Engro Polymer and Chemicals Limited (EPCL) showcased a innovative PVC  products at 3 days Asia 2019 Exhibition

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Engro Polymer and Chemicals Limited (EPCL), the sole manufacturer of PVC resin in Pakistan, showcased a diverse line of innovative PVC downstream products at the three-day 15^th Build Asia 2019 Exhibition, held at the Expo Centre Karachi.

EPCL was one of the main sponsors of the event, which featured PVC-based goods used by the construction industry. More than 100 national and international companies took part in the exhibition.

Speaking on the occasion, Imran Anwar, CEO Engro Polymer and Chemicals Limited (EPCL) stated that, “EPCL feels immense pride in being associated with Build Asia Expo this year as well. With a focus on reliable and sustainable production, this Expo projects a forward-looking and progressive mindset of Pakistan’s construction industry in the global arena”. 

At its dedicated pavilion, EPCL showcased PVC downstream products such as pipes and fittings, foam boards, wall panels, doors and windows, among others. Visitors to the EPCL pavilion showed great interest in the indigenously available PVC products and their applications, along with the reliable nature of PVC products in comparison to other traditionally used materials.

With an improvement in the economic and CPEC-related activities, the building and construction industry in Pakistan is set to embark on a sustained growth trajectory. In the coming years, the demand for PVC applications is also likely to gain traction with the launch of Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme and growing need of affordable housing in Pakistan.

 

Hysab Kytab achieves PCI DSS Certification – NewsUpdateTimes

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Hysab Kytab, announced today that it is now PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) Certified. With this, the technology company becomes one of the first few startups in Pakistan to achieve the certification. To mark the occasion, an official signing ceremony took place between Hysab Kytab and the US-based certification firm.

The PCI DSS is an information security standard for organizations handling branded credit cards from the major card schemes. The council’s mission is to enhance global payment account data security by developing standards and supporting services that drive education, awareness, and effective implementation by stakeholders.

Yasir Ilyas, Country Head, Hysab Kytab, said while sharing his views, “It feels great to have achieved this important milestone in the journey of Hysab Kytab as this would greatly empower us operating as a FinTech in Pakistan and abroad. In my view it is not just a nicety to have, rather a requirement for any FinTech operating anywhere in the world. The status will help us reap the benefits out of the upcoming e-commerce policy as we pave the way to support the secure online payment gateway in Pakistan.”

“The PCI DSS certification will help us ensure that our processes, procedures and all aspects of services are up to international security standards and we will be able to meet the demand of higher financial security. Operating as a FinTech in the times when security threats have become highly sophisticated, we understand the responsibility of hosting a personal finance management application,” he added.

 According to Dr Aftab Rizvi, Managing Director, PCI DSS, “After gaining the PCI DSS certification, HK has further secured its payment headway and they can now ensure reduced risk of financial data loss and can respond much more efficiently to potential data breaches. Not only that, but it will also be able to prevent and detect the same much faster. This upgrade provides protection for both, business owners and customers, making the user experience secure.”

Australis Seafoods selects Signify as main provider for underwater LED lighting

Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, has been chosen as the main provider of underwater LED lighting for the marine-based fish farms of Australis Seafoods. Australis chose Signify because of its commitment to a sustainable world, strongly supporting Australis’ objectives for responsible and efficient fish farming.

“According to the UN, nearly 90% of the world’s marine fish stocks are now fully exploited, overexploited or depleted. There is need for sensible policies to conserve fish stocks combined with responsible fish farming,” said Asad Jafar, Country leader Signify Pakistan. “With our LED lighting we help customers to improve the efficiency of its sea-based salmon farms, to improve feed conversion rates, reduce food costs and lower risk of infection.”

Healthier fish

Signify’s underwater lights, up to 100,000 lumen, mimic the summer sun. Like in the summer months, they convert feed better aiding growth (better Feed Conversion Rate), so less fish food is needed, resulting in lower cost and cleaner water. The lights are submerged 5 meters deep, attracting the fish and dramatically reducing infections by sea lice who live closer to the surface.

