Telenor Microfinance Bank and Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal

partner to improve financial literacy in women

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Telenor Microfinance Bank (TMB), Pakistan’s leading microfinance bank and Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the promotion of financial knowledge in women of the country. Under the agreement, the Bank will train women on the basics of performing various financial transactions through digital and conventional channels as well as accessing credit services hassle-free.

This partnership is part of a series of developments taking place under the Women Empowerment Center, a Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal initiative which provides deserving women with knowledge about various life skills. The first phase of trainings will begin in 12 centers across four cities in Pakistan. Seven of these will be in Karachi, three in Lahore, one in Rawalpindi and one in Islamabad.  During the trainings women will be taught about basics of banking such as how to open a bank account, transferring and receiving money, precautions to take during financial transactions, making various payments and how this knowledge can help them in establishing their own business. 

Mohammad Mudassar Aqil, President & CEO, Telenor Microfinance Bank, expressed his opinion on the occasion: “The role of women in society is becoming increasingly diversified. Despite their contributions, a significant chunk still lacks the necessary knowledge to handle financial transactions.  A big part of women in rural and even urban areas are limited by the resources at their disposal and prevailing mindset in society. This collaboration is another step in Telenor Microfinance Bank’s vision to bring financial inclusion to the underserved by imparting practical knowledge to individuals who are unable to acquire it on their own. This initiative will help deserving women find a better footing to realize their potential and contribute more effectively to their families and the economy of the country. ”  

Pakistan has a low ratio of financial inclusion and the percentage of women is even lower. Most of the female segment in society remains at home, a phenomenon which is even more common in rural areas. This is a major reason why women are unaware of how banks and financial institutions work.  The percentage of women in the country is rising and so is their role in the economy. As a result, it has become imperative for women to improve their financial literacy. This partnership aims to accomplish this very goal. 

Meezan Bank receives Special Award

amongst others at Islamic Finance Forum of South Asia

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Meezan Bank, Pakistan’s first and largest Islamic Bank has been bestowed with a Special Award amongst multiple other category awards at the Islamic Finance Forum of South Asia (IFFSA) owing to its immense contributions to the Islamic Banking and Finance Industry in South Asia. The awards were presented to the Bank at 4^th Awards Ceremony of the Islamic Finance Forum of South Asia held in Male, Maldives.

Meezan Bank is the only Pakistani commercial bank to be recognized with this Special Award over an 11-year period encompassing both, IFFSA as well as the The Sri Lanka Islamic Banking and Finance (SLIBFI) Awards. Previously, only two entities, namely, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and KPMG – one of the Big Four accounting organizations; have received this prestigious award. Meezan Bank has been recognized for its efforts that go beyond the realm of its normal business operations to assist the Islamic finance industry, in Pakistan as well as in the South Asian region.

In addition, the Bank has also been recognized with the following awards for demonstrating the best overall performance over the period 2018-2019:

• Gold Award – Entity of the Year
• Gold Award – Bank of the Year
• Gold Award – Investment Bank of the Year
• Gold Award – Capital Markets Service Provider of the Year
• Gold Award – Advisory Services Provider of the Year
• Silver Award – Deal of the Year
• Bronze Award – Education Provider of the Year

IFFSA Awards are organised by UTO EduConsult (Pvt) Ltd, Sri Lanka in an effort to bring together Islamic Banking & Finance industry players from across the South Asian region; that are recognized for their outstanding performances in their respective areas of expertise. Competitive awards to institutions and individuals in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, India and Sri Lanka are also complemented by regional awards presented to institutions.

 

PIA Lost Millions in ONE Day due to Bird Sanctuaries and Industry Pollution

The irresponsible behavior by owners of bird sanctuaries and those who dump their garbage near the airport caused not only loss in millions to PIA but also put the lives of passengers at risk.Pakistan International Airline’s latest addition to its fleet, was damaged today due to a bird strike. These birds reside in sanctuaries and loom around the garbage dumped near the airport. They have been approached time and again on this issue causes millions in damage to the PIA aircraft.

