Breaking records: Cell phone subscriptions soar to all-time high

Statistics show that Pakistan’s telecom sector is booming and the growth does not seem to be slowing down. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: 

The country’s total mobile phone subscriptions reached an all-time high of 137.68 million at the end of April 2014, corresponding to a cellular mobile teledensity of 75.6% for the first time, according to the latest data released by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

The PTA statistics revealed that each of the given cellular mobile operators (CMOs) were able to increase their subscriber base – collectively selling 1.2 million new connections in April 2014.

Telenor Pakistan and China Mobile (Zong) were once again the highest contributors to the growth of country’s mobile phone subscribers.

Telenor Pakistan sold 665,591 new connections during the month under review, taking its overall subscriber base to 35.87 million. The Pakistani arm of the Oslo-based cellular giant holds 26% share in the country’s cellular subscriber base, only two percentage points behind market leader Mobilink.

Mobilink maintained the top place, growing its subscriptions to 38.3 million after adding 145,941 new subscriptions to its network. Its share in the cellular segment is 28% as of April, 2014, the data revealed.

Zong, the Pakistani subsidiary of China Mobile, also continued its positive growth by selling 387,527 new connections in April and finished at number three with 25.98 million subscriptions. It now accounts for 19% of the country’s telecom subscriptions – just one percentage point above Ufone that slipped to number four with a market share of 18% or 24.6 million subscribers at the end of April, 2014. It sold only 2,435 new connections during the review period.

Warid Telecom, the smallest player in terms of subscriber base, sold 11,831 new connections and finished with a market share of 9% or 12.95 million subscriptions, according to the latest statistics

Value-added textile industry: New projects to ramp up demand for skilled workers

The government should evolve a mechanism to help textile workers learn more about fashion designing and enable the country to establish a firm footing in EU. PHOTO: FILE

LAHORE: 

With the establishment of the Quaid-i-Azam Apparel Park in Sheikhupura and Garment City in Faisalabad, the value-added textile chain’s demand for skilled workforce will touch 400,000 people annually, industry gurus believe.

This makes it all the more necessary to train new as well as existing workforce to cope with future challenges and meet demand that surges after the grant of Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) Plus status to Pakistan by the European Union.

At present, they say, the value-added textile sector has a shortage of at least 40,000 skilled workers, including 20,000 in Karachi, 10,000 in Lahore, 5,000 each in Faisalabad and Sialkot.

Looking at the shortage of skilled workers, Turkish experts have offered cooperation in developing the skills of Pakistani labourers.

“Turkey will cooperate in upgrading the textile curricula in addition to providing experts and master-trainers to improve overall skills and expertise of the Pakistani workforce,” said Mustafa Giray Tezel, country coordinator of Turkish International Cooperation Agency.

Tezel, who was heading a delegation, was speaking during a visit to the office of the Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (Prgmea) on Saturday.

Turkey would like to arrange experts for imparting training to Pakistani workers in a bid to meet the needs of textile units, especially those engaged in export of their products to European countries, he said.

Prgmea North Zone Vice Chairman Jawwad Chaudhry told the Turkish delegation that capitalising on the GSP Plus opportunity would largely depend on employing high-tech manufacturing equipment and training of workforce that numbered around 10 million across the country.

The government should evolve a mechanism for the development of worker skills to help them learn more about fashion designing and enable the country to establish a firm footing in EU markets.

Fashion apparel is the key to making inroads into the European market. Garment is a labour-intensive industry as at present 40% or 2.5 million of the country’s skilled and semi-skilled labour force is engaged with the sector.

The $1.2 billion industry of Sialkot is running at least 30% below capacity partly because of energy shortages and primarily due to lack of skilled and semi-skilled workers.

Garment manufacturers see a large scope of growth for the textile industry after the EU’s trade concessions and growth could be 100% by 2016, but there is no roadmap in place to produce professionals that could be absorbed by the industry.

“Our training system is supply-driven, lacks meaningful participation of stakeholders and is not geared to meet current needs of skills,” an industry player said. “The government should introduce a soft import policy to help the manufacturers diversify apparel products and improve their business and exports.”

