Experts call for investor education

KARACHI: There is a dire need to simplify the regulatory framework, increase participation of retailer investors and encourage the formation of holding companies by removing inter-corporate dividend tax to boost the development of capital markets in Pakistan, said experts in a panel discussion organized by ACCA Pakistan (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), CFO Club and Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).

The webinar featured prominent industry leaders and financial experts, including Sajjeed Aslam (Head of ACCA Pakistan), Shabbar Zaidi (Ex-Chairman FBR), Raeda Latif (Head of Marketing and Business Development, PSX), Asif Soomro (Managing Director, KASB Securities), Shehzad Dhedhi (Founder, CFO Club) and Imran Ahmed (CFO, Engro Fertilizers), according to a statement issued today.

Delivering the opening remarks, Sajjeed Aslam shared that, “Pakistan has immense potential for growth in developing capital markets. We need to create financial literacy around capital markets and teach individuals how to invest and generate capital from their investments. We also need to enable start-ups and businesses to utilize debt funding and equity funding to increase their growth capital.”

According to Shabbar Zaidi, high market volatility is one of the reasons for low individual investors’ participation, while large pension funds also avoid investment in the stock market. He recommended that long-term investment should be encouraged through tax credits and excessive compliance requirements of listed companies should be removed for the listing of more entities.

“In the last few years, we have seen positive changes in the regulatory framework and we are becoming more transparent. PSX is also prioritizing investor education to encourage more participation of retail investors”, added Raeda Latif

Asif Soomro suggested that the government should seriously reconsider the proposal to withDr.aw inter-corporate dividend tax relief as this is an excessive requirement. The relief was introduced after an extensive collaborative process and global benchmarking in 2007/8 to promote the formation of Holding Companies structures and corporatization of family-owned enterprises. Further, he also stressed on investor education so they could learn to take a long-term view of the capital markets.

The participants concluded that regulators should develop a deeper understanding of the market prior to introducing new governance policies and legal framework. Based on the overwhelming response, ACCA Pakistan and CFO Club will be organizing similar sessions in future as well to enable dialogue on important aspects of the economy.

INTERNATIONAL NON-PROFIT OCEANIC GLOBAL LAUNCHES THE BLUE STANDARD TO ESTABLISH UNIVERSAL ACCOUNTABILITY FOR SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS LEADERSHIP

FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND CROSS-INDUSTRY STANDARD EMPOWERS BUSINESSES TO ELIMINATE PLASTICS, ADOPT SUSTAINABLE OPERATING PRACTICES, AND PROTECT OUR BLUE PLANET

New York, NY, Oct. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NEW YORK, NY – On Thursday, October 5th, the international non-profit Oceanic Global launched the Blue Standard (Blue) a first-of-its-kind cross-industry standard that empowers industries and businesses of all sizes to achieve measurable impact that protects our blue planet. Emissions, toxins, and plastics are all consequences of human-made industry that are devastating the Earth. And with 70% of the planet covered by the ocean (which regulates our climate, absorbs our carbon, and produces more than half of the oxygen we breathe) marine ecosystems are bearing the brunt of our actions. While there are several existing standards built on the notion of  “going green,” Oceanic Global’s is the first-of-its-kind that looks at the impacts of industry on the ocean and humanity’s interconnectivity to it, and empowers businesses of all sizes with actions that protect & restore the blue.

The Blue Standard was developed together with Oceanic Global’s Scientific Advisory Board and trained experts in both WELL and LEED building rating systems, as a timely response to the impending threat of Climate Change and the increasing demand for transparent industry action. According to a 2021 study by Deloitte surveying over 10,000 individuals in over 6 different countries, more than 58% of respondents wanted organizations to adopt more environmental practices, and 42% reported have changed consumption habits themselves because of their stance on the environment. In turn, Blue features two core offerings: a 3-star sustainability verification system for Business Operations and Product and Packing Seals that verify plastic-free consumer goods. An evolution of Oceanic Global’s long standing industry solutions program (formerly known as The Oceanic Standard), Blue has verified the sustainability achievements of 400+ across 26 counties to-date ranging from Bulleit distillery in Tennessee, House of Yes and Salesforce in New York, to the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, Citi Tower in Hong Kong, Habitas in Tulum, Mexico and all 19 Sandals Resorts International properties in the Caribbean. Leading sustainable brands including: Plaine Products, Raw Elements, Ball Aluminum Cups, are also amongst the inaugural brands set to be awarded with Blue’s new Product and Packaging Seals.

