Impending oxygen shortage spooks K-P
When news of acute oxygen shortages started pouring in from the neighbouring country, the Islamic Republic too had to hit the gas on its production capacity. In the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which houses only two oxygen plants, the influx of coronavirus cases meant that the demand was suddenly much higher than the entire region’s production capacity. “A man recently walked in right through our facility’s front door and begged for an oxygen cylinder,” recalled Khalid Afridi, who runs an oxygen production facility in the heart of Peshawar. Per local accounts, total oxygen production across K-P is some 1,500m3/hour, out of which over 120m3/h is produced by Afridi’s unit while around 1400m3/h is produced at another facility near Hattar Industrial Estate. Following the surge of Covid-19 cases in K-P, the province’s eight major hospitals are said to have immediately reported an 83 per cent increase in demand for oxygen.
Source:The Express Tribune
May 07, 2021 06:11 UTC
State Bank reserves fall $830m to $15.6b
The foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank fell 5.05% on a weekly basis, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Thursday. On April 30, the foreign currency reserves held by the SBP were recorded at $15,597.9 million, down $830 million compared with $16,427.8 million in the previous week. According to the central bank, the reserves decreased due to the payment of $1 billion worth of commercial loan, whose impact on SBP’s reserves was partially offset by official inflows. Overall liquid foreign currency reserves held by the country, including net reserves held by banks other than the SBP, stood at $22,742.6 million. Pakistan received the first loan tranche of $991.4 million from the IMF on July 9, 2019, which helped bolster the reserves.
Source:The Express Tribune
May 07, 2021 03:56 UTC
Karachi to tighten restrictions as positivity ratio jumps to 14pc
KARACHI: Karachi’s positivity ratio rose up to 14 per cent, and Sindh is planning on tightening the restrictions on the populace to curb the spread of Covid-19 within the port city. This was stated by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in a statement issued here on Thursday. “People do not understand [gravity] of the situation,” Chief Minister Murad said. A meeting of the Task Force chaired by Chief Minister Murad took stock of the Covid-19 situation and decided to further tighten restrictions to contain the third wave of the virus. The chief minister also directed the health department to start giving vaccines to private hospitals with the direction to administer them free of cost.
Source:Pakistan Today
May 06, 2021 17:26 UTC
JazzCash Business app hits a snag as users fail to sign up, transfer funds
The application, JazzCash Business, was launched two weeks ago in a bid by JazzCash to digitise Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) for payments. The company claims that since the launch of the JazzCash Business app, they received an encouraging response from the users, with downloads running in thousands of the new applications. For instance, if you are already a JazzCash Consumer App user on your phone, you can not sign up for JazzCash Business on the same number. A JazzCash representative simply said that the company could not track transactions of JazzCash and JazzCash Business simultaneously on a single phone number, and one could only register for JazzCash Business on a new number. On the other hand, the JazzCash Business app’s use cases focus on payments for businesses.
Source:Pakistan Today
May 06, 2021 17:03 UTC
Power Division submits plan to tackle rising circular debt, tariff
ISLAMABAD: The Power Division has submitted a comprehensive circular debt management plan to the federal cabinet, recommending to clear Rs435 billion worth principal loan of power plants under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the next 13 years instead of making immediate payments. Circular debt is expected to reach Rs 2587billion till June 2021 despite all governmental actions. Sources said that the federal cabinet, while advising the Power Division to pass on a little burden of the power tariff on the citizens, has directed finance minister and SAPM on Power and Petroleum Tabish Gauhar to submit a final report in this regard within two weeks. “The power tariff for consumers will possibly witness reduction with such measures whereas, coat will be priced at $30 per tonne after witnessing a decrease from $50 to $60 per tonne. More over, the Power Division further recommended that the government should negotiate with the Sindh government for decreasing coal price and change in pricing formula in a bid to end the dollar indexation.
Source:Pakistan Today
May 06, 2021 16:03 UTC
PM Imran's public criticism stirs uproar in Foreign Office
A day after Prime Minister Imran Khan publically castigated Pakistani missions abroad, there is an uproar in the Foreign Office with many diplomats lodged a strong protest with the foreign minister and foreign secretary for "scapegoating" them. Sources confirmed that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday held more than two hours long meeting with senior officials at the Foreign Office after they expressed reservations over the premier’s public criticism. Soon after the PM's public criticism many in the Foreign Office began to approach the foreign minister and foreign secretary to convey their strong reservations. "I can tell you the PM's remarks have demoralised the entire foreign service," a Foreign Office official said while requesting anonymity. Meanwhile, FM Qureshi attempted to placate the Foreign Office officials who protested that they couldn't not be blamed for others' mistake.
Source:The Express Tribune
May 06, 2021 15:18 UTC
CAA to collect outstanding dues on PIA behalf
KARACHI: Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has decided to collect outstanding dues on behalf of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) directly from the carrier’s passengers. The regulator has conveyed its decision to PIA chief finance officer (CFO), it emerged Thursday. The communiqué said that the outstanding dues are worth Rs125 billion and the amount would be collected directly owing to the incumbent financial crunch. The authority would directly collect security charges and embarkation fees and passengers would be issued tokens or receipts for payment. The PIA staffers could only allow passengers to board a plane after verifying that the amount has been paid.
