#QuadCameraBatteryKing realme 5i is available on sale now at Rs. 24,999

Realme 5i, the latest budget smartphone from Realme, is available for sale from February 26, 2020.The phone is priced at Rs. 24,999. The smartphone is available in two color trims — Forest Green and Aqua Blue. It comes with a massive 5,000 mAh battery capacity as well as quad camera set up at the back. For a budget smartphone, the new smartphone comes with a 6.52-inch display and a waterdrop notch.

realme 5 series achieved great success, the shipments of 5 series exceeded 5.5 million units globally. Now as entry-level model of 5 series family, realme 5i also brings great user experience in camera, battery, performance and design, but with more affordable price for more consumers.

With a massive 5000 mAh battery, realme 5i provides best battery life performance and longest 30-day standby in the price segment. It can make you enjoy extra-long entertainment experience. The realme 5i have also been equipped with fireproof protective separation and triple precautions to guarantee battery safety.

realme 5i is equipped Snapdragon 665 based on 11nm production process, operating at a clock speed of 2.0GHz along with enhanced gaming performance and 3rd generation Qualcomm AI Engine, providing outstanding performance in their price segments.

realme 5i adopts latest Sunrise Design in its slim body.  Grains on back cover is processed by the industry-leading German five-axis precision radium carving machine, presenting a stunning visual experience after 600-minute polishment, to show the enthusiasm and endless possibilities of the young generation. realme 5i comes in two colors – Aqua Blue and Forest Green.

realme 5i also packs a leading image experience with widely praised quad camera setup –  119° ultra-wide-angle lens (8MP), main camera (12MP), portrait lens (2MP) and ultra-macro lens (2MP). With upgraded algorithm, Nightscape 2.0 is now available in ultra-wide-angle lens, enables you shoot excellent night photos with wider view. Main camera supports better EIS effect, you can take more stabilized videos while moving.

In terms of software, all realme smartphones will get the new upgraded ColorOS 6.1 which will have feature upgrade, hotspot management function, real privacy function and Hotspot management. With ColorOS 6.1, realme 5i can activate dark mode, bring a darker color palette for Apps and operating system, helping you to ease your eyes and focus better with a more vibrant foreground content standing out against the darker background    

realme Pakistan unveiled #QuadCameraBatteryKing realme 5i at Rs. 24,999 and #TripleCameraGameMonster realme C3 at Rs. 20,999 on its first campus launch event

Pakistani youth’s most favorite brand realme has been launching a number of smartphones from past one year keeping with its lineup for the New Year, the Chinese smartphone brand has launched its first smartphone lineup of the year, the realme 5i and realme C3 has been launched in company’s first ever campus launch event to engage with youthful audience and let them experience the device first hand. The realme 5i will be available in one variant - 4+64GB priced at PKR 24,999 available for sale on from 26^th Feb, 2020. realme C3 with 3GB RAM + 32GB storage device is priced at PKR 20,999, available for sale on from 29^th Feb, 2020. realme has found itself a place among the top five phone brands. Besides a high value for money, Realme’s availability across all tiers of the smartphone market ensures great visibility.

Disrupting the market consistently with its remarkable product offerings, Harvey He, Country Manager – realme Pakistan states, “We are elated to launch our #QuadCameraBatteryKing realme 5i and #TripleCameraGameMonster realme C3. Our ‘Dare to Leap’ philosophy has brought pioneering flagship user experiences into more budget. Our latest product offerings, realme 5i and realme C3 are the most premium smartphones in there price segment. And I am sure our two new entrants in Pakistan, will lead the market and have the support and love of our realme fans.”

realme 5i

realme 5 series achieved great success, the shipments of 5 series exceeded 5.5 million units globally. Now as entry-level model of 5 series family, realme 5i also brings great user experience in camera, battery, performance and design, but with more affordable price for more consumers.

