Author: Ali Qasim

Expo 2020 Dubai launches official visitor app and business app

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Expo 2020 Dubai has launched its official visitor app and a business-focused app, helping to ensure that millions of visitors can make the most of the 182 visually striking and emotionally inspiring days of Expo from October 1. The official Expo 2020 app allows users to tailor their visit to Expo, matching individual interests to create a personal schedule of events and attractions, across a site twice the size of Monaco.

Visitors can use the app to buy tickets, choose from more than 200 dining options and themed culinary events, and manage reservations for Expo 2020’s intelligent Smart Queue system – offering guests the ability to reserve a convenient time slot to visit a pavilion of their choice, and avoid queues. Developed in collaboration with Accenture, the Official Digital Services Partner of Expo 2020, the app – available to download via the App Store or Google Play – allows visitors to create an Expo 2020 account or link their social media account, as well as access a GPS-enabled interactive map of the Expo site and step-by-step directions to points of interest across Expo.

A chatbot on the app will provide information on making visits to Expo 2020 safe and enjoyable, including details on opening times, parking options and how to reach Expo using Dubai’s extensive public transport options.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUcMLkCvdvr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Mohammed Alhashmi, Chief Technology Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “Hosting the world in one place for six months, Expo 2020 offers visitors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore new frontiers and join in a celebration of creativity, innovation, human progress and culture. Whether you’re interested in boarding our Garden in the Sky observation tower 55 metres above the ground; partying at Expo Beats, our monthly music festival featuring a global cast; or experiencing the spectacular Expo Water Feature, the Expo 2020 app has everything on offer at your fingertips.”

Available via WebApp, App Store and Google Play, the Expo 2020 Business App allows users to create their own unique profile, highlighting key information and contact details, while selecting filters and researching potential match partners. Once a connection is made, users can start engaging, chatting and scheduling meetings with other users, businesses and entities of interest to establish relationships during and beyond Expo, which closes its doors on 31 March 2022.

While free to download, a small registration fee applies to access the app’s premium features, such as networking, connecting, chatting and scheduling meetings. Holders of the Premium Experience can enjoy complimentary access to the premium features of the Expo 2020 Business App, alongside a host of additional services.

From 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 will bring together more than 200 participants, including 192 countries, plus millions of visitors, to collaborate on ways to protect the planet for our communities and future generations, inviting them to join the making of a new world.

Finance minister announces extension in tax return filing deadline

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin on Thursday announced an extension in the deadline for filing income tax returns for the tax year 2021 until 15th October.

The development came after the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) delegation met with Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin here in Islamabad and requested to extend the tax returns filing deadline.

The delegation informed the finance minister about difficulties being faced by taxpayers in the submission of their returns due to FBR portal crash.

After listening to KCCI reservations, the finance minister extended the deadline for the next 15 days.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) today confirmed it will not extend the deadline to file a tax return after September 30 midnight.

The Federal Board of Revenue tax collection software IRIS reportedly crashed also as taxpayers scramble to file income tax returns on the last day today.

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PM congratulates nation on 38% growth in tax collection.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter on Friday to congratulate the nation on the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) “achievement” of collecting Rs1,395 billion tax in the first quarter of the current fiscal year.

“I congratulate the nation on FBR’s achievement of collecting Rs.1,395 billion in Q1 of FA 2021-22 against the target of Rs.1,211 billion,” Prime Minister Khan wrote on his official Twitter handle.

“This represents a growth of 38 percent in revenues over the same period last year.”

The FBR in a Twitter statement said the tax body registered “historic revenue collection growth of 38.3% in first quarter of the FY 2021-22”.

As per provisional information, the FBR said it collected net revenue of Rs.1,395bn during the first quarter of the current fiscal year against the set target of Rs1,211bn, exceeding by Rs186bn.

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Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited collaborates with SEED Ventures to promote innovation and technology

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)

Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited (PMPKL), financially supported Social Entrepreneurship and Equity Development (SEED) for an initiative led by Entrepreneurship & Youth Development Society (EYDS) to support startups in their business ventures through the Social Technology Entrepreneurship Program (STEP).