Signify first installed its Philips aquaculture LED lighting in Australis’ Moraleda fish farm. After achieving excellent results with them in terms of growth and Feed Conversion Rates (FCR), Australis asked Signify to upgrade the whole site. In addition, the site realized one of the best production results in Australis records and was named the best Skretting 2019 Fish farm in the XI region.

Australis Seafoods is committed to excellence, ensuring the quality and freshness of its salmon according to sustainability standards. The company has raised concerns about environmental conditions and specializes in the sale of salmon and trout, with emphasis on sustainable production. Australis is aware that maintaining a sustainable industry in the long term is everyone’s duty and is committed to this fundamental principle.

For several years, Signify has served in the salmon industry, providing its innovative photoperiod systems – that help to control the duration of light – to optimize salmon production. Atlantic salmon are very sensitive to changes in photoperiod – the period of daily illumination – in fresh and seawater, and particularly during the parr-smolt transformation (a series of physiological changes where juvenile fish adapt from living in fresh water to living in seawater).

Australis installed Signify’s photoperiod systems in most of its fish farms located in the XI Region of Aysén and is going to adapt the systems in the XII Region of Magallanes.  

Sindh Legal Advisory Call Centre launched

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) The Law Department, Government of Sindh and Legal Aid Society (LAS) officially launched their Sindh Legal Advisory Call Centre (SLACC) Annual Report “De-constructing Conjugal Rights in Pakistan Law.”The SLACC is a unique public-private partnership between the Law Department, Government of Sindh and LAS. The SLACCis a toll free call-in number (0800-70806)for the general public to obtain free legal advice and guidance.Its objective is to create greater legal awareness and increased access to justice particularly for underprivileged and marginalized segments of society.

On this occasion,the Annual Report authors Maliha Zia and Naima Qamarpresented SLACC’s research on conjugal rights and gender roles within marriage through a legal and feminist Islamic framework. The report included analysis of 233 cases proceeded before Superior Courts and 789 calls received by SLACC on restitution of conjugal rights (RCR). The report highlighted that RCR provisions is gender neutral fulfilling requirement for formal equality but in reality it is being used primarily against women, thus not providing substantive equality. Women, unfortunately, cannot and are unable to successfully use this provision due to social constraints and legal bias.

Mr. Shariq Ahmed Secretary, Law Department, Government of Sindh provided the audience with salient feature of the 1-year performance of the SLACC. Since 1^st July 2018 till 10^th December 2019 SLACC has registered 42,669 queries from more than 45O cities, towns and villages across Pakistan.

Mr. Muhammad Zubair Habib, CPLC Chief discussed the importance of access to justice and legal needs. He emphasized that efficient legal aid system can significantly contribute in improving access of vulnerable sections to justice and reduce legal exclusion.

Justice ArifKhilji, Chief Legal Advisor of SLACC shared successes and the human impact of SLACC’s provision of free legal advice to those most vulnerable in society. He emphasized the importance of the service, as the average citizen is not aware of his/her legal rights.

Barrister MurtazaWahab, Advisor Law, Government of Sindh gave the keynote address, pointing to SLACC as a uniquely effective model of a public-private partnership that provides an invaluable service to civil society in upholding the rule of law.

Quote by MurtazaWahab: “The lawyers at the SLACC are trained to provide a whole spectrum of legal information and advice and will also connect you to referral services of different service providers, NGOs, and state organs. You will get customized advice within 24 hours. This is our commitment to you.”

Ms. MehnazRehman, Resident Director,Aurat Foundation appreciated LAS for discussing the important legal issue of conjugal rights on this platform.

Justice Nasir AslamZahid, Chairperson,LAS, concluded the event by appreciating the Sindh Government’s efforts to promote the rule of law and for facilitating the unique public-private partnership with LAS.

