magnificent seven attributes for professional success by ACCA

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) have recently published an international caliber study on what makes the ‘perfect professional’ in 2016 and beyond. The research findings highlight the fact that an optimum blend of skills, experience, and intelligence is now needed by professional accountants.
The seven key skill areas sought by employers now and in the future are intellect, creativity, emotional intelligence, vision, experience, technical skills, and mastery of the digital world. The employers currently and in the future expect skills and abilities to perform activities consistently to a defined standard which are often based on a professional qualification. They also require an employee’s ability to acquire and use knowledge for an existing or new situation especially to explore potential outcomes, and generate new ideas.
With the awareness and application of existing and emerging digital technologies, capabilities, practices, strategies and culture, the employers look for digital competency in their future employees. But most importantly, the most sought after skill is the ability to predict future trends accurately through extrapolating existing trends and facts, and filling the gaps by thinking innovatively.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Helen Brand OBE, ACCA’s chief executive said:
'Over the past decade, the traditional role of an accountant has evolved into skillful finance professionals who are leaders, trusted expert counsel, and key strategic advisers to organisations whether in the public or private sectors.
'With this metamorphosis comes a requirement for a whole new set of skills. On top of technical excellence, professional accountants now require creativity, emotional intelligence and the vision to lead.'
With input and insight from over 2,000 business and finance professionals around the world, Professional accountants – the future is the most in depth analysis of the profession – and where it is headed – ever conducted says Helen Brand:
'We discovered a brave new world of more regulation, greater globalisation, ever increasing risk, and of course, massive technological advancement. The accountancy profession has to be ahead of the curve on all fronts - trained to the highest of professional standards, looking beyond the numbers and with a global mind set.'
According to Helen Brand, her message to current and aspiring accountants is that a blend of all these attributes makes the perfect finance professional, ready for the global business challenges they will face:
‘These ‘magnificent seven’ strengths show the way ahead. They are the means by which accountants use their technical knowledge, skills and abilities blended with the interpersonal behaviours and qualities to put them to use.

‘Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. The key is to recognise where you excel and where you need to work to build your competency through the continuous professional development which professional accountants already know so well.’

Jovago launches holiday packages in Pakistan

To celebrate the World Tourism Day(#WorldTourismDay), Pakistan’s leading online hotel booking company Jovago.pk, has announced the launch of its first holiday packages in Pakistan. The packages consist of hotel stays, meals, transport, spa services depending on the particular hotels and a dedicated travel guide where applicable.

This initiative will focus on popular destinations such as Naran, Kaghan and AJK in Pakistan, leisure and romantically oriented destinations. According to Paul Midy, Jovago’s CEO, “the move is part of the company’s initiative to promote domestic tourism in these countries, as we approach the peak season”. He added that “this will therefore be quite ideal for families, couples, group of friends and even corporate groups vacationing in the months of August to December”.

Last minute plans will also be well catered for due to the flexibility offered by the packages; for instance, by either directly calling Jovago Pakistan’s Customer Service or by filling in a simple query form, the team will be able to organize for transport and/or accommodation at the same time, easing the hassle of travel and most importantly giving customers a memorable vacation experience.

According to Tina Wang, Managing Director of Jovago.pk “Having just recently come back from the Northern areas of Pakistan, I can fully appreciate having tailored options available even as I make last minute plans. Jovago wants to make travel easier for everyone, whether it’s for business or leisure and we hope that our new travel packages can further help promote domestic tourism in Pakistan by making it a no-brainer to enjoy the beauty of Pakistan with safe transport, variety of accommodations and breathtaking destinations all in one memorable experience.”

While these are the first packages by Jovago launched in Pakistan, the plan is to offer packages in many other Asian countries. The company that now boasts the largest inventory of hotels in Pakistan plans to run the promotion on a yearly basis; while regularly updating the packages on the respective Jovago country websites.

About Jovago Pakistan:

Jovago.pk is an online hotel booking service with offices in Pakistan, Nairobi (Kenya) and 10 other offices across the continent. Jovago is founded by Africa Internet Group and has Rocket Internet, MTN, Millicom, AXA, Orange and Goldman Sachs as its investors. Jovago.pk, Pakistan’s No.1 booking portal, facilitates the booking process for its users to provide them with the best hotel booking experience with fast, transparent and easy-to-use services. Jovago.pk has over 2000 local hotel listings in Pakistan and over 200,000 hotels around the world.