Recognizing the opportunity and potential for businesses to meet both business demand and environmental need, the Blue Standard has also created custom programs for industries including: hospitality, music, events, office spaces, professional sports, consumer packaged goods, and more. These specified offerings work together to further the environmental efforts within their respective fields while also establishing universal accountability and cohesive benchmarks for sustainable business leadership across industry. Oceanic Global believes that impact should be accessible and open-source, and so the Blue Standard additionally offers a suite of services including: free educational guides, step-by-step auditing and consultation, and buying deals with a network of 300+ vetted vendors, that make it both easy and cost-effective for businesses to transition away from single-use plastics and otherwise environmentally detrimental products and processes. In turn, due it’s comprehensive & solution-driven structure, the framework of the Blue Standard has been leveraged by international governments including those of: New York City, New York State, the United States, Barbados, Spain, and more, to help shape over 7 policies to-date.

“With businesses of all sizes increasingly adopting sustainable practices, we recognized both the need and the potential to create universal accountability for these efforts and for how they’re communicated to consumers. Our hope is that through empowering comprehensive commitments to sustainability and lasting systems change, The Blue Standard will work to create a new balance between industries and the natural world that sustains them.”  – Lea d’Auriol, Founder of Oceanic Global

“The health of our ocean is at a tipping point as is that of our collective well-being. Blue works to empower tangible action at all levels. We developed Blue to inspire the people and communities that make up businesses and industries to take continued action for our blue planet, and to maximize the positive impact we can all create in our immediate spheres and beyond.” – Cassia Patel, Program Director, Oceanic Global

Oceanic Global will celebrate the official launch of the Blue Standard via a free & open-to-the-public virtual event taking place on Thursday, October 7th live-streamed at both Noon EDT and Midnight EDT to accommodate varying time zones. The event will delve deeper into Blue’s offering and feature environmental and industry thought leaders alike including: John Warner (Senior Vice President, Chemistry & Distinguished Research Fellow at Zymergen Corporation), Sandra Noonan (Chief Sustainability Officer, Just Salad), and Eduardo Castillo (Co-Founder & Creative Director, HABITAS; DJ) and more. To learn more and register to attend visit bluestandard.com.

 

ABOUT OCEANIC GLOBAL

Founded in 2017 by Lea d’Auriol, Oceanic Global (OG) inspires us to care deeply for the ocean and provides solutions to protect it. The international non-profit sheds light on humanity’s essential relationship to the ocean and empowers individuals, communities, and industries to create positive change. Oceanic Global creates educational experiences, consults on sustainable operations, and engages local communities to generate measurable impact for our collective wellbeing. Oceanic Global has international hubs & volunteer bases in New York, London, Los Angeles, Barcelona, Tulum, and Hong Kong, and has additionally been the official non-profit and production partner to United Nations World Oceans Day since 2019. #CareDeeply | www.oceanic.global

ABOUT THE BLUE STANDARD

Launched in 2021 as an evolution of Oceanic Global’s long standing industry solution program (formerly known as the Oceanic Standard) The Blue Standard (Blue) combats greenwashing, establishes universal accountability for sustainable business leadership, and empowers industries and businesses of all sizes to achieve measurable impact that protects our blue planet. Developed together with Oceanic Global’s Scientific Advisory Board and trained experts in both WELL and LEED building rating systems, Blue features two core offerings: a 3-star sustainability verification system for Business Operations and Product and Packing Seals that verify plastic-free consumer goods. The Blue Standard offers specialized programs and consultation for industries including: hospitality, music, events, office spaces, professional sports, consumer packaged goods, and more, as well as free educational resources, step-by-step auditing and consultation support, and buying deals with a network of over 300+ vetted vendors to help businesses eliminate single-use plastics and operate sustainably. Blue has verified the sustainability achievements of over 400+ businesses across 26 countries to date, as well as helped over 7 environmental policies worldwide. www.bluestandard.com

