Engro bags PSX award

Engro Corporation and its subsidiaries were presented the prestigious Pakistan Stock Exchange Top 25 Companies award by the caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar at a ceremony held in Karachi last week, according to a press release. Reflecting on investor confidence, Chairman Engro Hussain Dawood said that “a country’s potential for success and development is directly proportional to its ability to speak the truth. Do we speak the truth? Domestic and foreign investors will invest if they believe we speak the truth.”

OGDCL’s gas discovery

As a result of the aggressive exploration strategy, the Oil & Gas Deve­lopment Company Limited (OGDCL) has successfully discovered gas and condensate at Dars West Well #02, located in the Tando Allah Yar district of Sindh, states a press release. The exploratory efforts at Dars West Well #02, part of the Dars West Development and Production Lease Joint Venture, were led by OGDCL as the operator with a 77.5pc stake, and GHPL, holding a 22.5pc carried interest.

SSGC’s automation

Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) inaugurated a newly deployed system that will automate 50 Town Border Stations (TBS), which will be used for gas load management as per international best practices. This initiative will enhance the efficiency and reliability of SSGC’s natural gas distribution network by installing a state-of-the-art TBS Automation and Control system. The project aims to identify and mitigate UFG (Unaccounted-for-Gas) by utilising advanced monitoring and analytical tools while managing the pressure levels in real time to optimise distribution, minimise losses, and ensure optimal performance across the network, as per a press release.

CEO of Essa Labs honoured

Dr Farhan Essa Abdullah, CEO of Essa Laboratory and Diagnostic Centre was bestowed Honorary Rank of Commander Pakistan Navy by the chief of the naval staff for his extraordinary philanthropic work for the underprivileged last week, as per a press release. Senior Naval officers, family and friends of Honorary Cdr Farhan Essa attended the ceremony.

‘Salam Kissan’ wins laurels

Fatima Fertiliser’s “Salam Kissan” campaign won the Drum Award 2023 in London in the “Social Purpose: Social Media” category. Titled “Life without Kissan (farmers),” the campaign aimed to highlight the stark reality of a world without the contributions of farmers. The Drum Awards Festival is an annual lighthouse event for the global marketing community, celebrating excellence in every key marketing discipline. The Drum Award is a testament to the success of the “Salam Kissan” initiative, which aims not only to uplift the lives of farmers but also harness digital innovation.

Launch of Emerge incubation centre

The launch ceremony of Emerge, Pakistan’s first technical and vocational education and training incubation centre, was held recently. This initiative is a collaboration between The Hunar Foundation and the Amir Sultan Chinoy Foundation. The incubation centre has been set up to combine entrepreneurial learning, industry insights and practices within the curriculum. In addition, the faculty and mentors will aid in accelerating entrepreneurial learning.

IRBA awards Habib Metro Sirat

Habib Metro Sirat Islamic Banking won two awards at the 9th Islamic Retail Banking Awards (IRBA). The Bank won the Excellence Award for Advocacy, Awareness, and Literacy in Pakistan 2023, as well as the Best Islamic Retail Banking Media Campaign 2023, as per a press release.

ABHI & Unilever partnered

According to a press release, ABHI, an embedded finance platform, has partnered with Unilever Pakistan to offer AbhiSalary — an Earned Wage Access (EWA) solution. This collaboration aims to empower Unilever Pakistan’s workforce by providing them with immediate access to a portion of their earned wages. At the core of this partnership is a shared commitment to financial inclusion.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, December 11th, 2023