Category: Business

Lahore (Nut Desk)  Careem, the pioneer of ride-hailing services in Pakistan, has recently announced a significant reduction in its commission fees charged to Captains, making it all-time lowest. Careem will be operating on a 0% commission fee model on GO and GO-MINI car types in Islamabad effective from 15 May, 2022, allowing Captains to take home all their earnings.

This initiative is an effort to offer the hard-working Captains a well-deserved relief in their daily endeavors, given the tough economic conditions of the country and increase in inflation. The development comes as another vital step forward in making Careem one of the most reliable, trusted and affordable ride-hailing platforms in the country.

Feroz Jaleel, Country Head, Careem Pakistan commented on the occasion, “We believe in going the extra mile for Captains since they are essential to our mission of simplifying and improving lives of people. We take pride in our ability to act as a pillar of support for them to ensure things keep moving in the right direction. The decision to cut down on commission fees is to ensure that those who rely on us are able to sustain their livelihoods in challenging times, and continue to advance towards a prosperous future.”

Careem has always been at the forefront of coming up with initiatives designed at improving the quality of lives for its Captains. Having a network of more than 800,000 registered Captains across Pakistan, Careem is committed to providing safe, secure, reliable, and affordable means of transportation to its Customers. After evolving as a Super App, Careem has become a one-stop solution for commuting, food, delivery, mobile top-ups and payments.

Quetta (Nut Desk) AAA Associates’ Exclusive Property Expo 2022 has begun in Quetta, today. The expo will exhibit AAA Associates’ projects for investors. In order to avail the opportunity, AAA Associates is conducting a three days expo, starting from today May 13^th till Sunday May 15^th, 2022. The property expo 2022 is open for general public between 1:00 pm to 7:00 p.m at Serena Hotel in Quetta. It is open for all.

Many individuals and property vendors are expected to attend the event. The expo is going to offer ultimate real estate opportunities for buyers. They will be available with numerous residential and commercial investment choices with expert advice, real-time insights, and more. In order to aid buyers and investors at the Expo, the event also offers a significant discount for those who would wish to invest on the spot.

Expressing his views regarding the expo, Chairman AAA Associates Mr. Sheikh Fawad Bashir said, “Investing with the trusted real estate developer on the right time is the key to open the avenues of prosperity. Through this property expo 2022, we are here to provide a credible path to connect with the people of Balochistan so they can gain expert insights into the industry.”

MD AAA Associates Lt. Col. Shahzad Ali Kiani (r) said, “The current time is the most appropriate to buy property especially in light of repercussions of global crisis and expectations of high prices of all commodities and, accordingly, will directly affects property prices and is expected to spike.”

Established in 2015, AAA Associates, a leading group of Companies, has announced completion of 8 out of 12 construction projects within a record period of 7 years. AAA Associates with a competitive edge in the market exceeds clients’ expectations through laudable value proposition by providing services and investment opportunities that bring change in their lives through novelty and excellence. AAA Octa is the flagship project launched recently in the District Hub of Bahria Town that hosts a slew of premium features. The regal project will also be hosting deluxe suits managed and operated by The Pearl Continental Hotels. House to various different luxury brands and famous restaurants, AAA Associates has a legacy of delivering promises and an ever more glorious future as they believe in timely deliverance of top-notch quality products.

Karachi (Nut Desk) Master Changan Motors Limited has become the first automaker in Pakistan to initiate vehicle export under the new Auto Industry Development and Export Policy (AIDEP 2021-26). Under the new auto policy, all OEMs were required to initiate vehicle exports to help develop the local industry and expand the export capability of the country.

The country’s first export unit under the new policy is the Changan Oshan X7. The Oshan X7 is also the country’s first vehicle to be launched through a global RHD premiere earlier in March 2022. Pakistan is the only country outside of China to produce the latest model of Changan Oshan X7. The global premier was viewed across all RHD markets digitally, resulting in the start of global exports of the futuristic vehicle. The first unit was exported to a market in the Oceania region. The announcement was made at a ceremony at Master Changan’s plant in Karachi. The company’s CEO together with the management witnessed the vehicle being loaded in a container as it was shipped off to the port.

“We are delighted and proud to lead Pakistan into a new chapter for the auto industry and make its mark on a global level”, Danial Malik – CEO Master Changan Motors Limited said. “The Changan Oshan X7 is the first of many more vehicles to be exported under our vision to stay Future Forward, Forever and the Auto Industry Development and Export Policy (AIDEP 2021-26)”.

