Category: Education

Pakistan Education Council (PEC) Refutes Education Minister’s Claim that Punjab Schools Offered Voluntary Fee Cut

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) With reference to the article printed in DAWN on 11 April, entitled “School agree to 20 per cent fee cut” which is was based on a press release by the Ministry of Education, Punjab, we wish to state:

• That we are aware of the human and economic impact of COVID-19 and had offered alternate options to the Punjab government, but did NOT “voluntarily agree to lower fees by 20%” because of the impact it would undoubtedly have on our staff salaries.
• The said reduction was done under duress since the Minister of Education ordered it (without any legal framework) and repeatedly told parents on TV and social media to not pay regular school fees.
• Since parents stopped paying regular school fees, private schools had no choice but to give in to this illegal demand. The only alternative would have been to release all staff, as schools cannot survive if parents stop paying fees altogether.
• Private schools had presented a comprehensive COVID-19 Relief Package to the government, which would have provided far greater relief to parents truly impacted by the present economic downturn, but this was rejected in favour of the illegal 20% reductionُ
• The package outlined a comprehensive strategy to establish internal COVID-19 Financial Assistance Funds for parents whose livelihood was directly impacted by the economic fallout of COVID-19 (further details on page 2).

Moreover,

• It is not possible for any enterprise to survive with an overall revenue reduction of 20%
• Private school tuition fees are calculated on the basis of average expenses over 12 months including periods when schools are shut. Furthermore, even when schools are shut, 95% of overheads are fixed, such as salaries, rents, taxes, etc. This cut will make it impossible for private schools to bear their expenses.
• Most importantly, schools will struggle to pay the hard-working school staff during this crisis as fee collections are already low due to the lockdown.
• An arbitrary reduction of 20% across the board for two months will make it financially impossible for schools to help those parents who are truly in need (because they may not be able to pay the balance 80% in any case).

Pakistan Education Council (PEC) represents some of the leading schools in Pakistan. PEC was established in 2015 under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance (1984) to encourage, foster, promote, and assist education in Pakistan and to strive for improving access to quality education, setting benchmarks and practices for teaching & learning and advancing literacy levels in the country. PEC member schools also work with government bodies across the country to manage low-cost private schools and government schools and train government teachers.

SUMMARY OF THE COVID-19 Relief Package proposed by Private Schools

The private education sector has always recognized its social responsibility and consistently come forward during all national crises in the past. In this spirit, the All Pakistan Private Schools Federation had submitted the following 6-point ‘COVID-19 Relief Package’ to the Law Minister of Punjab, a key member of the Committee set up by the CM Punjab:

1. “Despite cash flow issues caused by low fee collections, private schools undertake not to reduce any staff or salaries in the current academic year. We will ensure to the greatest possible extent that the livelihood of our employees is not endangered and they do not become indirect victims of this pandemic.
2. “Private schools will charge monthly fees for the months of April and May 2020 from ALL parents.
3. “In addition, private schools will offer installments to parents whose livelihood is directly impacted by the economic fallout of COVID-19.  Affected parents should engage with school management to determine mutually acceptable payment plans for the remainder of the current academic year.
4. “In addition, private schools will ensure that there is no adverse impact on the education of a child whose parent is tested positive for COVID-19. We will ensure the continuity of education for the child during this difficult period.
5. “Finally, and in addition to their routine financial aid, private schools will establish internal COVID-19 Financial Assistance Funds with the objective of providing financial aid to parents who can establish that their income has been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds will enable private schools to offer significant support to parents who are truly in need (which would in all likelihood exceed a 20% reduction over two months).
6. “Private school owners undertake that they will contribute generously towards the government’s efforts to help combat the spread of COVID-19. This may include cash contributions to the PM and/or Punjab Government’s COVID-19 Relief Funds and/or other contributions in cash and kind.  We believe this is our social and moral responsibility irrespective of any effort to reconcile with the government.”

