Join Huawei’s “Light up Your Community Tree” Activity to Celebrate New Years

 

Spread love and get a chance to win some amazing gifts from Huawei upon participation

 

As the festive season approaches, Huawei is inspiring its consumers and the public to come together on a digital platform – 'Light up Your Community Tree', by visiting the #HUAWEICommunityPK and light up a tree to celebrate the beginning of a New Year and bid farewell to 2020. Every participant will get an opportunity to win the latest, most popular smartphones of the year. This activity aims to engage the community, to pray for the health and prosperity of the whole humanity in the year 2021 and beyond.

 

Huawei – the global technology leader has come up with this socially-engaging and rewarding activity to say farewell to 2020 - a year that brought some unusual socio-economic challenges that can only be resolved through a cohesive response from the whole world.

 

Huawei believes that a fortunate and progressive future awaits the global community and every individual must contribute towards the society's well-being and happiness. As the new decade begins, people must strive together for finding solutions and improving public health standards, with positive thinking, while adding some green and gold in our lives!

 

Huawei has invited everyone to join this activity between 16:00 on 23 December, 2020 and 23:59 on 04 January, 2021, as the Huawei Community in Pakistan is 'Planting' a vibrant New-Year tree on 'Light Up Your Community Tree'. Many lucky participants will win exciting gifts like high-valued smartphones, including: a HUAWEI Y9a, Huawei Y5p, Huawei Y7a, Huawei Y6p, besides Hands-Free kits, personal stars, Medals on community profile and much more. To add more excitement, the value of prizes will increase with the total number of lights added, in three different levels of prize-pools in this activity. So hurry up and join the community now: consumer.huawei.com/community/pk/

 

The participants have to simply go to the HUAWEI Community on the page: 'Light Up Your Community Tree', Click the shining star to light up your tree, Click 'Share My Community Tree' on Facebook or Twitter, Copy & send the invitation link to your friends directly. Add your invitation; "Come to #HUAWEICommunityPK and light up the Tree on New-Year!" Huawei wishes best of luck to every participant, for a chance to win these fantastic prizes and have a delightful new year.

 

For more details, see: [Contest Introduction] Light up Your Community Tree

BankIslami Joins Hands with Bookme.pk to Enable E-ticketing through its Digital Banking Channels

BankIslami, one of the leading Islamic banks of Pakistan with a network of more than 340+ branches in over 116 cities, has signed an agreement with Bookme.pk, the largest online service provider in Pakistan with up to 50+ bus service providers, 200+ airlines and 1500+ hotels.

 

This partnership aims to establish a convenient and hassle-free digital ticket purchasing experience for the digital banking customer base of BankIslami to promote lifestyle banking. Customers will simply use their BankIslami mobile application or internet banking portal to purchase tickets which will allow them to get access to all the latest discounted deals and offers that Bookme.pk provides on its own app and will forward the same incentives to all BankIslami customers by integrating Bookme’s e-ticketing API’s with BankIslami platform.

 

The global pandemic has also promoted the use of digital platforms and has boosted the e-commerce industry therefore, this partnership is highly beneficial for the domestic and international tourism industry as well as the digital banking industry. As a result of this collaboration, customers will be able to buy bus and airline tickets at the cheapest fares in the country with the help of their BankIslami mobile application.

 

CEO of Bookme.pk, Faizan Aslam stated:

“In 2020, Pakistan has completely shifted towards innovation and digitization. In order to expand digital payment solutions for our customers, we’ve partnered with BankIslami too. Especially in COVID-19 times, it is essential to make contactless payments accessible to the user base of both Bookme.pk and BankIslami.”

 

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Adeel Ahmed Khan, BankIslami’s Head of ADC stated, “We at BankIslami are constantly trying to create value added services for our digital banking customers across Pakistan. We aim to create a seamless and frictionless digital banking experience for our customers through third party integrations such as Bookme.pk which will further promote our lifestyle banking agenda.”

 

Bookme.pk is Pakistan’s leading e-ticketing platform with over 4.5 million customers in the transportation and entertainment industry. In terms of digital transactions, it is also among the largest e-commerce platforms in the country. It is completely cashless and is already integrated with major payment platforms in Pakistan including JazzCash and Easypaisa to ensure a seamless checkout experience for end-users.

SBP launches consultation on Banking on Equality Policy – an initiative to increase financial inclusion of women in the country

In order to address one of the key challenges hindering economic growth of Pakistan to its full potential, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has launched a national dialogue on its forthcoming policy to reduce the gender gap in financial inclusion. Dr. Reza Baqir, Governor SBP hosted a webinar titled “Launch of Consultation on Banking on Equality policy: Reducing the Gender Gap in Financial Inclusion” on Monday, December 21, 2020. The webinar featured an exclusive panel discussion around women’s financial inclusion with international thought leaders in the area of gender and finance including Princess Zahra Aga Khan, Director Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN); Ms. Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, Director of Strategy, Policy and Review Department, IMF; and Dr. Reza Baqir Governor, SBP. Dr. Anita Zaidi, President of Gender Equality at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation moderated the discussion. Deputy Governor SBP, Ms Sima Kamil made a presentation on the state of women’s financial inclusion in the economy and shared the features of the Banking on Equality policy. The webinar was attended by diverse local and international stakeholders representing public offices, international agencies, banks and associations. In addition, nearly 1,000 people also watched the webinar live through social media platforms.       

