Category Archives: Resource Based Economy

The past decade has witnessed unprecedented technological advancements. Technologies like Cloud, mobile, Internet, and Internet of Things (IoT) have led to data explosion and analytics. It is estimated by IBM that 90% of the worlds data has been created in the last two years. This comprises largely of unstructured data, generated by transactions, logs, records, social media, audio, visual and video consumption. New data sources are added every day, resulting in valuable data ecosystems for governments and businesses alike.

The availability of such large amounts of data has given rise to a Data Economy, which is thriving on analytics and value derived from these varied data sources. This data economy is supported by a converged Digital Infrastructure, which ensures seamless storage and exchange of data through communication systems.

Given that 80% of all data has a spatial component, a foundational component of the Data Infrastructure also includes the geospatial data infrastructure. Geospatial data provides the critical where or location component to any data or system. Geospatial Data not only serves as an infrastructure, but as a knowledge source and a service provider for the country.

The significance of place has been well recognized by our ancestors for ages maps have been used for defence, trade, navigation, land and resource management, infrastructure planning and administration. People have been making decisions based on knowledge of the environment provided by maps, hence, the better the maps, the better and the decisions.

With the evolution of technology, the face and form of maps have also changed. Nowadays, digital geospatial information provides far more value for societal, economic and environmental use than just a simple map, and serves as an essential national information resource. It provides an integrating underpinning location reference frame that enables government systems and services, and national development initiatives. With the development of mobile devices and telecommunications infrastructure, its use is also increasing in business services provided by companies like Uber, Airbnb, Amazon, etc.

Geospatial Information is nothing but a digital version of the physical world in which all human, economic and environmental activities take place, and without which a digital economy is not possible. Geospatial information is presented in many forms and mediums including maps, satellite imagery and aerial photography.

Geospatial information and related location-based services silently extend value and benefit to all sections and stakeholders, including citizens, communities, businesses, governments and others on a daily basis by providing the digital connection between a place, its people and their activities. It is also used to model and portray the impact of the past, the present and the likely future.

Geospatial information is a nations digital currency for evidence-based decision-making. As already established, it is a critical component of national infrastructure and knowledge economy that provides a nations blueprint of what happens where, and the means to integrate a wide variety of government services that contribute to economic growth, national security, sustainable social development, environmental sustainability and national prosperity. All governments, both at the national and local levels, hold considerable quantities of geospatial information and location data, for example databases of schools and school performance, flood risk data and mobile phone ownership data. However, this information is often not up to date, or of sufficient quality for effective decision-making. In contrast, a geospatially enabled nation is one that shares, integrates and uses a wide range of data to achieve social, economic and environmental benefits. This use and associated benefits extend across governments, businesses and citizens, and from national to city and small community levels. Geospatial information is the underpinning infrastructure for all these applications.

Having said that, it is important to highlight that governments and national geospatial agencies need to consider countrys respective geospatial readiness to build further strategies to advance towards digital transformation. However the challenge is an increasing digital and geospatial divide. It is high time to invest in developing a positive and collaborative approach towards building global geospatial infrastructure and policy frameworks. It is critical that countries develop a collaboration and partnership model to co-create the geospatial knowledge platform, including government to government, government to private, government to funding agencies, also involving in the process the academia and research institutes.

In the quest to strengthen Geospatial Knowledge Infrastructure in transforming economy of digital age, Geospatial Media and Communications is organizing an exclusive workshop at the Geospatial World Forum onAdvancing Role of Geospatial Knowledge Infrastructure in World Economy and Societyto discuss the geospatial readiness of the country, eventual transformation model including existing and required integrated policy framework and most importantly enriching the knowledge platform adopting collaboration and partnership model.

To know more please visit http://www.geospatialworldforum.org

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Advancing role of geospatial knowledge infrastructure in world economy and society - Geospatial World

New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS): PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the government that demand rejuvenating reforms should be the major focus area of the forthcoming Union Budget 2020-21.

Demand creation reforms will push the broad based recovery of the economy and create an environment of enthusiasm to become a US $5 trillion economy, going forward, D K Aggarwal, president, PHDCCI said in a press statement covering the broad pre-budget expectation of the industry chamber.

At this juncture, rationalisation of direct taxes and an income tax exemption upto the level of income of Rs 5 lakhs will be a great breakthrough to enhance the personal disposable income of the individuals and to increase the consumption demand in the economy, said Aggarwal.

With no personal income tax applicable upto the income of Rs 5 lakhs for the individuals, income tax slabs should be rationalised to 10 per cent for people earning upto Rs 10 lakhs per year, 20 per cent for those with incomes of over Rs 10 lakhs and upto Rs 20 lakhs, 30 per cent for income over Rs 20 lakhs and upto Rs 2 crore and 35 per cent for individuals earning more than Rs 2 crore, he said.

Increased expenditure of the government to enhance consumption demand along with implementation of Rs 102 lakh crore National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) has the potential to push economic growth trajectory to more than 8 per cent in the next three years, Aggarwal added.

Access to finance is a major roadblock being faced by the industries particularly by the MSMEs impacting their competitiveness and growth. To address the liquidity crunch in MSMEs, there is a need to set up a dedicated fund of Rs 25,000 crore or more with no collateral being asked for the MSMEs, PHDCCI has said.

Long term Capital Gains Tax on shares is suggested at 10 per cent for the holding period after one year, 5 per cent after two years and zero per cent after three years as when STT was levied it was in lieu of exempting long term capital gains tax.

Around 95 per cent of MSMEs are in Proprietorship/Partnerships business. They are not getting any relief from the recent cut in corporate tax rates. So at this juncture we suggest a uniform tax rate of 25 per cent to such businesses, going forward, Aggarwal said.

To kick-start the exports growth trajectory, the PHDCCI president suggested increase in export earnings by the exporters on the base of the previous year (year-on-year earnings) should be tax free.

MSME exporters must be fully exempted from tax on their export earnings as this will enhance the exporters' motivation and strengthen their competitiveness in the global markets.

For doubling farmers' income, a properly designed market support scheme for agricultural produce and dismantling of barriers to markets for farmers must be pursued, the chamber has suggested.

APMC should be dismantled and e-NAM should become the vehicle for farmers' produce across the states.

Aggarwal also urged for increase in public healthcare spending to at least 3 per cent of GDP with increase in annual budget each year for delivery of better health services to the people.

Health centres should be made available within the radius of one kilometer and hospitals within the radius of 10 km, said Aggarwal.

There is a need to initiate work on inclusive and approachable education with a spending of at least 4.5 per cent of GDP on education, he added.

A robust analysis of current skill gaps to promote effective skill development should be undertaken to create more and more employment opportunities for the growing workforce in the country.

Skill Mapping must be done to scientifically plan human resource needs in the different sectors of the economy.