With a massive 5000 mAh battery, realme 5i provides best battery life performance and longest 30-day standby in the price segment. It can make you enjoy extra-long entertainment experience. The realme 5i have also been equipped with fireproof protective separation and triple precautions to guarantee battery safety.

realme 5i is equipped Snapdragon 665 based on 11nm production process, operating at a clock speed of 2.0GHz along with enhanced gaming performance and 3rd generation Qualcomm AI Engine, providing outstanding performance in their price segments.

realme 5i adopts latest Sunrise Design in its slim body.  Grains on back cover is processed by the industry-leading German five-axis precision radium carving machine, presenting a stunning visual experience after 600-minute polishment, to show the enthusiasm and endless possibilities of the young generation. realme 5i comes in two colors – Aqua Blue and Forest Green.

realme 5i also packs a leading image experience with widely praised quad camera setup –  119° ultra-wide-angle lens (8MP), main camera (12MP), portrait lens (2MP) and ultra-macro lens (2MP). With upgraded algorithm, Nightscape 2.0 is now available in ultra-wide-angle lens, enables you shoot excellent night photos with wider view. Main camera supports better EIS effect, you can take more stabilized videos while moving.

In terms of software, all realme smartphones will get the new upgraded ColorOS 6.1 which will have feature upgrade, hotspot management function, real privacy function and Hotspot management. With ColorOS 6.1, realme 5i can activate dark mode, bring a darker color palette for Apps and operating system, helping you to ease your eyes and focus better with a more vibrant foreground content standing out against the darker background.

realme C3

Redefine C for Colorful, Cheerful, Competitive, Considerate; Realme C3 is the world’s first phone to be powered by MediaTek Helio G70 SoC, which is designed for entry-level gaming. There are 32GB and 64GB storage options to choose from and the dedicated microSD card allows storage expansion up to 256GB.

The Realme C3 features a 6.52-inch HD+ LCD display with a screen-to-body ratio of 89.8%. For the phone’s back design, Realme draws inspiration from the sun’s rays with a satiny finish that gives the impression of a frosted glass back despite the use of plastic. The Realme C3 comes in Blazing Red and Frozen Blue colors inspired by lava and glaciers, respectively. The phone feature a fingerprint scanner and face unlock feature as well.

Starting things off with the most noteworthy feature, the new variant of the Realme C3 flaunts a triple rear camera setup – a 12MP primary sensor, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro lens, which can take close-up images of objects from a distance of 4cm. The front camera of this variant of the Realme C3 is a 5MP unit.

The internal storage has scope for further expansion with the help of an external SD card. One can expand the storage of the Realme C3 smartphone by up to 256GB. Speaking of the display of the device, the Realme C3 flaunts a 6.5-inch HD+ IPS LCD display with a waterdrop notch at the top. Powering the device is a MediaTek Helio G70 chipset. In the software department, the Realme C3 runs on the latest Android 10 OS with the company’s in-house Realme UI baked on top of it.

Coming to the battery of the device, the Realme C3 is fueled with a big 5,000mAh battery. The big let-down here is the fact that there is no USB Type-C charging port and one would have to make do with a more conventional USB 2.0 charging port.

In Pakistan realme C3 with 3GB RAM + 32GB storage device is priced at PKR 20,999, and will be available for sale on from 29^th Feb, 2020.

realme all set to launch another Quad Camera smartphone; realme 5i

Realme, the fastest growing smartphone brand of 2019 is ready to launch realme 5i in Pakistan. It is powered by a 5,000mAh battery and boasts of a 6.52-inch display. The display has a water-drop notch. It operates on the Qualcomm snapdragon 665 SoC coupled with 4GB RAM.

This phone is a dual SIM phone and runs on Android Pie with ColorOS 6.0.1. Realme 5i has a 6.5 inch HD+ display (720x1600 pixels). It comes with a water-drop notch, a contrast ratio of 1200:1. The screen is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3+. It is claimed that the display is set to deliver 480 nits of brightness. The Realme 5i comes with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC coupled with a maximum of 4GB RAM.

For all the people who love clicking pictures, this phone includes a quad rear camera setup. The setup includes a main 12-megapixel camera with an f/1.8 aperture. This is supported by an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera with an f/2.25 lens and viewing angle of 118.9 degree, a 2-megapixel portrait camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera with a close-up range of 4cm. The front camera is an 8-megapixel with an f/2.0 lens.

The camera features also comprise of 4K video capture at 30fps, slo-mo video recording at 120 fps and super night mode. Apart from this, the phone is powered by a 5,000mAh battery and supports 10W charging. The phone offers 64 GB storage that can be expanded up to 256 GB.

Connectivity options available are 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac and GPS. Dimensions of the Realme 5i phone are 164.4x75x9.3mm and it weighs 195 grams.

