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By Alexander Nyarko Yeboah
Tema Jan 2, gitficonline—First January 2021 is marked as the date for the coming into force of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) which is to begin a process that would enhance intra-Africa trade and boost the economy of the continent.
This agreement, among other things, seeks to remove trade barriers between African states and ensure that there is an unrestricted flow of goods and services across the continent, creating a single market for about 55 countries with a combined population of 1.2 billion and a total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of about US $ 2.5 trillion.
It is therefore obvious that the economic benefits of AfCFTA is enormous for Africans, and if well harnessed, has the potential to transform the economy of the continent and give Africa a competitive advantage in the global market.
Yet, there are many concerns that ought to be addressed before the idea of a free market area may come to pass.
Firstly, African industries ought to be prepared to take advantage of this development. This is because, as the Greater Accra Chairman of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Mr. Tsonam Cleanse Akpeloo, puts it, “there’s going to be winners and losers.” This is because those industries which are better prepared to take advantage of the free trade agreement would gain, while those who are ill prepared would lose their markets to foreign domination.
What this therefore suggests is that, African states should just not be excited about the coming into force of the agreement, but should be concerned about how to advance their industries to produce to meet the demand of the huge market that would be created.
In this regard, it is expected of an industry located in say Ghana to be ready to produce enough to export to other African countries whilst at the same time improving upon the quality of the products such that the said product would still do well in the face of the influx of similar products from other sister African countries into Ghana.
What it also means is that an industry that is not able to meet such a demand would not only be forfeiting the benefits of the huge African market that would be created but would also suffer from the coming in of similar goods into the country in which the product was manufactured, more so when the imported products are more sophisticated and cheaper.
It means that, overnight, manufacturers and entrepreneurs would be expected to put their industries together to improve upon the quality of products they produce while at the same time producing at a very reasonable price in order to compete with products from other parts of the continent.
This, therefore, means that governments of African countries should assist industries within their jurisdictions to grow and expand, otherwise the continent risk creating powerful cartels of manufacturers and entrepreneurs who would dominated the African market significantly and throw all others out of business.
Aside this concern comes the issue of whether Africa has what it takes to grow this concept into a fully-fledged agreement that would indeed transform the continent.
Currently, the European Union (EU) has evolved a system that is working perfectly to the benefit of Europe. Apart from creating a common currency with all its benefits, EU has been able to facilitate intra-Europe trade in such a way that has created prosperity for the various countries of the Union.
Many are skeptical about the African story. Are Africans capable of politically taking advantage of AfCFTA such that it would play the economic role it is intended to, or is it going to be one of the many African projects that never succeeded?
Currently, Africa is suffering from the influence of colonialism, such that ties to the colonial past is sometimes stronger than ties to the African roots. In this regard, many wonder whether these independent African states would be willing to see the collective interest of the continent as a priority over loyalty to some foreign powers.
For AfCFTA to succeed, some believe that these personal allegiances to the Commonwealth of Nations, the Francophone Bloc, and others, should not play into the promotion of intra-African trade.
One therefore wants to believe that, like Ghana’s First President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah tried to link the success of Ghana to that of the whole African continent in Ghana’s Independence Day Speech, AfCFTA faces serious treat if Africans are still not seeing the need to form a unitary state since the ability of the individual states of the continent to succeed is shaky.
It is therefore worth noting that, as the theme for the fourth annual Ghana International Trade and Finance Conference (GITFiC) has it, AfCFTA ought to be optimized for Africans. This theme suggests that Africans stand a risk of leasing out this great opportunity to industrialize to outside forces who would merely take advantage of the lack of true unity among Africans.
What this would mean is that, in lieu of promoting manufacturing in Africa to meet the huge African market, African entrepreneurs could be coerced into importing foreign products into Africa to take advantage of the free trade area, and this is possible because of allegiance to some foreign powers.
Africa is indeed blessed as a continent, but her fragmentation as a result of colonial dominance is something her political leaders should eradicate. It is obvious that the proponents of AfCFTA had done well in bringing the continent this far, but, what could really help Africa is the total unification of the continent and the undoing of the bonds of colonialism.
Before the full glare of the world is a wonderful opportunity for Africans to industrialize and take advantage of a huge African market. The question is, would the continent be in a position to actualize this, or would it just be another opportunity in passing?
African leaders owe it a duty to the continent to ensure that this opportunity, also, does not pass by, and that it would serve as a springing board for the economic boom of the African continent and a possible foundation for the total unification of the African people.


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GM investing $250 million in CAMI plant's body shop
General Motors is investing $250 million in an Ontario assembly plant to support future vehicle production.
The automaker today said it's installing flexible body shop equipment and tooling at the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, which builds the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain crossovers.
The plant, which employs around 2,700, produced more than 300,000 of the crossovers in 2012.
The addition will add 336,000 square feet to the operation to house the new body shop tooling and equipment, said Les Bogar, plant manager of CAMI Assembly, in a message to workers posted on the Canadian Auto Workers Local 88 Web site today.
"Flexible body shop equipment and tooling allows multiple body panels (floor plans, rocker assemblies, underbodies) to be welded with the same set of programmable tools and robots," Bogar said.
GM says the investment will allow CAMI to build a "higher variety of differentiated products, on multiple platforms, at much lower costs." GM also said the changes will help expedite new product delivery.
No product announcements have been made, a GM spokeswoman said. GM said construction will start in the coming weeks with completion expected in the fourth quarter of 2014.
Kevin Williams, president of General Motors of Canada, said in a statement: "Continually improving the flexibility of our manufacturing operations helps us respond quickly to customer needs and market demand."
GM used to operate the plant as a joint venture with Suzuki Motor Corp., but Suzuki ceased production there in June 2009 and GM bought Suzuki's half of the operation in December 2009.
"It really does signify the fact that they are confident that the current strength that we're seeing, especially in the United States, will continue for some time," said Carlos Gomes, an auto analyst at Scotiabank, noting that production at the plant increased by 5 percent in January versus a year ago.
The crossover utilities are now the largest segment in the U.S. market, outselling traditional medium sized cars. In Canada, it is close to overtaking the small car segment as well, said Gomes.
GM has fought to keep with up with demand for the Equinox and Terrain. Production rose 7 percent for both the Equinox and Terrain at CAMI in 2012, according to the Automotive News Data Center.
About 186,701 Equinoxes were assembled at the plant last year, while 118,714 Terrains were produced for a total of 305,415 units.
GM also began Equinox production at its Spring Hill, Tenn., plant last September to help shoulder the load.
Since September 2010, GM has sent Equinox bodies built at CAMI about 125 miles to its Oshawa, Ontario, plant for final assembly in another move to match demand. GM executives called it a creative solution to boost production.
GM sold 20,649 Equinox crossovers in February, up 16 percent from the year-earlier period. In 2012, Equinox U.S. sales were up 13 percent after 218,621 units were sold.
Meanwhile, 9,802 Terrains sold last month, which amounted to a 21 percent jump from February 2011. Terrain's 2012 U.S. sales rose 18 percent to 97,786 vehicles.
"This investment will prepare the plant for future vehicle production and will give CAMI the ability to build a higher variety of differentiated products, on multiple platforms," GM spokeswoman Adria MacKenzie said in an email.
She did not say what kind of models the conversion will be able to accommodate.
MacKenzie said it was too early to say if the investment will result in new jobs, while the CAW said it was confident the investment in infrastructure would result in more job security.
The Canadian auto industry exports more than 80 percent of its vehicles to the U.S. market, with crossover vehicles making up some 40 percent of overall Canadian production.
Early contract talks
Dan Borthwick, CAW Local 88 President, said the union started early contract negotiations at the plant with GM on Feb 12.
The CAW local and GM plan to resume negotiations on Sunday and with hopes of having a tentative agreement ready for a March 24 union local ratification meeting, Borthwick said in an interview today.
The plant maintains a separate contract with the CAW than the rest of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler in Canada.
Under the four-year contract between GM and the CAW reached last year, wages are frozen for existing workers for the first three years, according to previous reports. Workers then get a cost-of-living adjustment in the fourth year along with a series of lump sum bonuses. New hires will start at a lower hourly rate than under the previous contract and take 10 years to reach the top level of the pay scale, up from six years previously.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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BurssBrain – AfroBop Mix
Mavin Records disc jockey and record producer, BurssBrain drops a brand new mixtape titled “AfroBop“.
AttiFaya – Funk
FaYa Music and Nigerian rapper, AttiFaya formerly known as Attitude unlocks a brand new vibe titled “Funk“.
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MILAN — The Italian minister of economic development, Claudio Scajola, has followed up on his promise to help support the fashion industry during the global recession.
The Italian government has approved 1.6 billion euros, or $2.1 billion at current exchange, for small- and medium-size Italian companies to assist them in obtaining “credit lines to boost exports [and] further resources for companies that are part of the textile-fashion-footwear districts.”
"You start one way as a baby, but why shouldn't you be able to choose your own path as opposed to culturally people telling you which way to go?" - Thom Browne at his men's spring 2018 show, where he celebrated gender fluidity. #pfw #wwdmens (📷: @delphineachard)
"I think that all anyone really wants in life is to have people understand us for who we actually are, despite everything," says Ruth Negga. The actress talks "Preachers" season 2 and more on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: Dan Doperalski)


