JICA Experts visit ICCI to discuss economic reforms with private sector

Islamabad, March 16, 2018 (PPI-OT): A delegation of experts of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) working for various government organizations in Pakistan visited Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss reforms in key sectors of the economy. Yuko Tanaka JICA Export for Board of Investment, Mei Saito JICA Expert for Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, Shunichi Uchida JICA Expert for Engineering Development Board and Hiroko Hayashi of Asia Engineering Consultant Co Ltd were in the delegation.

The delegation members said that they were working as JICA Expert for BoI, TDAP and EDB in Pakistan and they wanted to get the input of private sector for further reforms in the key sectors of the economy. They said they were working for developing an investment guidebook for Pakistan in order to lure more local and foreign investment in the country. They said that the suggestions of business community would be given due consideration for marking them part of investment guidebook.

They said they wanted automation of Pakistan’s industry so that it could achieve better growth. They said the Japanese companies needed easy access to Pakistani market that would further strengthen bilateral business relations between the two countries. Both sides discussed to organize a seminar at ICCI to highlight the potential areas of cooperation between Pakistan and Japan. The delegation assured to make suggestions and input of business community part of their recommendations for economic reforms in Pakistan.

Speaking at the occasion, Sheikh Amir Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that TDAP should prepare feasibility studies on trade/exports promotion with various countries and upload on its websites so that private sector could take benefit of them for promoting trade and exports. He said government should provide more funds to Pakistani Commercial Counsellors in foreign countries so that they could cooperate with private sector in identifying new markets for Pakistani products.

He said that to improve gender parity, government should offer special incentives to women entrepreneurs for their economic empowerment and bringing them in the mainstream of economy. He said TDAP should focus on promoting trade with regional countries that offered great potential for exports. He said BoI should come up with attractive policies and incentives for foreign investors to bring more FDI in the country that would help in industrialization, improve exports and reduce dependence on foreign borrowing.

He said EDB should focus on strengthening engineering industry to promote exports of engineering goods that had great demand in the world. Muhammad Naveed, Senior Vice President ICCI said that instead of making Pakistan a trading hub, government should focus on industrialization. He said FTAs signed with various countries should also be revised as these FTAs have not fully benefited the private sector in promoting trade.

For more information, contact:
Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI)
Chamber House, Aiwan-e-Sanat-o-Tijarat Road,
Mauve Area, G-8/1,
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +9251 225 0526, 2253145, 8432676
Fax: +9251 225 2950
Email: icci@brain.net.pk
Website: www.icci.com.pk

Muhammad Naqi Bari appointed as Chairman, “Home Textile Exports” FPCCI Standing Committee 2018

Karachi, March 16, 2018 (PPI-OT): President FPCCI Mr.Ghazanfar Bilour has appointed Mr. Muhammad Naqi Bari (Executive Committee Member of FPCCI) as Chairman of “FPCCI Standing Committee on Home Textile Exports” for the year 2018 in view of increasing business development and Exports (Home Textile). The President FPCCI advised him to induct well experienced and professionals as member in his committee and keep close liaison with the all concerned authorities and facilitate the business community.

Naqi Bari also served the business community in different capacities in KCCI, Pakistan Apparel Forum (PAF), Towel Manufacturing Association, PHMA, PREGMEA and other textile related trade bodies.He is well known figure in business community of Pakistan having deep social relations in various circles of the society. He is also one of the leading exporters of textile He is the Chairman of M/s Bari Textile Mills (Bari Group). Naqi Bari assured the FPCCI’s management of his best and utmost efforts for FPCCI and business community and also to build the image of FPCCI on national level and globally as well.

For more information, contact:
Secretary General
Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI)
B-1, Federation House, Main Clifton Road,
Shahra-e-Firdousi,
Karachi-75600, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-35873691, 93-94
Fax: +92-21-35874332
Email: info@fpcci.com.pk
URL: www.fpcci.com.pk

Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front rejects government plan of raising gas price

Lahore, March 16, 2018 (PPI-OT): Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) has rejected the government plan of increasing gas prices by 5-7 per cent. PIAF Chairman Irfan Iqbal Sheikh in a joint statement along with senior vice chairman Tanveer Ahmed Sufi and Vice Chairman Khawaja Shazeb Akram stated that 7pc gas tariff hike will put the additional burden of around Rs.18 billion on the consumers, increasing cost of production of the industry. He said that instead of covering losses and enhancing the efficiencies the two gas utilities Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd (SSGCL) and Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Ltd (SNGPL) are shifting theirburden to the consumers.