Realme has previously announced the launch of realme C3, both the devices will be launched this month via one of a kind Campus Launch event. Stay tuned for more exciting updates of realme devices and follow realme Pakistan official Facebook & Instagram for regular updates.

realme Pakistan teases one of the much-awaited entry-level smartphones featuring Helio G70; realme C3

realme announced its entry-level C3 smartphone few weeks ago in international market and now the company is teasing the handset in Pakistan. It appears that the Pakistani market will get a different version with one extra camera but thankfully it will be the one with the first Helio G70 quard-core chipset.

The official realme Facebook in the country outlines some of the key specs of the phone and "triple camera" is one of them. The currently released version features a 12MP main camera and a 2MP secondary one so we would assume that those two are to stay but we don't know anything about the third one just yet.

realme is partnering with various universities in order to have a campus launch event. Focusing on youth and representing youth philosophy this type of campus launch will be one of a kind in Pakistan

The realme C3 is set to arrive in two configuration variants: 3GB RAM with 32GB storage and 4GB RAM with 64GB storage alongwith the presence of Helio G70 chipset inside. The smartphone is housed with 5,000mAh battery capacity. It is undoubtedly a huge battery and to put things in perspective, combining the high performing chipset with massive battery the device has been publicized internationally as “Gaming Monster” it is claimed to offer up to 30 days standby time, 43.9 hours call time, 19.4 hours music streaming, 20.8 hours YouTube playback, and 10.6 hours of PUBG gaming.

The upcoming budget smartphone will have a 6.5-inch Mini-drop Fullscreen display with Corning Gorilla Glass. The term "Mini-drop" here refers to the small dot-like notch that is present on the front panel. The phone is said to offer an 89.8% screen-to-body ratio suggesting that there will be slim bezels.

It is an AI-powered camera setup which means there will be a few useful camera features to deliver better output. Some of these include Chroma Boost, slow-motion video recording, HDR mode, and selfie panorama mode.

Notably, the Realme C3 would be the first smartphone with the Helio G70 chipset to launch in Pakistan, so it will be interesting to see how the company prices it. To recall, the Helio G70 chipset was launched recently aimed at offering better gaming performance in the budget and entry-level segment.

Pakistan Auto Show to attract over 100,000 visitors in Lahore, on 21st to 23rd February

The largest exhibition of automobiles in the country - The Pakistan Auto Show 2020 (PAS-20) is being held on 21st, 22nd, and 23rd of February 2020, at the Expo Centre in Lahore. It is a valuable initiative of the ‘Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts & Accessories Manufacturers’ (PAAPAM), representing over 3000 large, medium & small industries from all over Pakistan. The theme of this year’s PAPS show is; “MAKE IN PAKISTAN”.

More than 100,000 local visitors are expected to see renowned companies from; Japan, Germany, Korea, China, France, Turkey, Thailand, Taiwan, England USA, UAE and Sri Lanka, while over 400 international visitors, including 150 global buyers and delegations will be there too. More than 100 exhibitors, including 10 international enterprises and 90 domestic companies will display their brands and services on 38,666 square feet. The show is supported by the Engineering Development Board and PakWheels.com, while the sponsors include: Honda, Suzuki, Hyundai & Millat Tractors.

The diverse categories of exhibitors will include; Passenger Cars, Trucks, buses, Tractors, Rickshaws, Motorcycles, Auto parts Manufacturers, Services providers, Machinery makers, Tool-makers, Antique cars and Heavy motorbikes along with related service industries like accessories, Tracking & insurance, etc. The general public is invited to visit the show between 10 AM and 7:00 PM, to see the fascinating innovations and cutting-edge technologies from the best institutions and projects, delivering great advantages for the consumers. While highlighting CSR, traffic-safety and public awareness campaigns, a FREE Exhibitors’ Directory will also be distributed among the visitors.

 The quantum of local parts used for domestic car-assembly has risen substantially over the last 10 years, raising Pakistan among the top 40 automobile-manufacturing countries, while our Auto sector is among the top-3 Tax-contributors to the government treasury and nearly 34% of the cost of a locally-produced car is paid as taxes. Currently, Four out of the top 10 global automobile companies have production plants in Pakistan, including; Suzuki, Toyota, Honda and FAW, soon to be followed by other big names like KIA, Hyundai & Volkswagen.

The Chairman of Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts & Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM) – Capt. (R) Muhammad Akram stated that: “Implementation of stringent policies and monitoring by the Government will ensure that only Overseas Pakistanis can benefit from used-car import schemes. Foreign companies should be inspired to invest more, transfer technologies and “Make in Pakistan” for faster economic progress.

