ICC CabCom approves four ODA projects on road improvement and transportation

A February 21, 2012 press release from the National Economic and Development Authority
The Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CabCom) of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board recently approved four road and transportation projects that will be funded through Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the country’s development partners.
First of these projects is the Baler-Casiguran Road Improvement Project that seeks to improve road access within the province of Aurora. The project involves completion of the road’s remaining 50.95 kilometers unpaved road out of the 116.37-kilometer Baler-Casiguran Road section.
“This road improvement project will also ensure interregional connectivity between Region II and III, promote tourism, and facilitate trading, commerce, and delivery of local farm products within Aurora and to major market areas in Luzon,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano W. Paderanga Jr.
The road completion will link the following municipalities of Aurora: Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao, Ma. Aurora, Baler, and San Luis. This will also connect Cagayan Valley road, Quirino, and Isabela to the province of Aurora through the existing Dinadiawan-Maddela-Cordon interprovincial road.
The project, which the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) spearheads, is being proposed for loan financing from the Korea Economic and Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF).
The second project approved by the ICC CabCom is the Samar Pacific Coastal Road, which will link the coastal towns of Northern and Eastern Samar and complements and completes the circumferential road loop for the province. The DPWH-proposed project has a total length of 27.75 kilometers.
“The Samar Pacific Coastal Road project will enhance the development of potential agricultural lands and fishing grounds of Northern and Eastern Samar and facilitate movement of goods and services through access to major arterial road links. This will push the area’s full economic potential and reduce its high poverty incidence,” Paderanga said.
The project, which is part of DPWH’s updated Public Investment Program (PIP) and the Comprehensive and Integrated Infrastructure Program (CIIP), will also be financed through Korea EDCF loan.
The third ICC CabCom-approved project is the Bridge Construction Project for Expanded Agrarian Reform Communities (ARC) Development-Umiray Bridge, under the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). It covers construction of a 358-lineal meter bridge that will cross the Umiray River along the boundaries of Dingalan, Aurora and General Nakar, Quezon.
“The bridge will provide infrastructure support to agrarian reform beneficiaries and communities to help uplift their living conditions especially those in eleven barangays of Dingalan, Aurora and nineteen barangays General Nakar, Quezon,” said Paderanga.
The bridge project costs a total of P798.56 million, which will be implemented through grant assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It is one of the two bridges, along with the Bazal Bridge, under the Bridge Construction Project for Expanded ARC Development.
The fourth approved project is the Market Transformation through Introduction of Energy Efficiency Tricycle (E-Trike) Project, which will make 100,000 electricity-run tricycles to replace aging and two-stroke gasoline-fed units. The E-Trike project targets local government units (LGUs) of Metro Manila, Boracay in Aklan, Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija and Davao City.
“The Philippines would benefit in the utilization of electric vehicles to reduce the country’s dependence on price-volatile petroleum fuels. It will also reduce the carbon footprint of the transport sector in Metro Manila and LGUs in the country,” he said. Carbon footprint is a measurement of the amount of greenhouse gases produced daily by individuals through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating, and transportation, et  cetera.
The E-Trike project, spearheaded by the Department of Energy (DOE), has an approved cost of P21.50 million that will be partially funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The ICC CabCom’s approval of the four ODA projects will be endorsed to the NEDA Board for its confirmation.
The NEDA Board, chaired by President Benigno S. Aquino III, is the country’s highest development planning and policy coordinating body. It is composed of various Cabinet Secretaries, the President of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), the Governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and the Deputy Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
The ICC, which is one of the seven interagency committees of the NEDA Board, evaluates the fiscal, monetary and balance-of-payments implications of major national projects. The ICC’s powers and functions reside in its CabCom, which is headed by the Secretary of Finance. The ICC is supported by an interagency Technical Board, with NEDA as ICC Secretariat.
neda.gov.ph

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Budget must provide 'clarity'

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Independent Newspapers
Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. Photo: Neil Baynes

