Post Office earned Rs3774.34m revenue in FY 2014-15
ISLAMABAD (APP): Pakistan Post has collected revenue of Rs 3774.343 million in provision of various services including utility bills, collection of income tax on motors, provisional tax collection during fiscal year 2014-15. Official sources said the Pakistan Post has collected Rs 347.413 million for collection of utility bills on behalf of Pakistan Tele Communication Limited (PTCL), Sui Southern Gas Pipeline Limited (SSGPL), Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL), Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Karachi Electrical Supply Company (KESC) and Water and Sanitation Authority (WASA) in form of commission at the rate of Rs 8 per bill.
On behalf of Federal Board of Revenue, it has collected an amount of Rs 3231.611 million during the fiscal year for collection of income tax, withholding tax on motor vehicles, they told APP. Rs 79.541 million commission realized on collection of provincial taxes of arms and driving licence, motor V.F.C during financial year 2014-15 including Rs 67.347 million from Punjab, Rs 6.959 million from Sindh, Rs 1.501 million from Balochistan and Rs 3.734 million from federal capital.
While Rs 115.778 million was earned through money orders paid to Benazir Income Support Programme beneficiaries in all four provinces, Federally Administered Tribal Area, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Federally Administered Northern Areas and Islamabad Capital Territory at a subsidized rate of Rs 40 against the actual rate of Rs 50 for each normal Money Order during this time span.

OGDCL rigs has capacity to drill
up to 5,500 metres deep
ISLAMABAD (APP): Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) has nine own rigs with the capacity to drill upto 5,500 meters deep, a senior official in the company said. "The company-owned rigs' drilling capacity is from 2,500 to 5,500 meters, which are almost 35 to 40 years old," the official said while talking to APP. Besides, he said, OGDCL had eight rented rigs operating at different oil and gas wells with contractors' own workforce and other resources. The official informed that the company had drilled, through both owned and rented rigs, around 84 oil and gas wells in different parts of the country during last four years and made 13 discoveries from September 2012 to January 2016.
Answering a question, he said, OGDCL was not in favour of buying more rigs as per international practice of getting the job done through contractor rigs.
Citing the reason for opting rented rigs, he said maintenance of own rigs, which were mostly years old, was expensive, so "We prefer contractor rigs."
The company's deployment ratio was almost 250 workers per rig, while a contractor rig was manned by 50 employees, he said, adding that usually OGDCL rigs were used in sensitive areas where contractors were not allowed to operate.
Presently, the official said, 17 wells were under the drilling process, adding that nine new wells had been spud and five were in the testing phase. In the current month, six more drills would be carried out and the company would complete all the process by June, 2016, he added.

0.7 million new olive plants to be cultivated in Feb-March
ISLAMABAD (APP): Under a mega project being supervised and implemented by Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), olive plants would be cultivated at 50,000 acres in the country till 2019. Under the project, olive plantation has already been completed at an area of 7,166 acres in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administrative Tribal Area (FATA), and Balochistan province while 700,000 plants have been schedules to be planted in February - March, 2016. According to Acting Chairman PARC and Director General, National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) Dr. M. Azeem Khan, more than 600,000 cuttings and air layering were practiced for propagation purpose.
Of which 20% of these cuttings will be saplings after two years.
Dr. Azeem Khan said, the project has developed protocols of two olive varieties for propagation though tissue culture technology.
Seven olive nurseries have been established so far and 13 specialized nurseries are in the process of establishment at different components.
The Project has also established and managed olive mother blocks at all provincial components which will be useful for propagation of true to type olive plants.
The PARC is ready to purchase and install 11 oil mills of different capacity at suitable locations for quick processing of farmers produce, he added.
National Project Director (Olive), Dr. Nasir Mahmood Cheema informed that PARC is going to complete new olive plantation under olive commercial project at 8000 acres during 2015-16 beside 34 training conducted and 1250 persons trained at different districts under provincial components for orchard lay-out, orchard management, olive nursery raising and management, Geographic information system (GIS), harvest and post-harvest handling of olive fruit and value addition.
He said, working on another aspect of this important crop to get maximum financial benefits, project has conducted different experiments on value addition of olive fruit for preparation of olive jam, pickle, murraba, syrup, bakery items, olive beauty cream and some other makeup items.
To develop cottage industry in target areas, woman farmers are being trained to make olive products by utilizing their own fruit to upraise their standard of living.
This activity will play important role in poverty alleviation of respective areas.
He said that working in olive sector at this massive scale will generate huge financial impact in the development of economy.
Expected oil after five years of plantation from 50,000 acres is 14 million liters, valued at Rs.28 billion.
These activities also create employment generation at larger scale and develop cottage in the country near Pak-China Economic Corridor (CPEC).

