companies in Ghana. Companies who wish to express interest in being considered for the inclusive digital commerce accelerator may also choose to be included in the database. Interested companies should complete this expression of interest form.
"We're thrilled to announce the first Catalyst Fund expansion programme, which builds on lessons learned on supporting inclusive fintech companies in emerging markets over the last five years", said Maelis Carraro, Managing Director of Catalyst Fund.
"Through the Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator, we aim to impact informal MSEs in Ghana who, particularly in light of the COVID-19 crisis, lack access to a financial safety net and find their livelihoods impacted when physical commerce suffers".
Greg Coussa, MEST Strategic Director, said: "The opportunity to partner with an experienced organization like Catalyst Fund with support from the Mastercard Foundation, is in equal parts exciting and aligned with MEST’s scale strategy in Ghana, and beyond".
He added: "Historically, MEST has focused on early-stage startup support and creation through our training program, seed fund, and incubator programmes. The Inclusive Digital Commerce Accelerator provides an opportunity to work with Catalyst Fund to support scale-stage ventures which are strategically seeking to better reach and serve informal MSEs, leveraging our local knowledge, networks, and expertise".
According to a survey conducted by BFA Global and Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), MSEs are suffering as a result of the pandemic. The survey of low- and middle-income individuals surveyed by BFA Global revealed that 44% of self-employed people had lost their job or could not find work. Similarly, the GSS survey revealed that micro-enterprises reported decreased sales of about 60.9% compared to last April.
"Micro and small enterprises are the bedrock of Ghana’s economy. They are also the most impacted by COVID-19, putting livelihoods and economic gains made over the years at risk", the Regional Head for Western, Central and Northern Africa at Mastercard Foundation, Nathalie Akon Gabala, said.
"Accelerating access to markets through digitization and e-commerce platforms provides MSEs the opportunity not only to scale, but to strengthen their resilience at the other side of the pandemic".


text:
Is Cisco CEO John Chambers overpaid? After Cisco's challenging fiscal 2011, which saw the elimination of 12,000 jobs and much of its consumer business, and a 30% drop in its stock, Chambers' salary was reduced by 2% and his stock compensation by one-third.
Despite the correction in Chamber's compensation, he was still named the most overpaid CEO in America by 24/7 Wall Street. And he was the only IT CEO to make the dubious list - others on it came from defense contractors, pharmaceutical companies, oil and gas, and money management firms.
The 24/7 Wall Street list compares a company's stock performance to a CEO's overall compensation. So Chambers isn't necessarily the highest paid executive on list - just that he was compensated richly for a company that lost over 30% of its value at the end of Cisco's 2011 fiscal year, as Chris Nerney of IT World points out.
In naming Chambers as the most overpaid CEO, the editors of 24/7 Wall Street note that Cisco was once considered the most well-run company in Silicon Valley. Yet that unraveled along with the company's strategy of entering 30 or so market adjacencies to meet ambitious growth targets.
One of those market adjacenies was consumer electronics, which turned disastrous for Cisco. The company killed it Flip pocket camcorder business after buying Flip's creator, Pure Digital, for $590 million (Pure Digital's CEO left Cisco to make grilled cheese sandwiches).
Meanwhile, margins in consumer and other adjacent businesses could not match those of Cisco's routing and switching sales, and even switching margins got hit by a nettlesome product transition in that business.
As a result, Cisco is restructuring and refocusing on its core markets of routing and switching, as well as others that are more directly tied to those high-margin core businesses. Cisco has also lowered its annual growth targets to more realistic and less ambitious goals.
More from Cisco Subnet:Cisco Subnet bloggers on Twitter.Jim Duffy on Twitter


text:
The theme for WMB’s annual Conference & Awards 2022 was ‘Inspiring Voices’.
The WMB Awards was a day of celebration, of contemplation and a day that introduced new connections and reignited old ones. It could not have taken place without the support of WMB’s sponsors and the participation of attendees and finalists. There were five Award Categories announced –Matheson WMB Female Entrepreneur Award; WMB Empowering Women Award; Expleo WMB Woman in Technology Award; Sodexo WMB Female Newcomer Award; and the WMB Businesswoman Award.
