Bestway Group raises $2 million for flood affectees
The Bestway Group under the leadership of Bestway Group Chief Executive Lord Zameer Choudrey CE SI Pk organised a fundraiser for the victims of floods in Pakistan at a hotel in London.
The fundraising dinner was attended by over 650 guests including the Lord Chancellor; the Deputy Governor State Bank of Pakistan; UK Ministers and Members of Parliament.
The fundraiser was in continuation of the efforts of Bestway Group and Bestway Foundation both founded by Sir Anwar Pervez OBE H Pk to aid and assist the people of Pakistan as they grapple with the worst humanitarian disaster in the country’s history. The recent floods have affected over 33 million people with 1 in 7 Pakistanis living without food or shelter and 1/3rd of the country is underwater.
Earlier in the month, Lord Choudrey on behalf of Sir Anwar Pervez had announced a donation US$1.0 million towards the Pakistan Flood Relief, with the culmination of this successful event the total funds raised through Bestway’s efforts stands at an impressive US$2.0 million.
Lord Zameer Choudrey said: “Thanks to our local stakeholders we have been able to raise more than US$1 million tonight. Through the fundraiser we have been able to showcase the generosity of our community”.
Lord Choudrey in his evening’s address reflected on the principles and values of the Commonwealth championed by her late Majesty the Queen and how the UK government is and more importantly will support Pakistan as this situation evolves.
During the evening Bestway Group CFO, Haider Choudrey detailed Bestway Foundation’s plans to build homes or shelters for 5,000 families; provide usable water for 100,000 individuals; and provide food and medical supplies to over 20,000 people. He also announced a donation of $400,000 worth of medicine from Well Pharmacy.
The Lord Chancellor Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP said that the British Government has committed funds of £16.5 million for Pakistan and we are dealing with wider climate change issues as well and we are committing to that effort.
Dr. Murtaza Syed, Deputy Governor, State Bank of Pakistan in his remarks thanked the diaspora community for its support and urged greater support from the international community as Pakistan was going through the worst ever natural disaster.
The Rt Hon Tom Tugendhat MP Minister for Security in his address said whilst the devastation caused by the floods was incredibly sad and the destruction caused is more than many people could have thought. People are willing to support Pakistan and he urged others to follow the example set by Lord Choudrey.
Minister for London Hon Paul Scully MP said the UK public has been taking close interest in the terrible floods that have affected Pakistan. Both countries have enjoyed strong bonds. The UK was amongst the first countries to come out for Pakistan’s help.
The former Chairman of the Conservative Party Rt Hon Oliver Dowden MP in his remarks said that the British Government cares about the plight of the people of Pakistan and will do whatever it can to help.
The former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rt. Hon Sajid Javed MP said its right to look at the situation in Pakistan and see what else can be done. Climate change is important to be considered when we look at what has happened in Pakistan. It’s ground zero. Floods in Pakistan have turned the livelihood upside down.
Indus Motor Wins Prestigious MAP Corporate Excellence Award 2022
At the 37th Corporate Excellence Awards 2022 ceremony, hosted by the Management Association of Pakistan (MAP) at Karachi, Indus Motor Company (IMC) won the Best Corporate Excellence Award in the Automobile Assembler Sector category. The award presented by Federal Minister, Miftah Ismail, was received by IMC CFO, Mohammad Ibadullah.
The laurel recognizes IMCs outstanding performance whilst demonstrating progressive management practices during 2022. IMC has been a recipient of Best in Sectoral Corporate Excellence Award, for the 7th time since 2010, and also won the coveted Overall Industrial Corporate Excellence Award, four times.
Ali Asghar Jamali, the IMC’s Chief Executive said: ” Excellence is more than a set of year-end results, it’s a journey of prevailing attitude. It is quite an honour to once again receive this much coveted award from MAP and for us, the biggest contributor in this crowning accomplishment has been the “Toyota Way”. This recognition signifies IMC’s will, commitment, and dedication to consistently deliver on the high expectations of all its stakeholders.”
The evaluation for the Awards comprised of four phases i.e. (a) shortlisting on the basis of dividend payouts during the last three years, (b) detailed financial assessment, (c) review of management practices, and (d) management interviews. An impartial third-party consultant was retained by MAP to carry out the award evaluation and compile the results.
