The new Chairman of the MIT Enterprise Forum of Pakistan (MITEFP) is Dr. Umar Saif
The now Vice Chancellor Information Technology University Lahore (ITU) and the Chairman of PITB, and he being the second elected Chairman in the past eight years from the time the forum was started.
MITEFP’s main focus is the improvement of the economy of the Pakistani people via the Entrepreneurship Promotion for Pakistan which is in line with the MITEF global mission which is the development of technology oriented companies through executive education programs where by networking, leadership opportunities, life-long connections to MIT are provided by the Forum while displaying MIT’s role in entrepreneurship in the world wide communities.
While talking about his plans, Dr. Umar Saif told that he will be focusing on the following areas in the coming months;
First would be the strengthening of the Business Acceleration Program (BAP). There is a higher possibility that the training process will be harsh, and discipline will be the key factor.
Secondly, exploring a program to incubate spin-offs from within established tech companies i.e. program for corporate entrepreneurship.
Another focus area would be MIT 100K-style platform for match-making of teams and refining of ideas before BAP.
Umar Saif also stated that he along with his team would be holding talks, seminars, workshops around entrepreneurship, science and technology.
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoIT) came up with four new projects of the Special Communication Organization (SCO) under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2016-17, against a demand of Rs. 1146.8 million, according to documents, and an estimated cost of Rs. 2766.9 million.
A demand of Rs.1.333 billion for the 9 new schemes for 2016-17 was made by Ministry which includes:
IT Capacity Building of Federal Government Employees (NITB)-Rs 20 million
Replication of e-Health Services at Federally Administrative hospitals (NITB)-Rs 20 million
Research Studies and Updations for ICT Industry- Rs 51 million
IT Industry Support Programs (PSEB)-Rs 37.264 million
Expansion of Broadband Internet Services in AJ&K Phase-II (SCO)-Rs 44-4 million
Expansion of Broadband Internet Services in GB Phase-II (SCO)-Rs 32.5 million
Replacement of GSM Network of AJ&K (Project no. III/2011-2012)-Rs 580 million
Provision of Seamless GSM Coverage along KKH for Proposed Gawadar-Kashighar Economic Corridor in Gilgit-Baltistan (Project I/2014-2015) GB (SCO)-Rs 489 million
Feasibility Study and Consultancy for development of Information Technology (IT) Park at Karachi-Rs 58.287 million.
A proposal of Rs. 2457.832 million was put forward by the MoIT under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for the year 2016-17 against the Rs. 922.804 marked for the current financial year. Also, two new projects for National Information Technology Board and one of Pakistan Software Development Board were proposed but none for MoITT IT wing and MoIT Telecom wing were proposed in the coming PSDP.
The PSDP for the coming fiscal year 2016-17 was prepared and sent to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology for consideration and recommendation with respect to MoIT and its connected departments, which is a mandate for discussion, proposals and passed by end March.
The proposed layout of PSDP for fiscal year 2016-17 is Rs 2457.832 million against 20 schemes relating to IT & Telecom sectors including 11 old/ongoing and nine new projects.
The government has earmarked Rs 922.804 million including Rs 722.804 million local component and Rs 150 million foreign component. However the data of Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms shows that Rs 1342.549 million has so far been released to IT and Telecom ministry including Rs 1144.5 million foreign aid and Rs 198 million local component.
The Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms does not show the foreign component however, according to the Economic Affaires Division China has released Rs 1144.5 million for construction of cross- border optical fiber cable (OFC) system between China and Pakistan for international connectivity of voice / data traffic under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The government however released no amount against the replication of e-office (basic common applications) at 45 divisions of federal government, research & development unit (Islamabad) and technology parks development project at Islamabad projects.
After getting the passage from standing committee, the proposed PSDP would be presented before the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms for final consideration.
Serverless Technologies is one of the leading names in Pakistan history. It is a platform that purpose to justify nation supporting them with latest technology features. The solutions is introduced by Mr. Wasif Ayub, claiming success not just in Pakistan but also world’s other parts.
A person from a remote area raised his palm towards success. He gave reality to his vision depending on small team and few resources. Mr. Wasif is launching different apps blending creative ideas to extend their comfort level with soothing services.
From where you get early education?
I completed my high school education from Govt City High School Bahawalnagar and then did FSC Govt College Bahawalnagar. Later in 2007 I was honored with Scholarship from National University (FAST) and paved his path of success.
What was your first project?
I started my first project during graduation named as TheSuffah, the purpose of this web portal was to give scholarship awareness to the remote areas people who wish to get better education but their limited resources don’t permit them to do so. But unfortunately it was rejected by Punjab Govt and after working 3 months it got closed.