We are delighted to announce our Winners for 2022 – so go on, congratulate them for the role models that they truly are.
‘Inspiring Voices’ was the theme for this year’s event. Damien English, Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail opened the occasion and paid tribute to the impressive line up of finalists and said: “It’s so important to have platforms like Women Mean Business which put a spotlight on the impact made by businesswomen and female entrepreneurs in Irish Society. Progress is being made as more women start businesses, climb the career ladder and take their rightful place at the boardroom table.


text:
For too many years, Wal-Mart's high-profile CIOs and much-discussed IT department were trapped in what now seems like an archaic mindset: They relied almost exclusively on retail applications that were developed in-house, because they believed that no vendor's packaged apps could scale to meet the global retailer's complex requirements.
MORE ON CIO.com
In October 2007, CIO.com published "How Wal-Mart Lost Its Technology Edge," an article that examined how Wal-Mart's internal IT department had contributed to the retailer's fiscal problems that began with stagnant sales in 2005 and ran into 2006 and 2007.
The ISD group, as it's known internally, had distracted itself with a cutting-edge radio frequency identification (RFID) program that frustrated its suppliers. In addition, the ISD group had yet to adjust to the realities of the new Web 2.0 world. Consequently its online sales lagged rivals' efforts.
Wal-Mart and its IT shop—with former CIOs and IT leaders such as Bob Martin, Randy Mott, Kevin Turner, Rick Dalzell and Linda Dillman—had been known for its killer instinct and pushing too far, too fast with some supply chain applications that flustered its suppliers and sourcing partners, those partners say.
Wal-Mart's ISD group lost its reputation as a cutting-edge business-technology leader, the article contended, and the "take no prisoners" attitude had, in some ways, backfired. The world's biggest retailer and the ISD group were at a crossroads.
But by late 2007 and on into 2008, Wal-Mart began to (quietly) change its one-note software tune: It purchased Oracle's retail price-optimization application and HP's Neoview data warehousing and BI platform to crunch the customer data it collected in its 4,000 U.S.-based stores. In addition, Wal-Mart announced that it was implementing SAP's ERP Financials package for its global operations. (Wal-Mart brass expected the first phase of the ERP project to be rolled out in 2010.) Wal-Mart had even sought help with its Web 2.0 e-commerce efforts, which it desperately needed.
At some point, Wal-Mart also began to explore (again, quietly) a "remote sourcing model for IT activities," according to the company, a change that was both economically sensible and a bit surprising.
Wal-Mart Considers BPO Outsourcing Deal?
Now comes news that Wal-Mart executives and ISD leaders are considering the once unthinkable: Wal-Mart is evaluating a business process outsourcing (BPO) contract worth approximately $300 million to $500 million in India, as it evaluates whether "to outsource non-core processes of procurement, merchandising, finance, accounting and payroll," according to a recent article in The Economic Times.
Sources told The Economic Times that IBM, TCS, WNS and Wipro are in various stages of discussions with Wal-Mart. Though Wal-Mart has never signed on to a BPO or IT outsourcing deal, the current economic challenges "are making the retailer seek more cost saving options including outsourcing of non-core processes," according to one source quoted in the article.
Without elaborating on specifics, Wal-Mart spokesman John Simley writes via e-mail to CIO.com that facts in the Economic Times article are "entirely false." (A follow-up e-mail to Simley was not returned.)
Of course, Wal-Mart already has some presence in India. Wal-Mart states on its website that it "will expand staffing of certain elements of IT application maintenance and development with some of India's leading information technology firms," according to a 2008 Wal-Mart fact sheet. This being a hot-button issue for a company that tries to cultivate a pro-America image, the fact sheet also notes that the Wal-Mart is "hiring hundreds of new positions in Northwest Arkansas this year."


text:
Chambers join Small Business Saturday marketing
SOUTH OAKLAND – Chambers of commerce in the South Oakland area are joining the call for Small Business Saturday, designated as the Saturday after Thanksgiving and designed to emphasize the fun and practicality of shopping locally while supporting area small businesses.
