Pakistan has been ranked as one of the top favorable economies in the world, states “Doing Business 2008”, a recent report released by the World Bank in 2008. According to the report, Pakistan ranks second compared to other South Asian countries based on certain economic indicators such as; ease of doing business, dealing with licenses, and protecting investors as identified by the analysts. The following countries include Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. Pakistan has comparatively better business environment in terms of paying taxes and registration of assets, the report adds.

The report  evaluates business activities based on regulations affecting the ten stages of a business’s life; starting a business, dealing with licenses, employing workers, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and closing a business. It is pertinent to note that in the overall global rating of 178 countries, Pakistan is rated at 76th as compared to India rated at 120th.

With its fast paced IT industry, Pakistan is emerging as a powerhouse in the South Asian region due to the government’s friendly policies. These include 100 percent foreign equity ownership, 100 percent repatriation of profits for foreign investors and tax exemption for the sector till 2013. The availability of a large pool of English-proficient skilled professionals, affordable connectivity rates and competitive infrastructure and operational costs are some of the other benefits that Pakistan enjoys. Due to same, an increasing number of foreign IT companies prefer Pakistan for their outsourcing operations and setting up development centers.

Doing Business 2008 is the fifth in a series of annual reports that evaluates the regulations that directly impact economic growth, provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement.  The data is collected across 178 countries and selected cities at the sub national and regional level.

PSEB is a Government agency mandated to promote Pakistan’s IT Industry, including software, services, hardware and call centers locally and globally. PSEB has been facilitating the IT Industry through its programs in Marketing, Human Capital, Office Space, Company Capability Development, Telecom Bandwidth, Industry Finance, Public Policy, Strategy & Research, and Facilitation.

Ufone has launched UExcel – a program for undergrad students in collaboration with the School of Leadership (SoL). This program consists of a series of sessions whereby special teams from SoL and Ufone will visit 18 different universities in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad to impart students the knowledge that helps them excel in today’s competitive world.

Ufone is not only a competitive telecom leader in the industry but an organization that has always been working towards an orderly corporate responsibility plan including ways of benefiting the young of our country who will for sure be a part of tomorrow’s strong workforce.

UExcel is a creditable step taken by Ufone and SoL with the main objective of showing students the avenues they can visit for self-development, positive mindsets, self-confidence, empowerment and meaningful expression. Also, students through this program are given a comprehensive understanding of the practical tips and tools regarding hiring and recruitment processes – particularly the ones prevailing at Ufone.

The first phase of the UExcel program by Ufone and SoL has already been completed in Karachi. Universities visited include Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Iqra University, PAF-KIET, University of Karachi, NED University of Engineering and Technology and Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST).

Ufone has launched BlackBerry service for its valued corporate customers on the go. Ovex Technologies, the largest third party offshore Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and IT solution provider in Pakistan, has been chosen by Ufone to partner the provisioning of this BlackBerry service. Ovex Technologies and Ufone’s flawless network coverage in over 3000 cities, towns and villages across Pakistan and over 80 destinations worldwide, now offers Ufone’s corporate customers the accessibility to reach business and office while on the move. CEO Ufone, Mr. Abdul Aziz, said, “We are proud to achieve yet another milestone, on this road to success, that provides service excellence to our valued customers. We are pleased to partner with another big name in the industry that will help us continue our efforts and commitment to keep our customers, our foremost priority, satisfied.

Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) is all set to explore the Canadian IT industry. Targeting Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto as its prospective business areas, PSEB is organizing meetings in Canada from 21 – 30 April, 2008. These meetings are being organized in association with Canada Pakistan Business Council (CPBC), Export Development Canada (EDC), Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA), Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). PSEB official stated that this visit will enable Pakistani IT companies to learn from successful experiences of their counterparts and expand their presence globally.
He also added that the networking events organized in collaboration with The Indus Enterpeneur (TIE) will provide an international platform for the member IT companies to interact with the Canadian market which is planning to establish development and facilitation centres in Pakistan.

The PSEB delegation comprises of twenty one member companies, which are renowned in their respective areas of expertise particularly in software/hardware development, web applications, usiness process management services, graphics, animation and multimedia. The participating companies include: Netsol Technologies, Palm Chip, Xorlogics, Voxel Communication, Webiz Media, Super Technologies Inc., Softech Systems, Server4Sale, Sapphire Consulting Services, PrisLogix, PMS (Pvt) Ltd, Matora Digionics, Mansha Soft, Invaterra, East West Systems, EfroTech Services, DataFocal Systems, AKSA-SDS, A2Z Creatorz, 110 Solutions and PIBAS Pakistan.

The key target groups are users from  the wholesale & retail sector, banking and financial services, the services sector, government agencies, industrial manufacturing, science and all users passionate about technology.
According to Centre for Outsourcing Research & Education Canada (CORE) Canada’s IT infrastructure and BPO outsourcing is worth more than $50 billion. In addition, the sector is also focusing on expanding its outsourcing activities. Large organizations in Canada are now adopting outsourcing as their operational strategy to access expertise and additional capabilities along with cost reduction. The report also confirms that the financial sector including banking and insurance is ranked highest for outsourcing followed by telecommunication, public sector and energy/utilities.