Serverless Technologies signed a contract with Matyana Group of Industries
Did the failure affect your mission?
Not at all, in fact I learned a lot and meanwhile started another project lahoremandi.com, it was classified site for different Ads.
In the same time completed my graduation and started job in Northbay Solutions and later TABS Group International, it was an American platform who were developing a project named Americas ID and I also participated for the same.
Could you tell us about your project Serverless Technology?
Well its story of my failure that brought me to this project. During my job I worked on it and also started the documentation and final set up in 2015 with proper team.
My team build its roots in 46 stations including Bahawalnagar. We also participated for plan 9 and listed among the finalized 17 companies.
Optimaken and Serverless Technologies signed an MOU
Does your software useful for the backward areas?
Yes it is, we are working for many regions and remote areas a supporting person with knowledge and still process is on its way spreading to KPK, Punjab regions and AJK.
What is the Purpose of Smartcity?
The purpose of Smartcity is to assemble and centralize the data of the governance workflow, education, health sectors and small scale industries. Apart it includes the transport data.
Under this software we will support consumer rights, all systems will be regulated and corruption will be reduced in other way.
The Scope of Auto Governess?
It is very much concerned with governance specially judiciary, lawyers can register their evidences while registering cases. This is complete portal that has options to edit the info, person and reopen the file.
We have also introduced a portal for business owners so they can analyze their stock can compare the preceding years and following that implement in market.
We are also working for the health sector as we have created a portal that includes the patients’ complete details its previous history so the doctor can diagnose it easily.
The next we are planning to implement it in South Africa, Sri Lanka, Ghanna and Vietnam.
Looking at the decrease in terror incidents in the country, Canada is looking at an interest in the upcoming Pakistan’s IT, power and energy sectors to improve commercial relations.
“Canada is keen to assist Pakistan in the business community. We encourage Canadian technology and service firms to invest in IT and telecoms, power and the agriculture sectors which would benefit Pakistan’s economy,” said Canada’s High Commissioner in Islamabad Heather Cruden.
Speaking at a reception at the Canadian Embassy while reproaching the terrorist attack at Bacha Khan University, which claimed 22 lives, she said that Canada and Pakistan were looking to remove the threat of terrorism which is claiming many innocents all over the globe.
She also mentioned to various areas where there is potential for the two sides to strengthen the bilateral ties and also encouraged the Canadian firms to invest in Pakistan’s IT, power and energy sectors for the combined benefit.
She said that the in the bilateral trade, more than 65% of Canada’s exports of pulses and other agricultural products were made to Pakistan and in 2014, Pakistan was Canada’s largest market for canola, accounting to 47% of Canadian exports to Pakistan.
The Canadian representative hopes for the improvement of trade in agricultural goods to continue. Canada is assisting in Pakistan’s attempt to empower women economically and supports organizations like CARE, KASHF Foundation and International Labour Organization for the training of above 172000 to be women entrepreneurs in the main areas of financial literacy business skills.
As part of Canada’s $250 million commitment to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, it is providing $20m to UNICEF’s Polio Plus initiative in Pakistan.
Canada is also assisting Election Commission of Pakistan. It had helped the International Foundation for Electoral Systems to train over 243,000 staff of which 25 per were women for 2013 elections held in Pakistan.
OLX has become the base for many gangs who rob people by making irresistible offers to the people. One of such a gangs has been caught in a combined raid by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC).
Details about the Case
This gang puts up car ads on the OLX website and has five people, three among whom are identified as Azam Rahman Butt, Irfan Bashir and Muneer Khan. It was said that these suspects came from Punjab and working in Karachi for the last 12 months and were supposed to have conned many people. “They [gang members] used to fix cheap prices for their cars that attracted buyers,” said an FIA official. “They took the buyer to a car showroom in the city and locked the deals there by demanding prices much lower than the market rates. After finalizing the deal, they took 10% to 20% as down-payment and then vanished.”
Upon investigation it was reported that all the associated car showroom owners were not even aware of the gang which was using their location for such acts. The gang and the OLX buyers were considered as soon-to-be customers by the staff. But the OLX customers came back again for a refund of the payment, saying that showroom had taken a down-payment.
On receiving a complaint from one of the victim’s by the CPLC which was forwarded to the FIA, who identified and caught the gang with the help of CCTV footage from a bank and a bank account used for the con.
It is reported that these people were taken into custody in two different acts. While two of them were taken in Korangi, two were taken in Surjani and on from Liaquatabad. Cases are registered against all the five and investigation is in progress for the gang’s past activities.
