Category: Business

Multan (Muhammad Yasir) Sarsabz Fertilizer, the flagship brand of Fatima Fertilizer, joined thousands of farmers on December 22 to celebrate the fourth Kissan Day during a special ceremony hosted at Fatima Fertilizer’s plant in Multan which was attended by a large gathering of farmers which also included Mr. Khalid Khokhar, President of Pakistan Kissan Ittehad, Dr. Anjum Ali, Director General (Extension & AR) in Punjab, and Nazo Dharejo – a progressive farmer from Sindh, who actively advocates about the hardships faced by farmers.

Important officials including Syed Fakhar Imam (Ex-Minister of National Food Security and Research), the Vice Chancellor of the University of Multan, Dr. Asif Ali and member of the Pakistan Crop Protection Association (PCPA), Asif Majeed and other senior officials also attended the event to mark their tribute and deep appreciation towards the farmers.

On account of Kissan Day celebrations, Fawad Mukhtar, CEO of Fatima Fertilizer said, “In context to the recent floods, protecting Pakistan’s future food security has become the most important priority for the agriculture sector. This can only be achieved through the hard work and dedication of our farmers’ community who are already facing immense hardships and challenges due to the devasting floods and need our support and encouragement to achieve this monumental target.”

Rabel Sadozai, Director of Marketing & Sales, at Fatima Fertilizer also said: “Farmers are our true heroes who play a vital role in harnessing the true potential of the agriculture sector. Let us all work towards modernising the agriculture sector and helping small-scale farmers to overcome their current challenges so they can play their due role to ensure our economic prosperity and national food security.”

The recent floods in Pakistan have severely impacted the agriculture sector which is currently facing an acute existential crisis. Not only has it become more challenging to meet the country’s food security needs, but the potential income from agricultural exports is also expected to decline significantly. Agriculture experts predict that if thousands of acres of agricultural land are not restored on priority, the country may face a noticeable food shortage in the near future. To rescue Pakistan from this threatening situation, the government needs to mobilise all possible resources and play a pivotal role in reviving the sector.

Sarsabz Fertilizer has been effectively working to protect the interest of farmers by proposing initiatives like Kissan Day to create a platform where farmers’ issues can be raised to the attention of stakeholders and policymakers to try and explore possible reforms and policies which can help support the farmers.

The one-day celebrations of Kissan Day concluded with a distribution of shields ceremony among the farmers’ community.

Systems Limited’s wholly owned subsidiary, NdcTech, partners with Temenos to expand market reach in GCC Region.

We are pleased to announce that Systems Limited’s wholly owned subsidiary, NdcTech, has signed an agreement with Temenos in which NdcTech has been granted exclusive licensing rights of Temenos certified Country Model Bank across selected 7 countries. This will enable NdcTech to sell and maintain the Country Model Bank license for new implementation and upgrade across those countries.

Temenos (SIX: TEMN) today announced that it has signed an agreement to grant license rights to NdcTech, a wholly owned subsidiary of Systems Limited and one of its largest regional system integrators partners, to develop further and market the Temenos Country Model Banks on top of Temenos open platform for financial institutions in these seven Middle Eastern countries.

NdcTech is committed to invest and develop regulatory and business-specific localized functionality to enhance these Model Banks for banks of all sizes in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

As part of this agreement, NdcTech will become a trusted partner for upgrade services in those countries to enable customers to seamlessly upgrade their technology stack and offer them a modernization path to a SaaS model on the Temenos Banking Cloud.

Temenos holds a leading position in the region and boasts a raft of clients across these seven countries including some of the largest and most innovative institutions in the Middle East from Al-Rajhi Bank, to First Abu Dhabi Bank to stc pay. All Temenos clients will be able to work with NdcTech and Temenos to enhance the Model Banks and contribute to the product roadmap.

Country Model Banks are a key differentiator for Temenos. By enabling partners to develop new country models, Temenos is able to scale this competitive advantage, rapidly building new model banks compatible with the banking services on Temenos composable platform and available for instant deployment on Temenos Banking Cloud.

NdcTech is one of the largest System Integrators and partner for Temenos in the Middle East and Africa. The company’s rich engineering expertise, in-depth knowledge of modern banking platforms and unique development methodologies have led to this strategic collaboration.  Working together, NdcTech and Temenos will open up new business opportunities and drive revenue growth among existing clients through cross-selling by incorporating regulatory requirements and innovations relevant to local market practices.

