Category: Business

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Keeping up with its commitment of prioritising safety and well-being, foodpanda organised a road safety awareness session for its riders, which was conducted by Sindh Traffic Police. The session was conducted by DSP Saeed Arain, and was followed by a talk by the DIG Traffic Police, Mr. Ahmed Yar Chohan. The training given to the delivery riders aims at ensuring that all riders strictly follow the traffic rules, and drive with great responsibility and care, for their own safety and for the safety of all drivers and even pedestrians who walk along the roads or cross the roads at any point.      

Speaking at the occasion, Muntaqa Peracha, Interim CEO – foodpanda Pakistan, stated that delivery riders can spend a lot of time on the roads and at all hours, making it essential that they are adequately coached on safe driving practices. He went on to say that foodpanda believes that roads accidents are entirely preventable, and this and similar other sessions are being organized as the company is cognizant of its responsibility in mentoring its delivery riders.

According to a report issued by Karachi Traffic Police (KTP) in 2021, the number of road accidents has drastically increased. The report stated several reasons behind the increased rate including the chaotic traffic, the large number of inexperienced drivers, especially teenagers, and heavy traffic plying on the roads during the daytime. The comparative report shows that the death toll from road accidents increased by 43% year on year, while the rate of serious injuries increased by 109%. Moreover, the report revealed that more motorcyclists were killed in the accidents compared to people driving cars.

As such the initiative taken by foodpanda earlier in Lahore and now in Karachi to provide safe driving training to its delivery riders is the need of the hour, and something that other organizations too need to follow.

At the end of the training session, helmets were also distributed among the riders present.

Pakistan’s first Multimodal Logistics Conference concludes

Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) By making economic dividends accessible to large segment of nation, a vibrant presence of logistics sector may play a pivotal role in inclusive national growth, said by President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi while inaugurating Pakistan’s first Multimodal Logistics Conference here at a local hotel today (Thursday). Aiming to initiate a public policy debate on Logistics & freight system, the one-day Conference “Trade Growth of Pakistan through Multimodal Logistics” was organized by Manzil Pakistan, a Karachi based think tank in collaboration with All Pakistan Shipping Association (APSA) while U.S.

Agency for International Development (USAID), Pakistan International Bulk Terminal (PIBT), JS Bank and Faysal Bank Ltd contributed as partner in conference. The conference featured various interactive sessions and insightful contributions of industry leaders & experts on a diverse range of topics focusing different sectors of national logistics and freight network.

President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi inaugurated the conference and lauded the organizers for taking this initiative to highlight the importance of logistics sector in national trade and economic growth. A modern and technology based logistics and freight system is one of the basic ingredients to achieve desired economic growth by leveraging accessibility, President said. Pakistan’s regional connectivity is poised with tremendous potential due to its geo-strategic location, he added.

While addressing the inaugural session, Mr. Asim A. Siddiqui, Vice Chairman of Manzil Pakistan expressed his gratitude to the President. Asim Siddiqui shared the theme and concept of the conference with the audience. He highlighted that Pakistan eagerly needs a thematic change and complete remodeling to integrate the multimodal logistics scenario in its stepping forward economy.

He further emphasized that despite having a National Freight and Logistics Policy (NFLP) in place, the sector is still fragmented and policies in relation to its integration requires considerable deliberation by public authorities, therefore, Manzil Pakistan has taken the lead to organize this conference to bring all stakeholders both from the private sector and public authorities to initiate a public policy debate to benefit the country.

The conference featured panel discussions and specialized sessions, on different sectors of the trade transport industry. A panel discussion “Public-Private Sector Institutional Harmony for Integrated Multimodal logistics in Pakistan” was chaired by Dr. Ishrat Hussain Former Advisor to the Prime Minister on institutional Reforms & Austerity and Ex-Governor State Bank of Pakistan. This is followed by an exclusive session “Optimizing Blue Economy: Issues and Challenges” presented an overview of Pakistan’s Maritime and shipping industry. To discuss the importance of Highways in logistics industry, participants shared their viewpoints in a session “Connecting Highways with Smart Hinterland Transport Network”.

A special session chaired by Secretary Railways on Railway Freight services and their valuable part in national logistics network was discussed in a specified session “Business Enabling Environment: Empowering Private Sector in Rail-Freight Business”.

