Day: December 16, 2021

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Saudi Ambassador stresses for promoting Arabic language to keep Ummah together

Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Nawaf Bin Saeed Al Malki has stressed for promoting Arabic language to keep Ummah together.

He was addressing a two-day international conference on “Socio-Historical Role of Fictional Narratives in the Development of Arabic Literature” at National University of Modern Languages Islamabad today [Thursday].

The Ambassador said learning Arabic will give more understanding of Islam as it is the source of communication among Arabs states for 1500 years.

He said that Arabic is very vast language and learning this language will connect to the brotherhood and unity among Ummah.

The Ambassador appreciated the role of NUML in promotion of Arabic language and thanked Rector NUML for organizing such a knowledgeable conference.

Source: Radio Pakistan

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A High level meeting held to review progress on Gwadar development projects

A High level meeting to review progress on Gwadar development projects was held in Gwadar today (Thursday) with Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo in the chair.

The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Zubeida Jalal and Asad Umar along with Advisor to the Prime Minister on CPEC, Khalid Mansoor.

Chairman Gwadar Port Authority Naseer Kashani and DG Gwadar Development Authority, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman briefed the meeting on the ongoing development projects in Gwadar.

The meeting also reviewed the establishment of Gwadar University, Gwadar Cadet College, Vocational Training Center, supply of clean drinking water and other issues.

Source: Radio Pakistan

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PAJCCI Efforts Yield Result as Afghanistan Decreases Tariff on Pakistani Citrus

The Afghan administration has revised the tariff on Pakistani citrus, giving relief to the fruits traders from the two countries.

The tariff has declined from Rs. 33 per kilogram (kg) to Rs. 10 per kg.

The development has taken place as a result of relentless efforts by the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) on both sides of the border.

The step to rationalize the tariff positively will impact both sides, as it will generate much-needed revenue, especially for Afghanistan amid the prevailing financial crisis and absence of a formal banking system.

Such steps must be continually taken in order to sustain stable economic activity.

Chairman PAJCCI Zubair Motiwala appreciated the concentrated efforts of Vice-President Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Khan Jan Alokozai, who along with Afghan Union of Fresh Fruit traders met with Afghan Minister for Industry and Commerce and officials of the Ministry of Finance to solicit the support of Afghan administration in giving relief to the traders.

It is to note that PAJCCI held last week a meeting of the stakeholders with Sargodha Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss the issue of held citrus consignments and the high tariff impacting the trade and to bring it to the limelight for an immediate resolution and, thus, save businesses from loss. President Sargodha Chamber of Commerce and Industry Shoaib Ahmed Basra had lauded the role of PAJCCI and its Chairman Zubair Motiwala for bringing all stakeholders for negotiations.

In his remarks, Motiwala stated that PAJCCI was committed to not only raising concerns but also coming up with practical solutions on the ground in both countries. He added that PAJCCI would continue taking the voice of the business community to the authorities concerned.

He requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to take notice of the recent State bank of Pakistan’s notification regarding the removal of the cash-on-counter facility. He said it cast terrible impacts on transacting with both Afghanistan and CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] countries. He regretted that the consignments of raw cotton being imported from Afghanistan and transited from Central Asian Republics were stuck on the border due to persisting banking problems.

Source: Pro Pakistani

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Transparency Int’l Requests Sindh Govt to Examine Allegations of Misappropriation in Karachi’s K-IV Project

Transparency International (TI) Pakistan, an anti-corruption watchdog, has urged the Government of Sindh to address the issue of an alleged loss of Rs. 136 billion in the Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme, commonly known as the K-IV project.

In a formal letter addressed to the Office of the Chief Minister of Sindh, TI Pakistan has requested the Sindh government to aptly examine the aforesaid allegations and consider reconvening a technical committee in this regard.

According to the letter, TI Pakistan received a complaint regarding the alleged loss in the K-IV project due to a design change, adding “84 inches steel pipe to carry water, to benefit pipe suppliers, resulting in [an] increase in cost from Rs. 45 billion to over Rs. 191 billion, which is more than the Contract Cost of Rs. 183.5 billion of Mohmand Dam awarded by WAPDA”.

In its observations, TI Pakistan said it had informed the Chief Minister of Sindh vide letter dated 8 June 2021, “about efforts of introducing Steel Pipe in K-IV”. The watchdog stated,

In the interest of completing K-IV Water Supply Project to provide 260 MGD extra water for Karachi, along with 300% saving of additional cost, TI-P strongly believes that the GoS Technical Committee recommendations of March 2020, developed as a result of deliberations on the NESPAK Design Review Report, should be adopted without delay.