The government pleas is that if the two companies were not given Rs.18b through gas tariff, they would turn negative and the government would have to inject funds from the budget to keep them floating. “Exporters and manufacturers are already greatly burdened and crushed due to rising tariff ofelectricity, gas, water and other essential raw materials leading to high cost ofdoing business inPakistan as compared to our competing countries” PIAF Chairman remarked.

Chairman PIAF called upon the government to take concrete measures and formulate effective policies to reduce the cost of doing business so as to jack up the country’s exports. He stated here that value-added industry was contributing its role in national exports in addition to providing jobs to millions of workers, but increased cost of doing business was hurting the industry, which must be curtailed to get maximum share for Pakistan economy. He suggested that government should merge all taxes, dutiesand contribution etc. and introduce one-window operation for onetime payment of all dues.

He highlighted that gas tariff per MMBTU in dollar terms in Bangladesh was $ 3.35; India $ 4.66 and Vietnam $ 6 but in Pakistan its US $7.59 (including Rs 200 GIDC-Gas Infrastructure Development Cess).He added that electricity tariff per kwh (kilowatt hour) in Bangladesh was $0.09; India $0.09 andVietnam $0.08, and in Pakistan its $ 0.11. Therefore he demanded that Gas Tariff for export industryshould be reduced at least by 10 percent less than of tariff of regional countries.

Irfan Sheikh emphasized that reduction in inputs was long-awaited demand of value-added industry to make Pakistani exports competitive in the international market because minimum wage in Pakistan was 111 percent higher than Bangladesh. He said that government must provide necessary incentives to the export sector in addition to introducing proactive export friendly policies.

For more information, contact:
Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF)
110/s Kot Lakhpat Industrial Estate, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-5123522
Fax: +92-42-5123522
Email: Info@piaf.pk

Philips Lighting announces intention to change company name to Signify while keeping the Philips brand for its products

Islamabad, March 16, 2018 (PPI-OT): Philips Lighting (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, today announced its intention to change its name from Philips Lighting to Signify. The choice of our new company name originates from the fact that light becomes an intelligent language, which connects and conveys meaning. The company will continue to use the Philips brand, the most trusted lighting brand in the world, under the existing licensing agreement with Royal Philips.

“We’re excited to announce our new company name as another step in our transformation journey,” said Philips Lighting CEO Eric Rondolat. “Our new company name is a clear expression of our strategic vision and a fabulous opportunity to introduce a new corporate look and feel that is uniquely our own and will serve to further unite our 32,000 employees. At the same time, we remain proud to continue to use the Philips brand on our products.”

Philips Lighting’s roots date back more than 125 years to the business founded by Frederik and Gerard Philips in 1891 in the Dutch town of Eindhoven. Throughout its history, the company has been at the forefront of many of the lighting industry’s major advancements. Today, it leads the industry worldwide in conventional, LED and connected lighting, with the largest connected lights network in the world.

The new company name satisfies the company’s contractual requirements under the Company Name License Agreement with Royal Philips, which requires that it changes less than 18 months after Royal Philips no longer has a controlling interest. In view of the renaming of the company, a proposal to amend the articles of association of Philips Lighting N.V. will be submitted to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 15. The Philips Lighting N.V. stock exchange ticker will remain (Euronext: LIGHT).

For more information, contact:
Philips Pakistan
Company Secretary, Manager Treasury,
CSR and Corporate Communications
6th Floor, Bahria Complex – I,
24, M. T. Khan Road, Karachi – 74000
Tel: +92 21 35644288
Fax: +92 21 35644280
Email: Kamran.mirza@philips.com

Munir Sultan appointed as Chairman of FPCCI Standing Committee on Urban Development

Karachi, March 16, 2018 (PPI-OT): Mr. Syed Mazhar Ali Nasir Acting President FPCCI has appointed Mr. Munir Sultan as the Chairman of FPCCI’s Standing Committee on Urban Development for the year 2018. Mr. Munir Sultan is a prominent businessman and possesses vast experience and knowledge in issues related to Urban Development, Housing and Construction industry.

In past, he has served in the capacity of Vice Chairman ABAD 2001-2002, Co Chairman Housing and Construction Industry Standing Committee FPCCI 2004-05, 2005-06 and Chairman Urban Development FPCCI Standing Committee 2009-2010.