The Corporate Excellence Awards was instituted by MAP in 1982 with the sole aim to recognize and honor companies showing outstanding performance and demonstrating progress and enlightened management practices.
A.P. Moller – Maersk continues green transformation with six additional large container vessels
A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) announces that it has ordered a further six large ocean-going vessels that can sail on green methanol. The six vessels will be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and have a nominal capacity of approx. 17,000 containers (Twenty Foot Equivalent – TEU). They will replace existing capacity in the Maersk fleet.
Our customers are looking to us to decarbonise their supply chains, and these six vessels able to operate on green methanol will further accelerate the efforts to offer our customers climate neutral transport. Global action is needed in this decade in order to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to a 1.5°C temperature rise, says Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, CEO of Fleet & Strategic Brands at Maersk.
Maersk has set a net-zero emissions target for 2040 across the entire business and has also set tangible near-term targets for 2030 to ensure significant progress. This includes a 50% reduction in emissions per transported container in the Maersk Ocean fleet compared to 2020 and a principle of only ordering newbuilt vessels that can be operated on green fuels.
Green methanol vessels on order
With the order, Maersk has in total ordered 19 vessels with dual-fuel engines able to operate on green methanol.
Green methanol is the best scalable green fuel solution for this decade, and we are excited to see several other shipowners choosing this path. It adds further momentum to the rapid scaling of availability needed to bring down the premium on green methanol and accelerate the evolution of climate neutral shipping, says Palle Laursen, Chief Fleet & Technical Officer at Maersk.
Benchmarked against conventional fuel capabilities, additional capital expenditure (CAPEX) for the methanol dual-fuel capability is in the range of 8-12%, which is an improvement compared to when Maersk ordered eight vessels with the same technology last year.
The six 17,000 TEU vessels are all to be delivered in 2025 and will sail under the flag of Denmark. They all come as part of Maersk’s ongoing fleet renewal program and their capacity will replace an equal amount of capacity reaching end-of-life and leaving the Maersk managed fleet. When all 19 vessels on order are deployed and have replaced older vessels, they will generate annual CO2 emissions savings of around 2.3 million tonnes.
Maersk further reiterates its strategy of maintaining a fleet capacity at a maximum of 4.3 million TEU, as a combination of Maersk managed and time-chartered vessels.
About the six vessels
The six vessels have a nominal capacity of approx. 17,000 containers (Twenty Foot Equivalent – TEU)
All to be delivered in 2025
They come with dual-fuel engines able to operate on green methanol
The six 17,000 vessels running on green methanol will save about 800,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
PTCL Group, Akhuwat deliver food packages to flood-affected communities in Balochistan
PTCL Group in collaboration with Akhuwat Foundation has delivered food packages to flood-affected communities in Balochistan that have been facing food shortages in the wake of recent monsoon floods.
The food assistance initiative is part of PTCL Group’s PKR 1.75 billion pledge towards relief and rehabilitation of the devastated communities across the country.
Sharing his thoughts, Head of PR & Corporate Communication, PTCL & Ufone, Amir Pasha, said, “PTCL Group collaborated with Akhuwat to provide food assistance to the people, especially women, children, and the elderly. As nutrition is the most fundamental need at this time, the support will provide relief to the communities. I, sincerely believe that relieving the communities of the worry for basic commodities will help them focus their energies on rehabilitation and return to normalcy.”
PTCL Group was one of the first responders to the calamity by opening doors of its medical centers across the country to provide medical assistance to the flood-affected communities. In addition to this, Ufone 4G provided free calls across the flood-hit districts to aid in rescue and relief activities, while the Group has been providing food and clean drinking water to people in Sindh and Balochistan to protect them from malnutrition and waterborne diseases.
Being a Pakistani company, PTCL Group will continue to support with more such initiatives and interventions in the coming weeks.
Al-Ghazi Tractors Launches 2023 Models on its 40th Anniversary
To commemorate 40 successful years of its existence, Al-Ghazi Tractors Limited (AGTL) has introduced new 2023 models with high gloss paint features for all New Holland tractor variants.