In Berkley, the chamber is promoting the effort by awarding shoppers “Berkley Bucks.” Those who visit Berkley businesses on Nov. 28-30 will receive a $5 coupon good for a future purchase of $10 or more from Dec. 1-24.
The Downtown Development Authority also will have special shopping promotions on Dec. 6 for the annual lighted holiday parade and activities.
This year, the Southfield Chamber is initiating a project that it hopes will pay off on Small Business Saturday next year.
Merchant Monday, Nov. 24, is a chance for “small businesses to network with each other,” Southfield Chamber Executive Director Tanya Markos-Vanno said. It is a chance to “develop initiatives for next year.
The event is being held from 8:30-10 a.m. at Complements Gallery & Accessory Lounge, 15618 W. 10 Mile Road, Southfield, 48075. The event is for businesses only.
Besides networking, the chamber will be giving merchants things such as balloons to help with their merchandizing on Nov. 29, Small Business Saturday. The special shopping day was initiated by American Express.
“This is the first year we’re getting involved,” Markos-Vanno said. “The idea is to get merchants together and see what they’re” interested in for next year ... (Merchant Monday) is an opportunity to gather ideas for next year.”
Royal Oak continues
The Royal Oak Chamber is promoting Small Business Saturday as a way of “returning to a simpler way of holiday shopping,” said Jennifer Clark, director of events and communications for the Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce
“Small Business Saturday is designed to bring the holiday shopping back to what it used to be, a little more traditional and more relaxed,” she said. “You stop for lunch, enjoy the decorations and it’s not the rush or fervor you get at a chain store or mall.”
It is an important effort for chamber members.
“Without the support of the community and visitors, these small businesses cannot survive,” she said. “They don’t have the advertising budgets a large scale store does so they rely on their regulars to spread the word and unique qualities to attract shoppers.
“We have a lot of different options in Royal Oak and this turns the spotlight back on them.”
-Reporter Nathan Mueller contributed to this report.


text:
NewsBytes Briefing: Apple Card isn't sexist after all, and more
Back in 2019, prominent Silicon Valley millionaires accused a credit card of being sexist, because their wives were given lower credit limits compared to them. A few years and an expensive taxpayer funded investigation later, turns out the card issuer Goldman Sachs had followed every rule in the book. It's funny how not being a millionaire Silicon Valley founder "hurts" your credit score.
Intel finally does something smart; Prepares for Taiwan's impending demise
Moving on to real tech news, two things are highly likely: chip demand isn't going to subside and China is expected to annex Taiwan within five years. Intel is hedging against both by floating an independent business unit called Intel Foundry Services. The idea is to manufacture chips for companies such as Qualcomm, NVIDIA, Apple, and AMD, who'll then turn to Intel if China blows TSMC off the map.
Qualcomm might be working on a Nintendo Switch clone
Speaking of demise, handheld consoles are all but dead with the exception of Nintendo Switch, which stands testament to the company's commitment to making terrific games. Android Police claims to have seen (but not shared) images of Qualcomm's attempt to replicate the Nintendo Switch. Little does Qualcomm know that the only thing that sells consoles are great first party games, which Qualcomm has none.
Tesla begins accepting payments for electric cars in Bitcoin
While we are on the subject of bold moves, it would be remiss to overlook Tesla announcing that it has now begun accepting Bitcoin as payment for its electric vehicles. Tesla CEO Elon Musk even reassured buyers that their Bitcoin payments will not be converted into fiat currency. With dollars being printed at an alarming rate, smart investors are diversifying their wealth into Bitcoins.
Google and Microsoft join forces for a noble cause
Finally, here is some genuinely heart-warming news. Natural rivals Microsoft and Google are putting their differences aside to work together for the sake of web developers and the internet as a whole. Web development can be a major headache due to the lack of compatibility between different browsers. The internet giants have joined forces to make that easier for web developers.


text:
Thank you for signing up to . You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
McDonald's customers are panicking over the news the fast-food chain is running out of popular menu items.
McDonald's customers are panicking that they're unable to purchase popular items from the menu amid a fresh product supply shortage.
Just days after Nandos was forced to close 50 stores after running out of chicken (opens in new tab), and KFC recently suffered a second chicken shortage (opens in new tab), McDonald's has confirmed it is suffering from a shortage of drinks affecting some of its 1,250 outlets.
