Category: Business

With the new year in full swing now, we have come across some really interesting activities from your favorite brands. Some are busy launching new products, others making fun advertisements, and some bringing engaging content for your feed. One such activity was presented to us by TECNO Mobile Pakistan. In collaboration with Discover Pakistan, TECNO brings a guide for all users on how Camon 18 Premier could be your best choice for all your adventurous trips.

This collaboration focuses on supporting tourism and discovering beautiful places in Pakistan while using the latest camera phone from TECNO – Camon 18 Premier. The brand sponsored the segment “Madventure” of Discover Pakistan and two episodes have already been posted online. These episodes covered two different destinations, wandering through places, meeting locals, having fun exploring what these places were with the amazing camera of TECNO Camon 18 Premier.

The host highlighted how the Gimbal Camera Technology, 60x Hyper Zoom, and Main 64MP “Clear shot all-round” features of the Camon 18 Premier helped him shoot even in difficult places. He was seen capturing pictures, videos, and even selfies with the locals using the stylish phone. These ventures are a guiding tour for TECNO Fans to help them capture moments in their own trips be it with friends, family, or travelogue for their own using the “Clear shot all-round” Camon 18 Premier.

The first episode of Madventure with TECNO Camon 18 Premier explored the Seven Sisters, beautiful and historic tunnels in Attock. The host used the phone to explore the dense wild patch around the tunnels to let us see the surrounding of their destination. Whereas, for the second episode, Madventure took us through the thrilling Cholistan Desert Jeep Rally. This event is one of the most looked after by enthusiasts and is celebrated in full swing in the month of January and February every year.

So, Discover Pakistan with TECNO Camon 18 Premier brought this exciting opportunity for the fans to witness this thrilling venture virtually. As the CEO of TECNO Mobile Pakistan, Kelvin Zeng said previously when this venture was announced, “this is our small gesture towards promoting the tourism culture in the country and to inspire TECNO users to capture the beautiful landscapes using Camon 18 Premier phone.” TECNO has surely taken a step ahead of its competitors in promoting Pakistan’s beauty globally.

We are sure more exciting episodes will be coming our way from TECNO and Discover Pakistan covering trips from the North to the South of Pakistan. Fingers crossed for what more is to come our way!

For more updates, visit the official social media pages for TECNO Mobile and Discover Pakistan.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) The global trade in liquefied natural gas (LNG) increased 6% to 380 million tonnes during 2021 as many countries rebounded from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Shell’s latest annual LNG Outlook published today.

Rising LNG demand, combined with supply constraints, caused gas and LNG prices to remain volatile throughout the year. Prices reached record levels in October 2021 as Europe, with historically low storage levels, struggled to secure LNG cargoes to meet expected winter gas demand.

The volatility emphasises the need for a more strategic approach to secure reliable and flexible gas supply in future to avoid exposure to price spikes. An LNG supply-demand gap is forecast to emerge in the mid-2020s and focuses attention on the need for more investment to increase supply and meet rising LNG demand, especially in Asia.

“Last year showed just how crucial gas and LNG are in providing communities around the world with energy they need as they strived to get back on track following the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.” said Wael Sawan, Integrated Gas, Renewables and Energy Solutions Director at Shell.

“As countries develop lower-carbon energy systems and pursue net-zero emissions goals, focusing on cleaner forms of gas and decarbonisation measures will help LNG to remain a reliable and flexible energy source for decades to come.”

LNG exports grew in 2021 despite a number of unexpected outages that dented LNG available for delivery. The USA led export growth with a year-on-year increase of 24 million tonnes and is expected to become the world’s largest LNG exporter in 2022.

China and South Korea led the growth in LNG demand in 2021. China increased its LNG imports by 12 million tonnes to 79 million tonnes, surpassing Japan to become the world’s largest LNG importer.

During 2021 Chinese LNG buyers signed long-term contracts for more than 20 million tonnes a year, signalling an ongoing role for LNG in coal-to-gas switching in powering key sectors and helping to reach its ambition to be carbon neutral by 2060.

Overall, global LNG demand is expected to cross 700 million tonnes a year by 2040, a 90% increase on 2021 demand. Asia is expected to consume the majority of this growth as domestic gas production declines, regional economies grow and LNG replaces higher-emissions energy sources, helping to tackle concerns over air quality and to help progress towards carbon emissions targets.

