Category: Business

Mastercard Women SME Leaders Awards 2022 is open for nominations from women-owned and run businesses in the region

 

• Celebratory awards aligned with Mastercard’s global commitment to connect 25 million women entrepreneurs to the digital economy by 2025, as part of its goal to build a more sustainable and inclusive world

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Entrepreneurial women across the world are leading the way in tapping into the power of the digital economy to succeed and grow. As a celebration of their achievements, Mastercard has announced the inaugural Women SME Leaders Awards 2022, the first initiative of its kind to recognize and further empower women-owned and run SMEs in the Middle East and Africa.

Nominations are now open for the awards and can be submitted HERE by 28 February 2022 while those interested in attending the virtual awards ceremony, during which the winners will be announced on 29 March 2022, can register HERE.

Small enterprises in trading owned and run by women and with a turnover of less than US$13.6 million (AED50 million) and employing between six to 50 people are all invited to participate.

All female individuals or businesses who have their headquarters or offices in the Middle East and Africa or offer their services to these markets can submit their nominations for one or more of the 22 awards. The awards allow for individuals to win in more than one category.

“At Mastercard, we believe that women-owned businesses are the catalyst for economic growth, improving the lives of everyone, everywhere. The passion that women SME owners display is unmatched and they raise the bar for everyone. That is why Mastercard has curated the Women SME Leaders Awards to recognize and celebrate women entrepreneurs across Middle East and Africa,” said Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA for Mastercard.

The awards are jointly curated by the Entrepreneur Middle East team who will vet shortlisted companies and then pass onto the judging committee that will be chaired by Mastercard.

Following the independent evaluation of the shortlisted candidates by each of the judges, the winners will be decided by a vote. The Women SME Leaders Awards 2022 judging committee consists of:

• Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA for Mastercard
• Mona Zulficar, Chairperson of EFG Hermes Holding
• Nejoud Al Mulaik, Director of Fintech Saudi and
• Tamara Pupic, Managing Editor of Entrepreneur Middle East

The awards stemmed out of the inaugural Mastercard SME Confidence Index conducted last year which revealed that 81% of women entrepreneurs in the Middle East and Africa have a digital presence for their businesses, compared to 68% of their male counterparts. In terms of the digital footprint of these women entrepreneurs, social media (71%) leads the way, followed by a company website (57%).

These findings were aligned with Mastercard’s global commitment to connect 25 million women entrepreneurs to the digital economy by 2025, as part of its goal to build a more sustainable and inclusive world. The index further suggested that growing confidence levels in digital as a business imperative, is tied to a deeper understanding and wider recognition among SMEs of the advantages that result from a growing digital economy.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) The Lahore Chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) welcomed the Global Chairman of EO, Mr. David Anderson on his first ever visit to Pakistan. Established in 1987, Entrepreneurs’ Organization is a high-quality support network of more than 15,600 business leaders in over 60 countries with more than 200 local chapters, that serves the unique needs of the entrepreneur. As the world’s only peer-to-peer network exclusively for entrepreneurs, EO aims to help business leaders achieve their full potential by enabling transformational growth. EO members consist of entrepreneurs and founders of businesses making more than US$1 million in annual revenue. EO’s chapters bring together the local entrepreneurial community and connects members with thought-leaders and peers through various forums.

President Lahore Chapter, Mr. Mohsin Khawaja shared how the Organization has helped local entrepreneurs through the power of connections, collective knowledge and experience, and collaborative learning. He also stated, “It is a matter of immense pride for the Pakistani entrepreneurial community to see our members being recognized on a global scale. One of our members has become the Regional Chair for Middle East, Pakistan and Africa region which is a great achievement.”

During the two-day tour, Mr. Anderson met with Syed Babar Ali, renowned Pakistani businessman and philanthropist, and visited some members’ company headquarters. To showcase the rich culture of Pakistan, the trip included a guided tour of Lahore’s historic walled city and a live viewing of PSL cricket match at Gaddafi Stadium. A Dinner and Ghazal night was hosted by EO President Council Member, Mr. S.M. Imran (Ex Vice Chairman LDA) in honour of newly appointed EO MEPA’s Regional Chair, Mr. Khurram Saleem. Mr. Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, Governor of Punjab and Mr. Shahzad Gill, Special Assistant to Prime Minister, graced the ghazal night with their presence.

Mr. Anderson said, “It is amazing to see this great chapter having a huge economic impact on the local community. I have learned a lot about the businesses of the distinguished members and also about the positive effect they are having in the community around them. While we as entrepreneurs want to make ourselves better, we change the world everyday through the work that we do, and clearly the Lahore chapter is exemplifying the EO vision.”

