Does ‘continuity’ mean no hopes for engineering sector?

on 24/10/2023

Caretaker Prime Minister An­waarul Haq Kakar said in his maiden press conference that his government would ensure continuity in the economic policies of the country. As per the face value of his statement, one can think of three outcomes. One, the roadmap designed for sailing with the IMF Program would be followed. Two, inflation as a result of the program’s conditions would remain unchecked and thus continue to screw up the lives of the common people and three; the engineering sector will continue to face hardships like it did during the 16-month stint of PM Kakar’s predecessor.
Yes, if he and his government move to improve the situation, which was the next part of his statement that the PM Office Media Wing issued, then one would see what this improvement looks like and will bring about for the country.
He said that further enhancement of foreign investment under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) is among the top priorities of the caretaker set-up.
The prime minister chaired a meeting in which he was given a detailed briefing over the economic situation, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
During the meeting, the prime minister said that work on public welfare projects would continue and the government would ensure the provision of international quality facilities in the health and education sectors.
He also directed expediting ongoing reforms in the power sector and strict implementation of measures for increasing tax revenues.
Prime Minister Kakar said that the caretaker government would concentrate on deregulation and responsible autonomy for further improvement of the economy, and expressed the resolve to focus their energies on economic reform during their tenure.
Keeping the prime minister’s statement at bay, the performance of the economy for the engineering sector during the Shehbaz Sharif government remained dismal from engineers’ point of view. None of the engineering sectors showed a sign of improvement, be it construction, manufacturing or power sector, etc.
Most senior engineers say the construction industry was devastated due to high inflation and thus the associated industries took a nose dive.
A large number of public sector projects are stalled due to inflation and price hike of construction materials, says Engineer Farhat Adil, President of the Institution of Engineers Pakistan.
The federal government failed to come up with a price adjustment formula despite a series of meetings in which a comprehensive adjustment arrangement was reached. ‘The formula is stuck up with the planning commission’, he told Engineering Review. The government failed to notify it and thus the construction industry faced a severe blow. Even now, there are many projects which stand far from completion as the prices of construction materials do not match the initial plans of the projects, making them unfeasible.
Not only that, but the manufacturing sector also suffered a huge blow. The government ceased to issue permission for opening LCs and thus the industry found nothing but to face the issue of supply chain. ‘Since our industry adds value and needs imported raw material which disappeared gradually because of the ban on imports’, he said.
The crunch in Pakistan resulted in the closure of automobile units, including big names like Indus Motors and Suzuki. This sector could not garner government support, he said.
On the employment side, Engr. Farhat said the fresh engineer in Pakistan drew thirty thousand as salary which is equal to the salary of a driver. Thousands of engineers are jobless and there was no plan to put them in use for the prosperity of the country.

Pakistan oil companies collaborate with Saudi Aramco for $10bn refinery project

on 24/10/2023

Four leading Pakistani oil companies will join hands with Saudi Arabia’s state-owned Aramco for a $10 billion Greenfield refinery project at Pakistan’s strategic Gwadar Port.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Pakistani and the Saudi companies in the capital, Islamabad last month, said a statement from the Ministry of Petroleum.
The Pakistani state-owned entities, Oil and Gas Development Company Limited, Pakistan State Oil, Pakistan Petroleum Limited and Government Holdings Private Limited (GHPL), will collaborate with Aramco through a “joint investment strategy”, the statement said, without providing further details.
The project envisions setting up an integrated refinery petrochemical complex with a crude oil processing capacity of a minimum of 300,000 barrels per day (BPD), along with a petrochemical facility in Pakistan, it added.
“The project will have significant foreign investment from world-class oil & gas giants through equity participation,” the statement further said.
Pakistan’s Minister for Petroleum, Musadik Malik, shared details of the project and “its benefits to the national economy by way of economic growth, foreign exchange savings, energy security, employment opportunities and social upliftment.”
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia inked a deal to establish an oil refinery in Pakistan’s south-western strategic port city of Gwadar, a key route of the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), during Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman’s visit to Islamabad in 2019.
According to experts, Saudi Arabia is mostly exporting its oil through its western ports on the Red Sea. Gwadar Port will give the Kingdom another option.
Musadik Malik says that negotiations with Saudi Arabia were at an advanced stage to execute a $10 billion green refinery project at the strategic Gwadar Port in Pakistan.
The Saudi Arabia oil firm showed a willingness to inject the initial equity into the multibillion-dollar refinery project, leading the Pakistani government to decide on a joint venture with key Pakistani state-owned companies.
PSO will inject up to 30 percent equity whereas the other state-owned companies will also contribute equity.
Aramco will inject the initial 30 percent equity into the project. He said the establishment of Greenfield Refinery will help decrease the trade deficit of the country.
Pakistan pays an $18 to $20 per barrel premium on diesel imports whereas the premium on crude oil stood at 1 to 2 dollars per barrel. This will be saving after the new mega refinery is set up in Pakistan, he says.
Musadik Malik said negotiations are underway with our friendly countries including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and other member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council for the import of cheap oil and gas to the country.
He said that UAE was also interested to join this mega refinery project.
The minister said that he had also met the president of Azerbaijan who also showed interest in this refinery project.
He said that terms and conditions would be finalized after the FID is finalized which would take around one to two years.
Regarding the government’s achievements during the past year, the minister said 138 Million Cubic Feet natural gas of worth $570 million was added to the gas system and $500 million of indigenous gas produced will soon be added. The minister said the dividends of the agreement signed with Russia for crude oil will reach the masses very soon. He said the incumbent government also resumed talks on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Gas Pipeline project, which was shelved by the previous government, while a framework agreement was signed with Azerbaijan for LNG procurement on flexible terms.
The minister said under the agreement, Azerbaijan will offer one cargo of LNG each month and it will be up to Pakistan to either accept the cargo or not. He said there will be no financial penalty if Pakistan does not accept the cargo. He said the government will also open schools and hospitals at all the places, where projects for oil and gas exploration will be launched to facilitate the local population. Secretary Petroleum – Captain (R) Muhammad Mahmood in his opening remarks shared salient aspects of the GreenField Refinery Policy and underscored the commitment of the Petroleum Division towards the development and growth of the petroleum sector.