The Senior Vice Chairman of PAAPAM – Mr. Mr. Saad Sherani stated, “The global automobile manufacturers are showing keen interest in Pakistan, as the demand for quality automobiles has risen rapidly in this emerging market, with a lot of unexplored potential. This show will further strengthen the investors' confidence, to increase Foreign Direct Investments.”

The Chief Organizer of Pakistan Auto Show 2020 and Former Chairman of PAAPAM - Syed Nabeel Hashmi commented that; “The Pakistan Auto Show is now recognized as the most resourceful platform for sustainable enrichment of the Automobile industry. The regulators and stakeholders will come together once again, to explore the way forward, while finding solutions and exploring opportunities, while globally promoting Pakistan as a credible brand.”

AI decoded – accountants and policy makers can benefit from ongoing work to make AI easier to interrogate

Put the user at the core, asserts new report from ACCA, as it reveals 51% of practitioners are unaware of explainable AI

Explainable AI (XAI) emphasises not just how algorithms provide an output, but also how they work with the user, and how the output or conclusion is reached. XAI approaches shine a light on the algorithm’s inner workings to show the factors that influenced its output. The idea is for this information to be available in a human-readable way, rather than being hidden within code.

ACCA’s (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) latest report Explainable AI addresses explainability from the perspective of practitioners, i.e. accountancy and finance professionals. Head of Business Insights, Narayanan Vaidyanathan, said: ‘It is in the public interest to improve understanding of XAI, which helps to balance the protection of the consumer with innovation in the marketplace.’

Complexity, speed and volume of AI decision-making often obscure what is going on in the background (the black box), which makes the model difficult to interrogate.  Explainability, or the lack of this, affects the ability of professional accountants to understand and display scepticism.  In a recent ACCA survey, more than double, 54%, agreed with this statement compared to those who didn’t. 

Vaidyanathan continued: ‘It’s an area that’s relevant to being able to trust technology and to be confident that it’s used ethically and XAI can help in this scenario.  It’s helpful to think of it as a design principle as much as a set of tools.  Moreover, this is AI decoded, and designed to augment the human ability to understand and interrogate the results returned by the model.’

Key messages for practitioners:

-                  Maintain awareness of evolving trends in AI: 51% of respondents were unaware of XAI.  This impairs the ability to engage. The report sets out some of the key developments in this emerging area to help raise awareness. 

-                  Beware of oversimplified narratives: In accountancy, AI isn’t fully autonomous, but nor is it a complete fantasy. The middle path of augmenting, as opposed to replacing, the human works best when the human understands what the AI is doing; which needs explainability.

-                  Embed explainability into enterprise adoption:  Consider the level of explainability needed, and how it can help with model performance, ethical use and legal compliance.

Policy makers, for instance in government or at regulators, frequently hear the developer/supplier perspective from the AI industry. This report can complement that with a view from the user/demand side, so that policy can incorporate consumer needs. 
The report’s key messages for policy makers are:

-                  Explainability empowers consumers and regulators: improved explainability reduces the deep asymmetry between experts who understand AI and the wider public. And for regulators, it can help reduce systemic risk if there is a better understanding of factors influencing algorithms that are being increasingly deployed across the marketplace.

-                  Emphasise explainability as a design principle: An environment that balances innovation and regulation can be achieved by supporting industry to continue, indeed redouble, its efforts to include explainability as a core feature in product development.

Narayanan Vaidyanathan added: ‘XAI can be polarising, with some having unrealistic expectations for it to be like magic and answer all questions. While others are deeply suspicious of what the algorithm is doing in the background. XAI seeks to bridge this gap, by improving understanding to manage unrealistic expectations, and to give a level of comfort and clarity to the doubters.’

Hyundai D Ground – 3S Franchise Dealership Inaugurated in Faisalabad

Hyundai Nishat Motor (Private) Limited, is pleased to announce the inauguration of its 3S Franchise Dealership, Hyundai D-Ground in Faisalabad at 2B, Peoples Colony, D Ground, Faisalabad.

The dealership is located in the heart of the city with a combined area of 50,000 Square Feet.

In its pursuance of excellence in network strategy, Hyundai Nishat has equipped this facility with state of the art equipment and hardware / software systems to deliver a superior Customer Experience!

The showroom offers a six (06) cars display along with a comfortable customer lounge and easy / affordable Financing / insurance facility under one roof.