William Moroney, Managing Director, Middle East and Africa at Temenos, said, “We are excited to announce this agreement with NdcTech, which expands our addressable market and opens new opportunities for growth in these seven counties in the Middle East. NdcTech will invest in the Country Model Banks to accelerate our competitiveness in the region by delivering local IP such as market specific products. With these partnerships we bring additional investment in our platform and scale in specific countries which ultimately delivers incremental growth.”

Ammara Masood, CEO, NdcTech, said, “We are delighted to be granted this license by Temenos to develop Country Model Banks in Pakistan and in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. This milestone is a testament to our capabilities as a long-standing partner of Temenos. Our deep knowledge of global market practices and regulations coupled with expertise in modern architectures has enabled us to be the trusted partner for the region’s pioneering banks. This region is full of potential, and now we are not only driven but also equipped to extend our footprint by collaborating with leading banks in this space.”

Systems Limited is excited as this will be a great opportunity for Temenos and NdcTech to innovate and deliver value to all the banks and financial institutions in those seven countries.

 

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) With the mission of simplifying and improving the lives of people, Careem, the pioneer of ride-hailing in Pakistan, has partnered with Taj Gasoline, a leading oil marketing company in Pakistan, to provide sustainable fuel management solutions to its Captains by offering fuel at subsidized rates. The partnership aims to benefit Captains and help improve their earnings following the rising inflation in the country. Taj Gasoline has so far dedicated 6 of its fueling stations in Karachi and Multan for Careem Captains to avail this benefit and plans to increase the number of stations across the country. Taj Gasoline believes in crowning the journey for all, and the same value is shared with Careem of simplifying and improving the lives of people, therefore has extended this offering to all Careem colleagues, where they can get the same subsidized rates from the dedicated stations. The announcement was made during a signing ceremony at Careem’s head office in Karachi where senior leadership from both companies were present including Feroz Jaleel, Country General Manager, Muhammad Imran Saleem, Strategy and Commercial Director from Careem, Omar Shafqaat, Chief of Operations, and Ahmed Maaz, Head of Marketing from Taj Gasoline. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Feroz Jaleel, Country Head, Careem Pakistan said, “Our Captains are the backbone of Careem and this year, in particular, has been extremely challenging for them. With fuel prices skyrocketing, our Captains’ earnings have taken a severe hit and we are taking every possible measure to help them in this difficult time. This collaboration is a testament to our team’s commitment to staying one step ahead in making lives simpler for our Captains’’. Omar Shafqaat, Chief of Operations, Taj Gasoline commented, “With severe economic pressure all around, it is our duty to be the change makers and extend our support in whatever way we can, one of which happens to be the steep cost of commute. This is our shared belief with Careem to improve the lives of those on the move. We are proud to contribute to a greater good and tirelessly crown journeys every day”. Careem has always been at the forefront of coming up with initiatives designed at improving the quality of lives for its Captains. Since its inception in 2016, Careem has invested over $100 million, created over 800,000 income opportunities for Captains in Pakistan and has over 9 million registered Customers on the Super App.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) The delegation Called on Chairman NADRA, Discussed various e-government initiatives and digital identity that NADRA is actively engaged Chairman NADRA held reception in honor of the delegation Tariq Malik, Chairman NADRA briefed the delegation headed by the Interior Minister of Somalia of Ahmed Moallim Fiqi on over ID as an enabler for inclusion & empowerment, e-government initiatives, its success in achieving universal ID Registration coverage across Pakistan and utilization of National ID data to reform governance of state institutions. The delegation, spearheaded by Federal Interior Minister, Comprised of Ahmed Abdirahman Hassan, Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Abdiwali Mire Hirsi, Deputy Minister of Interior-Puntland State, Ahmed Osman Adan, Deputy Minister of Interior-Galmudug State, Abdulahi Hassan, Minister of Interior of Southwest State, Ms. Hoden Aden Osman, Advisor to Office of President, Mr Abduallahi Bihi Hussen Director General NIRA and Mr. Shirwa Abdullahi Ibrahim Ambassador Somalia. The Somalia Ministerial delegation has set out a study tour on Federalism, Devolution, and State-Building During the briefing, Tariq Malik, Chairman NADRA emphasized that following Government of Pakistan’s “Look Africa Policy”, NADRA is poised to work closely with the government of Somalia. Mr. Malik assured the high-powered delegation that NADRA will surely extend all possible G2G support in ID related projects. Mr. Malik also urged on the delegation to develop an ID ecosystem that would bring about “Single Version of Truth”. The potential is endless for the digital public goods to be rolled out on the basis of a good ID system, he added. Mr. Malik said, “A good ID system helps build a strong democratic system, especially in developing countries. The ethos of democracy in “One Person, One Vote” is better delivered through a National ID system that facilitates in development of Computerized Electoral rolls with negligible margins of voter fraud and other fraudulent practices.” It is pertinent to mention that under South-South cooperation, NADRA is assisting the governments of Nigeria, Sudan, Kenya and Somalia with regard to the development of identity management and civil registration system. Interior Minister lauded the efforts of the incumbent Chairman NADRA Tariq Malik and NADRA team. He showed his desire to get NADRA’s assistance for Government of Somalia to develop a robust identity management system and its linkage with other disparate systems operating in Somalia and its states. Meanwhile, Chairman NADRA also held reception in honor of Ministerial Delegation of Somalia in Islamabad. Minister for Planning, Development & Reforms, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal, Advisor to Prime Minister on Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Ambassador of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Nawaf Bin Said Al-Malki and Federal Secretary Interior Yousuf Naseem Khokhar attended the reception. Speaking on the occasion, Minister Prof. Ahsan Iqbal highlighted the importance of mutual relations between Pakistan and Somalia. He said during his last stint as Interior Minister in 2018, both countries agreed to enhance mutual cooperation and boost bilateral relations. Mr. Iqbal appreciated the efforts of the Chairman NADRA Tariq Malik and Interior Minister of Somalia of Ahmed Moallim Fiqi in materializing the initiative that he took while signing an MoU on the development of identity management and civil registration system in March 2018 with the then ambassador of Somalia to Pakistan, Miss Khadija Muhammad Al-Makhdoomi. Mr. Iqbal said Somalia is a Country of great fortune and strategic importance and Pakistan is ready to assist Somalian Government in registering its citizens, immigration services, and other e-Government solutions. A week-long schedule of activities has been developed to engage the Somalian counterpart in showcasing e-government solution of Pakistan anchored in Digital ID.

