ISLAMABAD, JUN 24 (DNA) – National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Wednesday dispatched ninth tranche of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to doctors working in hospitals of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to NDMA’s spokesman, the equipment includes medical and face masks, surgical gowns, safety gloves, plastic boats, thermal guns, and safety goggles. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had also distributed ventilators to all provinces due to the rising number of coronavirus cases across the country.

According to details provided by NDMA, 26 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ventilators and BiPAP portable ventilators had been provided to Punjab hospitals. 10 ICU ventilators had been allocated for Rawalpindi, Lahore each, while Multan provided six BiPAP and ICU ventilators.

Similarly, 16 ICU and BiPAP portable ventilators were provided Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa each. Last week, NDMA chairman Lieutenant General Mohammad Afzal, had paid visits to special units established at different hospitals in Karachi to treat coronavirus patients.

Lt Gen Mohammad Afzal visited different hospitals in Karachi to inspect the availability of necessary medical equipment in the facilities dedicated for coronavirus patients.

He said that 12 ICU ventilators and 23 BiPAP [Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure] machines will be provided to Qatar, whereas, 10 ventilators and 20 BiPAP machines will be given to Government Hospital – New Karachi.

Abbasi Shaheed Hospital will be given 18 ventilators and 20 airway pressure machines, whereas, Liaquatabad Hospital will get 10 ventilators and 30 machines. = DNA

ISLAMABAD, JUN 24 (DNA) – The All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) on Wednesday rejected the move by the SNGPL to increase the price of natural gas terming it unacceptable as it will damage the fragile economy.

Seeking at a public hearing organized by OGRA, Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha, Central Chairman APCNGA said that the earlier price hike was also illegal which must be reversed as the energy prices are retreating across the world but the gas prices are not being reduced in Pakistan.

He said that according to Clause 7 of the OGRA Ordinance, the government can increase or reduce the price of natural gas after Cabinet’s approval.

The government must issue policy guideline to OGRA under rule 21 of OGRA Ordinance before the public hearing which was not issued until June 24, therefore, the OGRA’s determined gas tariff will be applicable from July 01, he added.

According to Clause 8A of OGRA Ordinance, only the regulator is empowered to fix the tariff of gas for retail consumers which cannot be changed by the government. However, he said, the government can impose developmental surcharge and taxes.

Ghiyas Paracha said that the price determined by the OGRA will be final. He noted that in June 2019 OGRA determined the price of gas at Rs637 per MMBtu but the tariff was pushed up to Rs1283 for the CNG sector which was illegal therefore it should be reversed.

He said that the price of local gas is linked to crude and high sulfur furnace oil which has come down by 35 to 50 percent, therefore, the gas price can be reduced by 40 percent.

The Clause 7F or OGRA Ordinance allows all sectors to operate in the market and allows the regulator to keep the price of alternative fuel reduced. He said that the prices of LPG, flare gas, petrol, diesel, furnace oil, have reduced therefore the price of gas must be brought down.

The ministry of petroleum through a letter on March 10th directed the gas companies to reduce UFG from 6.3 percent to 4 percent, cut profit from 20 percent to 15 percent, reduce depreciation by one percent and cut transmission and distribution losses but the directives were not followed.

He informed that imported LNG is bring provided to different sectors without securing payment and the entire burden is being shifted to consumers of natural and imported gas. The gas companies have illegally jacked up the transmission and distribution losses for which consumers are made to pay.

Chairman OGRA accepted during the hearing that reduced oil price in the international market can result in a reduced price of gas and said that the impact of fluctuation in the price of dollar should not be shifted to consumers illegally. SNGPL was represented by its MD Amir Tufail in the hearing. = DNA

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DNA

Karachi: JUNE 24 – Capt. A Moiz Khan, patron-in-chief, North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKATI) and President Naseem Akhtar have appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to reduce 20% gas tariff given the significant reduction in energy prices in global markets and economic crisis due to COID-19, so that to reduce the cost of production of industries and enable exporters to compete in global markets.