The service area comprises of over (25) twenty five working bays supported by a large parts warehouse that will provide a complete peace of mind to its customers & ownership experience. Outlet has a qualified and experience team of committed personnel ensuring a hassle free and unmatched experience to the customers.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Masuda Junya, EVP Sales & Marketing, HNMPL, said that it is a significant milestone towards establishing a robust nationwide 3S dealership network, offering superior customer experience, synonymous with Hyundai brand globally! Customers are invited to this dealership to ‘Experience the Change!’

In the near future, Hyundai plans to bring even more exciting and world famous models in Pakistan and aims to set new benchmarks when it comes to technology and service standards. With the coming of Hyundai to Pakistan, automotive enthusiasts and the public alike are anticipating an exciting journey ahead and are all set to Experience the Change.

Dawlance Arçelik’s Chief highlights investment plans at “Pak-Turkey Business Forum”

As Pakistan and Turkey are fostering deeper socio-economic ties as brotherly Islamic nations, the largest Turkish enterprise Koç Holding has expressed its commitment to further expand its heavy investments and operations in Pakistan. The Chief Commercial Officer of Arçelik, a subsidiary of Koç Holding in Turkey –– Mr. Can Dinçer participated in the Pakistan-Turkey Business & Investment Forum, recently chaired by the President of Turkey in Islamabad.

Mr. Can Dincer stated that “Since 2016, we have gained a very strong foothold in one of the world’s most promising markets, Pakistan and further built on the strengths of Dawlance. We are very proud to see that Dawlance and Arçelik grow together as part of a larger and global organization. Arçelik operates across a vast geography spanning from Europe to Middle East and Africa to Asia and is progressing steadily on a global path. We have successfully transferred our technology know-how and innovation capabilities and invested in Dawlance to develop the business. In 2020, our plan is to introduce competitive pricing model in all categories to better response to the needs of the changing demands while using the distribution channels effectively.  Our main objectives are to expand our experience stores and e-commerce platforms and increase small-medium potential dealers. At Arçelik, sustainability is at the very core of our business model in line with our vision ‘Respecting the World, Respected Worldwide’. We focus on developing environmental friendly products increasing, energy efficiency in our global manufacturing network and contribute to the societies’ social innovation projects. I’m very proud to say that Pakistan will hopefully be one of the contributors to this vision.”

Koç Holding is the largest holding company in Turkey, with a successful history of over 60 years. Today, it is the only Turkish company ranked in the Fortune Global 500 list, as Koç Holding has established industry-leading portfolios in the automotive, electronics, finance and energy sectors, while employing over 92,500 people around the world. Arçelik is a subsidiary of Koç Holding and the parent company of Dawlance. It is a leading Player in the Home-Appliances Industry which has the biggest Research & Development network with 20 R&D and design centers, including one R&D center in Karachi, Pakistan. Over the years, Arçelik has expanded its production-base, by establishing 23 manufacturing facilities in 9 countries, while its products are exported and sold in approx. 150 countries. Environment-Protection and employee well-being are among the primary focuses of the group.

The Chief Executive Officer of Dawlance - Umar Ahsan Khan thanked Mr. Can Dinçer, Chief Commercial Officer of Arçelik, for his visit to Pakistan and stated that: “Since Arçelik’s acquisition, Dawlance has gained tremendous competitive advantages in Pakistan, as Arçelik has made large scale investments in the company, to enhance the product quality and design, in upgrading the manufacturing facilities to global standards and in developing state of the art R&D facilities to drive innovation. New production lines to manufacture Automatic Washing Machine and Water Dispensers have been set up, while Dawlance also began exporting CE Certified Water-Dispensers to Europe. With the vision of putting Dawlance on global arena, we are now implementing a strategy to expand our exports to other countries.”

Dawlance has achieved large manufacturing capabilities owing to its 3 factories. It is also expanding its largest Sales and Service network, which already comprises of 1800+ dealers across Pakistan. Dawlance has recently inaugurated an Experience Store in Peshawar, offering complete range of products to consumers. In future, it plans to establish more experience stores in other cities too, a similar approach in both Arçelik and Dawlance is the dynamic structuring of distribution channel, which is an important part of its growth strategy.