LNG has a key role to play to further the use of renewable energy and as a backup in the event of intermittent supply. Brazil, for example, tripled imports of LNG during 2021 – to over 7 million tonnes – as persistent dry weather led to weaker hydropower generation.

Successful efforts to reduce emissions from natural gas and develop cleaner pathways will bolster this role. During 2021, momentum picked up for decarbonising the LNG value chain with several announcements around investments to address emissions.

To view Shell’s LNG Outlook 2022, visit www.shell.com/lngoutlook

Carrefour Launches Ramadan Donation Drive by Partnering with  Alkhidmat Foundation

•  Carrefour and Alkhidmat Foundation signed an MOU to support individuals & families in need during the Ramadan season.
• Carrefour will offer customers the option to share their Ramadan charity donations to Alkhidmat Foundation.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Carrefour, owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim in Pakistan, and Alkhidmat Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on 21 February, during a special ceremony hosted in Lahore. The agreement sees the leading retailer and humanitarian NGO collaborate to support individuals & families in need during the holy month of Ramadan.

The MOU was signed in the presence of Umer Lodhi, Country Manager of Carrefour Pakistan at Majid Al Futtaim Retail, and Engr. Ahmed Hammad Rasheed, President of Alkhidmat Foundation.

Carrefour and Alkhidmat will be helping thousands of individuals and families in unfortunate circumstances during the holy month. Support will be lent to the entire Alkhidmat Foundation network across Pakistan.

Carrefour Pakistan will promote special Ramadan offers for Carrefour customers across 10 nationwide stores. In addition, it will be promoting its Ramadan Essentials Boxes which will be donated to thousands of Alkhidmat beneficiaries through Carrefour outlets.

Umer Lodhi, Country Manager of Carrefour Pakistan at Majid Al Futtaim Retail welcomed the partnership, “We feel humbled to be a part of a significant nationwide donation drive that will extend much needed relief to thousands of people during the month of giving.”

“This is especially important given the tough circumstances that individuals and families are experiencing. Knowing this, we are aware that much is required to provide relief to the deserving communities of Pakistan. We are proud of being a part of this effort that helps secure the future of several families, celebrating Ramadan through giving back.” He stressed.

While expressing his appreciation, Engr. Ahmed Hammad Rasheed, President Alkhidmat Foundation said, “It requires effort, commitment, and investment to be able to plan such major donation drives across Pakistan and we are greatly thankful to Carrefour Pakistan for stepping in to support us in this noble effort during the coming month of Ramadan. We intend to provide relief to struggling families and bring joy back into their livelihoods.”

 

Zong 4G redefines digitalization with its latest TVC that unveils its new tagline: Let’s Get Digital

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Zong has taken the industry by storm with its recently launched TV Commercial starring some of the most prolific Social Media influencers who unveil the new tagline for the brand- Let’s Get Digital. Embracing the digital revolution and leading it from the front, Zong 4G has stretched the conventional boundaries and has proved to be the youth’s brand of choice for their digital needs.

As a brand that truly understands the ever-evolving needs of its customers and adapts quickly to meet them, the new clutter-breaking TV Commercial showcases how Zong 4G is resonating with the youth’s feelings and empowering them on an emotional level. Transitioning seamlessly from its former tagline ‘A New Dream’, Let’s Get Digital represents Zong’s digital journey and how effectively it built a solid foundation that caters to the nation’s ever-changing connectivity needs.

 “At Zong, we understand that leading the nation to a digital future requires much more than just basic infrastructure. Rather it also needs a digital partner, which enables the digital lifestyle and provides them with unmatched digital experience. ” Shared Zong’s official spokesperson. “We are the youth’s preferred digital partner because we connect with them like no other and understand their ever-changing connectivity needs.”

“With the new tagline, we’re telling Pakistan just that: we’re the digital partner in the country. This is proven by the fact Zong is the one that is carrying the largest share of the data traffic in Pakistan and hence we want Pakistani to embark on the journey of digitalization with us. We are excited about the new TVC and hope that our customers will be able to connect with it,” the spokesperson added.

Over the past years when digital connectivity has become imperative for economic growth, Zong has played a pivotal role in connecting Pakistan and providing a strong foundation for its economic and digital uplift. As a brand that truly understands the needs of its customers, last year saw Zong become the only brand to partner with the likes of Google Maps, YouTube, PUBG, Punjab Skills Development Fund and Sehat Kahani.