In the Budget speech on February 22, the SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) will be “seeking clarity” on a number of issues, its CEO Neren Rau says.
These issues include the planned financing model of the various infrastructure investment programs and the specific borrowing strategy to avoid crowding out of the private sector, as well as the progress already made on provincial interventions by the National Treasury and the expected timelines for continued assistance to these provincial governments towards restoration of a conducive business environment and fiscal sustainability.
Sacci also wants information on the strategy to achieve a tax neutral outcome for the South African business community given the possible additional taxes such as the carbon tax and local business tax as well as progress on finding a suitable funding model for the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme.
Other issues on which clarity is required concern tangible and immediate measures to cut regulatory bottlenecks and red tape for business generally, and SMEs in particular, in order to reduce the cost of doing business in SA.
Information on progress on the integration of development finance institutions (DFIs) and general business support, promotion initiatives and plans to ease the access to finance for SMEs is also required, according to Sacci.
Clarity for foreign and domestic investors on economic stability specifically relating to concerns on nationalisation is needed and Sacci hopes that the Budget statement “will reflect a business-friendly fiscal policy that reduces the many hindrances to achieving economic growth and job creation by the private sector in SA.” – I-Net Bridge

CN Creative Raises Series A Funding to Develop First Medically Approved Electronic Inhaler Nicotine Replacement …