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Telenor Pakistan takes great pride in leading the way when it comes to workplace inclusion and has established itself as a true leader in diversity. In line with this commitment, Telenor Pakistan has launched its 7th cohort of the Naya Aghaz program to drive women’s reintroduction into the workforce. The Naya Aghaaz program, first launched in 2014, was designed to create aninventive way of acquiring talent that aims to get women back to work giving them an opportunity to re-invent themselves in their careers.

The recent batch of Naya Aghaaz associates comprises of 11 women, from various geographical, educational and professional backgrounds, who will be placed in varying roles, including gaming, growth hacking, segments, HR partnering, field operations, revenue assurance, tax accounting and B2B enterprise solutions, throughout their 9-month long tenure.Since its inception, Naya Aghaaz has opened doors to not only cater to an untapped segment of the nation’s talented workforce, but also create a fresh pool of skilled resources that are better prepared to overcome challenges and break stereotypes. Since its launch, Telenor Pakistan has hired a total of 105 associates with a conversion rate of 40%.

Speaking to the press on the occasion, Chief Human Resource Officer, Telenor Pakistan, Oystein Bakken said, “We work outside the box, we work together and we strive to come up with new and practical opportunities that promote social development and the betterment of every individual, irrespective of gender. It’s our responsibility as an influential organisation to set the bar high when it comes to inclusion, both within and outside the workplace. Inclusion of women specifically holds the potential to have far-reaching social impacts that empower them to make significant contributions to the socioeconomic development of their families and communities. As we have seen in the past, we hope to see more companies take inspiration from Telenor Pakistan in creating workplace cultures that empower women to get back to work and thrive in leadership roles.”

Renowned for its progressive values, Telenor Pakistan has designed a number of initiatives over the years that offer women the tools necessary to succeed. Last year, the network also partnered with the World Bank to train more than 1,100 women entrepreneurs on design thinking skills, as a part of the Girls Learn, Women Earn initiative as it continues to inspire women taking up roles in our society that further add to the socioeconomic development of the country. In addition to upskilling that comes with the program, Telenor Pakistan further offers facilities like mental health counselling, customized learning calendars, mentorships, placement support, flexible work and Naya Aghaaz alumni connect to name a few. The organisation remains motivated towards offering women practical work opportunities and training to improve their career prospects and prepare them for the world we know today and anticipate in the future.

 

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Pakistan Hi-Tech Hybrid Seed Association (PHHSA) terming the imposition of 17 per cent sales tax on seeds as last nail in the coffin of the industry has said it will negatively impact the access to quality seeds due to increased cost to seed industry, farmers and end users. The observation was passed at the first executive committee meeting of the newly formed Association held here the other day with its founding chairman Shahzad Ali Malik in the chair. The meeting was attended by its executive committee members who discussed range of matters facing by the sector.

The Chairman briefed on future plan of action for the advocacy and promotion of the Hybrid seed sector and allied technology. He said we have now big responsibility to deliver to meet the aspiration of our members and align our goals with the national economic agenda. He said it is incumbent upon the members of the association to work for the common objectives of the Hi-tech Hybrid seed sector and to create congenial business environment through ease of doing business and friendly regulatory framework. Lamenting levy of 17 per cent sales tax on the seed sector, he feared it may lead and discourage use of hybrid seed and reduce yield of major crops like cotton, Rice, Wheat, Maize, vegetable and edible oil etc.

The levy of 17% sales tax has created unrest amongst all stakeholders especially Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan and All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, Crop Life Association, Farmers Associations and FPCCI and Pakistan Hi-Tech Hybrid Seed Association. ‘It is misfortune that the very first adventure for PHHSA soon after grant of trade body license is to resist this sales tax levy by giving logical and convincing argument to the decision makers,’ he added. PHHSA is committed to achieve import substitution and production of local quality seeds at affordable prices and explore export targets provided Government patronize the sector by introducing proper incentives schemes and regulatory reforms.

Shahzad Ali Malik said during the recent years the pace of new Hybrids is slow in Pakistan only because of lack of regulatory and fiscal incentives and there seems challenges for PHHSA to act as game changer for turning local production of Hybrid Seed which will require huge investment on R&D. He urged the Government to immediately withdraw the 17% sales tax on seed sector which is backbone of agriculture and GDP of Pakistan having direct bearing on the livelihood of poor farmers and middle class depending mainly on agriculture sector and produce. He said there is zero sales tax on seeds in India and same is the case with Thailand and other seed exporting and importing countries.