PSEB is a Government agency mandated to promote Pakistan’s IT Industry, including software, services, hardware and call centers locally and globally. PSEB regularly sponsors attendance by its member companies in International Trade Shows and Exhibitions that help companies showcase their capabilities and develop business contacts. PSEB has been facilitating the IT Industry through its programs in Human Capital, Office Space, Marketing, Company Capability Development, Telecom Bandwidth, Industry Finance, Public Policy, Strategy & Research, and Facilitation.

Ufone signed a PKR 4.5 billion Syndicated Term Loan Facility here at one of the leading hotels. The facility was advised and arranged exclusively by United Bank Limited (UBL). This is in result to the banking ufone yet again and offering support to further expand its network, both in terms of capacity and coverage; both in existing and new cities. This agreement is basically a result of the Pakistani financial market being largely impressed by Ufone’s expansion plans, strong cash generation ability and the vast experience of the Etisalat management. All these financial institutions, with this massive plan, are planning to act as alternative investors for telecom growth in the country – alongside the key telecom players. Signatories of the UBL led facility were Mr. Abdul Aziz, President & CEO Ufone, Mr. Atif Bokhari, President UBL, Mr. Zakir Mahmood, President HBL, Mr. Jamal Baquar, Acting President Crescent Bank and Mr. Shahab Bin Shahid from Bank Alfalah Limited. Also present at the two ceremonies were Ms. Sima Kamil, Group Executive Corporate Banking Group HBL, Mr. Nadeem Khan, CFO Ufone, Mr. Ehtashamullah Khan GM Treasury Ufone, Mr. Hassan Raza, Group Executive Corporate Banking UBL and Mr. Nauman Ansari, Country Head Corporate Banking Crescent Bank.

Embarking on an aggressive rollout plan in Pakistan, Ufone signed a PKR 4.5 billion Syndicated Term Loan Facility here at one of the leading hotels. The facility was jointly advised and arranged by National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Habib Bank Limited (HBL). The banking sector has yet again shown confidence in Ufone and offered support to further expand its network, both in terms of capacity and coverage, in existing and new cities. Signatories of the agreement were Mr. Abdul Aziz, President & CEO Ufone, Mr. Ali Raza, Chairman & President NBP and Mr. Zakir Mahmood, President & CEO HBL. Also present at the ceremony were Ms. Sima Kamil, Group Executive Corporate Banking Group HBL, Mr. Masood Karim, Group Chief Corporate and Investment Banking Group NBP, Mr. Nadeem Khan, CFO Ufone and Mr. Ehtashamullah Khan GM Treasury Ufone. Ufone is an Etisalat Group Company with the second largest cellular operator base in Pakistan with more than 16m customers.

PTCL conducted its second annual Way Forward Workshop for the senior management echelons on April 11th to 13th. The Way Forward exercise is one of the initiatives taken by the Etisalat management to develop teamwork and foster creativity at PTCL.

The three-day Way Forward 2008 Workshop was attended by the entire senior management of PTCL, including the President/CEO Mr. Walid Irshaid, Senior Executive Vice Presidents (SEVPs), Executive Vice Presidents (EVPs), Regional General Managers and members of the Etisalat Advisory Team.

The Workshop was designed for the PTCL team to share information and progress of each individual department within the macro context of the entire organization.

The Way Forward 2008 exercise began with a corporate dinner at the Golf Club on Friday, 11th April, 2008 where the management got an opportunity to socialize in a relatively informal environment.

The main event of the Workshop was the day-long session on Saturday at the Marriott Hotel, Islamabad. The session began with a welcome address by the Mr. Walid Irshaid, after which all the SEVPs gave presentation relating to their domains at PTCL.

The highly interactive session gave the management an opportunity to listen to suggestions from other departments thereby providing fresh perspectives and enhancing coordination. Each department discussed with the entire management all the issues they had faced and dealt with in the past year and received feedback and advice from all the others.

PTCL believes in building teamwork as a way to formalize the power of collaboration among individuals. It is a way to blend the talents, skills and inherent creativity of diverse people and to use this collaboration so that the work group leverages its skills, time and resources to benefit not only their own department but the entire organization.

Fostering teamwork is creating a work culture that values collaboration. In a teamwork environment, people understand and believe that thinking, planning, decisions and actions are better when done cooperatively. PTCL recognizes that together its team can achieve synergy.

In keeping with this philosophy the slogan for the PTCL Way Forward 2008 was, ‘let’s team up together to make the difference!’

Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTCL) was the lead sponsor of “Synergies ’08,” the first ever Business Schools’ Convention in Pakistan organized by the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), in line with PTCL’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy to support quality management education and attracting outstanding talent to join its workforce.

