ADB repurposes $50m to help Pakistan fight COVID-19

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has repurposed $50 million from the National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) to support the government’s preventive and response efforts to fight the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country. The funds, which form part of the ADB’s series of support for Pakistan’s fight against COVID-19, will help procure medical equipmentand supplies to strengthen hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, isolation units, and other medical facilities in the country. The funds include reallocation of $30 million of previously approved but unutilized resources from the ADB…

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MoIP Changes Focus of EV Policy from Cars to Two-Wheelers & Three-Wheelers

The saga involving the National Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy of Pakistan took another turn with an inter-ministerial meeting to smoothen its implementation. The meeting has decided that the EV policy will focus on two-wheelers and three-wheelers instead of cars. According to the information available, the meeting was chaired by Abdul Razak Dawood, Adviser to Prime Minister for Commerce, Investment and Industries and Production and amongst those in attendance were Federal Minister for Science and Technology and Advisers to Prime Minister on Climate Change and Institutional Reforms and Austerity. The main…

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OPEC and allies agree to historic 10 million barrel per day production cut

A historic production cut agreement between OPEC and its allies, known as OPEC+, hit a roadblock after Mexico refused to agree to its share of the cuts after a marathon meeting between the oil-producing nations that lasted more than nine hours. The other members of OPEC+, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, earlier in the day agreed to cuts that would take 10 million barrels per day offline as the coronavirus pandemic saps demand for crude. A statement released by OPEC following the meeting outlined details of the cuts but…

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JS Bank and Clients Deploy 110 Million Fund for Immediate COVID-19 Response

Karachi, 09 April 2020: Responding to the unprecedented challenges faced by the nation by the Corona Virus (COVID-19), JS Bank has established a 110 Million Rs fund in association with key partners to help address the impact of the pandemic during the month of April. Based on a pledge matching initiative wherein JS Bank equally matched all support pledges made by its partners, this fund is rooted in JS Bank’s philanthropic philosophy of collaborative efforts and will focus on addressing some of the immediate and long-term issues related to the pandemic.…

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Events Industry retools to build hospitals in Africa

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, April 8, 2020/ — A Cape Town-based exhibition builder, together with an event organizer, offer to work with governments and private sectors across Africa to rapidly build hospital infrastructures and shelters in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Afrika Umoja, an initiative initiated by Cape Town temporary architecture specialists, HOTT3D with pan-African energy event organizer Africa Oil & Power (AOP) (www.AfricaOilAndPower.com), is tackling the COVID-19 threat in its home city and across Africa. Afrika Umoja will aim to build temporary hospitals, clinics and homeless shelters to combat…

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