Tackling chronic crisis: Punjab’s first coal-fired projects inaugurated

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (C) along with Punjab Chief Minister (L) pull the string to reveal the plaque for the Shahiwal coal-fired plant on Friday. PHOTO: PID

LAHORE: 

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday inaugurated two 660-megawatt coal-fired power projects – the first of its kind in Punjab – having a capacity of 1,320MW in Qadirabad, Sahiwal. The project, which will be completed by 2016, will not only help meet the country’s electricity demand but also create employment for the people of Sahiwal district and contribute to the GDP.  

“We chalked out the plan for this project in just two months ago. The Punjab government and Chinese companies have undertaken the development work at such a fast pace,” he said, voicing hope the project would bring 30 per cent returns to the investors.

“This is the third coal-based power project that my government has inaugurated in the last few months and I am going to inaugurate the Nandipur project [on Saturday],” the premier confidently added.

PM Nawaz regretted that despite the 23,000MW installed capacity in the country, the operational capacity was only around 13,000MW. He promised that in next eight to 10 years, his government would double the power generation.

He also highlighted the importance of the Karachi-Lahore Motorway, which will also pass through Sahiwal and apprised the audience that it will usher in an era of economic development in the city. He said that Rs55 billion have been allocated for the acquisition of land for the motorway.

The prime minister thanked the government of China for its role in assisting infrastructural and energy projects. “The Pak-China corridor will be a game changer in the region. The corridor is a 2,700-kilometre highway that stretches from Kashghar to Gwadar through Khunjrab. We are also considering building a special economic zone along the trade corridor that will lead to the industrial development in the whole country.”

The economic trade corridor comprises 10 coal power projects in Gaddani, 10 coal power projects in Thar and six power projects in Punjab. “I dreamt to transform Gwadar into a port on the lines of Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong,” Nawaz emphasised.

He also listed the recent energy projects initiated by the government like Dasu and Diamer-Bhasha, each having a capacity of 4,500MW, and the 1,320MW power plant in Jamshoro. With all these projects, 21,000MW of electricity will be added to the national grid in the next eight to 10 years, he said.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said darkness will be eliminated from the country under the present government and more coal power plants of this kind will be established in the province.

Work is being carried out on hydel, solar and coal-based power projects as part of PM Nawaz’s strategy for resolving the energy crisis.

In a meeting of the Joint Economic Commission of China and Pakistan held on February 19 in Beijing, it was agreed that power projects with the capacity of 20,000 MW will be set up in Pakistan during the next seven years. The chief minister said that he will personally visit Sahiwal twice a month to review the pace of the project.

David Luiz: It's official, I'm a PSG player

The French club have agreed to pay Chelsea £40m to acquire the Brazil international and he has now revealed the deal is complete, while also praising team-mate Thiago Silva

David Luiz has suggested that his move to Paris Saint-Germain from Chelsea is official and says he is excited to begin life in Ligue 1.

The French club struck a €49 million deal with the Blues – a world-record for a defender – last week and Luiz has now revealed he is excited to begin the next chapter of his career in the French capital, having already said his goodbye to Stamford Bridge supporters.

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"Yes, this is a new stage in my life, a new project in a new country with a new language," he told L'Equipe. "I was very happy at Chelsea, I won major titles, I made friends, I gained everybody’s respect, but I think I have come to the end of a cycle.

"I will now begin another in Paris after the World Cup. I am very pleased, it will be announced when the transfer window opens and all documents will be finalised, but we can now talk and confirm that everything is okay. It's official: I'm joining PSG and I'll be very happy.

"As I often say, I am privileged; I have played at big clubs in beautiful cities,” he added. “I'll have an opportunity to discover more with Paris Saint-Germain in Paris.

"I cannot complain, I have to enjoy it and represent PSG as best I can. I will try to achieve our goals, win titles, and show who I really am. This is what I want for my future at PSG."

Luiz will play alongside Brazil team-mate Thiago Silva in the PSG defence – a factor he admits influenced his decision to leave London.