McDonald's had previously faced a nationwide shortage (opens in new tab) of some of its popular chicken menu items, and now the shortage is affecting its popular drinks menu items including milkshakes and bottled drinks.
A spokesperson for McDonald's issued a statement that reads, 'Like most retailers, we are currently experiencing some supply chain issues, impacting the availability of a small number of products.
'Bottled drinks and milkshakes are temporarily unavailable in restaurants across England, Scotland and Wales.'
McDonald's did not specify the reason, but there have been widespread reports of food and drink shortages due to a lack of HGV lorry drivers. And this has led to a limited menu being served during McDonald's breakfast hours (opens in new tab) in particular.
Earlier this month, a survey by the Road Haulage Association (RHA) estimated there was a shortage of more than 100,000 drivers in the UK, out of a pre-pandemic total of about 600,000.
One regular milkshake buyer wrote, 'Bad news on the milkshake shortage at McDonald’s. I mean what am I meant to do the next time I’m badly hungover? #McDonalds #Milkshake'.
Another put, 'There's a McDonald's milkshake shortage in Wales are u kidding me.'
And a third customer added, 'McDonald's milkshake shortage is nothing new. They should have a flag at half-mast to announce they are out of shakes to save you sitting in the drive-through for disappointment.'
McDonald's recently launched five new items to its summer menu (opens in new tab), including a sticky bbq burger but its popular summer milkshake staple is what many customers like to order alongside.
Until the shortage resolves, they will have to stick to one of the carbonated drinks options instead - and that includes any children hoping to have Robinson's Fruit Shoot or bottled water with their Happy Meal.
It is not yet known when the full menu will resume.
The reason why there is a shortage at McDonald's is similar to why gas prices are rising (opens in new tab) in the UK on the whole. Demand is high as economies are reopening after the Covid-19 pandemic but supply is low, following issues with importation and unusual weather patterns.
It's also likely to affect electricity supply in the coming weeks, too.


text:
ISLAMABAD: The exports of various transport services earned $425.639 million for the country during the first seven months of the current fiscal year (2018-19).
However, as compared to the $572.050 million exports of last year, the exports of transport services during the July-January (2018-19) witnessed negative growth of 25.46 percent, according to the latest data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The transport services, which contributed in negative growth included air transport services, exports of which declined by 31.81 percent, from $523.610 million last year to $357.030 million during the current year.
Among the air transport, the passenger services exports decreased by 37.89 percent, freight services exports by 64.21 percent while the trade of other air transport services declined by 19.63 percent.
On the other hand, the road transport services exports slipped by 1.3 percent, from $38.660 million last year to $38.159 million during the current year.
This decline in exports was witnessed only in freight exports while there was no trade in passenger service exports and other road transport services.
Meanwhile, the exports of sea transport services exports surged by 225.85 percent during the period under review as it went up from $7.350 million to $23.950 million.
Among the sea transport, the freight services increased by 3020 percent whereas there was no trade in passenger services.
The exports of all other sea transport services increased by 111.05 percent.


text:
New labelling regulations that will impact the food and beverage industry in Mexico
November 4, 2019
On Tuesday 1 October 2019, the House of Representatives made a historical decision that will significantly impact the industrial food and beverage business in Mexico. In a unanimous decision of 455 votes in favor of the proposal, and only 3 abstaining, the House voted to approve amendments to the General Health Law, to state that industrial food and beverages must provide consumers with detailed and clear information about their contents.
Although the main purpose of the amendments is to reduce the consumption of junk food in Mexico, it will apply to all industrial food and non-alcoholic beverages. Specifically, it will oblige producers of industrial food and beverages to clearly label their products with information about contents that could damage health, such as the quantities of fat, sugar, sodium and food coloring. The warning label of these elements at the front of the food product will have to be independent of the information label about ingredients and nutritional content.
Mexico has one of the highest obesity rates in the world. For many years, Mexican and international social organizations have fought for a clear food labelling system in Mexico in an attempt to combat these obesity rates. One day before the decision, the UN stated that such approval of labelling was urgent to confront the epidemic of obesity in Mexico.