Source:Pakistan Today
May 06, 2021 11:59 UTC
Amazon includes Pakistan in its sellers list
Last year, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) ranked Pakistan 116th in the 152-nations B2C E-commerce Index. “We have finally made it; Amazon will be adding Pakistan to its Sellers’ List within a few days,” Dawood tweeted. “It is a great opportunity for our youth, SMEs and women entrepreneurs… It is an excellent opportunity for our youth, SMEs and women entrepreneurs,” Dawood said. @amazon will be adding Pakistan its Sellers’ List within a few days. “Amazon is a corporate giant and Pakistan being recognised by it will result in exponential economic growth,” Ahmed said.
Source:The Express Tribune
May 06, 2021 10:42 UTC
Enough supplies of Covid-19 vaccine for eligible population: govt
ISLAMABAD: Ministry of National Health Services Director General Rana Safdar on Thursday said that the government has expedited the process of Covid-19 vaccination procurement and a large number of vaccine doses relative to the population was available. He said that all Covid-19 vaccination centres were working in two shifts until midnight. Safdar said that all pharmaceutical companies that want to benefit would have to follow the DRAP mechanism. He also said that the Health Ministry has already started the Covid-19 vaccination for 40 years citizens across the country as per the procedure adopted for other age groups. Rauf said that the drug regulator has developed a clear mechanism for the Covid-19 vaccine for private importers, which is available on its website.
Source:Pakistan Today
May 06, 2021 10:32 UTC
Three things we learned from Chelsea v Real Madrid
Chelsea beat Real Madrid 2-0 to clinch a 3-1 aggregate success in Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg. AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from the Stamford Bridge clash:Since replacing the sacked Frank Lamhttps://tribune.com.pk/story/2298434/chelsea-to-allow-fans-into-board-meetings-after-super-league-rowpard in January, Thomas Tuchel has overseen a remarkable revival in Chelsea's fortunes and this was his finest moment yet. Tuchel arrived at Stamford Bridge with a solid CV after leading Paris Saint-Germain to the French title and last season's Champions League final. After a turbulent first season at Chelsea, Timo Werner finally exorcised his demons with the goal that put Chelsea on course for the final. Eden Hazard helped Chelsea win the Premier League twice in his seven-year spell with the club, but the Real Madrid forward's first return to Stamford Bridge was one to forget.
Source:The Express Tribune
May 06, 2021 08:48 UTC
PCB considers holding remaining PSL matches in UAE
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is considering the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a venue to stage the remainder of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) tournament but the country’s Covid-19 body will take a final call, the governing body said on Thursday. The PCB’s flagship tournament was suspended after 14 games in March after seven individuals, including six players, tested positive for Covid-19. The governing body had said last month that the PSL would resume on June 1 and the remaining 20 games would take place in National Stadium Karachi, with the final on June 20. If it decides that the league should be resumed, we will bio-secure Karachi and all matches would be played there,” a PCB spokesman said. The IPL competition was suspended abruptly this week, triggered by a resurgence of the pandemic in India.
Source:Pakistan Today
May 06, 2021 07:52 UTC
SECP registers 186pc growth in new registrations with digitalisation
ISLAMABAD: Digitalisation has led to extraordinary growth of 186 per cent in incorporation of new companies in April 2021. The SECP, in April has registered a total 2,185 new companies, raising the total number of registered companies to 141,805. The April incorporation included 67pc private limited companies, 29pc single member companies and the remaining 4pc were public unlisted companies, not for profit associations, trade organisations, foreign companies and limited liability partnerships (LLPs). 736 were registered in Islamabad, followed by 667, 378 and 151 companies registered in Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar, respectively. The CROs in Multan, Faisalabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Quetta and Sukkur registered 131, 48, 48, 23 and 3 companies respectively.
Source:Pakistan Today
May 06, 2021 07:23 UTC
All eyes on NA-249 as recount begins
Read: ECP accepts PML-N's plea, orders recounting in NA-249Background interviews with leaders of both the competing parties reveal that even after the recount, neither party will accept defeat. Recounting beginsAccording to ECP officials, the recounting process will kick off at 9am at the office of the returning officers. As the recounting begins, a senior PML-N leader has said that if the PPP emerges victorious still, his party would approach the ECP for a re-poll. “The PPP welcomes new precedent set by allowing consistency wide recount without specific ps [polling stations] complaints. The NA-249 seat was left vacant after PTI’s Faisal Vawda resigned in March 2021 prior to being elected senator.
Source:The Express Tribune
May 06, 2021 04:07 UTC
The civilised West, Pakistan and the rest
After the rise of the so called ‘Western world’; the rest of the world became the ‘White man’s burden’ to paraphrase Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), an influential English voice of undivided India. The powerful Western world and its US rudder will not tolerate opinions and policies, considered inconsistent with their interests. The civilised West would invest in the elite — the ashhrafiyya — to control most ‘other’ countries without exception. In reality, the overwhelmingly adopted resolution (662 to three with 26 not voting) is to punish Pakistan for anti-France sentiment, drummed up by the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). ‘Double standards’ are a compliment to this motely crowd of bureaucrats, influencers, journalists and leaders from the civilised West… they have no standards or only ‘their standards’.
Source:The Express Tribune
May 06, 2021 03:45 UTC
Dreams of a free and fair election
The election of NA -249 in Karachi where voter turnout was 20 percent; half of the 2018 general election, and the votes of all parties were reduced. Whereas, PPP managed to get more than double the votes it got in 2018 general election, defeating Miftah Ismail of the PML(N). This establishes that the current election system has failed to deliver free and fair elections. An election system has to be established which covers the gaps in the current system. Complete exclusion of factors that pressurize concerned officers and authorities, can also smoothen the election process.
Source:Pakistan Today
May 05, 2021 19:07 UTC