TI Pakistan has urged the Sindh government to maintain the existing route/alignment for the K-IV project and allow groundwork to resume once all modifications “suggested by the Technical Committee are finalized”. It remarked, “[the] Government of Sindh needs to approve [the] implementation of 260 MGD of K-IV project as envisaged and planned earlier, preferably adopting Option-I, referred in March 2020 report, in view of its advantages & early completion of the Project.”

The government should reconsider reconvening the Technical Committee on 30 October 2019 to examine the K-IV project and review the design change which allegedly increased its cost by almost 400 percent, it emphasized.

In retrospect, the multibillion-rupee project to address the water needs of the residents of Karachi remains a faraway dream, even after more than 10 years since its formal inauguration in 2011. The construction has been delayed due to various factors, raising the estimated cost to Rs. 150 billion.

Regardless, the construction will begin in the next few months and is expected to be completed by October 2023.

Source: Pro Pakistani

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Large Scale Manufacturing Grows By Modest 3.56% in July-Oct FY22

The Large Scale Manufacturing Industries (LSMI) output increased by 3.56 percent in the first four months (July-October) of the current fiscal year 2021-22 compared to the same period of last fiscal year, as almost all major manufacturing sectors posted growth, the data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed on Thursday.

According to the provisional Quantum Index numbers of the Large Scale Manufacturing Industries (QIM), the LSMI output decreased by 1.19 percent for October 2021 compared to October 2020 and increased by 1.86 percent compared to September 2021.

The LSM data released by the PBS, after collecting it from the Provincial Bureau of Statistics (BOS), the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC), and the Ministry of Industries, showed that the OCAC recorded month-on-month growth of 9.82 percent in October 2021 against the previous month and 14.75 percent growth was recorded year-on-year in October 2021 against October 2020.

The data showed that the Ministry of Industries-related sectors witnessed a growth of 3.08 percent in October 2021 against September 2021 on an MoM basis while year-on-year basis, it registered a negative growth of 1.21 percent in October 2021 compared to the same month in 2020.

The PBS data said that the LSM-related data to the BOS month-on-month witnessed a decline of 2.57 percent in October 2021 against the previous month, and on a YoY basis, the BOS witnessed a negative growth of 4.33 percent in October 2021 against October 2020.

The production in July-October 2021-22 compared to July-October 2020-21 has increased in textile, food, beverages and tobacco, pharmaceuticals, cook and petroleum products, chemicals, automobiles, iron and steel products, paper and board, leather products, engineering products, and wood products, while it decreased in non-metallic mineral products, fertilizers, electronics, and rubber products.

Textile, the top contributing sector to the overall large industry output, increased by 0.91 percent, food, beverages, and tobacco 5.15 percent, cook and petroleum products 7.33 percent, pharmaceuticals 6.55 percent, chemicals 3.14 percent, automobiles 37.91 percent, iron and steel products 11.62 percent, leather products 10.49 percent, engineering products 0.81 percent, paper, and board 9.39 percent and wood products 6.56 percent during July-October 2021-22 compared to the same period of 2020-21.

The sectors registering a decline during July-October 2021-22 compared to July-October 2020-21 included non-metallic mineral products 2.66 percent, fertilizers 7.23 percent, electronics 10.92 percent, and rubber products 32.23 percent.

The petroleum products on year-on-year witnessed growth of 7.33 percent as its output increased from 4.644 billion liters in July-October 2020-21 to 4.984 billion liters in July-October 2021-22.

High-speed diesel witnessed 4.98 percent growth in July-October 2021-22 and remained 1.958 billion liters compared to 1.865 billion liters during the same period last year.

Furnace oil witnessed 0.62 percent negative growth in July-October 2021-22 and remained 906.613 million liters compared to 912.290 million liters during the same period last year.

Motor spirit witnessed a growth of 8.58 percent in July-October 2021-22 and remained 1.175 billion liters compared to 1.082 billion liters during the same period last year.

The LPG witnessed 11.62 percent growth in July-October 2021-22 and remained 305.806 million liters compared to 273.969 million liters during the same period last year.

Jet fuel oil witnessed 28.35 percent growth in July-October 2021-22 and remained 232.159 million liters compared to 180.881 million liters during the same period last year.

Kerosene oil witnessed 5.57 percent growth in July-October 2021-22 and remained 48.915 million liters compared to 46.333 million liters during the same period last year.

Sugar production remained zero in July-October 2021-22 and was also zero in July-October last year, as shown by the PBS data. Cement witnessed 2.74 percent negative growth in July-October 2021-22 and remained 15.982 million tonnes compared to 16.433 million tonnes during the same period last year. Tractors witnessed 14.40 percent growth in July-October 2021-22 and remained 17,427 numbers compared to 15,234 during the same period of last year.

Motorcycles witnessed 4.64 percent negative growth in July-October 2021-22 and remained 769,802 compared to 807,230 during the same period last year.

Source: Pro Pakistani