The new 2023 models will be offered for the following models: 480s, 480 Power Plus, Ghazi, 640, 70-56, and Dabang. In addition, AGTL is going to take the market by storm with a special batch of New Holland’s Trademark Blue-colored Tractors for the first time in Pakistan.
The brand-new models will enable farmers to have higher yields, thanks to AGTL’s cutting-edge technology for planting, cultivating, fertilising, and harvesting crops. The upgraded variants are highly durable, fuel and cost-efficient. The models will also feature 2023 engraved Chassis Plates.
Speaking at the 40th anniversary of the company, Malik Ehtisham, Chief Executive Officer, AGTL, stated: “AGTL lauds all of its devoted customers and partners who have stood by it through thick and thin over the years. We are working towards making AGTL the industry leader in the agriculture equipment industry. AGTL is also making significant investments in technology to uphold the highest standards in agriculture by providing our farmers access to state-of-the-art tools and modern methodologies with the help of our recently set up R&D Department. We are using advanced technology while adhering to the vision of our shareholders to ensure that AGTL becomes the benchmark for others. We hope that our customers will enjoy yielding with our ultra-modern, cutting-edge, ever-dependable, and robust tractors”.
All of AGTL’s customers are also eligible for a free servicing programme. The customers can get their vehicles serviced at their respective local dealers.
Al-Ghazi is a joint venture of the Al-Futtaim Group and CNH Agricultural Machinery Company. Its market share in the tractor manufacturing and sales industry of Pakistan stands at 46% year to date. It also marks the highest market share Al-Ghazi has had in the last 14 years, which is a testament of trust that our partners, farmers and dealers have in us.
PSO Cards and JazzCash signed digital payment partnership agreement
JazzCash, Pakistan’s leading fintech, partners with Pakistan State Oil, Pakistan’s leading energy company, to provide DIGICASH users payment gateway and card top up facility via the JazzCash app. This collaboration will also enable JazzCash users to apply for DIGICASH directly from their JazzCash app.
PSO, pioneer in Fuel Card business, revolutionized the concept of fueling by launching the first ever Fuel card in Pakistan in year 2002. The company continues to lead the way in cards and digital solutions for its valued customers. With launch of DIGICASH as its flagship B2C card in 2019 and a number of value-added offerings, PSO is fast growing in digital payments sphere as a major player.
Agreement signing ceremony was held at PSO house whereby PSO Cards and JazzCash signed the partnership agreement.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Murtaza Ali, Chief Operating Officer at JazzCash said, “Jazz is committed to fostering a cashless digital economy in Pakistan. Our partnership with PSO is a strategic step to bring digitization to large businesses from diverse fields, like petroleum in this case, and catapult digital payment process that cultivates higher business efficiency and ensures fast and secure transactions. We look forward to jointly introducing more services on our platforms in the future.
Speaking on the occasion, Amir Zaib Khan, General Manager Cards and Non-Fuel Business at PSO said, “We are excited to partner with JazzCash which will enable PSO in expanding our DIGICASH customer base. Utilizing JazzCash’s platform which is the leading digital wallet in the country, to facilitate DIGICASH customers is an important step in the proliferation of digital payments and overall expansion of digital business. We look forward to our relationship and aim to explore devising further value-added solutions in collaboration with JazzCash in future. PSO is delighted to have JazzCash as its digital payment partner.”
UBL and Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam collaborate towards Agriculture Development
United Bank Limited (UBL) and Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam (SAUT) recently entered into an agreement to initiate a research project for the development of improved cotton and wheat seed varieties. This research will develop climate resilient wheat and cotton seeds with better germination rates, significantly improving crop yields and income for the agriculture sector of Pakistan.
The agreement signing ceremony was held at UBL Head office Karachi and was attended by Mr. Shazad G. Dada, President & CEO UBL and Dr. Fateh Muhammad Mari, Vice Chancellor of SAUT along with senior executives from both institutions.
During the session, Mr. Shazad G. Dada said, “As Pakistan’s most progressive and innovative bank, UBL’s vision is to support the agricultural sector of Pakistan through research, development and use of technology. We feel the need for this is now, more than ever, as we start the re-building process following the devastating floods earlier in the year. As the State Bank of Pakistan’s nominated champion Bank for the province of Sindh we are proud to collaborate with SAUT and will continue to work towards finding innovative solutions to support the agriculture sector of Pakistan.”