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Focus on demand creation reforms in budget: PHDCCI to govt - Daijiworld.com

Lets sex it up because we must. National Councils debate yesterday was most immature to say the least. It was dramatic bathos to extent it could go.

Bhutans penal code says that a person is guilty of the offence of unnatural sex if an individual engages in sodomy or any other sexual conduct that is against the order of nature.

The whole debate was about how to put this clause in the modern perspective. But the MPs got it wrong entirely.

Yes, the definition of what manner of sex is natural or not is important. Some of the MPs brought into the debate bestiality and necrophilia even. They are not alone, however. What about kinkism where couples experiment sexual innovations of the kinds to satisfy their own carnal needs? These are private matters. Where is the role of law here?

Most important, however, we are missing the real purpose of the debate. There ought not to have been this debate in the first place. That a person is guilty of the offence of unnatural sex if the individual engages in sodomy or any other sexual conduct that is against the order of nature is broadly enough. The law is clear.

Activists and flibbertigibbets can be stentorian but we must get to where reasonableness is.

By their demands, even touching oneself in occasional sexual moods can be a crime. Why and how not? Who is going to take account of it all then? And, ergo, why should it be a national issue unnecessarily?

There are also those who argue the point based on the availability of capacityeconomic and human resource availability of the country. This is inane at best. Such myopic views are better kept aside.

We have come to a stage of development, we believe, where we are perfectly capable of deciding the growth of our own society. And that doesnt have to be by taking wholesome in some irrelevant ideas from abroad. Our main problem is that we often fail to look in.

The bathos we could sink in is that when latex-gloved doctors insert his or her fingers up our behind and we will have to accept it on the grounds of medical intervention-that is the image of reality. Is that unnatural sex or medical intervention? Where is the space for debate thenwhat really is against the order of nature?

Our lawmakers have more issues of national interest to deliberate on, the economy on which the national image rests and that means taking employment into consideration.

We could do well as a nation to debate on issues that affect us seriously today than the problems like agreeing on definitions about sexual conduct. How the parliamentarians see is a different thing altogether. The voters see it very differently. There is now a gap that is widening visibly.

There are development needs more urgent than the definitions of sexual deviance. Invest more time in the nations urgent national development programmes. Thats what our parliaments role should reflect.

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What really is against the order of nature? - Kuensel, Buhutan's National Newspaper

Ritika Singh, Maninder Singh, Ajay Sharma, Praharsh Chandra, Saurabh Sharma, Kumaresan.B

Shadowfax, Indias only crowdsourced, cross-category, full-stack logistics platform, has joined hands with the Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India, ASSOCHAM, in a first-of-its-kind and an exclusive partnership to promote micro entrepreneurship in gig economy under the aegis of Government of Indias Skill India Mission initiative.

With the gig economy gaining traction, logistics and delivery are the sunshine sectors providing immense employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. Under this partnership, ASSOCHAM, which is an independent body, will work closely with the government to create awareness about the benefits of working in this attractive sector and the right candidates shall be trained as per government standards to make them employment ready for the delivery & hospitality sector.

Once trained, these fully skilled human resources will be provided business and entrepreneurship opportunities in delivery sector through the crowdsourced Shadowfax logistics platform. This first-of-its-kind socio-economic association is expected to create an additional resource pool of 1.6 lakh trained delivery personnel in the course of next two years across India including metros, tier 2, tier 3 cities and even rural areas.

Sharing the details of the partnership, Saurabh Sharma, V.P. Growth & Expansion, Shadowfax said, We are privileged to partnerwith ASSOCHAM in this socio-economic initiative under the Skill India mission. The Shadowfax delivery partners are all microentrepreneurs who, if they choose to, rewrite their destiny a little better every day. This partnership which seeks to upskill more than 150000 youth to make them employable, is in line with our corporate social mission to create a million microentrepreneurs by 2023. It is also in sync with our business goal to increase our footprints to a 600+ Indian cities and towns as the project will provide us a ready pool of trained delivery partners from across India including metros, tier 2-3 cities and towns and even rural areas including parts of J&K and North-East India. We expect this Shadowfax-ASSOCHAM partnership to set an exemplary instance of the best kind of socio-corporate tie-up.

Speaking on the occasion, Maninder Singh Nayyar, Co-Chairman, Skill & Entrepreneurship ASSOCHAM, said, ASSOCHAM has found a worthy partner in Shadowfax, a company which believes in not only providing gainful employment but also in sowing the seeds of entrepreneurship in its workforce. Upskilling alone does not help our youth, they need enough business opportunities to prove their mettle. Our partnership with Shadowfax will provide our trained youth right and ample opportunities to make their mark. The project alone is expected to add approximately 20% more delivery personnel to the existing pool with reputed organizations like Bal Bharti Academy also supporting this initiative at pan India level.

Ajay Sharma, Assistant Secretary General, ASSOCHAM, added, GOI has allocated handsome amount for skill development under various programs. ASSOCHAM will identify and train each selected youth as per standards set out by the government under the aegis of this initiative. The project is expected to add approximately 2 lakh delivery personnel to the current 10 lakh+ community.

About Shadowfax

Shadowfax Indias largest crowdsourced logistics platform, was established in 2015 withthe vision of enabling commerce by empowering lives for everyone, everywhere. The Shadowfax technology platform optimizes for best-in-class partner efficiency and uniteconomics. Its AI based location processing engine, using location data from orderprocessing, enables highest service levels among its competitors. Driven by a massiveword-of-mouth growth in the India market, Shadowfax has the lowest partner acquisition cost in its segment. Shadowfax APIs are available for small as well as enterprise businesses throughout India for seamless and trustworthy logistics service.

About ASSOCHAM

ASSOCHAM initiated its endeavour of value creation for Indian industry in 1920. Having in its fold over 400 Chambers and Trade Associations and serving over 4.5 lakh members across India. ASSOCHAM has emerged as the fountainhead of Knowledge for Indian industry, which is all set to redefine the dynamics of growth and development in the Knowledge Based Economy.

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Shadowfax Ties Up With ASSOCHAM To Upskill And Employ Youth Under The Skill India Mission - IndianWeb2.com

The Nigerian Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, on Thursday, held his first major press conference in Abuja since he was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, and rolled out the five critical areas of focus for oil and gas sector in Africas most populous nation in the year 2020.

Theformer governorofBayelsa Statein Southern Nigeria expressed optimism that both the Petroleum Industry Governance, Administration & Host Communities Bill on one hand, and the Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill on the other, will be passed within the first anniversary of the Buhari administrations second term in office.

His confidence, he explained, was based on the current harmony between the Executive and Legislative arms of the Government.

President Muhammadu Buhari won a second term of four years in 2019, with his All Progressives Congress (APC) sweeping both chambers of the National Assembly.

That victory gave Mr. Buhari, 77, the backing he lacked in his first term when Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara rose to defeat his preferred candidates and antagonized him until the very last minute.

