ACCA urges businesses to reduce country’s water stress

LAHORE (PR): According to a plethora of reports from the world’s multilateral development agencies and renowned NGOs, Pakistan is suffering from water scarcity with repercussions for its growth and sustainable development. Combined with growing urbanisation, industrialisation and growing populations, the stock of water capital is set to diminish rapidly over time unless immediate measures are taken to not only protect but enhance the stocks of water. This is such a pressing issue that clean water and sanitation is number six in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. On World Water Day, ACCA has called on businesses to adopt a serious and sustainable approach to water management. ACCA believes that where water is a material natural capital in an enterprise’s value creation model, it must be measured and managed. Businesses have a responsibility to preserve water to create value into the future.

FAST National University hosts Pakistan Software Quality Conference

LAHORE (Staff Reporter): Pakistan Software Testing Board organised the Pakistan Software Quality Conference here at the FAST National University the other day. Pakistan Software Testing Board president Prof Dr Zohaib Zafar was the chief guest at the concluding ceremony and gave away certificates and shields to the participants. Around 200 people related to industries participated in the conference. Representative of Portugal Software Testing Board Italo De, who was the chief guest of the inaugural ceremony, inaugurated the conference. Honorary Consulate General Portugal was the guest of honour. Eight experts and specialists of software from all over the country including Ahmed Bilal Khalid, Saba Touqir Khan, Ali Khalid, Salman Saeed, Farah Gul, Amer Shahzad, Arsala Dilshad and M Bilal Anjum delivered the lectures on different topics of quality of software and others. All the experts expressed that the best quality software must be prepared. The next conference will be held next year at Karachi.

PRA holds poster competition to mark Tax Day

LAHORE (PR): A poster competition on the slogan “Your tax makes it possible” was organised at Al-Hamra Art Gallery by Punjab Revenue Authority. The event was a part of this year’s Tax Day celebrations conducted by Punjab Revenue Authority with a purpose of creating tax awareness amongst the general public, especially the youth. The event was inaugurated by Executive Director, Al-Hamra Captain Muhammad Atta. In his remarks, he commended chairman PRA’s initiative in organising such healthy activities where the youth can express their gratitude in the form of art work and requested the participants to pay taxes timely for their own benefit. He also stated that Al-Hamra is always available to PRA for such events. Additional Secretary Culture Ms Saman Rai appreciated PRA for organising the event. She also appreciated PRA’s initiative of celebrating Tax Day and advised the department to keep on organising such events in the near future.
Director Lahore Arts Council Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi also commended PRA for organising the poster competition. Prizes were given to the winners of competition. While art work of special children from Roshni Foundation was also a part of the exhibition. A six-year-old Musawar Hussain was given a special prize of Rs10,000 from PRA on participating in the event.

Import of iron, steel up 18 percent in seven months of ongoing fiscal year
ISLAMABAD (APP): Import of iron and steel increased by 18.1 per cent in first seven months (July 2018 to February 2018) of ongoing fiscal year 2017-18 as compared to same period of last year. The import of iron and steel rose to $1.56 billion in July-February (2017-18) from $1.3 billion in same period of preceding fiscal year, according to latest data released by PBS. Iron and steel scrap import also surged by 59.25 per cent as it rose to $1.03 billion in first seven months of current fiscal year from $650.13 million in July-February (2016-17). Similarly, import of gold during first seven months of current fiscal year increased by 27.81 per cent as compared to same period of previous year. During the period under review, 326 kilograms of the yellow metal valuing $13.18 million was imported against import of 278 kgs gold worth $10.31 million last year. However, on yearly and monthly basis, the import of yellow metal in Feb 2018 plunged by 67.2pc and 72.2pc when compared to import during Feb 2017 and January 2018 respectively.

The import during February 2018 declined to $335,000 from $1.021 million in February 2017 and $1.2 million in January 2018.
Similarly, the overall metal group import also increased by 27.43 per cent in July-February (2017-18) to $3.45 billion from $2.7 billion in same period of previous year.
Aluminum wrought and work import also increased by 23.4 per cent from $121.18 million in July-February 2016-17 to $149.5 million.
On year-on-year basis, the overall metal group import in February rose by 14.33 per cent while on month-on-month basis the import went down by 15.6 per cent in February 2018 as compared to that of February 2017.
The import of overall metal group was recorded $407.8 million in February 2018 while it was recorded $356.68 million and $483.14 million in February 2017 and January 2018 respectively.