Category: Business

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

The month of Ramadan is upon us – a month where kindness and generosity are in abundance. Keeping up with the month’s spirit, realme Pakistan has energized the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal Sweet Home in Lahore. The institution serves as an orphanage and realme is humbled to contribute in their assistance and empowerment.

The donation is aimed at helping the organization provide uninterrupted power supply to its residents, especially during the load-shedding hours of Ramadan. Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal Sweet Home is a government-run facility that provides housing, education, and medical care to orphaned and abandoned children. The organization relies on donations from individuals and corporations like realme to support its operations and ensure the well-being of its residents.

The batteries donated by realme Pakistan will provide backup power to the facility during electricity outages and ensure that the children’s daily routine is not disrupted. The donation is part of realme Pakistan’s ongoing commitment to supporting communities in need and giving back to society. This gesture also highlights the significance of contributing to the less privileged members of society, especially during challenging times like these. realme has always been committed to social responsibilities and philanthropy. realme has previously taken part in various social initiatives and other charitable activities in order to enable the unfortunate and underprivileged members of society.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

Leading exploration and production (E&P) companies Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Pak-Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO), Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL), and Government Holdings Private Limited (GHPL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore and pursue green hydrogen opportunities within and outside Pakistan. The collaboration aims to drive the energy transition towards a more sustainable future, leveraging each company’s expertise and resources.

The MoU was signed by Ahmed Hayat Lak, MD/CEO OGDCL; Shahid Mahmood Khan, MD PARCO; Imran Abbasy, MD/CEO PPL; Fahim Haider, MD/CEO MPCL; and Masood Nabi, MD GHPL on behalf of their respective companies. Federal Secretary of Petroleum Division, Capt (R) Muhammad Mahmood, witnessed the MoU signing ceremony held here on Wednesday at the OGDCL Head Office, Islamabad.

Under the MoU, OGDCL, PARCO, PPL, MPCL, and GHPL will consider joint venture projects and areas of mutual cooperation for green energy initiatives. Companies will also establish a joint fund to raise equity for hydrogen projects. As a first step, feasibility will be conducted to formally initiate the project.

“This collaboration is a significant step towards building a more sustainable future for Pakistan and beyond,” said Capt (R) Muhammad Mahmood, Federal Secretary Petroleum Division. “We are confident that by leveraging our collective expertise and resources, we can accelerate the energy transition and create a greener, cleaner, and more prosperous future,” remarked Ahmed Hayat Lak, MD/CEO of OGDCL.

The MoU will be initially effective for two years from the date of signing, with the option to extend by mutual agreement. The energy giants will lead the pursuit of green hydrogen projects, engaging consultants and advisors subject to the agreement of the other parties.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) is the largest exploration & production company in Pakistan working across the nation. The company has an impressive track record of carrying out social work in areas where it operates for welfare of local communities. OGDCL has always exceeded its CSR obligations and spent more on welfare projects for the communities nearby it’s operational areas. 

Most of the places where company operates are remote with limited health facilities for the locals. OGDCL provides health facilities at its locations to the locals, however in cases where emergency care is required, people face difficulty for moving the patients to hospitals. Keeping this hardship to account, OGDCL has devised a program to distribute fully equipped 100 ambulances worth Rs. 200 million to District Headquarter (DHQ), Tehsil Headquarter (THQ) hospitals and Basic Health Units (BHU) across the country.

The ambulances will play a major role in strengthening the referral system, a key aspect in achieving health coverage. The delivery of these ambulances will enhance the ability of public health services to respond to medical emergencies, provide timely referrals for patients in severe and life threatening conditions, especially for people living in hard-to-reach areas or those not able to afford transportation. These ambulances will be distributed in collaboration with the local administration to BHUs, THQ and DHQ hospitals surrounding OGDCL operational fields.