It is advised to be clear beforehand and meet once when finishing the transaction, preferably in a public place because platforms such as OLX are never safe and direct contact is often risky for both buyer and seller. It is also advised to read through helpful security guidelines and report any suspicious ads if they find before doing deals on OLX.
Global property portal identifies why emerging market investors are turning to real estate
Lahore, 26 APRIL 2016: Ensuring financial freedom is a goal for most people. Investing your pension in only one highly specialised fund could be too risky. Inflation is a concern in many emerging markets, with cash investments gradually losing their value. Is there an alternative investment option?
Investing in revenue streams that earn you a positive cash flow is key; learning to handle inflation and balancing your portfolio is crucial and this can be achieved by combining a diverse set of assets.
One of the main benefits of income-producing real estate is tax- free cash flows, this is because of depreciation and mortgage interest deductions (if you leverage your capital). The investor can wait for capital gains on the sale of the property in the future, without ever paying taxes on the cash flow.
Increased tax deduction strategies
Depending on your tax status your rental property will not only provide tax free cash flow, but can be used as a tax deduction against other sources of income. Before investing it is recommended that you consult a tax professional.
Owning a property can give an investor a sense of security as the value does not fluctuate as much as in other asset classes. This does not mean that the investor will break even or earn a profit but it can give peace of mind. Although housing prices do not change much in the short term they may increase or decrease in value in the medium to long term. It is important to perform extensive research in an area before purchasing, observing the historical trends.
Inflation hedging
Countries in the developing world are struggling to keep inflation under control. Consumer prices in Pakistan increased by 4.02 percent year-on-year in February 2016. Higher prices of food and housing continue to push inflation upwards. Real estate investments have historically shown the highest correlation to inflation in comparison with other asset classes, such as the stock market, treasury bonds, and corporate bonds.
As governments continue to print money in order to stimulate growth, having an income-producing real estate asset as a hedge against this inflation is a smart move. In general, when inflation rises, the price of real estate, especially multi-tenant assets with a high ratio of labor and replacement costs, will rise in tandem.
ABOUT LAMUDI
Lamudi is a global property portal focusing exclusively on emerging markets. The fast-growing platform is currently available in 34 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, with close to a million real estate listings across its global network. The leading real estate marketplace offers sellers, buyers, landlords and renters a secure and easy-to-use platform to find or list properties online.
G-Five requested Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for a Non-Objection Certificate (NOC) for setting up mobile manufacturing plant in Pakistan.
MoIT’s Efforts to Bring Mobile Phone Manufacturers in Pakistan
The Ministry of Information Technology (MoIT) is consulting with international telephone manufacturing companies for establishment of local manufacturing / assembling units in Pakistan through Public Private Partnership (PPP) or otherwise.
Local manufacturing can increase employment rate and empower communities which would return investors’ confidence in the country and also help bring valuable Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
The Current State of Pakistan’s FDI and Telecoms Sector
Presently FDI and telecom sector contribution is reducing based on inflexibility and inconsistency of the government’s policies, high cost of business, law and order and the energy crisis.
Telecom contribution to the national exchequer, revenues and investment showed substantial decrease during 2014-15 as compared to the preceding year. Telecom contribution to exchequer reduced from Rs 243.3 billion in 2013-14 to Rs 126.3 billion in 2014-15.
During this period GST collection declined from Rs 60.1 billion to Rs 45.8 billion, PTA deposits declined from Rs 104.6 billion to Rs 7 billion while activation tax remained zero.
Telecom revenues declined from Rs 463.97 billion in 2013-14 to Rs 449.49 billion in 2014-15. Further telecom investment in the country declined from $1.8 billion in 2013-14 to $852 million.
MoIT Announces Incentives for Investors to Shore up Local Economy
In order to support and facilitate local manufacturing, MoIT after consultation with the relevant stakeholders has come up with a special package for manufacturing cellular mobile phones in Pakistan and was approved as a part of Finance Bill 2015-16.
This package brought M/s Haier to set up assembly line for smart phones in Pakistan. Presently, M/s G-Five has also requested PTA for NOC to establish manufacturing units in Pakistan.
According to tax incentive package, given for cellular phone industry for manufacturing of mobile phones in the budget 2015-16:
income tax exemption would be available for a period of five years,
a 90 % depreciation allowance for plants, machinery and production line equipment used for manufacturing of mobile phones by the local manufacture of mobile phones duly certified by the PTA during the first year,
Customs duty and sales tax exemption on the import of plants, assembly line machinery and equipment.
