DNA

KARACHI, APR 7 – Daraz, the leading e-commerce platform in South Asia announced its commitment to provide additional support to local entrepreneurs and enhance the selling experience on the platformover the coming months.

In a recent online conference, Daraz Group CEO, Bjarke Mikkelsen, announced key initiatives planned for seller growth on Daraz.With the newly launched promises, the market leader will aidthe economic growth of the region and accelerate digitalization.

According to Bjarke, “Sellers are the heart of Daraz’ ecosystem, and in 2021 our key focus will be to make it easier and faster tosign up, start selling,and growing your business online. Our seller promises for 2021form the foundation to improve seller experience and allow our sellers to capture the full growth potential in the market.”

Key features of the announcement included:

1. Daraz will make the process of signing up easier and faster to allow new Sellers to start selling withing 24 hours.
2. Effective immediately, Sellers will be paid twice as fast by reducing the payment cycle from 14 days to 7 days.
3. Daraz will aim to always respond to Seller enquiries on live chat within 30 seconds during business hours to ensure instant support.
4. For Sellers whoseproducts are not selling as expected, Daraz will provide specific support to help identify the business gaps.
5. Lastly, the claims processwill be streamlined to make it much easier and faster for Sellers to file claims when needed.

With these initiatives, and continued investments to increase the user base, Daraz expects to more than double the number of sellers generating more than a $1,000 revenue per month before the end of the year.

COVID has accelerated the retail shift to e-commerce, and thousands of sellers have been joining Daraz every month. However, the online retail share in the region is still low, and South Asian markets are expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. On this note, the CEO added, “We hope our seller community is as optimistic as we are about the year to come. Despite the COVID impact on the broader economy, we are convinced that 2021 will be a year of great success for e-commerce. We will be doing our utmost to make it a success for all of our trusted and valued sellers.”

Daraz’ mission to empower entrepreneurs across the region through its technology, logistics and business infrastructure. The seller promises for the upcoming year are a testament to the brand’s commitment towards its sellers and ecosystem. As Jack Ma – founder of Daraz’ parent company said, “Our philosophy is that we want to be an ecosystem. Our philosophy is to empower others to sell, empower others to service, making sure the other people are more powerful than us.” With this vision, Daraz will enable ease of business and encourage sellers to shift to e-commerce.

ISLAMABAD,  April 7  :  Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) has embarked upon streamlining street food vending with better licensing regime and enhancing hygiene standards. Pakistanis are fond of street food and these vendors are also fulfilling food security demand of a large section of urban poor. This was stated by Syeda Shafaq Hashmi, Administrator MCI, while addressing the certificate award ceremony of the 1st food safety training workshop for street vendors in Islamabad. Administrator, MCI, Ms. Syeda Shafaq Hashmi, organized this training workshop in collaboration with Institute of Food & Nutritional Sciences of University of Arid Agriculture Rawalpindi (UAAR), which is also the advisor of Punjab Food Authority. Ms. Hashmi also conveyed the message of the Chief Commissioner/ Chairman, CDA, Mr. Amer Ali Ahmed, on the occasion that the street vendor’s initiative shall serve as a model to be replicated across the city and country and shall serve to bring street vendors at par with international standards. The training is meant to be transformative for the vendor trainees, as all of them has been in the food selling vocation for years and has never attended such training.

The purpose of the training was to enhance awareness among street food vendors about the food safety and hygiene practices. The participant vendors were trained in maintenance of sanitation during preparation, cooking and serving. The day-long training session covered areas such as food handling, food safety, personal hygiene, cart hygiene, cleaning and garbage disposal. Focus also remained on precautionary measures for reducing the impact of COVID-19 during food and client handling. 14 in number street vendors attended the training, which was the first batch from G-11, Markaz, Islamabad.

MCI, in coordination with Ehsaas, CDA and Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), is also launching the first pilot project for street vendors in Islamabad. These food safety training workshops will be regular feature of the ongoing street vendors’ regularization initiative, where more and more street food vendors will be trained. Mr. Zia Banday, senior fellow, PIDE and focal person for the street vendors’ initiative, informed the participants on government’s efforts of bringing street vendors through adoption of best standards of modular carts, service standards and hygiene practices.

On the occasion, street vendors appreciated government’s initiative of recognizing their status as a legitimate economic player and helping them in enhancing their livelihood capacity through training, provision of improved carts and vending licenses. A number of street vendors, who have been vending for over decade or two, did mention that it is a first time any government functionary has approached them to address their issues through tangible measures on ground.

ISLAMABAD , April 07 :  Senator Shibli Faraz on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Imran Khan wants across the board accountability.

Shibli Faraz, in a statement said that people accompanied Jahangir Tareen to the court in their personal capacity and were not representing their party.

The Senator further said that Jahangir Tareen is still part of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and has contacts with several people.

Earlier, Jahangir Tareen, while talking to media after getting bail from a banking court in Lahore said that his loyalty is being tested for one year but he is still silent. He complained that three cases have been lodged against him and injustice against him is increasing.

Jahangir Tareen stressed that only he is the target out of 80 sugar mills of Pakistan. I want justice from PTI, he said while adding that his bank accounts have been frozen along with his son’s. He affirmed that he is a member of PTI and will not part ways.

Raja Riaz – who accompanied Jahangir Tareen – claimed that Prime Minister Imran Khan got the vote of confidence from the parliament due to Jahangir Tareen as he played the most important role. He said people around Imran Khan are tarnishing the matters and the premier should not lose his good friend.

It is pertinent here to mention that the banking court extended the interim bails of Jahangir Tareen and his son Ali Tareen till April 10 in the fake bank accounts case. The court also barred the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from arresting Tareens.