We are the first to scream and shout when PIA services are not up to par, so we now need to raise our voice when our national asset is being damaged due to the disregard of those who refuse to move away the sanctuaries and not dump their garbage near the airport. They are willingly putting the lives of all the passengers travelling from the airport at a huge risk. Today, the expertise of the pilot diverted the plane and landed it safely, but the negligence of these people dumping garbage and housing sanctuaries near the airport can cost lives.

Something needs to be done and done now. These bird sanctuaries and garbage disposals near the airports need to be shifted away immediately. We need to collectively call for responsible behaviour by our industrialist, those who claim to care about humanity and citizens of Pakistan. They should not be allowed to continue playing with the lives of people and causing millions of rupees of damage to airlines. The buck as to stop with them!

 

 

 

 

Photography Powerhouse OPPO Reno2 F Shahryar Munawar Special Edition set to Redefine Creativity in Pakistan

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) OPPO launched the new Reno2 F Shahryar Munawar Special Edition in Pakistan. The Pakistani famous super star Shahryar Munawar launched his special edition Reno2 F among his media friends and fans. He also showcased the DVC for Reno2 F Nebula green. The Reno2 F Shahryar Munawar Special Edition model is one of the latest iteration of OPPO’s popular Reno series that will redraw the boundaries of users’ creativity, coming packed with photography-enhancing features. The quad-camera setup, ultra-clear night shots even under nearly-no-light condition on Ultra Dark Mode. Reno2 F Shahryar Munawar Special Edition will be available for pre orders from December 11^th, 2019 to December 16^th, 2019 and will be available in market by December 17^th, 2019.

“Inheriting the already rich spirit of the Reno Series, this latest iteration presents our users with even more creative possibilities, empowering them to discover new perspectives” said Mr. Ali Kakvi, Marketing Head OPPO Pakistan. “We are pleased to launch the all new Reno2 F Shahryar Munawar Special Edition. Its advanced camera technology performs superbly in a range of environments and scenarios, from vast landscapes to confined alleyways, or sun-kissed beaches to dim, moonless nights. Launching it with the association of Shahryar Munawar is important to connect with our youth audience as he’s the youth idol and they look up to his star lifestyle.”

Advanced Camera Tech Unleashes User Creativity

OPPO is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of mobile photography. The Reno2 F will come equipped with four cameras that provide a full focal length imaging system; Ultra-Wide-Angle lens and Ultra Night Mode. Users can now shoot vast and boundless landscapes day or night, and even in small or confined spaces, demonstrating the handset’s exceptional performance regardless of the subject or environment.

The all new Reno2 F Shahryar Munawar edition is equipped with a 48MP Ultra-clear Main Camera with 1/2.25-inch Sensor and F1.79 Aperture, 8MP Wide Angle Lens with F/2.2 aperture, 2MP Mono Lens with all new O6 Portrait mode, and 2MP Portrait Lens with all new O7 Portrait mode at your disposal.

The Reno2 Fs’ Ultra Night Mode 2.0 is the most powerful night mode which covers an entire range of different night scenes by multi frame noise reduction and high dynamic range (HDR) imaging.

User-centric design combines practicality with style

The Reno2 F Shahryar Munawar Special Edition is also equipped with a 6.5” AMOLED Panoramic screen, 2340×1080 resolution, and a screen-to-body ration of 91.1%, made from toughened 5th Generation Corning® Gorilla® Glass. The Sunlight AMOLED Screen offers sufficient brightness even in bright outdoor environments while extending screen service life by 50% and reducing power consumption by 6%. The Reno2 sports a 16MP pop-up front camera featuring an Atmosphere Light.

Reno2 F Shahryar Munawar Special Edition feature seamless, one-piece curved bodies, and with the use of three-layer stripping technology, OPPO has achieved a glossier, multi-toned look that shows off different color shades from different angles. This creation of a varying and dynamic aesthetics contrasts the Reno series, which conveyed a more reserved, static design. They feature rear cameras that remain hidden under the back cover, which itself is made from durable 5th Generation Corning® Gorilla® Glass.