Some stakeholders have criticized the amendments, stating that the change would not be received well, because society generally does not read the labels of the food they eat. Others said that the modifications would be insufficient to tackle obesity in Mexico, but also stated that it was a step that needed to be taken.
The approved amendments, which can be found at:
http://www.senado.gob.mx/64/gaceta_del_senado/documento/100195, have been sent to the Senate for their approval and eventual publication. They will come into force the day after they are published, after which the food and beverage industry will have to make significant changes in order to comply.


text:
Government Issues Warning Over Raw Milk From SC
Federal Government Traced 3 Illnesses Back To SC Milk
A federal agency is warning people not to drink raw milk from a South Carolina dairy because of a bacterial illness, but the owner of the dairy says her products are germ-free.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it has confirmed three North Carolina cases of campylobacteriosis that's associated with raw milk from the Tucker Adkins Dairy in York, S.C.
But dairy owner Carolyn Adkins said South Carolina health officials have told her that samples of her dairy's milk are free of the bacterial illness that can infect the gastrointestinal system.
Spokesman Adam Myrick of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said they're still waiting for lab results to come back.
He said it's legal to sell raw milk in the state.


text:
Google has told an Indian court that the country’s antitrust investigators copied parts of a European ruling against the US company for abusing its dominant position in the market for its Android operating system, and asked that the ruling be overturned. , according to legal documents.
In October, India’s Competition Commission (ICC) fined Google $161 million for abusing its dominant position in markets such as online search and the Android app store, and ordered it to change restrictions imposed on smartphone makers on pre-installation of applications.
Sources told Reuters in October that Google was concerned about India’s ruling because the remedies ordered were seen as broader than the European Commission’s landmark 2018 decision to impose illegal restrictions on Android mobile device makers. Google has challenged a record fine of 4.1 billion euros ($4.3 billion) in the case.
In its filing with an Indian appeals court, Google claims that the ICC’s investigative unit largely copied and pasted from a European Commission decision, exposing evidence in Europe that has not been examined in India. There are more than 50 instances of copy-and-paste, in some cases verbatim, and the watchdog wrongly dismissed the case, Google said in its filing, which is not public but has been reviewed by Reuters. .
The Commission failed to conduct an impartial, balanced and legally sound investigation. Google’s practice of distributing mobile applications is pro-competitive and not unfair/proprietary. Google said in a statement that it has decided to appeal the ICC decision as it believes the decision represents a major setback for our users and businesses in India. The company did not know how to cut and paste the claims in its statement.
India’s Competition Commission says Google abused Android’s dominance
September 2021 An antitrust investigation in India reveals that Google has abused Android’s dominant position by using its enormous economic power to illegally harm its competitors. Google has curtailed “the ability and incentive for device manufacturers to develop and sell devices running alternative versions of Android,” said the June report by the investigative unit of the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
The US tech giant said it looks forward to working with the ICC to demonstrate how Android has driven more competition and innovation, not less. The 750-page report says the mandatory pre-installation of apps “amounts to imposing an unfair condition on device manufacturers” in violation of India’s competition laws, while the company has used its app store position Play Store to protect its dominance.
The Play Store’s policies were “one-sided, ambiguous, vague, biased and arbitrary,” while Android “enjoyed its dominant position” in licensed operating systems for smartphones and tablets since 2011, the report said. The investigation was triggered in 2019 after two junior Indian antitrust researchers and a law student filed a complaint.
Google faces Indian antitrust regulator
October 2022, India’s antitrust regulator fined Google $162 million for abusing the Android platform and orders it to change its approach, which is considered anti-competitive. India has ordered Google not to block smartphone users from uninstalling its pre-installed apps such as Google Maps and Gmail. He also asked Google to allow users to select their preferred search engine for all relevant services when they first set up a phone.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has said that Google has leveraged its dominant position in markets such as online search and the Android app store to protect the position of its apps such as Chrome and YouTube in mobile web browsers and online video hosting.