Governor SBP, Dr. Reza Baqir, in his opening remarks said that improved gender parity in financial and economic opportunities can enhance overall socio-economic development outcomes of a nation, for not just the present but future generations. He noted that the event had three key goals. The first objective was to bring attention to the shared goal of reducing the gender gap in women’s financial inclusion. The second goal was to share the content of the Banking on Equality policy that was being launched for consultation. Finally, the third goal was to get feedback from stakeholders on the policy itself. He welcomed the feedback that was provided by the international participants and others that would be provided over the course of next several weeks. He noted that central banks in developing and emerging markets, where there are often market failures, have an important role to play in ensuring that important sections of the society don’t get left out from benefitting from the financial system through access to saving, borrowing, insurance and other financial products. He said that the SBP looked forward to working with other domestic and international partners to further the cause of improving women’s financial inclusion. In this context he also appreciated the support being provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for helping advance SBP’s agenda on promoting financial inclusion in Pakistan.

In her presentation Deputy Governor SBP, Ms. Sima Kamil, noted that the gender gap in financial inclusion is rising. She noted that only 11.7 million, or 18% of the adult women, have active bank accounts compared to 51% for men. Deputy Governor Kamil unveiled five key pillars of the Banking on Equality policy under which actions are targeted towards improving institutional diversity, product diversification and development capability, customer acquisition and facilitation approaches towards women segments, gender disaggregated data collection, and prioritizing gender focus in SBP’s policies. The policy recommendations will be applicable on all banks, microfinance banks, DFIs and EMIs.

During the panel discussion, Princess Zahra Aga Khan, Director AKDN, shared her views on how to make headways in the gender diversity landscape, and also shared her experience on what steps can make a difference. Ms Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, Director IMF, gave her valuable thoughts on the importance of gender diversity in financial service providers that can improve overall women’s financial inclusion in a country. She also shed light on key demand and supply side barriers that globally exist for women’s low financial inclusion.

Now, as the consultation process has commenced, SBP will conduct series of focused stakeholders’ consultation sessions with commercial banks, microfinance banks, women working in FIs, prominent female thought leaders, women chambers, women entrepreneurs and housewives to get more feedback. Based on the broader feedback, the policy will be further enriched. After the feedback is complete, the policy is expected to be launched in early February 2021. The draft policy is available at https://www.sbp.org.pk/events/2020/BankingonEquality/Draft-Policy.pdf  

Release of HarmonyOS 2.0 Developer Beta for Smartphones, a Step Closer to Making Seamless AI Life a Reality

 

HarmonyOS 2.0 Developer Beta for Smartphones was officially released at HUAWEI Developer Day Beijing 2020, representing a milestone in the construction of the all-encompassing HarmonyOS ecosystem. Smartphone app developers with interest in the 2.0 beta can apply for it on the HUAWEI Developer official website.

Comprehensive HarmonyOS system capabilities, a multitude of APIs, and powerful tools such as the optimized DevEco Studio simulator, have all been made publicly available, facilitating efficient HarmonyOS-compatible smartphone app development. Huawei hopes to welcome more partners to the ecosystem, and give users access to the full range of benefits offered by Seamless AI Life, with smart services that interact with, entertain and educate them in new and profound ways, at home, in the gym and in the office, on the go and on the road.

Wang Chenglu, President of Huawei's Consumer Business Group Software Engineering Department, remarked, "HarmonyOS is a true milestone, as it has redefined how people and devices interact with each other in every facet of daily life. Devices and services are no longer limited to specific life scenarios, now that users can freely customize how their devices work to account for any setting. HarmonyOS will create 'super devices' that come with more enriching apps than ever, as well as life-altering 'super services'."

Unparalleled user experience, made possible by "super devices" and seamless services

A new era is upon us, brought about by the Internet of Everything and powered by the rapid growth of 5G, AI and IoT technologies. The past decade has been dominated by the rise of the smartphone and mobile internet, but over the next decade, no single device offers similar breakthrough potential. Instead, it is multi-device connections that will pave the way to the smart services of tomorrow.

HarmonyOS and its underlying distributed technology are designed for this futuristic Internet of Everything paradigm. By helping create "super devices", which are formed by pooling software and hardware resources from previously physically-independent devices, the system has been making the lofty ambitions in Seamless AI Life a full-blown reality. HarmonyOS helps ensure that all devices are responsive to the user's every whim, and equipped to handle any conceivable usage scenario.

A good example of this principle in action is how HarmonyOS leverages phone-watch collaboration to provide for next-level smart travel solutions. Ride hailing has been made hands-free, with important information such as the taxi's real-time location and license plate number, displayed on the watch screen. Likewise, online shopping will soon be easier than ever, now that group-buyers will be able to view eligible items in other buyers' shopping carts, and make informed decisions with real-time post-discount pricing – or even initiate MeeTime calls to share screens and discuss purchasing strategies.

HarmonyOS encourages all developers to release their imagination and come up with promising ideas on how to create Seamless AI Life services for all users. Therefore it's no small wonder that over 120 mainstream app builders, including JD.com, China UnionPay, Youku Video and iFlytek, have opted to make HarmonyOS their system of choice.

Comprehensive support for developers, facilitating multi-device deployment through one-time development

Today's vast array of IoT devices share little in common, as they can be subdivided into different device types and operating systems. This reality has hindered traditional app development, as apps needed be adapted to fit all of the different screen sizes and systems prior to release. Huawei has made IoT fragmentation a thing of the past, by opening all of HarmonyOS's frameworks and platform toolchains to developers.

Over 15,000 APIs have now been made available, including distributed system services, software and hardware abilities. In doing so, HarmonyOS aims to help create innovative and competitive apps that are compatible with all device types and oriented toward all usage scenarios, with as much ease as experienced in the independent-device app development era. The distributed UI framework fits all screen sizes, and facilitates hassle-free deployment with substantially increased efficiency. The new and improved DevEco Studio 2.0 can realize real-time preview and distributed debugging, which are also ideal for boosting development efficiency.