 

Facebook and Invest2Innovate launched partnership program to the Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety Division at the National Incubation Centre Islamabad

Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir)  In partnership with Facebook and Invest2Innovate, the Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety Division launched the first-of-its-kind Design Hackathon on malnutrition at the National Incubation Centre in Islamabad. Over the course of two-days, the Design Hackathon will connect experts in malnutrition with digital marketers who, with additional support from Facebook, will help build innovative digital campaigns for social media around the challenges of malnutrition. This is the first in a series of Ehsaas – Facebook collaborative initiatives. The hackathon and its partner Invest2Innovate not only aim to support entrepreneurs, but also to encourage growth of internal innovation, facilitate access to capital, mitigate risk for investors and supporting players, and strengthen the policy environment for businesses in Pakistan.

During the hackathon, ten teams will work to develop possible campaign solutions and designs that can be developed further and implemented as the Ehsaas program’s official content on Facebook. Throughout the hackathon, participants will benefit from industry-expert mentors providing guidance in a range of necessary skills, including in pitching, budgeting and impact assessment.

On the final day, three teams will be selected to present their ideas to a high-level panel of leadership from the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, along with representatives from the World Bank. The winning team will receive advertisement credits and additional support from Facebook to launch their malnutrition focused digital marketing campaign on the leading social media platform.

“To fight malnutrition today, we need 21^st century tools such as digital marketing techniques on social media that can reach wide audiences,” said Dr. Sania Nishtar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation, speaking today at the launch event. “We recognize millions of children in Pakistan suffer a range of health and development consequences due to malnutrition in all its forms; that’s why we have made malnutrition a top priority area of the Ehsaas poverty alleviation program.” Adding further, she said, “Stunting, obesity and chronic diseases are closely interlinked.”

Pakistan is facing a crisis in terms of malnutrition; every year, the country loses 3 percent of its GDP to stunting—a situation in which children cannot grow in height, and their cognitive abilities do not develop, posing a major setback in today’s knowledge economy. Stunting, as well as under-nutrition in young children and over-nutrition later in life all lead to higher risk of costly diseases, like hypertension and diabetes. Such conditions lock communities in cycles of poverty through high health care costs and an inability to participate meaningfully in local and national economies.

Ehsaas has several initiatives to address malnutrition, including a new community, health and nutrition initiative to address stunting in children; the establishment of the first-ever university hosted National Centre for Human Nutrition; the provision of de-worming drugs, iron, folic acid, micro-nutrient supplements through government hospitals; awareness campaigns regarding breast feeding and complimentary feeding; and a multi-sectoral Nutrition Coordinating Body under the Prime Minister’s oversight.

The Design Hackathon will serve as a critical platform for leading digital marketers to engage directly with Ehsaas officials in order to assist the program in developing additional innovative solutions to address today’s malnutrition challenge. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BankIslami Partners with Golootlo to Provide Discounts Directly on BankIslami’s Mobile App

Lahore  (Muhammad Yasir) BankIslami entered into an agreement with Decagon Pakistan Pvt Ltd. (Golootlo) which shall allow the bank’s customers a hassle-free access to all the Golootlo discounts available nationwide. BankIslami, one of the fastest growing Banks in Pakistan, strives to serve its client’s needs through technological innovations and efficient banking solutions.
Through this agreement, BankIslami will connect Golootlo digitally to their mobile application, providing customers an integrated solution for seamlessly enjoying any of Golootlo’s thousands of deals available at over 12,500+ merchants across Pakistan.

The agreement was signed by BankIslami’s Head of Consumer Banking, Mr. Bilal Fiaz and the CEO of Golootlo, Mr. Fahad Mahmood.

Commenting on the partnership, BankIslami’s President & CEO Syed Amir Ali said:

 “We are delighted to partner with Golootlo that shall benefit our valued customers through our BankIslami Mobile Application. BankIslami will continue to strengthen its position by introducing new innovative products and fulfilling customer’s needs by providing the right solutions.”

Mr. Fahad Mahmood from Golootlo added:

“We are pleased to have signed with BankIslami as this partnership is a game changer for everyone including banks, customers and merchants. Golootlo has more than 12,500 merchants offering discounts nationwide ranging from restaurants, salons, travel & tours to health care and more. BankIslami is an organization that is committed to making a difference in people’s lives and Golootlo will assist BankIslami in doing so.”