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Businesses all across Pakistan are going through a challenging time due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. To facilitate the Pakistani business community during this hour of need and to ensure business continuity, Telenor Business has launched ‘Business Continuity Packages’ (BCP). The BCP initiative is designed to offer value to both existing and new customers.

Under the initiative, Telenor Business has launched a free of cost offer “Hum Aik Hain”. This offer is designed to support the existing corporate customers to cope with the surge in connectivity needs due to work from home arrangements without incurring any additional cost. “Hum Aik Hain” offer has 500 MBs data, 200 on-net minutes, 200 all network SMS (local) and 20 off-net minutes, all free of cost. This offer has been activated on all eligible corporate numbers and is valid until 30 April 2020.

For new business customers, who are looking for connectivity to sustain their businesses during this crisis, the Business Continuity Packages offers Postpaid Value Plans with flexible & fast on-boarding process and no long term contractual commitments. These plans start from as low as Rs. 600/- and offer value for money.  Moreover, new customers can also avail the 7 day Internet Device Return Policy, where customer can return the internet device within 7 calendar days.

“Telenor Pakistan realizes its role as an enabler in these trying times.  We feel the responsibility to accelerate our efforts and support to keep the economic cycle running” said Haroon Bhatti, Chief Business Officer Telenor Pakistan. “This added value to our corporate clients is an effort to go above and beyond to ensure their enhanced business needs are met.”

With masses practicing social distancing to curtail the pandemic, businesses and corporate entities have switched to working from home. Telenor Pakistan is focused on providing these businesses with the means to facilitate their operations. You may find out more about Telenor Pakistan’s business Continuity packages and place your order by following this link: bit.ly/3aNljOE.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) The Economics Department at the IBA Karachi launched the 3^rd and final Volume of an e-book titled, Short Notes on the Economy During the COVID-19 Crisis. This volume contains 12 multi-disciplinary research articles focusing on COVID-19, and addresses the issues, effects and commentary on policy response of COVID-19.

The Editor of the e-book and Chairperson, Department of Economics, Dr. Asma Hyder sharing her experience of the book said, “During this critical time, the foremost responsibility of academia is to provide their feedback on policy response and help the government and relevant departments to design the best possible strategy. Many academic institutions are providing their feedback. However, our approach is based on empirical investigation, historical evidence, data exploitation and detailed scientific analysis.”

She further added, “This e-book is also a testimony of IBA’s vibrant faculty and PhD students of the Economics department. I am pleased to say that IBA, as a leading academic institution of the country, has provided a platform to many scholars in other leading institutions in Pakistan (LUMS, NUST, PIDE, HEC), and abroad (King’s University College, University of Western Ontario, Canada and American University, Washington DC) to participate in this important dialogue.”

This e-book has 3 volumes which can be accessed on the following links:

Vol. 1: https://businessreview.iba.edu.pk/covid19/vol1.php

Vol. 2: https://businessreview.iba.edu.pk/covid19/vol2.php#vol2

Vol. 3: https://businessreview.iba.edu.pk/covid19/

 

 

 

 

 

Accountancy experts say economic confidence in Q1 has capitulated as the Pakistani economy struggles to get to grips with the fallout from the Coronavirus.

A national survey of senior accountancy practitioners, who reflect the outlook of a large number of businesses they advise, found that confidence has fallen by more than 5% to -28, a record low for Q1 registered in the 11-year history of the research.

The report Global Economic Conditions Survey (GECS), jointly published by ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and IMA^® (Institute of Management Accountants) reveals:

• Global confidence fell to its lowest level on record with big falls in all regions
• The global orders index, which tends to be less volatile than confidence, also fell sharply
• Pakistan employment and investment tumble to record lows
• Pakistan set to suffer a sharp economic contraction in coming months

Michael Taylor, chief economist at ACCA, revealed there was relatively little divergence in confidence between regions owing to the global nature of the coronavirus economic shock.  

He said: ‘Pakistan economic sentiment is in line with the rest of the world. Confidence fell everywhere and, in most cases, sharply and to the lowest since the survey began in 2009.‘South Asia, Pakistan in particular, did not show a collapse in confidence in early March. Pakistan was suffering from weak growth prior to the pandemic and will quickly fall into economic contraction.