Dawlance supports several universities in Pakistan, to nurture innovative engineering projects, technology-transfers and knowledge-sharing, between Turkey and Pakistan. Besides regular training and development activities, it seeks deeper insights into the evolving needs of the Pakistani consumers, while ensuring the health and Safety of its work-force, consumers and other stakeholders. It sponsors environment-friendly projects and energy-conserving products that promise more sustainability and wellbeing of the public, while drastically reducing its carbon foot-print.

The key to Pakistan’s progress is the deployment of advanced technologies and Arçelik is known for undertaking extensive research and development activities, enabling enrichment and innovations in its wide range of products that perform well beyond the consumers’ expectations, by fulfilling the evolving needs of our consumers. The Turkish and Pakistani governments must continue to work together, offering more incentives for large scale joint-ventures and public-private partnerships for the business communities. 

HIGH DEMAND OF CARFIRST SALES CENTER FRANCHISE AMONG USED CAR DEALERS

In line with their commitment to revolutionize the used car industry in Pakistan, CarFirst, Pakistan’s most trusted used car trading platform, under their CarFirst Sales Center business introduced a complete franchising business solution for used car dealers and traders. After multiple successful launches in Lahore, a high demand for the franchise came in from used car traders and dealers from cities across Pakistan, and thus, CarFirst Sales Center Franchise is now available nationwide. 

All CarFirst Sales Center franchisees enjoy exclusive access to arguably the largest inventory of used cars in Pakistan at the best prices, as well as the standard online marketplace, easing the buying and selling of cars, as well as marketing and branding support. The Franchising services provide full support to used car dealerships and traders and helps them in increasing their revenue and profitability. The franchises also enable ease of access to CarFirst Sales Center customer base and digital operations.

Commenting on this Shanawar Khan, Head of Operations,  at CarFirst Sales Center said, “ Our innovative franchising business solutions helps increase brand value, with franchisees receiving an increasing number of customers at their locations, with our dedicated Call Center generating leads and redirecting them to their dealerships. Our regular Gala events exclusively allow franchisees in their city to showcase their stock to a wide range of potential buyers. The Franchise Support Executives present at franchises helps improve customer service experience. We also help in generating additional income by providing our Franchise owners' customers with many value added services under one roof, like Insurance, Takaful, Financing, Tracker, Auto service and many more.”

Commenting on this Sheikh Rehan Ahmed, Owner of Car Boulevard, a CarFirst Sales Center Franchise said,“Working with CarFirst Sales Center has increased my customers and I have been able to multiply the scale of my business. It has taught me the benefit of bringing my business online, with more information on prices and varieties of cars.  By owning a CarFirst Sales Center Franchise I get exclusive access to inventory as well as 10 free OLX featured Ads that really help in getting attraction. Marketing and branding support to maximize lead generation and people who are helpful in managing operations is another bonus. The tech element of inspected cars in an online inventory has helped increase the speed of operations. I have had a very good experience so far and Insha Allah it will become even better. I recommend this exceptional service to my peers in the used car auto industry.”

‘We can act now’ – accountants and regulators urged to tackle technology being used in economic crime

Leading accountants have urged regulators to keep pace with technology in the fight against economic crime.

Estimates show financial crime costs the world $3.5 trillion per year — more than the gross domestic product of the UK - and often sees countless people lose savings, jobs and sometimes much more.

A new report, Economic Crime in a Digital Age, features analysis from senior practitioners at ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and EY. It focuses on the challenges business faces in fending off breaches from sophisticated attackers.

The panel found there is still a pressing need to create a regulatory environment that supports financial innovation as well as limiting the risks for consumers and businesses. Policymakers and regulators must overcome the technology lag – where legislation has sufficiently caught up with technology.

Jason Piper, head of Tax and Business Law at ACCA, believes technological advances and criminal activity can often go hand in hand.

Mr Piper says the scope of technology means there are more potential victims of economic crime in single attacks.

He says: ‘Economic growth flourishes on technological advances, however criminal activity also responds and reacts, and the opportunity that criminals exploit creates challenges for regulators, legitimate businesses and their customers, auditors and advisers alike.

‘This lag will be exacerbated by the skills and knowledge deficits within the regulatory and law enforcement community. In recent years, criminals have benefited from operating internationally in a way regulators cannot.’

Rogue actors are increasingly abusing emerging technologies and innovation to compromise data integrity. In order to effectively mitigate this risk, companies need to carefully review and assess areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), and cyber security linked to their critical processes and data.