It is worth noting the MoIT’s decision to float Expression of Interest (EOI) for manufacture of mobiles and smart meters under the reviving plan of Telephone Industry of Pakistan (TIP). Which has not been functioning due to its downfall of its income from Rs700 million to Rs 20 million recently. IT is a State Owned Enterprise (SOP) now in losses with an average drain annually of Rs 500 million for salary support and it currently is on the privatization plans of the Federal government.
It was termed as a dead organization by a few Chinese companies and considered inaccessible taking into note its performance and location. But after the starting of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), chances for development was visible as the route will be through the area. Companies are considering to review the project on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. TIP has considerable land holdings of 432 kanal and infrastructure in addition to skilled manpower, which can be assets for investors here.
Netflix, giant in television industry expanded to 190 countries and its Internet TV is being made available in 130 new markets and it came out that to allow users for a full list of genres on Netflix there are codes on the website which are hidden.
There is usually a limited number of genres the users can search through based on the detection of user’s preference the site detects. But people can choose from the full list of the various categories that site offers from the codes shown by the websites.
There is a numerical code associated with a Netflix genre page. The four digits at the end are changed for different IDs when searching for something different. Some websites namely Ogres-Crypt and a Gizmodo provided list supply lists of codes for all the genres and sub-genres and any specific groups the website may offer. To access all the hidden categories o Netflix, just punch in the right codes.
The Netflix Pakistan website provides users to watch TV shows and movies for $7.99 a month, with a free month offer.
Netflix, which is California-based, was started as a mail-order DVD service but now is the producer of award winning original content and its offering of older shows and movies launched in 2007.
Pakistani users can now stream TV shows and movies for just $7.99 per month with a month free trial before subscription.
MakerStudio, the first 3D printing lab of NED UET is inaugurated and it will be accessible not only for the University students but outsiders also. This establishment of centers like this helps to encourage students, staff, and others to use the facility for academic or informal projects.
The 3D printers at the lab are not complicated and anyone can use them without having any functional knowledge of them. While talking to Tribune, ORIC commercialization associate Arsalan Waheed said that 3D printing labs can be a good addition to universities with over 10,000 students enrolled. Such labs gives opportunities for collaboration, self-learning and networking.
The printers in MakerStudio are assembled in Pakistan and the students have been encouraged to observe the assembling of these printers by the ORIC
3D printing is picking up in Pakistan and many 3D printing startups have been observed to emerge in the domain.
Internet Easyload, a new service being offered by Telenor is one where the users will have balance just for internet. It is almost the same as the usual easyload but just that the balance will go to your internet only and cannot be used for calls, SMS or other services.
Recharging your balance using Internet Easyload will be stored separate from the normal balance. This can only be used for internet usage. If recharging more than once using Internet Easyload, all of them will be cumulated and the validity extended according to the top-up amounts as in the regular Easyload.
When users use internet the amount is deducted from this separate Internet Easyload balance unless it runs out or expires its validity. It can be used for 2G or 3G and charged at Rs. 1 per MB. This Internet Easyload balance cannot be transferred to the normal balance and cannot also be used for subscriptions to other internet packages. The charges are always at the default rates and the balance can only be consumed by using the internet.
If the internet balanced is consumed then the amount will be deducted at the usual rated from the normal balance. If there is a subscription to an internet package then the package data is used and then the internet balance when the package data is completed.
This service is available at any Easyload retailer for Telenor and Djuice users. No subscription is needed for getting the new internet balance and the service can be used immediately. The Internet Easyload amounts available (with hours balance and validity) are given below:
One Internet Rupee will get you one MB. So if you have 50 Internet Rupees (worth Rs. 25 of load) then you can use 50 MBs of internet till the balance is expired.
How to Check Remaining Internet Balance:
String to check internet balance is *200#
Terms and Conditions:
Internet Balance charged at Rs. 1 per 1 MB for both, 2G and 3G data.
Dial *200# for internet balance enquiry and *444# for normal balance enquiry.
Loan Amount will not be cut through internet easy load. Customer will have to do a normal recharge to pay the pending loan amount.
Internet packages can only be bought with their main balance but not the internet balance.
Upon recharging more than once, amount will be added to the previous internet balance (If any) and the validity updated.
Reversal of internet easy load is not possible, hence check for the correct phone number the retailer enters.
Customers doing internet easyload get a recharge notification confirming the internet balance.
Internet Balance can only be recharged through internet easy load.
Internet balance is not available after the validity period.
Internet balance is not available for use when the main balance has expired.
Internet Easyload is not mutually exclusive to any other offer.
Main balance and Internet balance will have validities of their own.