MANCHESTER, England, Jan. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — CN Creative, Ltd. (CNC), a healthcare company providing innovative and sustainable solutions to reduce smoking and smoking-related illnesses, today announced it has raised a Series A financing round led by Advent Life Sciences. The financing raised 2 million pounds, equivalent to approximately US $3.1 million. CNC intends to use the investment to continue and finalise development of its Nicadex™ electronic inhaler nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) product for use as part of medically supervised smoking cessation programmes. 
Despite large-scale public health efforts, about 20% of adults in the UK and the US continue to smoke. Smoking remains the most common cause of preventable death in the Western world and generates enormous costs for healthcare systems worldwide. Two-thirds of smokers report that they would like to quit, and about three-quarters of current smokers say they have tried to stop, but smoking is a powerfully addictive habit that can make quitting very difficult or almost impossible. Fewer than 10% of smokers are estimated to achieve success when trying to stop smoking on their own. In addition, studies show that currently available NRT products help only a small proportion of smokers to stop smoking permanently.
“CN Creative provides innovative approaches to reduce the harm caused by smoking, by helping smokers quit whenever possible or reduce their consumption of cigarettes when total abstinence is not achievable,” said David Newns, a co-founder and Company Director of CN Creative. “We believe our Nicadex electronic inhaler NRT, which will deliver pharmaceutical-grade nicotine using advanced electronic vaporisation technology, has the potential to help significant numbers of smokers stop entirely or significantly reduce their exposure to harmful tobacco smoke.”
Nicadex is similar in concept to the electronic cigarettes currently marketed to adult consumers by CN Creative and others, but with several key differences.
First, Nicadex will be tested in clinical trials and then submitted for regulatory review under the process used for other prescription NRT products, initially through the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and then through the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory agencies.
Second, CNC intends to market the Nicadex electronic inhaler as a medically supervised NRT designed to reduce the harm caused by smoking and to help smokers quit as part of a comprehensive smoking cessation programme.
Third, the Nicadex electronic inhaler has been specially engineered and will be manufactured in the UK under the same stringent standards used for regulated medical products, and the pharmaceutical-grade nicotine solution it uses is being produced by CNC in its own UK-based cGMP facilities approved for the manufacture of prescription drugs.
“The support from our colleagues at Advent Life Sciences will enable CNC to undertake the clinical trials and medical regulatory review needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of Nicadex and to prepare for commercialisation. We expect to file for regulatory approval of the Nicadex electronic inhaler in the UK later this year,” added CN Creative co-founder and Company Director Chris Lord.
Nicadex is a hand-held device that delivers purified nicotine to the user through the vaporisation of a pharmaceutical-grade solution of nicotine. A rechargeable lithium battery powers the vaporiser that instantly turns the nicotine solution into a vapour that is inhaled by the user. Many users report that the sensation of using the Nicadex device is similar to smoking, but the vapour contains no smoke and none of the carbon monoxide, tar or thousands of toxic impurities that make smoking tobacco products so damaging to health. In addition, since there is no smoke, there are no smoke by-products that can cause “second-hand” harm to others.
“Decades of smoking cessation initiatives have had a positive impact on public health but millions continue to smoke and new approaches are urgently needed,” noted long-time smoking cessation and public health advocate Dr. Chris Steele. ”I am encouraged by the potential of the innovative Nicadex electronic inhaler being developed by CNC, which provides a smoke-free, tobacco-free nicotine replacement product in a format that is highly acceptable to smokers. If approved, Nicadex could be a valuable addition to our smoking cessation toolkit, immediately reducing the harm caused by smoking and enabling many smokers to proceed over time to full cessation. CNC’s emphasis on clinical testing, regulatory review, medical supervision and supportive services is encouraging, and I look forward to seeing the results of the clinical trials the company will be conducting this year.”
A distinctive element of CNC’s strategy is its recognition of the value of harm reduction. As noted in the influential 2010 UK government report, A Smokefree Future, “The tar and the carbon monoxide in smoked tobacco are the primary causes of smoking-related disease and death. … Nicotine (in the doses obtained from smoked and smokeless tobacco) is not a significant contributor to disease.” The report proposes that harm reduction measures should be an important element of smoking cessation programmes, noting that “this strategy … opens more routes to quitting, which, we believe, will help thousands more smokers to quit successfully. The new routes will encourage smokers to … manage their nicotine addiction using a safer alternative product … and dramatically reduce the harmful effects to their health, and the harmful effects to those around them. …”[1]
Similarly, after a comprehensive review of the medical and scientific literature, the American Association of Public Health Physicians (AAPHP) became the first medical organisation in the US officially to endorse tobacco harm reduction as a viable strategy to reduce the death toll related to cigarette smoking. It advocates in its white paper, The Case for Harm Reduction, that inveterate smokers – who are unable or unwilling to abstain from nicotine and tobacco – should be encouraged to switch to lower-risk smokeless tobacco products.[2]
Dale R. Pfost, PhD, a General Partner at Advent Life Sciences and the newly appointed Chairman of CN Creative commented, “CNC’s strategy of applying their smoking cessation expertise and the technology innovations first deployed in their Intellicig® electronic cigarettes to provide smokers with an advanced electronic inhaler nicotine replacement therapy is a potential game changer. We believe that Nicadex will significantly increase smokers’ chances of ending or reducing their reliance on smoking, while also reducing the well-documented health risks caused by smoking tobacco. With this investment in CN Creative, we aim to continue our track record of investing in innovative life science companies with the potential to become best-in-class in their fields.”
Kaasim Mahmood, a Partner at Advent Life Sciences who is joining the CN Creative Board of Directors, added, “We believe CNC’s products have great clinical and commercial potential, and we are delighted to provide the CNC team with financial and strategic support as they embark on the clinical studies and regulatory review process central to the success of this exciting new approach.”
[1] Department of Health (2010). A Smokefree Future, 2010. Available at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_111789.pdf.
[2] Nitzkin JL, Rodu B. Tobacco Control Task Force, American Association of Public Health Physicians. The Case for Harm Reduction for Control of Tobacco-related Illness and Death, 2008. Available at: http://www.aaphp.org/Resources/Documents/20081026HarmReductionResolutionAsPassedl.pdf
About CN Creative
Headquartered in the Bioscience Incubator at Manchester University in the UK, CN Creative provides innovative and sustainable solutions to global problems arising from smoking and smoking-related illnesses. It has developed a distinctive portfolio of products and services focused on smoking cessation and harm reduction, including user-friendly nicotine delivery systems and patient-focused smoking cessation and support services. CNC’s diverse products include QuitDirect, an NHS-accredited supplier of comprehensive smoking cessation services, the Intellicig® electronic cigarette, ECOpure proprietary high purity nicotine preparations and NRT Direct, which provides traditional nicotine replacement therapy products and patient support services to publicly and privately sponsored smoking cessation programmes. CNC’s Nicadex™ electronic inhaler nicotine replacement therapy product is in clinical development for use as part of medically supervised smoking cessation programmes. For more information, visit www.cncbio.co.uk.
About Advent Life Sciences
Advent Life Sciences is the dedicated Life Sciences Fund at Advent Venture Partners, one of Europe’s best-established growth and venture capital firms. Advent Life Sciences invests predominantly in early-stage and growth equity life sciences companies in the UK, Europe and the US. It will back companies that have a first- or best-in-class approach in a range of sectors within the life sciences, including new drug discovery, enabling technologies, med-tech and diagnostics.
The Advent Life Sciences team is a leader in European life sciences capital. Its investments include  PowderMed, a therapeutic DNA vaccine company sold to Pfizer; Thiakis, an obesity treatment company acquired by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals; Respivert, a drug discovery company focused on respiratory diseases acquired by Johnson & Johnson; EUSA Pharma, a rapidly growing transatlantic specialty pharmaceutical company focused on late-stage oncology, pain control and critical care products; and, Algeta (OSE: ALGETA.OL – News), an oncology company developing treatments for bone metastases and disseminated tumours. For more information see www.adventventures.com.
For more information, please contact:
CN CreativeMediaBarbara Lindheim or Jennifer Anderson, BioCom Partners:
blindheim@biocompartners.com, +1 212 584-2276 ext. 201
janderson@biocompartners.com, +1 212 584-2276 ext. 202
CorporateDavid Newns
david.newns@cncbio.com +44 (0) 7834 767 367
Advent Life SciencesSophie Kreifman, Grayling:
sophie.kreifman@grayling.com; +44 20 7592 7924
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AHEB Investment Group In Joint Venture To Create UK Eco Park