On the PIB, or Petroleum Industry Bill, which is the first priority of Mr. Sylva, he said a special focus will be placed on the Midstream and Downstream sectors.

Consequently, we are considering two regulators, one for the Upstream (the Commission) and another for the Midstream & Downstream (the Authority), he said, adding that the Midstream and Downstream sectors will particularly open enormous opportunities to local investors and create massive job opportunities in the country.

For example, investments will be available in pipeline engineering design, procurement & construction, terminal operations, pipe mills, fabrication of pressure vessels, storage facilities, pipe transportation and laying equipments, Refineries, Central Processing Facilities and also investment in Gas-based industries (Fertilizer, Methanol, Petrochemicals, LPG and CNG) etc. Open access for oil and gas transportation will be fully enhanced, he said.

On the upstream side, we are coming up with more robust fiscal provision, acreage management, drilling-or-drop program, etc. We are not only going to retain investors, multitudes will join the leagues of high-value operators, the Minister added.

Mr. Sylva explained that his second point agenda would be to address security challenges around oil and gas installations, specifically to curtail theft of petroleum products and crude oil.

He said the crude theft was being currently contained with legislation, security, surveillance, community engagement and diplomacy.

Mr. Sylva explained that oil theft lingers because of the presence of an active market for stolen crude and products, a weak measurement and surveillance mechanism, weak and inadequate sanctions, low cost and high incentive for theft as well as lack of infrastructural development.

As a solution, he proposed to use technology for pro-active leak detection and community participation in the oil and gas assets, as well as engage PTI in the training of unemployed youths in the region.

In addition, the government would have to revamp security architecture, increase supply to underserved areas, provide good infrastructure in the regions where oil is exploited and give incentives to host communities.

This would not be complete without increasing community stake-holding, designing and enforcing stiffer legislations and mobilizing global community, traders, refiners, regulators and international groups.

His third agenda, he said, would be to enable the operations of the National Oil company as a responsive commercial enterprise

Mr. Sylva said various transformation processes were currently ongoing in NNPC Growing from Business Unit Focus Areas (12 BUFAs) to Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE). We are considering the Incorporation of NNPC and its existing Joint Venture Companies.

In addition, his fourth priority would be to conduct bid rounds for marginal and opportunities within 2020 and to ensure settlement of dispute with partners and pave way for FID on major capital projects.

New Gridding, acreage management and bidding process are thoroughly elucidated in the upcoming Petroleum Industry Bills. It is therefore highly desirable that the Bills are passed before any bid round. This is one of the reason we implore Nigerians to support us in our quest to pass the bills in earnest, Mr. Sylva said.

His fifth priority would be to deepen domestic gas utilization and overall monetization of gas resource.

As you are aware, Natural gas has the capacity to transform an economy. We have seen successful examples all over the world. Qatar has the worlds highest GDP per Capita its growth anchored on natural gas. Saudi Arabia has positioned itself as the worlds hub for petrochemicals, creating significant job opportunities and enabling industrialization of the country, he said.

He added: Nigerias gas reserves is significant. Nigeria current 2P gas estimate is about 202TCF with potential for up to 600TCF in undiscovered resources. With the undiscovered potential, Nigeria could be in the same league as Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Russia.

Recognizing the potential of our enormous natural gas resources and the unprecedented growth in domestic gas demand, the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Ministry of Petroleum Resources over the years has championed various interventions to stimulate gas utilization and monetization.

This led to the Gas Master-Plan Policy initiative where detailed major gas infrastructure expansion and integration, gas supply development projects, revamp of the commercial framework for gas and tactical efforts to accelerate gas supply to Power sector, in addition to our gas industrialization strategy for investments in Fertilizer, Methanol, Petrochemical, CNG and LPG are fully stated.

Also the Ministry of Petroleum Resources is driving the Nigeria Gas Flare Commercialization Program (NGFCP). This initiative is designed as the strategy to implement policy objective of the FGN for the elimination of gas flares with potentially enormous multiplier and development outcomes for Nigeria. The objective of the NGFCP is to eliminate gas flaring through technically and commercially sustainable gas utilisation projects developed by competent third party investors who will be invited to participate in a competitive and transparent bid process.

The Federal Executive Council in June 2016 approved the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialization Program (NGFCP).

The Federal Government ratified the Paris Climate Change Agreement, and is a signatory to the Global Gas Flaring Partnership (GGFR) principles for global flare-out by 2030 whilst committing to a national flare-out target by year 2020.

In November 2018, the Federal Government of Nigeria called for Expression of Interest (EoI) in the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialization Program (NGFCP).

Over 850 interested parties registered their interest in the NGFCP. 205 Applicants emerged successful and all 205 companies will be invited to submit their proposal for flare gas utilization through the Request for Proposals (RfP) phase of the NGFCP, Mr. Sylva said.

He added that the commercialization approach has been considered from legal, technical, economic, commercial and developmental standpoints.

It is a unique and historic opportunity to attract major investment in economically viable gas flare capture projects whilst permanently addressing a 60 year environmental problem in Nigeria.

About US$ 3.5 billion worth of inward investments is required to achieve the gas flare commercialization targets by 2020.

The analysis also shows that the NGFCP will deliver significant social and economic benefits to host communities in gas-rich regions of the Niger Delta, to investors and to the national economy. Benefits would include, he added.

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Timipre Sylva: Nigeria to focus on five critical areas in oil and gas sector in 2020 - TODAY NEWS AFRICA

The footsie closed up over 64 points at 7,674 on the day and was around 1.15% up on the week

FTSE 100 index closed firmly higher on Friday as resource stocks and a weaker pound helped boost the mainly dollar-earning constituents of the benchmark index.

The footsie closed up over 64 points at 7,674 on the day and was around 1.15% up on the week.

The midcap FTSE 250 index finished the day over 164 points higher, at 21,886.

"The FTSE 100 has seen a sharp surge as we close out the week, with the growing prospect of a rate rise from the BoE helping drive the pound lower," noted Joshua Mahony, at London-based online trading group IG.

"Rounding off a week which has seen rate cut expectations soar, the release of a hugely disappointing retail sales number for December provided yet another reason to expect action from Carney and co."

Earlier, the Office for National Statistics revealed that sales fell by 0.6% in December compared to November - the fifth month in a row without growth. It topped off a week, which also showed UK GDP (gross domestic product) unexpectedly contracting in November and inflation hitting a three-year low.

Meanwhile, big cap miners helped boost FTSE today, with the US-China trade deal ramping up hopes of a resurgence after an uncertain period, also noted Mahony. BHP Billiton () added 2.3%, while Rio Tinto Ltd () added 1.78%.

"The push towards an environment with less tariff and more global trade can only be a good thing for commodities, with China showing signs it is ending a multiyear slide in economic data."