More than 100,000 developers have joined the HarmonyOS ecosystem, thanks in large part to expert-level support, a wealth of enriching training courses and easy-to-access materials, and open-minded developer communities. The kickoff of the HarmonyOS Developer Innovation Contest, which offers 1.5 million Chinese yuan in prizes and mentorship resources from 20 prominent industry professionals, hopes to drive further engagement among the talented developers that have made HarmonyOS their professional home.

Ground-breaking HarmonyOS technologies, driving the industry forward and unlocking the boundless possibility of Seamless AI Life

HarmonyOS will also transform the business of hardware vendors, by helping them turn products into services. Software innovation will be channelled to bring about differentiated and flexible hardware usage. Hardware resources from all connected devices will be pooled, to enable partners to extract more value by selling services on an ongoing basis, rather than being limited to the one-time product sale. Enticed by this promising new model, more than 20 hardware vendors have become a part of the HarmonyOS ecosystem.

Multi-device interconnectivity has likewise been made seamless, from the very bottom layer, where the connection is unaffected by any software or hardware differences. The user can, for instance, simply tap their phone against a home appliance to establish an instant connection, and have the device information visualized on the phone screen. Connected appliances will also be able to "tell" their user how they're working, laying the foundation for genuine smart homes of the future.

HarmonyOS will be made open-source for a greater range of devices in the near future. The HUAWEI Developer Day 2020 event series will make stops in more major cities, including Shanghai and Guangzhou, to provide aspiring developers with invigorating discussions on cutting-edge technologies and applications.

SBP is all set to launch consultation on Banking on Equality policy for reducing the gender gap in financial inclusion

Women’s access to financial and economic opportunities is essential for sustainable and inclusive economic growth. However, women in Pakistan are disproportionately under-served by the financial system. Only 18% percent of adult women in Pakistan have an active bank account compared with 51% men. In order to address the gender disparities, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has adopted a medium-term national target of 20 million active women bank accounts by 2023 under National Financial Inclusion Strategy. The target will be achieved through the launch of a policy to reduce the gender gap in financial inclusion, titled Banking on Equality, which aims to promote women financial inclusion in Pakistan.

 

 “Banking on Equality: Reducing the Gender Gap in Financial Inclusion”, is a flagship policy initiative of State Bank of Pakistan for promoting women financial inclusion. The policy will introduce a gender lens within the financial sector through specific measures to bring a shift towards gender friendly business practices.

 

To initiate a national dialogue on women financial inclusion, SBP has organized a webinar titled “Consultative Launch of Banking on Equality policy: Reducing the Gender Gap in Financial Inclusion” on Monday, December 21, 2020 at 1730 PKT (Pakistan Standard Time). The webinar, that will be shown live on State Bank’s Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/StateBankPakistan] aims to promote awareness of the significance of women financial inclusion and hold discussions among distinguished international thought leaders to discuss practical ways to give a boost to women financial inclusion in Pakistan.

 

SBP Governor, Dr. Reza Baqir will host the consultative launch of the Banking on Equality policy with introductory presentation on the policy by SBP Deputy Governor Ms. Sima Kamil, and followed by a high level panel discussion around women’s financial inclusion. The panel members would include Princess Zahra Aga Khan Director Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), Ms. Ceyla Pazarbasioglu from IMF and Dr. Reza Baqir Governor, State Bank of Pakistan while Dr. Anita Zaidi from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) will moderate the panel discussion.

 

Princess Zahra Aga Khan is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). Princess Zahra serves in various leadership roles within the Aga Khan Development Network, including as Trustee of the Aga Khan University and the University of Central Asia.

Ms. Ceyla Pazarbasioglu is Director of the Strategy, Policy, and Review Department (SPR) of the IMF. In this capacity, she leads the work on the IMF’s strategic direction and the design, implementation, and evaluation of Fund policies. Ms. Pazarbasioglu previously served as Vice President at the World Bank Group.

 

The panel moderator, Dr. Anita Zaidi, is the President of Gender Equality at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr. Zaidi is overseeing a division comprised of the Foundation’s Gender Equality program team and Gender Program Advocacy and Communications team.

 

The webinar will be livestreamed on SBP official Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/StateBankPakistan/ 

A December like No Other - Huawei Giving December Kicks off in Pakistan

This fascinating extravaganza of free-gifts and rewards for the purchasers begins on Saturday, 12^th December 2020, to continue till Sunday, 20^th December, 2020.

The December festivities are upon us and while everyone is heading into the winter holidays spirit, Huawei has something exciting in store for its fans. For all their beloved phones such as; HUAWEI Nova 7i, HUAWEI Y9a, HUAWEI Y7a, HUAWEI Y8p and HUAWEI Y6p, people can get a guaranteed surprise gift*. This gives an option to choose from your most favourite device, whether it was the most searched HUAWEI Y9a, the fan favourite and most stylish Nova 7i, the superfast and powerful Y7a, the 48MP camera powerhouse Y8p or the youth centric Y6p.

During this “Huawei Giving December” campaign, consumers purchasing Huawei’s top selling smartphones will get delightful surprises and valuable gifts including; high-quality headphones, water-bottles, speakers and table-lamps, etc.

This campaign includes some of Huawei’s most feature rich devices that are easy on the pocket. Inheriting blistering performance, trendy designs and handy functions are characteristics of the Y series. The HUAWEI Y8p boasts a high-definition OLED screen, which represents a major enhancement over its predecessors. Despite its sleek, slender body, it manages to pack a powerful, AI-bolstered 48MP triple AI camera system and 4,000 mAh battery. While the HUAWEI Y7a promises incredible charging speeds, a long lasting battery, a stellar 48MP Quad camera and a massive storage. Meanwhile, HUAWEI Y9a offers a sleek design, powerful performance and good value for money - housing a 64MP Quad Camera which packs-in Huawei’s market-leading smartphone camera technology and the Halo Ring Design makes sure you stand out in more ways than one. On the other hand, the Nova Series has been highly anticipated in Pakistan. This year’s Nova 7i offers a wide range of innovative features for multi-tasking and immersive gaming. It is one of the most complete devices by the company that ticks all the right boxes – design, camera, processor, charging etc.