MANCHESTER, England , December 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ –
AHEB Investment Group proudly announces its newest innovative project as it embarks on its second joint venture with Quicksilver Project Management Ltd., a UK based company. This one of a kind undertaking will see the creation of an almost no emissions and waste sustainable ecological enterprise, resulting in the largest biomass to energy installation in the world.
The coupled resources and know-how of all parties, associates and project sponsors involved will ensure that this unique project, with the enormity and challenges it provides, will be delivered on time and on budget.
The first joint venture of the 2 companies was established over a year ago to offer selective clients of AHEB Investment Group bespoke project management services, and the expertise that comes with it, over the course of their projects, including all pre-planning and implementation phases.
As the partnership begins to grow in both strength and proficiency, this newest of ventures which includes a Centre of Excellence Eco-Park, based on sustainable ecological design, is an exciting further step for both companies.
Spread across 300 acres of land, this development will boast the largest waste to energy facility, the world’s largest aquaponics installation taking advantage of the latest hydroponics and aquaculture technologies, and an eco-park which should have no rivals. The university level research and development departments will strive to further develop sustainable forestry and food sources, and focus on the development of renewable power.
Commenting on the considerable diversity of the installation, AHEB Investment Group Managing Director Mr. Andreas Charalambous said it was important that almost all the waste emissions from this project would be recycled and used for other purposes. He explains: “Waste and heat emissions will be recycled to heat the facility where needed, or keep it cool during the summer months, whereas photosynthetic reactions will be enhanced by purifying the carbon dioxide emissions resulting in higher quality and yields of fruit growth. The end result is that this project will contribute sustainable, grid quality energy supplies whilst concurrently helping to improve exports in the form of vegetables, fish and high grade timber aimed at domestic consumption.”
Around 15,000 cubic metres of water will be provided by a desalination plant to both local infrastructure and site installations by utilizing heat surplus from the power generators, whilst further exploitation of carbon dioxide will be absorbed by specially designed plantations in order to improve carbon sequestration.
Charalambous further emphasises the fact that the end produce coming from the planned agricultural and hydroponics plants will be of premium quality: “The planned exports products resulting from the plant processes, including fruit and fish, will be destined for European and Middle Eastern markets to ensure no commercial threat to local aquaculture and hydroponic businesses, whilst maintaining a profitable and one of a kind business model for this waste facility.” It is clear that the enormity and scale of this project is an immense challenge, but this is precisely why the expertise and resource of the joint venture between AHEB Investment Group and QuickSilver Project Management Ltd have been selected to manage it. The enormity and scale of this project is indeed a challenge, however the expertise and resources of this joint venture have been selected precisely to ensure a cost effective and on time delivery..”
David Hamilton of Quicksilver Project Management comments: “We are overly pleased to yet again be part of a joint venture of this complexity and size which is where our expertise really provides value. Partnering with AHEB Investment Group, will truly allow us to best utilize our combined knowledge and resources, to ensure this Eco-Park will hit each and every milestone on time and within budget, in a highly effective manner, whilst adhering to all constraints. “
For further information on the project or for possible investor opportunities please contact AHEB Investment Group at http://www.ahebgroup.com, email info@ahebgroup.com or call +1-347-4166069.
About AHEB Investment Group
AHEB Investment Group was founded in 2008 aiming to provide professional support and consulting regarding financing to businesses of large and medium size but also start up enterprises. AHEB specializes in assisting the development of large commercial and industrial projects by offering financing solutions and advisory support. Successful projects include real estate developments, construction including large hotels, energy based projects covering power plants and oil rigs with other major purchases of ships and aircraft. AHEB’s relationships with principal global and regional banking institutions assist businesses in arrangement of collateral via its network of investment partners.
For further information about AHEB Investment Group, visit http://www.ahebgroup.com, email info@ahebgroup.com or call +1-347-4166069.

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