Commenting on the report, ACCA’s head of Pakistan, Sajjeed Aslam said, ‘Cyberspace does not recognise national borders – but law enforcement must. To tackle crime, businesses and law enforcement around the world need to be able to act together, and that relies upon a coordinated global regulatory approach which recognises the new landscape and reflects the demands of a digital age.’

Andrew Gordon, EY Global Forensic & Integrity Services Leader says: ‘Embedding a culture of integrity is critical for organizations. Achieving this through a combination of data insights, governance, culture, controls and procedures will help organizations protect themselves in the constantly transforming risk landscape.’

realme Pakistan to debut year 2020 with exciting device line-up this month

Pakistani youth’s most celebrated mobile brand realme is going to debut the year 2020 with its most affordable smartphone lineup this month. February is arguably the most exciting month for smartphone launches.  The upcoming device is also going to be the first handset from realme to run on its own Realme UI that is based on ColorOS 7 running Android 10 operating system out-of-the-box bringing a fresh coat of paint and some nice upgrades over its predecessor.

The upcoming smartphone series is expected to bolster the company's position in the entry level smartphone market that is rapidly catching up in Pakistan. 2020 is going to be much bigger for realme, and the company will launch a bunch of new smartphones and IOT products. Going forward, realme Pakistan aims to bring such devices in the market which will transform the company as the most preferred tech lifestyle brand of the youth in country.

Since its entry into the Pakistani market 12 months ago, realme, has already launched 9 products across different price segments from premium flagships to trendy mid-rangers, all designed particularly for the youth. They are also gearing up for the launch of their latest additions in the classic realme series in the coming months. realme is proving it has planned an even steeper growth trajectory than its parent company through a targeted focus on the youth.

HUAWEI Y6s is Up For Grabs as it goes on Sale Nationwide

The smartphone’s pre-orders saw a phenomenal response from consumers and is now up for purchase all across Pakistan.

 With market anticipation on a high, the pre-orders of HUAWEI Y6s were a hit as the entire pre-order stock was booked in less than a week. This time Huawei had made an exciting Double Deposit Offer for its budget Y Series variant that got consumers to Huawei outlets in droves. The device is now available for sale nationwide for PKR 20,899/-.

The Country Manager of Huawei Pakistan – Mr. Scott Huang stated: “As an innovative enterprise that is now leading the global technological advancements – Huawei remains committed to meet the evolving needs of every consumer segment in the market. Customers who may have missed the pre-booking opportunity can now purchase HUAWEI Y6s from any authorized dealer at market price to experience great performance and reliability.”

HUAWEI Y6s is power packed with a robust 2.3GHz Octa-core processor while the EMUI 9.1 and intelligent solutions make it much easier to use by allowing you to swiftly navigate through functions. This phone has the intelligence to recognize your gestures, e.g. you can take a screenshot by simply swiping the screen with three-fingers.  

While this segment of smartphones has a standard of 2GB RAM, HUAWEI Y6s has gone beyond the ordinary and offers 3GB of RAM. It allows users to perform multi-tasking with virtually no lag. The Extendable Read-Only File System (EROFS) by Huawei provides extra space for; photos, videos, files and apps, supported by 64GB memory, expandable to 512GB with an SD card. It is powered by a 3,020mAh battery with Artificial-Intelligence based power-saving solutions.

The device also packs a punch in the photography department with its 13MP rear camera and an f/1.8 aperture which captures vivid images, even in the darkest environments. On the front, it is equipped with an 8MP camera, enriched with an ambient light-sensor and proximity-sensor to take spectacular selfies. Additionally, the 6.09 inch DewDrop display and a maximized bezel-less screen promise immersive viewing experiences and the stunning HD feature feels more sophisticated with a TÜV Rheinland certified Eye-Comfort Mode to further ease extended usage. Finally, the security of your data in this phone is ensured by a Fingerprint Sensor.

For the music-lovers, Huawei’s SuperSound delivers more clarity with an 11V smart-power Amplifier, for more quality at higher volumes, while the sound-effects algorithms and HUAWEI’s Histen 5.0, backed by a 5.1 stereo surround-sound create an immersive experience for theater-like effects. 

HUAWEI Y6s comes in two great colours of Orchid Blue and Starry Black. Consumers can purchase this device for an amazing price of PKR 20,899/- at all authorized retailers nationwide.