In an appeal to the Prime Minister, NKATI leaders requested to make energy cheaper like the neighboring countries in order to save the country’s best economic interests and industries from catastrophe so that the country can move forward on the path of development.

Opposing the request of gas companies to impose an additional burden of Rs 104 billion on consumers, he said that industrialists could not afford expensive energy in the current situation, so the government should take timely and correct decision keeping in view the ground realities. They demanded an immediate reduction in gas tariff as global oil prices have come down drastically but the people of Pakistan have not yet reaped the benefits.

“Despite the reduction in global energy prices, there was no justification for Sui Southern Gas to ask for an increase in tariffs. To compete in the price war in the international markets, which is possible only through measures to reduce the cost of production, because why foreign buyers will buy Pakistani products more expensive than the cheap products of other countries, including China, India”, they added.

Capt. A. Moiz Khan and Naseem Akhtar appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to reject any proposal by the gas companies to increase tariffs and announce a reduction of up to 20% in gas tariffs to boost industrial activities and restore the exports.

DNA

Islamabad: (June 24, 2020) – The experts on business and economy have termed the evidence-based policy making and establishment of a level playing field for all as imperative step to ensure a better business regulatory environment in Pakistan.

They said this while sharing their views with the participants during online dialogue ‘The prerequisites for a better business environment’ organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here on Wednesday.

Mr Sohail Qadri, Director Policy at Punjab Board of Investment and Trade, on the occasion said that the Punjab government has taken several steps to ensure a better business regulatory environment.  He said that evidence based legislative and policy direction setting is required for all future endeavors to ensure ease and low compliance cost for businesses.

He said that the government aims to create an enabling business environment by, identifying  gaps, mapping of requirements and the removal of anomalies as well as reforming the regulatory architecture and other similar measures. He said that tax harmonization agenda, balancing out the high cost of energy and de-regularization are some of the key focused areas of the government.

Ms Anne Marchal Deputy Head of Mission, European Union Delegation, informed the participants that in addition to working to vulnerable population in Pakistan, the EU delegation will be focusing on supporting the business, investment and trade interventions in future programs as well. The business regulatory environment improvement should be cross cutting with labor, health, work impediment, fair trade and technology transfer, she said.

She added further that the better business regulations are becoming more and more important due to emergence of new risks such as terrorism, climate change and social risks including pandemics. All provinces should therefore develop Best Business Regulatory guides in Pakistan considering all risks, she added.

Dr Vaqar Ahmed, Joint Executive Director, SDPI earlier presented a brief post-budget review and informed the participants that Pakistan’s economic growth could remain under 2% during FY21. He said that according to SDPI’s survey 1.4 million SMEs may face 50% decline in their income; 3.04 million SMEs in Pakistan may need urgent government assistance; 9.50 million of non-agricultural jobs are at risk

He said that the government may bring down the cost of doing business through regulatory easing or automation of regulatory compliance including online payment of any business or trade fees. Moreover, he said, in view of the inquiry reports on sugar, wheat and power sector, it is now important to strengthen competition regime and promote a level-playing foreign investment regime necessary to attract capital inflows.

Dr Ghulam Mohey Uddin and Dr Azeem Sardar from the Urban Unit, Planning and Development Department, Government of Punjab on the occasion suggested that federal-provincial and inter-provincial coordination should be enhanced. They said that lowering the cost of production through indigenous product development, especially for raw materials also needs to be worked upon.

Mr Farzand Ali from the State Bank of Pakistan said that the central bank is constantly working for the betterment of the business regulatory environment. On the basis of feedback received from the various private and public sector entities, we are continually improving upon the previous processes, policies and legislations, he added.

Mr Kashif Anwar Sheikh, Member Executive Committee, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCC), while representing the private sector, said that the risk scoring mechanisms for businesses may be rationalized especially for the extra financing needs during the COVID19 times.