Mr. Munir Sultan Chairman of FPCCI’s Standing Committee on Urban Development also as a Member of various Standing Committees and served as member election commission of FPCCI for year 2015 and as Deputy Administrator Election Cell of FPCCI Election 2016. Mr. Munir is a Member of ABAD and Life Member of Korangi Association and is actively involved in resolving the issues faced by Urban Development.

For more information, contact:
Secretary General
Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI)
B-1, Federation House, Main Clifton Road,
Shahra-e-Firdousi,
Karachi-75600, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-35873691, 93-94
Fax: +92-21-35874332
Email: info@fpcci.com.pk
URL: www.fpcci.com.pk

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ launched in Pakistan

Karachi, March 16, 2018 (PPI-OT): The global leader in technology and electronics – Samsung has launched its most advanced mobile series, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ that feature a fascinating camera that has taken a step further and introduced super slow-mo, as one of the most striking features to accentuate its focus on a better camera and unparalleled video performance. A huge ceremony was held in Lahore. The President of Samsung Pakistan – Mr. Y.J. Kim was the chief-guest.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ smart phones are reimagining the way people communicate, share and experience the world. Made for an age in which consumers increasingly communicate and express themselves more with images, videos and emojis, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ drive innovation with Samsung’s advanced camera. Redesigned with a new Dual Aperture lens that powers an innovative low light camera, Super Slow-mo video capabilities and personalized AR Emoji, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ ensure users do not miss a moment and make their everyday epic.

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ deliver an enhanced entertainment experience with powerful stereo speakers tuned by AKG, immersive audio with Dolby Atmos® and a refined edge-to-edge Infinity Display – a key staple in Samsung’s design heritage. In addition, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will come with the new SmartThings app, which unites Samsung’s existing IoT services into one single, smart experience.

Mr. Y J Kim, President Samsung EC Pakistan said:

“The way we use our smartphones has changed as communication and self-expression has evolved. “With the Galaxy S9 and S9+, we have reimagined the smartphone camera. Not only do the Galaxy S9 and S9+ enable consumers to shoot great photos and videos anywhere, they are smartphones designed to help them connect to others and express themselves in a way that’s unique and personal to them.”

Today’s cameras are for more than taking pictures – they’re for connecting and communicating. Consumers want a smartphone camera with state-of-the-art technology, so they can express themselves with high-quality images and tools to tell their own, unique story. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ cameras are built with these consumers in mind, with a Super Speed Dual Pixel sensor with dedicated processing power and memory to take amazing shots with high photo quality. The Galaxy S9 and S9+’s camera features include:

Galaxy S9 and S9+ Features:

Super Slow-mo: Make every day moments epic with dynamic, slow-motion video that captures 960 frames per second. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ also offer automatic Motion Detection, an intelligent feature that detects movement in the frame and automatically begins to record – all users have to do is set up the shot. After capturing the Super Slow-mo video, users can select background music from 35 different options or add a tune from their favourite playlist. Users can also easily create, edit and share GIF files with a simple tap in three playful styles of looping to watch the action over and over again.

Low Light Camera: Good lighting is the secret to any great photo. But often, photos are taken in less-than-ideal lighting conditions and most smartphone cameras have a fixed aperture that can’t adjust to low or bright lighting environments resulting in grainy or washed out pictures. Similar to the way the iris of a human eye expands and contracts, Samsung’s Dual Aperture (F1.5 / F2.4) automatically lets in more light when it’s dark and less light when it’s too bright, taking photos that are crisp and clear.

AR Emoji: Samsung lets users create an emoji that looks, sounds and acts like them. AR Emoji uses a data-based machine learning algorithm, which analyzes a 2D image of the user and maps out more than 100 facial features to create a 3D model that reflects and imitates expressions, like winks and nods, for true personalization. AR Emoji shares users’ real-life emotions not only in video but also with a range of stickers and uses a standard AGIF file format so users can share their emojis across most third-party messaging platforms.

Bixby: Samsung’s intelligence platform, integrated into the camera, uses augmented reality and deep learning technologies to provide helpful information about a user’s surroundings. With real-time object detection and recognition, Bixby instantly generates information directly on top of the image that the camera is pointing at. Users can translate foreign languages and currency in real time with Live Translation, learn about their surroundings, purchase products seen in the real world and track calories throughout the day.

Smartphones are often our go-to choice for entertainment, which is why Samsung created a device that offers premium sound experiences with stereo speakers tuned by AKG. Whether users are watching their favourite movie or streaming their favourite artist’s latest album, sounds are clear, crisp and rich in quality. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ also support Dolby Atmos, giving the effect of 360-degree sound.