Being the most popular technology brand in Pakistan, all these revolutionary products reflect Huawei’s deep understanding of the evolving digital needs of the modern-day consumers, enhancing their performance with perpetual digital connectivity, on the go. In a fast-paced lifestyle, thy must engage globally, expressing and sharing their ideas, creativity, memories and experiences with the world.

*Limited stock only.

Contracts between public and private sectors operate with a ‘trust deficit’

ACCA’s global survey about public procurement reveals South Asia respondents want polices that give transparency to the public 

 

Governments around the world have faced challenges with public procurement due to the COVID-19 crisis, testing their ability and capacity to react quickly and efficiently to deliver life-saving goods and services to the public, asserts a new research report from ACCA (the Association of Chartered Accountants) New Models of Public Procurement: A Tool For Sustainable Recovery.

 

Surveying finance professionals from both the public and private sector in over 90 markets including South Asia, ACCA’s research identifies a trust deficit between public sector buyers and private sector suppliers. Globally, only 41 per cent of private sector respondents believe the public sector can be trusted to uphold its side of the deal, compared with 60 per cent of public sector respondents stating they trust their private sector counterparts.

 

According to the 136 respondents across South Asia, including Pakistan, the top three challenges faced are bribery and corruption (81 per cent); underdeveloped e-Procurement systems (45 per cent) and poor payment practices by government (41 per cent). Findings also reveal that just 22 per cent of South Asia respondents said the quality of public services was good, compared with 77 per cent in the Middle East and 65 per cent of respondents in North America and Europe.

 

When asked about policy objectives for evaluating public procurement, fair dealing with all bidders and suppliers was viewed as important (63 per cent), followed by transparency to the public (62 per cent) and promoting ethical practices (57 per cent).

 

And to cope with the post COVID-19 recovery, 62 per cent said that governments should introduce procurement strategies that increase transparency in the bid selection process, with 61 per cent saying better digital solutions are needed for the whole procurement cycle and 54 per cent want to see more innovative approaches to public service delivery. 

 

Sajjeed Aslam, head of ACCA Pakistan, says: ‘Our report calls for procurement modernisation, with audits commonplace in all public procurement procedures, beginning as early as possible in the bid process to reduce the likelihood of corruption, while ensuring that the auditors remain independent during the process. Due to COVID-19 turbulence, another key recommendation is to use public procurement as an opportunity to keep businesses – in particular, SMEs – afloat by publishing contracts early on centralised, open databases that are accessible to all.’

 

Rachel Bleetman, ACCA’s Public Sector Policy and Research Manager, and co-author of the report says: ‘There’s a growing need to ensure that public spending during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic is not only made more efficient and cost-effective, but that it’s used as an opportunity to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time - environmental catastrophe, rising social inequalities, ending corruption and meeting the needs for life-saving procurement.’

 

Alex Metcalfe, ACCA’s Head of Public Sector and report co-author adds: ‘Corruption costs the public sector significant sums of money every year and can create feelings of mistrust towards governments. So the role for finance professionals in helping to make, monitor and evaluate these changes is significant and, as this report demonstrates, the global finance profession is needed now more than ever to help transform how the public sector responds to the crisis.’

 

Rachel Bleetman concludes: ‘Across South Asia and on the global stage, there’s room for optimism here as the reforms we recommend around eliminating bribery and corruption, competition and the buyer–supplier relationship, modernisation and COVID-19 and the public procurement ‘need for speed’ will all make for stronger public procurement, which is an essential part of public sector spending that, until now, has received relatively little attention. Now’s the time for change, as history has long taught us that, out of crises, new opportunities can emerge.’

Huawei's Mate series elevates the flagship smartphone segment

With constant evolutions in design, performance and videography that are depicted in the new HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro

 

Huawei’s Mate series has a reputation in the smartphone industry for being amongst the ones that constantly step up what smartphones can and are supposed to do. The newly launched HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro continues down this path bringing to the table innovative features and striking design elements that elevate the user experience. With a strong focus on 5G performance, trend-setting design ethos and smartphone videography, the HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro encompasses the spirit of Huawei innovative streak and commitment to provide users with everything they would want and more. All of this is powered by its large scale investments in R&D, 15.3% of total revenue in 2019 alone to be exact.

 

Huawei is a force in the field of 5G, heavily investing in developing the technology. Further attributing to this is the fact that Huawei currently holds more than 20% of all 5G standard-essential patents and more than 21,000 contributions, the highest in the industry. The newly launched HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro is an example of this, evident by the Kirin 9000 5G SoC that it houses. The world’s first 5nm 5G chipset, the Kirin 9000 is an embodiment of Huawei’s 5G prowess, boasting to be one of the most sophisticated chipsets available for powerful and efficient performance along with enhanced graphics and smart AI capabilities.

 

Another area of Huawei’s expertise has always been in smartphone design, with each iteration simply looking better. The HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro continues with this trend thanks to its iconic Space Ring design with its unique colorways of Mystic Silver and Black. This is then complemented upfront with the ultra-curved HUAWEI Horizon Display, which curves at 88 degrees allowing for a completely borderless and futuristic viewing experience. By curving the display to this extent, Huawei also gives users the option to use the volume rockers either with the physical buttons or virtual ones that can be customized.

