News Update Times

MMBL collaborates with IWCCI to promote access to Digital Financial Solutions for Women Micro-entrepreneurs

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan’s largest digital bank, Mobilink Microfinance Bank Limited (MMBL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IWCCI) to promote and strengthen access to Digital Financial Solutions (DFS) for women borrowers and micro-entrepreneurs.

Promotion of financial inclusion is one of the core pillars at MMBL whereby the Bank is committed to facilitating its women borrowers by paving the path to easy, seamless, and affordable DFS offerings. With custom-designed female-centric products, MMBL is continuously striving to fulfill the financing needs of women by eliminating barriers that restrict their access to financial services. Through this MoU, access to financial credit for women entrepreneurs will be further simplified.

MMBL’s collaboration with IWCCI is another step forward in endorsing multiple initiatives to establish a supportive environment for women borrowers and micro-entrepreneurs allowing them to not only build their businesses but also enhance outreach. Through tailored entrepreneurial capacity-building workshops and training programs, IWCCI will not only provide marketing opportunities for micro-entrepreneurs but also support strengthening their financial position. This alliance is dedicated to creating better opportunities for women’s financial inclusion by generating awareness about DFS including mobile wallets.

Commenting on the occasion, President & CEO- MMBL, Ghazanfar Azzam said: “It is a challenge for Pakistan to achieve complete financial inclusion and attain sustainable growth unless access to financial resources to the 49% of the population that comprises women, is ensured. MMBL, through its Women Inspirational Network (WIN) program, has made conscious efforts to include women borrowers and micro-entrepreneurs in the financial net. Since the program’s inception, we have upskilled more than 500 women in urban and rural startups in financial management, and our drive to foster financial literacy spurs ever on. Through this collaboration with IWCCI, we will continue enabling women to further understand Pakistan’s digital financial ecosystem while opening more avenues for them to gain formal access to financial capital.”

President IWCCI, Naima Ansari said: “At IWCCI, we are focused on helping businesses achieve ambitions. Now it is imperative for women-owned businesses to take advantage of financial offerings for business scalability and expansion. We look forward to working with MMBL to design financial products customized to the needs of women business owners, that will pave the way for their financial inclusion and growth.”

MMBL acknowledges the need to uplift Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that contribute approximately 40% to the country’s GDP. MMBL and IWCCI emphasize that upskilling women in DFS and mobile wallets is vital to building and fostering a digital economy. MMBL, with its strategic partnerships, is dedicated to fostering financial inclusion through its diverse portfolio and skills development workshops in numerous capacities including but not limited to financial management, personal entrepreneurial competencies, and business planning.

iF DESIGN AWARD 2022; TECNO Phantom X and CAMON 19 Pro Win awards for outstanding product design

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) The world-renowned iF Design Award recently announced its winners for 2022 where TECNO won in the Product and the Telecommunication categories for the outstanding product design of its Phantom X and CAMON 19 Pro. This marks TECNO’s debut award in the international design competition, reaffirming the brand’s commitment to technological innovation and continual breakthroughs.

Known as the “Oscar of product design”, the most influential industrial design award in the world – iF DESIGN AWARD is famous for its “independent, rigorous, and reliable” screening standards. Winning such an impactful and prestigious award means a lot for any brand.

With 11,000 entries from 57 countries submitted at iF DESIGN AWARD, TECNO Phantom X and CAMON 19 Pro outperformed other entries, winning over the 132-member jury of independent design experts worldwide, the largest jury ever assembled. This marks a huge milestone for TECNO and endorses the efforts put in to make each phone stand out in the market.

Phantom X is TECNO’s flagship imaging series which uses state-of-the-art technology and design. With a 6.7-inch 70° curved-edged display screen with a patterned glass back, the exquisite craftsmanship allows PHANTOM X to present a unique texture and elegant taste in the interlaced light and shadow.

Whereas, CAMON 19 Pro is TECNO’s high-performance, high-value smartphone designed for young fashionistas. The phone will be launched in the second quarter of 2022 in Pakistan and globally. This series adopts an ultra-narrow frame design and an ingenious dual-ring triple-camera layout. The phone was praised by the jury of the iF DESIGN AWARD saying its borderless design and the powerful camera design gives it an aesthetic look like no other.