Attachments


Natasha Berg
Oceanic Global
631-241-0398
[email protected]

Solving Critical Sensing and Perception Challenges, Join LeddarTech at Three Major International Events in October 2021

LeddarTech’s Wheel-E Robot

Live from the Autotech Council Science Fair, come meet Wheel-E™, LeddarTech’s curbside detection robot which highlights the features of the LeddarTech development platform.

QUEBEC CITY, Oct. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LeddarTech®, a global leader in Level 1-5 ADAS and AD sensing technology, is pleased to continue its participation in several digital and in-person events during the month of October as both an exhibitor and presenter. These virtual and live events will showcase LeddarTech’s comprehensive end-to-end technology platforms, which enable customers to solve critical sensing and perception challenges across the entire value chain of the automotive and mobility markets. These featured solutions include the LeddarVision™ sensor-fusion and perception platform and the cost-effective, scalable LiDAR development platform based on patented LeddarEngine™ technology.

“The acceleration of autonomous driving depends heavily on the collaboration of like-minded professionals and our teams are excited to present, exhibit, and network at these upcoming events,” stated Daniel Aitken, VP of Global Marketing, Communications, and Product Management at LeddarTech.

ITS World Congress – October 11-15 (Live in Hamburg, Germany)

Featuring a LeddarTech demonstration of a selection of ITS LiDAR modules that have been adopted around the world.

The ITS World Congress is the world’s largest and most prominent event focused on smart mobility and the digitalization of transportation. Every year, this event celebrates the advancement of smart mobility as they underline the importance of intelligent transport systems (ITS). For 2021, ITS World will include live, interactive, and thought-provoking sessions where industry experts present the latest developments in ITS, showcasing and demonstrating cutting-edge technology within the event’s spacious exhibition space. The event will also include technical tours and live demonstration opportunities.

LeddarTech will be an active part of the Quebec delegation alongside Investissement Québec and Propulsion Québec.

When: October 11-15, 2021

Where: The Hamburg Messe & Congress Center

Register here.

Autotech Council Science Fair – October 14-15 (Live & Online)

Featuring a LeddarTech demonstration of the LeddarEngine, which comprises the LCA3 SoC, and proprietary signal processing software that delivers the range, resolution, and detection performance required to support the highest levels of autonomous driving for a wide variety of vehicles. Also displayed at this event is our curbside detection robot vehicle, the Wheel-E™, which highlights the features of the LeddarTech development platform.

Autotech Council’s Annual Science Fair is a once-a-year opportunity for technology companies to introduce their innovations to strategy, R&D, scouting, and partnership executives from across the mobility industry. This year, the Science Fair is a dual-format online and onsite event where car makers, vendors, startups, academics, and investors promote their innovations, products, and co-development projects in a show-and-tell format.

When: October 14-15, 2021

Where: Milpitas (California) & online

Register here.

Arm DevSummit – October 19-21 (Virtual)

Featuring Pierre Olivier, CTO of LeddarTech as panelist with Arm, Continental, and Amazon

The Arm DevSummit 2021 is a three-day virtual conference that serves up insights into the latest technology trends and allows the participants an opportunity to enhance skills in technical sessions and hands-on workshops while also providing the ability to network with like-minded software developers and hardware designers. Pierre Olivier, CTO of LeddarTech, will join panelists from Arm, Amazon, and Continental for an engaging panel discussion where experts offer insights into how automakers have embraced a more centralized computing strategy, replacing scores of microcontrollers and microprocessors with fewer but more powerful SoCs. With these zonal processors, the car can truly become software defined. This panel discussion will explore this transformation while sharing the challenges and opportunities that come with bringing more flexible, pervasive intelligence to cars.