As a true enabler of digitalization, Zong 4G is powering more than 60% of Pakistan’s Data traffic through its seamless connectivity solutions. With the new tagline, Zong is now ready to take the nation to the digital future it has been creating for over a decade. ‘Let’s Get Digital’ is also more relevant as Zong continues to spearhead the ICT-powered digital transformation in Pakistan and be a key enabler of the government’s Digital Pakistan agenda.

Zong is the No.1 choice of the nation. Its leadership in digital innovation has been recognized on many occasions which is an affirmation that Zong 4G has been at the forefront of providing unrivalled digital solutions, matchless connectivity, and the most advanced customer care.

For over a decade, Zong has led the country’s ICT-powered digital transformation in the country, taking the lead on many fronts. From pioneering 4G in Pakistan to testing 5G for the first time here, and from free YouTube and Google Maps to industry-leading My Zong App, Zong continues to lead Pakistan to a digital future that the nation envisions. Leveraging on state-of-the-art technology, the company is providing unmatched data connectivity to Pakistanis and continues to be customers’ foremost preference in Pakistan.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Canon Image Products Pakistan, a leader in digital imaging solutions, has organized Pakistan’s first wedding Videography &photography workshop in order to trainer Young professional with latest technics and emerging tools to make their photography more professional. The Canon has arranged Pakistan leading Photographer trainers to empower young professional in wedding photography field. The renowned Videographer Mr. Shahrukh Bhatti and Mr. Erfan Ehson Wedding Photography specialist led this workshop to enhance the skills of the participants in shooting and editing the content. The Workshop has witness positive response from local Photojournalist community helping future generations of storytellers to continue to learn and grow through the power of their creativity.

The workshop offer hands-on experience to participants in which Trainers were involved in live bridal Photography and videography session to demonstrate real shoot of Model bridal and groom. The Hands-on experience has enabled the trainees to experience the actual professional shoot from Pakistan renowned Photographer and Videographyand helped them to learned highly professional technics of shooting wedding ceremonies and editing content by applying most advance tools to make their work more natural. The participants are exposed to real life photography and Videography session from top professionals in this field.

On this occasion, Mr. Sarshar Ali Country Manager Pakistan Canon Image Products appreciated the participants response and thanks Trainer to make this workshop successful to enhance the skills of wedding Photographer and Videography. He further added “ Canon is committed to revolutionize the Photography to next level through best utility ofcanon professional cameras, lenses and accessories by highly skilled professional. This workshop exposure to Canon’s superb digital imaging technology, truly represents the embodiment of what our company stands for—an unwavering dedication to help people tap into their creativity to reach new heights of their potential.”

This workshop is continuation of Canon global initiative of annual program that offers a unique learning environment for young photojournalists. Canon has been engaged with leading Photographer & Videographer of Pakistan to raise the skilled level of young professional in producing high grade imaging solutions to their customers.

 

 

 

Askari Bank partners with Hysab Kytab to integrate Personal Finance Management (PFM) solution into Askari Digital Banking

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Hysab Kytab – one of the leading Fintech has signed an agreement with Askari Bank. This collaboration will empower Askari bank’s Internet and Mobile banking app users to take greater control of their financial well-being.

With PFM, users can effortlessly record and track expenses, create budgets in various categories, plan and track saving goals, view all accounts in one place and much more.

Speaking about the partnership and why PFM solutions are a must-have for banks Veqar-ul-Islam – CEO & Director JBS and Founder of Hysab Kytab said ” I believe the partnership between FinTech and banks is key for the development of compressive solutions offering to end customer. This collaboration with Askari bank will help to boost the digital financial awareness and inclusion of banking customers”.

Speaking about the partnership Yasir Ilyas – Head of Hysab Kytab said ‘’ This partnership is a major milestone. Hysab Kytab is a PFM born in Pakistan and I thank Askari Bank for trusting and selecting it for their own digital platform. This is the kind of support that our local banks can offer to help Pakistan’s FinTech industry to grow and provide solutions for the local requirements.

Commenting on the partnership Mr.Khurshid Zafar COO of Askari bank said: “Askari Bank has always strived to provide state of the art digital solutions to its customers. Our partnership with Fintechs is yet another step forward in this endeavor. We are equipping our customers with a digital tool that will enable them to track their spending patterns in the most effective way possible. I strongly believe this partnership will help us achieve our goal towards digitization.”