Stephan Ha, TECNO General Manager shared his views on this achievement,

“We are extremely honored to be awarded this prestigious international award for our Phantom X and CAMON 19 Pro. Our dream has always been to revolutionize the landscape of smartphone photography for our users around the world, closing the gap between the professional camera and smartphone photography, while constantly pushing the evolution of design language to bring users up-to-date exterior ID design. In the future, we will remain committed to driving further changes in mobile imaging and the design language evolution.”

Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir)  Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), the country’s leading telecom and ICT services provider, has announced its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, at its Board of Directors’ meeting held in Islamabad on April 13, 2022.  

During the first quarter of 2022, PTCL Group successfully managed to keep the topline growth momentum, which has further strengthened its market standing as an integrated telecom services provider in Pakistan. Growth in revenue is mainly driven by strong performance in the consumer segment led by Fixed Broadband, Mobile Data, Business Solutions, and Microfinance services that supported the Group in achieving 3.2% growth in revenues over the comparative period despite the challenges of increase in Advance Income Tax (AIT) and reduction in Mobile Termination Rates (MTR).

PTCL Group Highlights

• PTCL Group’s revenue of Rs 35.1 billion in Q1, 2022 is 3.2% higher as compared to the same period of last year.
• The Group’s profitability remained under pressure due to significant hike in power tariffs, devaluation of the Pak Rupee against USD, higher interest rates, and other factors like upfront costs associated with the acquisition of 4G spectrum and related network rollout. The Group has posted a net loss of Rs 1.6 billion.
• PTCL continued its growth by posting 3.5% YoY revenue growth in Q1, 2022.
• PTML’s (Ufone) revenue grew by 1% YoY as compared to Q1, 2021.
• U Bank continued its growth momentum and has achieved a 13% growth in its quarterly revenue over the same period of last year.

PTCL Highlights

• PTCL’s revenue of Rs 19.6 billion for the quarter is 3.5% higher than Q1 2021, mainly driven by growth in Broadband and Corporate revenue segments.
• The company has posted an operating profit of Rs 1 billion for the quarter. Operating profit for the period remained under pressure compared to last year mainly due to increase in operating costs on account of significant hike in power tariffs.
• Net Profit of Rs 1.9 billion for the quarter is 10% higher as compared to the same period of last year. Increase in non-operating income, due to translation gain on the Company’s forex denominated assets, dividend income from a subsidiary and gain on disposal of obsolete assets due to upgrade and fiberization of network, has helped turn the 39% decrease at operating profit level to a 10% increase at the net profit level.

During the past quarters, PTCL mainly focused on enhancing customer experience by providing the fastest and most reliable internet services under its flagship ‘Flash Fiber’ Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) brand. Through an aggressive and robust commercial strategy, PTCL managed to expand its FTTH services in 27 cities with capacity enhancement for 125,000 new lines during the past year. The rapid rollout of FTTH and strong performance in corporate segment ensured PTCL’s topline growth.

PTCL Consumer Business: Steady Performance

During 2022, the company’s Fixed Broadband business grew by 10.4% YoY, whereas IPTV segment also showed a 9.3% growth YoY. Within the Broadband business, Flash Fiber, the company’s premium FTTH service, showed significant growth of 86.6%. The Company achieved the highest ever Fixed Broadband sales in Q1, 2022 since 2015. Voice revenue stream has seen a decline due to lower voice traffic and continued conversion of customers to OTT services.

 PTCL Business Services:

Business services segment continued its momentum and sustained its market leadership in IP Bandwidth, Cloud, Data Center, and other ICT services segments. PTCL’s Corporate business grew by 14.0% as compared to last year. Within the Wholesale business segment, carrier revenue grew by 6.6% but the overall Wholesale segment revenue has declined as a result of closure of certain international IP leased circuits. International revenue, helped by the favorable impact of currency devaluation, has increased by 13.7% over last year.

PTCL Business Solutions wing strives to provide innovative enterprise solutions to accelerate growth through a robust telecommunication infrastructure and a diverse portfolio of services with enhanced customer experience.