 

The HUAWEI Mate series has seen every iteration be favorites among users when it comes to videography or photography and this aspect continues with the HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro: its Ultra Vision Cine Camera Setup it paves the way when it comes to videography for some truly innovative features, such as real time HDR videos, Steady shots, Tracking shots, Story Mode and more, each designed to give a videographer all the tools they would need to shoot. On the other hand, the front cameras is perfect for the digital content creators and vloggers in today’s social media era, giving them options of 4K video recording with XD Fusion HDR along with a dual 100-degree field of view.

 

The HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro also makes a quantum leap in terms of charging speeds, with 66W wired HUAWEI SuperCharge and 50W Wireless HUAWEI SuperCharge. It also comes with a 4400mAh battery which promises top-notch power efficiency and long-lasting 5G performance.

 

The new flagship plays role in the brand’s Seamless AI Life strategy under the 1+8+n concept to act as the entry point to the ecosystem. This concept revolves around collaborative innovations and aims to deliver more connected hardware and software experiences. This enables features like Multi-Screen Collaboration where users can operate multiple devices at once, for a more connected experience with PCs and smartphones. Users can also run up to three different apps at the same time with floating windows thanks to the Multi-Window feature to further enhance the productivity experience.

 

The HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro is equipped with the Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) for a smarter, richer, more convenient and secure smartphone experience. It is also preinstalled with HUAWEI AppGallery and the Petal Search widget that acts as a gateway to over a million apps. Additionally, smart interaction features revolutionizing how users interact with their smartphone by swiping their hand in the air or hovering their hand over the phone to control it.

 

Evolution along a smartphone lineup boils down to a never-ending commitment for innovation and to deliver the very best to consumers, be it in terms of performance, design or even videography. Huawei heavily builds on this across its product lineup and the HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro, is no exception to this ideal.

ACCA publishes its commitments to delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals

The UN Secretary General declared 2020 to be the year to mobilise for a “decade of action” to deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Today, ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) announces its contribution to this global ambition by publishing its own commitments to the delivery of the SDGs.

 

ACCA recognises the importance of all 17 interconnected SDGs, and asserts that its commitments demonstrate that ACCA and its community can make the most significant contribution towards nine of them. These include offering access to a quality finance and accountancy education that is free from artificial barriers, becoming Net Zero by 2030, and working in partnership to build an inclusive global profession that supports the development of ethical, sustainable and successful businesses and economies.

 

Helen Brand OBE, chief executive of ACCA says: ‘Setting out our commitments is an important and necessary step in ensuring ACCA and its community plays a key role in the transformational change business and society needs to see over the next decade. Publishing them brings transparency and accountability to our work and is a logical progression for an organisation that has a proud history of championing sustainability. Our purpose, values and strategy to 2025 already align closely to the SDGs, and this latest development shows our whole-hearted commitment to delivering on them, reporting on them annually and engaging with appropriate partners to help us do this.’

 

Jimmy Greer, head of ACCA sustainability adds: ‘We have a clear rationale for each commitment, with a framework of measures to drive the delivery of our commitments. This measurement is important, and it complements our ongoing advocacy in this critically important area. We plan to keep “walking the talk” when it comes to sustainability. Our commitments are a work in progress, which we can build, evolve and unite around. Finally, we recognise that delivering the SDGS cannot be done alone. It is a massive global effort and ACCA is intent on continuing to play its part.’

 

ACCA’s commitments and the relevant SDGS are:

Commitment UN SDG link

Commitment	UN SDG link
We will offer access to a quality finance and accountancy education that is free from artificial barriers.	UN SDG 4: Quality education
We will promote gender equality across our global community and achieve gender equality across our employee population.	UN SDG 5: Gender equality
We will support our community to progress in their careers so they can actively contribute to sustainable economic growth.	UN SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth
We will empower our community so they can support organisations to be ethical, sustainable, successful and able to participate in the global economy.	UN SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
We will advocate for inclusion, diversity and social mobility within, and on behalf of, our community, and ensure ACCA is a fair and inclusive place to work.	UN SDG 10: Reduced inequalities
We will promote sustainable practices and reporting, working with our community and our employees to reduce the consumption of resources.	UN SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production
We will embed green finance in our qualifications and learning products to improve capability across the profession for climate action. We will advise and support governments and regulators to develop and adopt the regulations and reporting practices needed to transition to a Net Zero carbon economy. At ACCA, we’re committing to becoming Net Zero by 2030.	UN SDG 13: Climate action
We will promote and adhere to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and ethics.	UN SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
We will work in partnership to build an inclusive global profession that supports the development of ethical, sustainable and successful businesses and economies.	UN SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

HUAWEI Nova 7i and HUAWEI Y9a Come with a HUAWEI Band 4 Exclusively on the Blessed Friday Sale Online

To buy now, visit the Huawei Flagship Store at Daraz.pk and avail this amazing package during the Blessed Friday Sale

Fitness and smartness go hand-in-hand, which is why Huawei has brought an amazing Blessed Friday Sale. This exclusive sale is bringing Huawei’s bestsellers HUAWEI Nova 7i and HUAWEI Y9a to Daraz.pk where people can get a HUAWEI Band 4 along with the purchase of any of the two phones. The Blessed Friday Sale runs from 26 November to 30 November, 2020 on the Huawei Flagship Store on Daraz.pk, so head over there to buy this amazing deal.

This year’s hottest seller, the HUAWEI Nova 7i is available on Daraz.pk at the new price tag of PKR 41,999/- along with the HUAWEI Band 4. Moreover, the HUAWEI Y9a will be sold on Daraz.pk at an irresistible price of PKR 43,999/- coupled with a free HUAWEI Band 4.