The launch ceremony took place here on Wednesday at OGDCL Head Office Islamabad and was attended by distinguished guests. The Federal Secretary of Petroleum Division, Capt (R) Muhammad Mahmood, was the chief guest on the occasion.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Ahmed Hayat Lak, MD/CEO, OGDCL, highlighted the importance of the program in the country’s health sector and emphasized that the initiative would help improve people’s access to health services. He further added that as a responsible corporate citizen, OGDCL has not only launched several initiatives in health sector but also in education, water supply, sports, and infrastructure development. Zia Salahuddin, Executive Director (Services), OGDCL, provided a comprehensive introduction to the program, outlining the salient features of the ambulances and the modalities for their distribution.

Speaking on the occasion, the Federal Secretary of Petroleum Division Capt (R) Muhammad Mahmood emphasized the importance of the CSR program. He commended OGDCL for taking such an initiative to ensure health facilities for masses across the country. Secretary Petroleum gave valuable suggestions for augmenting the CSR initiatives and improving the outreach. Secretary Petroleum stressed the need for focusing on capacity building of the youth.

OGDCL is striving hard to improve the livelihood of the communities through CSR initiatives in various sectors. Being the largest contributor towards CSR in the country’s corporate sector, OGDCL also distributed 15 basic life support ambulances in its operational districts at the cost of Rs. 95.40 million in the year 2019-20.

NdcTech Modernizes the Core Banking Platform for Samba Bank to Hyper Scale Operations and Drive Business Agility.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

NdcTech, a premium technology services firm transforming banks and financial institutions globally has successfully modernized the core banking system of Samba Bank onto the latest release of Temenos Transact.

Samba Bank Limited is a subsidiary of Saudi National Bank (SNB) KSA in Pakistan, offering personal and corporate banking services, including current and savings accounts, loans investments and a host of digital services. The bank serves a sizable customer base and has a branch network across 14 major cities in Pakistan.

Over the years, Samba Bank has fostered a long-term partnership with NdcTech and Temenos to fulfill their vision of hyper-scaling the bank’s presence through digitization rather than traditional channels. The bank needed to upgrade to a modern, flexible, and scalable core banking system that could support its business growth objectives.

Moving onto the latest release of Temenos Transact is a steppingstone for the bank to harmonize its IT infrastructure and speed up digitization. The flexible, modular, and scalable platform by Temenos is API driven making it capable to fulfil the complex needs of banks and financial institutions.

NdcTech’ unique implementation methodology incorporating innovative tools and techniques accelerated this transformation for the bank. The team successfully upgraded all modules for Samba bank including Core, Retail, Lending, Deposits, FCM, and Trade finance to the latest release of Temenos Transact. NdcTech combined the use of the latest version of Pakistan Model Bank to meet the local regulatory requirements, update tax changes, and modernize trade processes for the bank. NdcTech also incorporated Image-Based Cheque clearing system and low balance alert system for the bank to reap benefits of the modern functionalities for seamless banking operations.

Samba Bank is now on the path to realize the benefits of the dynamic and efficient platform to achieve long term growth. The bank has gained greater product agility, improved time-to-value and accelerated speed of innovation to make business decisions rapidly. The new system enables faster transaction processing times, automates several manual processes and reduces operational costs, resulting in improved efficiency and productivity. It also allows the bank to develop and market new products easily and rapidly. This flexibility enables the bank to respond quickly to the changing market dynamics and enhance competitiveness in the banking industry. 

On this occasion, Ahmad Tariq Azam, President & CEO (Acting), Samba Bank Limited said:

“We are pleased to announce that Samba Bank has successfully modernized its Core Banking Platform onto the latest release of Temenos Transact with NdcTech as the strategic partner. Working closely with NdcTech and Temenos over the years has enabled us to drive digital change and future proof the ongoing growth of Samba Bank. Samba Bank is now at the forefront of capability to deliver innovative and state of the art financial services to its customers and envisions to constantly innovate its processes and offerings to keep pace with the evolving digitization of banking industry.”