PTML – Ufone Highlights:

• Ufone posted a YoY growth of 1% in topline in Q1 2022 despite challenges of increase in Advance Income Tax (AIT) and reduction in Mobile Termination Rates (MTR). Excluding the impact of these factors, the normalized growth is 5.3% as compared to the same period of last year.
• Significant network modernization activity and rollout of new sites has been carried out in Q1 2022.
• UPower, a flagship customer-centric product, was launched during the first quarter and has registered tremendous response from the customers.

With the acquisition of 4G spectrum, Ufone’s performance in data segment has improved considerably, achieving the highest number of total data subscribers in the industry during the first two months of 2022 and continues to increase its share of new 4G subscriber acquisitions in the industry. With better data speeds, Ufone has been able to improve customer experience for its users across the country. The recent ‘Mobile Networks Benchmark Report for 2022’ by PTA also declared Ufone as Pakistan’s best quality Voice and Data Network. Attracting significant attention of mobile users across Pakistan, the launch of UPower has resulted in substantial subscriptions to the product. UPower gives its users the freedom to choose from various voice and data bundles tailored to their needs.

U Bank Highlights:

U Bank, the microfinance and branchless banking subsidiary of PTCL, continued its growth trajectory and has achieved 13% growth in its revenue. The bank grew its funding book to Rs 90 billion by leveraging its deposit and corporate finance arms, which is in line with the bank’s ambition to maintain its superior liquidity position. Major strategic initiatives undertaken by the bank include venturing into the low-cost housing loans, Islamic Banking space, and international remittance. The bank plans to invest in technology to make the most of the opportunities available on the digital banking front.

Corporate Social Responsibility:

As part of an effort to build a greener Pakistan, PTCL Group, in collaboration with CDA, arranged a tree plantation drive by engaging its employee volunteer force – PTCL Razakaar. In addition to the benefits associated with the environment, this drive provided an opportunity for PTCL employees to contribute towards the fight against climate change. The same drive was carried out nationwide across North, South and Central Zones, where employees from various cities also planted trees to help support the initiative.

 

 

 

 

Lahore (Nut Desk)  Descon Engineering Ltd., (DEL) the leading enterprise in Pakistan’s large-scale engineering sector, has recently received an award for Best Supplier during the SABIC Annual Supplier Recognition Awards in Saudi Arabia. Descon is one of the few successful companies that have been recognized for their outstanding performance in 2020-2021, against a competition of more than a hundred suppliers associated with SABIC from various sectors globally. Within the Engineering Category, DEL is one of the top 07 suppliers in the Engineering category of SABIC to have received this prestigious award.

During the annual ceremony, Descon was recognized for its outstanding performance and quality in Design Engineering Services. This is the 3^rd year for Descon Engineering Ltd. of providing services to SABIC, one of the world’s largest producers of petro-chemicals, based in Saudi Arabia. The Honorable Leader of SABIC’s Department of Global Suppliers, Materials Management & Logistics Services, Abdul Rahman A. Al-Hussain, personally graced the occasion to present the awards. 

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Executive Officer at Descon Engineering Ltd., Taimur Saeed stated, “Descon has always aimed to create excellence in its services, be it in engineering, construction, large infrastructure projects, industrial services or manufacturing. I would like to express my gratitude towards the honorable leadership at SABIC for this recognition for the hardworking team at DEL and look forward to continuing our relationship with SABIC in future.”

The Head of Design Engineering & Services Technology (DEST) at Descon, Kashif Malik commented, “It is a great honor for us to have worked with SABIC and receive recognition for our valuable services. Descon has extensive experience with multi-national projects and our entire team is strongly committed to go beyond our client’s expectations in quality and excellence. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to SABIC for their recognition, as it solidifies our commitment to continue delivering world-class engineering and design services”.

In line with SABIC’s strategy to engage and collaborate, it has honored its suppliers from different sectors for outstanding performance during 2020-2021, with special focus on the services delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic and their role in promoting local content in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.

DEST is a multi-discipline business unit having core competencies in the design and engineering services stretching from Basic & Conceptual design, Front End Engineering Services (FEED) and Detailed Engineering. Since its inception, DEST has delivered complex projects in the sectors of Oil & Gas, Petrochemicals/Chemicals, Power & Energy and Industrial domains globally.

 

TCL Pakistan unveils T3 Pro DC Inverter AC in the latest Commercial featuring Mahira Khan

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) TCL – Pakistan’s fastest-growing consumer electronics brand – has unveiled the all-new T3 Pro DC Inverter Air Conditioner (AC) in its latest Commercial featuring ace superstar Mahira Khan.