‘While this survey looks at the economic impact, it is important to remember there is a human cost both now and in the long-term on wellbeing, skills and the risk of redundancy.’

Looking ahead, Michael Taylor concludes: ‘The economic damage in coming months will be huge. But if appropriate policy action is taken, then conditions for recovery will be in place when the COVID-19 health crisis is substantially over.’

GECS Q1 2020 can be found online at: https://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/professional-insights/global-economics/GECS_Q1_2020.html

 

 

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) The Citizens Foundation (TCF) has launched a Rs. 500 Million COVID-19 Response Appeal to battle the devastating impact of the Coronavirus crisis in Pakistan. The organization will be dedicating 20% of all Zakat, Sadqah and donations received during this crisis towards providing essential relief to impacted communities and support to frontline healthcare professionals and volunteers, who need help urgently.

With the contribution to the TCF Covid-19 Response Appeal the organization will provide: 

• Relief to families facing extreme economic hardship. With thousands of TCF teachers and alumni guiding this effort in the most vulnerable communities, support will reach those who need it the most.
• Support frontline healthcare professionals and volunteers with the equipment, testing kits and protective gear they urgently need. 
• Ensure continuity of the learning process for millions of children who are currently forced to stay away from school.

Mr. Syed Asaad Ayub, President and CEO of The Citizens Foundation commented on the effort saying, “This COVID-19 impact is felt most acutely in the communities we call home, and as in the past, we are committed to being there when they need us the most. We resolve to do this with the belief that our supporters and volunteers who have built this movement over the last 25 years will continue to sustain it through this crisis. We will get through this together!”

Through its educational programmes, The Citizens Foundation has deep roots in vulnerable communities across Pakistan and is directly connected to the lives of more than 266,000 students and their families; 12,500 teachers and principals; 40,000 alumni; and 120,000 adult literacy learners.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) has recognised Maaz Masood Ansari, Executive Director Financial Advisory, Deloitte, with its Regional Advocate of the Year Award for Middle East and South Asia (MESA) region.

The ACCA member from Pakistan, Maaz, was lauded for his contributions to developing professional accountancy across Pakistan, particularly in supporting Deloitte trainees and employees at department level further develop and become ACCA members themselves.

 

“ACCA’s Advocacy Awards are not about career achievement but about the way that ACCA members give back to their communities, and help ACCA to develop the next generation of professional accountants. ACCA members in Pakistan are a driving force at the forefront of the accounting industry. Maaz has set a great example for all professionals in the country on how they can lead the profession into the future by dedicating their efforts to developing future-ready talent.” – Sajjeed Aslam, head of ACCA Pakistan

Stuart Dunlop, ACCA’s regional director – MESA said: ‘Maaz Masood Ansari is an active ACCA member and advocate that has supported ACCA Pakistan immensely with his personal and professional networks, most notably at Deloitte. The collaboration between Deloitte Pakistan and ACCA Pakistan has generated many opportunities for the recruitment of talent and connecting us with employers and members as well as hosting CPD events, conferences and more. Congratulations Maaz on your great achievements for ACCA.’

Commenting on his contributions, ACCA’s regional head of member affairs, Haroon A. Jan, said,

‘Maaz has been instrumental in collaboration between ACCA and Deloitte on holding the CPEC conference in Pakistan, which was a big success in creating awareness on the economic potential of CPEC for Pakistan. Initiatives like these are an example of working in the public interest, which is core to our membership fabric.’

‘ACCA holds Pakistan Leadership Conversation annually which brings topical global developments to the professionals in the country. Once again Maaz played a key role in the building an exemplary partnership between ACCA and Deloitte, which was pivotal to achieving the objectives of the event. The impact of Maaz’s contributions was recognised by all the judges of ACCA’s Regional Advocacy Awards. The judging panel consisted of senior ACCA members from Middle East, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan,’ he further added.