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Naveen Kulkarni of Axis Securities The sense on the Street is that India's banking shares could be a big mover over the next 12 months, as all the positives start getting priced in. In conversation with Moneycontrol, Naveen Kulkarni, Chief Investment Officer at Axis Securities also believes that the picture for Indian IT sector 'remains quite complex' at this juncture. He advices investors to be selective, and also to wait for another quarter to understand the changing trends here. Here's the full interaction. Do you think the new-age tech companies will delay their IPO plans, especially after already-listed new-age companies were hit quite badly in the recent turmoil and corrected more than others? The market has changed for technology companies after the significant correction seen on the Nasdaq. As central bankers around the world try to manage the liquidity - which is fuelling global inflation - the cost of funds will continue to rise. This will have the most … [Read more...] about Daily Voice | FII selling may now abate, banks ripe for up move over 12 months
Why poverty still remains a challenge for the indian government
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin There are retail giants – Macy’s, Dillard’s, Nordstrom JWN . Bloomingdale’s to mention just a few. Will they survive and what will they be like? Are they the dinosaurs of yesteryear? Recently there was a shopping center convention in Seattle, hosted by Nordstrom and under the aegis of IGDS (International Group of Department Stores}, that discussed the past, present and especially the future. Some observations are included below. 1. Changes will occur, and it is important to know that young people, millennials and GenZ want to have a say in what stores will be like. They will dictate content, rapid service and especially whether stores have taken action on sustainability. 2. Sustainability must include reduction of gases, conservation of energy, storage and usage of solar energy, 3. To compete and to survive in the current, challenging environment, brands require economies of scale that are often beyond their … [Read more...] about How Department Stores Will Survive
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin It’s well established that urban environments are going to be home to the majority of the world’s population in the coming decades. While extreme weather is causing floods, droughts and wildfires, it’s also going to have significant effects on urban living. The increasing temperatures the media is discussing, from heat waves across India, the US, Spain and Germany, Doha at 49°C or Jacobabad at 51°C, mean that we must find new ways to protect city dwellers from the worst impacts of a changing environment. According to Lauren Sorkin, executive director of the Resilient Cities Network, cities have the potential to address climate change but they need a rethink in terms of how they keep people safe and build in equity and resilience. Sorkin argues we also need to agree on a common set of risks – and be honest about the level of risk we face. It’s important to remember that cities themselves are major infrastructure investors and … [Read more...] about As Climate Change Threatens Mounting Urban Costs, Is Biomimicry The Way Forward?
Representative image In July 2017, India ushered in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for levy and collection of taxes on inter-state supply of goods and services. Almost five years on, accountants complain of multiple glitches in the system hailed as the single biggest tax reform in post-independence India when it was introduced. For instance, the GST Act has failed to provide a system to address Centre-state and inter-state disputes, they said. Article 279A (11) of the Constitution enables the GST Council to institute a mechanism to resolve inter-state disputes, but no such system has been seriously contemplated so far. Also Read: GST at 5: A structural, economic analysis and prescriptions Close Today, the law only says that if GST has been wrongly paid to the Centre, there will be no interest liability and if tax has been wrongly paid to a state, it will be refunded. Moreover, there is a constant doubt still over the applicable rate of GST that makes … [Read more...] about GST at 5: Accountants still confront major issues in filing returns
This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly, on June 20, 2022 - June 26, 2022. - A + A DESPITE the reopening of borders since April 1, when Malaysia allowed quarantine-free travel for fully-vaccinated travellers into the country, it will be some time before the hotel industry regains a strong footing following the debilitating lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. In fact, it may well take another year at least before operators can operate at their full capacities at pre-pandemic levels, Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners (MAHO) president Tan Sri Teo Chiang Hong tells The Edge. “Average occupancy rates are an estimated 30% to 50% of pre-pandemic levels,” says Teo, who is owner and director of One World Hotel in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. He notes that resort destinations are seeing full occupancies while city hotels still face low occupancy. As at November 2020, a total of 204 tourism and hotel operators had shut down following the impact of the … [Read more...] about The State of the Nation: Hospitality industry struggling to cope despite borders reopening, brighter prospects
A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business' Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here . You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link. London (CNN Business) Europe and the United States have barred the import of Russian oil to cut off a crucial revenue source for the Kremlin. But the plan to pile pain on President Vladimir Putin, forcing him to reconsider his war in Ukraine, hasn't worked . Russia's government is making just as much money from energy exports as it was before the invasion. Meanwhile, inflation is surging globally, adding to political pressure on heads of state such as US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron. That's forcing leaders from top economies who have gathered in Germany for a G7 meeting to consider a new route: slapping price caps on Russian crude . "The goal here is to starve Russia, … [Read more...] about Price cap on Russian oil could shake up the market
Reserve Bank of India The central bank is fighting twin battles at this point. It needs to control inflation that is way above its mid-term target of 4 percent and has been consistently above the upper band of 6 percent. On the other hand, the nascent recovery seen on the economic growth, needs to be supported. The central bank-led monetary policy committee (MPC) clearly misjudged the inflation trajectory for a prolonged period in its bid to support growth recovery. The stance remained accommodative for a long time which led to differences even within the panel. In May, the rate-setting panel then embarked on a catch-up game by initiating sharp rate hikes in two rounds, totaling 90 basis points (bps). One basis point is one hundredth of a percentage point. The MPC has signalled to take the rate back to pre-pandemic levels. The repo rate, which is currently at 4.9 percent, can go up by at least 100 basis points, according to economists considering the inflation … [Read more...] about Banking Central| Where will the repo rate settle ultimately?
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (filepix) - A + A KUALA LUMPUR (June 27): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today announced an additional allocation of RM100 million for the Informal and Micro Financing Scheme (SPIM) under the National Entrepreneur Group Economic Fund (TEKUN). He also announced an additional allocation of RM30 million for the Bumiputera Enterprise Enhancement Programme (BEEP) under SME Corporation Malaysia. "I was told that SPIM under TEKUN was allocated RM200 million by the government earlier which had exhausted and the allocation of RM20 million for BEEP for 2022 had also been taken up. "SPIM loans are popular for financing by informal and micro traders...in the interest of small entrepreneurs, I have announced another RM100 million allocation for SPIM. “I also announced RM30 million more allocation for BEEP,” he said when speaking at the Entrepreneur Excellence Awards 2022 in the federal capital here on Monday … [Read more...] about Additional allocation of RM100 mil for SPIM TEKUN, RM30 mil for BEEP, says PM
TODAY is Day of the Seafarer. Inaugurated in 2011 under the auspices of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), this day offers a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the contribution of seafarers without whom the flow of goods and international trade would come to a halt. With merchant ships carrying up to 90% of the global trade and the maritime sector operating at breakneck speed, it’s difficult to imagine life without the participation of seafarers. But their job sometimes comes at great personal cost to themselves and their families. Every seafarer’s voyage is unique, but they all confront similar obstacles, with mental health management being one of the most serious concerns. In the past, after their ship departed port, seafarers were cut off from the outside world. Today, with data transfer feasible aboard and ashore regardless of their ship’s position, crews are now able to remain in contact with their families and friends. In this aspect, Internet access should … [Read more...] about Value the toil of seafarers


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Nielsen released the results of its latest survey today, finding that Android and iOS mobile devices are the “most desired” smartphones in the country for users looking to upgrade their current models. While these results are less than shocking, Nielsen did reveal a few noteworthy trends surrounding mobile devices. Here we break down some of the more interesting developments for you:
- BlackBerry and iOS each hold comparable shares of the market, Apple coming in at 27.9 percent and RIM’s BlackBerry at 27.4; Android follows closely with 22.7 percent. This is still an impressive feat for Android, a relatively young competitor.
- Men are drawn to Android devices and women to iPhones. Looks like the companies’ marketing campaigns are paying off: while Apple ads are arguably gender neutral, they look downright feminine in comparison with the testosterone heavy “Droid Does” scheme. But the genders could agree on one thing, with the smallest percentage of both men and women deferring to BlackBerry.
- Age is nothing but a number when it comes to the iPhone…with the exception of the 35 to 54 demographic. Aside from the aforementioned age range, the majority of respondents said the iPhone was their “next desired smartphone.” Of those 35 to 54 year olds, 27.4 percent said upon upgrading, they’d be choosing Android. A marginally smaller 26.3 percent of them named the iPhone.
- After iPhones and Android devices, the next most popular answer to “most desired smartphone” was “not sure.”
- Nearly 30 percent of all mobile phone users are using smartphones, which is up 25 percent since the second quarter.
So it looks like Apple and Android are neck and neck as far as consumer interest is concerned. But despite the somewhat disappointing results for BlackBerry, the original smartphone might have some fight left in it. Another set of statistics from StatCounter claims BlackBerry has dethroned the iPhone as reigning champion of Internet usage. The research firm argues that app developers need to start looking at RIM and other platforms, which it believes will eventually trump iOS devices. And maybe they have a point, since this is similar to what Nielsen and comScore were telling us earlier this month. Still, Nielsen’s latest results make it difficult to see much else besides an Apple- and Android-dominated market.