HUAWEI Nova 7i was the Midrange King since its launch, enriched with a few innovative firsts in its price segment. It boasted the best-in-class Hi-Silicon Kirin 810 (7nm) Octa Core processor, 40W blazing-fast HUAWEI SuperCharge and a spectacular AI Quad Camera with a 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP setup. These ground-breaking features ensure swift multi-tasking and immersive gaming, while its powerful camera coupled with a 16MP front camera provides greater opportunities for creative expressions, remarkable imaging and videos. A vivid 6.3 inch display and a massive 8GB + 128GB memory makes it the best choice in this price range powered by a 4,200mAh battery.

HUAWEI Y9a is also one of the best devices in this category, enriched with the ‘Petal Search’ feature to offer more than a million apps straight to the device. It delivers fascinating experiences for consumers and flagship specs like; 64MP Hi-Res Quad-Camera, 8GB RAM and 128GB storage and a 40W HUAWEI SuperCharge.

The revolutionary camera on HUAWEI Y9a captures with vivid clarity with EIS anti-shake technology and countless other features. A selfie pop-up camera on the front has an enhanced 16MP lens, while the 6.63 inch HUAWEI Ultra FullView Display allows no visual distractions. It enables unmatched multi-tasking, video-browsing and high performance, with immersive gaming experiences. The 4,200mAh battery gets 70% charge-up with only a 30-minutes charging session.

Both these devices come with the HUAWEI AppGallery for fascinating functionality, promising easier access to a whole new world of digital solutions to multiply your productivity.

The Blessed Friday Sale kicks off from 26 November exclusively on the Huawei Flagship Store on Daraz.pk, inspiring the same excitement amongst consumers that is truly synonymous with Huawei.

For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/2V1td0l

Quad camera for poster-level photography and a massive storage! – The HUAWEI Y7a is Here to Stay

 Here are five reasons why we think you should get this Midrange Powerhouse

 

Have you ever thought how having a smartphone with incredible charging speed, long lasting battery and a stellar Quad camera setup feels? Especially one that does not break the bank. Huawei announced the launch of a new smartphone to its popular and loved entry-level HUAWEI Y series, the HUAWEI Y7a. This latest iteration comes with an array of cool features that make your daily life so much fun. The HUAWEI Y7a is up for grabs at a starting price of PKR 35,999/- only!

 

Long lasting power with HUAWEI SuperCharge

Worried your phone is going to run out of battery power when you are out and about? The HUAWEI Y7a has a massive 5000 mAh battery that can last for a long time even when using the camera or gaming or web browsing. But hold on, what if you have to be stuck at home charging this massive battery? Never mind that, because you can swiftly charge it back up with the 22.5W HUAWEI SuperCharge technology, With just 10 minutes of charging, it can last for a remarkable two hours of uninterrupted video playback . Moreover, Coupled with Huawei’s AI power saving technology, the HUAWEI Y7a intelligently manages power ensuring you always have power for all your gameplay, movies and more!

 

Explore your artistic side with the 48MP AI Quad Camera

The HUAWEI Y7a comes with an AI Quad Camera setup, which comprises of a 48MP Main Camera for taking clear photos and recording brisk and limpid videos anytime of the day. An 8MP 120o Ultra-Wide Angle Camera for taking group photos without having to leave anyone out of the photo frame or beautiful landscape shots while picnicking. A 2MP Macro Camera for capturing tiny details from up-close and a 2MP Depth Camera that adds artistic Bokeh effects to your photos. Each camera is designed for a specific function, but together, they work seamlessly to deliver standout results in various shooting scenarios for poster-like quality! The HUAWEI Y7a does not only excel in daylight but it also produces some magnificent night shots, thanks to its high sensitivity sensor and AI capability. Under Night mode, the smartphone uses AI algorithms to achieve multi-frame noise reduction that produces bright photos in improved clarity.

 

HUAWEI Y7a helps you discover your unique beauty and record treasured moments in clear detail thanks to the 8MP selfie camera with AI beauty support. If you happen to be out camping with your family at night, the Circular Flash will be activated automatically which provides better lighting for stunning selfies/groupfies.

 

A shimmering display that attracts the eyes

The HUAWEI Y7a dazzles you at first sight from the 6.67-inh FHD+ display to its overall body and colours. This brilliant display has a resolution of 2400 x 1080 and a screen-to-body-ratio of 90%. Everything you watch on the HUAWEI Y7a will be an immersive experience whether you are watching the latest episode of your favourite show, or your favourite team taking on their rivals in a local derby match or even playing your preferred game. The HUAWEI Y7a will also catch the attention of those who see it with its three eye-catching colour variants: Crush Green, Blush Gold and Midnight Black

 

Enough space for all you media, entertainment and gaming

Lots of memories to save, loads of moments to cherish! All the videos, photos, games, and apps you are going to download, run and store need ample space - we know that! The HUAWEI Y7a comes with 4GB RAM for smooth processing plus a large 128GB internal storage, which can be extended up to 512GB with an external Micro SD Card for silky smooth gaming.

 

HUAWEI Y7a runs on EMUI 10.1, which is based on Android 10. The user interface comes with a bunch of innovative features such as an upgraded Game assistant, which provides you with an enhanced gaming experience. In addition to Knuckle Screenshot gestures, Smart Puzzle, Histen 6.1 and more!

 

If you are looking for your favourite Apps to download you can get them on Huawei’s official app marketplace, HUAWEI AppGallery - the third largest app marketplace in the world. The HUAWEI AppGallery lets users download a wide selection of global and local apps, as well as quality entertainment media on HUAWEI Video, HUAWEI Music and HUAWEI Reader. You can choose to download your favourite apps from Petal Search, a new search tool that is available for download via HUAWEI AppGallery. This new search tool offers Huawei users an open gateway to a million apps, a place where you can get all the apps you are looking for!