Master Changan is not only building vehicles of international level build quality, design and safety features but has also stayed true to its vision of becoming the RHD Export hub of Changan vehicles from Pakistan to the world.

Changan Oshan X7 was launched in March 2022 and features class-leading specifications. The vehicle is a package of head-turning looks and best-in-class performance. Equipped with the newest generation 1.5L Turbo engine, a 7-speed DCT Transmission and intelligent features like adaptive cruise control, collision warning and auto braking. Oshan X7 churns out an incredible 300 Nm torque and 185 hp output.

Pakistan is Changan’s first and only RHD manufacturing base and is helping the brand expand globally. The state-of-the-art plant was completed in a record time of just 13 months and now has the capacity to produce 50,000 vehicles annually.

 “Master Changan is our first RHD production base and we are very happy to export our RHD Oshan X7 SUV from Pakistan”, Steven Zhao – Vice CEO Master Changan Motors Limited remarked.

Master Changan Motors Limited was established in 2018 as a result of the country’s Auto Policy 2016-21 with an investment of USD 136 million and a promise to bring futuristic vehicles within the reach of Pakistanis. Master Changan is the only JV with an OEM in three decades bringing in much needed FDI and Technology Transfer to Pakistan and within three years has become #4 in Pakistan’s auto industry. Changan is China’s #1 in domestic sales for over a decade. The brand leads in innovation and quality amongst all Chinese automobiles (Ranked #1 in Quality by JD Power) and has the highest investment in R&D in China.

KE’S Leadership Visits Field Staff, Monitors Operational Effectiveness; Refutes Claims of Excessive Load-Shed in Karachi

Karachi (Nut Desk) In line with the efforts to provide maximum relief to consumers during the ongoing harsh weather, KE’s Chief Distribution Officer – Amer Zia, who is also presiding over the utility’s heatwave emergency cell, visited different parts of the city to review the on-field operations to resolve the consumers’ queries instantly.

While commenting on the current power supply to the city, he said, “While there is an evident surge in power demand as the mercury rises, K-Electric is undertaking all possible measures to provide maximum relief to its consumers. Currently, the power supply to most K-Electric’s service areas is stable, and all our on-ground teams are working tirelessly to resolve any consumer complaints as quickly as possible.”

While denying any claims of over 12 hours of load shed in any parts of KE’s service areas, he further stated that “Residential feeders having less than 20% recovery losses are undergoing zero load-shed which includes the industrial zones of the city. Furthermore, the area-wise schedule for all potentially affected consumers has been uploaded on KE’s website well in advance and kept up to date. Moreover, KE issued preemptive messages to customers so that they remain apprised of their potential load shed timings.”

Amer Zia also interacted with the citizens during his visit, distributed goods to mitigate heat-wave effects and advised citizens to remain hydrated with the appropriate water consumption while avoiding unnecessary and direct exposure to sunlight, particularly during extreme hot hours from 11 am to 4 pm. Furthermore, he reiterated that KE’s call center 118, SMS Service 8119, KE Live App, social media platforms, and WhatsApp Self Service Portal remain active 24/7 to support customers with their queries

K-Electric (KE) is a public listed company incorporated in Pakistan in 1913 as KESC. Privatized in 2005 KE is the only vertically integrated utility in Pakistan supplying electricity within a 6500 km2 territory including Karachi and its adjoining areas. The majority shares (66.4%) of the company are listed in the PSX owned by KES Power, a consortium of investors including Aljomaih Power Limited of Saudi Arabia, National Industries Group (Holding), Kuwait, and the Infrastructure and Growth Capital Fund (IGCF). The Government of Pakistan is also a minority shareholder (24.36%) in the company.

 

 

Lahore (Nut Desk) Understanding and addressing the needs of Pakistanis travelling internationally, Zong 4G is offering an International Roaming Bundle for Turkey. The International Roaming bundle for Turkey offers Zong’s prepaid subscribers 30 minutes of talk time, 30 SMS, and 1GB of data for a validity of 15 days at an affordable price of PKR 2,232 +Tax.

Travelers can activate the bundle offer by dialing *4255# or by visiting Zong’s online shop at https://www.zong.com.pk/onlineshop/ir-bundles. “Our efforts to help Pakistani international travelers stay connected with their loved ones back at home continue with the Turkey International Roaming offer,” said the Zong 4G spokesperson. “We remain committed to providing our customers with innovative and timely services and solutions to effectively meet their evolving connectivity and digital communications demands,” he said.

With Turkey being one of the most popular tourist destinations, this bundle offers excellent value in terms of talk time, SMS, and data, allowing users to stay connected when travelling in the country.