The focus of the initiative was to identify, mentor, and develop social startups and entrepreneurs who are using technology to deliver sustainable, tech-focused interventions for socio-economic issues facing the country. Under this project, STEP helped out 40 startups in developing their plans and provided funding of USD 10,000 each to the top three finalist start-ups with continuing mentorship for the next three months. It further connected candidates with industry experts and provided them with support for capacity-building and for honing their ideas.

Andleeb (Uroos) Ahmed, Head of Communications at Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited, while acknowledging the efforts of all the candidates and the three winners, said, “We have been working to ensure sustainability internally as well as externally by employing responsible practices, taking up eco-friendly initiatives and encouraging and supporting others to do the same. To form a truly sustainable society, it is essential for every group and individual to play their part and we are making every possible effort to support them.”

“Technology and innovation have become an essential part of our lives. With creativity and through the ideas presented by young people, this project aimed to pave the way for tech-driven, sustainable solutions for socio-economic issues while enabling the youth of the country” said Shaista Ayesha, Vice president EYDS and CEO of Seed Ventures.

The three finalists of the STEP Program include Greenovation; which produces Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) from non-biodegradable plastic waste, Modulus Tech; a startup that aims to revolutionize the construction sector by using economical and green building materials, and DeafTawk; a technology startup that aims to empower the deaf community across the globe by providing quality sign language services through a digital platform.

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Zong 4G partners with Sehat Kahani to provide Free e-consultation sessions during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) 

+Sehat Kahani collaborates with Zong 4G, Pakistan’s leading cellular and digital services provider, to offer thousands of free remote and online consultations for the marginalized strata of society.

The underprivileged members of the community who are Zong4G users can now avail more than 12,000 e-health consultations via the Sehat Kahani Retail app. The process is simple and requires Android/IOS users to download & signup for Sehat Kahani App. After signing up users can search for doctors that are available online on the App offering consultations in different fields of medicine. Users from the

marginalized strata of Pakistan would be able to avail free consultations by utilizing promo code ZONGSEHAT.

Once this process is complete, users from low income communities would be able to connect to a doctor in less than 60 seconds, making healthcare services more accessible and inclusive.

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Zonergy and Punjab Government signed CSR Program agreement to uplift Local Community

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Venture will promote the Solar Energy Solutions and scale up the livelihoods in Bahawalpur, South Punjab.

Lahore (Sep-2021)

Zonergy, one of the leading Solar Energy Solutions Company, under its Corporate SocialResponsibility program has joined hands with the Government of Punjab,Energy Department to setup a 3 x 100 MW flagship Solar Power Plant located at Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park, Bahawalpur under CPEC framework. The signing ceremony was held in the Minister for Energy Punjab which formalizes the project.

3×100 MW of this three-phase9×100 MW project is already completed that won Luban award, the highest award in the construction works in China. The total investment for the first phase was around 3.125 billion Yuan. Zonergy 9 ×100 MW solar power project spans over 4500 acres of land. Zonergy executes the project by IPP model and the investment of Phase I was USD 460 million. This project is listed as CPEC “Early Harvest” project.

 

This 300MW solar power plant, till date, has generated 2 billion units electricity and fulfill the energy needs of more than 200,000 households. The project created more than 3000 Jobs for Pakistani Nationals. Moreover, Zonergy trained more than 100 Engineers and provided internship opportunities to 50 Students of the University of Engineering & Technology & Islamia University Bahawalpur about the Photovoltaic Technology.

In coming future too, The project will provide annual internship program for the Bahawalpur’s public sector universities, Solarization of Two Makhdoom Rashid Degree Colleges (25+20 KW), Solarization of higher secondary school Bhaili Multan (15KW), installation of 05 KW solar power plant in emergencies of two hospitals at Bahawalpur and Multan, development of two Resource centers for training on Solar/RE technologies at universities in Bahawalpur / Multan, installation of solar power plant at Bahawalpur Victoria & Nishtar Hospital (320+180KW), and installation of water filtration plant at any suitable vicinity in Bahawalpur.

At the signing ceremony, Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar Said, With the government’s thrust on renewables and the target to build self-sustained state, this is the right time for us to foray into solar energy. This joint venture with Zonergy for the solar project in Bahawalpur is both a significant step for the company towards a balanced energy portfolio and a giant leap towards better future for us a nation. This is aligned with our vision of bringing development while leaving less as possible carbon footprint. We are pleased to partner with Zonergy, given their technologically advanced products, EPC capabilities, operations, and maintenance services.