Keeping in view the importance of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and regional connectivity for the future of domestic commerce and foreign investments in Pakistan was discussed in an exclusive session “CPEC, Regional Connectivity for Trade & Domestic Commerce”.

The conference was concluded by Ameena Saiyid OBE, Member, Board of Trustees, Manzil Pakistan and Mr. Asim A. Siddiqui along with other dignitaries. The conference was attended by senior government officials, representatives of renowned logistics organizations along with stakeholders and members of business community. Representatives of the institutions will be shared their opinions on different aspects of Pakistan’s national logistics and freight system along with the institutional role in different relevant sectors.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan Mortgage Refinance Company (PMRC) one of the premier and fastest growing DFI in Pakistan issued its largest syndicated 5 Year TFC of PKR 5 billion, in line with the objective to develop fixed rate capital market.

The proceeds of the TFC will be utilized by PMRC to finance the housing mortgage portfolios of eligible financial institutions. Investors to the TFC included National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Allied Bank Limited (ABL) and Bank of Khyber (Bok). Pak Oman Investment Company (POIC) was appointed as the investment agent while Mohsin Tayyab Ali & Co. (MTC) acted as the transaction legal counsel.

Pakistan which is home to over 200 million people, is estimated to have a shortage of 12 million residential units in the country; most of it in low- and middle-income group. The Housing & Construction industry is strongly considered as one of the engines of long-term economic growth with the objective of promoting the mortgage financing industry, PMRC provides long-term funding at attractive rates. Its thrust remains to increase availability of fixed rate mortgages thereby making housing finance more affordable for end consumer. Debt instruments issued by PMRC therefore act as catalyst to drive the vision of making housing finance affordable and accessible.

A ceremony in this regard was held at PMRC office in Karachi. The ceremony was attended by Mr. Arif Usmani, President & CEO (NBP), Mr. Mudassir H. Khan, MD/CEO (PMRC), Mr. Muhammad Ali Gulfaraz, MD/CEO (BoK) and Mr. Rehmat Ali Hasnie, Chairman (PMRC) & SEVP & Group Chief, CIBG (NBP) and Mr. Owais Shahid, Chief CIBG (ABL)

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Mudassir H. Khan said “PMRC is breaking barriers in the capital market space by regularly issuing debt instruments. These instruments are pivotal to ensure PMRC’s objective of promoting mortgage financing in the country. We look forward to introduce more innovative debt instruments in the near future”

Other key executives who attended the meeting included Mr. Farrukh Zaheer, Head of Treasury &FI (PMRC), Mr. Naved Nasim, GH Corporate Banking (ABL), Mr. Mohammad Faisal, EVP Treasury & Investment Banking Group (BoK) and Mr. Hasan Jamal, SVP & Advisor Investment Banking (NBP).

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Bank Alfalah, one of the largest private banks in Pakistan and one of the pioneers in the digital banking realm has partnered with bSecure, a 1-Click Checkout Solution. The two innovative organizations have collaborated to facilitate digital payments for e-commerce businesses. bSecure enables organizations to sell products globally through an integration with Alfa Payment Gateway. This platform will enable a robust digital payments collection mechanism.

The Alfa Payment Gateway is a unique e-commerce payment gateway, allowing businesses aiming to go online through a comprehensive e-commerce payments infrastructure. The platforms provides distinct opportunities for businesses that are moving with times and adopting digital payments for facilitation of customers. The partnership between Bank Alfalah and bSecure is designed to provide solutions that enable online retailers to collect payments in real time and in a simple and secure manner from their customers via multiple payment modes e.g. Credit and Debit cards, Bank Alfalah Wallets and Alfa Bank Accounts.

Key features

Group Head Digital Banking Group – Yahya Khan was pleased to commemorate this business expansion partnership and stated “This partnership is another step towards our objective to offer seamless digital banking and payment services to customers in an efficient manner. It highlights our passion to work with Fintechs and Technology companies and invest in profitable business expansion partnerships to help Pakistani merchants access the ecommerce marketplace.” Some of the key features of Alfa Payment Gateway include:

• Instant and Digital Merchant Onboarding
• No setup/Annual/Maintenance fee
• Powerful Merchant Portal
• Merchant Financing and BNPL
• Pay by Link (Ideal for merchants without a website)

The CEO of bSecure – Adam Dawood stated, “Bank Alfalah and bSecure have been working together since November 2020 and in that time we have enabled hundreds of Builders to offer prepayments solutions to their customers. This new partnership we have signed will further help us grow as the ecommerce market continues to expand”.

Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) To initiate a public policy debate on multimodal logistics and freight services focusing their pivotal role in national trade growth, President of Pakistan H. E. Dr. Arif Alvi will be inaugurating Pakistan’s first-ever multimodal logistics conference “Trade Growth of Pakistan through Multimodal Logistics” here at Serena Hotel tomorrow. One-day conference will be featuring interactive sessions and insightful debates on a diverse range of topics focusing national industry of multimodal and freight network.

The conference would be attended by federal ministers, federal secretaries of different ministries/divisions, senior government officials, representatives of renowned logistics organizations along with stakeholders and members of business community. Representatives of the institutions will be shedding light on the institutional role in different relevant sectors. The conference is being organized by Manzil Pakistan, a Karachi based think tank in collaboration with All Pakistan Shipping Association (APSA) while U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Pakistan International Bulk Terminal (PIBT), JS Bank and Faysal Bank Ltd are the event partners.

The initiative to organize the first Multimodal Logistics Conference is led by Mr. Aasim A. Siddiqui, Vice Chairman of Manzil Pakistan. Over the last 25 years, Mr. Aasim Siddiqui has developed and financed various transport and logistics projects in Pakistan with a diverse portfolio in the shipping, logistics and cargo handling industry. About this initiative,Mr. Siddiqui highlighted that Pakistan eagerly needs a thematic change and complete remodeling to integrate the multimodal logistics scenario in its stepping forward economy. Though, trade and multimodal logistics are two different sectors, but taken as lifeline for each one’. He further emphasized that despite having a National Freight and Logistics Policy (NFLP) in place, the sector is still fragmented and policies in relation to its integration requires considerable deliberation by public authorities, therefore, Manzil Pakistan has taken the lead to organize this conference to bring all stakeholders both from the private sector and public authorities to initiate a public policy debate to benefit the country.

Through specialized sessions, the conference program will comprehensively cover different sectors of the trade transport industry. The technical sessions will kick off with “Public-Private Sector Institutional Harmony for Integrated Multimodal logistics in Pakistan”. The session will be chair by Dr. Ishrat Hussain Former Advisor to the Prime Minister on institutional Reforms & Austerity and Ex-Governor State Bank of Pakistan. This is followed by an exclusive session chaired by Mr. Mahmood Baqi Moulvi, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Maritime Affairs titled “Optimizing Blue Economy: Issues and Challenges” will be presenting an overview of Pakistan’s Maritime and shipping industry. To discuss the importance of Highways in logistics industry, participants would be sharing their viewpoints in a session Chaired by Chairman Board of Investment Muhammad Azfar Ahsan on the theme of “Connecting Highways with Smart Hinterland Transport Network”. A special session will be chaired by Secretary Railways on Railway Freight services and their valuable part in national logistics network will be discussed in a specified session “Business Enabling Environment: Empowering Private Sector in Rail-Freight Business”.

Keeping in view the importance of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), an exclusive session “CPEC, Regional Connectivity for Trade & Domestic Commerce” has been scheduled which would be addressed by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on CPEC Authority Khalid Mansoor. This session would not only be encompassing the importance of regional connectivity but the future of domestic commerce and foreign investments in Pakistan would also be discussed.

The conference will be concluded by Ameena Saiyid OBE, Member, Board of Trustees, Manzil along with other dignitaries. According to organizers, this conference would be opening new doors for insightful discussions on modernization of multimodal logistics services across the country to bring positive impact on national trade growth.

Lahore (Nut Desk) Imran Amin CEO of Lahore Central Business District Development Authority visited Board Of Revenue during his visit he presented honorary shield to Mr. Babar Hayat Tarrar Senior Member Board of Revenue.

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Wateen Telecom Limited, the leading ICT company in Pakistan, and Beaconhouse, the country’s largest network of private educational institutions, have partnered to provide managed internet services over SD-WAN across the school network. The partnership agreement was signed by KasimKasuri, CEO, Beaconhouse, and Adil Rashid, CEO, Wateen Telecom. Senior officials of both companies along with Kashif-ul-Haque, Country Manager  Cisco were also present at the occasion.