ACCA promotes KP as a gateway to economic prosperity

ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) hosted a high-profile corporate networking conference in Peshawar on the theme ‘KP: Pakistan’s gateway to economic prosperity’ providing a platform to region's key stakeholders and thought leaders to engage in interdisciplinary, forward thinking conversations and encouraging collaborative action by proposing a common agenda aimed at revitalising the private sector to kick start an era of sustainable, inclusive economic growth in the province.

Taimur Jhagra, Minister for Finance, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Hassan Daud Butt, CEO, KP Board of Investment & Trade, Mujahid Saleem, Advisor on Economic Growth, USAID, and Assad Hameed Khan, Market Head, ACCA were among the keynote speakers who shared their insights and proposed tips for organisations to become future-ready.

“It’s a source of pride to see the city opening up again and providing a platform for thought leaders to engage in meaningful conversations. The province is a large consumer market and offers exciting opportunities for investors. We strongly believe that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is our country’s gateway to economic prosperity.” - Taimur Jhagra

Commenting on the theme of the conference, Director of National Incubation Centre (NIC) Peshawar, Faisal Jamil said, “Around 60pc of all the investments and funding raised by the start-ups at NIC Peshawar have been raised by women-led start-ups. The key takeaway from the conference is that the stakeholders of this region need to focus more on inclusivity and sustainability to drive the business forward.”

Recognising the aggregated impact of the conference, Mujahid Saleem said, “Today's event will go a long way in chalking out a clear path forward to promote sustainable economic development in this region. We look forward to working with ACCA on similar initiatives in the future for the benefit of this region.”

From robotics and cloud to AI and block chain, digital is arguably the biggest factor shaping the future of business around the world. At the conference, ACCA shared insights, practical guidance, strategies, and solutions to enable businesses and policy makers to embrace these new technologies and create a conducive environment for innovation and entrepreneurship.

“The conference offered great insights into developing future-ready talent and preparing the youth of our country for the challenges ahead.” - Dr Sahibzada Ali Mahmud, Chief Strategy & Information Officer, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KPEZDMC)

One of the event highlights was a future-focused panel conversation on the topic ‘Digital transformation and economic growth – journey towards sustainable development’. The conversation leaders for the segment included, Dr Mohsin Khan, Director, Institute of Management Sciences, Shafique Ur Rehman, CEO, Rehman Medical Institute, Dr Shahbaz Khan, Managing Director, KP IT Board, Dr Sahibzada Ali Mahmud, Chief Strategy & Information Officer, KPEZDMC, Syed Asmat Ullah FCCA, Executive Director Audit & Assurance, Deloitte and Arif Masud Mirza FCCA, Regional Head of Policy, ACCA.

To emphasise on the importance of inclusivity and to discuss the changing nature of work, and evolving business models, the conference also hosted a thought-provoking panel conversation on the theme ‘Building an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem’, with contributions from Hassan Daud Butt, CEO, KP Board of Investment & Trade, Usman Zulfiqar, Academia Head SKANS School of Accountancy Peshawar, Ihsan Ullah Ihsan, Managing Director, The Bank of Khyber, Mubarak Ali Senior Faculty Member Professionals Academy of Commerce Peshawar, Faisal Jamil, Executive Vice President, LMKT and Maryam Arshad, CEO, Impact Dynamics.

“We believe healthy and prosperous economies are ones that build equitable and thriving societies. In Pakistan, ACCA will continue to play its role in building a healthy and prosperous economy where people of all backgrounds are able to flourish and there’s an open access to opportunity.” – Assad Hameed Khan, Market Head, ACCA

Bank Islami Pvt Ltd. joined ACCA as an exclusive Strategic Partner. The Bank of Khyber, DHA Peshawar, and Rehman Medical Institute were the Platinum Partners, and Professionals' Academy of Commerce (PAC), and SKANS School of Accountancy joined as Gold Partners.

The conference was also supported by SECP's Jama Punji, IM Sciences, IM Durshal, Deloitte, SMEDA, KP Information Technology Board, Pakistan Stock Exchange, KPRA, KPCCI, WCCI and KPEZDMC. Nutshell Conferences powered the conference as a Knowledge Partner. 

With more than 219,000 fully qualified members and 527,000 students worldwide, ACCA is the world’s leading body for professional accountants which uses its unrivalled connections across the world to connect people with fulfilling careers, organisations with the best finance talent, and economies with the ingredients for growth. With strong partnerships with top employers and social sector across the globe and an award-winning Professional Insights programme offering ground-breaking futures insight, ACCA is at the forefront of finance talent development and creating future-proof careers.