Farmers were handed over the insurance cheques at a recently held ceremony

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Syngenta Pakistan Limited, a leading agriculture innovation and technology company – providing crop protection, biologicals, seeds, crop-enhancement products and digital services to millions of Pakistani farmers, has successfully piloted a weather and parametric index-based crop insurance program in partnership with Salaam Takaful Limited. As part of the pilot, farmers of autumn crop from the Arifwala & Vehari regions in Punjab were provided with payout cheques at a recently held ceremony with an average payout amount of Rs. 8,500 per farmer. The program has been highly appreciated by the local farmers who were of the view that this intervention will transform the farmer-community’s quality of life and catalyze the progress on making Pakistan’s agriculture sector more robust and climate resilient. This crop insurance program aims to safeguard farmers against the impacts of climate change by employing digital technologies and is in line with Syngenta Pakistan’s farmer-centric vision of “One Team, One Dream, Farmers’ Future” to empower the farmers by creating an ecosystem that addresses all of their key pain points. Addressing the ceremony, Zeeshan Hasib Baig – General Manager Syngenta Pakistan – said: “Agriculture is one of the most adversely affected sectors due to climate change. This year excessive heat and rainfalls have contributed to low yields of Wheat, Corn and Mango. Amidst this challenge being faced by farmers, Syngenta Pakistan is standing alongside its famers by providing them Weather Index Based Parametric Crop Insurance. On one side, Syngenta is providing top quality Crop Protection products to farmers and on the other providing protection to their crops through its crop insurance partner. Syngenta Pakistan’s corn crop insurance pilot project this year resulted in 50% payouts to the growers due to unusual rains owing to climate change. This initiative is part of Syngenta’s farmer-centric vision through which we are trying to address farmer’s needs and solving problems they are facing.”

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) A “Climate Change and Karachi – Building Coastal Resilience” Conference was held in Karachi, sponsored by TPL Properties, which highlighted the interventions needed to help the city in adapting to climate change impacts. The Conference focused on highlighting the impacts of Climate Change on Karachi and the measures that can be taken to mitigate the effects. The event was welcomed by Shah Murad Aliani, former Country Representative of IUCN and member of the Prime Ministers Climate Change Committee, who stressed the need for “collective action”. The conference started with an opening address from Racha AlKhawaja, CEO, TPL Investment Management, Abu Dhabi, emphasizing the role of our country’s business and government fraternity towards environmental protection. “We have gathered here to contemplate possibilities, pledge towards sustainability, and commit our efforts to the generations ahead. The conference included professionals from both private and government sectors who could play a vital role in encouraging sustainable practices. We are looking forward to building green buildings to help diminish water waste and eliminate carbon footprints.”