PHHSA executive committee had detailed deliberations and devises a strategy to persuade FBR Chairman, Finance Minister, Food & Agriculture Minister and the Prime Minister of Pakistan for withdrawal of this sales tax levy. The PHHSA EC members also discussed the hurdles and restrictions imposed by the local administration during Wheat Seed Transportation within Tehsils, Districts and Province in the wake of Government wheat procurement activity.

Engro Fertilizers highlights the role of Pakistan towards promoting regional food security at Expo 2020 Dubai

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Engro Fertilizers, Pakistan’s premier seed-to-harvest solutions provider, hosted an insightful dialogue at Expo 2020 Dubai to highlight the food security situation in the Gulf and the potential partnership opportunities with Pakistan to overcome the regional food security challenges.

The panel comprised global agricultural and industry experts including Dr. Abdul Rashid (IFA Laureate), Charles Schneider (International Finance Corporation), Ayman Alwadhy (The Corporate Group, UAE), Wasim Halabi (Foodco National Foodstuff Co PJSC), Fredric Favre (MAS Seeds, France) and Khusrau Nadir Gilani (Engro Fertilizers). The event was also graced by Mr. Hussain Dawood (Chairman of Engro Corporation and Dawood Corporation), Mr. Shahzada Dawood (Vice Chair, Engro Corporation), Ghias Khan (President & CEO of Engro Corporation) and Nadir Salar Qureshi (CEO of Engro Fertilizers), along with other members of the Engro leadership team.

The expert panel pointed out that food security in the Gulf region is a growing challenge due to high dependence on food imports, increasing water scarcity, climate change and supply chain interruptions. In 2020, the region’s share of the acutely food insecure global population was 20%, which is disproportionately high compared to its 6% share of the population. By forging partnerships in the agricultural sector with large established sustainable agri-base countries, like Pakistan, the region can benefit from enhanced agricultural output to overcome its food security challenge.

There is significant potential to increase Pakistan’s agricultural output with focus on modern technology, seed quality, balanced use of fertilizers, and uplift of infrastructure across the agri value chain. It was noted that if average farmer yields are brought at par with those of progressive farmers within the country, Pakistan will see a dramatic increase in wheat and rice production serving not only the needs for domestic consumption, but also create significant surpluses for exports to the Gulf-Region. The Government of Pakistan was also applauded for its efforts to improve water provision and farm economics, resulting in an increase of approximately 1.6 million hectares in area under cultivation with further growth anticipated with large irrigation projects underway.

According to Nadir Qureshi, “To bridge the agri yield gap and enrich crops with essential nutrients, Engro Fertilizers has introduced innovative products and seed-to-harvest solutions, farmer upskilling programs, access to expert advice by leveraging technology, and free of cost soil testing laboratories. We hope that this dialogue will serve as an initial step to encourage Pakistan, Engro and Gulf entities to work together to jointly develop innovative solutions and explore the scope for international partnerships in the agri space.”

The panel discussion concluded that the food and agriculture sector can be an engine of economic growth for both the Gulf region and Pakistan. Through the adoption of technological innovation and sustainable practices, the agricultural sector of Pakistan can be transformed to reduce dependence on food imports, create surpluses to drive significant exports and meet the Gulf regions’ dietary nutrition requirements.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Zong 4G – Pakistan’s cellular and digital services frontrunner and the CSR leader in the local ICT arena – has signed an agreement with the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) to promote gender inclusion in the workplace and beyond. Since its inception, inclusion of women at all levels of employment and society has been as critical to Zong’s CSR as social responsibility has been to Zong’s professional ethos. The partnership with the Pakistani telecom regulator further broadens this very vision of gender diversity.

Zong has always worked relentlessly to build and promote a more gender inclusive workplace and society. Besides giving them a chance to prove their mettle at some of the most critical roles, the company provides women with an equal opportunity to excel at the workplace and in society. By focusing on Inclusive Growth, Zong has played a pivotal role in the uplift of women within and outside the organization.

Some of Zong’s initiatives for women’s inclusion and empowerment within and outside the workplace include: Call centers with 49% female staff (both Pakistani and Chinese); International-standard work from home model for call center staff; Career & development opportunities for female graduates through GTO program; Meaningful celebration of Intl. Women’s Day every year; Focus on mental and physical wellbeing of female employees (sports, gym, yoga, breast cancer awareness, and more); Facilitation services for working mothers and State-of-the-art day care facilities; Setting up of digital labs, vocational training centers for girl students ; Digital training of women through Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF); Enablement of female doctors through Sehat Kahani; CSR Ambassador Program for Zong female volunteers to uplift women in society.

Zong strongly believes that women play an integral role when it comes to a progressive society and realization of the Digital Pakistan vision.