Cutting-edge hardware and software that delivers superb performance

The Reno2 F Shahryar Munawar Special Edition is powered by ColorOS 6.1, running on the latest version of Android Pie 9.0, featuring a smoother and more enjoyable user experience. It provides a brand-new visual experience, including wallpaper designs that better match the phone’s exterior design. Light, elegant, and borderless gradient colors are used to replace the previously used large-area color blocks, and new gestures to manage navigation make the phone more comfortable to operate with a single hand.

Also, OPPO has been concentrating on video content to deliver a more immersive experience together with the Reno2 F’s high quality screen, Dolby Atmos®, and Hi-Res Audio.

The OPPO Reno2 F features fast and safe VOOC Flash Charge 3.0 technology. This uses a new VFC algorithm, significantly shortening the final 10% of charging time by doubling the trickle charging speed. VOOC Flash Charge 3.0 combines with the Reno2 series’ 4,000mAh (Typ) battery to provide users with a much longer-lasting battery.

OPPO Reno2 F Shahryar Munawar Special Edition sporting ‘Twilight Mist’ finishes which take influence from the mesmerizing beauty of nature will be available in Nebula Green colour theme at Rs. 59,999/-

Whilst more than 200 million consumers are using OPPO smartphones OPPO’s business has covered 35 countries and regions, with over 400,000 stores and has 4 research centres worldwide, providing excellent smartphone photography experience to more people around the world.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) To acknowledge appreciation from PSO through their recently held Excellence Awards 2019, M/S Sunshine Petroleum Services, Lahore, arranged a celebratory ceremony with the staff and senior members of PSO Sales Team from Lahore Division. M/S Sunshine Petroleum Services, Lahore was the winner of PSO Excellence Awards on account of their best customer services. This recognition managed to preeminently uplift the morale of the personnel assisting at the service station. Mr. Shaeman Shareef Warraich, dealer of Sunshine Petroleum, expressed his gratitude towards PSO management and stated that the national level recognition granted through these awards has augmented our team’s commitment to devotedly work for wellbeing of the company and the fueling business.

At this moment, Mian Shakeel, Business Manager Lahore Division of PSO, also said that recognition of the Sunshine Petroleum’s exceptional customer service performance is a case study for the business partners of PSO. He also took this opportunity to extend is heartiest wishes to the entire team of M/S Sunshine Petroleum and admired their level of commitment to enhance company’s business.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  ‘The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) and its member companies are role models for empowering women at the workplace and the corporate sector across Pakistan should follow the ‘OICCI Women’ initiative to foster economic growth of the country’, Governor Sindh, Imran Ismail, remarked while commending the efforts of foreign investors at the OICCI Women Empowerment Awards 2019 organized here in a local hotel.

The Governor Sindh who was the chief guest at the event further observed that “Women constitute a large ratio of the population in Pakistan. In the past few years, women have been getting higher education and subsequently employment in the business sector. Similarly, women are also the main consumers in a number of niche businesses. It is imperative to give women equal employment opportunity and congenial working environment for the economy to grow.”

He added that OICCI Women is a great platform to join, create a movement for women empowerment and acknowledge the efforts of prominent performers at the awards ceremony like OICCI has been doing for past couple of years.

The ceremony was attended by a large number of CEOs, HR Executives and corporate professionals from different OICCI member companies, as well as diplomats and other distinguished guests.

President OICCI, Shazia Syed, informed that OICCI has been advocating for women empowerment for past 2 years and it is the second edition of the awards this year. It is time to acknowledge the efforts of OICCI members and give awards to the outstanding performers.

She said, “In a global world, empowerment of women and gender equality are essential tools to achieve sustainable development. Therefore, it is important to bring women into the mainstream so that they participate fully in all sectors, to build strong economies and improve the quality of life for women, men, families and communities.”