In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added over 30 points at 29,327. The S&P 500 index gained nearly seven points and the tech-laden Nasdaq added 1.46 points.

US markets opened higher following a mini-spate of economic indicators being released.

The Dow Jones average was up 58 points (0.2%) at 29,356 and the S&P 500 was 6 points (0.2%) heavier at 3,323

Housing starts in the US in December jumped 16.9% to 1.61mln (annualised), which was well above the consensus forecast of 1.38mln; in contrast, the number of building permits issued fell 3.9% to 1.42mln, versus a consensus forecast of 1.46mln.

A 30% leap in multi-family starts, to a 33-year high, propelled the headline starts number, but single-family starts were strong too, up 11%. The much warmer-than-usual December weather likely boosted activity, but these are nonetheless very startling numbers, which will lift forecasts for Q4 residential investment, said Ian Shepherdson, the chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.

Berenberg Capital Markets noted that the improvement in housing starts in December was broad-based.

We have always been optimistic on the prospects for the housing sector and have long maintained that there is plenty room for improvement. While this seasonally-adjusted number for December was likely boosted by unseasonably warm weather so that the coming months data likely will give back some of the gain, we expect housing starts to be solid in 2020, averaging an impressive ~1.4mn compared to 1.3mn in 2019,the bank added.

US industrial production fell 0.3% in December; economists had pencilled in a fall of 0.2%.

In the UK, the FTSE 100 index looks to have sloped off early for the weekend and left a wax model in its place. The index was up 70 points (0.9%) at 7,680, not far from the level where it has been most of the afternoon.

After a solid morning of progress, the Footsie has moved into consolidation mode.

Londons index of leading shares was up 70 points (0.9%) at 7,680, some 10 points below its intra-day high.

The mid-cap FTSE 250, up 154 points (0.7%) at 21,875, was doing almost as well, led by pork products maker (), which was up 9.2% after it upgraded profits guidance.

Car insurer () had a prang after it updated the market, however; the shares shed 5.6% at 174.9p following a profit warning.

At its heart insurance is quite a simple business, the aim being to secure more in premiums than you pay out in claims, and it is a surge in claims that is behind the profit warning and dividend cut from motor and home insurer Hastings today, explained s Russ Mould.

A big challenge for the company is that motor insurance is a very competitive market and therefore, despite its best efforts to remain disciplined on pricing, it is very hard for premiums to keep pace with claims inflation. Regulatory changes havent helped either, he added.

Its another day and it looks like another new high for US indices as the US-China trade deal continues to underpin sentiment.

Spread betting quotes indicated the Dow Jones average, after surging 267 points yesterday, will add another 54 points or at 29,352 when it opens this afternoon.

The S&P 500, which jumped 28 points yesterday to finish at 3,317, is seen starting at around 3,317.

The FTSE 100, which has operated all week in the shadow of the record-breaking US indices, is at least putting on a decent show at the end of the week and is up 74 points (1.0%) at 7,684.

Tool hire firm PLC (), London-listed but very much dependent on the US economy, rode the Transatlantic wave, rising 4% to 2,525p after moved to overweight from equal-weight.

In other broker action, upgraded both Company PLC () and Group PLC () to buy from neutral. The former was up 1.2% and the latter up 1.9% at 983.6p.

PLC () jumped 1.3% after Goldmans moved to a neutral position, having previously recommended selling the shares.

Oil stocks were underperforming the market despite the price of Brent crude heading higher on futures markets.

While the FTSE 100 was up 0.9% (69 points) at 7,678, integrated oil giants () and () were off the pace, with a gain of 0.3% and a fall of 0.1% respectively.

Brent crude rebounded almost 1% yesterday (16 January) to US$64.62/bl and continues to tick a little higher this morning, but still below the US$65/bl mark. The signing of the USChina trade deal has given optimism for a revival in global manufacturing and stronger oil demand growth, giving the oil price some vigour, suggested Bjarne Schieldrop, the chief commodities analyst at Nordic corporate bank, SEB.

It is very hard for OPEC to fight a war on two fronts with both rising non-OPEC supply and weakening global oil demand growth. A potential revival in global manufacturing (and oil demand growth) would be a great relief for OPEC and remove a lot of downside price risk. The oil prices current level is at the mercy of OPEC and its current strategy of price over volume. If global oil demand continues at 2019s weaker-than-normal 1% growth rate in 2020 and 2021, OPEC and its allies might be forced to switch strategy to volume over price once again, Schiedrop suggested.

Sticking with the oil sector, () dipped 1.7% to seven-eighths of a penny after it revealed it Eridge Capital wants to remove chief executive officer Matt Lofgran from the board.

Hopes of a base rate cut soon in the UK and some decent macro data from China overnight has got Londons blue-chips rising.

The FTSE 100 was up 62 points (0.8%) at 7,672, helped by a flagging pound, which is close to half a cent lower against the US dollar as forex traders bet on the cutting its key lending rate at its meeting at the end of the month a move that would make sterling-denominated deposits less attractive to investors.

China released some broadly positive economic reports, which has boosted sentiment around the globe. The industrial output and fixed asset investment levels were 8% and 5.4% respectively, both showed improvements on the previous reports as well as topping forecasts. Retail sales held steady at 8%, exceeding the consensus estimate. On an annual basis the economy grew by 6%, meeting forecasts. The largely positive data ties in nicely with the signing of the US-China trade deal during the week, remarked David Madden at CMC Markets.

Meanwhile, economists are still reeling from this morningss UK retail sales figures.

Retail sales volumes fell 1.0% quarter-on-quarter in the fourth quarter, which was the weakest performance since the first quarter of 2017. The ONS indicated that this would make a negative contribution of 0.05 percentage point to UK GDP in the fourth quarter, thereby increasing the risk that the economy contracted slightly, reported Howard Archer, the chief economist at the EY ITEM Club.

There had been speculation that the November performance had been adversely affected by the relatively late Black Friday, despite the ONS attempts to allow for this (it occurred on 29 November while the ONS reporting period for November retail sales was 27 October 23 November) and that this would be reflected in a bounce-back in December but this was clearly not the case and consumers were clearly very reluctant to spend over the crucial Christmas, Archer declared.

It remains to be seen what impact Decembers decisive General Election result and now certain UK exit from the EU on 31 January with Boris Johnson's deal has on consumer behaviour. There are signs that there was at least an initial lift to confidence with a Barclaycard survey showing a marked rise, he noted.

Following the underwhelming UK retail sales numbers for December pundits are speculating whether a base rate cut is now on the cards.

The FTSE 100 has perked up, advancing to 7,658 up 48 points (0.6%) - suggesting that the market is moving to the view that the will get out the paring knife at the next meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).

Pantheon Macroeconomics said the December retail sales figures were shockingly weak, leaving the MPCs January meeting now finely balanced.