Ammara Masood, CEO, NdcTech said:

“I would like to congratulate the Samba management and teams for their collaboration with us to modernize Core Banking and Financial Crime platform. NdcTech has been a trusted partner of Samba for almost a decade, and we take pride in consistently delivering value that has helped the bank achieve its digital vision and drive business growth. NdcTech has an established track record of successful upgrades delivered using our methodology, automated tools, and accelerators like Country Model Bank. We use implementation capabilities for building a future-ready bank, making us the ideal partner for banks and FIs like Samba Financial.”

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

10Pearls, a digital product innovation and software engineering leader, has acquired Inspirant Group, a boutique healthcare strategy consulting firm based in Chicago, IL. The acquisition positions 10Pearls to further expand its presence in the healthcare industry and provide a comprehensive range of services.

Inspirant Group specializes in bridging the gap between Business and IT with proven industry expertise in delivering scalable, business-driven technology and process solutions for large and regional healthcare insurance providers, including Medicare Advantage plans. Some of the notable business transformation solutions include Care Management, Utilization Management, Clinical Decision Support, and Claims Management. Additionally, Inspirant Group has provided expertise in solving data and interoperability challenges for their clients as well as innovative Learning and Development solutions to better enable client workforces.

Co-founders Meighan Newhouse, Amir Azarbad, and Chris Van Avermaete will join the 10Pearls healthcare division with their team of experienced consultants.

This acquisition brings two companies with complementary expertise in healthcare technology development and business consulting services offered to payors, providers, and leading health tech brands. Together, the teams can deliver end-to-end digital transformation services from new product development to business automation and optimization at scale.

“We are delighted to welcome Inspirant Group to our team at 10Pearls, as we expand our expertise in healthcare to contribute to improving the quality and accessibility of healthcare for all,” said Imran Aftab, CEO of 10Pearls. “The combination of our two teams will allow us to partner with our healthcare clients – payors, providers, and health tech – together to deliver innovations, process improvements, and automation.”

According to Amir Azarbad, President of Inspirant Group, “Joining forces with 10Pearls allows Inspirant Group to leverage the global technology development and engineering scale of 10Pearls to provide a full suite of product development and health tech services to payors. This allows us to expand the technology delivery aspect of our business transformation, process optimization, and automation capabilities to support our client’s mission-critical needs. Most importantly, this a great cultural fit as both of our firms believe in the double bottom-line mission.” 

 

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

Zong 4G, Pakistan’s leading connectivity provider, made a significant stride towards accelerating Digital Transformation with its Annual Business Conference 2023. The event marked the official resumption of offices after the pandemic and demonstrated Zong 4G’s unwavering commitment to leading the way in Digital Innovation and Transformation in Pakistan.

The conference, themed “Accelerating into the Future with Digital Transformation,” celebrated Zong 4G’s remarkable achievements in 2022 and presented its strategic direction for the year 2023. The Chairman & CEO of Zong 4G, Mr. Wang Hua, applauded the employees for their exceptional efforts that resulted in the company’s positive growth, creating over 46 million satisfied and happy customers.

Mr. Wang Hua reiterated that Zong 4G’s success in the industry is due to its employees’ contributions and resilience, taking the company to greater heights of success. Despite the challenging times, Zong’s commitment to putting its employees at the center of its operations was further bolstered by providing them with additional financial endeavors.

Furthermore, he emphasized that in 2023, the company must continue the momentum of Digital and Intelligent transformation to attain the vision of a Digital Pakistan. He also highlighted Zong 4G’s critical role in providing high quality networkservices and contributing to Pakistan’s economy. Moreover, while sharing Zong’s sustainability contributions, he stressed that the company remains committed to reducing the digital divide and improving the livelihood of people in Pakistan.

“We are proud to lead the way in Digital Transformation in Pakistan and remain committed to our vision of providing the best Network and Services to our customers,” said Mr. Wang Hua, Chairman & CEO of CMPak. “In 2023, our focus remains on advancing and delivering state-of-the-art technologies that enhance the lives of individuals and businesses throughout Pakistan. We aim to strengthen our collaborations with local businesses and communities, while expanding our range of products to effectively cater to the needs of enterprises and SMEs. Our aim is to assist them in achieving their goals of enhancing operational efficiencies and fueling growth.”