 

As summers are at their peak, the newly launched T3 Pro DC Inverter AC positions the brand at the forefront of AC innovation, specifically highlighting the air T3 Compressor technology for powerful cooling and high energy efficiency. In addition, it is designed with a level of durability that delivers high performance even under a harsh environment and allows it to withstand operating temperatures up to 60ºC. Its self-cleaning technology not only boosts comfort indoors, but its elegant design also seamlessly harmonizes with every interior.

 

TCL Pakistan’s latest Commercial not only highlights these features but also reflects the premium lifestyle experience TCL Pakistan aspires to offer to its customers.

 

To view the latest ad, visit the following link: https://bit.ly/379C7mf

 

“Our newly launched T3 Pro DC Inverter AC not just ensures optimum cooling in extreme temperatures but is also cost-efficient. We endeavour to usher in a new age of smart technologies and our latest AC will deliver that,” said Sunny Yang, General Manager at TCL Pakistan.

 

Sharing his thoughts on the latest collaboration, Majid Niazi, Head of Marketing at TCL Pakistan, said: “Mahira Khan is a household name synonymous with elegance and luxury that we aim to embed in our technologies with a commitment to real comfort. We are honored to have her on board to inspire a new era of greatness with our newly launched T3 Pro DC Inverter AC.”

 

TCL Pakistan has been developing world-class technologies to offer unparalleled comfort. Using the Internet of Things (IoT), the brand actively provides services that allow users to control their appliances from their smartphones & TV. 

 

The all-new T3 Pro DC Inverter AC also comes with IoT that lets users enjoy a completely controlled refreshment. They can adjust the temperature, and turn the AC on or off at any time/anywhere through the TCL Home App or through hands-free voice control via Google Home App on their phones or TV. Other features include:

 

T3 Compressor & instant Cooling/Heating that helps run ACs efficiently at their 100%capacity even when the temperature outside goes up to 60 degrees Celsius.

Self-cleaning technology automatically detects the cleanliness of the filter and reminds the user of cleaning the filter so that the accumulation of harmful bacteria can be avoided, and the user can enjoy healthy and clean air.

Energy-saving technology that helps save up to 65% electricity and significantly reduces bills. The T3 Pro DC Inverter AC is the latest model in the inverter series lineup by TCL Pakistan.

 

It is now available in stores and online: https://www.tclpakistan.com/ac-series.html

 

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Zong 4G, Pakistan’s top cellular and digital services provider, has now released a new UAE International Roaming (IR) package for its prepaid customers, in order to meet their changing connectivity needs. The UAE IR Bundle costs Rs 1,999+Tax and includes 120 minutes, 120 SMSs, and 2GB of data with a seven-day validity period.

The offer can be enabled by dialling *4255# or going to https://www.zong.com.pk/onlineshop/ir-bundles on the Zong website. Customers will also be able to have seamless and unrestricted access to Whatsapp and its services in UAE as well. The UAE IR Bundle can also be subscribed through the My Zong App. Pakistanis travel to the United Arab Emirates frequently for both business and recreational purposes. With Zong’s UAE package, Pakistanis will be able to stay in touch with their family and friends back home without having to change SIM cards. “The UAE Prepaid International Roaming Bundle is a continuation of our efforts to offer Zong a full communications solution that keeps consumers connected even while travelling internationally,” said Zong’s official spokesperson.

“We stay committed to serving our customers with innovative and convenient services and solutions across Pakistan and even beyond its borders through are hundreds of International telecom partners. With many Pakistanis traveling frequently to UAE, this bundle will make communication during travel more convenient.

We will continue enhancing our roaming portfolio through more innovative products and services for our customers,” the spokesperson added. Zong is one of Pakistan’s top mobile connectivity providers, and it is spearheading the country’s digital transformation with several first-of-their-kind initiatives. Zong is credited with pioneering 4G in Pakistan and running the first successful 5G test in the country, in addition to its ongoing network transformation initiatives to provide users with best-in-class services.

Prior to the UAE prepaid package, Zong has introduced dozens of prepaid and postpaid roaming plans in Turkey, China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Europe, and many other countries.