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ audio experience is complemented by Samsung’s revolutionary Infinity Display. First introduced on the Galaxy S8, the bold, bright Super AMOLED Infinity Display blends right into the phone with virtually no distracting notches. With adaptive contrast enhancement, users can use their device even in direct sunlight.

As the first smartphone to support the new SmartThings app, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ are the central hub to manage every facet of the connected lifestyle at home, at the office or on the go. The SmartThings app will be introduced with the Galaxy S9 and S9+ and will connect to other Samsung and non-Samsung devices.

For those constantly on the move, the next-generation Samsung DeX empowers a mobile lifestyle by bringing a large, full-screen experience to the mobile handset. With the DeX Pad, a new docking system, users can easily connect the Galaxy S9 and S9+ to a larger monitor, keyboard and mouse to expand the mobile experience with enhanced document editing or even full-screen gaming. Users can also transform the Galaxy S9 and S9+ into a Touch Pad with the DeX Pad.

Samsung sets the gold standard for smartphones with IP68 water and dust resistance and wireless charging and goes a step beyond with the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The devices now support expandable memory of up to 400GB with a Micro SD Card and are equipped with the latest premium application processors offering powerful performance and sophisticated image processing.

In addition, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ give users the peace of mind knowing that their phone is protected by Knox 3.1, Samsung’s latest defense-grade security platform. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ support three different biometric authentication options – iris, fingerprint, and facial recognition – so users can choose the way they want to protect their device and applications. The devices feature Intelligent Scan, a new verification that intelligently uses the collective strength of iris scanning and facial recognition technology to quickly and conveniently unlock a user’s phone in various situations. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ also introduce Dedicated Fingerprint, giving users the option to use a different fingerprint to access Secure Folder than the one used to unlock the phone.

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ take health to the next level with an improved optical sensor built directly into the device, providing richer, more accurate information on users’ health status. This sensor allows the Galaxy S9 and S9+to keep track of users’ Heart Load Factor, a new measurement of the real-time demand placed on the heart.

The Head of Mobile division Samsung Pakistan and Afghanistan Mr. Umer Ghumman stated:

“We are proud to introduce this power-packed device, which promises a whole new world of infotainment and multi-tasking, with powerful global connectivity, for the consumers aspiring to excel in today’s highly competitive and fast-paced world. It empowers and inspires the user to do, what others think they can’t do.

These smart-devices S9 and S9+ available at a price of Rs.103,000 and Rs.114,000 in Pakistan and are available in three attractive colours.

For more information, contact:
Samsung Electronics
Technology Park, 2nd Floor Tower A,
Shahrah-e-Faisal, Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-32790281-3
Fax: +92-21-32790284
Website: www.samsung.com

Uber offers mobility to Jazz Subscribers

Islamabad, March 16, 2018 (PPI-OT): Jazz, Pakistan’s number one Telco, and Uber, the global smartphone app that connects riders to drivers, have joined hands to provide discounts to all Jazz customers taking Uber rides across Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Hyderabad and Gujranwala. This offer will last for three weeks. Uber Offers Mobility to Jazz Subscribers.

Jazz users can download the Uber app at Uber.com/app and use the promo code: ‘NEWUBERJAZZ’ and get their first ever Uber ride free (up to PKR 250). Whereas Jazz customers who are already using Uber will get 50% off on three consecutive Uber rides (Max discount of PKR 100 per ride), which will be valid till 4th April, 2018 using the promo code: ‘UBERLOVESJAZZ’.

Kazim Mujtaba, Head of Marketing – Jazz said:

“We are always keen to explore digital opportunities that strengthen and enrich our customers’ experiences. This partnership with Uber is another stepping stone in our digitalization journey as we work towards providing our customers with convenient and reliable facilities.”

Safee Shah, General Manager of Uber Pakistan, said:

“We are excited to partner with the leading telecom player Jazz in providing their customers with safe and reliable mobility experiences in seven cities we operate in.”

In addition to this, the Uber riders with the maximum number of rides during the duration of the offer will get the chance to become ‘Fan of the Match’ of the PSL matches happening in Pakistan. The runners-up will enjoy signed merchandise courtesy of the cricketers and some Uber goodies and credits are also up for grabs.

For more information, contact:
Manager – Corporate Communications
Mobilink
42, Kulsum Plaza, Blue Area,
Islamabad, Pakistan
Phone +92-51-2273984, 0301 822 9546
Email: hussain.talib@mobilink.net
UAN +92-51-111300300