Zong is the largest mobile connectivity provider in Pakistan and is driving the country’s digital transformation. It is the industry’s largest international roaming network with dozens of countries already covered. Besides Turkey, Zong has previously introduced prepaid and postpaid roaming plans for China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Europe, and many other countries. 

 

Lahore (Nut Desk) Lahore Central Business District Development Authority (LCBDDA) also known as Central Business District (CBD) Punjab has successfully completed training for the first batch of The Apprentice Program. This program was launched as the country’s most unique graduate development program in February 2022, to give fresh graduates proper professional training leading towards flourishment of their skill sets to attain permanent jobs.

The authority shortlisted 35 candidates out of 150 finalist who went through rigorous professional training for two months at the Executive Development Centre which was specially established for the Apprentice Program. These selected apprentices were given special classes to equip them with 10 hard skills and 12 soft skills. During these special classes, lectures were delivered by Directorate Heads of CBD Punjab and seasoned HR professionals.

Apprentices also witnessed a professional working environment in CBD Punjab House (HQ of LCBDDA) in the last three weeks of their training. During this time period, they were mentored by Directorate Heads of different directorates of CBD Punjab to have a hands-on experience in the professional work environment. CSR activities, sessions with motivational speakers, and visits to various media houses and corporate firms were also arranged for the apprentices during their training.

Chief Operating Officer – LCBDDA, Brig (R) Mansoor Janjua said at the closing ceremony of the program that “CBD Punjab has laid the foundation of the country’s most unique and anticipated graduate development program. We believe our youth is our future and to polish their skills and to provide them life-changing opportunities is of utmost importance to us”. After the successful completion of the first batch, LCBDDA is all geared up to start the second batch of apprentice program in the near future and its details will be shared through media and social media platforms.

Unilever partners with Akhuwat and NOWPDP to drive inclusion in the workplace

Lahore (Nut Desk) Unilever Pakistan has partnered with Akhuwat and NOWPDP to develop an inclusive and sustainable recruitment process to ensure equitable employment opportunities across the business in Pakistan.

The launch of the program follows a long-standing commitment by Unilever Pakistan to drive inclusion in the workplace. With a dedicated Diversity & Inclusion team, the organization has carried out several successful initiatives to achieve an inclusive culture across its ecosystem with the use of tools for fair recruitment, and specific goals for inclusion.

The current initiative also aims to enable specially-abled persons and transgender persons with the professional tools necessary to succeed in corporate careers. As part of this ambition, Unilever Pakistan is launching a one-year contract Trainee program, which is designed to upskill participants and prepare them for entry into their preferred career roles.

Amir Paracha, Chairman & CEO, Unilever Pakistan highlighted, “Diversity and inclusion are among the greatest catalysts for social and economic change globally, and having a balanced workforce should be a requirement, not an aspiration. We aim to enable equitable opportunities for employment across our value chain and this partnership is yet another milestone for increasing livelihoods for all segments of society.”

Omair Ahmad, CEO NOWPDP also added that, “With grit, we have solicited staunch supporters from the grassroots up and have laid the foundation on which we are able to stand strong. Working towards our mandate of economic empowerment of persons with disabilities, we look forward to creating a more Bashamool Pakistan through our partnership with Unilever.”

NOWPDP works to promote an inclusive society through holistic and sustainable endeavors in the areas of education and economic empowerment for persons with disabilities. Akhuwat, through its Khwajasira Support Program, carries out economic and social interventions to support the transgender community through direct financial assistance, health services, psychological support, and participation in this training.

Group photo of officials from Unilever Pakistan, NOWPDP and Akhuwat, along with the first batch of trainees for the Unilever Inclusion Trainee Program.

 

Lahore (Nut Desk) Leaders and experts from the telecommunications industry came together at this year’s SAMENA Council Leaders’ Summit hosted by Huawei for the ninth consecutive year. The annual gathering was held under the theme of “Thriving with Resilience & Integration in the New Opportunity Realm” and focused on the new business opportunities that 5G and allied technologies provide for all industries and economic sectors. This year, Huawei shed light on the role of 5G, cloud and digital power in tackling the sustainability needs of the telecom industry and how an integrated intelligent ICT architecture will light up the future. Through its ‘Everything as a Service’ model, Huawei highlighted the cloud’s integral role in enabling the digital economy and data sovereignty.