Decembers fall in retail sales volumes comes as a major shock and suggests that consumers retrenched severely at the end of last year amid heightened political uncertainty. Five months now have passed without a month-to-month increase in sales, the longest spell without growth since record begin in 1970, Pantheons chief UK economist, Samuel Tombs, said.

The 1.0% quarter-on-quarter decline in sales volumes in Q4 is the worst result since Q1 2017. We had thought that seasonal adjustment issues relating to the later-than-usual timing of Black Friday were to blame for Novembers fall and that sales would rebound in December; these data clearly rebut our theory, he admitted.

Revisions might brighten the picture eventually, but in the near-term, these data undoubtedly strengthen the case for the MPC to cut Bank Rate on January 30. That said, the December general election has led to a dramatic reduction in political uncertainty, and we can see from labour market and money supply data that households disposable incomes continued to increase at a solid pace in Q4, he added.

Holger Schmieding, the chief economist at Berenberg Bank, made the case for a rate cut. In a low-interest-rate environment, central banks should err on the side of caution when downside risks emerge. With more power to lower inflation than to raise it, monetary policymakers might be inclined to overreact with too much stimulus and, if needed, hike rates later to correct course, Schmieding said.

Being an economist, however, he also made the case for standing pat.

The big win for Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party on 12 December and the recent phase one US-China trade deal have drastically reduced uncertainty and the downside risks to the outlook. Key surveys taken after the election, such as the CFO survey and the RICS residential market survey, show a sharp bounce in confidence and expected economic activity, he noted.

All of which brings to mind the quote of former US president, Harry Truman.

Give me a one-handed Economist. All my economists say 'on hand...', then 'but on the other ...

Turning to corporate news, () and () are vying to sit atop the Footsie leader-board.

The latter is currently winning the battle, with a 5.6% gain versus a 5.5% advance for NMC.

British Airways owner IAG ascended to the top of the leader-board are scrapping its self-imposed cap on the number of shares non-EU shareholders could own in the company.

As for NMC, the hospitals owner that operates in the Gulf Cooperation Council states, it has evidently made a good choice in the appointment of a firm to conduct an independent assessment of the charges made against it by the hedge fund Muddy Waters.

Tt has retained Louis Freeh, a former federal judge and FBI director, and his firm Freeh Group International Solutions, to poke around and see if there is any merit in the assertion made by Muddy Waters.

UK retail sales volumes fell by 0.6% in December, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed.

The quantity bought in food stores fell by 1.3%, which was the largest fall since December 2016, also at 1.3%.

Online sales as a proportion of all retailing was 19.0% in December 2019, compared with the 18.6% reported in November 2019.

In the three months to December 2019, both the amount spent and the quantity bought in the retail industry, fell by 0.9% and 1.0% respectively when compared with the previous three months.

"The longer-term picture is still one of growth, although it has slowed considerably in recent months," according to ONS statistician, Rhian Murphy.

The FTSE 100 was up 28 points (0.4%) at 7,638 after the in-line retail sales figures.

Supermarket stocks shrugged off the dismal data relating to food stores; Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC () was the sectors top performer, up 1.1%, followed by (), up 0.8%; () was up 0.6%.

The FTSE 100 index made a positive start on a quiet day for corporate news, receiving a leg up from Wall Street, which once again ended in record territory.

The index of UK blue-chips opened 37 points to the good at 7,646.91 ahead of UK retail sales figures later that are expected to reveal rather anaemic growth on the High Street and in shopping centres.

Broker comment provided the main corporate interest. got busy in the property sector upgrading to buy from neutral stock in (), Big Yellow () and (), lifting the share prices respectively by 1.5%, 2.6% and 1.1%.

s upgrade to overweight of Ashtead () boosted the value of the US-focused plant hire group 3.3% early on.

On the news front, NMC Health (), laid low by a bear raid, sprang back 5% early on as itappointed a former US federal judge to look into allegations made against the company.

But a cautious trading update from care insurer Hastings Group (), wiped 9% from the value of the business and led to a 3.3% fall in Footsie rival Admiral ().

() said it was mulling a stock market listing on NASDAQ as it provided revenue guidance for its last financial year and said it hoped to reach profitability in 2020. It has tasked adviser goetzpartners securities to assess the potential of a dual UK-US quote. Given high investor and consumer interest in the microbiome in the USA and growing sales the board OptiBiotix has commissioned advisors to explore the potential of a dual NASDAQ listing," said chief executive Stephen OHara.

() has told investors that it expects to finalise power tariffnegotiations in the first half of 2020 for the integrated Ncondezi coal-fired power project and coal mine in Tete, Mozambique. "The process to finalise a tariff offer for submission to EDM is well underway and on track for submission in Q1 2020, said Hanno Pengilly, Ncondezi's chief executive in a statement. The company continues to work closely with its strategic partners and tariff financial advisor to achieve a competitive firm tariff offer in line with the latest agreed tariff rates in Mozambique, he added.

() is targeting an expansion of its BRICKLIVE brand in 2020 as it kicked off the year with higher contracted revenues. The media firm said in a trading update for the year ended 31 December that it has secured 3mln in recognised revenues for the coming year, over 50% higher than 2019, while it is also aiming to build up to 16 BRICKLIVE themed tours before the end of 2020.

() and Nouryon have agreed to terminate their agreement for Nouryon to exclusively distribute Itaconix polymers with chelating properties worldwide for detergent applications. The parties signed a supply agreement in January 2019 after conducting encouraging joint technical assessments of Itaconix's polymers in detergent applications. An initial marketing trial by Nouryon indicated, however, that the agreement was not mutually attractive for accessing available customer opportunities, Itaconix said.

Landore Resources Limited () has appointed Glenn Featherby as a non-executive director with immediate effect. The group pointed out that Featherby has over 35 years' experience in corporate advisory work, and an extensive background in the resources sector, having begun his career with KPMG in Perth and London, before establishing his own accounting practice in Perth in 1997. It noted that he has previously served as a non-executive director of and as non-executive chairman of Forte Energy NL.

(), the technology commercialisation company focused solely on cyber security and risk, said it has received a notice exercising options to acquire 13,333 ordinary shares in the company at a price of 280p each.

The FTSE 100 index looks set to start higher on Friday with US markets continuing to break more records than a clumsy disc jockey.

The UK benchmark, which fell 33 points to close at 7,610 yesterday, is expected to head higher at the outset, ahead of Decembers UK retail sales figures, with spread betters calling the index to open at around 7,623, up 13 points.

Pantheon Macroeconomics is above the market consensus in expecting a 1.5% month-on-month increase in retail sales volumes; the consensus forecast is for a 0.6% increase.

We don't buy the popular narrative that the 0.6% month-to-month fall in retail sales volumes in Novemberthe fourth consecutive month without growthwas due to heightened Brexit concerns, the forecasting unit explained.