That is the reason why Zong has been accelerating women’s inclusion and empowerment, and taking the lead on this front in the ICT sector. The gender inclusion agreement with PTA will help Zong broaden its horizon further and explore fresh and innovative avenues to not only to include more women in the workplace and give them the chance to grow in their careers, but also work for their enablement and empowerment in the society.

Lahore (NUT DESK)

Global tech giant recently signed Ahad Raza Mir, the heartthrob of this Nation, as the official face of Xiaomi. The sole purpose of this collaboration is to raise brand awareness and engage the audience, for this Ahad will be equipped with the right responses and information as he becomes an active Brand Ambassador for Xiaomi.

This year’s drop, The Redmi Note 11 series, is all about standing all in the face of adversity while staying true to yourself. Rise to the challenge is a call to action to everyone facing hurdles, it’s a reminder that no matter what life throws at you, you’re more than enough. Just hold your head up high and rise to the challenge! 

In the TVC for Redmi Note 11, there is an elephant in the room, the struggles and hurdles faced. The internal battle which is an ongoing dilemma, and how he overcomes them with sheer willpower and Redmi’s support with its features. It’s the journey of how one overcomes and skips hurdles in everyday life while also staying true to who they are. People see the engagement on social media but never the struggles behind them, life is so much more! 

The TVC begins with a question. What is the challenge? It’s me against me, to be better than who I was yesterday is the only challenge that matters. It further moves on and addresses social media where everyone wants appreciation and likes from strangers but staying true to oneself is what really matters in the end. Moving on, the fact that we need to be charged for everyday things so we can win life is highlighted, ending with the note that haters will keep on hating you just have to rise to the challenge and prove them otherwise. The TVC packs short and quirky wordplay which points towards the features offered in this year’s flagship drop.

Xiaomi celebrates their extraordinary and innovative phone launch, Redmi Note 11 series, by bringing forth Team 11, a group of ever daring, enthusiastic young individuals, the crème of the crème, talented beyond imagination, who have overcome all battles thrown at them and rose to the challenge, stronger. Team 11 has names such as Saheefa Jabbar, Haseeb Mirza, The Broad Boy etc. onboard. When life throws any hurdles, may it be getting that one perfect shot or conquering the mountains in life, with your utmost willpower and Redmi Note 11’s supporting features, you can overcome anything.

​​It’s a powerful message to everyone facing negativity and self-doubt, a reminder that nothing is as strong as you are and if you set their mind to something it’s right there for the grab.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir)  “Unfortunately, a great deal of stigma is associated with breast cancer in our society, therefore, people do not seek clinical help. The death rate of breast cancer in Pakistan is very high which increases the necessity to create awareness regarding the non-contagious disease,” said the honorable First Lady of Pakistan, Begum Samina Alvi while addressing the audience at the ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Session 2022’, organized by the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi, Feminist Society (iFem) at the IBA Main Campus.

The First Lady graced the event as the distinguished guest, while other attendees included medical professionals, social activists and IBA students, faculty, and staff.

The seminar aimed to spread maximum awareness regarding breast cancer; echo the importance of early detection; and the role of regular self-examination. The panel of speakers demonstrated how to self-examine oneself, while a breast cancer survivor shared her story of courage in beating the disease.

The First Lady appreciated the initiative taken by the IBA Karachi to organize such sessions where students of both genders were present.

The seminar started as Ms. Ayesha Jameel, a breast cancer survivor shared her journey. “It is a painful disease, but if you want to live for yourself and your loved ones then you must fight it,” she said, emphasizing on the need to knowing one’s body so any abnormality needs to be reported and timely diagnosed so that timely treatment can be received.

The session proceeded as Dr. Zubaida Qazi, Founder President, Pink Pakistan delivered a detailed session on breast cancer causes, precautions and self-examination procedures. She highlighted that most people in our society believe in self-medication and do not visit doctors which results in women consulting doctors at a much later stage which reduces their chances of survival.

Dr. Qazi reiterated that women over the age of 40 years should go for mammogram screenings once every year, whereas women below this age bracket must self-examine themselves once a month to keep aware of one’s breast health. Women should take signs and symptoms very seriously to get proper treatment. She encouraged women to put themselves on priority and to lead a healthy lifestyle. She stressed the need for men to be aware of the disease too as they will be the ones providing emotional support to women during their treatment.

She also suggested that government should somehow bear the expenses the treatment of breast cancer for underprivileged people either in the form of Sehat Card or any other scheme to facilitate the public.

