ISLAMABAD: As many as 1.5 million SIMs have been removed from the names of mobile subscribers while around 1,34,000 irregular SIMs have been regularised after the correction of relevant data.
PTA official informed APP on Friday that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked more than 85,000 irregular SIMs since the launch of SIM Information System 668.
A total of 1.5 million mobile subscribers have sought their SIMs information from PTA out of which 10 million subscribers sought this information through SMS while 3.2 million subscribers visited PTA’s web-link of this service.
It may be noted that Customer Services Centers of mobile companies are experiencing considerable rush due to the ongoing SIM data correction process.
PTA has requested the mobile users to show patience at CSCs and franchises as every effort is being made to ensure the provision of due support to them by the CSCs staff.
Streamlining of mobile users’ data may take few months but once this process is completed, it will eventually benefit the telecom consumers. The purpose of this practice is to streamline the data of mobile users, which cannot be achieved without their cooperation.
Chairman PTA, Dr Mohammed Yaseen, in an exclusive talk with APP, said in the first phase, the PTA successfully verified data and around 10 million illegal SIMs were blocked. Later, he added, 2.9 million SIMS were blocked in the second phase. “The consumers should contact relevant telecom operator’s customer consumer centre for verification if they receive any message by the operator otherwise their connection would be blocked,” he briefed.
He said the PTA wanted 100 percent verified data of the consumers and PTA website had recorded 3.2 million hits by customers.
“This lower number reflects either the consumers are satisfied with their data details or they are reluctant to do so. However, let me make it clear that their SIMs would be blocked if data is not verified within the stipulated time period,” he said, adding that the corrected data details would be available after one month so the consumers should not get worried after verifying their data.
He said the PTA was making sure that automated data verification is made. He urged the media as well as consumers to help the PTA and telecom operators to get the consumers’ data verified.
In the wake of the problems faced by mobile users of small cities and towns in seeking their SIMs data correction, PTA has taken number of steps. It has allowed the selected franchises to receive the complaints regarding SIMs data for the convenience of mobile users.
These franchisees are only allowed to register the complaints by filling the undertaking forms, copy of which they return to the complainant. The franchisees are not allowed to amend the data rather they only forward those complaints to concerned mobile company for the correction in the data as desired by consumer. app
Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\11\14\story_14-11-2009_pg5_2
Showing posts with label Business News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Business News. Show all posts
Friday
D.G. Khan Cement to Spend $360 Million on Factories
Nov. 12 (Bloomberg) -- D.G. Khan Cement Ltd., Pakistan’s second-biggest producer, plans to invest 30 billion rupees ($360 million) to build a factory at home and in Sri Lanka, aiming to double capacity and tap demand in South Asia and East Africa. Shares rose.
The company plans to invest as much as 10 billion rupees to build a 2 million ton plant in Sri Lanka in partnership with the government, Chief Executive Officer Mian Raza Mansha said in an interview in Lahore today. Another 20 billion rupees will be spent to build a 3 million ton factory at Hub near Karachi to increase sales to East African nations, he said.
D.G. Khan Cement expects to capture demand for cement as South Asian and African nations, which produce less cement than they need, spend more on building roads, bridges and power plants. The South Asian region is forecast to expand 7.8 percent in 2011, according to the World Bank.
“This is a brilliant strategy to find new markets and place production capacity according to the regional requirements,” said Rehan Khan, research analyst at First Capital Equities Ltd. in Karachi, who has a “buy” recommendation on the stock.
D.G. Khan’s shares, which have climbed 28 this year, rose 1.9 percent, to 27.01 rupees at the 3:30 p.m. local time close on the Karachi Stock Exchange, after rising as much as 3.4 percent earlier.
Rights Shares
The company plans to raise 1 billion rupees through a rights share issue in the next quarter, Mansha said.
D.G. Khan increased its production capacity to 4 million tons a year from 1.7 million tons in 2004. The Sri Lanka plant will supply cement to that country and to India and Bangladesh, he said.
The Karachi plant, which will be the company’s third after Dera Ghazi Khan and Kallar Kahar in the Punjab province, will focus on sales to Ethiopia, Sudan and Jabuti.
“We are concentrating on the East African market where demand is rising,” said Mansha, 37, who has worked in the family business since he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1994. The company signed a contract last week to supply its first shipment of 250,000 tons of cement to Ethiopia, he said, adding he expects to increase sales to that country to 500,000 tons a year.
Lucky Cement Ltd., Pakistan’s biggest producer plans to start a factory in Africa by 2011, Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Ali Tabba said in an interview in August.
D.G. Khan, which sells 900 tons of cement a week to India, hopes to double sales if transport ties ease.
Indian Appetite
“India has tremendous appetite for Pakistani cement but we have to stop taking orders since we can’t deliver because of transport restrictions,” Mansha said. “If both countries give permission for trucks to be used to transport instead of trains, which have quota restrictions, both nations will benefit.”
Peace talks between the two nuclear-armed neighbors stalled after the Mumbai attacks in November, which India blames on the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group. Five years of peace talks from 2003 led to increased cultural and sporting links between the two nuclear-armed rivals and the establishment of new rail and road services.
The cement maker returned to a profit in the first-quarter ended Sept. 30 as borrowing costs declined. Net income was 630.3 million rupees, or 2 rupees a share, in the three months ended Sept. 30, compared with a loss of 223 million rupees, or 0.88 rupees, a year earlier.