Volumes rose by 1.5% quarter-on-quarter in Q1, when concerns about a no-deal Brexit peaked. In Q4, consumers' confidence was only slightly below its long-run average. Money supply data indicate that growth in households' real disposable incomes picked up in the second half of last year, it added.

If Pantheon is correct in its forecast, it should dampen speculation that the is poised to cut interest rates which got a boost earlier this week following weaker than expected inflation data.

US markets had another storming day yesterday, with the Dow Jones surging 267 points to close at 29,298 and the S&P 500 advancing 28 points to finish at 3,317.

Asian markets have not exactly picked up the baton this morning; in Tokyo, the Nikkei is up 105 points at 24,038 but in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index is off 23 points at 28,860.

Back to UK matters and the days corporate agenda will seecredit checking firm PLC () concludethe week with its latest quarterly update.

Analysts expect to read about consumer borrowing in the UK and the US, which are key drivers of revenue for the firm.

Consumer credit is a cyclical business though, and more important in the long run is the progress the companys making in its newer segments, analysts at Hargreaves Lansdown said in a note, adding the new markets are key to s premium valuation.

Recent history has led the market to expect further strong growth, but if the group trips up the knock-on effect on the share price could be very unpleasant.

Finals: PLC ()

Trading announcements: PLC (), ()

AGMs: ()

GM: ()

Economic data: UK retail sales, China GDP, China retail sales, China industrial production

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FTSE 100 closes up, boosted by miners and the pound - Proactive Investors UK

After a month long trial, after hearing more than 100 hours of testimony and reviewing hundreds of exhibits, some going back to the early 1900s, the Linn County jury deliberated for only a few hours before returning with a verdict.

David YamamotoTillamook County Commissioner

The jury determined that the State had indeed breached a long-standing contract with the 13 plaintiff forest trust counties and awarded full damages of $1.065B.Of the 15 Trust Counties, Clatsop County Commissioners opted out of the lawsuit, although the majority of their taxing districts decided to stay in and are entitled to $243M, and Judge Thomas McHill determined that Klamath County forests operate under a pre-2001 forest management plan and removed them from the lawsuit. This left 13 Counties and 151 taxing districts found to be harmed and eligible for compensation.The 1941 Forest Acquisition Act created the idea of Greatest Permanent Value (GPV) to mean managing these forest trust lands to return timber revenue to the Counties, taxing districts, and the Oregon Dept. of Forestry (ODF). It was in 1998 that the Board of Forestry decided to change the definition of GPV, and for the last 20 years, timber revenue suffered while the State instead prioritized going far above the mandates of the Federal Endangered Species Act and directing funds to increasing recreational opportunities.While these are admirable goals, these shortfalls over the last 20 years were being born entirely by the trust counties. What the jury found is that the trust counties have been shorted $1.065B to provide these additional services to all residents of Oregon and it is only fair that we be fairly compensated for these services. Over the last 20 years, trust counties have had to cut public safety, education, emergency services, road maintenance, healthcare, libraries, and other essential services.When it comes to natural resource-based industries, Tillamook County is blessed with dynamic timber, dairy, and fishing opportunities. Some think that increasing timber harvest will harm the environment. As a Tillamook County Commissioner, I am proud to be able to say that when it comes to clean water, habitat restoration, and fish recoveryno Oregon County does these things better than Tillamook County.Over the decades, our timber, dairy, and fishing partners have collaborated with our Tillamook County public works department, watershed councils, OR Watershed Enhancement Board, Tillamook Soil & Water Conservation, Tillamook Estuaries Partnership, Salmon SuperHwy, and others to provide continuing improvements to our watersheds.We recently completed a 600+ acre, $11M habitat restoration project called Southern Flow Corridor. In Tillamook County, we have over 3500 culverts, which often, due to increased fish passage rules, need to be replaced with a bridgewhich is an expensive proposition. This is one of the reasons we have a bridge for every 3 miles of roadway. A difficult environment for a small rural county, but a true success story in Oregon.Our victory in Court does not mean we can or should diminish our commitment to our environmental responsibilities. As I explained above, Tillamook County is the State leader in clean water, habitat restoration, and fish recovery. ODF cannot disregard the Endangered Species Act, or Clean Water Act, but I feel this jury verdict clearly specifies that the State should not go above and beyond to the detriment of the trust counties.Timber revenue is but one part of the economic and social sustainability of rural Oregon Counties. It must also be understood that jobs in the woods, mills, and truck transportation are some of our rural counties best paying, fully benefited jobs.In the state of Oregon, the Total Private Sector Average Annual Wage is $52K. This same classification of jobs in Tillamook County is $37K. Yet, when you look at forest products industry (FPI) jobs in Tillamook County, we have Forestry and Logging at $55K, Wood Products Mfg at $59K, and Truck Transportation at $47.5K. These are family wage, fully benefited jobs. Tillamook County has 852 FPI jobs which adds over $43.5M to the Tillamook County economy.In the State of Oregon, there are over 60,000 FPI jobs paying an average of $53.5K. This total FPI employment in Oregon adds more than $3.2B to the State economy. Every County in the State has some economic activity generated by the forest sector. Total wood product sales in Oregon exceeded $10.34B in 2016. The total number of wood processing facilities in Oregon was 360 in 1988 and was down to 172 in 2017. When looking at sawmills in Oregon, number have decreased by 53% during the period 1988 to 2017, down to 78 sawmills in 2017.The jury award underestimates the real social cost which was caused by the States breach of contract. According to the States own figures, each additional million board feet of harvest results in 9.8 family wage jobs. 3.6B board feet of foregone harvest meant 3700 jobs lost. Imagine what those lost jobs would have meant to the trust counties, not only in terms of the productive lives of its residents but of the economic multiplier which would have attached to all the purchasing power those jobs would have resulted in.It is important to note that interest at the State mandated rate of 9 percent accrues on this damages award which equates to $260K per day. It is expected that the State will appeal this verdict to the Oregon Court of Appeals and then possibly to the Oregon Supreme Court, taking years for these court decisions.No one should blame the trust counties for this situationhad the State performed the contract as originally promised, the Counties would be in a much better financial condition and ODF would also have had the financial means to properly manage the State Forests. It is not right to expect rural Counties to shoulder the burden to benefit the entire State.We in rural Oregon have a great story to tell when it comes to our magnificent forests and the sustainable forestry practices that bring so much to so many. It is unfortunate that the urban-rural divide is so poignant in Oregon. Most rural counties will never be the home of a Nike, or Intel, or Columbia Sportswear. Long before these companies came into existence, rural counties and their natural resource-based industries were the growth engines of Oregon. We can continue to be vibrant, sustainable, self-reliant, rural counties if given a level playing field, and our success will not come at the expense of the environment if we have reasonable harvest policies.