ACCA launched the regional advocacy awards in 2017 to recognise members who go above and beyond in expressing public support for the accountancy profession, embodying ACCA’s values. These advocates are also members who deliver public value, display ethical professionalism and inspire others to follow in their footsteps.

The full list of ACCA Regional Advocate Award winners for 2019 are:

• ACCA MESA Regional Advocate of the Year 2019: Maaz Masood Ansari from Pakistan
• ACCA Emerging Markets Regional Advocate of the Year 2019: Rajeev Giri from India
• ACCA ASEAN ANZ Regional Advocate of the Year 2019: Mariam Riza from Australia
• ACCA Europe and Americas Regional Advocate of the Year 2019: Eilis Quinlan from Ireland
• ACCA Africa Regional Advocate of the Year 2019: Victoria Abiola Ajayi from Nigeria
• ACCA Greater China Regional Advocate of the Year 2019: Jennifer Tan from Hong Kong SAR.

In addition to their professional excellence and globally in-demand expertise, ACCA members are particularly focused on delivering public value in Pakistan. They are currently involved in numerous free-of-cost, public value projects such as promoting financial literacy among micro entrepreneurs, and helping small businesses with their scalability and sustainability.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Yesterday, Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination (NHSRC) launched a Messenger experience, with support from Facebook and Botisfy.com, to ensure people are kept up to date, and have access to the right information. The automated experience will help people determine if they need to be seen by a doctor for coronavirus, and get the latest updates on the number of cases and regions affected by the coronavirus. It also helps people find labs nearby and provides answers to the most common questions about the coronavirus. 

“In times of crisis, people turn to their friends and family on platforms like Facebook, hence it was important for the #DigitalPakistan team to help the ministry in coming up with a strategy leveraging the Facebook platform. Using Botsify’s world class solution we were able to quickly and easily deploy a multilingual Messenger experience with a robust feature set and we will continue to iterate and improve the experience of the public,” added Tania Aidrus, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Digital Pakistan.

In response to the coronavirus outbreak and as cases continue to grow, Facebook is committed to supporting the global public health community and local ministry’s work to keep people safe and informed. It is focused on three main areas – connecting people to accurate information and helpful resources, limiting misinformation and harmful content around the virus, and supporting global health experts. 

“Facebook’s support on the global coronavirus crisis will be crucial for strengthening public awareness and empowering our citizens with key health tips that will keep communities safe in Pakistan and around the world. The Messenger experience allows our Ministry to scale our support and serve citizens seeking up to date information on the coronavirus, while keeping our helpline open for more critical cases,” added Dr. Zafar Mirza, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health.

Facebook has also introduced a new feature to assist people in receiving accurate information about the coronavirus. Anyone who searches for information related to the virus on Facebook or Instagram will be shown educational pop-ups on top of search results connecting them to expert health organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO) and Pakistan’s NHSRC. 

For more information on the NHSRC Messenger experience, please check out their Facebook Page to find out more or through this link. 

Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions. 

 

 

Kashf Entrepreneurship Awards 2020 honours

exceptional female entrepreneurs and artisans

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Kashf Foundation, with support from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), hosted the Kashf Entrepreneurship Awards 2020, on Thursday March 12, 2020 during a special ceremony held in Lahore. The event was graced by the presence of Chief Guest Justice Nasira Javid Iqbal, a well-known Pakistani jurist and a law professor who also served at the position of Justice at the Lahore High Court from 1994 to 2002. Surely, her achievements inspire many young Pakistani women to aim higher and conquer their goals. Likewise, Kashf Entrepreneurship awards is also an attempt to recognize and honour the efforts and perseverance of exceptional Kashf female entrepreneurs and field staff from all across Pakistan, who serve as an inspiration for others and have contributed to a positive social and economic change while blazing a trail for the new generation of aspiring women entrepreneurs.