“This conference has allowed us to move in the right direction. Pakistan has witnessed 117 incidents caused by climate change, yet there is no contingency plan,” said Nazifa Butt, Senior Manager, Climate and Energy Programme at WWF. “Climate change has ravaged our current ecosystem and if not addressed, will devastate our future generations. The country’s future is at stake”. Nazifa has been associated with the organization for the past 12 years and heads Corporate Partnerships and Fundraising at WWF-Pakistan and has carried out various corporate and citizen engagement activities.

The presentations highlighted areas for adaptation, methods to combat the shifting climate, and Key Initiatives that need to be taken to help vulnerable communities adapt to climate change through sustainable solutions. “Nature and its forests cannot go through any more atrocities. Development initiatives of the future should encompass sustainability goals. Keeping our environment as a prime factor towards development should be considered on a national level across both government and private sectors,” said Tariq A. Qaiser, principal architect at TAQ Associates, also a former faculty member at the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston.

Sessions showed the reality of climate change effects in the future and what needs to be done to restore the ecosystem. “The city of lights has transitioned into the city of kites. Man has trifled with nature in its own greed, and now nature is having its say. We need to restore the balance disturbed by us if we plan for generations to have a brighter future”, said Masood Lohar, an award-winning Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation expert with over two decades of experience in restoring ecosystem restoration and promoting urban forests and urban wetlands.

The sessions were moderated by Quatrina Hosain, senior journalist and television anchor with a special interest in climate change and ecology The panel discussions included notable figures such as Mr. Shah Murad Aliani, Mr. Riaz Wagan-Chief Conservator Forests – Sindh Forest Department, Mr. Nadeem Mirbahar-Ecologist, Mr. Farhan A. Mehboob, CEO at S. Mehboob & Company, Consulting Engineers (SMC), Pakistan’s premier MEP Building Services Consulting firm and Tofiq Pasha Mooraj , who serves on the board of governors at Hisaar Foundation . Pressing issues like worsening air quality, the need for more green spaces and conservation of Karachi’s Mangroves, water conservation and management and decarbonizing of buildings were discussed and solutions and examples shared. They further urged federal authorities and the corporate fraternity to revisit and strengthen their climate change adaption strategies in their national climate plans by the end of 2023, as well as accelerate efforts to adopt renewable energy options and phase out inefficient fossil fuel dependency.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Aliani informed of a decision between TPL Properties and the Sindh Forest Department to jointly develop a Mangrove Biodiversity Park in Karachi. Mr. Jameel Yusuf, Chairman of TPL Corp distributed plaques to the keynote speakers and panelists.

 

 

 

 

 

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

Pakistani SaaS startup Social Champ is rapidly changing the marketing and advertising industry’s dynamics. They were the only martech startup from Pakistan that attended the “Startup Showcase” under the theme “Future of advertising and marketing” in Lisbon, Portugal, in November.

Karachi-based Social Champ, founded in late 2019 by Sameer Ahmed Khan, Zohaib Shakir, and Shakir Ghani, is a social media management tool that allows individuals and businesses to manage their various social media pages (and profiles) on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Youtube, Tiktok, Google Business Profile and Pinterest via its web and mobile-based platform.

Web Summit 2022, which happened recently, attracted 71,000+ tech enthusiasts from 160 countries. The summit recognized that the tech industry is not always inclusive or welcoming to everyone and wanted to change that by creating a safe, welcoming, and nurturing environment for all.

“This summit has allowed us to move in the right direction,” said Shakir Ghani, Co-founder and COO of Social Champ. Being the only martech from Pakistan that was able to secure an alpha booth at the summit and was scheduled to present a pitch with the theme of “40 seconds in 40 words”, Social Champ believes that conferences and seminars like these will help them secure better investment opportunities and effortless access to the European market as well as global customers’ insights. 

The global fintech and martech startups at the event discussed areas for adaptation, methods to evolve with the shifting technology and advertising trends, and critical Initiatives that need to be taken to help marketing and digital community progress through innovation and sustainable solutions.

The growing tech company gave all tech enthusiasts $100 champ vouchers at the event. While talking at the summit, Sameer Ahmed, Founder of Social Champ, said, “The future of tech in Pakistan is quite enriching. With new innovative startups on each block, it seems like the tech revolution is on its way to helping the world in the toughest challenges. Presenting Social Champ at the Web summit in Lisbon, Portugal, was a great validation that the world needs innovative solutions and will adopt your solution no matter which part of the world you are in. The conference helped us meet new partners and investors and strengthen our presence in European countries.”

Pakistan is positioning itself as a technological innovation hotspot. The country’s thriving startup environment is luring high-end investors toward the region. Pakistan’s advertising sector is valued at $2 billion. With the growth of startups in the marketing and tech domain, industry experts believe that very soon, Pakistani companies will be able to cater to Pakistan’s and global market requirements.