Mr. Shehryar Ali Shah CDO of Askari Bank said: “We are very excited to collaborate with Hysab Kytab on this project as it aligns with our strategic vision to be the best digital bank for our customers. This technology will capitalize on our momentum towards the use of digital and self-service channels and will elevate customer experience through Askari Bank’s Digital Channels with an unrivaled mobile banking technology.”

Mastercard Market Trends is an interactive business intelligence platform that brings together up-to-date payments data, consumer and industry insights

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Mastercard has announced the expansion of its new interactive business intelligence platform Mastercard Market Trends in the Middle East and Africa. The new platform provides a comprehensive view of payments insights, competitive intelligence and industry trends for banks and financial institutions across the world and now within the Middle East and Africa. 

In the Middle East and Africa (MEA), the platform enables a comparison of over 300 cards from five key markets, access to market reports, analysis of global and regional leading fintechs and thought leadership on key payment industry and technology trends, such as Open Banking and Blockchain. Mastercard Market Trends provides a simple, curated view of reliable research – all in one place. 

“Access to relevant insights, data, and analytics to inform smart decisions is critical to business success. Mastercard Market Trends offers a one-stop shop for financial institutions to access key information, which will allow for better decision-making and results. The platform brings together the latest market, industry and consumer insights, enabling financial institutions to really understand their customers and confidently embrace the constant evolution in how people shop and pay,” said Dimitrios Dosis, President, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Mastercard.

Mastercard Market Trends includes five key features:

Market Assessment: easy-to-access reports providing insights into socio-economic, payment and digital KPI data curated at local level by Mastercard teams with five key MEA markets (Egypt, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and United Arab Emirates) analyzed in detail.

Card Comparison: filtering and benchmarking features of card products issued by different schemes and issuers to help users understand the current MEA competitive landscape. This includes an overview of key metrics at a local level. This includes an overview of key metrics and features at the local level. More than 6,000 cards are available for comparison from 62 countries across the world.

Consumer Research: access to research studies commissioned by Mastercard globally and regionally to provide insight across a wide range of topics

New Payment Experience: analysis of leading regional and global Fintechs and best practices to help inform strategies in a constantly evolving payments landscape e.g., use cases and company profiles.

Industry Insight: access to our repository of videos, studies and global thought leadership on technology trends that are shaping the industry.

This platform is the latest offering from Mastercard Data & Services and is available now for issuers and acquirers across the Middle East and Africa by accessing the Mastercard Market Trends website via www.trends.mastercardservices.com with their Mastercard Connect credentials.

Mastercard Market Trends, after a successful launch in Europe, the Americas and Asia, is slated to see further expansion through 2022.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Global technology brand OPPO announced a three-year partnership with Hasselblad, the legendary camera manufacturer, to co-develop industry-leading camera technologies for OPPO’s flagship Find series. The two brands will focus on breakthroughs in color science to create an improved mobile photography experience on Hasselblad Camera for Mobile.

Since the integration of OPPO and OnePlus, research and development resources between the brands have been combined to maximize efficiency and improve user experience. With the imaging advances made in the partnership between OnePlus and Hasselblad, OPPO is excited to elevate the strategic partnership to the corporate level for both the OPPO and OnePlus brands.

“Following the success of OnePlus and Hasselblad’s collaboration in the past year, we are very pleased to see the partnership enter a new stage of development, giving more users around the world a chance to enjoy the legendary Hasselblad mobile imaging experience,” says Pete Lau, Chief Product Officer. “Camera color performance has always been a focus for OPPO and a part of Hasselblad’s DNA. We are very excited to be able to explore the future of Hasselblad Camera for Mobile together.”

Building top-tier imaging systems capable of delivering a world-class mobile photography experience is a key strategy for OPPO to bring forth a next-generation premium smartphone experience. Following the launch of OPPO’s first self-developed imaging NPU MariSilicon X, OPPO is further committed to creating a world-class photography experience through its cooperation with Hasselblad.

OPPO and Hasselblad will now work together to further develop advanced imaging solutions through R&D collaboration, which aims to provide users with more natural colors and a more refined imaging experience. Leveraging Natural Color Calibration with Hasselblad, OPPO also targets to bring the most natural skin tone possible to its portrait photography.