Pakistani cement makers borrowed to expand capacity in the past five years to meet demand in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
D.G. Khan Cement began producing in 1986 and was acquired by the Nishat Group through a government asset sale program in 1992. The Nishat Group is Pakistan’s biggest business conglomerate with seven listed companies in banking, cement, textiles, insurance and power.
To contact the reporter on this story: Farhan Sharif in Karachi, Pakistan fsharif2@bloomberg.net.
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=aUjoL1TjKcCw
The company plans to invest as much as 10 billion rupees to build a 2 million ton plant in Sri Lanka in partnership with the government, Chief Executive Officer Mian Raza Mansha said in an interview in Lahore today. Another 20 billion rupees will be spent to build a 3 million ton factory at Hub near Karachi to increase sales to East African nations, he said.
D.G. Khan Cement expects to capture demand for cement as South Asian and African nations, which produce less cement than they need, spend more on building roads, bridges and power plants. The South Asian region is forecast to expand 7.8 percent in 2011, according to the World Bank.
“This is a brilliant strategy to find new markets and place production capacity according to the regional requirements,” said Rehan Khan, research analyst at First Capital Equities Ltd. in Karachi, who has a “buy” recommendation on the stock.
D.G. Khan’s shares, which have climbed 28 this year, rose 1.9 percent, to 27.01 rupees at the 3:30 p.m. local time close on the Karachi Stock Exchange, after rising as much as 3.4 percent earlier.
Rights Shares
The company plans to raise 1 billion rupees through a rights share issue in the next quarter, Mansha said.
D.G. Khan increased its production capacity to 4 million tons a year from 1.7 million tons in 2004. The Sri Lanka plant will supply cement to that country and to India and Bangladesh, he said.
The Karachi plant, which will be the company’s third after Dera Ghazi Khan and Kallar Kahar in the Punjab province, will focus on sales to Ethiopia, Sudan and Jabuti.
“We are concentrating on the East African market where demand is rising,” said Mansha, 37, who has worked in the family business since he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1994. The company signed a contract last week to supply its first shipment of 250,000 tons of cement to Ethiopia, he said, adding he expects to increase sales to that country to 500,000 tons a year.
Lucky Cement Ltd., Pakistan’s biggest producer plans to start a factory in Africa by 2011, Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Ali Tabba said in an interview in August.
D.G. Khan, which sells 900 tons of cement a week to India, hopes to double sales if transport ties ease.
Indian Appetite
“India has tremendous appetite for Pakistani cement but we have to stop taking orders since we can’t deliver because of transport restrictions,” Mansha said. “If both countries give permission for trucks to be used to transport instead of trains, which have quota restrictions, both nations will benefit.”
Peace talks between the two nuclear-armed neighbors stalled after the Mumbai attacks in November, which India blames on the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group. Five years of peace talks from 2003 led to increased cultural and sporting links between the two nuclear-armed rivals and the establishment of new rail and road services.
The cement maker returned to a profit in the first-quarter ended Sept. 30 as borrowing costs declined. Net income was 630.3 million rupees, or 2 rupees a share, in the three months ended Sept. 30, compared with a loss of 223 million rupees, or 0.88 rupees, a year earlier.
Pakistani cement makers borrowed to expand capacity in the past five years to meet demand in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
D.G. Khan Cement began producing in 1986 and was acquired by the Nishat Group through a government asset sale program in 1992. The Nishat Group is Pakistan’s biggest business conglomerate with seven listed companies in banking, cement, textiles, insurance and power.
To contact the reporter on this story: Farhan Sharif in Karachi, Pakistan fsharif2@bloomberg.net.
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=aUjoL1TjKcCw
Thursday
HUBCO records 57% growth in profit
KARACHI: The Hub Power Company (HUBCO) earned Rs 1.108 billion profit during the first quarter of current financial year against Rs 702 million in the same period of last year, depicting 57 percent growth. According to financial results of the company announced at Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) on Wednesday, the earnings per share also improved by Rs 0.96 during the period under review against Rs 0.61 in the corresponding period of last year. The increase in profit is mainly because of currency devaluation and higher tariff profile.
The turnover of the company decreased to Rs 22.005 billion in the said period against Rs 28.115 billion in the last year. Operating costs were Rs 20.491 billion in the said period against Rs 26.792 billion in the previous year. The decrease in turnover and operating costs is mainly attributable to lower fuel oil prices. During the period under review, Hub Plant operated at an average load factor of 75.9 and an average complex availability of 83 percent. Electricity sold to WAPDA was 2011 GWH. DGK Cement posted Rs 584 million profit in first quarter of current fiscal against Rs 168 million loss in the same period of last year. According to financial results of the company announced at KSE on Wednesday, earnings per share also turned positive to Rs 1.92 against Rs 067 in the same period of last year.
Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\10\29\story_29-10-2009_pg5_8
The turnover of the company decreased to Rs 22.005 billion in the said period against Rs 28.115 billion in the last year. Operating costs were Rs 20.491 billion in the said period against Rs 26.792 billion in the previous year. The decrease in turnover and operating costs is mainly attributable to lower fuel oil prices. During the period under review, Hub Plant operated at an average load factor of 75.9 and an average complex availability of 83 percent. Electricity sold to WAPDA was 2011 GWH. DGK Cement posted Rs 584 million profit in first quarter of current fiscal against Rs 168 million loss in the same period of last year. According to financial results of the company announced at KSE on Wednesday, earnings per share also turned positive to Rs 1.92 against Rs 067 in the same period of last year.
Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\10\29\story_29-10-2009_pg5_8
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)