 

Available in three natural colour variations: Crush Green, Blush Gold and Midnight Black, HUAWEI Y7a is currently available for PKR 35,999/- only. For more information, please visit: https://consumer.huawei.com/pk/phones/y7a/

Pakistani student scores world’s highest marks in an ACCA exam

Muhammad Abdullah, a young Pakistani student from Lahore has been declared the global prize winner by ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) for scoring the highest marks among all ACCA students globally who appeared in its Strategic Business Reporting (SBR) paper in September 2020 exam session.  

 

ACCA has a strong global presence with over 527,000 students in 179 countries currently pursuing its qualifications that rigorously test the skills, abilities and competencies that a modern-day accountant needs, with a firm grounding in ethics and professionalism. The ACCA Qualification prepares students for a rewarding global career as a qualified and ethical finance professional.

 

The excellent exam performance of Pakistani youth in ACCA’s competitive exams is another reminder that with right support and a platform, Pakistan’s youth can truly put the country on the global map for talent, innovation and professional excellence.

 

It’s also an indication that the country is fast becoming a global source for future-ready business professionals who can compete with professionals around the world, build rewarding careers overseas or help realise Pakistan’s potential of becoming a preferred destination for global outsourcing encouraging global businesses to invest in setting up their back office operations in Pakistan and create employment opportunities for our youth who have global qualifications and repute.    

 

Muhammad Abdullah is a resident of Lahore’s Rajgarh locality and has done all his early schooling from Lahore’s Saint Anthony’s School. He then took admission at the famous Government College University Lahore and passed his FSc – Pre-engineering with an impressive overall score of 92%.

 

His father is also a professional accountant and is happy to see his son following in his footsteps and pursuing a career in accounting and finance. His mother, who played a key role in infusing the spirit of a fighter in him, has a master’s degree in English Literature.

 

Talking about his journey, Abdullah shared, ‘I come from a middle-class family. The middle-class has its own struggles and challenges. There is constant pressure to perform to be competitive and to survive. I feel that this pressure has motivated me to step out of my comfort zone. As a professional in the future, I aim to bring a positive change in the society and work towards empowering youth from underprivileged backgrounds. Having the ACCA qualification will provide me with the necessary skills and vision to do exactly that.’

 

Currently Muhammad Abdullah is studying an ACCA embedded BSc Accounting and Finance programme at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). The ACCA embedded programme at LUMS offers BSc Accounting and Finance students the opportunity to complete the ACCA exams during the course of their undergraduate degree.

 

ACCA has similar programmes at leading universities in Pakistan, such as National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi, and Institute of Business Management (IoBM), allowing students to gain two qualifications at the same, i.e. university degree and ACCA’s professional qualification.

 

Discussing the disruption caused by Covid-19, Abdullah said, ‘Quarantine period due to Covid-19 gave me time to focus solely on my studies and exam preparation. Had the pandemic not happened, I don’t think I would have been able to achieve this milestone. What I mean to say is that every challenge we face in our lives brings a new set of opportunities for us that when taken with both hands can help us to stand out and achieve extraordinarily.’

 

‘My message for the country’s youth is to never underestimate or limit your potential. With dedication we can achieve anything and compete against everyone. And I see this success as just a beginning of a great career journey that awaits everyone with ambition, talent and courage!’

 

‘Accountancy is a great career to be in, a professional accountant can thrive in any sector or industry, and with ACCA’s global recognition, it’s your global passport to build a rewarding international career. For youngsters like me, ACCA has opened access to world-class qualification that we can complete without travelling abroad.’

 

In addition to global acclaim and exciting career prospects, all ACCA’s global position holders will also receive a certificate and cash prize from ACCA.

Covid-19 poses new ethical challenges for professional accountants

ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) has launched its white paper ‘Ethics in a Covid-19 world’ exploring the role of ethics against the backdrop of the pandemic. This is part of ACCA’s focus on how we can, globally, rethink business for a sustainable recovery.

 

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to the most challenging environment any of us have experienced in modern times. And while businesses recover, professional accountants are faced with new and intense ethical dilemmas, which require them to exercise all their professional expertise and moral judgement.

 

The paper reveals one in five respondents has directly or indirectly, via a work colleague, encountered a situation where as a result of Covid-19, ethics were at risk of compromise.  Among those who had experienced such compromise, a quarter of issues related to the use of technology.

 

The report author, Narayanan Vaidyanathan, ACCA’s head of business futures says: ‘For accountancy and finance professionals, ethics has always been at the core of the profession but in times of pressure, it is all the more important. Ethics isn’t a new agenda for accountants, but Covid-19 certainly has created new challenges, which can create the risk of compromise to ethical behaviour.

 

‘While everyone is responsible for ethics, leaders have a key role to play because tone from the top really matters. Organisations look to their leaders to demonstrate authentically ethical, values-based leadership and transparency – doing so creates a cascading positive effect through the organisation.’

Huawei Launches Mega 11.11 Sale for its Devices Exclusively on Daraz.pk

You’re just a click away from purchasing some of Huawei’s bestselling devices available at the best discounted prices

 

Huawei Mobile is offering huge discounts on its wide range of innovative smartphones available at Daraz.pk, where the annual 11.11 ‘Super Sale’ is being launched from 11^th November to 17^th November, 2020. During this fascinating extravaganza, a wide range of world renowned Huawei devices can be purchased at unbelievable prices, along with very attractive package deals including a discount of PKR 3000/- on HUAWEI Y9a along with a FREE HUAWEI Band 4 and a fabulous saving of PKR 10,000/- on the HUAWEI Y8p.