Starting with the software improvements for natural color tuning, the three-year partnership will further enhance the color calibration solution and target to establish the new benchmark for smartphone camera color performance, delivering a consistent natural color performance for OPPO mobile phones to cover all scenarios and across the entire camera system.

The result of this collaboration, “OPPO | Hasselblad Camera for Mobile”, will be first introduced in the next generation of OPPO’s flagship Find X series in the first quarter of 2022.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Dubai-based top property investment firm, H&S Real Estate, has launched a PKR 11 billion ($70 million) Autograph, a pioneering hi-tech residential project in Lahore. H&S Real Estate, a subsidiary of Haqsons Group, is an international business conglomerate headquartered in Dubai, UAE with a sizeable presence in Pakistan, China, USA, Japan and Angola. H&S has also announced that it plans a series of real estate investments in major cities as Pakistan currently offers incentives to new foreign companies and the construction industry.

Autograph, a Ground + 27-storey tower, spans over 800,000 sqft, located in Maple Drive, Near M block, DHA phase 5, Lahore and will house five types of deluxe apartments. The project consists of 367 ultra-luxury units, four basement floors, and mezzanine floor. Floors 18 & 19 are allotted for duplexes, floors 20 & 21 for triplex apartments.  The developer is aiming for an early completion of the project, scheduled to deliver in Q3 2025.

Emad Haq, Vice Chairman of H&S Real Estate & Haqsons Group, said, “We have always been at the forefront of innovation in the real estate sector. That makes our properties sustainable and enhances the life expectancy. The blend of avant-garde and Artificial Intelligence-based smart-home technologies create peace of mind and higher Return-on-Invest (ROI). We learnt it while working in the most established and popular metropolitan cities of the world such as Dubai-UAE and Houston-USA.  Autograph reflect the dreams and aspirations to design every aspect of residents’ living experiences based on their, likings, tastes and lifestyles.”

Besides The state of the art and innovative architectural design, residents of Autograph project will also benefit from living in a community which offers the most spectacular outdoors and life-enhancing amenities such as sky pools, sky gardens which makes Autograph a healthy and sustainable community. The super luxury apartment category has an infinity pool as well. Modern fitness center, various sports facilities, salon, butler services, prayer area, and a café offer an ultra-luxury lifestyle with safe and social environment.

Saad Haq, Group CEO of H&S Real Estate, said: “For the first time in Pakistan, we are introducing the concept of the fully integrated home automation. The web-based technologies at Autograph will enable the resident to access his home while away from it and anywhere in the world. The remote-controlled home lighting, TV, appliances and devices save 20 to 40% of the energy and water consumption, give 100% safe and secure environment in addition to 24-hour CCTV and availability of trained and experienced security guards.”

The multi-award-winning H&S Real Estate is a renowned name in UAE’s property industry with over 25 years of experience. The company is a leader in servicing UAE’s top developers such as Emaar Properties, Meraas, and Damac, to name a few. H&S is considered the most trusted real estate investment adviser in the UAE with multi-billion dollar of projects under its belt. The company is now offering the similar level of expertise in Pakistan.

NBP signs agreement with Board of Revenue and Punjab Information Technology Board for collection of Stamp Duty/Taxes

Karachi  (Muhammad Yasir)  National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), the country’s largest public sector commercial bank, has signed a tripartite with the Board of Revenue (BoR) of Govt. of Sindh and Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) for collection of Stamp Duty/Taxes on behalf of BoR and PITB.

The E-stamping is one of the landmark schemes launched with the view to facilitate general public/tax payers. The e-stamp papers will be issued at the selected branches of NBP through seamlessly integrated PITB’s software system and NBP’s Core banking System. The new feature will enable real-time collection of Government revenue. The funds collected will be settled with SBP centrally and e-challan will be provided to treasury. This digital solution will save time, effort and cost while eliminating leakages in Government revenue.

The signing ceremony of e-Stamping Tripartite SLA (NBP, PITB and BOR) was held in Revenue House BOR, Karachi. Makhdoom Mehboob Zaman, Minister for Revenue, Baqullah Unnar, Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR), and Rizwan Sarfraz, Additional Director Finance SBP were present on the signing ceremony. Mr. Mahmood Akhtar Nadeem, Group Head Branch Operations signed SLA on behalf of NBP.