Vice President Zonergy Xu said, Today, renewable energy sector is witnessing a positive momentum. The sector is committed to provide sustainable and affordable energy for all. We believe if Pakistan’s renewable potential is unlocked, it can transform the country’s energy architecture to be dominated by clean energy sources. We look forward to our continuing partnership with the Government, Stakeholders and people and thereby contributing to the country’s energy security.It’s not only about energy solutions but people. Our CSR program will undertake CSR activities in the interest of the people of Bahawalpur & South Punjab keeping in view the international best Practices.

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Naya Nazimabad Hospital receives sanction of PKR 1 billion from HBL

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir)

 The parent company of Naya Nazimabad, Javedan Corporation Limited (JCL), has received a sanction of PKR 1 billion from Habib Bank Limited (HBL) under SBP’s Islamic Refinance Facility at zero percent (0%) mark-up for construction of Naya Nazimabad Hospital.

Naya Nazimabad had initially planned to construct this hospital in 2025 but SBP’s Islamic Refinance Facility and HBL’s contribution to participate in this project initiative by passing on this facility at zero percent (0%) enabled and encouraged Naya Nazimabad to advance construction of the Hospital by 4 years.

Naya Nazimabad Hospital, a tertiary, not-for-profit but self-sustainable institution, will be developed in two phases. The first phase will consist of 250 beds across 4 floors and is targeted to be inaugurated by April 2023.

First phase’s architectural approval has been granted by Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Government of Sindh, while engineering approval is in process at a swift pace. The Company plans to perform ground-breaking for the Hospital as soon as all requisite approvals processes are complete.

 “Naya Nazimabad is a labour of love for us and we are committed to providing a holistic living experience to all our residents with world-class amenities”, said Chairman, Javedan Corporation Limited, Mr. Arif Habib. “Ali Habib Medical Centre is already serving the community but we felt that there are not enough hospitals of this scale to cater to the area’s needs hence we have embarked on this journey so we may be able to offer quality and affordable health care to all.”

Naya Nazimabad is an integrated housing scheme which focuses on healthy community living. It is the largest master-planned, gated residential development in Karachi and will house more than 30,000 families at its completion. It has the provision for all necessary amenities for today’s living, within walking distance for its residents. Naya Nazimabad is a self-contained city, conceptualized and developed with the vision of providing a peaceful community atmosphere and a healthy lifestyle.

In This Hospital he start New Unit special for back pain Diagnosis and treatment there are many type of treatment major is My Back Pain Coach Review is best method to treat Diagnosing Low Back Pain like this

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TVET Sector Support Programme organized a Hunar~Rozgar Mela 2021 in Sindh

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)

The donor funded TVET Sector Support Programme implemented by National Vocational and Technical Training Commission and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) organized the Hunar~Rozgar Mela 2021 in Karachi aimed at showcasing the skill set of Pakistani youth in key economic sectors and providing a platform to the TVET graduates for job seeking. Through this Mela, the TVET Sector Support Programme, which is funded by the European Union, Norwegian and German Governments successfully showcased the skills of training institutes in Sindh that are implementing competency-based training in industry priority economic sectors. These institutes have received assistance from the TVET Sector Support Programme. The ceremony is graced by Provincial Minister of Sindh for Information, Labour and Human resource Mr. Saeed Ghani along with Advisor to Chief Minister on Finance Mr. Syed Ali Shah.

As-many-as 2,500 graduates of TVET Sector Support Programme from 20 different institutes visited recruitment kiosks of 54 national and multinational enterprises for exploring employment opportunity against 1,000 jobs while testing their interview skills in front of more than 100 recruiters in various leading economic sectors of Pakistan.

Speaking at the occasion of closing ceremony of Hunar Rozgar Mela 2021, Mr. Saeed Ghani, Provincial Minister of Sindh for Information, Labour and Human Resource said, “The Hunar Rozgar Mela 2021 is a great initiative and served as a platform to connect hundreds of young jobseekers trained in vocational and technical trades with recruiters and HR professionals from leading enterprises”. He mentioned that the role of programmes like TVET SSP is highly crucial in the socio-economic uplift of the society specially youth.

