| 24 Nov, 2007, 0457 hrs IST,Ashish Kumar Mishra & Irshad Daftari, TNN
On 15th November, an anxious group comprising 11 representatives of the textile & clothing industry of India and heads of four banks called on the finance minister, P Chidambaram. Every member painted a doomsday picture of the industry, outlining the fall in exports because of the appreciation of the rupee, infrastructure bottlenecks, cross-subsidy that the industry has to pay for power and delays in funding under the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS). That lasted for about 70 minutes, but it could have continued indefinitely, high as the group was on emotions.
A member in attendance says, “The minister gave us a very patient hearing." That's all the finance minister can do, unfortunately. As India's economy becomes richer, its currency will continue to appreciate and put many industries “on the barge".
Urban Warrior | 'I CAN'T TAKE IT MUCH LONGER'
IT WAS DRIZZLING outside of Big Jim Tucker's Lounge on West Market Street last week. Just two men sought shelter there, tipping back afternoon beers. Chain-link fencing has closed down the streets leading to the corner bar, which is smack-dab in the middle of SEPTA's reconstruction of the Market-Frankford El. Elected officials - city, state and federal - have come up with more than $2.5 million to help West Philadelphia merchants impacted by the massive project. But for every dollar of relief touted in press releases and photo opportunities with big blow-up checks, only a quarter has been spent so far, as the project enters its ninth and, hopefully, final year. Robert and Robena Rogers say their bar has taken a financial beating. Business is off at least 50 percent since construction paralyzed the neighborhood's main commercial corridor.
Business: Martin's easy way to bleed radiators
A COVENTRY-BASED inventor is promising to revolutionise an ageold domestic task with the launch of his latest eco-friendly product. Martin O'Donnell, managing director of Green Innovations, has designed the Easybleed valve, which allows people to bleed radiators quickly and safely by simply pushing a button. The former environmental marketing specialist has already secured agreements with several major DIY chains, builders and plumbing merchants to stock the product and now aims to strike similar deals with European distributors. Mr O'Donnell, who is based at the Coventry Techno Centre, in Puma Way, said: "Air locks are very common in the home and for a radiator to work efficiently, you should really bleed it several times a year. "Traditionally, this meant unscrewing a small bleed valve with a square-headed tool and this posed several problems, from mislaying the tool to the likely scenario of rusty water spraying all over the much cherished carpet." .
Wild hogs win Texas boar war
EDOM, Texas -- It was a cool Saturday night in East Texas, and many men were surely someplace warm, swilling beer and watching football. That was not Joe Paddock's idea of good times.Covered in camouflage and carrying an AR-10 assault rifle, night-vision goggles and enough ammo to outfit a small battalion, Paddock was wading through weedy bottomlands, eager to "get up on some hogs," as he excitedly put it.Two packs of wild boars on a retired fire marshal's ranch had eluded his scope for weeks. This time, he promised, the clever pigs would pay."It's become like a vendetta to me," Paddock whispered. "These hogs have got my number. It's like they're tracking me."Paddock is a pig-killing hit man who calls himself "The Dehoganator" and advertises his services.If a band of feral swine is laying waste to your land -- an increasingly pervasive problem in the Lone Star State -- The Dehoganator and his riflemen will happily shoot 'em up to hog heaven, as long as you help cover the cost of the bullets.
South Africa: Soccerex Extends its Benefits in Soweto
A sports complex will be built in Soweto as one of the legacy projects associated with hosting the business-to-business soccer convention, Soccerex. Making the announcement at the Sandton Convention Centre, the venue for the four-day event, on Wednesday, Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa said that the organisers of Soccerex had made a commitment to set up a sports centre in Mapetla. .
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Business Briefs for Nov. 25, 2007
Fidelity Homestead Savings Bank opened a branch at 2550 Florida St in Mandeville. Hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. Linda Dupuy, assistant vice president, will be branch manager and Brandie Stewart will be assistant branch manager. The telephone number is (985) 7272-5060. Conference set The Defense Energy Support Center is hosting a Small Business Networking and Training Conference Dec. 11 at the Marriott Baton Rouge at 5500 Hilton Ave. The conference is intended to improve small business participation in federal acquisitions from companies capable of providing energy commodities and services. Those include aviation fuels, naval fuel distillate, gasohol, gasoline, diesel fuels, heating oils, alternative fuels, ethanol; natural gas; aerospace fuels; electricity, including wind, biomass and geothermal renewable energy; and coal.
AP IMPACT: Piracy fight makes enemies
Michael Gaertner worried he could lose his company. A group called the Business Software Alliance was claiming that his 10-person architectural firm was using unlicensed software. The alliance demanded $67,000 - most of one year's profit - or else it would seek more in court. "It just scared the hell out of me," Gaertner said. An analysis by The Associated Press reveals that targeting small businesses is lucrative for the Business Software Alliance, the main copyright-enforcement watchdog for such companies as Microsoft Corp., Adobe Systems Inc. and Symantec Corp. Of the $13 million that the BSA reaped in software violation settlements with North American companies last year, almost 90 percent came from small businesses, the AP found. The BSA is well within its rights to wring expensive punishments aimed at stopping the willful software copying that undoubtedly happens in many businesses.
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