Dr. Fateh Mohammad Mari, Vice Chancellor of SAUT said, “SAUT is one of the premium agriculture institutes of the country. It has been actively exploring all the avenues of improving quality agriculture graduates who are contributing towards the adoption and extension of best agricultural technologies.” Mr. Mari thanked UBL for their support in meeting this shared objective and agreed with the points highlighted by Mr. Shazad G. Dada.
The leadership of both the institutions expressed their resolve for effective collaboration and for exploration of other possibilities which may help in the overall development of Pakistan’s agriculture sector.
Shan Foods receives Premier of Pakistan Export Award at the 45th FPCCI Export Awards
Leading global culinary brand, Shan Foods, has been honored with the Premier of Pakistan Export Award at the 45th FPCCI Export Awards in recognition of its export contribution in spice recipe mixes category and for its outstanding services in building a positive corporate image in international markets.
The award was conferred by the President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, during a ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadar in Islamabad.
Organized annually by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), the Export Awards acknowledge the meritorious performance of exporters in different fields of commerce and their service to the country in the form of valuable foreign exchange that they bring in, and are considered the benchmark of corporate excellence.
The FPCCI’s Premier of Pakistan Export Award accorded to Shan Foods is a testament to the company’s remarkable performance across 75 countries where it serves, delivering premium quality food products for over 40 years with the same traditional and authentic taste. Being one of the most popular consumer choices of recipe mixes around the world due to its unmatched quality and flavors, Shan Foods has not only garnered brand trust for itself but also continues to uplift Pakistan’s name globally through the kind of messaging it puts out and the initiatives it takes for restoring a sustainable society.
Syed Rizwan Sr. Manger International Business Operations, Shan Foods, on this recognition by the FPCCI, said, “It gives us great pleasure to receive such a prestigious award. It is a symbol of pride for Shan Foods at global level in recognition of its consistent services. We will continue to keep up our efforts in serving our consumers’ needs and making Pakistan proud across the globe.”
Economic sanctions failed to tame Russia: Mian Zahid Hussain
Chairman of National Business Group Pakistan, President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum, and All Karachi Industrial Alliance, and former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain on September 30 said the west has failed to subdue Russia through economic sanctions in the wake of war.
Russia has used natural gas as a weapon which has damaged the EU’s economy and now Europe’s industries are moving to other countries to avoid bankruptcy, he said.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that Europe’s industrialists are preferring countries that do not depend on Russian gas and oil for their energy and where inflation is low.
Talking to the business community, the veteran business leader said that this situation is a rare opportunity for developing countries to stabilize their economy, which needs to be taken advantage of.
The energy prices there are skyrocketing and the risk of recession is also increasing while thousands of industries have gone bankrupt due to the policies of the EU rulers.
The industries that are running in survival mode are facing serious problems. The current situation in Europe is unlikely to improve soon, which has disappointed local investors.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that Chinese, American and Arab investors who have set up factories in Europe are also either closing them or drastically reducing production.
In these circumstances, developing countries should activate their economic diplomacy and give all possible incentives to European investors to increase employment and technology transfer opportunities in their countries.
The industries that will be shifted include chemicals, batteries, clean energy, fertilizers, aluminium and general manufacturing etc.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that earlier many Chinese companies had moved to other countries due to expensive labour and coronavirus.
The majority of Chinese investors ignored longtime friend and neighbour Pakistan and set up industries in countries thousands of miles away which shows the overall environment, business rules and political stability of our country.
If political chaos does not end, and other economic, social and judicial reforms do not take place, then investment and employment opportunities will continue to be lost, he warned.
Beacon Energy inaugurates new corporate office in DHA-II Islamabad
Beacon Energy Limited (BEL), a company of the Beaconhouse group, has inaugurated its new state-of-the-art corporate office at DHA Phase 2, Islamabad. Mr. Nassir Kasuri, Chief Executive Officer of BEL, cut the ribbon at the ceremony. The event was attended by Beaconhouse’s management, employees and esteemed customers.