She shared the statistics that OICCI member companies the percentage of women employees is a little over 13% which she opined ‘is below par’. Similarly, there are about 11.7% of women in top leadership; 11.9% in middle management; 12.2% in junior management and 12.1% in non-management cadre amongst OICCI member companies. “These numbers need to improve further by the collective efforts of all members as there is a long way to go,” Shazia Syed added.

The awards were judged by an independent jury who vetted the performance of the companies from different angles and awarded the best performers overall and in seven separate categories. Three companies emerged victorious across all the categories and won top three positions for the main “OICCI Women Empowerment Award 2019.” P&G and Telenor were declared the first and second runner-up while Unilever won the top position and became ‘Champion of 2019.’

Special Recognition Awards were given in seven categories. Reckitt Benckiser won in the ‘Leadership & Strategy’ category; Sanofi Aventis in ‘Gender Balance Workforce’; Nestle in ‘Work Life Integration’; GlaxoSmithKline in ‘Women Leaders Development’; Philp Morris in “Growth in Number of Women in Top Leadership”; Total Parco in “Notable Growth in Women Empowerment” and Pak Brunei Investment bagged the ‘Top Performer amongst small-sized companies’ Award.

The representatives of the winning companies shared their best practices with the audience and pledged to broaden their horizon in the area of women empowerment as there is still a long way to go in Pakistan.

The OICCI Managing Committee congratulated the winners and hoped to see OICCI Women initiative become an inspiration for all organizations across the country as well as in other walks of life.

Sarsabz celebrates marginalized farmers in Sukkur through the ‘Salam Kissan’ initiative

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan’s leading fertilizer brand Sarsabz, as part of its ‘Salam Kissan, Sarsabz Pakistan’ initiative, hosted a special event to celebrate the role and contribution of farmers at Mehran Culture Auditorium in Sukkur . The event was attended by local residents from all walks of life as well as special Government dignitaries who graced the occasion including Mayor of Sukkur Barrister Arsalan Islam Sheikh, Provincial Transport Minister Syed Awais Qadir Shah, President of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf Sukkur Mobeen Jatoi and DPO Irfan Sammo. Representatives from Fatima Group were also present at the occasion to receive the guests including Regional Sales Manager Waheed Ali Talpur and Development Head Abdul Samad Abro.

‘Salam Kissan’ holds the distinction of being Pakistan’s first initiative dedicated to highlight the important role of small farmers in curbing food security challenges in Pakistan and their contribution to national economy, while their own growth and due recognition have consistently been sidelined over many decades.

Several fun based family activities were organized at the event to amuse the visitors and highlight a spirit of celebration honoring the farmers. These included arcade games, face painting for boys and girls and a dedicated play area for younger kids. As well as, special mehndi stalls for women. The occasion concluded on a high note whereby visitors were excited to win attractive gifts through lucky draws.

Speaking about the initiative, Khurram Javed Maqbool, Director Marketing and Sales at Fatima Group said, “In view of the population explosion of Pakistan, it is not possible to solve our food insecurity challenges without empowering and incentivizing the small-scale farmers. Through initiatives like Salam Kissan, we intend to draw the attention of policy makers towards empowering our farmers who are the nation’s assets and a key driving force towards enabling growth and prosperity of this sector. Therefore, this campaign tends to appreciate and encourage the role of farmer community while becoming a voice to highlight their issues, in order to transform them into efficient economic contributors”.

While addressing the event, Barrister Arsalan Islam Sheikh, Mayor Sukkur said, “The small-scale farmers command 18.5% share in the national economy and 38.5% share in the labor force. I appreciate the efforts of Sarsabz Fertilizer for taking a lead through initiatives like Salam Kissan to advocate the issues of small-scale farmers, and in striving to build a clear understanding of the need to empower them, in order to uplift the agriculture sector as a whole”.