The objective of the convention was to promote leadership, teamwork and social responsibility among business graduates. It was a three-day exercise (April 5-7) comprising four major events on each of the following themes: 1) Sustainable Business Plan Competition 2) Request for Proposal Competition 3) Business Simulation Competition and 4) Business Case Analysis Competition. Teams from renowned business schools across Pakistan participated in these events.

PTCL was represented by Mr. Tahir Mushtaq EVP (HR), Mr. Ali Qadir Gilani EVP (Corporate Communication) and members of its Human Resource team. They had detailed discussions with LUMS students that gave them an opportunity to address concerns of prospective employees.

The Dean of the Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB), Dr. Shaukat Brah, thanked PTCL for its support for organizing such a successful event and discussed possibilities of future partnership.

After the formal opening ceremony, the PTCL team, headed by Mr. Tahir Mushtaq shared views on the telecom industry, potential career prospects at PTCL and some professional experiences. Later, they had a detailed discussion with Dr. Zahoor Hassan, Vice Chancellor of LUMS, who is also a former board member of PTCL and he shared his thoughts on the way forward for PTCL.

The PTCL team also got a briefing from Dr. Jamshed H. Khan, Associate Dean Rausing Executive Development Center (REDC), a leading executive training institute, about programs and opportunities for arranging customized training programs for PTCL in areas like Change Management, Supply Chain Management, Corporate Strategy, Marketing Strategy, Total Quality Management  and HR Planning and Development.

LUMS is also working with the Etisalaat Academy (EA) to find avenues for mutual cooperation. Mr. Tahir Mushtaq EVP (HR), PTCL discussed the training requirements for PTCL management.

Another important meeting took place with the LUMS Career Development Office during which an understanding regarding placement opportunities for LUMS graduates in PTCL was discussed. The PTCL team also attended a corporate dinner that gave them an opportunity to have informal discussions with the student body.

The event also provided PTCL an opportunity to market its upcoming products.  A PTCL stall was arranged at LUMS where a demonstration of IPTV was given and several requests for DSL connections were received by the Central Zone sales team who were also present at the venue.

At the closing ceremony, Dr. Shaukat Brah (SDSB) once again thanked PTCL for its support, which was vital for the event’s success.

Mobilink announced the expansion of its coverage and network to include the enchanting valley of Naran in Pakistan’s scenic north, providing a seamless communication experience to the people of Azad Kashmir, Chitral, Gilgit, Hunza and Swat.

Naran is a distant jewel set in the Northern Areas of Pakistan and a very popular tourist destination amongst both local & international tourists, and the launch of this service coincides with the start of the new tourist season.

Bilal Munir Sheikh, Vice President Marketing Mobilink said, “Our latest expansion in the northern areas provides a long awaited facility for the locals of that area. Making communication a reality for the people of the Naran valley is further testimony to Mobilink’s commitment to helping the nation stay connected at all times.”

Mobilink continues to maintain its leadership position in the cellular industry of Pakistan, with its ever increasing network base, infrastructure and range of services while moving ahead to connect the unconnected across Pakistan.

Telenor Pakistan has announced the commercial launch of its mobile medical service, “Telenor Tele Doctor 1911” – the first service of its kind in the industry. The service aims to provide Telenor Pakistan subscribers easy and instant access to medical advice wherever and whenever needed.

The service provides Telenor Pakistan subscribers 24/7 telephonic access to qualified and experienced General Practitioners. These online Tele Doctors will be able to provide Telenor Pakistan subscribers with basic health information, medical advice and laboratory report interpretation in local languages of the subscribers’ preference, in addition to Urdu and English. Female callers wishing to talk to female doctors will also be facilitated. These preferences will be provided to callers via a specially designed call forwarding facility.

Tele Doctor 1911 service is designed to provide callers with an assessment of symptoms and complete answers to medical health-related questions based on internationally accepted and recognized medical decision-making protocols. The service will also provide online access to Tele Doctors with medical records of previous callers to facilitate better follow-up.

Telenor Tele Doctor is all set to establish new benchmarks for corporate social responsibility in the industry as it provides valuable expert medical advice to Telenor Pakistan subscribers at Rs. 8+tax per minute against regular doctor visits at almost Rs.500. The service has been formally endorsed by the Ministry of Health, Sindh.

Chief Marketing Officer Telenor Pakistan Lars-Christian Iuel describes the service as a ‘new concept in Medical Advisory Service’: “Telenor Tele Doctor 1911 service has been launched to give our valued subscribers all over Pakistan personalized attention, especially those who have difficulty seeking medical information because of barriers that may include education, affordability and language among others.

“Keeping with our objective of striving to be a socially responsible organization, we also hope to reach out to people who refrain from getting medical advice for privacy. Apart from providing healthcare and medical advisory services to callers, this service will also provide information and awareness about healthcare and health-related hazards. We hope that the Tele Doctor project will work as an example to follow for community initiatives in the telecommunication industry.”

The service has the capacity to accommodate 4,000 to 5,000 callers daily. It takes into account not only cost but attempts to acknowledge gender and language barriers as well, and provide easy solutions.