PTA yet to compile lodged complaints data for November
ISLAMABAD (APP): Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has not complied the data of complaints for the month of November, while PTCL leads the consumer complaint chart with 1,267 complaints received during October, JAZZ (Mobilink+Warid) stands at the second position as a telecom operator with 948 complaints lodged in October. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has received 3,930 complaints from telecom consumers against the different telecom operators (including cellular operators, PTCL, LDIs, WLL operators and ISPs) in October 2017, according to data issued here. PTA said that it was able to get 95.65% percent of the complaints resolved. In terms of the segregation of complaints by individual operators, a total of 948 complaints were received against JAZZ (Mobilink+Warid) which is 37% of the total cellular mobile operator (CMO) related complaints. Cellular mobile subscribers constitute a major part of the overall telecom subscriber base, therefore, the maximum number of complaints belong to this segment.
Total number of complaints against CMOs during October 2017 stood at 2,593. Telenor was first with 761 complaints i.e. 30% of the complaints were received against it. Zong stood third with 470 complaints i.e. with 18% of the total complaints. Ufone had 414 complaints against its various services which make up 16% of the total CMO related complaints.
Foreign delegates start arriving for furniture expo in Lahore
LAHORE (INP): High-level delegations belonging to the furniture industry of China, Turkey, Taiwan, Thailand and other countries have started arriving here on a week-long visit to participate in the three-day 9th National Interiors Pakistan Exhibition commencing from Dec 15 here at Expo Center. Talking to media here on Wednesday, Chief Executive Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) Mian Kashif Ashfaq said that all the foreign delegations were visiting Pakistan on the invitation of FPC and the council will bear their all expenses, including boarding, lodging, transportation and travelling. He elaborated that main purpose behind extending invitations was to introduce handmade best quality solid wood furniture products to the foreign investors and importers. “Special extra-ordinary arrangements have been made to facilitate all the foreign visitors,” he added. He further said that in order to ensure quick flow of information, a special desk had been set up for print and electronic media.
In this regard, Adnan Afzal has been appointed coordinator. He said that the Board of Directors of PFC reviewed the arrangements in detail and expressed their satisfaction.
He said more than 100 leading local companies and interior designers will display their products, while as many as 200,000 to 250,000 people were expected to visit this mega event. “This exhibition will also provide young designers and architects an opportunity to see the market trends and display their own work alongside that of more established professionals. PFC is also continuing its work to ensure Pakistan’s presence in more countries and to act as the focal point for Pakistani furniture designers and manufacturers so that they could enter the international market with confidence,” he added.
Pakistan’s wood industry is well developed and captures 95 percent of the country’s total market of furniture.
The country has more than 700 units of wooden furniture, with Chiniot, alone meeting 80 percent of furniture demands in the country. Gujrat, with world-class furniture, Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi are other important centers.
CDNS collected Rs76b savings till 10th
ISLAMABAD (APP): The Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS) has accomplished Rs 76 billion savings target by December 10, 2017 as compared to Rs. 67 billion in same month of previous fiscal year. The CDNS has set Rs.250 billion net target for fiscal year (2017-18),senior official of CDNS told APP here on Wednesday. The CDNS had achieved the revised target of Rs 228 billion set for the financial year 2016-17 by June 30, this year. CDNS have notified similar profit rates for various saving certificates from November 01, 2017 to benefit its investors especially the widow and pensioners. “The consistency in previous rates is made in the backdrop of current market scenario and in accordance with the government’s policy to provide market based competitive rate of return to the investors of National Savings”, he said. He said as per notification issued by the federal govt, the rates for Defense Savings Certificate, Special Saving Certificate and Account, Regular Income Certificate and Savings Accounts had been revised upward at an average of 7.54pc, 6.03pc, 6.54pc and 3.95pc respectively.
The official said the profit rate of return for specialized savings schemes like Bahbood Savings certificates and Pensioners’ Benefit Account had also been revised up and fixed at 9.36 percent to provide safety net to specialized segments of the society.
He said that around 800 branches would be computerized and links with modern Information Technology (IT) tools by June 30,2018.
The CDNS had launched its modernization plan in collaboration with National Institutional Facilitation Technologies (NIFT), for facilitating the customers, he said.
Three-day fish farm management training course concludes
RAWALPINDI (APP): A three-day fish farm management training course organized by Fisheries Research and Training Institute, Punjab Fisheries Department (PFD) concluded here Wednesday. Talking to APP, Assistant Director Fisheries, Shaista Waqar informed that the participants of the course were imparted training about fish farm management, pond fertilization, management and harvesting of the stock. She said the fish farmers and workers from Chakwal, Murree and Attock and other areas took part in the course. She further said the training course also included lectures on fertilization and feed structures while another expert Abdur Rehman briefed the farmers about establishment of new fish farms. Tanveer Zaman during the course highlighted issues of identification of various species of fish while Iqra Shakir delivering lecture spoke on water, soil quality and sample collection. To a question, she said the varieties of farm’s fish are slightly different from fresh water variety as there is difference in the feed given to the fish.
The farm’s fish is fed with artificial feed whereas rivers fish get natural feed which has a great impact on the growth of the fish improving quality of meat, she added. Shaista said PFD has free lab facility for the farmers and they are also encouraged to visit the institute to get counselling on fish farming matters along with hatchery providing fish seed and training services.