Mr. Nassir Kasuri, Chief Executive Officer, said at the ceremony “I am pleased and happy to open our 4th office (corporate location) in DHA-II, Islamabad, in just 2 years of operations. At Beacon Energy Limited, we are helping to make Pakistan a more sustainable nation by offering smart solar solutions and alternatives for all industrial, commercial and residential sectors.
I invite you to join us on this journey because together, we can make Pakistan cleaner than ever!”
The new office will house various departments including sales, marketing, human resource, finance, R&D, and administration who will be working towards benefiting and helping the customers.
During the inauguration, BEL also unveiled its new app, BEL PARTNER. The application offers incentives to anyone who refers a new B2C client to the firm.
With the inauguration of its new state-of-the-art corporate office, BEL attempts to strengthen its foothold in the industry by offering a host of products and services with a vision of becoming the one-stop solar solutions provider to its customers and bringing positive change to the country.
AJIB Selects Codebase Technologies’ Digibanc Platform for Digital Onboarding Transformation
Arab Jordan Investment Bank (AJIB), one of Jordan’s leading financial institutions, has partnered with Codebase Technologies, one of the world’s fastest-growing open API banking solutions providers, to launch digital onboarding for resident and non-resident Jordanians. AJIB and Codebase Technologies’ combined experience in the banking and technology sectors will enable millions of customers to easily open a new banking account and access various financial services using a completely digital onboarding process.
Despite high financial literacy rates and deep smartphone penetration across the country, only 43% of Jordanians have a bank account. At a time when banks and fintechs are eagerly competing to offer customers new and unique digital experiences and bank the underbanked Jordanian population, AJIB’s digital onboarding will offer a digital-first approach that attracts younger generations while retaining the Bank’s promise of quality and trust.
Ayman Qadoumi, Assistant Deputy General Manager of IT at AJIB, commented, “In a region where most customers are Gen Zs and Millennials, there’s a need, now more than ever, to offer digital banking solutions that can be used from anywhere and at any time. Therefore, we chose a partner with extensive experience in digital banking and a flexible and robust digital onboarding solution that can help us get to market quickly and enhance our innovation potential.” He added, “Digital onboarding is critical to modern banking, and the ease of access it provides for customers addresses the acquisition challenge many banks face and broadens banking access for the underserved and unbanked. Codebase Technologies’ Digibanc platform will be instrumental in helping us expand our offering to new customers and ensure our Bank stays at the forefront of innovation.”
Leveraging fintech leader Codebase Technologies’ Digibanc platform, AJIB plans to launch an innovative digital customer onboarding experience that will incorporate streamlined eKYC, ID scanning and customer liveness checks – integrating the solution with AJIB’s existing mobile banking app, core banking system, and Jordan’s National ID database.
The Digibanc platform’s microservices-based architecture will accelerate the propositions time to market and establish a technology foundation that will allow AJIB to introduce new digital-first innovations faster than ever.
Tamer Al Mauge, Managing Director of MENA at Codebase Technologies, commented: “We’re very excited that AJIB has selected Codebase Technologies for this landmark project. The innovative power of our Digibanc platform, our experience in successfully delivering numerous digital onboarding propositions in MENA and driving collaborations with third parties in Jordan fintech ecosystem will help ensure a successful project and launch. We are honored to work with AJIB to bridge the financial inclusion gap in Jordan and help the Bank on its journey of digital transformation.”
Paymob signs up with mediq to drive financial inclusion for payment acceptance
Paymob, the leading Omni channel payments gateway and financial technology enabler in the MENAP region, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with medIQ Smart Healthcare, Pakistan’s first integrated virtual care platform to drive financial inclusion and lead the way for swift payment acceptance.
Smart healthcare is an opportunity that has a lot of potential in Pakistan, a country where the ratio of healthcare personnel to population is around 0.8 to 1000. While larger cities still have relatively better access to private healthcare, the challenge is in territories that are distant and not easily accessible due to lack of infrastructure and education.
MedIQ Smart Healthcare, the B2B virtual care platform, provides a highly customizable plug-and-play technology stack, custom-made health and life insurance plans, and an integrated OPD solution consisting of a comprehensive network of online pharmacies, online laboratory services and teleconsultations with general practitioners (GPs) and medical specialists.