 “Women entrepreneurship is a simple concept to explain, but challenging to embody and enrich. Pakistani women are equally skilled and talented as men. This Women’s Day we want to acknowledge the efforts of all our brave women from across Pakistan who have been breaking stereotypes and growing phenomenally as outstanding women entrepreneurs. This event serves to recognize all our heroic female entrepreneurs and artisans and the legacy of success and inspiration they are carving out for others to follow”, commented Roshaneh Zafar, Managing Director at Kashf Foundation.

Ten inspiring women entrepreneurs and business development officers were recognised for their self-belief, resilience and passion. The awards ranged from honouring women based on their innovative achievements, inspiration, and community service to balancing domestic duties alongside their businesses. These women were selected without any discrimination on the basis of caste or religion and solely applauded for their path breaking initiatives, mostly in male dominant communities.

Distinguished guests from all walks of life attended the event. These included partners such as The Coca-Cola Export Corporation (TCCEC), Sindh Education Fund, Population Welfare Department, United Nations Women as well as dignitaries, government officials and high-profile celebrities – to celebrate and laud the success of Kashf entrepreneurs and artisans. The awards were distributed by Roshaneh Zafar, Managing Director at Kashf Foundation in the presence of Chief Guest Justice Nasira Javid Iqbal and top officials from UNDP.

“In 2018 UNDP pledged to empower 8000 youth by improving their capacity to start their own businesses. By 2019, more than 8000 were trained of which more than 4000 started/expanded their business. Our partnership with Kashf is the best practical example of gender equity by creating women entrepreneurs who support their families through improved livelihoods. Today, we salute these women around us who have been strong and resilient in every way of life” said Laura Sheridan, UNDP’s Programme Specialist (Youth Empowerment Program).

Kashf Foundation, with support from all its partners, aims to galvanise a community of influential women entrepreneurs, from the grassroots, to harness their potential with Kashf’s financial and non-financial assistance, so they can be the change for themselves and for many others around them.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) the Institute for Art and Culture (IAC) inaugurated the newly established, School of Post Graduate Studies and Continuing Education. The Director General of the Walled City Lahore Authority, Mr. Kamran Lashari was the Chief guest for the event, where he inaugurated an exhibition which showcases IAC’s research initiatives in safeguarding and for the promotion of Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Mr. Kamran Lashari, while speaking to the audience said that this was a very special moment as it is the first time that a private academic institution had partnered with a government department to offer a program to create trained professionals in the field of heritage conservation management. He said that in his many years of service and experience with cultural heritage, he had found a gap as trained conservationists have not been available to conserve the built heritage of Pakistan. He lamented on the fact that the fields of landscaping, conservation and tourism are not well developed in Pakistan and this needs to change. He said that through this program, the future of our culture, heritage and society will be secured. He appreciated the WCLA’s partnerships, of which the one with Aga Khan Trust for Culture has been most monumental.He said that WCLA was excited at this new partnership with IAC  and hoped it would fulfill its mission.
Speaking to the audience, the coordinator for the newly established School, Mr. Omar Farooq, said that the school has been established with a particular focus on conservation of built heritage,intangible cultural heritage, landscape architecture and emerging technologies like game design, animation and multimedia.The academic programs that are to be offered in this school are designed to create a forum for human resource development to safeguard intangible heritage, conserve tangible heritage and for their promotion through creative industries and tourism. Furthermore, the programs also focus on creating awareness and sensitivity towards indigenous cultures and heritage assets.
Prof. Sajida Vandal also appreciated Mr. Kamran Lashari’s extensive work in cultural heritage and for his role in improving resilience of cities. She also said that the WCLA has done some tremendously good work in conservation and restoration and the work is being carried out in a systematic manner.
The exhibition was then inaugurated which showcased the research initiatives taken by IAC that are focused on improving the educational role of Museums, empowering marginalized indigenous communities through safeguarding their Intangible Cultural Heritage, mobilizing youth to own their cultural heritage and developing Integrated Site Management Plans for sustainable tourism of Sikh Gurdwaras of Punjab. Through its research activities, IAC has empowered communities to take ownership of their cultural heritage, to improve their resilience through drawing lessons from traditional knowledge, and helping them document their heritage to pass it on to their future generations.