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After a dismal 2013 from a land based tourism perspective, certainly up until the end of November, it was refreshing to get some good news to end the year. After many early media releases in July, it was finally confirmed this month by the Barbados Tourism Authority that the Top Gear Festival, will make its Americas debut at the renovated Bushy Park Circuit on 17th and 18th May 2014, the first of three consecutive annual events planned for this location.
Several similar ‘festivals’ have already taken place across the world including in Australia and South Africa and according to the organisers ‘further destinations are in development and will be announced in the New Year’.
There can be no doubt that this event has the potential to attractive massive destination coverage overseas. Based on the BBC television series, the audience reach is what can only described as staggering and includes holding the Guinness Book of Records holder for ‘the most watched factual programme in the world’.
The TV episodes are sold to 214 territories across the globe, have 2 million subscribers to the Official Top Gear YouTube Channel with over 500 million video views, 19 million FaceBook fans, a magazine circulation of over 1 million and 5.7 million unique users on its website. It does not end there. A visit to the BBC Advertising online source details many other impressive statistics.
As if in harmony, both Virgin Atlantic and British Airways have launched their latest seat sales and for travel in May, fares on offer are among the lowest on scheduled services to any point in the Caribbean from Gatwick and Manchester, starting at GBPounds 520 including all the taxes, for people booking before 28th January 2014. Of course it will not just attract Brits, but could help to avoid any additional erosion of airline routes and capacity.
Tour Operators are already putting hotel/flight packages into the market and hopefully the smaller accommodation providers will put together attractive alternatives for the independent travellers.
There should also be a tremendous trickle-down effect from visitors attending for our car rental companies, restaurants, attractions, activities and taxis.
Hopefully too, the venue will make an area available where our arts and craft people can display and sell their wares to ensure the majority of visitors do not leave the island with foreign made trinkets.
And frankly, credit where due, for it to be taking place in the slower summer months especially May, is a coup and kudos to all who have made it possible.
Top Gear’s demographics are also interesting 40 per cent of the TV audience is female (often the decision makers in holiday choice), with the remainder, males 18-35 year olds passionate about cars and driving, with dads and lads who like cars and their children aged 7-11. Our current policymakers have been very vocal concerning trying to attract a much younger average visitor to Barbados, and again this may prove critical in that objective, especially during the traditionally leaner off-season periods.
As with other Top Gear Festivals, I expect a website and FaceBook page will be up-and-running shortly, showing accommodation and ticket purchasing options with detailed information about the event.


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Xiaomi has today introduced a new radio-controller quadcopter in China under its MiTu brand which is primarily also known for robot toys. Simply called the MiTu drone, its biggest highlight is the compact form factor and a nearly $63 (399 Yuan) price which is far less than any other offering out there. Interestingly, Xiaomi didn’t unveil this under its own brand which launched its very first drone way back in May two years ago.
The MiTu drone comes with four rotors and has a plastic build that’s designed to withstand falls. The propeller blades are made out of glass fiber and the drone itself weighs only 88 grams which might make it unusable in windy environments. For aerial photography, the MiTu drone has a front-mounted sensor which can record 720p clips and images at a resolution of 1600 x 1200.
Under the hood, a quad-core processor clocked at 1.2Ghz keeps things running along with 4GB of RAM. For flying indoors, the drone also has precision hovers which allow it to navigate much more steadily. There are a bunch of sensors as well such as barometers, optical flow sensors, and more. The MiTu drone even features a slew of software modes like palm take off, gravity sensing, and headless mode.
The MiTu drone can attain a maximum height of 25 meters, while the bundled remote control can be operated up to a distance of 50 meters. The company says it can last for roughly ten minutes thanks to a 920mAh battery. The drone connects to the controllers through 5.8GHz high-frequency signal Wi-Fi. The Xiaomi MiTu quadcopter is priced at 399 Yuan ($63) and will go on sale in China starting from this month’s 26th. In comparison, DJI’s most affordable product, the DJI Spark costs $399. Although it does feature a bunch of additional features to justify that. The Xiaomi MiTu drone seems like the right fit for amateurs. However, like always, there’s a good chance it will not cross the Chinese borders.


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Mobile EHR provider drchrono Inc., today announced that it has leverage Face ID on iPhone X for physicians to unlock electronic health records (EHRs). By simply launching the drchrono app, Physicians can save time using new Face ID recognition technology to log into the drchrono EHR.
On iPhone X, doctors now can simply raise their phone to login to the EHR app, unlike using Touch ID, a passcode or entering a username and password. drchrono has thousands of medical professionals and over 10 million patients on its EHR that will benefit from this new technology. The EHR includes customizable medical forms, e-prescribing, real-time patient eligibility checks, patient portal and more.
“Today’s modern medical practices are moving from outdated EHR software to iPad. Medical professionals from around the world are looking for the best ROI, and need first-rate hardware and software. To that end, with iOS devices, the medical community benefits tremendously. Not only are we making sure we are compatible with the newest iPhones, but we are committed to the iPad as it has become a preferred device for physicians on the move to read, document, share medical records and fulfill prescriptions. Because of this, drchrono is now launching an offer to help modernize medical practices by providing practices with a free iPad Pro when they sign up for our EHR and billing. Our goal is to bundle the best hardware and software,” said Michael Nusimow, Co-founder and CEO of drchrono in a statement.


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After the recently announced Vivo V5 in India, Vivo decided to launch their X series smartphones in China. Now dual front facing camera on a smartphone in not a new thing. Lenovo has already done it years ago on Lenovo Vibe S1. But what makes Vivo X9 and X9 Plus interesting is its hardware specs. Both devices come with Dual front facing camera for taking selfies. And on paper, the dual front camera looks promising as one comes with 20MP Sony IMX376 image sensor and f2. 0 aperture. While the other one comes with an 8MP sensor to gather the depth of field information. So the combination of both cameras will enable bokeh effects while taking selfies.
Vivo X9 comes with 5.5inch Super AMOLED display with Full HD resolution. Processing power is handled by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC, built on 14nm architecture. So expect some good battery life out of 3050mAh battery found on Vivo X9.
Other specs include 16MP rear camera, 4GB RAM, 64GB or 128GB ROM, 4G Dual-SIM support, fingerprint sensor and AKM4376 DAC for high quality music output.
Now talking about Vivo X9 Plus, it comes with 5.88 inches Super AMOLED display with Full HD resolution, Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 CPU, 6GB RAM, 128GB ROM and big 4000mAh battery. Other specs remain same as found in Vivo X9.
Both devices will be available in two color options: Gold & Rose Gold. Viv0 X9 with 64GB ROM variant is priced at CNY 2798 (about NPR Rs.44, 500) and CNY 2998 (about NPR Rs.47, 700) for 128GB ROM variant. Pricing for Vivo X9 Plus was not announced at the event.
Talking about the availability of these two smartphones in China, Vivo X9 will be available at retail stores from November 24 whereas Vivo X9 Plus will be available from December 26.


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Quebec chocolatiers purchase Laura Secord from Americans for nearly $20 million
MONTREAL (CP) — Quebec chocolatier Nutriart Inc. said Friday it expects to create at least 25 jobs following the purchase of Laura Secord from American private equity investors for nearly $20 million.
Nutr iar t ’ s owners, brothers Jean and Jacques Leclerc, said the move will allow the company to substantially increase its chocolate production in Quebec City.
Founded in 1913 and named after a heroine of the War of 1812, Laura Secord has more than 1,000 employees at 128 retail stores in seven provinces. Annual sales are about $80 million.
In addition to increasing chocolate production, the purchase will allow Nutriart to produce some finished goods for sale in Laura Secord stores, the company said.
“ The innovation, production capacity and distribution of Nutriart, combined with Laura Secord’s strong brand, will create a perfect marriage,” said Jean Leclerc, Laura Secord’s new president.
About 25 jobs in logistics and production will be created in the coming weeks at Nutriart’s plant in the provincial capital.