Honda Atlas Cars, Carfirst jointly offer exchange programme TO Customers

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan Limited (HACPL), and CarFirst, Pakistan’s most trusted used car trading platform, bring the “Exchange Program powered by CarFirst” to Pakistan. Customers will be able to bring their used cars of any brand and exchange with a brand new Honda at various Honda dealerships across Pakistan. The program initiative commenced from Honda City Sales Center in Lahore and will now be offered at various Honda dealerships nationwide.

The Exchange Program allows customers to get a brand new Honda with three hassle-free steps: Visit a CarFirst Kiosk at a Honda dealership, have your old car inspected and priced, and instantaneously sell your old car to CarFirst and book your brand new Honda with expedited delivery. With this program, as opposed to getting cash for your old car, it allows you to trade up your old car for new Honda, by offsetting the value of your old car against the price of the new Honda. Once the value of the old car has been agreed between the seller and CarFirst, the difference is paid by the seller at the time of booking a new Honda. Customers who sell their car through CarFirst will receive priority facilities including an expedited delivery for their new Honda.

Commenting on this, Amir Nazir, General Manager Sales & Marketing – Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Limited said: “Since its inception, Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan Ltd has become a key player in the domestic auto industry by providing models as per requirements/needs of customers. Honda is facilitating the customer’s best quality cars with innovative features and cutting edge technology. Honda and CarFirst collaboration will further facilitate customers in terms of easy upgradation from their current car to buy a New Honda Car.”

Commenting on this, Raja Murad Khan, CEO, and Co-Founder of CarFirst said: “The Exchange Program is a very quick and seamless solution for Honda and CarFirst customers to trade-in their used car for a new Honda at very competitive prices. We believe that customer facilitation with additional value-added solutions makes all the difference.”

 

Trade-In Your Old Car For A Brand New Honda With CarFirst

 

PepsiCo organized an event titled ‘With Purpose’ in Lahore

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) PepsiCo organized an event titled ‘With Purpose’ in Lahore. The event showcased PepsiCo’s sustainability efforts in four key areas; next generation agriculture practices, access to safe water, women empowerment and youth employment. The evening also served as a platform for 4 brilliant young speakers to share their vision of purpose and social impact. Najeeha Farooq, Co- Founder Roshni Rides, spoke about her journey of setting up a professional, comfortable and reliable transport solution for women and children. Rizq a social enterprise committed to ending huger in Pakistan was represented by one of it’s co-founders Musa Aamir, Musa spoke candidly about the challenges and triumphs that come with running a non-profit. Faiza Saleem, one of the first female standup comedians in Pakistan added some insightful humor to the mix about breakings myths in a male dominated genre. The fourth speaker was Annum Tariq, a graduate of the PepsiCo – Amal leadership program. Her talk was about the struggles fresh graduates go through in finding a job and how the youth program helped her in gaining an edge with prospective employers. The event focused on the four pillars of PepsiCo’s ‘Winning with Purpose’ Agenda in Pakistan. Installations demonstrating PepsiCo’s impact in each area were appreciated by the attendees. In water, PepsiCo has partnered with Water Aid to provide access to safe water to 150,000 people in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. The first rehabilitated filtration plant under this initiative was inaugurated in Lahore last month. This intervention feeds in to PepsiCo’s global goal of providing access to safe water to 25 million people by 2025. PepsiCo is leading the Next Generation Agriculture Practices in Pakistan by helping its farmers adopt high efficiency irrigation systems, educating them on alternatives to stubble burning, encouraging peer to peer learning and water conservation. Since 2017, PepsiCo has helped its farmers reduce water consumption by 2.6 billion liters. PepsiCo is commitment to Women Empowerment. Women make up 20 percent of the company’s frontline workforce. The company has onsite day care facilities, offers mentor ship programs for women and offers opportunities for location fee roles and career growth across different functions. PepsiCo in partnership with Amal Academy is running a program that develops the professional skills of university graduates to enhance their opportunities for gaining meaningful employment. . So far, one 1000 young men and women have graduated from the program On the occasion, CEO PepsiCo Pakistan and Afghanistan Furqan Ahmed Syed announced PepsiCo’s commitment to enroll another 2000 university graduates into the program and expand the program into Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. On the occasion, Furqan Ahmed Syed, CEO for PepsiCo Pakistan and Afghanistan shared PepsiCo’s agenda of Winning with Purpose and acknowledged colleagues and partners and individuals outside of the organization who have championed and advocated the ‘With Purpose’ Agenda