Despite Pakistan being an agri-based economy, no distinct farmer related initiatives have been observed over the decades to demonstrate support and encouragement for the farmer community, whereas countries around the globe have dedicated special days to give them their due praise. However, Fatima Group has taken the lead through its Salam Kissan initiative and is working hard to modernize Pakistan’s age-old agriculture setup through an efficient digital revolution, and by introducing innovative tech-based new products and services to transform the current challenges of farmers into growth opportunities. The campaign will continue its momentum in Multan, Hyderabad and Sialkot thereafter in a bid to make the voice of small-farmers heard at a national level.

 

JazzCash monthly active subscribers cross 7 million

Islamabad  (Muhammad Yasir) Emerging as the market leader for the third consecutive year, JazzCash proudly announces an active base that now stands at over 7 Million users. JazzCash is fast becoming the most popular and trusted digital financial services brand in Pakistan.

Transaction values have also increased by 42% compared to the previous year and have crossed the PKR 1 trillion mark; customers carried out 0.5 billion transactions through the service.

On this occasion Jazz CEO Aamir Ibrahim said, “JazzCash offers its users diversified financial services aimed at meeting their evolving financial needs. The traction we have gained in terms of the number of active users, the value and the volume of transactions is evidence that we have both made headway in terms of enhancing financial inclusion and also gained customer trust.”

JazzCash is on a mission to provide every Pakistani access to a range of financial services through secure and accessible channels with an easy to use USSD menu, user-friendly mobile app and over 80,000 agent touchpoints for transactions. With a growing number of subscribers using JazzCash for their day-to-day transactions, Pakistan is visibly progressing towards financial inclusion and upward economic mobility of communities.

The team at JazzCash is currently working on bringing more exciting features to be a part of their mobile account especially on the digital front, which is the JazzCash App. JazzCash App allows users from all networks to become a part of Pakistan’s most trusted and used mobile account.

• Tech Conference highlights the contributions of GE’s 9HA gas turbine technology and teams in meeting Pakistan’s energy needs and strengthening community infrastructure.   
• Operating at three power plants across Pakistan for over a year, GE’s 9HA gas turbines have enabled the most efficient, least cost conversion of gas to electricity in the country.
• Building further on its commitment to serve the community, GE Power undertook repair and refurbishment works, and donated supplies to the Government Girls High School Haveli Bahadur Shah.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) GE Power hosted the Pakistan 9HA Tech Conference in Islamabad,welcoming government officials, industry experts, power plant owners and operators,consultants, and others. The event highlighted the contributions of GE’s 9HA gas turbine technology and teams in meeting Pakistan’s energy needs and strengthening community infrastructure.

Access to affordable, reliable, flexible and sustainable electricity is critical to growing economies and fundamental to improving quality of life in the modern world. Equipped with two units each of GE’s 9HA gas turbines, Quaid-e-Azam Thermal Power (Private) Limited’s (QATPL’s) Bhikki, and National Power Parks Management Company’s (NPPMCL’s) Haveli Bahadur Shah, and Balloki power plants have now been operational for over a year. The projects can generate up to 3,600megawatts (MW) in total, the equivalent electricity needed to supply over 7 million Pakistani homes. Together, the plants have achieved over 80,000 operating hours to date, helping to meet a significant part of the country’s previous energy gap. They have also delivered the highest net efficiency levels of any gas power plant in the country – up to 62.44% at Haveli Bahadur Shah – leading to the least cost conversion of gas to electricity, as well as lower fuel bills and greenhouse gas emissions per megawatt of power generated.

Speaking at the event, Arif Saeed, Chairman Service Industries and former Chairman of the Boards of QATPL and NPPMCL said, “The Bhikki, Haveli Bahadur Shah, and Balloki projects were executed at the lowest per MW engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) costs in Pakistan’s history, with the highest levels of efficiency. The project, fuel,and operations and maintenance savings over the lifetime of the plants come up to $7.5 billion, benefiting millions of Pakistanis for years to come. The strict adherence to public procurement rules and the adoption of GE’s 9HA technology played a critical role in helping to unlock these benefits.”