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As SoulCycle filed its IPO and Lululemon expanded into the UK and Europe, the last 12 months have seen a sharp increase in the number of high profile investments and innovative new startups raising capital in the wellness sector, flagging the emerging industry as one worth backing.
Peloton, the at-home provider of instructor-led group fitness classes, announced in December that it had secured a $75 million growth capital investment from U.S. private equity firm, Catterton, while the acquisition of health club operator LifeTime Fitness, led by affiliates of Leonard Green & Partners and TPG closed at $4 billion. And these transactions are just the beginning.
Earmarking athleisure, wearables, healthy restaurant concepts and transformational fitness brands with global appeal, venture capital, private equity firms and angel investors are all injecting cash into the $3.4 trillion mega-industry. So what makes wellness brands such an attractive proposition?
Catterton, whose portfolio is wholly U.S based, has over $5 billion of equity capital dedicated to growing middle market companies and emerging, high-growth enterprises, and is investing heavily in the wellness sector.
Inking deals with CorePower Yoga, the leading yoga studio operator; Flywheel Sports, one of the America’s fastest growing indoor cycling brands; and activewear brand Sweaty Betty, Catterton is shaping the future of the wellness industry and is investing in brands that are driven by innovation and have the potential to scale globally.
Recognising Peloton’s forward-thinking approach to fitness, Marc Magliacano, partner at Catterton, told Bloomberg: “The Peloton team are pioneering the next evolution of fitness and changing the way people consume fitness at home,” and unsurprisingly Catterton want a stake in that.
Peloton’s primary business, an at-home workout concept, is a unique placed to crossover into the mainstream – a transition that many wellness brands struggle with. With Catterton on board as a strategic partner, it will have the ammunition needed to dramatically expand its software engineering team, open more showrooms and increase brand recognition.
“I was seduced by the concept and the energy and vision of the founders and I am confident they will build it into a very successful business.”
And as consumers continue to spend big on wellbeing activities and preventative healthcare measures, it’s not just the major players who are catching the attention of eagle-eyed investors.
Mindful Chef, a UK-based delivery service for healthy recipe boxes, secured angel investment in 2015, the same funding source who bought into leading barre method studio, Barrecore, in order to rapidly expand its operations. For investors, the inextricable link between functional food and fitness is informing strategic investment decisions in a big way.
According to Mindful Chef co-founder Giles Humphries, the new funding has allowed the brand to improve its online user experience as well as up the marketing spend across certain channels. “We are expanding our operational base and offices to cope with the demand as we scale,” Humphries said.
Mindful Chef is currently operating on a smaller-scale to some of its counterparts in the industry, but investors are eyeing up early stage wellness brands who have cultivated a strong following, particularly on social media, as they recognise the potential to scale-up.
Similarly in the U.S, Sakara Life, whose organic meal delivery program has attracted a cult-like following including celebrity fans like Gwyneth Paltrow and Lily Aldridge, recently announced nationwide expansion plans following the completion of a $4.8 million Series A funding round that included SV Angel and former Priceline CEO Jeff Boyd. The business was recognised in the 2016 Forbes 30 under 30 list.
The hip startup, with its two striking blonde co-founders on a mission to make healthy food ‘sexy’, is on track to deliver nearly 40,000 meals monthly, and predict their sales will double during 2016. With the additional capital, the design-led brand is leveraging a strong online following, including 51,000 Instagram followers, to widen its distribution across the U.S.
Like Mindful Chef, Sakara Life’s success is reflective of a growing trend among consumers to maintain mind-body health, prevent diseases, and to age well as they live longer. This is driving demand for wellness products and services, and fresh faced businesses that are catering to the needs of time-poor consumers in new and innovative ways, are a hot commodity for venture capitalists.
Elsewhere, Pembroke VCT, part of the Oakley Capital Group based in London, is focused on identifying investment opportunities which are capable of significant organic growth and capital appreciation over the next five years.
Pinpointing a group of emerging wellness brands based in the U.K, the hands on investors have backed both indoor spinning studio BOOM! Cycle, injecting £430,000 into the brand, as well as cold-pressed juice manufacturers Plenish Cleanse, which secured its first major online supermarket listing with Ocado following Pembroke’s £225,000 investment in 2014.
Pembroke make clear that they are focused on talented and motivated businesses that exude passion, investing in companies with a strong consumer focus and significant brand potential. Witnessing the success of Soul Cycle in the U.S., the British adaptation, BOOM! Cycle, founded by american born Hilary Gilbert after she discovered a love for indoor cycling in New York, showed strong potential in the boutique fitness sector.
“I was seduced by the concept and the energy and vision of the founders and I am confident they will build it into a very successful business,” explained Pierre Andurand, founder and managing partner of hedge fund Andurand Capital and lead investor on the fundraising round.
New approaches to fitness are of particular interest in the UK, where global lifestyle company Bodyism has built its brand on passion and expertise. Led by Australian fitness trainer James Duigan, Bodyism established a relationship with Doğuş Group, an investment holdings company, when it launched its first European ‘Clean & Lean’ residency at D-Hotel Marisin in Turkey. Duigan, who has trained celebrities and supermodels such as Elle Macpherson and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, as well as creating the globally acclaimed Clean & Lean Diet, is regarded as one of the stalwarts of the fitness industry.
In 2015, the partnership, which led to a multi-million pound investment from Doğuş, helped fund the opening of a new flagship Bodyism studio and cafe in London’s affluent South West in January, cementing the brand as one of the strongest influences on the new-age wellness lifestyle.
The move is representative of a growing niche in the fitness sector, where demand for high-end fitness facilities that offer consumers a 360 wellness experience has never been stronger. And these kind of facilities require significant capital to secure prime real estate.
Whilst the U.K. market is playing catch up, in the U.S., private equity firm, North Castle Partners, which specialises in consumer businesses dedicated to healthy living and wellness, has already facilitated a series of investments that are being used to propel high-end fitness studios and health club operators to the forefront of the global marketplace.
“You need to have a world-class senior team, a strong product vision and evidence of successful execution or market traction.”
Having previously developed Equinox nationally in the U.S by successfully opening 20 clubs in four new markets and doubling its member base to 91,000, in 2014 North Castle also announced its acquisition of World Health Club, one of Canada’s leading fitness clubs, and the third investment to be made in the fitness and recreation sector in less than 12 months.
“At the foundation of the North Castle approach is to partner with exceptional management teams and industry professionals to unlock the full potential performance of companies in the Healthy, Active and Sustainable Living sector,” said Chip Baird, North Castle’s Managing Partner.
With investors now tuned in to the opportunities; having an expert co-founder who previously started Jawbone, helped British startup, Chiaro, garner the respect and confidence of its investors. With its first product, Elvie, a sleek, bluetooth enabled device for strengthening the female pelvic floor muscles, Chiaro secured over $2 million. Founder, Tania Boler, says that startups need to have a clear business strategy and a strong management team in order to attract investment.
“You need to have a world-class senior team, a strong product vision and evidence of successful execution or market traction,” she says.
But facilitating investment through VCs or angel investment aren’t the only options, as a growing number of wellness brands turn to crowdfunding platforms to drum up extra funds. And with enormous success.
London-based “King of Gyms” 1Rebel has raised over £3 million across two successful crowdfunding pitches on CrowdCube, while a host of wearable tech brands including Misfit have launched successful campaigns on funding platforms like Indiegogo, gaining additional brand exposure in the process.
Explaining 1Rebel’s decision to start a crowdfunding campaign, co-founder James Balfour admitted that as a young team with very little cash to throw at the business, he and business partner Giles Dean did not want to lose control of the brand.
“We wanted our customers to be our investors and our investors to be our customers, so using CrowdCube made sense. This way we know our investors are just as passionate about the brand,” said Balfour.
As the wellness industry continues to evolve, specialist investment funds will emerge and the amount of capital available to the sector will increase, as investors search for the next big brand with the potential to create significant returns.
Buying into the people and passion behind the brands as much as the products, for savvy investors the wellness industry is ripe for picking… and that’s unlikely to change as a growing number of health-conscious and innovative entrepreneurs enter the playing field.


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AcuityAds Holdings Inc. (TSXV:AT) (“AcuityAds” or the “Company”), a technology leader that provides targeted digital media solutions by leveraging its proprietary Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to enable advertisers to connect intelligently with audiences across digital advertising campaigns, today announced the release of a new research report entitled “Attention: The New Media Currency”. The insights represent findings from a recent study conducted with over 200 brand marketers on the topic of capturing audience attention through video advertising.
“The advertising industry by and large has conquered the reach problem,” commented Seraj Bharwani, Chief Strategy Officer at AcuityAds. “Advertisers can reach most audience groups with remarkable precision using audience segmentation and classification systems provided by existing advertising technologies. Unfortunately, what remains out of reach is viewer attention.”
The research revealed a significant disconnect between what marketers believe as important to achieving consumer attention and the actual evidence.
Alex Panousis, President of Havas Media Canada highlighted the importance of the attention issue, “Everything in digital media is secondary to driving attention. As an industry, we need to better understand the factors impacting our ability to do this. The use of data and technology put part of the equation within advertiser control, so they can achieve a critical competitive advantage in today’s crowded media environment.”
The research report precedes a sequence of industry events where AcuityAds will be presenting the findings, along with strategies for tackling the attention issue, including at the upcoming American Marketing Association’s Looking Ahead Into The 2019 Marketing Landscape event on December 12th in Toronto, Canada. The full report can be accessed online here.
AcuityAds is a leading technology company that provides marketers a powerful and holistic solution for digital advertising across all ad formats and screens to amplify reach and Share of Attention® throughout the customer journey. Via its unique, data-driven insights, real-time analytics and industry-leading activation platform based on proprietary Artificial Intelligence technology, AcuityAds leverages an integrated ecosystem of partners for data, inventory, brand safety and fraud prevention, offering unparalleled, trusted solutions that the most demanding marketers require to be successful in the digital era.
AcuityAds is headquartered in Toronto with offices throughout the U.S., Europe and Latin America. For more information, visit AcuityAds.com.
Disclaimer in regards to Forward-looking Statements
Certain statements included herein constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, AcuityAds does not intend, and undertakes no obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect, in particular, new information or future events.
SOURCE AcuityAds Inc.
For further information: Babak Pedram, Investor Relations, Virtus Advisory Group Inc., 416-644-5081, email@example.com; Jonathan Pollack, Chief Financial Officer, AcuityAds Holdings Inc., 416-218-9888, firstname.lastname@example.org; Tal Hayek, Chief Executive Officer, AcuityAds Holdings Inc., 416-218-9888, email@example.com


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In the midst of quarantine, many people have been heavily online shopping. Within their shopping spree someone has stumbled upon a disturbing item. A third party seller on Amazon is selling a mask with a cartoon graphic of the scene where George Floyd was choked to death.
View this post on Instagram
Seriously @amazon, can you explain how this mask is even being sold. You definitely need to donate to #GeorgeFloyd’s family if any of these sold and you’re canceled. Everyone keeps saying they are a third party seller, doesn’t matter they are responsible for what’s on their website. #BlackLivesMatter
People are demanding that a third party seller is banned and the mask to be removed from Amazon immediately.
Twitter Demands Amazon To Remove Offensive George Floyd Masks was originally published on rnbphilly.com


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Retail sales fall for third month in a row as shoppers tighten their belts
New figures have shown that retail sales are dropping at a rate not seen since the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic as people cut back on discretionary purchases such as white goods and homewares.
According to the British Retail Consortium and KPMG, total retail sales fell for a third consecutive month in June with a decline of 1% in the five weeks to 2 July. This compares to an uplift of 10.4% in June 2021.
Helen Dickinson, BRC chief executive, said: “Sales volumes are falling to a rate not seen since the depths of the pandemic, as inflation continues to bite, and households cut back spending. Discretionary purchases were hit hard, especially white goods and homeware, while consumers also traded down to cheaper brands in food and non-food alike.”
While the Jubilee weekend gave food sales a temporary boost, and fashion sales benefited from the summer holiday and wedding season, Dickinson said this was not enough to counter a substantial slowdown in consumer spending.


