Vast scope for Pak-Turk
cooperation in IT sector
ISLAMABAD (INP): Pakistan and Turkey have huge potential for mutual trade and business opportunities in different sectors of economy. The opportunities in IT and computer sector could also be explored by enhancing interaction between the business communities of the two countries. This consensus view point was emerged during the meeting between the delegation of Pakistan Computer Association (PCA) and Ruhi Deniz, commercial councilor at Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Pakistan. The PCA delegation led by Munawar Iqbal, the president of association and AR Tahir, Saleem Farooq, Jamal Yousaf and others as members, presented various aspects of the working of PCA, its objectives and vision for strengthening IT and computer industry in Pakistan.

Munawar Iqbal, during his briefing, informed Ruhi Deniz that PCA being only representative body of computer industry in Pakistan including covering hardware, software and other related ranges of business aims to contribute in enhancing international trade of Pakistan for this particular sector.
PCA is working all over Pakistan with chapters in all the major cities and hence linked with thousands of stakeholders. The delegation was of view that the avenues of Joint venture in IT related business and trade could be explored.
Ruhi Deniz while appreciating the propositions presented by the members of the delegation suggested that PCA may form a committee as fellow up of this meeting and to identify areas for business relationship between the two countries.

Minister says govt to provide
interest-free loan to youth
LAHORE (NNI): Provincial Minister for Labour & HR Raja Ashfaq Sarwar has said that Punjab government, in collaboration with effective and active NGOs, is adopting a mutual strategy to provide job-oriented skill training and interest-free loans to the youth of Punjab. He said that while talking to a delegation of Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) Qazi Azmat Eisa in a meeting, here. Minister Labour said that CM has initiated an integrated project for elimination of child and bounded labour with the huge amount of Rs 5.2 billion. Micro credit loans are being provided to the kiln workers whereas non-formal, formal and skill education is being imparted to their children at nearest schools.
Raja Ashfaq Sarwer while lauding the performance and services of NGO said that their programmes of interest free and micro financing loans, technical training, access to market and guidance centre are appreciable steps of the NGO to alleviate poverty from poor masses.
He said that Labour Department is taking concrete steps to eliminate child labour from all the kilns of Punjab province by digital mapping, provincial child labour survey and filling of questionnaire, taking kilns owners in confidence with cooperation of Punjab Information Technology Board and Bureau of Statistics.
He told that updated details regarding child labour at kilns would be finalized till the end of August. NGO Chief Qazi Azmat Eisa appreciated Chief Minister Punjab’s initiative to allocate funds in current budget for providing health facilities to the people of Baluchistan and ensured his full cooperation for alleviation of poverty. NNI

‘Nandipur power plant to be fully functional shortly’
LAHORE (Online): The 425 MW Nandipur Power Project would be fully operationalized shortly, state media reported on Tuesday. In an interview, Managing Director Nadipur project, Mohammad Mehmood said three units of the plant had already been commissioned and the plant was supplying 300 MW to the national grid station. He that fourth unit of combine circle would be ready in few weeks. To a question, Muhammad Mehmood said the project was completed within its estimated approved PC-1 cost of fifty-eighty billion rupees. He said that the Nandipur power plant was 2nd most efficient thermal power plant after Guddu 747 MW.

CPEC west route to be completed in first phase: says minister

ISLAMABAD (Online): Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday directed the officials to complete two west routes of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Balochistan. While talking to the media after inspecting M-8 and N-85, Ahsan Iqbal stated that the west routes of Balochistan would bring prosperity to the country and will eliminate unemployment in the region, therefore, the authorities should focus early completion of these routes. Ahsan Iqbal said that road networks would be completed by December 2015 under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
He said that Balochistan stands on first number when it comes to government's priorities.
The Minister said the government has already declared special force comprising 10,000 personnel for security of Chinese workers engaged in executing CPEC projects.
He said the development of road infrastructure in Balochistan will usher in a new era of prosperity the province.
Moreover, PML-N leader lauded the efficiency of laborers, engineers and technician.

Oil prices rebound

LONDON (AFP): Oil prices rebounded on Tuesday after starting the week with sizeable losses caused by Greece's debt saga. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in August rose 29 cents to $58.62 a barrel compared with Monday's close. Brent North Sea crude for August gained 77 cents to stand at $62.78 a barrel in London afternoon deals. WTI sank $1.30 and Brent lost $1.25 on Monday. Greece confirmed it would fail to make a key IMF repayment due on Tuesday, fanning fears of a chaotic eurozone exit on the same day the country's international bailout expires. At the same time the European Commission said it had offered an eleventh hour deal to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to stave off a crisis which could rupture the eurozone and risks a knock-on effect on other troubled countries.
Oil traders were meanwhile also waiting to see if Iran and major world powers can reach a deal on curbing Tehran's nuclear programme by the end of Tuesday, a deadline set by both sides.
Such an agreement would allow Western powers to remove sanctions, paving the way for more Iranian crude to hit the already oversupplied international market.
"For the oil market the Iran nuclear deal is fundamentally most important even though Greek turmoil will help to throw the oil market around from day to day," said Bjarne Schieldrop, chief analyst at Commodities SEB Markets.