Social Champ has been a regular at these summits and attended Techstars Toronto in June 2022. Techstars is a global network that helps entrepreneurs build a better future for everyone by fostering creative partnerships worldwide. Social Champ is also a part of Techstars Toronto 22 Batch and is the only Martech SaaS Company selected from Pakistan that Techstars invested in, out of 3090+ startups worldwide.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) The potential of crypto assets in Pakistan can generate over $100 billion in total income for technology talent over the next twenty years, contributing significantly to the national economy.

The last few months have exponentially increased societal, investor, and policy interest in crypto, blockchain, and Web 3.0 technologies because Pakistan ranks third in terms of crypto adoption in the Chainalysis 2021 Global Crypto Adoption Index.  

These observations were expressed by speakers at Pakistan’s largest Web 3.0 and blockchain event titled “W3B Summit” held at the National Incubation Center (NIC) in Islamabad. It was attended by leading entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, technology professionals, and students. The summit was organized by Teamup and National Incubation Center in partnership with S&P Global and Fasset. The event aimed to lay down the foundation for emerging technologies in Pakistan.

Zouhair Khaliq, former CEO of Jazz, a veteran corporate executive, and Founding Partner, Teamup & National Incubation Center Pakistan, welcomed the guests and delegates at the summit. He highlighted the role of the National Incubation Center, “I am glad to see NIC catalyzing innovation in Pakistan and this event is part of our attempts to turn Pakistan into a tech destination. There is tremendous potential in this field, and we must ensure Pakistan’s place in this rapidly developing landscape.”

Mujeeb Zahur, Managing Director S&P Global shared his firm belief in understanding and supporting the development of technology as the best way forward, “Technology is the only field that gives your economy and social progress an instant boost irrespective of your geo-political situation. It is a world without divisions and works on pure merit and talent. Pakistan has no dearth of either. I hope to see such events regularly and look forward to S&P Global partnering with them in the future.”

Monis Rahman, a leading entrepreneur, and Founder, Rozee.pk & Dukan.pk, spoke on the future of fintech and Web 3.0 in Pakistan. “I have complete faith in the overwhelmingly young and tech-savvy population of Pakistan to take technology and innovation to new levels and enable a strong position for Pakistan as an emerging technology.”  

Noshad Minhas, Country Head Pakistan Fasset, was very optimistic, “Pakistan is amongst the top 3 Web 3 adopting nations in the world. It is home to some of the world’s best and brightest developers, researchers, and scientists in tokenization, digital assets, and blockchain technology. In tandem with National Incubation Center, Fasset hopes to build awareness and educate the next generation of Web3 adopters on safe, responsible, and innovative development as well as the adoption of the future of this game-changing space. We believe that with the right building blocks, the talented youth of Pakistan can unlock $100bn of potential economic growth.”

It is noted that sectors from financial services to retail and e-commerce, media and entertainment, healthcare, IT, government, and energy, almost every sector is expected to adopt Web3.0 blockchain. Industry leaders and users see potential in the highly transparent nature of a decentralized Web3.0, where all transactions are recorded and registered and can be easily traced. On the other hand, developers and IT teams invest in Web3.0 due to the strengths of its rapidly developing technology.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

Javedan Corporation Limited has received a subscription of PKR 387,945,000 from the general public through a two-day offer for sale process. The offer for sale was over-subscribed by 2.77 times. GRR is a closed ended, Developmental REIT Scheme with a limited life of 48 months offering investors the opportunity to become an investor in the Globe Residency apartments project at Naya Nazimabad. 14 million units, which make up 10% of the total units of the REIT Scheme were offered by Javedan Corporation Limited to the General Public at a price of PKR 10 per unit. The REIT fund size is PKR 2.8 billion; PKR 1.4 billion each of Debt and Equity and the project cost is estimated at PKR 20 billion.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir)

Maintaining its excellence in quality & food safety, Shan Foods has achieved the ‘AA’ grade rating for the third year in a row in the Brand Reputation Compliances Global Standard (BRCGS) re-certification audit, becoming the first spice company in Pakistan to achieve ‘AA’ rating consecutively 3rd time. Apart of being certified on BRC Food Standard, Shan Foods holds certifications which are recognized globally such as FSSC, QMS, EMS, OHSMS and Halaal certifications i.e. PS 3733 OIC SMIIC 1 and JAKIM MS 1500. Commenting on the achievement, Mushkbar Zehra, Director Quality Assurance, HSE & Compliance at Shan Foods, remarked, “This is just one of the chapters in Shan Foods’ success story, and we intend to keep expanding and bringing our customers’ happiness and high-quality food.”