OPC playing effective role to solve problems of overseas Pakistanis
LAHORE (Staff Reporter): Commissioner Overseas Pakistanis Commission, (OPC) Punjab Afzaal Bhatti has said that under the guidance of Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, OPC Punjab is playing an effective role to redress the grievances of Overseas Pakistanis related to Government agencies. He was addressing the participants of road shows arranged by OPC Punjab in Birmingham and Glasgow (UK). A large number of overseas Pakistanis and overseas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) from UK participated in these events. The Commissioner, OPC Punjab informed them that AJK Govt. is also going to establish OPC, AJK and we are supporting and extending cooperation with them in this connection.
The president of PML (N) Minority Wing UK also attended the event. Afzal Bhutti assured him that OPC Punjab would resolve the issues of overseas Pakistanis of Minority Wing on priority basis. The leaders of PML (N) AJK including  Zulfiqar Ahmad (Glasgow), M Imran Khan (private secretary to PM) and Raja Javed also participated in the events and appreciated the efforts of Commissioner, OPC Punjab and his team for their untiring efforts to resolve the issues of overseas Pakistanis.  Capt. Rtd. Shaheen Khalid Butt, Vice Chairperson, OPC, Punjab and DIG Ahmad Mubin, Additional Director General (Police Matters) also addressed the participants of road shows. It is worth mentioning that Road Shows in UK under OPC Punjab are being held to create awareness among the overseas Pakistanis and redressal of their grievances at the spot.

TEVTA issues certificates to 13,000 skilled workers
Lahore (Staff Reporter: Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) has issued nationally as well as globally recognized certificates to 13,000 uncertified skilled workers in first phase of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) program. Keeping in view the overwhelming response received in the 1st phase, target has been enhanced upto 14,000 for 2nd phase.  In addition to existing 15 trades of the RPL program, 8 more trades have also been added in the 2nd phase. It was stated by Chairperson TEVTA Irfan Qaiser Sheikh while addressing the progress review meeting of RPL programme for uncertified skilled force through Ustad Shagird Sytem here yesterday at TEVTA Secretariat.  
Chief Operating Officer Jawad Ahmed Qureshi, TEVTA Officers Engr. Azhar Iqbal Shad, Akhtar Abbas Bharwana, Mustafa Kamal Pasha, Maqsood Ahmed, Farooq Ahmed Cheema, Aisha Qazi, Sarfraz Anwar and other officers were present on this occasion.
Irfan Qaiser Sheikh said that under this initiative, uncertified skilled workers are being certified after going through the theory and practical trade examination.  This program has been designed according to the requirement of national and international market. Integrated assessment (knowledge, skill and attitude) theory & practical are the basis for self-assessment.
Chairperson TEVTA further said that it is completely free of cost and is helpful for skilled manpower who has not acquired formal skilled training.  He stated that TEVTA has offered this program in 23 trades including Auto Electrician, Auto CAD (Civil), Machine Embroidery, Mason, Plumber & Sanitary Installer, Electrician, Auto Mechanic (Petrol), Tailoring, Steel Fixer, Welder, Machinist, Motorcycle Mechanic, HVACR, Beautician, Building Painter, Fashion Designing, Mobile Repairing, Generator Repairing, Textile Spinning Machine Operator, UPS Repairing Technician, Domestic Cooking, Chef and Kitchen Helper etc. are being offered for registration. 
 The certificate will be accepted at National and International level as certified skilled workforce.