Ms Lubna Bhayat, President, Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Lahore Division, was of view that the government’s focus should be on the micro small cottage or services industry-based enterprises and special provisions should be made for women led businesses with regards to credit and incentives.

Mr Soban Zaheer Butt, President of the Gujrat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and Mr Awais Mehmood from Coca Cola also shared their views and emphasized on the need if better business environment in Pakistan.

DNA

ISLAMABAD, JUNE 24–  Huawei held its Global FSI Summit 2020 (online overseas part) with the theme of “Thrive Digitally in a Mobile Future.” Financial institutions and enterprises were invited to share their experience and insights in dealing with the “new normal” in the post-pandemic era,involving accelerated mobile first implementation and using FinTech to ensure business continuity and reshape financial services models.

Huawei believes that mobile capabilities are key to future banks. Supporting this mobile-centric business will require new IT architectures and key capabilities of cloud, AI and 5G. As a leading tech player,Huawei provides its global financial customers with competitive financial ICT solutions, and works with various world-leading partners on joint innovation.

The summit attracted the world’s leading financial institutions including Shanghai Pudong Development (SPD) Bank, China Construction Bank, Singapore DBS Bank, Sberbank, BBVA,Isbank; the world’s leading financial solutions provider Temenos, and analyst institutions IDC and other global industry participants.

Peng Zhongyang, Director of the Board, President of the Enterprise Business Group, Huawei, stated: “Based on cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, 5G, and other ICT technologies, innovative FinTech will embrace new opportunities and lead the upgrade of financial services. We have combined our 30 years of technical experience, capabilities, and industry insights with customer needs, to provide competitive financial ICT products and solutions that span multiple domains, and collaborate with various partners for joint innovation. We believe that financial institutions that are ready to go digital will probably see greater success.”

Over the past 10 years, Huawei has accumulated extensive experience globally. Particularly in China market, Huawei has gained experience in leading banks’ transformation and thriving in the mobile App era. Notably, the banking sector has taken a series of measures to ensure business continuity in different stages of the pandemic. In the post-pandemic era, banks need to proactively reflect on their business model and prepare for any uncertainties in order to ensure an agile business moving forward.

Shanghai Pudong Development (SPD) Bank has applied technologies such as 5G, IoT, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing since 2018. At the beginning of this year, our bank established a three-year action plan, aiming to strengthen open banking, promote full-stack digitalization, and create new development drivers by focusing on customer experience and digital technology.

Huawei helps financial institutions digitally transform in terms of inclusive finance, data-driven business innovation, open banking, and providing customers with inclusive, stable, secure, and convenient financial services. To date, Huawei has served more than 1,600 financial institutions worldwide, including 45 of the world’s top 100 banks. In addition, it has established comprehensive strategic collaboration with 20 large-scale banks, insurers, and securities companies around the world, and has become a trusted strategic partner for customers’ digital transformation.

Huawei’s Global FSI Summit is a global ICT event hosted by Huawei and focused on the financial services industry. The event was first held in 2013 and all attendees are industry elites from financial institutions. For more information about Huawei Global FSI Summit 2020, please visit:https://e.huawei.com/topic/finance2020/en/

DNA

Karachi, June 24, 2020: Covid-19 Pandemic has adversely impacted the lives of many across the world. During this difficult time, METRO Pakistan in collaboration with Unilever Pakistan distributed meal boxes to the frontline warriors, including doctors, nurses, and other medical support functions at various hospitals, fighting the war against the global pandemic.

These frontline fighters have been putting their lives at risk day in and day out to save lives of people who have been impacted by the deadly virus. This initiative started at the beginning of this month and till date over 600 meal boxes have been distributed across three cities. However the aim still is to extend this activity on country level to facilitate as many health workers as possible.

