Al Falah and NOWPDP partnership

Bank Alfalah has announced a strategic partnership with the Network of Organisations Working For People With Disabilities Pakistan (NOWPDP), a non-profit organisation, to empower persons with disabilities by creating employment opportunities and promoting financial inclusion in the banking sector, as per a press release.

Under the partnership, Bank Alfalah will fund the running costs of the Centre of Excellence for Financial Inclusion (CEFI) against an amount of Rs4m. The centre’s goal is to improve financial inclusion and literacy among persons with disabilities by providing them with access to financial products and creating income opportunities.

Through this partnership, the bank will collaborate closely with NOWPDP to create specialised modules and provide training on financial management, budgeting, and saving at the centre.

Speaker at a UN session

Ayesha Amin, a social entrepreneur and a gender justice activist who is the Founder of Baithak - Challenging Taboos, was invited as an expert speaker to deliver a speech at the United Nations in New York City during the 67th Session of the Commission on Status of Women (CSW), as per a press release.

Ms Amin was part of an international experts panel for the first-ever Youth Interactive Dialogue at the most prestigious global conference for women celebrated by member nations across the world. Speaking at the Youth Interactive Dialogue, she represented Pakistan with honour and pride as she wrote the history in the CSW convening that formally included young leaders in official negotiations at the headquarters of the UN in the US.

Qistbazaar’s Rs1bn sale milestone

Qistbazaar, a leading e-commerce start-up, has achieved the milestone of Rs1bn in sales, in just 17 months since its establishment in November 2021, according to a press release. As a rapidly growing BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) platform and working as a licensed NBFC (Non-Banking Finance Company), Qistbazaar is committed to uplifting the living standard of all citizens by making over 400 products easily accessible at affordable monthly instalments.

Over 15,000 customers have availed Qistbazaar’s plans in this period, purchasing mobile phones, refurbished laptops, refrigerators, LED TVs, motorcycles and ceiling fans being the most popular purchase items. Customers earning less than Rs45,000 per month constitute 57pc of total customers, with 70pc of customers being below 35 years of age. Micro-business owners like ‘thela walas’ and others comprise over 40pc of customers.

Unity Food and Nutshell

Unity Foods Limited, a leading food producer and supplier to the nation’s food security system entered into a Communications and Strategic Engagements partnership with Nutshell Communications (Pvt) Limited, as per a press release.

On the occasion, CEO Unity Foods Limited, Farrukh Amin, said, “We are committed to ensuring food security in our homeland under our slogan ‘Food for Life’ through empowering farmers, implementing digital disruption, and developing an efficient farm-to-fork supply chain across Pakistan. In this regard, our partnership with Nutshell Communications will promote our cause nationwide through its expertise in narrative building, leadership positioning, strategic engagements, media advocacy and creating mass awareness about our ambitions and initiatives.”

DIB’s Emaar branch

Dubai Islamic Bank inaugurated its state-of-the-art branch in Emaar, Karachi, to facilitate the residents of Emaar their banking needs in a Shariah-compliant manner, according to a press release. H.E. Bakheet Ateeq AL-Romaithi, Consul General of UAE, graced the occasion as the chief guest for the inauguration ceremony.

Vietnamese fish

After a meeting between HE Nguyen Tien Phong, Ambassador of Vietnam in Pakistan, Muddassir Riaz Malik, Director General Punjab Food Authority (PFA) and PFA Scientific Panel, PFA issued an official notification to food business operators that there is no restriction on the sale and usage of frozen fish, including Pangasius, subject to the fulfilment of the criteria/standards/specifications set by PFA, Nguyen Thi Diep Ha, Head of Trade Office of Vietnam in Pakistan said in a statement, as per a press release.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, April 10th, 2023