Jovago highlights astonishingly beautiful places in Pakistan which are ideal for shooting a movie

Undoubtedly, Pakistan is one of the very few nations blessed with absolutely jaw dropping landscapes that are accessible to people during all four seasons of the year. Although, unlike the past, the domestic tourism has immensely increased within Pakistan, there is still so much of potential in the travel and tourism industry of Pakistan which can be tapped using the right measures.

Just like the tourism industry, the film industry in Pakistan is also showing signs of a promising future This opens up a huge room for collaboration between these two industries, both supplementing and complementing each other to deliver excellent output. One of the ways how these two industries can work together, is by conducting movie shoots at the astonishingly beautiful places within Pakistan; that are still relatively unknown to the common masses.

Jovago Pakistan, highlights popular travel destinations within Pakistan that can serve as excellent places to conduct a film shoot.

1. Babusar Lake

It is located at the most northern part of the most beautiful Naran Valley. It is a very famous tourist spot as is almost always filled with travel enthusiasts who can’t just stop awing at the serenity of this amazing loveable place.

Once reached, you can also visit the following places:

Lulusar Lake

Lalazar Plateau

Dodiputsar Lake

Kunhar River

Nanga Parbat

2. Muzzafarabad

This capital city of Azad Kashmir is known for its absolutely beautiful mountain cliffs and various other tourist attractions. In addition, the place is also very well known for its unique culture and hospitality of its residents.

3. Murree

Murree is one of the beautiful travel locations that is relatively more urbanized compared to other adjoining popular tourist locations. It is also very popular for its wildlife in addition to its beautiful scenic views.

4. Skardu

Located near the very famous Gilgit is a town called Skardu which has a lot of influx of tourists from all around the country.

The following tourist locations are easily accessible through Skardu:

K2

Hushe

Askole

Tibet

Trango

Five craziest places to visit in Karachi

Karachi is the largest city of Pakistan. Being the metropolitan hub, it has various towns that cater to different industries, such as Baldia town- home to garment factories, Korangi- home to factories and construction sites. Similarly, there are areas that cater to the tourism and provide the best attractions in the city. Listed below are some of the craziest places a person has to visit in Karachi (different from the common tourist spots) – whether a tourist or a resident of Karachi.

1. Lyari Town:

Crazy? Definitely. Considered to be one of the most dangerous and politically unstable areas of Karachi, Lyari is still one of the beautiful places in Karachi. Visitors from outside Pakistan, when visiting Lyari make us realize that it is not as dangerous as we deem it to be. Although no positive image is presented, recently the boxer Amir Khan visited Lyari and claimed it to be one of the must places to visit in Karachi.

2. Do Darya:

What can be better than sitting near the sea, having the traditional Nan and karhai and BBQ with the water hitting rocks below you, the smell of sea and food and the view all makes the place the BEST place to visit in Karachi. With restaurants like Kolachi, kababjees, Sajjad and many more, you have unlimited choice of where you want to dine. Do Darya is a must place to visit.

3. Port Grand:

Built along the waterfront of the 19^th century native jetty bridge, Port Grand is one of the best recreational places in Karachi. With a food street at your disposal and a shopping mall where you can shop, Port Grand is the stop where all the major events are celebrated on a grand scale. From concerts and celebrations on the 14^th august, to the Defense day celebrations to the new year’s and Christmas, Port Grand is all lit up and ready to provide you with the best possible place to spend your time, with family or friends.

4. French Beach:

Located halfway between Hawkes Bay and Paradise Point, French Beach also known as Haji Ismiil Goth is mostly and frequently visited by the elites of Karachi. An ideal place for hangouts and spending the day by the clear beach, French place is one of the must visit places of Karachi.

5.  Devils point:

Located in the phase 8 extension of the defense housing society, Devils’ point is informally known as the race track in Karachi where every Sunday people come to either participate in their modified cars or to witness the races. Although a dangerous activity, the thrill of being at the devil’s point makes it a must place to visit.

Jovago highlights astonishingly beautiful places in Pakistan which are ideal for shooting a movie

Undoubtedly, Pakistan is one of the very few nations blessed with absolutely jaw dropping landscapes that are accessible to people during all four seasons of the year. Although, unlike the past, the domestic tourism has immensely increased within Pakistan, there is still so much of potential in the travel and tourism industry of Pakistan which can be tapped using the right measures.

