Category: Information Technology

Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services, Murad Saeed, launched the E-Bidding system in National Highway Authority (NHA) on Thursday. The system will ensure transparency in the process of award of contracts of NHA schemes.

To this effect, a simple ceremony was held at NHA head office, addressed by Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services, Murad Saeed, Secretary Communications, Mr. Zafar Hasan, and Chairman NHA, Capt (Retd) Sikander Qayyum. Senior officers of the Ministry of Communications and National Highway Authority were also present.

In his address, Murad Saeed said, as per the good governance vision of Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, the National Highway Authority has launched an E-Bidding system that will make the bidding process transparent, efficient, and easy.

After coming into power, he recalled, the present government focused on affairs like accountability, transparency, and provision of relief to the people and made practical advances towards E-Governance. He further said that the start of E-Bidding by the National Highway Authority is encouraging as billions of rupees are involved in motorways and highways building schemes.

He added that NHA is endeavoring to undertake road building projects on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis. He further informed that the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway project will be started next year. More steps would be taken to bring about improvement in the financial and administrative affairs of the NHA, he stated.

ALSO READ

K-Electric Launches Tele-Billing Service

Secretary Communications, Mr. Zafar Hasan said, NHA has developed a good E-Bidding system in a short period that will not only make the bidding process transparent, but it will also help save time. In the future, he said, the performance of the institutions will be evaluated based on the use of technology. Furthermore, he stated that pragmatic steps would be undertaken to employ modern techniques in the affairs of the authority.

Chairman NHA, Capt (Retd) Sikander Qayyum, said that the target given to NHA to bring about transparency has been achieved by launching an E-Bidding system in NHA. He informed that all the stakeholders were taken on board during the development process of this system. In the first phase, the E-Bidding system will be employed on maintenance projects, and later, its range will be extended to other projects, he added.

Salient features of the implementation of the E-Bidding system include user account creation, online tender creation, bid submission, tender evaluation, and notification of award.

The post NHA Launches E-Bidding System For Transparency in Contracts appeared first on .

Continue Reading

A lot of people just dream but only a few pursue the dream and live it. If you want to kickstart your flying career but lack the experience to do so, here is some news for you.

Sky Wings Aviation in Karachi has launched a one-day crash course in flight training for aspiring pilots in the capital of Sindh. Being offered as an ‘introductory flying course’, the training will allow applicants to decide whether they want to sign up for a professional license program or not.

ALSO READ

PM Imran to Officially Launch Pakistan’s Third Private Airline on 9 December

Heading the program under Sky Wings Aviation’s Training Wing is its CEO, Captain Asim Nawaz, who has stated that anyone with an F.Sc. or equivalent qualification is eligible to apply.

He added that candidates can enroll in the professional training program after submitting their applications.

ALSO READ

PIA Partners With Hashoo Group to Promote Tourism

Nawaz remarked that the applicants will have to undergo a standard medical test and that the selected candidates are required to submit their educational and relevant documents by a deadline which will be revealed later.

The post Here’s How You Can Become a Pilot in a Day appeared first on .

Continue Reading

Pakistan is one of the many countries that has seen a surge in cyberbullying cases due to a shortage of resources and required manpower to handle each case. A few procedural changes due to COVID-19 such as the stay-at-home policy have made it difficult for complainants to visit concerned offices.

ALSO READ

Islamabad High Court Questions FIA’s Authority on Social Media Cases

According to a report from the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF), as compared to January and February, March and April saw an increase of 189 percent in complaints registered with DRF’s Cyber Harassment Helpline. In terms of numbers, 136 complaints were received during March and April, compared to 47 in January and February 2020.

When the country entered its first lockdown in response to the pandemic outbreak, the DRF surmised the possibility of an increase in cyber-harassment cases.

In a succinct breakdown of the report, the complaints were registered under the following categories:

Defamation: 4%
Hate speech: 1%
Fake profiles: 4%
Blackmailing: 18%
Unsolicited contact: 17%
Non-consensual: 18%
Threat: 13%
Phishing: 7%

ALSO READ

PTA Introduces Critical Telecom Data and Infrastructure Security Regulations

The majority of these complaints came from Lahore and other areas of Punjab by those aged between 20-25 years.

Pakistan needs better technical expertise in digital forensics and investigation, and a case management system to be introduced in the relevant wings to bring the number of cases down. Setting examples would be the key if Pakistani authorities intend to control the evil.

The post Cyber Harassment Increased by a Massive 189% During Pandemic appeared first on .

Continue Reading

The Samsung eStore brings you a chance to win Rs. 100,000 every day! Shop on the Samsung eStore till 12th December and enter a daily draw for the chance to win Rs. 100,000.