Artificial Intelligence: Technology of Future

on 24/10/2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly advancing field that has the potential to transform the way we live and work. AI is already being used in many industries, from healthcare to finance to transportation, and its applications are only expected to grow in the coming years. Here are some reasons why AI is the best technology to learn for the future:
AI is one of the fastest-growing and most in-demand fields in technology. According to a report by LinkedIn, AI specialist roles are among the top emerging jobs in the technology industry. Learning AI skills can help you stand out in the job market and open up new career opportunities.
AI has applications in many different industries, so learning AI skills can prepare you for a wide range of careers. For example, AI can be used in healthcare to analyze medical images and diagnose diseases, in finance to analyze market trends and predict stock prices, and in transportation to optimize traffic flow and reduce congestion.
AI is an innovative and rapidly evolving field, which means that there are always new developments and discoveries to be made. Learning AI skills can help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies, and can prepare you to be a part of the next wave of innovation.
AI can automate repetitive tasks and analyze large amounts of data quickly and accurately, which can help businesses and organizations increase efficiency and productivity. Learning AI skills can help you contribute to these efforts and make a positive impact in your field.
AI has the potential to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges, such as climate change, healthcare access, and economic inequality. Learning AI skills can help you contribute to these efforts and make a positive impact on society.
Artificial intelligence is the best technology to learn for the future because of its high demand, versatility, innovation, increased efficiency and productivity, and potential to address societal challenges. Learning AI skills can prepare you for a wide range of careers, help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies, and enable you to make a positive impact in your field and the world.
It is recommended for all engineers, especially fresh graduates from any field, to gain knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI) as it is a rapidly growing field with many applications. There are many short courses and workshops available that teach the fundamentals of AI to engineering graduates. Examples of online AI courses include “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence” on edX, “AI for Everyone” on Coursera, and “Applied AI” on edX. In-person workshops and boot camps are also available. These courses cover topics such as machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, and computer vision, and often include hands-on exercises and projects to provide practical experience.

Bangladesh: World Bank approves US$300 m for gas sector

on 24/10/2023

The World Bank has approved 300 million US dollars to help Bangladesh improve the efficiency of gas distribution and end-use through prepaid metering systems for residential and industrial consumers and reduce methane emissions along the natural gas value chain.
The Gas Sector Efficiency Improvement and Carbon Abatement Project will address natural gas leakage and losses along the gas transmission and distribution network, reduce wastage in use by residential and industrial users, and strengthen network monitoring capabilities, said the Washington-based lender in a statement received here Friday. It will install more than 1.2 million prepaid gas meters in Dhaka and Rajshahi divisions. Among these, 1.1 million prepaid meters will be deployed in Greater Dhaka covering 54 percent of residential customers of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited, and 128,000 prepaid meters in the Rajshahi division, covering the entire residential customer base of Pashchimanchal Gas Company Limited (PGCL).
It will also pilot rolling out about 50 smart meters to larger industrial users to demonstrate the viability of smart meters to better monitor and manage gas use in the industrial sector. The project will install a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition and Geographic Information System on the PGCL network to improve gas flow monitoring and help reduce methane leaks. They will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions with better monitoring of the gas network for identifying and repairing methane leaks.
“Improving energy efficiency will be important for Bangladesh to achieve its 2021 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) commitment of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030,” said Abdoulaye Seck, World Bank country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan. “The project will help cut down natural gas wastage in households and industries and reduce fugitive methane emissions in gas pipelines, which are often caused by leaks from gas production, processing, transmission, and distribution,” said the country director.

Automated Weather Stations Installed in Naseerabad, Jafferabad

on 24/10/2023

International Rescue Committee (IRC) has installed Automated Weather Stations Installed in the Naseerabad and Jafferabad districts of Balochistan as Part of Monsoon Disaster Risk Reduction Measures.
Shabnam Baloch, Country Director of IRC has shared this information on his Linkedin page: Automated Weather Stations Installed in Districts Naseerabad and Jafferabad, Balochistan by International Rescue Committee as Part of Monsoon Disaster Risk Reduction Measures. Comprehensive training sessions were delivered to District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) on how to efficiently utilize the gathered data from these automated weather machines. This capacity-building initiative ensures that local authorities are well-equipped to analyze, interpret, and act upon weather-related information, thereby strengthening their ability to mitigate the risks and minimize the impact of potential weather-related disasters.