Today, GE’s HA technology is the fastest growing fleet of heavy-duty gas turbines in the world, having achieved several notable milestones.Over 100 units of the technology have been ordered globally from more than 40 customers across over 18 countries. The HA turbine has also been recognized for powering the world’s most efficient power plants in both the 50-hertz and 60-hertz energy segments.The high operational flexibility offered by the technology, which can ramp power production up and down quickly, can also help to enhance grid stability in countries such as Pakistan that are adding more intermittent supplies of renewable power to their energy mix.

Moreover, GE continues to invest in the advancement of its HA technology, launching the 7HA.03, the world’s largest, most-efficient, highest-capacity 60-hertz gas turbine. It offers up to 134 MW more than GE’s 7HA.02 gas turbine and substantial improvements in three key areas: greater capacity and performance, enhanced flexibility, and lower capital costs and installation time. The new 7HA.03 will power Florida Power & Light Company’s (FPL) Dania Beach Clean Energy Center near Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Beyond bringing industry-leading solutions to Pakistan, GE continues to build on a vibrant spirit of volunteerism and community service in the country. Recently, GE Power’s team at the Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant undertook refurbishment and repair works at the Government Girls High School Haveli Bahadur Shah in district Jhang. They also provided much-needed school supplies, furniture,and water coolers. More than 980girls study at the school and benefited from the activities. Dr. Firdous Kosar, the principal of the school said, “We are thankful for GE’s generous contributions, which have helped to create a more comfortable learning environment for our students and illustrate their commitment to improving the lives of our future generations.”

“GE has been honored to support the development of Pakistan’s infrastructure for more than fifty years. In the power sector, we have provided advanced solutions to utilize various energy sources, including natural gas, coal, wind, hydro, and others,” said Adel Masaad, General Manager of GE Power in the Gulf and South Asia.“Today, GE-built technologies can generate up to 30 percent of the country’s electricity. We remain committed to building further on this legacy by continuing to bring leading technologies to Pakistan, creating the infrastructure needed for faster socio-economic development, nurturing local talent, and volunteering for community-building efforts.”

Pakistan’s top gaming start-ups from Game Launcher pitch to investors in Singapore

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Seven of Pakistan’s top game developers pitched their gaming products to renowned investors at Google’s Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore to raise capital for scaling up their games. These game developers were chosen through a Google-partnered ‘Game Launcher’ cohort of Telenor Pakistan’s famed digital start-up accelerator program ‘Telenor Velocity’.

In presence, at the Google Launcher event, were the world’s top gaming industry talent, technology leaders, as well as renowned investors. A day prior to the pitch gathering, top three of Pakistan’s seven teams, OT Ventures, The Knights and Big Alpha, were announced and were given the awards by the Pakistani High Commissioner to Singapore, Ms. Rukhsana Afzal.

“To strengthen and transform the local gaming community in the country, Telenor Pakistan has made serious commitments and a testament to these efforts is Game Launcher,” said Sardar Abubakr, Chief Digital & Strategy Officer Telenor Pakistan. “The potential in Pakistan’s remarkably booming gaming industry is immense and Game Launcher is an effort by Telenor Velocity and Google to provide a platform to ambitious game developers and guide them on how to scale their ventures. I congratulate the participants of the seed funding event and wish them the very best of luck.”

Out of the 40 participating Game Launcher teams, seven were chosen to join the investment funding event at Google HQ in Singapore. Launched in May 2019, Velocity’s gaming cohort, Game Launcher, aimed to convince the next gaming start-up generation to scale their service offerings by leveraging Telenor Pakistan’s platform and insights. Targeting Pakistan’s underdog game developers to bring the next multi-million-dollar games out of Pakistan, Game Launcher brought in industry gurus to educate and up-skill promising gaming start-ups on smart game development and monetization.