All you need to do is to log on to shop.samsung.com/pk, order your favorite smartphone directly from Samsung, and get it delivered to your doorstep to automatically enter the lucky draw based on your Order Number.

The lucky winner will receive Rs. 100,000 (inclusive of Taxes). Samsung will be announcing TEN WINNERS IN TEN DAYS!

Buyers will also be able to take advantage of free nationwide shipping on all products listed on the eStore. Payments can be made via card or through Cash on Delivery. Moreover, Samsung will also be offering a 70% discount on screen replacements for all devices purchased through the eStore under Samsung Care.

Hurry over to the Samsung Pakistan eStore to buy your favorite smartphone directly from Samsung and win big!

The post Win PKR 100,000 Worth of Prizes Every Day with Samsung Pakistan’s eStore appeared first on .

Continue Reading

The Sindh Local Government Secretary, Najam Ahmed Shah, announced on Wednesday that the government of Sindh will establish an online database to maintain birth records across the province.

He announced this at a meeting with the representatives of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Expand Programme on Immunization (EPI).

Shah stated that an online database will soon be developed to properly archive and maintain birth records obtained via the digital birth registration project.

UNICEF has collaborated with the local government agencies to carry out an online birth registration project. One of their breakthroughs was encouraging the registration of births on mobile phones in rural areas to keep the entire process manageable and effective.

ALSO READ

Forging A Better Tomorrow for the Differently-Abled

Shah is of the view that the project to maintain birth records online in Sindh is unprecedented in Pakistan.

He said, “Digital data has been highly helpful in adopting the future strategy concerning civic development, population planning, and the immunization of children in Sindh”.

The post Sindh to Develop an Online Birth Records Database appeared first on .

Continue Reading

The COVID-19 spread is on the rise once again, but a massive chunk of the general public fails to realize the gravity of the situation. However, the Peshawar district administration seems to be taking the matter seriously, as it has been reported that the authorities detained 52 people that were found violating the COVID-19 SOPs at the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) terminals.

The district administration has begun an aggressive crackdown against violators of the COVID-19 SOPs across the district. The relevant personnel told the media that a team has been put in place to oversee the matters at several BRT stations in Saddar, and GT road.

ALSO READ

Atlas Honda is Launching the New CB125F in Pakistan

Last month, the BRT service administration made it mandatory for the commuters to wear masks during their travel. The spokesperson for the BRT service told the media that vigilance teams have been placed at the terminals to keep the commuters under observation, and those who fail to abide by the SOPs would be dealt with strictly.

Prior to that announcement, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) announced the decision to impose new COVID-19 restrictions across the country due to a recent spike in the novel coronavirus cases.

ALSO READ

Punjab Govt to Build Modern Terminals for Green Electric Bus Service

As per the announcement, all shopping malls, restaurants, shops, and marriage halls were to be closed by 10 pm. The department also made it mandatory for people to wear masks and directed the local authorities to take strict action against those who violate the SOPs.

The post Govt Arrests COVID-19 SOPs Violators at BRT Peshawar Bus Stands appeared first on .

Continue Reading

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) concludes the Webinars-for-a-Cause series under its Razakaar initiative, which was attended online by more than 160 young graduates from a multitude of backgrounds and economic strata. The series also included students with hearing and speech impairment, with two exclusive webinars for their benefit to develop their skills and confidence building.

The webinars, in collaboration with emerging employment portals such as Kamayi, DeafTawk, and Whynot, aimed to bridge the gap between industry and academia by nurturing and upskilling the youth, such as building their personal and professional network, the importance of verbal and non-verbal communication, career growth, etc.

Speaking about the initiative, Syed Mazhar Hussain, Group Chief Human Resource Officer, PTCL & Ufone, said, “We are proud of our Razakaars, who play a significant role in undertaking various CSR activities across Pakistan. Webinars-for-a-Cause series is indeed a great achievement, where the youth was engaged in gaining knowledge and learning from the practical experience of our employees before stepping into the corporate world.”

The topics included: How to Ace Interviews, Professional Growth through LinkedIn, Building Your Network, Digital Learning, amongst others. Speakers were self-motivated and highly driven to volunteer in sharing their valuable knowledge and experience with the audience.

This series is a part of the PTCL Razakaar initiative, which is an in-house employee volunteer force, with approximately 800 Razakaars across Pakistan that undertakes philanthropic initiatives on behalf of the company every quarter. PTCL endeavors to provide learning platforms and knowledge-sharing opportunities to support the youth in their capacity building.

The post PTCL Concludes Webinars-for-a-Cause Series Under its Razakaar appeared first on .