Lahore (Nut Desk)

(Agreement Signing Ceremony between Sindh Enterprise Development Fund & National Bank of Pakistan for Institutional Collaboration for Provision of Subsidized Financing to SMEs in Sindh).

National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Sindh Enterprise Development Fund (SEDF) have signed an agreement for Institutional Collaboration for Provision of Subsidized Financing to SMEs in Sindh. The agreement aims to encourage farmers to adopt modern agricultural practices and foster economic development in Sindh. 

SEDF aims to promote opportunities in Agri value chains, Mining & Mineral processing, and Innovation & Technology for multiple economic benefits on growth, intermediary services and productivity. It seeks to introduce interventions to improve efficiency and profitability. SEDF is striving to develop entrepreneurial ability in the rural economy of Sindh through various initiatives of technical assistance and mark-up subsidies.

While, NBP has the vision to be the Nation’s leading bank enabling sustainable growth and inclusive development. NBP is Pakistan’s largest public sector commercial bank, providing a diverse range of products and services to the agriculture & SME sector. The Bank is taking initiatives for increasing market penetration and growth in the priority sectors of the economy by developing and strengthening value chains between producers, processors, exporters and financial institutions. The Inclusive Development Group (IDG) within NBP is spearheading these initiatives and is engaged in focusing on financial inclusion of underserved sectors that have significant business potential.

The agreement signing ceremony was co-chaired by Mr. Rehmat Ali Hasnie, SEVP and Group Chief-NBP and Mr. Mehboob Ul Haq, CEO-SEDF in witness of various Govt. officials, dignitaries and stakeholders from the agri-business sector including Mr. Kabool M. Khatian, Chairman- Left Bank Canals, (AWB)(SIDA) Badin, Mr. Abbas Akber Ali, Chairman Amreli Steels Limited,  Naushaba Shahzad EVP/ Head-IDG, Salim Khowaja SVP/Wing Head PD & IRW-IDG  and others.

Under the said agreement, SEDF will provide mark-up subsidy on loans extended by the NBP to support SMEs in Sindh. The expected outcome of the collaboration between NBP and SEDF is to create a win-win situation for all stakeholders and create an enabling environment that is conducive for transformation of agri-business landscape of the Province.

This is a step towards financial inclusion of neglected yet vital segments/sectors of the economy. This will lead to modernization of rural economy of Sindh and Insha’Allah pave the way for overall growth of Pakistan’s economy.

Lahore (Nut Desk)

The popular Chinese smartphone brand, TECNO, announced a special Ramadan discount offer for its Camon users. The latest Camon 18 Premier phone with Gimbal Technology and Hyper Zoom will now be available for a discount of PKR 10,000 bringing the price to PKR 45,000 from its original price of PKR 54,999. The sale will be live till April 20, 2022.

Camon series is famous for being outstanding camera phones from TECNO. The latest high-tech Camon 18 Premier was launched in Pakistan at the end of 2021 with a price tag of PKR 54,999. During Ramadan and the overwhelming demand for the phone, TECNO has brought forward a discount of PKR 10,000 when purchasing online.

The users will get a straight PKR 5000 off when they buy from the official TECNO store on Daraz. Additionally, there are two vouchers which can be used for a further price reduction. The firework voucher will give you a PKR 2500 reduction, whereas, the Bank payment voucher will further reduce the price by PKR 2500, bringing it to PKR 45000. The discount is available on only Camon 18 Premier and Polar Night colors.

The premium device, Camon 18 Premier is equipped with the first-ever Gimbal Camera, 60x Hyper Zoom, a 120Hz AMOLED Display, 32MP front, and 64MP back camera. Moreover, the massive 4750mAh battery with the G96 fast processor, an incredible 8+256GB storage, and 33W flash charging makes the phone worth the purchase.  

The CEO of TECNO Mobile Pakistan, Kelvin Zeng, shared his views saying

“We are always grateful for the positive response we receive from our Pakistani users. Camon 18 series became one of our most selling in the latest times. We are overwhelmed with the demand the device is gathering hence have announced this special Ramadan Discount of PKR 10,000.”

So, do not miss this opportunity to get the Latest Camon 18 Premier phone for only PKR 45,000 instead of PKR 54,999. Get yours today at https://bit.ly/3LWsyWt