The HUAWEI Y9a features many flagship specs like a 40W HUAWEI SuperCharge, 64MP Quad AI Camera, 6.63" HUAWEI Ultra FullView Display, 8GB RAM and 128GB storage - all amid an eye catching design which is an adoption of the Halo Ring design from the flagship HUAWEI Mate 30 Series. HUAWEI Y8p on the other hand brings to the segment a 48MP AI Triple Camera, powerful performance and a stunning display. The setup consists of 48MP main camera, 8MP Ultra-Wide angle camera and a 2MP depth camera for bokeh effects. The Y8p is available in Breathing Crystal and Midnight Black whereas the Y9a comes in three colours of Space Silver, Sakura Pink and Midnight Black for you to choose the best way to express yourself.

Huawei’s many powerful devices are being offered exclusively on Daraz.pk, at the most unbelievable discounts, to commemorate the global event of Black Friday, This exclusive offer also includes the HUAWEI Y7p on which one can save PKR 2,280/- and anyone purchasing a HUAWEI Nova 7i smartphone will get a valuable discount of PKR 1,600/-. During this week-long offer on Daraz.pk, the consumers can also save PKR 800/- on buying the HUAWEI Y6p.

Huawei Mobile – the global leader and innovator in telecommunication technologies, is committed to go beyond the consumers’ expectations, enabling every segment to save more while adopting the most advanced technologies to elevate their digital lifestyle. So, hurry up! Visit daraz.pk and get your favourite Huawei smartphones at the most attractive prices.

Additionally, as one of the top three app marketplace globally, HUAWEI AppGallery continues to bring together popular global and local apps to over 500 million monthly active users. While the Petal Search Widget offers search capabilities across more than 20 categories, including apps, news, videos, images, shopping, flights, and local business. It also develops and integrates various tools, such as weather, calculator, rate exchange and even paper query to help user easily obtain daily-used information.

Bookme launches exciting 11/11 offers!

11/11 - The day of discounted deals everywhere! Bookme.pk, Pakistan’s leading e-ticketing platform is offering FLAT 1000 PKR OFF on all Serene Air tickets! Bookme.pk is known to take care of all your travel needs. If you’re worried about the price hike in airline tickets for domestic travel, this offer is for you! This deal is valid till the end of November.

 

In addition to this, Bookme.pk is also offering FLAT 25% OFF on Hotel Booking, a discount that is actually very beneficial for the domestic tourism industry these days. This offer is valid for the entire month, not just on 11/11!

 

Moreover, the Bookme.pk team has upgraded their application with more games and exclusive discounts. The new update introduces promo credits on the app, to make sure you get discounts on everything you purchase! There are many ways to win these credits:

 

• You can Spin the Wheel and win numerous credits which can be used to make purchases throughout the app!

• They’ve also launched another game on the app - Flip & Win. You can tap on the cards to flip them and win promo credits.
• Shaking your mobile device also gives you promo credits!

 

Bookme.pk also makes sure that frequent users of the app keep winning promo credits and discounted deals. The more you use the app, the more credits you get! Look out for surprise pop ups and keep winning promo credits!

Download the app now: https://bookme.pk/u/rSKbM5

PSDF and Coursera launch free international online learning courses

PSDF, the largest skills development fund in Pakistan (funded by FCDO and the Government of Punjab), has partnered with Coursera, one of the world’s leading online learning platforms, to offer globally recognized courses, free of cost for our youth. The partnership was announced during Coursera CEO’s Global Keynote at the Coursera virtual conference.

While online learning is a relatively new phenomenon in Pakistan, amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic, interest and necessity have jointly dictated the shift to online learning particularly for school, colleges and universities. Internet penetration, growing cellular subscribers have facilitated the uptake of online learning, providing access to the world’s best education, and promoting inclusion in learning.

PSDF’s partnership with Coursera taps into this potential, offering a wide variety of courses in market relevant fields, and are particularly geared towards enhancing career advancement, increasing income avenues, and promoting self-employment.

The courses currently offered through PSDF, are 4-months long, and are in the fields of Digital Marketing (for learning SEO, Social Media Marketing and Marketing Analytics), IT (ranging from APP development to coding languages of JAVA & PYTHON), to Finance (Financial Accounting Fundamentals). Through PSDF, these courses will be offered free of cost to the youth that need them the most, with PSDF further incentivizing upskilling with a stipend of PKR 6,000 to be received upon completion of the course.

Every course on Coursera is taught by top instructors from 190 world-class universities and organizations (University of Virginia, UCDavis, Google, IBM etc.) with over 40+ Million learners till date. Learners can take advantage of learning at their own pace through on-demand video lectures, homework exercises, and community discussion forums. After completion of their respective courses, 85% Coursera learners reported gaining more confidence at work, and 87% reported improved team performance.

Speaking on occasion of the launch of the partnership, CEO PSDF, Mr. Jawad Khan expressed the importance of online learning for youth to gain marketable skills for the 21^st century: “As we navigate our way out of the global Coronavirus pandemic, digital preparedness and online learning have become the need of the hour. PSDF has once again been ahead of the curve, bringing Coursera to Pakistan, on such a large scale, bringing world class learning opportunities to the homes of millions of Pakistani students and workers. We’re looking forward to taking this partnership ahead, to create real and tangible impact for our youth”.

Encouraging youth to take full advantage of the opportunity, Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO at Coursera said: “We’re really excited to be partnering with PSDF, the largest skills development fund in Pakistan, to empower the young men and women in Pakistan to develop their potential with online learning. The COVID-19 pandemic has harmed economies and livelihoods, but even as we work and learn from home, online learning has become more accessible and powerful than ever. Our partnership with PSDF provides the opportunity for everyone to access free training to upskill and give themselves an edge in the local and global labour markets.”

The PSDF and Coursera partnership has thus officially been launched and will be available for free for poor and vulnerable youth in the country. The courses are accessible through learn.psdf.org.pk. Seats are limited, so applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to kickstart their career, upgrade their skills and discover new income avenues.