Continue Reading

Each company shall identify and obtain the “Ultimate Beneficial Owner” (UBO) information within three months from the date of coming into force of section 123A of the Companies Act, 2017 i.e. commencing on August 26, 2020.

According to the SECP document on the UBO issued here on Thursday for the companies, every limited liability partnership (LLP) shall within three months of coming into force of amended section 8 of the Limited Liability Partnership Act 2017 i.e. August 27, 2020, take reasonable measures to identify and obtain the information of its ultimate beneficial owners.

When contacted, the SECP officials told ProPakistani that section 123A of the Companies Act, 2017 became effective from August 26, 2020. Under this section, companies would be required to provide information of the UBO to the SECP within three months period. Strictly speaking, the three months period starts from August 26 and ends on Nov 26, 2020. However, the SECP can allow companies to submit this information to the SECP beyond this period after seeking necessary approval from the commission. But the compliance with the provision is mandatory for the companies.

The requirement to maintain UBO information is aimed at determining the true owners of a company who can only be natural persons. Corporate vehicles such as limited companies, limited liability partnerships and trusts, etc are at the heart of many tax evasion and money laundering schemes, as activities are not carried out in the name of real/natural persons, but by “legal persons” instead behind whom real controlling persons are concealed by the “corporate veil”.

UBO information is necessary to detect and prevent tax evasion, corruption, money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illicit behavior involving one or more companies or legal persons. Public trust in companies and markets largely depends on the existence of an accurate disclosure regime that provides transparency in the beneficial ownership and control structures of companies.

UBO information assists financial institutions in applying adequate customer verification procedures before the commencement of the relationship with their customers. This is also likely to assist the companies themselves in understanding their ultimate owners/controllers where there are complex corporate ownership and/or control structures, SECP said.

Different authorities may have a recognizable legal interest in obtaining information on UBO and control in order to investigate suspected illicit activities. Law enforcement authorities investigating and prosecuting money laundering and other crimes, tax authorities verifying compliance with tax laws, and securities regulators investigating market manipulation, unlawful insider trading, and fraud are just some of the authorities who may require information on UBO and control. Courts may also need such information in the context of litigation cases.

Legal and beneficial ownership information can assist law enforcement and other competent authorities by identifying those natural persons who may be responsible for the underlying activity of concern, or who may have relevant information to further an investigation, SECP maintained.

The SECP said that every company and every LLP has to prepare a register of its ultimate beneficial owners and shall timely record accurate and updated particulars in a timely fashion.

It said that the “Ultimate Beneficial Owner” “means a natural person who ultimately owns or controls a company, whether directly or indirectly, through at least twenty-five percent shares or voting rights or by exercising effective control in that company through such other means, as may be specified.

Every incorporated company and registered LLP shall have to provide a declaration of compliance to the registrar with the requirements to obtain, maintain, and update UBO information. In the case of a listed company, a copy of the said declaration shall also be filed with the Commission.

Additional particulars relating to the UBOs of subscribers holding at least 25% of shares, voting rights or controlling interest shall be obtained and maintained, and a declaration to this effect as required under section 16 of the Companies Act 2017 is required to be provided by the declarant authorized by the subscribers at the time of incorporation of a company in the “Application for Company Incorporation” on Inc. Form-II.

The foreign company shall also have to file a declaration that necessary UBO information at the time of “Registration of Documents of a Foreign Company” has been obtained and is available on record, as specified in FNC. Form-II, SECP added.

A comprehensive mechanism to identify and obtain the UBO information, as well as requisite forms, are provided in the Companies (General Provisions and Forms) Regulations, 2018. Similar mechanisms for limited liability partnerships and foreign companies are provided through amendments to the Limited Liability Partnership Regulations, 2018 and Foreign Companies Regulations, 2018 respectively.

For companies being newly incorporated, requisite amendments have been made to the Companies (Incorporation) Regulations 2017, SECP added.

The post Companies Need to Immediately Share Details of Ultimate Beneficial Owners: SECP appeared first on .

Continue Reading

In an online meeting organized by SDPI, experts stressed that technology transfer will play a key role in promoting much needed renewable energy transition in Pakistan.

The online meeting regarding ‘Potential role of Chinese and Pakistan leaders in the renewable energy transition of Pakistan’ was held on Thursday. The meeting was organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in collaboration with the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO).

A senior manager in the Development Bureau of GEIDCO, Zhang Xuan, while highlighting the role of various stakeholders, termed it highly important to promote and sustain green and low-carbon sustainable development. She said that the government, private sector, and civil society need to work together for this sustainable transition.