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You must have known Jeff Bezos perfectly. He is among the richest people in the world, though do you know which of the richest families in the world is? You will be surprised to know that the world's richest family earns more than Rs 28 crore every hour and the list includes the name of the Ambani family.
In fact, Bloomberg has drawn up a list of the world's 25 richest families with about 1.5 million crore rupees. Supermarket Walmart is the first-ranked family on the list of the world's richest families. According to media reports received, the Walmart family earns about Rs 50 lakh per minute, rs 28.46 crore per hour and about Rs 712 crore per day.
Second, on the list is the Mars family and his company makes Mars Bar chocolate. The list also includes the family names that run Ferrari, BMW and Hyatt Hotel Group. The family of India's richest man Mukesh Ambani is ranked ninth on the list. While the Ambani family earns a total of Rs 50.4 billion, or about Rs 5040 crore.


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Vol - XBT Bid - Ask - Last -
The itBit team is hard at work building a bitcoin trading solution for U.S. investors. Please complete the form to receive an email notification once itBit is available to customers based in the United States.
Our redesigned website offers greater ease of use and showcases itBit's fresh look. We are in the process of rolling out new educational resources, multimedia content and site features that will enhance your experience on itBit.com.
Check out our new Welcome to itBit video and visit the itBit Blog to learn more about itBit's services, mission and our latest digital currency industry insights.
It has been an eventful five weeks for the bitcoin and digital asset markets. Following the bitcoin halving event on July 9th, the price of bitcoin stabilized in the mid-600 range and remained...Read more
Bitcoin continued its incredible run last week, surging another roughly 10% to close around $740. The price has now jumped over 65% since late-May. Source: tradingview.com OUR LATEST...Read more
The bitcoin price rose 20% in May and is now up over 30% in 2016. The price had been rangebound most of the year, leaving volatility at extremely low levels. Big upside volume helped boost the price...Read more


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Operating without tax dollars for decades, relying on the sale of products and service, USPS delivers almost half of the world’s mail, including millions of packages for UPS and FedEx.
Bob Gunter, president of the American Postal Workers Union’s Heart of Illinois Area Local, said, “The Postal Service is an economic engine that employs 633,000 employees and is the core of a $1.6 trillion U.S. mailing industry that employs more than 7.3 million people. The Postal Service processes and delivers 143 billion pieces of mail each year and is the only organization in the country that has the resources, network infrastructure and logistical capability to deliver to every residential and business address in the nation six (and sometimes seven) days a week.
“The USPS delivers to 160 million addresses every day and an additional 1.2 million new addresses are added each year.
“The Postal Service is a retail giant with the nation’s largest network of 34,613 outlets serving over 811 million customers each year – more than McDonalds, Starbucks and Walmart combined.
“The workforce of more than 600,000 people is one of the most diverse, with 30% minorities, and is also one of the largest employers of veterans and women.”


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ABM Rexel with new managing director
Rexel in Spain announced that the longtime leader, Helder Carvalho, has left the company to pursue new responsibilities in the industry.
His successor will be Marc Schoettel, who will be head of ABM Rexel from 20 September onwards. Schoettel comes from Lyreco, an office supply retailer and previously he was with Antalis, a wholesaler of packaging materials.
Only for the register of decision makers at Rexel: Sales of office supplies and packaging is different to the distribution of electrical installation products. But Rexel is learning that too.


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The ability for it to access the large and growing Samsung user base is a key to Home’s success, as its pre-announced partner, HTC, is clearly losing ground to the competition. Furthermore, the release of Home aligns perfectly with the release of Samsung’s Galaxy S IV, so there’s potential for Facebook to partner with Samsung during its big marketing push.
Another incorrect prediction I made is that Facebook would be unable to gain support from the big wireless carriers – “It simply doesn’t make sense for big carriers, which rely on packaging texting plans with data plans, to promote a product that provides a significant threat to that business.” Sure enough, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to partner with AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) and France Telecom-Orange.
This is reminiscent of another phone announcement some years ago by a different company. Partnering with wireless carriers is important in order to get phones in front of people where they shop for phones. It’s doubtful AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) would have partnered with Facebook and HTC if it didn’t intend on promoting the phones in stores and on its website. AT&T will likely harp on its early exclusivity with hopes for another iPhone-like winner.
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) win or loss?
I previously wrote, “Google, for its part, will likely welcome a new Facebook feature. … If the new Facebook fork proves popular, there could be an uptick in Android sales.” I still believe this statement is true. The company released a statement after Facebook’s event – “It’s a win for users who want a customized Facebook experience from Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Play — the heart of the Android ecosystem — along with their favorite Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) services like Gmail, Search and Google Maps.”
Unlike Amazon’s fork of the Android OS for its Kindle tablets, Home doesn’t get rid of the Google Play store or other Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) services, which the company relies upon to generate profit from Android. And while Facebook is increasingly competing with Google in some respects, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) still has a lot to gain from the potential increase in Android market share driven byHome.
The fundamental changes in Home aren’t app purchases, mapping services, or internet searching. It’s in how users interact with Facebook, with a focus on messaging – an area where Google has only a small interest. Therefore, Home should be a win for Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) should it prove popular.
Does engagement mean revenue?
The goal for Facebook appears to be improving user engagement with its products. Homemakes it easy to interact with your News Feed and integrates Facebook Messenger very nicely with the rest of the phone’s software. The question remains, can Facebook effectively monetize Home.
Mobile monetization is not a new issue for Facebook. I don’t think it would have invested the resources for such a product if it didn’t think it could boost mobile revenue with Home. While it eschewed the numerous roadblocks I previously believed posed a serious threat to this product’s success, it still needs to, first, become popular enough to turn on the ad-switch, and then stay popular once it does.
Adam Levy has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Facebook and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Facebook and Google.


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For Immediate Release: Oct. 6, 2010
Contact: Kim Becker
City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department
November Events Put Twist On Traditional Garage Sales
HENDERSON, Nev.— The City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department is hosting two events designed to bring bargain hunters and sellers together in November. A Giant Garage Sale will be held from 7:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 6 at Black Mountain Recreation Center, 599 Greenway Rd. It features approximately 50 sellers and items ranging from toys and household items to tools and clothing. Those wishing to sell items at this event may reserve a space online at cityofhenderson.com (activity 154001-02) or in person at any City of Henderson recreation center.
Upscale Yard Sale will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 19 at Heritage Park Senior Facility, 300 S. Racetrack Rd. It features approximately 30 vendors and includes new and handmade items such as jewelry, knickknacks and more. Vendor space is sold out for this event. Both sales are open to shoppers of all ages.
“We’re finding that many people would like to have their own yard sales, but are unable to do so because they either live in a gated community or because they have concerns about privacy,” said Nick McLemore, Recreation Services supervisor, City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department. “Our events not only eliminate those concerns, but they also attract far more shoppers than a traditional yard sale ever could. We handle all of the promotion and signage so sellers can focus on selling and buyers can simply find great bargains.”
For additional information, call 267-4000 or visit cityofhenderson.com.
The nationally accredited City of Henderson Parks and Recreation Department provides premium services through diverse and innovative parks, recreation and natural resource opportunities. It serves the community with seven recreation centers (including a facility for adults 50+), 11 pools, 50 parks, five skate parks, two sports complexes, more than 60 linear miles of trails, Acacia Demonstration Gardens, the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, and thousands of programs for people of all ages and abilities.


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Where would we be without our Netflix subscriptions? The almighty streaming platform is a content-rich playground of movies, TV shows, stand-up specials, and award-winning original content. While there’s no end to the cinema and quality programming, the sky is also the limit when it comes to the price you pay for the streaming service. Netflix premiums have been steadily increasing every few years. Right now, a high-def plan will run you $13.99/month with 4K streaming available for $17.99/month. … [Read more...] about How to get Netflix for free
Best internet provider deals
Bill based on privacy principles most modern democracies subscribe toI try to avoid debates, like this one, on the pros and cons of the draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 (PDP Bill, 2019) — because right now it is just that — a draft. Having witnessed our two previous attempts at creating a data protection framework fail, I am reluctant to count my chickens before they hatch. That said, the Joint Parliamentary Committee seems on the verge of issuing a final report, so we might be closer to seeing light at the end of this tunnel, than ever before.It is a fact the PDP Bill is based on privacy principles that most modern democracies subscribe to. It is firmly grounded in the notion of consent, requiring all entities that collect personal data to provide notice of the purpose for which the data that is being collected will be used as well as a whole host of other information essential for informed consent. It requires those who collect data to adhere to principles of … [Read more...] about As privacy becomes a hot topic, this week’s debate centres around the Data Protection Bill. Will it do enough to protect your digital data?
Ying Shun Liang - Industry process consultant, Manufacturing, Dassault Systèmes Asia-Pacific South It is no different in the manufacturing industry, with social, economic, and technological disruptions reshaping how businesses are interacting with their customers. While responding to these rapidly shifting nuances effectively is tough going even in the best of times, COVID-19 has further complicated things. … [Read more...] about Visualising success in factories of the future
"That didn't have anything to do with our investment in Jio or the partnership," he said. "It really did come from recognizing that this was a special company that had done pretty amazing work in transforming the digital infrastructure of India in a short period of time." … [Read more...] about India is the biggest prize in tech. Meet the gatekeeper
Although this data does not include messages sent or calls made using WhatsApp, or a user's location, it does include personal details used to set up an account, such as name and phone number, as well as information on what exact model of device they are using, as well as the IP address. … [Read more...] about WhatsApp users are increasingly moving to other platforms