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Guest Column: What the Linn County Lawsuit really means - North Coast Citizen

As the impact of climate change becomes more pronounced globally and in India, the importance of energy efficiency and effective management of resources increasingly comes into focus. When the global economy is facing challenges the case for energy efficiency remains as strong as ever. This is because efficient use and management of energy offers savings in both resource and monetary terms.

Against the above backdrop, the rationale for a shift to the circular economy (CE) appears more convincing. The CE is based on the mantra of eliminating or avoiding waste via the continuous use of resources. Its guiding principle revolves around making, using and then reusing or recycling products or resources. In contrast, the linear economy is based on the concept of take, make, use, and throw, which is wasteful and expensive in many ways.

Promoting sustainability

The CE is based on the closed-loop system. Besides, minimising the use of resources, it limits the creation of all waste, carbon emissions and varied forms of pollution. Thereby, all waste is used or cannibalised in making another product or by-product.

Today, CE is especially effective in increasing the efficiency of resources through recycling, particularly in the case of urban and industrial waste. In this way, a better balance is fostered between the economy, ecology, and society. For the CE model to succeed in a big way, however, all stakeholders, including manufacturers and customers, need to change the way in which products are made and used. From the traditional but unsustainable take, make and dispose model, it is necessary to adopt the circular approach revolving around repairing, refurbishing, reusing, recycling, and remanufacturing products.

In driving the circular economy, it is vital to focus on clean sources of power such as solar and wind. Beginning with the grid and then across the entire chain of energy consumption an increasing use of technologically enhanced IoT-enabled software and hardware is allowing for an intelligent usage of energy. When we integrate energy, automation and software with connectivity we drive greater energy and process optimisation. This level of integration enables us to better save (reduced consumption, optimise assets), connect (IT-OT integration, real-time analytics, plug into ERP), and share saved energy back across grids. Further, studies show us that moving towards a more circular economy could deliver benefits such as reducing pressure on the environment, improving the security of the supply of raw materials, increasing competitiveness, stimulating innovation, boosting economic growth, and creating jobs.

Smart is circular

Irrespective of whether power demand is higher or lower, efficient energy management through the deployment of smart systems as well as the use of clean fuels can lead to tremendous power savings. The criticality of this approach becomes clear from two energy-related facts. Firstly, the countrys proportion of universal primary power demand is slated to double to about 11 per cent by 2040. Secondly, India is expected to surpass China as the largest global growth energy market in the mid-2020s.

Given such facts, its essential to shift to smart, energy-efficient systems available via the digitalisation of electricity services, which will help save both power and financial resources. This is managed by increasing the recovery of resources and reducing supply costs. Smart systems include the smart management of electricity demand and supply in commercial, industrial or residential structures, achieved by deploying smart meters, connected power infrastructure and allied energy management systems. Smart grid technologies comprise micro-grids, virtual power plants and demand-response systems, all of which are already improving power production, transmission and distribution across the entire supply chain.

Additionally, smart grids are being used in meeting energy needs under the Smart Cities mission. From generation and distribution to consumption, smart grids offer higher efficiency, greater control and more value by minimising the consumption of resources. Smart grids ensure energy supply requirements are met via entirely safe, secure and sustainable systems while leaving a much lower carbon footprint. India seeks to meet its sustainable development goals of 2030 through lower consumption of fossil fuels, smart systems based on solar power are an ideal, efficient and cost-effective solution.

For making Indias 2020 energy outlook brighter, its necessary to adopt a CE model and an efficient energy system that benefits the economy, ecology, and society at large facilitating humankinds transition to a cleaner, greener planet.

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETEnergyworld.com does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETEnergyworld.com shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organisation directly or indirectly.

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Why the circular economy model is imperative for a brighter energy outlook in 2020 - Opinion by Anil Chaudhry - ETEnergyworld.com

The International development sector is fast realizing the value and utility of geospatial information for achieving the Global Development Goals. Thanks to the document Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, that includes guidelines for appropriate use of geospatial and Earth observation data for measuring, monitoring, reporting and achieving the SDGs, the momentum towards free, open access to geospatial data, building resilient geospatial infrastructure, making informed decisions based on geospatial data and integration of geospatial with statistical information is rapidly gaining ground.

However, we still have a long way to go before geospatial technologies are used to their potential. Even when data and services are made available for development goals, their optimal use may not necessarily be that easy for the non-profit sector and the road to geospatial adoption could be fraught with several challenges. For one, to benefit from such systems, NGOs and INGOs need to adopt a geospatial strategy, which needs to be in synergy with their digital strategy. Further, they need to invest in fit-for-purpose infrastructure, train human resource, adopt standards, build partnerships and collaborations and have an innovative approach to address these issues.

True potential of geospatial technology lies in it being used as an integrator platform that can assimilate datasets from various sources to provide predictive and prescriptive analytics for informed decision making that can save lives, resources and create a better world.

For now, use of geospatial technologies has proven to be effective for achieving development milestones. Governments and the non-profit sector have been able to plan and implement programs in an informed manner because of the visualization and analytics offered by geospatial and Earth observation technologies. A variety of datasets are generated and being made available for free or at price points that make sense to the non-profit sector, theres been an increase in the use of innovative tools and technologies to solve some real-life challenges on ground from health care access, to providing resources to farmers, to monitoring climate and how it impacts life on Earth. When combined with other technologies, like drones and AI, geospatial technology gets further enhanced in its effectiveness. Geospatial technologies are also being utilized for creating innovative reporting platforms by the UN and member states.

Withthe intention to enable the movement of the development sector into becominggeospatially ready and adept, and to ensure optimal utilization of geospatialinformation for achieving the SDGs, Geospatial Media has been organizing the Geo4SDGsseries of seminars at Geospatial World Forum (GWF), which providesspace for interactions, deliberations and learning for both the geospatial aswell as the development communities and builds stronger synergies between thesetwo sectors.

Thenext edition of Geo4SDGs at GWF is scheduled for 7-9 April 2020 in Amsterdam,The Netherlands. If you are a professional working in the development sectorinterested to explore how geospatial information can benefit your work, or havealready started using this tool and want to expand your relations with thegeospatial community or if you are a geospatial enthusiast who wants to make adifference to the world through your work, and help the global community achievethe Sustainable Development Goals, join us at GWF 2020. With the themeTransforming Economies in 5G Era The Geospatial Way, the 12th edition ofthe conference will continue to initiate thought-provoking discussions andadvocate for technology innovation and good practices in the geospatialindustry.

Other than Geo4SDGs, the conference shall highlight the value of geospatial technology in digital economy and its integration with emerging technologies such as 5G, AI, Autonomous Vehicles, Big Data, Blockchain, Cloud, IoT and LiDAR in various user industries, including digital cities, construction & engineering, defense & security, telecommunications, and business intelligence.