The Summit also focused on the opportunities gained by integrating technologies, infrastructure investment, connectivity, and spectrum availability, which will benefit vertical industries and economic sectors. Steven Yi, President of Huawei Middle East, highlighted the crucial role of 5G in driving digital transformation across the region and the immense opportunities for enterprises in the 5G era. “Digital renaissance triggered by the pandemic has pivoted digital transformation to new heights, with 5G era infrastructure and communications technologies taking center stage. A strong drive for digital transformation is taking place worldwide, and Huawei is committed to bring the ingenious new technologies that will enrich people’s lives with immersive digital services and enabling new opportunities in the industry’s digital transformation with smart digital solutions.” Yi noted. Bocar A. BA, SAMENA Council CEO, said, “We held very fruitful discussions on the future direction of our networks, particularly in the 5G era.

What was apparent is the transformational role of networks in driving digital transformation and economic growth. Participants also agreed that networks themselves must evolve to meet the region’s sustainability goals. In this regard, the role of innovation in enabling net-zero transition through digital power technologies is increasingly important for the Middle East.” Vanness You, Vice President of Marketing and Solution, Huawei Middle East, officially launched Huawei IntelligentRAN in the region. Vanness You noted that: “Towards the future, intelligence in every industry and connection, Huawei IntelligentRAN opens new paths to wireless intelligence, bringing the next level of service capability including agile service, smart experience, smart green and smart O&M.” Additionally, IntelligentRAN allows intelligent air interfaces to use key technologies like smart grids, scheduling dictionaries, and channel graphs.

These tools can configure air interface resources intelligently and achieve optimal user experience and capacity. Service prediction with IntelligentRAN also guides non-real-time spectrum and channel selection on the network side and real-time symbol scheduling and transmit power configuration on the base station side. This significantly reduces energy consumption across the entire network. Huawei Executives took part in several panel discussions. Mohamed Madkour, VP of Wireless Networks Marketing and Solutions at Huawei, participated in the “Leaders’ Exchange Connectivity for the New Decade” panel. He noted that intelligent connectivity is the lifeline for everyone and integral to every country’s digital economy. He reiterated Huawei’s commitment to providing powerful, intelligent, simple and efficient digital infrastructure and operational tools to create more commercial and social values for societies, industries and economies. He also highlighted that growth oriented ICT policies are key to facilitate a favorable environment for business and technology innovations. Emaad Ahmed, Chief Expert, Huawei Middle East, took part in a panel discussion titled “Techno-Business Convergence Achieving Sustainable Integration in the 5G Era.” He noted that operators’ OPEX increases due to system and network complexity.

Therefore, reducing OPEX and achieving green development is essential for operators’ future growth in light of the carbon-neutral background and the demand for cost reduction and increased efficiency. Joined by senior executives from leading companies in the region, Mr. Paul M. Scanlan, CTO of Carrier Network Business Unit, Huawei, participated in “Cloud & Network Synergies: Achieving Resilience in Service Delivery” roundtable. 

An immersive and premium user experience

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) POCO, a popular technology brand among the world’s young techies, is announcing the global launch of its latest flagship POCO F4 GT smartphone, heralding the apex of power. 

Living up to its potential, POCO F4 GT delivers an impressively apex performance with a flagship 4nm Snapdragon® 8 Gen 1 processor, backed by a sophisticated LiquidCool Technology 3.0, a flat AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, magnetic pop-up triggers, and topped off by 120W HyperCharge. 

“We are thrilled to unveil the POCO F4 GT. With such an uncompromising user experience at a surprisingly affordable price, we believe that POCO F4 GT will be the daily essential for all young tech enthusiasts, especially gamers,” said Angus Ng, Head of Product Marketing at POCO Global. “It is always our top priority to fulfill different consumers’ needs by expanding into different product offerings.”

POCO F4 GT: Apex flagship smartphone that offers unsurpassed performance  

With a flagship 4nm Snapdragon® 8 Gen 1 processor and an octa-core processor running at 3.0 GHz, POCO F4 GT is sure to win over the tech savvy youth, especially hardcore gamers. The mighty Android chipset increases CPU performance by 20% and GPU performance by up to 50%. Meanwhile, POCO F4 GT offers a fully fledged LPDDR5 RAM with up to 6400Mbps for shorter load times, along with an upgraded UFS 3.1 ROM. 

The true test for a mobile gaming smartphone is heat management. Requiring a small device to run for extended periods can lead to poor performance. For this reason, POCO F4 GT is equipped with the latest LiquidCool Technology 3.0, one of the most advanced cooling systems in the industry. The 4,860mm² dual VC cooling system manages to bring down high temperatures, culminating from a powerful machine optimized to run intense gaming sessions.