A major step in the digital transformation journey of the Beaconhouse network, this new partnership will enable the school organisation to transform its existing education technology (ed-tech) and online learning systems. Students who carry their own devices will be able to access learning materials in the classroom through a unified and secure network. This is made possible through Cisco’s Meraki, offering cloud-controlled WiFi, routing, and security, by Wateen.

KasimKasuri, CEO of Beaconhouse stated, “Ed-tech has been a key driver of change at Beaconhouse since the 1990s, with an exponential adoption of online learning over the last two years driven by the pandemic.  But ed-tech and online learning are fully dependent on the efficiency of our Internet connectivity, which is the basis of this new partnership with Wateen and Cisco.”

Under this partnership, two market leaders have come together, ushering in a new era of tech-based learning. Wateen is set to enable Beaconhouse School Systems with an end-to-end managed solution, along with managed internet services, SD-WAN and WiFi in all of its branches across the country.

Adil Rashid, CEO, Wateen Telecom, commented on the occasion, “We look forward to empowering young minds with connectivity that is designed to leave no one behind. With a mission to innovate and enable, we are excited to offer Beaconhouse School System personalised solutions geared for the future.” He further added, “Wateen is proud to be working towards the shared vision of a smart and digitalized Pakistan.”

Wateen has stood strong as a leading gold partner of Cisco in Pakistan. Under this agreement, the company will provide Beaconhouse a complete network design and its implementation with security plans for the proposed solution. The partnership also features a training programme and technology workshops for IT Teams across Beaconhouse branches along with Cisco Network Academy Labs for students too.

Wateen is a trusted ally to the country’s education sector, carving new paths for the leaders of tomorrow. Wateen strives to bring hassle-free tech solutions to Pakistan’s business ecosystem.

Beaconhouse traces its roots to the Les Anges Montessori Academy, founded in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1975. Now in its 47th year, the Beaconhouse network caters to the education and training needs of a large and diverse group of individuals of varying ages, backgrounds and nationalities, in Pakistan, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. 

Meezan Bank launches ‘Meezan Mobile Tap & Go’ – Mobile-based Contactless Payments for its Customers

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Meezan Bank, Pakistan’s first and largest Islamic bank, has recently introduced mobile-based contactless payment service for its customers through its Mobile Banking App. Based on the Near Field Communications (NFC) technology, the service, named – ‘Meezan Mobile Tap & Go’ enables customers to pay by simply tapping their NFC enabled Android smartphones at POS (Point of Sale) machines of merchant outlets with NFC capability.

Mobile based contactless payments are among the most secure modes of payments available today since they use the tokenization technology because of which the Card number is not revealed at the time of making the payment. Additionally, the payment requires the phone to be unlocked at the POS machine (card payment machine), which is just like entering the PIN when paying through a physical card.

In addition to being completely secure, Mobile based contactless payments are also the fastest payment method compared to any other payment method available today. Customers can create digital versions of their physical debit cards via the Meezan Mobile App and then tap the phone to make payments using the NFC feature of their smartphone, without the need to carry their physical card for payments

“Meezan Bank is the pioneer in introducing contactless cards in Pakistan. With Meezan Tap & Go initiative, Meezan Bank has further strengthened its position as the dominant player in digital payments. We always bring the latest global innovations to our customers to improve their payments experience. Moreover, due to COVID-19, contactless payments have become all the more important and we encourage our customers to use payment methods that are safe and secure,” said Shariq Mubeen – Head Alternate Distribution Channels, Meezan Bank.

Best Mid-range device – XIAOMI unveils Redmi Note 11 series

with an AMOLED display for seamless sharing & viewing

Recently Xiaomi launched a brand new device under its flagship Redmi Note series, Redmi Note 11. Both phones bring powerful upgrades to their camera system, charging speed, display—making flagship-level smartphone performance more accessible than before. The AMOLED display ensures seamless sharing and viewing experience.

The new Redmi Note 11 boasts a 90hz refresh rate, which translates to a super enhanced on screen experience. Share and view more with lag-free transitions and overall smoother animations. Its AMOLED display is one thing to talk about, the Note 11 comes packing a 5,000mAH battery which not just charges faster with the 33W fast charger but also lasts longer. Yes! Worry about plugging it to the charger less and capture life around you more.