The ICC also banned Google from entering into certain revenue-sharing agreements with smartphone manufacturers, noting that such practices help it ensure the exclusivity of its search services to the complete exclusion of its competitors. Markets should be allowed to compete on the merits and it is up to the dominant players (in this case Google) to ensure that their conduct does not affect that competition on the merits,” the ICC said in a statement.
On October 25 last year, India ordered Google to allow third-party payments and fined the US giant $113 million for anti-competitive practices. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has said that Google has used its “dominant position” to force app developers to use its in-app payment system, noting that in-app sales of digital goods are an important way for developers to make money on. their work.
The ICC ruling is the latest setback for Google in one of its priority markets, with the watchdog fining it an additional $162 million for anti-competitive practices related to its Android operating system. , and asked him to change his approach to the Android platform.
India’s antitrust regulator reportedly copied the EU in its move against Google
The Indian ICC’s decision comes as Google faces increased antitrust scrutiny around the world. Google licenses its Android system to smartphone makers, but critics say it imposes restrictions that are anti-competitive. The American company believes that India’s antitrust body has copied parts of the EU’s Android Abuse Ordinance.
In fact, in April 2016, the European Commission launched a formal investigation procedure against Google regarding its Android operating system. Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) prohibits decisions taken by associations of undertakings and restrictive agreements between undertakings. Article 102 of the TFEU prohibits the abuse of a dominant position which may affect trade and prevent or restrict competition. The Antitrust Regulation (Council Regulation No. 1/2003) sets out how this provision is to be applied by the Commission and the national competition authorities.
Following two complaints and after conducting an initial investigation on its own initiative, the European Commission also opened a formal investigation procedure against Google to fully investigate whether the company’s behavior regarding its operating system for Android mobile devices also when apps and services for smartphones and tablets break EU competition rules.
On 20 April 2016, the European Commission informed Google of its preliminary conclusion that, in breach of EU competition rules, the company had abused its dominant position by imposing restrictions on Android device manufacturers and mobile network operators. The commission maintains that its investigation showed that manufacturers who want to pre-install the Google Play Store, Google’s application store for Android, on their devices are forced by Google to also pre-install Google Search and make it their search engine by default on those devices. In addition, manufacturers who wish to pre-install the Google Play Store or Google Search must also pre-install Google’s Chrome browser. In this way, Google has ensured that its search engine and browser are pre-installed on the vast majority of devices sold in the EEA.
In order to exercise its right of reply, Google requested an extension of the initial three-month period granted by the European Commission in order to properly examine the documents in the case. At the request of subsidiary Alphabet, this deadline was extended three times, with the last deadline set for October 7 then (2016). According to the Reuters daily, Google has obtained a fourth deadline, until October 31, to present its defense against the accusations from the European Commission.
At the end of July 2017, Google was fined 2.4 billion euros; the company expresses its disagreement with the European Commission’s decision and plans to appeal. In a post, Kent Walker, senior vice president and general counsel at Google, explains that the company’s role is to connect its users with thousands of advertisers, regardless of their size, and in a way that is useful to both groups. He therefore believes that the EU Commission’s decision on online shopping underestimates the value of these kinds of quick and easy connections.
Google also says it is governed by its users and not by a desire to crush the competition. “While some comparison sites naturally prefer Google to feature them more, our data shows that people generally prefer links that take them directly to the products they want, not sites where they have to repeat their searches,” adds Kent Walker. Through its service, Google says it still allows thousands of European merchants to compete with big companies like Amazon and eBay. Kent Walker is also quick to point out that Amazon remains the port of call for researching products online. To support his claim, he cites a Bloomberg article that says over 50% of customers turn to Amazon first when they want to research products online.
Google has asked the court to overturn the order of the Competition Commission of India and the case will be heard on Wednesday. The American company claims that Android has expanded choices for everyone and that these agreements help preserve freedom in the operating system. In Europe, 75% of the 550 million smartphones run Android, compared to 97% of the 600 million devices in India, according to Counterpoint Research.
What is your opinion on the subject?
Fined €2.4 billion, Google expresses its disagreement with the European Commission’s decision and plans to appeal
India orders Google to allow third-party payments, fines US giant $113 million for anti-competitive practices
India’s antitrust regulator fines Google $162 million for abusing Android platform, orders it to change anti-competitive approach