Ms. Shaheera Siddiqui, Senior Vice President, Hawwa (an NGO), member of breast cancer awareness (BCA) task force and IBA alumna, shed light on the importance of initiatives taken by the government to take the situation in control and shared that Pakistan has the highest mortality rate in breast cancer than any other Asian country and considering the emergency, the President of Pakistan, Mr. Arif Alvi and the First Lady started the campaign to create awareness, which has now grown into a task force which not only works in the month of October but throughout the year.

Dr. Samia Khan, Social Activist and member of the BCA task force said, “Breast cancer is not a disease diagnosed in women only, but it is also diagnosed in men, too. The existence of breast cancer has increased in males as the count of cases has shifted from 1 out of 1000 to 1 out of 100.”

The seminar ended with a Q&A session. The souvenirs were presented to the distinguished guest and speakers. The session concluded with a bake sale, the proceedings from which will be donated for breast cancer treatment and awareness.

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) is pleased to announce its 1st international ‘Pakistan Engineering and Healthcare Show 2022’ being organized at the historic & cultural capital of Pakistan, Lahore. As you are aware, TDAP is the premier government organization on trade facilitation and promotion and mandated to have a widespread approach on the development of trade & businesses and flourish export culture in the country. Staying true to its function, TDAP has explored innovative ways for facilitating Pakistani entrepreneurs and business sectors to explore new horizons of international export markets and strengthen their linkages globally.

Keeping in view the need for trade and market diversification, TDAP is organizing the first ever “Engineering and Healthcare Show, 2022”, scheduled to be held from 25th February to 27th February, 2022 in the Expo Centre, Lahore.

This mega exhibition will witness international delegates from 46 countries of Africa and Central Asian Republics (CARs) countries. TDAP is striving towards developing the non-traditional sectors of Pakistan in order to make them the engines of export growth. The engineering sector is one such emerging sector, which will allow Pakistan to ascend the value chain for its exports.

In this event, all leading 21 product categories from the engineering and health sectors will be showcased. These engineering & healthcare products include agricultural machinery, safety equipment, surgical instruments, sports goods, musical instruments, auto-parts, gems & jewellery, cosmetics, furniture, rubber and its allied products, packaging, plastic and its implements, stationery, paperboard, electrical machinery, cookware, marble, minerals, steel and iron, construction material, cutlery, mobile devices, handicrafts, pharmaceutical, and chemicals etc.

The purpose of this event is to link our existing exporters and enterprises with the foreign businesses/buyers and to strategize our entry into these untapped and potential markets so that they may align their production in accordance with world demand, provide an opportunity to our SMEs to showcase their products to international buyers and explore opportunities for investments, joint ventures, brand franchising and promote the softer image of Pakistan.

Get Real Power of 6nm in Your Hands with realme 9i – Open for Pre-orders in Pakistan

Your excruciating wait to get the realme 9i is almost over, pre-order phase runs from Feb. 21 – Feb. 25, 2022

Fans of realme across Pakistan can rejoice at the exciting news that the launch of realme 9i is taking place today. realme is announcing the price for their next-level power product realme 9i at 07:00 PM on their official Facebook page along with opening pre-orders that run from Feb. 21 to Feb. 25, 2022. All for the exciting price of PKR 36,999/-.

realme’s deep commitment to democratization of technology is underscored with their tech-leap in the realme 9 Series that gets all the advanced, flagship features for an economical price point. This commitment is carried forward with the latest smartphone in the number series – the realme 9i. Next level power, stunning photography capabilities, and long-lasting battery life, are only some of the main strengths offered by the new handset.

The pre-order for realme 9i kicks-off on Monday, February 21, 2022, and brings an exciting offer to the table for consumers. As a special gift for pre-ordering the new phone, realme is giving away the realme Buds Classic with every order! However, don’t wait too long to snatch this deal, as the pre-order window ends on Friday, February 25, 2022, and with it the exclusive Buds Classic bundle offer will expire.

The new realme 9i comes in two exciting color variants: Prism Blue and Prism Black. A single memory variant exists for the realme 9i which comes with 6GB RAM (expandable up to 11GB with Dynamic RAM Expansion Technology) and 128GB ROM. The realme 9i’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 Processor allows for a faster, smoother user experience with its 6nm Advanced Process which is further supported by the 90Hz refresh rate display. The 50MP AI Triple Camera comes with multiple tools to help you capture the perfect shot such as a 2MP Macro Lens, and a 2MP Black & White Lens. The battery life becomes a worry of the past with the deadly combination of the realme 9i’s 33W Dart Charge and its massive 5,000mAh battery.

After much anticipation, it can be revealed that the realme 9i will go on sale for PKR 36,999/- following its launch. So, head down to your nearest local mobile store and access next-level power by pre-ordering the new smartphone!