Speaking at the occasion, Fawad Abdul Kader, Country Manager Paymob said, “It is great to work with like-minded people and organisations which are using technology to extend the reach of necessary services to people without the limitation of proximity. Paymob is proud to support medIQ in partnering with them to support the cause and enabling their platforms with our unique and diverse collection options for accepting payments against the services. Through this partnership, we are facilitating patients and healthcare professionals in order to uplift the entire ecosystem. We believe in democratising payments across Pakistan and we are thrilled to be able to partner on an issue that we deeply care about which is healthcare.”
Paymob is MENAP’s leading financial technology services provider that offers diverse payment acceptance solutions. Under this agreement, all medIQ customers will be able to securely pay through Paymob’s payment gateway, using a variety of payment options, payment links and industry-first tap and pay, in order to make healthcare more accessible for everyone. In addition to this, healthcare professionals will be able to accept payments irrespective of territorial limitations through digital payment acceptance links and cost-effective, highly agile and flexible solutions like soft POS. Integration of digital healthcare services with various payment platforms will lead to efficiently offering health services to the public. The convergence involves financial inclusion, targeting low-income populations, leading to approaches to health financing, and technology innovations that can pave the way for novel health financing solutions.
Dr. Saira Awan, CEO of MedIQ was quoted saying, “Healthcare access and financial inclusion go hand in hand. medIQ and Paymob’s partnership will result in having access to useful and affordable financial services that meet their healthcare needs of medIQ’s consumers – healthcare transactions, payments, credit and or even purchase of micro health insurance. We are on our journey together to make Pakistan healthy with financial wellness”
Nine passionate Pakistani runners ran the London marathon to fundraise for the citizens foundation
On an exciting morning of October 2, nine Pakistani athletes participated in the London Marathon to fundraise for The Citizens Foundation (TCF) Flood Relief Appeal.
A large number of London Marathon runners raise money and awareness for a particular charity each year. The nine runners that backed the TCF Flood Relief Appeal include Adnan Gandhi, Kaukab Sarwar, Hira Diwan, Muhammad Affan, Nadir Shera, Shanzé Shah, Fahd Mukhtar, Salman Khan, and Ahmed Mustafa Khan. All runners were spotted wearing TCF t-shirts during the race.
The TCF team finished the race in less than 6 hours. Together, these socially responsible London Marathon participants were able to raise over PKR 2 million from supporters globally for the TCF Flood Relief Appeal.
The TCF Flood Relief Appeal aims to provide 5 million meals and assist in the reconstruction of 9000 homes for flood-affected families in Pakistan once the flood waters recede. TCF is assisting communities in several ways to help stop school dropouts. After the floods, many communities have become displaced and lost their source of income, making it likely that the number of out-of-school children in Pakistan will increase. Others can join the cause and support TCF in its mission to support flood-affected communities by donating to the TCF Flood Relief Appeal.
PMEX collaborates with Growtech Services for agri-commerce trading with futures products and ewr
Pakistan Mercantile Exchange (PMEX), the country’s only multi-commodity futures exchange, entered into a strategic partnership with GROWTECH Services, a leading agriculture technology company operating in Pakistan.
Through this collaboration, GROWTECH Services will provide technological solutions to PMEX and its partners to better meet the agricultural challenges faced by farmers. PMEX will provide training to GROWTECH farmers in using Electronic Warehouse Receipt (EWR) trading platform. Both parties will further develop agri-commerce trading platforms collaboration and work together for the development of futures products in agriculture commodities.
The agreement was signed by Mr. Ejaz Ali Shah Managing Director of PMEX and Mr. Shahnawaz Mahmood Co-Founder, GROWTECH Services.
Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Ejaz Ali Shah, MD of PMEX said, “We are delighted to enter into a strategic partnership with GROWTECH Services. Our relationship with GROWTECH signals our commitment to creating a vibrant, unified national market for indigenous agricultural commodities for ushering in economic growth and poverty alleviation. Together with GROWTECH, we look forward to working on the propagation of EWR to help farmers achieve greater financial inclusion, avoid distress selling, improve income per acre and facilitate the Government of Pakistan in achieving documentation of trading of agriculture commodities.”