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No poultry products supplied from Ukraine during import ban: Ministry
The Ministry of Agriculture on Monday dismissed as “baseless and unfounded” reports that it had allowed the importation of poultry products from Ukraine despite a ban on all poultry imports from this county following the outbreak of the H5 avian influenza.
The ministry was responding to reports circulated on social media outlets in the wake of two mass food poisoning incidents in the Balqa governorate where hundreds of people fell ill and two persons died after taking contaminated chicken meals from local restaurants.
In a statement issued today, the ministry explained that no poultry products from Ukraine have been allowed to enter the Kingdom since January 20th this year after the eastern European nation announced the outbreak of the H5 avian influenza.
The ministry added that even after the World Organization for Animal Health announced Ukraine an H5-free country in early March, no shipments of Ukrainian poultry products have been allowed to enter the Kingdom to date.
During the ban period, the ministry said, no Ukrainian poultry imports were allowed, adding that the last shipment was cleared in December 2019. The ministry urged the public not to disseminate inaccurate information which, it said, disrupts economic activity and harms local producers and markets.
Source: Jordan News Agency


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A new report from the Centers for Disease Control found that in the one month period from May 17–June 17, 2012, poison centers reported 485 exposures involving laundry detergent pods, almost all of which involved children ages 5 and under.
And while there were about an equal amount of children who took sips or scoops of non-pod detergent, the CDC found that a “significantly greater proportion” of the pod-chewing children had “gastrointestinal and respiratory adverse health effects and mental status changes compared with those with non-pod laundry detergent exposures.”
And given that pods have only been on the market for about two years and still make up a smaller portion of the detergent market than powders and liquids, the fact that about half of all reported detergent exposures comes from this smaller number of households could be a sign of bad things to come as pods become more popular.
“These pods may look like candy, but they’re toxic, and we’re seeing more reports of young children being harmed,” explains Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., Director of Safety and Sustainability at Consumer Reports. “In some cases, kids have been placed on ventilators or had surgery to treat swelling and ulceration injuries. We need manufacturers to make their products safer, and we need to take measures to educate people about the dangers and require better packaging and labeling.”
The CDC is advising parents and caregivers to “keep laundry detergent pods, as well as other household cleaning products, out of reach and out of sight of children.”
After initial reports of children chowing down on these pods, Procter & Gamble introduced a more secure lid. However, there are concerns of older containers still being on the market — and we all know that children will eventually figure out a way to open something if they want what’s inside.
Consumer Reports is asking manufacturers of these products to go further and not just make the containers more difficult to open, but to make the pods themselves less attractive by changing the colors or putting them into opaque containers where youngsters won’t see them and hear the siren song of “Taste me… I look like a huuuuuge yummmy candy…”


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US: Union fears InBev brewery intentions
The US union Teamsters has said it is concerned about the reliability of InBev's commitments not to close any US breweries following its deal to acquire Anheuser-Busch.
In a statement issued yesterday (14 July) the union said: "In the wake of the news that A-B's board has accepted the offer from Belgian/Brazilian InBev, Teamsters across the country are questioning the reliability of InBev's commitments not to close any US breweries and not to cause 'any significant job losses' among the production workers."
In announcing the deal yesterday, InBev's CEO, Carlos Brito, said that, given the limited geographical overlap between the two businesses and the efficiency of A-B's brewery footprint in the US, all of A-B's US breweries will remain open.
"We know that Carlos Brito, InBev's chairman, has a reputation as a cost-slasher, and always at the expense of workers," said Jack Cipriani, director of the Teamsters Brewery and Soft Drink Workers Conference. "Given the record amount of debt tied to this acquisition, his commitments that he will not close any A-B plants in the US or cause significant production job losses raise major credibility issues for us."
Cipriani said he had requested a meeting with Brito to have him "reconcile these public commitments with the financial realities of the transaction".
In the coming weeks, Jim Hoffa, Teamsters general president, will host a meeting of Union representatives from InBev's other breweries in Europe, Brazil and Canada to hear directly from them about InBev's workplace conduct and to coordinate Teamster strategy to deal with InBev.
"Our core values include protecting good-paying American jobs and their communities, as well as preserving health care and pension benefits for all workers," Cipriani said. "We know that our European, Brazilian and Canadian counterparts have similar values. We look forward to learning about InBev from them and to seek their assistance as allies in our fight to protect our members."
The top ten stories published on just-drinks this week:...
Anheuser-Busch InBev has completed the pricing of its latest round of notes....
Rising costs have forced InBev Belgium, the local division of Anheuser-Busch InBev, to raise beer prices in the country, the brewer has said....
International spirits firms such as Diageo and Pernod Ricard face a tough year in China as an economic slowdown hits consumer confidence, the author of a new study in the country has told just-drinks....
The UK arm of Inbev has confirmed that it intends to close the Stag brewery in London, owned by recently-acquired Anheuser-Busch....
Doosan Corp's divestment of its liquor business will cost acquirer Lotte Group KRW503bn (US$383.5m), according to a recent filing....
The head of a US-based finance group has tipped Anheuser-Busch InBev to be a good bet for investors in 2009....
The husband of a senior executive at financial pr firm Brunswick Group has been formally charged with orhestrating an insider trading racket that included Anheuser-Busch shares....
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- What do US wholesalers think of spirits trends?
- Experienced hands hold firm at CCEP - Analysis
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- Global gin insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
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Hey gang, big news for PC PowerPlay! We're moving! Here's the official word:
"Future Publishing Australia (part of Future plc, the global specialist media group), today announces the acquisition of well-known technology brands PC PowerPlay, Hyper and PC & Tech Authority from nextmedia. The acquisition of these titles will include the magazine portfolios, digital editions, Upgrade events
and Australian PC Awards.
This acquisition will further expand Future’s existing tech and gaming portfolio, which includes leading Australian print and online brands APC, TechLife, TechRadar and PC Gamer.
PC PowerPlay and Hyper are two of Australia’s longest-running gaming magazines. Both have passionate and loyal audiences that span all aspects of computer gaming from specialist components and hardware to mainstream console gaming."
Like I said, big news, and it means Future now has a massive stable of excellent gaming properties - but what does this mean for PC PowerPlay?
We'll still be publishing our print edition, so very little changes on that front, and I'm still in the Editor's seat. In the online arena, PC PowerPlay will be folding into the excellent PC Gamer website — so please jump over there and join us for all your day-to-day PC gaming needs.
Otherwise, while the office has changed, it's business as usual for Australia's best and oldest PC gaming magazine.
See you next issue!


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Antalis’ experts help printers unlock full digital opportunity
In a market awash with constant technological advancements, Antalis has bolstered its digital team in order to provide customers with the industry’s most holistic consultancy when seeking to keep abreast of the latest innovations, along with training and support.
Headed up by digital expert, Jim Whittington, Antalis’ digital print experts now provide a dedicated regional focus supported by a centralised framework. Each expert team member will be available to provide customers with consultancy on the latest digital innovations and advancements in the market, along with advice on potential business opportunities. This invaluable support includes everything from guiding them through the process of investing in new equipment, identifying the different applications their existing machinery may be capable of producing and looking at new or complementary solutions to sit alongside existing kit.
Jim, who has been with the business since 2010, has helped numerous clients to identify and implement more innovation print solutions and, in turn, grow their business.
Recently joining the team, Brad Hyde is digital business partner for the south west and brings years of experience in high quality print and digital print acquired during his 10 plus years’ in the industry, most recently at Ricoh where he oversaw machine demonstrations at the leading name’s London showroom.
Occupying the same role but for the south east region is Neil Lewis, having been with the business for four years, prior to which he worked at Xerox. Conversely, taking the northern territory is Jeff Gill, bringing with him almost 20 years’ experience gained during various positions at the Antalis business.
Talking of the new team, Jim commented: ‘We are aware that our customers are under immense pressure from clients, particularly those working in the creative industries, to continue to push boundaries in innovation and the creative concepts. With the continuous introduction of new technology coming to market, Antalis acts as a consultative partner, helping printers find innovative solutions that will help them expand and differentiate.
‘As such, we have bolstered our digital team to provide customers with concerted expert consultancy on latest digital market entrants and the opportunity they present. While this isn’t anything new, as we already have a strong presence in this market, the difference is the ability to provide national access and expertise at a regional level – so we can reach out to more customers than ever before.
‘This is an important step for us, and follows in our commitment to being a solutions rather than product provider, and helping customers to remain progressive and grow their enterprise in these changing times. These really are exciting times ahead for Antalis and we are confident this latest move will further consolidate our position as the digital material provider of choice.’
The 'A' team – well 'AD' – 'Antalis Digital' (left to right): Brad Hyde, Jeff Gill, Jim Whittington and Neil Lewis prove a formidable force as Antalis Digital business partners.