Featured panel: “Buckle Up – The Software-Defined Car Is Here”

When: October 20, 2021, 12:00 p.m. – 12:50 p.m. EST

Register here.

For a complete list of LeddarTech’s upcoming live and virtual events, please visit leddartech.com/events.

About LeddarTech

LeddarTech is a leader in environmental sensing platforms for autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems. Founded in 2007, LeddarTech has evolved to become a comprehensive end-to-end environmental sensing company by enabling customers to solve critical sensing and perception challenges across the entire value chain of the automotive and mobility market segments. With its LeddarVision™ sensor-fusion and perception platform and its cost-effective, scalable, and versatile LiDAR development solution for automotive-grade solid-state LiDARs based on the LeddarEngine™, LeddarTech enables Tier 1-2 automotive system integrators to develop full-stack sensing solutions for autonomy level 1 to 5. These solutions are actively deployed in autonomous shuttles, trucks, buses, delivery vehicles, smart cities/factories, and robotaxi applications. The company is responsible for several innovations in cutting-edge automotive and mobility remote-sensing applications, with over 100 patented technologies (granted or pending) enhancing ADAS and autonomous driving capabilities.

Additional information about LeddarTech is accessible at www.leddartech.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Contact:
Daniel Aitken, Vice-President, Global Marketing, Communications, and Product Management, LeddarTech Inc.
Tel.: + 1-418-653-9000 ext. 232
[email protected]

Leddar, LeddarTech, LeddarSteer, LeddarEngine, LeddarVision, LeddarSP, LeddarCore, VAYADrive, VayaVision, and related logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of LeddarTech Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names, and marks are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks used to identify products or services of their respective owners.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/70d41a88-ac06-4e91-86ff-03bbaa381ebf

Delphix India Crosses 100 Employees in Two Years

Company Continues to Hire for Several Leadership Opportunities

BENGALURU, India, Oct. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Delphix, the industry leading data company for DevOps, today announced crossing the 100 employee mark in India, just two years after launching a state-of-the-art R&D Centre in NCR. The company continues to hire aggressively, even through the pandemic, and currently has more than 30 immediate openings at the Director and Senior levels in Engineering, Marketing, and IT.

“We launched our India engineering R&D center in 2019 to support innovation and growth. We have been fortunate to have some of the top talent in the country join our team,” said Jedidiah Yueh, CEO of Delphix.

Delphix employees in India pioneer some of the company’s key innovations, including leading engineering projects to integrate with Oracle, SAP S/4HANA, Salesforce, SQL Server, Postgres, MongoDB, etc.

“The intellectual capital of our engineering team in India is second to none. I’m excited to build on the momentum and continue to expand our presence across the country,” said Vijay Anthony Sebastian, Managing Director, India.

The company’s HR team was named the winner of a Bronze Stevie® Award in the “HR Team of The Year” category at The 19th Annual American Business Awards®. The award recognized the team’s efforts to take the company from “surviving to thriving” during the pandemic.

“When the pandemic affected nearly 40% of our employees in India, the workload was shared with other regions, extended time off was provided for those affected, and an interim core task force was formed to help and support employees in distress. We also instituted a remote-first policy for our India-based employees,” said Jason Binder, VP of People at Delphix.

Delphix recently announced an increase in its overall employee diversity rates from 29.5% in Q4FY21 to 31.7% in Q1FY22, a growth of over 2% over the last quarter. Women account for nearly a quarter of the workforce. The company saw an increase in its women workforce from 22.8% in Q4FY21 to 24.7% in Q1FY22, a growth of nearly 2% over the last quarter.

Earlier this year, the company announced its annual growth rate grew by over 85% for the fiscal year ending January 2021 compared to the prior year, pushing it into non-GAAP profitability. Delphix customers now include 24 of the Fortune 100 companies, seven of the top 10 banks in North America, five of the top 10 telcos in the world, and over 60 insurance and health insurance providers.

About Delphix
Delphix is the industry leading data company for DevOps.