He concluded, “We look forward to playing a pivotal role to bridge the social divide and ensure that through our social endeavors, we create an inclusive Digital Pakistan.”

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir)

Bank Alfalah, one of the leading commercial banks in Pakistan, has announced Instant Credit Card (ICC). Instant Credit Cards offer a completely automated digital application journey that allows both liability and existing credit card customers to apply for a credit card, complete the screening and credit bureau checks, and receive approval in less than five (5) minutes. Once approved, customers can activate their credit card and start spending right away.

The ICC is an end-to-end digital experience that eliminates the need for physical visits to bank branches or any physical documentation. Customers can start the process by entering their details and selecting the card type and credit limit of their choice. The screening team and credit bureau checks are completed automatically, and customers receive approval within minutes. The ICC is available to all Bank Alfalah customers, making it easier than ever to apply for a credit card.

“We are excited to introduce the Instant Credit Card to our customers,” said Muhammad Yahya Khan, Group Head Digital Banking Group at Bank Alfalah. “This new service is a testament to our commitment to providing faster and more convenient banking experiences to our customers, while creating a digitally inclusive world. This is an easy and hassle-free process for our customers to apply for a credit card, and we are confident that it will be a game-changer in the banking industry.”

Upon approval, customers can activate their credit card through Alfa and start spending immediately. The physical credit card will be delivered to their doorstep without the need for a physical branch visit.

For more information on Bank Alfalah’s Instant Credit Card, please visit their website or contact our customer service center

 

Tamasha launches its first original series, ‘Family Bizniss’, featuring the struggles of a middle-class Pakistani family.

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan’s largest homegrown OTT platform, Tamasha, has launched its first-ever original series, “Family Bizniss”, in collaboration with Big Bang Entertainment. The launch event was recently held at the Jazz Digital Headquarters attended by Kaan Terzioglu, CEO of VEON Group; Aamir Ibrahim, CEO, Jazz; Aamer Ejaz, Chief Digital Officer, Jazz; and leading actor and producer of the series, Fahad Mustafa.

The series dives into the struggles of a middle-class family while also exploring the relationship between coming-of-age children and their parents. Staying true to its values, Tamasha has also attempted to educate the audience about entrepreneurship and digital inclusion in a comical way as the characters are shown hustling to establish an online business in an attempt to help their retiring father and also to escape their socio-economic class.

Family Bizniss will star one of the country’s most renowned artists, Asim Azhar, which will be his acting debut for OTT alongside Mah-e-nur Haider, Saife Hasan, Salma Hasan, Bushra Habib, and Hussain Moshin. However, what truly sets this show apart is its comedic approach towards otherwise serious themes, such as socio-economic class differences and generation gaps, and this is something that appeals to youngsters as well as mature audiences.

“The global streaming platforms focus on larger market segments which is why they don’t take Pakistan’s multiethnic and multilingual demographic into account.” said Aamer Ejaz, Chief Digital Officer of Jazz. “Cultivating a culture of pocket-friendly, local content that promotes digital inclusion, as shown in Family Bizniss, is what Tamasha plans on achieving. We aim on providing our local audience with endless entertainment options and Tamasha producing its show is the beginning of this exciting journey.”

Speaking about the web series, Fahad Mustafa, CEO of Big Bang Entertainment, said, “We as creators and viewers usually have a preconceived notion that a show can only be engaging if it presents the negative aspects of our society and that is the kind of stereotype ‘Family Bizniss’ is here to break”.

In a nutshell, Family Bizniss is an eye-opening show that discusses issues embedded in Pakistani society. However, in contrast to the usual pessimistic approach to discussing these problems, Tamasha believes that it is more impactful to do so in a light-hearted and informative manner. The show is now available for streaming on the Tamasha app which can be accessed via Google Play, the Apple App store, or its website.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir)

Engro Foundation, the social investment arm of Engro Corporation, has announced National Disability & Development Forum (NDF) and ConnectHear as the two recipients of I Am The Change (IATC) Impact Awards 2022.