Just like the tourism industry, the film industry in Pakistan is also showing signs of a promising future This opens up a huge room for collaboration between these two industries, both supplementing and complementing each other to deliver excellent output. One of the ways how these two industries can work together, is by conducting movie shoots at the astonishingly beautiful places within Pakistan; that are still relatively unknown to the common masses.

Jovago Pakistan, highlights popular travel destinations within Pakistan that can serve as excellent places to conduct a film shoot.

1. Babusar Lake

It is located at the most northern part of the most beautiful Naran Valley. It is a very famous tourist spot as is almost always filled with travel enthusiasts who can’t just stop awing at the serenity of this amazing loveable place.

Once reached, you can also visit the following places:

Lulusar Lake

Lalazar Plateau

Dodiputsar Lake

Kunhar River

Nanga Parbat

2. Muzzafarabad

This capital city of Azad Kashmir is known for its absolutely beautiful mountain cliffs and various other tourist attractions. In addition, the place is also very well known for its unique culture and hospitality of its residents.

3. Murree

Murree is one of the beautiful travel locations that is relatively more urbanized compared to other adjoining popular tourist locations. It is also very popular for its wildlife in addition to its beautiful scenic views.

4. Skardu

Located near the very famous Gilgit is a town called Skardu which has a lot of influx of tourists from all around the country.

The following tourist locations are easily accessible through Skardu:

K2

Hushe

Askole

Tibet

Trango

Jovago provides a complete list of exciting places within Pakistan to travel with your Kids

Unlike the solo travel, the expectation to have a perfect and a hassle-free travel increases even more when you are making plans to travel with your family. Pakistan is blessed with many beautiful and culturally rich tourist spots that make perfect destinations to visit with kids, especially during their school vacations. It is always a good idea, to expose the little ones to the places within our country which beautifully depicts its rich culture, heritage and history.

Jovago Pakistan provides a complete list of places that can be ideal travel locations if planning to go on a voyage with your kids.

1. Shalimar Garden, Lahore

The city of gardens, Lahore is known for its historic monuments and beautiful gardens. Shalimar is one of the most historic gardens that this country posses. It was made during the Mughal Era by Emperor Shah Jahan who is recognized for his love for nature and architecture during his reign.

2. Lahore Fort

Also widely known as the Shahi Qila, this fort is located in the northwest part of Lahore. It is one of the most monumental and historical places that this country has to offer. The fort building reflects a series of monuments from the time of Emperor Akbar to Aurangzeb.

3. Baltit Fort

This fort is affiliated with the rich history of the Northern Areas of Pakistan. In order to preserve the history of this ancient fort, Aga Khan Trust for Culture renovated this place making it a very attractive tourist spot for all the travelers.

4. Badshahi Mosque

Beautifully decorated with Islamic calligraphy, Badshahi Mosque is one of the biggest mosques of the world which was built during the Mughal Era. It has a very rich history and is still one of the most attractive tourist spots of the country.

5. Shandur Top

Shandur Top is known for being the highest polo ground of the world. Every year, a very famous Shandur Polo festival takes place here. People from all over the country attends this event as it takes place in July which is mostly the time of summer vacations making it one of the peak travelling seasons.

List of Challenges that every travel lover faces

If you are a travel enthusiast, challenges attached to it won’t surprise you much. You might now be over the stage where you view challenges as the inhibitor to your travel goals, rather you might just regard it as a thrill to your voyage. It’s often said, challenges once recognized are half solved! Hence, if you aspire to explore the world, you must first set right travel expectations and recognize that the journey might not be a bed of roses at all times.

Jovago Pakistan, offers a list of challenges that you should be mindful of when preparing  for any travel.

1. Be prepared to shed off your savings!

Shedding off money, sometimes becomes the saddest part of your travel story. However, like the saying goes, there is always a cost attached to everything. Start saving for your travel right from now so that you don’t have to dismiss any of your travel plans due to the lack of funds.

2. Be prepared to answer a dozen of questions from your friends and family

Why do you want to travel? How will you arrange money for your travel? Where will you stay? These are just some of the most repetitive yet annoying questions that you might have to answer to your loved ones as soon as you disclose your travel plans to them.

Tip: Don’t overreact to these questions. Give your explanations and move ahead to execute your plans.