DNA

Islamabad: JUNE 24 –  All-China Environment Federation (ACEF) and Sustainable development Policy Institute (SDPI) have joined hands to explore the avenues of collaboration and cooperation as joint research activities in the areas of mutual interests of both the organizations.

Ms XIE Yuhong, Secretary General, ACEF and Dr Abid Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI in this regard signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) online on behalf of their respective organizations on Tuesday. Ms Lingling Yao and Dr Mahmood A. Khwaja have been nominated as the respective Focal Persons, for ACEF and SDPI, respectively.

Earlier, Mr Wang Jiajia, Director, ACEF Department of Public Interest Activities & Program, visited SDPI, with ACEF-GPEA team in the year 2019.  The follow-up online meeting between the representatives of the two organizations to identify the areas of research and to share mutual learning was held during the month of May 2020. .

The ACEF-SDPI MoU aims to establish knowledge partnership, to conduct research jointly, policy analysis, capacity-building, and outreach.  The MoU also signifies the mutual desire for the launch of new research, trainings and regional integration initiatives.

In addition to other mutually agreed upon by ACEF & SDPI, both organizations have agreed to collaborate and cooperate in the areas including research, the development of joint research proposals, activities and publications, sharing info/research data and other research resources and capacity Building including training courses, study tours, and joint leadership events.

Moreover, the areas such as holding seminars, conferences, workshops, and meetings, developing a sustainable quality assurance/monitoring and evaluation frameworks in joint research work, outreach and networking with stakeholders, ACEF – SDPI researchers exchange and interns/internships, strategic and knowledge partnership towards hosting Annual Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) and other conferences, as agreed, in Pakistan and China and sharing best practices/case study communications are also part of the mutual understanding.

Some of the broad priority thematic areas include enterprise/industry matchmaking and interaction as well as experience sharing on green technology, CSR and environmental risk management. Besides, local communities’ sustainable development, people to people communication & understanding, policy communication and CSO capacity building are also identified as the area of mutual interest.

Presently, SDPI preferred thematic areas that have been shared with ACEF include CPEC, special economic zones; sustainable industrial development; socio-cultural impacts of CPEC, infrastructural and energy projects; environmental impact assessment; food security; agriculture and economic growth.

DNA

Islamabad June 24, 2020: Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser has said that the stable relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan is imperative for the progress and development of both the countries.

He said that bilateral Parliamentary, trade and economic engagement could strengthen the existing fraternal bonds. Speaker National Assembly expressed these views in a meeting with Pakistan’s Special Envoy to Afghanistan Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq Khan who called on him in Islamabad, today.

The Speaker said that building close cooperative relations with Afghanistan is a high priority of Pakistan’s foreign policy and a vital component of our vision of a peaceful neighbourhood. He said that Pakistan and Afghanistan are brotherly neighboring countries intertwined in religious, cultural and historical bonds. He also termed Afghanistan, a gateway to central Asia and can link South with Central Asia.

The Speaker emphasized the need for intensifying contacts between the legislatures, people and business communities of both the countries for common benefit. He said that Afghanistan was gateway to Central Asia, therefore, collaboration in economic activity could bring prosperity for both countries. He informed that Parliamentary Friendship groups and Trade & Commerce Committees of both the Parliaments would play a pivotal role in enhancing bilateral cooperation and trade.  The Speaker suggested for pondering upon establishment of border markets to capitalize trade potential of both sides.

Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq Khan informed that Pakistan-Afghanistan relations were time immemorial and deep-rooted through fraternal bonds. He said that Pakistan continues its efforts for forging a friendly and good-neighborly relationship with Afghanistan, on the basis of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. He said that immense economic potential existed on either side which was not being utilized properly. He agreed that interaction between people especially businessmen would be beneficial for economic good. He apprised the Speaker about the initiatives of the Government of Pakistan for providing visa facilities to students, businessmen and patients intending to visit Pakistan. He was confident that regular interaction from either side would enhance cooperation in diverse sectors.