Data is critical for testing application releases, modernization, cloud adoption, and AI/ML programs. We provide an automated DevOps data platform for all enterprise applications. Delphix masks data for privacy compliance, secures data from ransomware, and delivers efficient, virtualized data for CI/CD.

Our platform includes essential DevOps APIs for data provisioning, refresh, rewind, integration, and version control. Leading companies, including Choice Hotels, J.B.Hunt, and Fannie Mae, use Delphix to accelerate digital transformation. For more information, visit www.delphix.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Contact Info:
Aarthi Rayapura
Director, Editorial & Content
[email protected]

Nyxoah Announces CE-Mark Indication Approval to Treat Complete Concentric Collapse (CCC) Patients

INSIDE INFORMATION
REGULATED INFORMATION

Nyxoah Announces CE-Mark Indication Approval to Treat Complete Concentric Collapse (CCC) Patients

Notified Body DEKRA approves IFU changes to remove warning regarding CCC patients

Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium – October 4, 2021, 10:30pm CET / 4:30pm ET – Nyxoah SA (Euronext Brussels/Nasdaq: NYXH) (“Nyxoah” or the “Company”), a medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative solutions to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), today announced that DEKRA Notified Body has approved the Company’s proposed indication for the Genio® system to treat patients with a Complete Concentric Collapse (“CCC”). DEKRA attributed the updated Genio® therapeutic indication to the BETTER SLEEP study data presented by the Company, concluding that “the effectiveness results and safety profile for both CCC and non-CCC patients are comparable”. Patients, therefore, do not have to undergo a Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE) procedure to determine if they have CCC at the soft palate level prior to Genio® implantation.

“We are thrilled that the Notified Body has approved the Genio® system as a treatment option for the large population of CCC patients. This will expand our total addressable market by at least 30%.”, said Olivier Taelman, CEO of Nyxoah. “Combined with the Breakthrough Device Designation granted by the U.S. FDA last month, the DEKRA approval provides further validation that our bilateral approach is well suited for both non-CCC and CCC patients. This broader indication will help accelerate our commercial activities in key European markets while we continue to pursue a clinical and regulatory pathway to make Genio® available to both non-CCC and CCC patients in the U.S.”

Prof. Dr. med. Clemens Heiser, MD, PhD – Head of ENT Sleep Laboratory at Klinikum Rechts der Isar –Technical University of Munich and worldwide recognized Key Opinion Leader in sleep surgery commented: “Until now, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) patients presenting a CCC were not suitable for marketed unilateral hypoglossal nerve stimulation systems and had to be excluded from this technique. With previous research from my group, bilateral stimulation seems to open the soft palate even with CCC. Bilateral neurostimulation solution is a new hope for these patients in need for a safe and efficient therapy.  A full-body 1.5T and 3T MRI compatibility combined with CCC indication for the Genio bilateral stimulation solution will change a lot in the future for hypoglossal nerve stimulation therapy.”

About Nyxoah

Nyxoah is a medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative solutions to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Nyxoah’s lead solution is the Genio® system, a patient-centered, leadless and battery-free hypoglossal neurostimulation therapy for OSA, the world’s most common sleep disordered breathing condition that is associated with increased mortality risk and cardiovascular comorbidities. Nyxoah is driven by the vision that OSA patients should enjoy restful nights and feel enabled to live their life to its fullest.

Following the successful completion of the BLAST OSA study, the Genio® system received its European CE Mark in 2019. Nyxoah completed two successful IPOs: on Euronext in September 2020 and NASDAQ in July 2021. Following the positive outcomes of the BETTER SLEEP study, Nyxoah received CE-Mark indication approval to treat Complete Concentric Collapse (CCC) patients, currently contraindicated in competitors’ therapy. Additionally, the Company is currently conducting the DREAM IDE pivotal study for FDA and US commercialization approval.

For more information, please visit http://www.nyxoah.com/

Caution – CE marked since 2019. Investigational device in the United States. Limited by U.S. federal law to investigational use in the United States.