Consul General of Germany in Karachi, Mr. Holger Ziegeler, said that, “the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) along with its development partners EU and Norway are supporting the reforms in technical education in Pakistan since long. Our efforts are to have as-good vocational and technical training system here as it is in Germany. Today while seeing all these graduates having choice of the employment search as per the same demand-driven aspects of industry is the real showcasing of what we had aimed for.”

First Secretary, Team Leader Governance & Education, European Union Delegation in Pakistan Mr. Sven RUESCH while speaking at the occasion said that the European Union is happy to see the results of TVET Sector Support Programme specially in the area of industry-linkages. “We are supporting the TVET sector reforms in Pakistan since 2011 and are happy to witness the results of our support now. We also hope that the sustainability of this whole initiative remains clearly evident through the GoP’s supported programmes as it is now, Mr. RUESCH said.

This Hunar Rozgar Mela 2021, was conducted to meet employment objectives for over 1,000 openings of private industry, CBT trainees and graduates had their skills shown, notably in key economic areas, and held on-the-spot interviews by the recruitment enterprises of private sector.

Moreover, a panel discussion on the topic ‘Employment for Economic Sustainability and the Role of the Private Sector in TVET’ was conducted. All the panellists put forward their expert opinions on the training and human resource development aspects. The panel discussion ended with closing remarks by the ambassadors and the chief guest.  The Hunar Rozgar Mela 2021 was concluded with the insights from the leading representatives of TVET academia and industry like Head of HR, KIA Lucky Motors, Mr. Ashaar Saeed; Director General Sindh, National Vocational and Technical Training Commission, Ms. Nabila Umar, Chairman, Sindh Technical Education, and Vocational Training Authority, Mr. Saleem Raza Jalbani, Dr. Fatima Khushnud Head of Policy, Research and New Business, Engro Energy Limited and Mr. Olaf Handloegten, Cluster Coordinator, Training and Sustainable Growth for Decent Jobs, GIZ-Pakistan.

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Cinemas, shrines to reopen in 8 cities from Oct 1: Asad Umer

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiative Asad Umar Wednesday announced relaxation in eight cities with the highest level of COVID vaccination from October 01 (Friday).

“The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) has decided to relax restrictions in eight cities- Quetta, Peshawar, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Gilgit and Skardu,” he said while addressing a virtual press talk along with Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan here after chairing the meeting of NCOC.The minister also announced to impose restrictions on adults not fully vaccinated from Friday.

Asad Umar said the NCOC had set the target of vaccinating at least 40 percent of eligible population (15 years and above) which had been met by the 8 cities where the restrictions were being relaxed.

He said ban on shrines was being lifted that would be opened completely for the vaccinated people only. Similarly, cinema halls are also going to open from the said date and the entry would be linked to showing vaccination certificate.

The dining would continue as per guidelines whereas marriage halls and restaurants are allowed to keep open seven days a week in the 8 cities, however marriage halls and restaurants would remain close at least one day in a week in other cities. Pakistan on Wednesday morning recorded another 52 coronavirus deaths and 1,560 infections, according to the statistics released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

The meeting was chaired by Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar in Islamabad.

Addressing the press conference flanked by SAPM on health Dr Faisal Sultan, NCOC chief Asad Umar said it has been decided to relax restrictions from October 1 (Friday) in eight cities where forty percent population aged fifteen and above has been vaccinated against the COVID-19.

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Oppo plans to set up mobile phones manufacturing plant in Pakistan

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Leading smartphone manufacturer & innovator, OPPO is planning to upgrade its assembly plant to manufacturing plant in Pakistan. The company has set target to manufacture 5 million mobile phones per annum.

Federal Minister for Industries and Production Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar met with CEO OPPO Pakistan, George Long in his office. During meeting, CEO apprised the minister that the company is optimistic to export locally manufactured sets from Pakistan.

George highlighted that his company is also aiming to establish R&D center for transfer of technology and skill development of IT professionals in Pakistan. While welcoming the announcement of OPPO Pakistan, minister said that GoP’s investment-friendly policies have improved the business ecosystem in Pakistan.

He said that local manufacturing will keep prices under control for local customers of mobile phones, but it will also enable expansion of the mobile phone industry to become bigger player in economy. He said that this growth would result in the creation of numerous employment opportunities within the industry as well as associated industries in the country.

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