To know more please visit http://www.geospatialworldforum.org

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Geospatial at the heart of achieving Sustainable Development Goals - Geospatial World

The Nelson Star kicks off the year with a revisitation of our business column, The Business Buzz, and a familiar face. Longtime local journalist Darren Davidson will be penning The Buzz. Davidson has been a fixture in local media and communications since the mid-90s, having worked with the Nelson Daily News, Weekender, Kootenay and Coast Mountain Culture magazines and Kootenay Co-Op Radio. Take it away Double D

Hi and Happy New Year. Well deviate from the standard Business Buzz format of small stories on local business issues and happenings, and instead start the year off with a big ol round up an A-B-C look back and forward of Nelsons business landscape and economy, in this, the year 2020. Yup, 2020. Wow.

A After 33 years in its past venue, Art of Brewing has a new home, in the West Arm Plaza. Well have a bit more on that in our next column. Still no word yet from Amandas Restaurant owners Wing and Gina Kwan on the North Shore diners reopening, following the November fire at the Villa Motel.

B Baldface Lodge is given er on a new building downtown, on Vernon and Stanley. In its 20th season, the five-star cat skiing nirvana will use the building as a new base of operations, including its burgeoning e-comm division, retail, hospitality/hosting area, offices, conference room and third storey deck.

C Kudos to principals Graeme Leadbeater, Lukas Armstrong, Rob Stacey and the 15-person crew at Cover Architectural Collaborative for their belief in the future of Railtown, as evident by their new office at the fledging districts gateway. Cover was recently awarded the Selkirk College child care facility project at the Silver King campus.

D Dearly departed. Sadly, the sun has set on two shining stars from the Nelson business cosmosGary Ockenden and Jason (Dicky) Draginda left us late in 2019. Gary and his firm Withinsight Services worked within the public sector and with NGOs like Amnesty International. He was also an advisor with the Columbia Basin Trust.

Draginda, founder of The Ripping Giraffe and a driving force behind Tribute Board Shop, was a visionary, seeing the citys adventure tourism sector for what it has now become. For years starting in the 90s, Dicky was a well known Nelson ambassador throughout North Americas outdoor industry. Both he and Gary will be dearly missed by many.

E Economic know how. What a great resource the region has in the Nelson and Area Economic Development Partnership. Part of the Central Kootenays Community Futures network, the partnership, led by executive director Andrea Wilkey, has loads of insight, analysis and connections for anyone looking to build on entrepreneurial endeavours within the City of Nelson and RDCK electoral Areas E and F.

Here are a few stats for starters: according to the partnerships 2019 report card, as of Nov. 30, the region has 1,466 active business licences, 510 building permits approved worth $61.5 million, and a population growth rate of 3.3 per cent between 2011 and 2016. Visit futures.bc.ca/community-economic-development/naedp for more.

F Its been a brutal year for many B.C. forestry companies, due to high stumpage, tough markets, and a complex international business environment in general. That said, the 14 mills represented by the Interior Lumber Manufacturers Association are fairing relatively better.

The regions independent, specialty and value-added mills, pillars in the West Kootenay economy for over a century, are doing what theve done for a long time digging in and branching out. Companies like Kalesnikoff are spending millions on the design of mass timber products: glued lam beams and cross-laminated timber that provide unrivaled quality, cost savings and less waste.

G Granite Pointe. One of the citys most important development projects in the years ahead, the 17-acre parcel has now been rezoned to build the 300 units over the next 10 years. Those are good jobs. But worries over Rosemont traffic, density, demographics remain. The next step? Find a developer.

H Holy hospitality! With the revitalized Royal and Broken Hill, Nelson palates and those with a penchant for partying are seriously blessed when it comes to new places and old to tip a pint, tumbler or the scales, which is likely what well all be doing if we eat out all the time. What a remarkable dining, drinking and dancing scene in this city. Mind and menu-blowing diversity.

I Infills. The city is aiming to encourage laneway housing development. Yup, Nelsons once famous heritage-meet-hippy hoods are changing before our eyes. Contractors and building suppliers are hoppin. The citys second rounds of design selection for its laneway housing competition is close to complete, with three designs to be chosen in February and available to the public by March.

J Join together. Have you heard of the West Kootenay Boundary Community Investment Co-op? With 11 board members representing Nelson/Castlegar, Arrow/Slocan/Upper Kootenay Lake, the Lower Columbia region and Grand Forks/Boundary, the organization is a member-owned association that allows its folks to invest into local businesses with an aim to promote economic, social, environmental and community projects.

K Kutenai Landing. Also a big ticket for the city with promising implications for local trades, realtors and development professionals, the near three hectare parcel is prime real-estate in a part of Nelson that will further define the citys character for years to come. Its been returned to standard zoning for the central waterfront, in accordance to the City of Nelsons Official Community Plan. The new but old rezone allows for waterfront mixed use, commercial and residential, park and recreational use, and water use zone and a marina.

L Local. One word. Gotta shop here in town folks. Support your neighbours and your fellow Nelsonites. Chamber of Commerce boss Tom Thomson tells it like it is: Local businesses continue the need to be supported they contribute approximately 25 per cent to the citys tax base. Chamber initiatives such as Customer Appreciation Day and the Think Local First marketing campaigns helped the cause this past year.

M Media. A few legendary West Kootenay journalists have signed off after superlative careers. Jayne Garry of the ever-effervescent Wayne and Jayne morning show on EZ Rock has moved on after 23 years in broadcasting. Shes moving over to community relations leader at Teck, after 16 years on the show. Wayne Kelly is celebrating 20 years with the station as of this week.

Prodigious sports reporter and news editor extraordinaire Guy Bertrand has retired from the Trail Times after 27 years.

In magazines, following the retirement of founder Keith Powell, Koocanusa Publications has ceased all print versions of Kootenay Business, launched in 1985, going all digital. Cranbrook-based Kootenay Life has rolled out its third issue, with a look thats part urban mag, part outdoor adventure.

Kootenay Mountain Culture and its coastal publication, Coast Mountain Culture have set up shop in the restored CP Rail building, home to the Nelson Visitor Centre and Nelson Innovation Centre, slated to open later this year.

N Speaking of the Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce, thanks to board members Karen Bennett, Mike Borch, Tammy Darough, Tanya Finley, Scott Grimshaw, Bob Hall, Stephen Harris, Rebeckah Hornung, Randy Horswill, Sheyla Kallas, Ed Olthof, Scott Robertson and Paul Wiest for their volunteer service. The chambers 2020 AGM, which may see a few director positions open, is in March.

Well be back with the rest of our alphabetical anything-but-exact economic overview next week. Your thought for day, courtesy Main Jet Motorsports Kevin Westerhaug: Youve only got one lap in this life. Make it a good one.

Darren Davidson

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BUSINESS BUZZ: A look at business in Nelson from A to Z, Part 1 - Nelson Star