3. Be prepared to tolerate an annoying travel partner

The possibility of getting stuck with an annoying travelmate during your 12 hour long flight is quite fat! Make sure that you have your playlist ready to shut yourself from any irritating and intolerable interactions with the person sitting beside you.

4. Be prepared to deal with cultural shocks

Be mindful of the fact that you may not get to see the like colored and like minded people in the place that you wish to travel. They might ask you strange questions that might not make sense to you or may seem absolute nonsensical. Maintain your calm and politely try to explain the differences. After all, there is no better way to expose oneself to a different culture than to experience it one yourself.

Jovago provides a couple of ideas to celebrate World Tourism Day this year

This September 27^th, people from around the world will join hands to celebrate diversity of beautiful landscapes and cultures globally. If you are a travel enthusiast, or if you believe in the magic of travelling, then it is a perfect day to make your contribution to take this world a step ahead in promoting sustainable tourism.

If there are no events taking place in your vicinity regarding the celebration of this day and you are wondering how you can celebrate, sweat not for Jovago Pakistan provides you a couple of very fulfilling and doable ideas to make this day a memorable one.

1. Go on a voyage

It goes without saying, there can be no better way to feel the spirit of the tourism day without going on a travel yourself. Visit the picturesque valleys of your beautiful country and reflect on how much mother nature has to offer to all the voyage enthusiasts. Try and visit the relatively unknown and undiscovered tourist places to feel the thrill of visiting the unexplored. In case you are troubled with the thoughts of arranging for your accommodations, check out Jovago.pkthat provides hotels and guest houses in more than 160 cities of the country and at even the remotest of all locations.

2. Make a travel resolution

Planning for a travel is almost as important as heading for a travel! Many times, most of us are unable to realize our travel plans because we are unable to plan for it in the first place. Take a notebook and a pen and list down all the places that you wish to travel to. It is only once you know where to travel can you make it a possibility.        

3. Donate to make someone’s travel dreams a reality

Imagine the feeling of waking up one day to know that your travel dreams are no longer just an aspiration but a reality! Be the one to sponsor someone’s travel. After all, the act of giving is as fulfilling as being on travel yourself.

4. Recollect all your travel memories and reconnect with your travel buddies

Nothing seems as fascinating and fun as reliving your past travel memories. Hunt all the past travel snapshots, autograph diaries and any souvenirs that you have collected during your voyage. Get in contact with your travel buddies and tell them know how much you miss those golden travel moments that you spent together.

Wateen Telecom to provide business connectivity to Engro for its power projects in Thar

PR: Wateen Telecom, Pakistan’s largest telecommunication service provider, has signed an MoU with Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), and Engro Thar Power Limited (EPTL) under which Wateen will provide dedicated Internet, Data and Telecommunication services to SECMC and EPTL at their coal mining and power plant sites at Thar.

The Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company and Engro Thar Power projects reside in the remote areas of Thar, where high speed and quality data and internet connectivity arevital tools for running and managing a business in today’s day and age. Engro has selected Wateen for being the pioneer in providing quality data, internet and telephony services. Wateen’s extensive fiber footprint of more than 22,500 kms connects all major cities and towns, as well as far flung areas of the country, making Wateen the inherent choice for any customer with operations in remote areas.

Expressing his views at the ceremony, Mr. Rizwan Tiwana CEO Wateen Telecom said, “Our trust and 'customer first' strategy, supported by a complete network end to end with a one window ICT solution provides technology of international standards to Government, Educational and Enterprise markets and the Energy sector of which SECMC / EPTL are prominent industry leaders".

Speaking on the occasion, the President and CEO of SECMC and EPTL, Mr. Shamsuddin Sheikh said, “The synergy of Wateen with SECMC and EPTL is a welcomed combination to achieve our goal to deliver our customary exceptional client experiences through improved operational efficiency.”

Mr. Rizwan Tiwana (CEO), Mr. Junaid Sheikh (Chief Commercial Officer),, Mr. Aqib Zulfiqar (Chief Financial Officer), Mr. Abbas A. Bhatti (Regional Manager Corporate Services), Mr. Syed Mohammmed Kashif (DGM - Corporate Business/Enterprise  South), and Mr. Syed Fuzail Hussain (Head of Corporate Business / Enterprise South) from Wateen and Mr. Shamsuddin Sheikh (CEO SECMC & EPTL),Mr. Ahsan Zafar Sayed (VP & COO),Mr. Khawaja Tanveer Saleem (Chief Information Officer) Mr. Mazhar Kabir (Head of Infrastructure) and Mr. M. Hassan Farooqi (Manager Networks) from Engro were present at the occasion.