To feed the power, POCO F4 GT boasts POCO’s first 120W HyperCharge and a 4,700mAh big battery, which can be fully charged in 17 minutes. And if gamers need more juice in mid-game, POCO F4 GT can replenish its battery to 100% in only 27 minutes. Not only does POCO F4 GT sport rapid recharge times, the battery’s lifespan can be optimally preserved as a benefit of its AdaptiveCharge feature. This feature prevents the battery from overcharging in the critical 80% to 100% charge range throughout the night.

Magnetic triggers pop up, standing tall in preparation for battle. The setup has surpassed expectations. The unique levitating magnetic pop-up triggers, able to handle 1.5 million times press, have been tested on more than 100 popular games. This ensures unbeatable stability, responsiveness and durability. To attain a more premium gaming experience, the CyberEngine, one of the best linear motors available on Android smartphones, offers more ranges of vibration. POCO F4 GT is ready for whatever users may throw at it, not only for the extended sessions of mobile gaming but also in daily use. When out of gaming mode, the triggers can also be used as a shortcut for quick access on the go, such as a shortcut to activate camera, screen recording or flashlight. 

At the press of a button, users can turn on the screen to be floored by POCO’s latest 6.67-inch flat AMOLED and 10-bit TrueColor display, which when combined with the responsive 480Hz touch sampling rate and the up to 120Hz refresh rate, makes the screen come to life. Whether gaming or streaming shows, the true-to-life color spectrum leaps from the screen. POCO F4 GT also works to simultaneously maintain color accuracy in low-light settings while using high-frequency PWM dimming to protect its users’ eyes during marathon screen time sessions. POCO F4 GT’s display has set and matched 15 display performance records from Display Mate and is rated as A+ screen.

True to its nature as an apex of power, POCO is adding one more service to its list of inaugural features for the latest device. Users can enjoy the premium after-sales service, which offers one-time free screen repair service during the first 6 months after purchase. In addition, YouTube’s subscription service, YouTube Premium, will come pre-installed on POCO F4 GT. To sweeten the deal, customers can enjoy YouTube Premium for up to two months free. That means two months of ad-free, offline viewing, and uninterrupted access to video and music content across the Youtube platform. 

Market availability:

POCO F4 GT comes in 3 color variants with 12GB + 256GB which is available on CoreCart and Daraz.PK

12GB+256GB: PKR 144,999 /-

Pre-bookings open from 11th May 2022, with open sales from 16th May 2022. The device comes in three colors: Stealth Black, Knight Silver and Cyber Yellow.

POCO F4 GT Quick Specs:

Display	120Hz AMOLED touch display
Rear Camera	64 MP Rear Camera
Front Camera	20 MP Front Camera
Dimension & Weight	162.5mm x 76.7 mm x 8.5 mm
Processor	Snapdragon® 8 Gen 1
Charging	120W HyperCharge- 4,700mAh battery
Variant	12GB+256GB
Available Color	Stealth Black, Knight Silver and Cyber Yellow.

Lahore (Nut Desk) Easypaisa, the country’s leading digital payments App, has introduced an innovative feature that enables users to upgrade their mobile wallet accounts through in-app biometric verification. A key regulatory requirement, Biometric Verification System (BVS) also enhances users’ daily, monthly and yearly transaction limits.

Customers will now be able to use the BVS feature to upgrade their mobile wallet accounts without the need to visit any agent, franchise or branch for this purpose. Earlier, customers had to physically visit an external location to biometrically verify their mobile wallet as mandated by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).  With the launch of in-app Biometric Verification, by following some simple on-screen steps, customers can now easily use the BVS feature from within the Easypaisa App and enjoy upgrades on transaction limits in a convenient and secure manner.

Commenting on the development, M. Mudassar Aqil, CEO, Easypaisa / Telenor Microfinance Bank said; “At Easypaisa, we take pride in leading Pakistan’s fintech revolution by transforming the digital payments landscape. Through our best-in-class technology, we are constantly working on adding new features on our platform to enable all Pakistanis to take charge of their financial decisions in a convenient and secure manner. The recently introduced in-app biometric verification will eliminate the dependency for users to physically visit merchants/franchises to upgrade their accounts and enhance transaction limits, while also ensuring compliance to regulatory guidelines.’’

With more than 10 million customers using the Easypaisa App in the last 30-days across the Android and iOS platforms, Easypaisa is the most used Pakistani App across all categories and remains committed to transforming Pakistan into a cashless and financially inclusive society through the power of collaboration & technology.