"Of course he influenced my decision! Thiago is a great friend, a great player but you know I didn’t even need to clarify that.

"He is someone I get on really well with, and has been a mate since the first time we met at the national team. He is very friendly, he has a big heart, he is humble and has the same dreams as me... the only problem is that I'm going to spend more time with him than with my family!

"It's fantastic to work with a player of his talent every day, especially when he is such a wonderful person.

Benzema wants Pogba to join Madrid

The striker wants his France international team-mate to leave Juventus for the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, amidst rumours the midfielder could be sold

Karim Benzema wants Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba to jump ship for Real Madrid this summer as transfer rumours continue to swirl regarding the young midfielder's future.

The Blancos have been linked with a mega-money move for the 21-year-old France international for months now, with Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea also fellow admirers of the former Manchester United youth prospect.

Benzema, who will line up alongside Pogba at the World Cup this summer, would love his international team-mate to come to the Santiago Bernabeu should he decide to leave Turin in the upcoming transfer window.

"He’s a young player playing at a big European club. He gets better with each game and he’s at a high level and will continue to work hard," the Madrid striker told reporters.

"I would love him to leave for Madrid, because he’s French and can become a great player."

Benzema says his recovery from a minor muscle injury is going positively and dismissed concerns he is an injury doubt for the World Cup as Didier Deschamps' men prepare for a friendly against Paraguay.

"My adductor is healing, it's much better, there's nothing to worry about," the forward added.

"I started to run again and I work with the physios, it's evolving in the right way. Now I have to keep working but don't be worried, it's much better than when I played in the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid."

Benzema and Pogba are expected to be prominent players in France's attempt to win the World Cup, starting with group stage games against Switzerland, Ecuador and Honduras.

Suarez would find it difficult to reject Real Madrid, says lawyer

The Uruguayan has been linked with a switch to this season's Champions League winners and his representative claims that he has a "predisposition for Spain"

Luis Suarez's lawyer admits that the Liverpool striker would find it difficult to turn down a move to Real Madrid.

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4/6	Real Madrid are 4/6 with PaddyPower to be Luis Suarez's next club

The 27-year-old has long been linked with a move to Carlo Ancelotti's side but insisted earlier in May that he is happy to stay at Anfield.

Suarez, who finished as the Premier League's top scorer with 31 goals this season, signed a new contract with Liverpool in December but the Uruguayan's representative says that the forward would favour a switch to Spain if the opportunity arose.

"A year ago he was very likely to leave Liverpool," Alejandro Balbi told Cadena SER of a summer that saw Arsenal push hard for his signature.

"Now I think it is very difficult because he is an idol, although clubs can offer a lot of money.

"If there is such a big offer from Real Madrid, it would be very difficult to say no. Luis Suarez has always had a predisposition for Spain."

Courtois leaves door open to Chelsea return

The Belgium goalkeeper has spent the past three seasons on loan at Atletico Madrid and says he loves living in the city, but suggested a move back to London could be best

Thibaut Courtois has hinted that he could return to Chelsea after this summer's World Cup in Brazil.

The Belgium goalkeeper has spent the past three seasons on loan at Atletico Madrid and played a pivotal role in the club's success in 2013-14, with Diego Simeone's men winning La Liga and reaching the Champions League final.

Courtois played against his parent club in the semi-final of Europe's elite club competition and later said that he does not have an “emotional connection” with the Londoners, though he has now hinted that a move back to Stamford Bridge could be better for him in sporting terms.

“We will talk after the World Cup, we’ll talk with Chelsea," he told Cuatro. "I’m very comfortable here, I love living here, but at times you have to think about the sporting aspect.

“We’ll see what happens, I can’t say right now. First the World Cup.”

It had been suggested that Courtois went to see his team-mates to bid farewell after the Champions League final, but the 22-year-old ruled that out: “I’ve not said any goodbyes, I went to the bench to do some things."

Courtois is expected to start for Belgium in Brazil, ahead of Liverpool's Simon Mignolet, with the Red Devils set to face Algeria, Russia and South Korea in Group H.