Celebrating their extraordinary and innovative phone launch, Redmi Note 11 series, by bringing forth Team 11, a group of ever daring, enthusiastic young individuals, who have overcome all battles thrown at them and rose to the challenge, stronger. Team 11 has names such as Ahad Raza Mir, Saheefa Jabbar, Haseeb Mirza, The Broad Boy etc. onboard. This pool of achievers will raise brand awareness and will be a testament to the fact that challenges only make you stronger.

Whatever life throws at you, be it getting that one angular photo or actually going out and conquering mountains, with utmost willpower & Redmi Note 11’s supporting features everything is possible. In the words of the Mi Fan who won the Redmi Note 11, ‘Watching people upload studio grade content always makes me wonder why isn’t my content is never this good. Playing and experimenting with this device has been super fun, I feel inspired to move and experience and narrate my experiences through photos!’. 

He further stressed on the battery life of the new device, which lasted over 20 hours once fully charged, with mobile data on at all times. Head on over to his instagram account to check out his work: https://www.instagram.com/thelillsbills/.

 

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Ericsson delivered on its sustainability targets and made a series of new commitments in 2021. The company put a particular focus on energy performance and strengthening its ambition to reach Net Zero across its value chain by 2040.

In 2021 Ericsson introduced a new vision to improve lives, redefine business and pioneer a sustainable future. Building on decades as a sustainability pioneer, the company has made a strong commitment to fulfilling this vision through its own efforts and through working across and beyond the ICT ecosystem.

This focus is reflected in Ericsson’s latest Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Report, which highlights its 2021 performance across the areas of responsible business, environmental sustainability and digital inclusion.

“Our sustainability-driven solutions and partnerships create real impact for our customers and our stakeholders,” says Heather Johnson, Ericsson’s Head of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility.  “But they also create value for society, whether by enabling the reduction of emissions across industries, creating more energy-efficient networks or helping to bridge the digital divide. We made significant progress towards our sustainability goals in 2021, and we are now setting even more ambitious targets for the future.”

Performance and highlights

Net Zero: In 2021 Ericsson set a long-term ambition to be Net Zero by 2040 across its value chain. To meet this ambition, Ericsson will work towards 1.5°C aligned climate targets set by the Paris Agreement.

The first major milestone is to achieve Net Zero emissions from the company’s own activities by 2030 – as well as reducing emissions by 50 percent in its portfolio and supply chain also by 2030.  

Energy performance:  To meet customer expectations and help the telecom industry reach Net Zero, Ericsson has developed innovative solutions that enable operator networks to use as little energy as possible while managing expected growth in data traffic, meeting the needs of both current and future 5G networks.

In 2021, Ericsson achieved 36% energy savings from delivered Ericsson Radio System radios versus the legacy portfolio, surpassing the company’s approved Science Based Target of 35 percent one year ahead of schedule.

During 2021, Ericsson also launched a series of ultra-light Massive MIMO radios that are 10 percent more energy efficient than the previous generation.      

Digital inclusion: The digital divide continues to be a key challenge to global economic development with roughly 2.9 billion people still offline. With innovative technologies and services, Ericsson and its partners and customers are pioneering new ways to connect societies and improve lives. In 2021 Ericsson continued its partnership with UNICEF in support of the Giga initiative, helping to map schools and assessing their connectivity in 35 countries by the end of 2023.

Ericsson also made a commitment to positively impact one million children and youth by 2025 by providing access to digital learning and skill development programs as part of the World Economic Forum-aligned EDISON Alliance 1 Billion Lives Challenge. 

Corporate responsibility:  Ericsson continued its focus on health, safety and well-being in 2021, including a robust COVID-19 response that included a focus on employee mental health and access to vaccines in places where they were not easily accessible. In 2021 there was an increase in work-related fatalities compared to 2020, in contrast to the decreasing trend of recent years.  The company has declared this unacceptable and is more committed than ever to Target Zero – a goal of zero fatalities and lost workday incidents.

Ericsson launched its revised Code of Business Ethics, which defines both the company’s ethical principles and its expectations of responsibility across the value chain. The company also added integrity as one of its four core values as well as publishing a report on the human rights impact of 5G.

Ericsson’s Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Report is part of the Company’s Annual Report and externally assured by an independent third party. It is also produced in accordance with GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights Reporting Framework.

Get highlights from the 2021 Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Report here.