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AMD will host the next “Meet the Experts” web conference on October 4th. Partners among motherboard manufacturers are invited to the event. They show their solutions based on the new AMD chipsets B650 and B650E (Extreme) for Ryzen 7000 processors. Among those invited are representatives from ASUS, ASRock, MSI, Gigabyte and Biostar, who will briefly inform about their new products in 60 minutes .
AMD held a similar event in early August. Then the company’s partners showed motherboards based on the older X670 and X670E chipsets. AMD Product Marketing Manager Don Waligroski is expected to attend the event in October.
Ryzen 7000 processors will go on sale on September 27th. On the same day, sales of motherboards based on the X670E and X670 chipsets will begin. Models of boards based on the B650 and B650E chipsets will appear on store shelves no earlier than October.
The main difference between the Extreme boards is PCIe 5.0 support for graphics cards and NVMe SSDs. Boards based on the X670 and B650 chipsets have optional PCIe 5.0 support and depend on the implementation of a specific board model.


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Polaroid Hits Spectrum Tablet Line Up
The famous camera company Polaroid is tapping into the Android tablet market with the three new tablet PCs branded with the name Spectrum that is unveiled at CES 2012. It seems unlikely but this isn’t the first time it tried its luck with tablets. It may be recalled that at last year’s CES, they gave a preview of Polaroid Tablet TC 970.
In this year’s CES, they showed pre-release units of the Spectrum line of tablet PCs. Said tablets were running Android 2.2 and 2.3 Gingerbread and were thus, considerably slower than many of those available at the event. Polaroid, however, revealed that before 2012 ends, they will have released tablets running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
The new Polaroid tablets will come in three sizes: 7, 8, and 9 inches, which it will carry into the product name: Spectrum 7, Spectrum 8, and Spectrum 9. The Spectrum 7 will have a pixel display resolution of 1024 x 600 whereas the Spectrum 9 will have 1024 x 768p.These panels will all be capacitive 10-finger input touchscreens.
These tablet PCs will carry a Cortex A18 1GHz processor with 1GB of RAM. They will also have dual cameras, with 2MP at the front and a 5MP at the rear. The Spectrum tablets will have between 4 and 16GB of external storage. They will be available in various colors, of blue, yellow, pink, white, and green.


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Why are Lightroom presets bundles so popular?
What is a VPN router? Do you really need it?
FUSER music game goes gold, VIP Edition adds 25 songs
Razer Chroma accessories updated, new addressable RGB controller announced
SanDisk announces new wireless chargers
What’s leaving Netflix November 2020: Last chance to stream these titles
Six new Nitro and Predator gaming monitors coming from Acer


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just-style authors and correspondents
Articles by Dilshani Samaraweera
The government of India has agreed to increase Sri Lanka's duty-free export quota for apparel by 5m pieces, more than doubling the previous allocation.
Sri Lanka's apparel industry is trying to compete with neighbouring Bangladesh by setting up no-frills, low cost, apparel manufacturing units in rural parts of the country.
The Timex Group, one of Sri Lanka's leading export apparel manufacturers, has launched one of its own brand labels in the UK through high street department store chain BHS.
Sri Lankan apparel giant Brandix Group says efforts to boost the sustainability of its operations have also given it a significant competitive advantage, contributing to bottom-line growth by cutting costs and upping sales.
Sri Lanka's apparel manufacturers see export demand holding up this year despite concerns about a slowing European economy, thanks to a focus on ethical manufacturing, factory investment, and the arrival of new international buyers. Dilshami Samaraweera spoke with firms showcasing their products at the recent Sri Lanka Expo 2012.
Sri Lanka's apparel industry says it is gearing up to transform the country into an Asian apparel hub, starting this year.
The Timex Group, one of Sri Lanka's top five manufacturers of apparel for export markets, has taken its own brand label into India after opening its first retail outlet in Bangalore last week.
The Sri Lankan government is seeking investors for a number of shuttered garment factories.
Coats Thread Exports, the largest domestic producer of thread for Sri Lanka's export apparel makers, says the local industry will most probably weather the economic slowdown in major western markets without too much pain.
Sri Lanka's apparel exporters say a surprise 3% devaluation of the Sri Lankan rupee, introduced in last week's national budget for 2012, will work in the industry's favour.
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- Clothing Market in the Top 5 American Countries to 2021 - Market Size, Development, and Forecasts
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The company also announced that, with the appointment of Salil Parekh as the CEO and Managing Director of the company for a period of 5 years, the Committee of Directors stands dissolved with effect from January 12, 2018.
Infosys's profit rose to $796 million in the quarter ended December, compared with $578 million in the September quarter, as the Bengaluru-based company booked a $225 million gain made on reversal of income tax expenses in the US.
With nine months gone, the company has grown at 5.6% in constant currency terms so far.
Yesterday, Infosys competitor Tata Consultancy Services reported a 3.6% drop in net profit in Q3 due to a soft financial services performance.
E Coli Outbreak Spreads to 15 States; Leafy Greens Suspected
Romaine lettuce is mostly eaten raw and washing it or any produce tainted with E. coli will not remove the harmful bacteria. No common supplier distributor, or retailer of leafy greens has been identified as a possible source of this outbreak.
The Indian MNC earlier reported a net profit of United States dollars 796 million, thus registering a quarterly growth of 37.6 percent, and YoY growth of 45.4 percent. Infosys's move to retain its growth outlook indicates that the company expects its revenue to decline by 0.61% in the fourth quarter in the worst-case scenario.
Infosys was dealt a fresh blow with the exit of company veteran Rajesh Krishnamurthy, president, and head of energy, utilities, telecommunications and the Infosys consulting division.
IT major on Friday declared its earnings for the third quarter.
"It is a privilege for me to be appointed as the CEO and MD of Infosys, helping our clients navigate the digital future and employees build new skills and capabilities".
Samsung Will Reportedly Unlock FM Chip in Future Smartphones
Many smartphones in the world are manufactured with hardware capable of receiving free FM radio signals. Apple has declined to do so, saying that iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models do not have FM radio chips.
Mr. Sikka, who quit the company in August a year ago, had set a goal of $20 billion in revenue by 2020, which has since been abandoned. The same was reiterated by Infosys COO UB Pravin Rao while addressing a press conference post the release of the company's third quarter results.
"This is a phenomenal company that was started by people who had tremendous vision".
Infosys explained that during the December 2017 quarter, it had signed an Advance Pricing Agreement with the United States administration that had led to reversal of income tax expense provision of Rs 1,432 crore. They had created something which will last a very long time. Infosys will also be looking to firmly return its focus to business growth after a tumultuous year that ended with former CEO Vishal Sikka and much of his board leaving, to be replaced by Salil Parekh within months. My hope and expectation will be to be connected to the founders as the original people who started the company and pay respect to them in that light.
The management added that the company has added one client in the $100 million band and three clients in the $75 million range.
On-demand: Watch the Nintendo Direct Mini here
There are also rumored plans to release all three Dark Souls games to the console eventually, starting with the first title here. After releasing on the PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, and Xbox One, this co-operative multiplayer shooter graces the Nintendo Switch .
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Arc8 and BoomLand Collaboration
Arc8 is thrilled to announce that they’re kicking things off in style by partnering with the mighty Boomland, a first Play-And-Earn gaming platform and a leading web3 game developer and publisher of casual and mid-core games, delivering high-quality web3 projects to traditional gamers at mass scale.
Arc8 is the one-stop shop for action-packed blockchain gaming tournaments. Not only can you earn the GMEE token with your gaming skills. But you can even compete for a variety of other rewards from their partners.
To celebrate the launch of BoomLand’s newest game, Arc8 will host a variety of tournaments with unique rewards. This is no Token Takeover — it’s a whole new kind of partnership!
With over 200 published games, 10 years in the gaming industry and upwards of 1.5 billion downloads. The co-founders of BoomBit are venturing into the web3 space with BoomLand, a multi-game platform that will include 6 incredible games.
The first of these will be Hunters On-Chain, a battle royal game where the objective is to come out on top as the number one hunter. The playable hunters come in 40 classes, each with a unique appearance and set of attributes. Plus, they’re all NFTs, meaning they’re yours to own.
Get a head start in BoomLand by competing in Arc8 for a special BoomLand reward
BoomLand is the leading web3 game developer & publisher of casual and mid-core games, providing mass adoption of high-quality web3 projects to traditional gamers. Their vision is to create a new web3 community with its marketplace and Play-and-Earn ecosystem accessible to all.
About GAMEE powered by Arc8
GAMEE is a high-engagement, play-and-earn mobile gaming platform that rewards players for skill and effort. GAMEE’s products Arc8 and G-Bots are the new frontiers of casual mobile gaming in the metaverse, powered by the GMEE token, the utility token that enables access, action, and governance of the platform.