Contacts:
Nyxoah
Jeremy Feffer, VP IR and Corporate Communications
[email protected]
+1 917 749 1494

Gilmartin Group 
Vivian Cervantes
[email protected]

Attachment

Pakistan Medical Commission Freezes Interim Result of MDCAT

The Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) has decided to freeze the interim result of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) till the completion of an independent third-party post-exam analysis as per international standards.

Taking to Twitter, the PMC announced that post-exam analysis of MDCAT is currently in progress and the facility to review and download the interim MDCAT result will remain disabled till the completion of the post-exam analysis.

Upon completion of the post-exam analysis, the final MDCAT result will be announced on 9 October. Candidates who appeared in MDCAT 2021 exam will only receive the final result.

Earlier today, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health, Dr. Faisal Sultan, revealed that Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) will conduct the post-exam analysis on a scientific basis to conduct a transparent investigation of the MDCAT to address the concerns of all candidates.

He added that candidates who attempted out-of-syllabus and ambiguous questions in the MDCAT will receive marks for them.

The PMC has taken the decision to task QAU with the post-exam analysis of MDCAT because of the countrywide protests that took place after the conclusion of the month-long exam.

This year’s MDCAT was held by SOAR Testing and Evaluation Platform Limited, which was awarded the contract by the PMC in an extremely controversial manner.

Notwithstanding, the PMC disbursed more than Rs. 115 million to SOAR to conduct the computer-based MDCAT of nearly 200,000 candidates.

However, the way in which SOAR conducted the MDCAT has triggered a controversy that refuses to die down.

Candidates who appeared in the MDCAT revealed that SOAR provided faulty computers with poor internet services. They alleged that the MDCAT exam contained out-of-syllabus and ambiguous questions.

They also criticized SOAR for conducting the MDCAT from 30 August to 30 September, adding that the practice gave an unfair advantage to some students who had more time to revise than others.

Candidates have been doing their best to force PMC to retake the MDCAT on a single day citing examples of India where the MDCAT of 1.8 million students was held on a single day.

Source: Pro Pakistani

GB: District administration teams check vaccination certificates in public places

In Gilgit Baltistan, vaccination against Covid-19 to contain the pandemic spread is going on.

District administration teams are checking vaccination certificates in markets, Bazar and public places.

Deputy Commissioner Saad Bin Asad, in an interview with Radio Pakistan Gilgit today, said that Diamer administration is ensuring implementation on NCOC guidelines.

Source: Radio Pakistan

Here’s a Breakdown of Babar’s Milestones in T20 Cricket

Pakistan’s all-format captain, Babar Azam recently became the youngest and fastest batter in the world to reach 7,000 T20 runs. He achieved the milestone in only 187 T20 innings as he surpassed West Indian batter, Chris Gayle, who had reached the landmark in 192 innings.

The 26-year old made his T20 debut in 2012 and despite an underwhelming start to his T20 career, Babar became one of the top batters in T20 cricket. He is currently the second-ranked T20I batter in the world and is Pakistan’s third-highest run-scorer in the shortest format of the game.

He is also only the third Pakistani batter to score more than 7,000 T20 runs. Veteran all-rounder, Shoaib Malik, and Mohammad Hafeez are the other two to have achieved the feat.

Babar’s most impressive attribute is his immaculate consistency over the past few years. Babar reached his first 1,000 T20 runs in 36 innings and since then he has kept on scoring heavily, taking less innings to score his next 1,000 runs in T20 cricket. This shows Babar’s formidable run-scoring form and his constant hard work to improve his batting even further.

The stylish batter will be looking to improve even further and become the fastest batter in the world to score 8,000 T20 runs. He will need to score his next 1,000 T20 runs in less than 26 innings to break the record currently held by Chris Gayle.

Babar has scored 7,055 runs, including 6 centuries, the most by a Pakistani batter and 59 half-centuries, at an average of 46.11 and a strike rate of 128.85 in 187 innings so far.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Punjab CM reviews proposed draft of Local Government System

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar chaired a high level meeting in Lahore on Tuesday and reviewed the proposed draft of Local Government System.

On this occasion, he said that draft of new Local Government system would be finalized and submitted to the cabinet for approval.

Source: Radio Pakistan