Initiated in 2012, IATC is the flagship initiative of Engro Foundation to recognize and reward philanthropic and social enterprises that are creating an impact in the development sector. The IATC Impact Awards 2022 attracted more than 100 entries in the categories of Social Development and Social Enterprise. The entries were adjudicated by the IATC team at Engro Foundation, along with an independent jury comprising Laila Jamil (Director, British Council), Madiha Rehman (Co-Founder & CEO, Phygital), Muhammad Waqas (Co-Founder & CEO, WonderTree), Zehra Mehdi Aneek (Director ESG and Sustainability, K-Electric) and Fauzia Viqar (Chair, SPDC).

Following an extensive review of the applications, National Disability & Development Forum (Social Development) and ConnectHear (Social Enterprise) were selected as the award recipients. Each of these recipients will be given a cash prize of PKR 2.5 million in recognition of their efforts and support to scale up their initiatives.

Since 2014, National Disability & Development Forum (NDF) has been striving to empower people with disabilities through awareness and skill development, while also focusing on disability rights, health, environment, poverty reduction and gender mainstreaming in underprivileged communities. To date, NDF has screened out more than 1000 children with disabilities and retained 200 children for rehabilitation services that will improve their overall quality of life.

ConnectHear is a social enterprise focusing on the next generation of assistive technology for deaf and hard of hearing communities around the world. Launched in 2017, ConnectHear has provided over 1 million minutes of in-person and virtual sign language interpretation to positively impact over 100,000 lives across Pakistan. It has also taught sign language to more than 5000 individuals to improve sign language literacy and partnered with over 80 organizations to make their services and employment opportunities accessible for persons with disabilities.

Karachi Down Syndrome Program and Disabled Welfare Association were recognized as the runners-up in Social Development category, while Science Fuse emerged as the runner-up in Social Enterprise space.

According to Ghias Khan – President & CEO of Engro Corporation and Chairman Board of Trustees of Engro Foundation, “I am delighted by the response to the I Am The Change Impact Awards 2022. Each of us has a responsibility towards Pakistan, and it is heartening to learn about the fantastic work being carried out by various organizations on education, gender and disability rights. IATC will continue to expand its reach and recognise change-makers for good in Pakistan.”

Favad Soomro, Head of Engro Foundation, added that, “Our mission is to empower social organizations to make a large and sustainable impact. We are hopeful that our humble support and the IATC Awards 2022 experience will help these organizations to scale up their impact and improve live across Pakistan.”

Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir)

Channeling the true spirit of Ramzan, easypaisa, Pakistan’s leading payments & savings, lending and platform service, is enabling its customers to donate with ease and convenience to more than 30 charitable organizations across Pakistan.

During the holy month of Ramzan, easypaisa, the leading payments, savings, lending, and platform service in Pakistan, is embracing the true spirit of the occasion by providing its customers with an effortless and convenient way to donate to over 30 charitable organizations throughout the country.

These charities include, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, Edhi Foundation, Saylani Trust, The Citizen’s Foundation, Red Crescent, Care Foundation, Al-Khidmat Foundation, Akhuwat Foundation and various other organizations serving different segments across the country.

To donate to any charitable organizations all users have to do is to log on to their easypaisa app, select donations option from the payment’s menu, and donate to the charity of their choice. From education, healthcare to poverty alleviation, customers can support many noble causes.

Donating through the easypaisa app is secure and reliable, and users can donate from anywhere, at any time, without having to physically visit a bank or donation center. The donations feature also offers transparency and accountability, allowing users to track their donations and see exactly where their money is going.

Ramzan is the month of giving and compassion, where kindness and generosity are celebrated, and communities come together to support one another. So play your part and join the movement of generosity with easypaisa’s seamless donation experience. Charitable organizations, funds, or donor agencies wishing to integrate with easypaisa and access Pakistan’s largest digital payments platform to collect donations or send disbursements can send their requests to partnerships@telenorbank.pk.