On this occasion Mr. Shahnawaz Mahmood Co-Founder, GROWTECH Services mentioned that our focus is on enhancing productivity and decreasing input cost for farmers to improve per acre productivity through robust and comprehensive tech advisory and hand-holding of farmers throughout the crop cycle. Furthermore, we have developed a virtual marketplace connecting different stakeholders on the same platform with the option of group buying/selling. We are excited to join hands with PMEX to work on EWR and futures products of agriculture commodities for better price discovery and training of farmers which will improve their livelihoods. The development of digital marketplaces is an important step going forward.
ACCA organized corporate conference in Multan on ‘Rethinking a better world – sustainable growth for Pakistan’
ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) hosted a large-scale corporate conference here in Multan on the theme ‘Rethinking a better world — Sustainable Growth for Pakistan’ featuring country’s top business and thought leaders and policy makers.
The conference provided a platform to region’s key stakeholders and brightest minds to engage in interdisciplinary, forward-thinking conversations to propose an agenda to revitalise the private sector and kick start an era of sustainable, inclusive economic growth.
The conference was attended by many prominent names in the corporate sector, as well as leading policy makers and the members of the provincial cabinet. The guest of honour for the event was Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani- Senator/ Former Prime Minister of Pakistan
Lt. Gen Tariq Khan – Vice Chancellor, National University of Security Sciences, Mohammad Ali Ibrahim – Head of Marketing and Communication, Mobilink Micro Finance Bank. Barrister Taimur Malik – Partner, Clyde & Co LLP and Anab Arshad – Head of Institute, The Millennium Universal College were among the keynote speakers who shared their insights and proposed tips for organisations to become future-ready.
At the conference, ACCA shared insights, practical guidance, strategies, and solutions to enable businesses and policy makers to embrace these best practices for sustainable future from forward thinking thought leaders, the conference programme included a future-focused panel conversation on the topic ‘Climate Action: Building A Sustainable Future’. The conversation leaders for the segment included Haroon Ahmad Jan – Head of Member Engagement, Asia Pacific, ACCA, Lt. Gen Tariq Khan – Vice Chancellor, National University of Security Sciences, Zia Ul Mustafa – Chairman Strategic Board, ICMA Pakistan, Khawaja Muhammad Mohsin – Director, Mahmood Group, Talat Javed – Partner, ShineWing Hameed Chaudry & Co, Prof Dr Muhammad Nauman Abbasi – Director, IMS BZU and Sana Burana – Co Founder, HS Farms & Zaver Kahani.
National University for Security Sciences, SKANS, SOS Pakistan Pvt. Ltd. and TMUC Pakistan joined ACCA as Strategic Partners. The Bank of Khyber and Mobilink Microfinance Bank were the Platinum Partners, and DHA Multan, Evyol Group, LMKR, Mukhtar A Sheikh Hospital, Professionals’ Academy of Commerce (PAC), and Simplifiers joined as Gold Partners.
DigiKhata, EO Lahore, Multan Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry Multan, ICMAP, P@SHA, Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT), Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) and Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) joined as Supporting Partners. Nutshell Group powered the conference as a Knowledge Partner.
With more than 242,000 fully qualified members and 542,000 future members worldwide, ACCA is the world’s leading body for professional accountants which uses its unrivalled connections across the world to connect people with fulfilling careers, organisations with the best finance talent, and economies with the ingredients for growth. With strong partnerships with top employers and social sector across the globe and an award-winning Professional Insights programme offering ground-breaking futures insight, ACCA is at the forefront of finance talent development and creating future-proof careers.
Speaking at the conference, Assad Hameed Khan, Head of ACCA Pakistan shared his thoughts on Pakistan’s path to a sustainable economy, ‘‘ACCA is committed to positively influencing governments, policy makers and regulators on sustainability matters including climate action and develop the profession in alignment with the SDGs. ACCA and ACCA members continue to contribute, collaborate and converge thought leaders to bring conversations that explore high impact actionable agendas to drive an inclusive, green and sustainable economic growth for Pakistan.”