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In 2016, the consulting firm McKinsey said one of the keys to succeeding in tomorrow's fashion market would be sustainability, asserting that consumers will “expect ecologically unobjectionable fabrics, a conservation-minded use of resources, reduced emission of pollutants, and greater social commitment.”
As Huffington Post has reported, sustainability has become the next fashionable trend, but despite growing interest from consumers, the industry still has a long way to go. Sustainable Brands reported earlier this year that the apparel industry has one of the largest carbon footprints globally. More companies, however, are stepping up their game.
For example, the outdoor clothing and equipment brand The North Face hopes its commitment to expanding the range of the label’s Cali Wool collection this year “will help raise awareness of how consumers can support climate action by purchasing products made with regenerative methods.” Cali Wool is sustainably produced wool that the company introduced last year.
In order to produce this range of clothing, The North Face has partnered with Bare Ranch in California, whose regenerative agricultural practices are expected to sequester 4,000 metric tons of carbon a year, or the equivalent of removing 800 cars per year from the roads. Bare Ranch in turn has worked with Fibershed, a non-profit that “develops regional and regenerative fiber systems on behalf of independent working producers.”
The basis of this system is carbon farming, the process by which carbon is sequestered back into the soil. This system uses techniques such as composting, planting cover crops and trees and restoring creeks on ranch land. As a result, while sheep graze on the land, overall soil health is improved, and the result is what Bare Ranch calls “Climate Beneficial” wool.
Sustainable ranching is one benefit of producing this line of clothing, while another feature is to produce a completely regional product - further limiting this apparel’s carbon impact. Instead of shipping the fibers off to an overseas location like China, The North Face’s Cali Wool products are manufactured in the USA.
This line of apparel is not a low cost leader, but as The North Face told TriplePundit via email, “the price of the Cali Wool collection - beanie, scarf and jacket - reflects the high-quality, premium USA Rambouillet wool and local manufacturing. All three Cali Wool products are made in the USA and the fabric for the jacket, in particular, is woven at American Woolen Company, a Connecticut-based fabric mill that makes specialty, high-quality fabric.”
This year’s Cali Wool range expands upon its first item, the beanie, which The North Face launched in 2017. By expanding the product range this year, The North Face is purchasing five times as much Climate Beneficial wool by volume compared to last year.
The product retails at a slightly higher price than those made from conventionally sourced fibers. As the aforementioned McKinsey report concluded, while consumers are demanding products that are sustainably sourced, “only the fewest customers are willing to pay more for these greener products.” So, will this be a problem for The North Face?
It appears not. The Cali Wool beanie is ten dollars more expensive than a similar merino wool product on the company’s website, but so the brand's customers are prepared to pay the price premium. The North Face told us via email that the Cali Wool product range for this year was expanded in part because of consumer demand, having sold out twice through their online store already.
It is encouraging to see responsibly sourced natural fibers finding their way back into the apparel market. From the startup footwear company using wool and tree fibers 3p covered last month, to large established companies like The North Face, moving away from synthetic materials will help provide consumers with more choices of responsibly- and sustainably-made apparel.
Image credit:/The North Face
Phil Covington holds an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School. In the past, he spent 16 years in the freight transportation and logistics industry. Today, Phil's writing focuses on transportation, forestry, technology and matters of sustainability in business.


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Torrenting The Witness could impact Jonathan Blow's next game
The Witness is the #1 game on a 'certain popular torrenting site'
Jonathan Blow's The Witness is amazing work of art, but despite all the praise and favorable reviews, a large majority of gamers still believe the "indie puzzle game" isn't worth the $40 price tag it comes with. So they've taken to "a certain popular torrent site" to steal the game and play it for free.
While Blow is happy more people are experiencing the game, he warns that torrenting The Witness, which took seven years to create, could impact his future games. Taking to Twitter, the indie developer expressed his frustration.
It seems The Witness is the #1 game on a certain popular torrent site.— Jonathan Blow (@Jonathan_Blow) January 28, 2016
Unfortunately this will not help us afford to make another game! :(
I'm glad that a lot more people will be experiencing the game! But I also want to be able to make another comparable game next! Just sayin'.— Jonathan Blow (@Jonathan_Blow) January 28, 2016
Despite the number of people torrenting the game, The Witness still remains among Steam's top-sellers. It's unclear exactly how many people have torrented Blow's addicting new puzzler, but the developer says he should be able to make a new game "of comparable intricacy next!" Not only that, but he says it can do it in way less time.
The Witness took seven years to develop, so let's hope so.
For those of you stuck on a puzzle, check out our guide (work in progress) here.


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Multiple jurisdictions in Canada have implemented stewardship programs, putting onus on producers to manage the products and packaging they churn out at the end of life. This two-part series tells the story of British Columbia’s 21 producer responsibility programs, focusing on one in particular. And it takes a look at Ontario’s plans to transition from 50% to 100%-funded producer responsibility for packaging and paper.416
In 2002, Ontario established regulations in Canada requiring producers to pay 50% of the cost to collect and process waste packaging and paper recovered from residential curbside collections, with municipalities paying the remainder. In the next few years comes another monumental move: producers will pick up the full tab for this program, which the province calls “Blue Box.” And they will also begin running it.
The Ministry, with input from producers and the waste industry, has drafted and will ultimately approve the finalized regulations for this extended producer responsibility program (EPR), which is intended to help cut municipalities’ diversion costs and incentivize producers to design products for recyclability.
Jo-Anne St. Godard, executive director, Recycling Council of Ontario (RCO), reflects on the history of Ontario’s recycling program and long journey toward putting more onus on producers of these materials.
“In the 1980’s municipalities were operationalizing waste packaging collections in their communities with seed money from producers that stopped, and those municipalities had to continue the program on taxpayers’ dime, which continued for 25 years. It was 19 years ago [under the Waste Diversion Act] that producers became obligated to pay 50 percent of the cost to manage waste printed paper and packaging,” St. Godard says.
That shift was a stepping stone on the way to the Ministry’s exploration of this leap to EPR – 100% producer responsibility for everything. The hopeful goal is to introduce new EPR regulations, agreed upon by all parties, by Q1 of 2021.
The focus has been on developing rules that provide high recycling targets, as well as give producers full freedom in how they manage their obligations to reach those targets.
“We do not want regulations to prescribe the ‘how to.’ We want them to set meaningful performance obligations, such as high recycle targets and sound environmental management processes,” St. Godard says.
EPR is intended not only to address downstream efforts (collections), but to drive improvements on the frontend, namely seeing that packages are designed for recyclability.
“The overarching concept is that the actors in the supply chain have the most influence over product design and how products are brought to market and are also made responsible for recycling. When they pick up the expense of end-of-life management, theoretically they will want to make it cost efficient for themselves while meeting their obligations,” St. Godard says.
There are multiple interests and opinions around how to most effectively manage waste packaging which has had a cost share legacy – a history of sharing responsibility. With this new chapter and transfer of expense come many details to work out so that all sides are satisfied that they’re standing on a level playing field.
Among considerations to be vetted are around ownership of assets. Who owns the infrastructure? Do municipalities want to continue collecting materials as a service provider to the producers? And, if so, how is revenue share structured to be fair to all parties? How do you ensure service and diversion rates don’t go down once producers take over?
“Producers will have to realign their business to new realities, and there is uncertainty in terms of what the new waste management system will look like. So, there is a current state of flux,” St. Godard says.
The retailers who put packaging on the market are not pushing back; and as a whole believe that companies that make packaging decisions should pay for residential recycling.
On its website the Retail Council of Canada states of EPR: “This is a time-proven method which creates a strong incentive for businesses to move away from hard-to-recycle materials while continuing to optimize packaging methods. Extended producer responsibility is a powerful policy tool which facilitates a circular economy.”
RCC says some details are yet to be worked out to retailers’ satisfaction, namely tied to the degree of flexibility afforded to them so they can work efficiently. But the organization supports the three-year transition schedule to full producer responsibility and is behind setting high targets for better diversion and recycling.
“Retail as a sector represents the largest industry paying into Ontario’s Blue Box program. Retailers share a common view that plastics, printed paper, and packaging do not belong in landfills,” RCC President and CEO Diane J. Brisebois stated.
Businesses have invested over $1.5 billion in managing these materials since the Blue Box program’s launch, helping to expand collections to about 95% of Ontario households and to reach recycling rates just over Ontario’s 60% target, according to RCC.
Toronto is among cities that is actively working to prepare for the transition to full producer funding of collections and processing. Charlotte Ueta, project director, Business Transformation - Extended Producer Responsibility, Solid Waste Management Services for Toronto, calls out three key challenges she believes 100% producer responsibility will improve on: financial constraints, recovering quality materials, and setting up a consistent system.
“The costs associated with recycling are significant and have continued to rise over the last few years. Producers determine what packaging is put into the marketplace, yet the responsibility for the end-of-life management of those materials and a significant portion of the costs fall to municipalities and in turn ratepayers and taxpayers. Transitioning to EPR will shift that responsibility,” Ueta says.
The city estimates it will save approximately $15 million once producers are fully responsible for managing the materials they put into the marketplace.
On the quality front, Ueta anticipates more moneys will drive down contamination, which now costs Toronto millions of dollars each year. Contaminated streams can damage equipment, cause injuries to workers at recycling facilities, and ruin otherwise good materials.
Then there is consistency. “Having different recycling rules in different jurisdictions has also been an issue as people may work in one jurisdiction, live in another, and have a secondary property somewhere else. This causes confusion and [further heightens] contamination. EPR will standardize the list of what is accepted in blue bins across the province. And it may also result in more items being recycled due to efficiencies and economies of scale that producers may be able to realize,” Ueta projects.
The Blue Box program will begin its shift to full producer responsibility in 2023, which will be complete in 2026.
Why will this move, from conceptualization to final adoption and roll out, take over five years?
“It’s political courage; that’s why advancement has taken such a long while. It involves a lot of investment by municipalities and by producers. It has taken decades to get this far, with a lot of collaboration and compromise on all sides, and it’s exciting to be on the cusp of new EPR legislation,” St. Godard says.