realme Pakistan teases realme 5s a new powerhero device for real fans

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) If you thought realme were done for the year with the launch of their premium realme XT well, you’re wrong because the company has just sent out teasers to the upcoming launch of their next smartphone, the Realme 5s. The Fastest growing youth’s favorite mobile brand realme Pakistan confirmed that Realme 5s will be unveiled soon. Company posted a teaser image of realme 5s on their official page to create anticipation amongst realme fans. The image of 5s, reveals that phone looks similar to the Realme 5 series device.

This new model is essentially the same as the realme 5 but with an upgraded primary sensor in the quad-camera setup. The 12-megapixel primary sensor has been swapped out for a 48-megapixel one, giving the new realme 5s considerable advantage. It’s a mid-range handset and it sits sort of right in the realme 5 and realme 5 Pro sector of the market. Upfront, the smartphone features a large 6.5″ display, it has got a 720p resolution of 1600×720 pixels. That being said, at its heart, the phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor, and it also has a large 5,000 mAh battery keeping the lights on.

realme 5s will sport a diamond cut back panel design, a quad rear camera setup at the back. realme 5s features a quad camera at the back that revolves around its 48MP f/1.8 aperture wide angle main camera. Alongside this high resolution camera, you’ve got an 8MP f/2.2 aperture ultra wide camera, a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor.

This new smartphone come in two colors: Crystal Red and Crystal Blue. Realme 5s which was launched in international markets last month has become a very popular device due to its premium look and features in a budget price. Major top tier tech reviewers like techno ruhez and 91 mobiles have rated realme 5s as the most “premium looking smartphone” complimenting its stylish design and massive battery.

 

Nestlé Pakistan and CEJ – IBA organizes workshop for Journalists

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Nestlé Pakistan in collaboration with the Centre for Excellence in Journalism (CEJ) organized a one day workshop for nutrition and health reporters on “Basics of Nutrition and Health Reporting: Nutrition as a source of News”. The training was attended by more than twenty print, broadcast and digital journalists from various media organizations.

The workshop was led by CEJ Director Kamal Siddiqi with a host of guest speakers including nutritionists, policy experts as well as senior journalists. The course targeted entry and mid-level journalists covering health and business beats.

The training elaborated on the nutrition profile of Pakistan and highlighted the reasons which make nutrition such a crucial issue. There were sessions on Pakistan’s health system and policies, its particular issues with, a special focus on nutrition as a source of news in a country where malnutrition is widespread. According to the Nutrition Survey of Pakistan 2019, stunting is a major problem in Pakistan, with 12 million children having low height for age with severe micronutrient deficiencies including Iron deficiency which is the major cause of anemia. More than half (53.7%) of Pakistani children are anemic and 5.7% are severely anemic.

Commenting on the training, Waqar Ahmad, Head of Corporate Affairs, Nestlé Pakistan, said, “Spreading awareness about nutrition, health and well–being is part of our commitment to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 of Good Health and Well-Being, to ensure that people understand the value of nutrition and physical activity and continue leading healthy lives. Such workshops help us achieve our goal as journalists are the ones who voice their views and extend knowledge among masses.”  

Speaking on the occasion, Kamal Siddiqi, Director CEJ, said: “Nutrition and health are very important areas but are generally neglected when it comes to reporting. That is why we need to work with journalists so that they can work on them and do better reporting,”

Participants examined the existing health and nutrition-related news in media, and discussed the gaps in reporting and ways to fill these gaps.