Pakistan to get first e-beam irradiation facility

KARACHI: Al-Technique Corporation of Pakistan (ATCOP) and Marine Group of Companies (MGC) have joined hands to establish the country’s first e-beam facility for irradiation of food items, surgical instruments, gemstones etc.

The facility, to be established at Karachi, would decontaminate and extend the shelf lives of fruits and vegetables thus helping to jack up their exports, as most importing countries specifically ask for e-beam irradiation.

The e-beam technology for fruits and pharmaceuticals products has already been approved by FDA, WHO and IAEA.—Staff Reporter

Standard Chartered net profit falls 37pc

HONG KONG: Asia-focused Standard Chartered bank said on Wednesday net profit fell 37 per cent in 2014, the second consecutive year of decline, almost a week after announcing two of its top bosses would leave in a reshuffle aimed at transforming its fortunes.

The troubled British lender said net profit came in at $2.51 billion for the year, down from $3.99bn in 2013 and described the result as “disappointing”.

The bank last Thursday said chief executive Peter Sands will step down in June followed by chairman John Peace next year, in a radical management reshuffle to stem a growth slowdown.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2015

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