ALSO READ

PM Imran Announces 2 New National Parks in Gilgit-Baltistan

CEO Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade, Hassan Daud, while elaborating the importance of such initiatives, said,

Pakistan is focusing on using indigenous energy sources and having diversified energy supply sources in accordance with CPEC long term plan.

He added that renewable energy projects are thriving in Pakistan. The technology transfer and relocation of manufacturing units for solar power projects are of paramount importance to the sustainable clean energy transition in Pakistan. Therefore, the government is willing to support the Chinese state-owned and private companies in the best manner possible, he said.

Acting Division Director of Power Planning Research at GEIDCO, Dr. Gao Yi, informed the participants that both SDPI and GEIDO are looking forward to the clean energy transition of Pakistan. She said that the overall trend of renewable energy in South Asia is set to bring a significant drop in the cost of energy in the coming 30 years, and the subsequent increase in energy demand would result in significant economic development in South Asia with huge potential for energy trade.

ALSO READ

Punjab Govt to Build Modern Terminals for Green Electric Bus Service

United Energy Power Limited (UEP Wind) Pakistan Director, Tanveer Mirza, remarked that the renewable energy sector is relatively new in Pakistan but has developed at a rapid pace and has been bringing in investment from multilateral financial institutions.

He also highlighted that the renewable energy sector in terms of policy and implementation has a lot of gaps. He said that the potential for manufacturing of Solar PVs and LED lighting is greatly available for local consumption and export.

Director of International Business TBEA Company, Shao Shan, commented,

Stable establishment of long-term relationships and partnerships between the two countries is the need of the hour.

Head of Environment and Climate Change Unit at SDPI, Dr. Imran Khalid, pointed out that the greenhouse gas emissions and energy availability need to be considered in the policy-making for quick implementation of the energy transition in Pakistan. Think tanks need to provide technical and social research support, along with communication support to ensure that the clean energy transition is sustainable and intra- and inter-country collaboration, he added.

Dr. Hina Aslam, Research Fellow Energy and Head of China Study Centre, SDPI, elaborated that a green and low-carbon development pathway is the key to taming the climate crisis, which is impacting human lives and livelihoods.

ALSO READ

700MW Hydropower Project to be Built on Jhelum River as Part of CPEC

Other speakers included Dr. Fiaz Chaudary from Energy Informatics Group, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Senior Manager from Nari International Business Company, Lin Qi, and Director Longi New Solar Panel producer in China, Zhou Tianxiang.

The post Technology Transfer Imperative to Promote Renewable Energy in Pakistan: Experts appeared first on .

Continue Reading

Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Fawad Chaudhry, has announced a national-level e-sports competition in Islamabad in March next year. He made the announcement while speaking with TV host and Vlogger Waqar Zaka on Thursday.

Zaka, who himself has been advocating and promoting the gaming industry’s national talent, approached the minister to convince him.

Details of the tournament and application process will be announced soon.

ALSO READ

Shoaib Akhtar Proves Why Babar Azam’s Captaincy Isn’t Certain

Fawad Chaudhry also announced that the ministry will be introducing certifications in animation and game development in universities across the country to encourage the youth to be part of the multibillion-dollar industry.

The companies working in Pakistan [in the gaming industry] tell me that they have a number of vacant posts, but no applicants. So we are designing a course in collaboration with these companies and launching certification programs in our universities.

In the first phase, graduates will be preferred for the certification program, which will then be extended to 12-graders, he noted.

ALSO READ

NZ Tour: More Pakistani Players Test COVID-19 Positive

Chaudhry had revealed the details about the certifications in a tweet last week.

“If you are not interested in reading and are interested in video games on the phone, be prepared. Bringing a special program of video games programming,” he had tweeted.

اگر آپ کو پڑھنے سےدلچسپی نہیں اور فون پر ویڈیو گیمز سےرغبت ہے تو تیاری رکھیں @MinistryofST ویڈیو گیمز پروگرامنگ کا خصوصی پروگرام لارہی ہے تا کہ ہم 90 ارب ڈالر کی اس انڈسٹری کاحصہ بن سکیں، Animation اور ویڈیو گیمز سرٹیفیکیشن پروگرام نوجوانوں کیلئے Game ہی نہیں Game Changer ہوں گے

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) November 24, 2020

With a net worth of 90 billion USD, the gaming industry is bigger than Hollywood, Fawad said and added that the industry has shown a 20 percent annual growth in Pakistan over the years.

He encouraged gamers to be a part of the multibillion-dollar industry, which will be a game-changer for them.

The post Fawad Chaudhry Announces National E-Sports Tournament in March appeared first on .

Continue Reading