Jovago provides a list of things that you can absolutely avoid to pack while travelling

The old saying that one should act smarter not harder, applies as much in packing for a trip as it does for other things. The urge to pack each and every thing that you probably might need during your voyage gets sometimes too dominant, resulting in packaging glitches which have a chance of adding unpleasantness to your travel.

To prevent this from happening to you, Jovago, Pakistan’s largestonline hotel booking website provides you with a list of things that you can simply miss out packing to save you from carrying some extra kgs while travelling.

1. Shampoo and Conditioner

To be extra concerned about your hair care is naturally and simply understandable. However, just rest assured that you will be provided with a toiletries kit at every hotel that you might choose to stay. You may carry additional hair products that you think might not be easily available at your travel destination but can simply avoid carrying basic hair products like shampoos, conditioners, hair combs etc when travelling.

2. Hair dryer

Same as the case of shampoos and conditioner, it is highly probable that you will be getting a hair dryer in the hotel that you are staying. Avoid carrying even the compact hair dryers as you might save some space to pack something more important and valuable in this way.

3. Extra pair of shoes

Ideally, two pairs of comfortable shoes are more than enough to support your entire travel. In addition, you can always buy some trendy and as per your choice shoes from your travel destination.

4. Towels

It is a very generic utility that almost every hotel would provide to their residents. For during travel, you can keep paper towels or wet tissues that would serve the same purpose, but would save you a lot of luggage space.

5. Excessive photography equipment

Those extra equipment such as lenses, tripod stand, flash etc, adds a lot of bulkiness to your luggage. Your camera and smartphones are enough to capture your magical moments.

Four Apps that will save you from translation hassles in a foreign country

To visit a country that speaks an alien language is a nightmare for most of us and for some very viable reasons. Although English is gradually becoming a global language and is easily understood and spoken in most of the countries, there are still a lot of countries where it is rarely spoken or understood. Hence, you simply cannot afford to make at least some sort of arrangement to take care of translation requirements when visiting a foreign country.

No doubt, there’s no replacement for actually learning the language, but these mobile applications can surely be of great help if you don’t have much time on you to learn a foreign language. Find out the following apps compiled by Jovago Pakistan that will tremendously help you to suffice in the land of foreign language.

1. Google Translate

This Google’s browser-based translation tool is simply a blessing for all the travelers. It is available for both android as well as iOS users. It allows you to not just type out text, but also lets you to use the camera and speak or write with your finger on the screen.

2. I translate version

The translation accuracy of this app would simply make you spell-bounded! This app provides you the convenience of translating over 40 languages. It also offers the feature of reading out loud using your own voice and can therefore prove to be a bang for your buck.

3. Microsoft Translator

Unlike the above two apps, this one is available not just on android and ios phones but also on the windows operated phones. In addition, this is the only app offering offline language packs free of cost!

4. Translator Speak and Translate Pro

This app is only available for all the Android users and is definitely worth acquiring for frequent and avid travelers. This app specializes in providing real-time translations of over 100 languages. Additionally, this app provides you an option to save some of your phrases that can be accessed  even without any internet connection.

Jovago compiles a complete checklist before leaving for an International travel

If you wish to have a swift and smooth travel, you can simply not avoid investing your time in some good planning. Especially if you are heading to a foreign country, you need to be extra meticulous about the things you pack. In order to ensure that you don’t miss out packing any of the travelling essentials, refer to this complete checklist of things compiled by Jovago Pakistan that should be packed before your foreign travel.

1. Passport and Visa

Do verify and double check your passport’s expiry date well ahead of your flight. You might need to keep a sufficient lead time if your passport is approaching expiry soon.

2. Medical requirements

Before travelling to a foreign country, you might need to get some special vaccines as a precaution against certain viruses and diseases. Check the relevant country’s Disease Control and Prevention’s website to check the vaccine or other medical requirements of the country where you are travelling.

3. International Driving permit

Contact your foreign travel agency to check out the rules and regulations regarding driving in the country that you are planning to visit. Also, don’t forget to carry your travel insurance and international driving permit, especially if you plan on activities such as going on a road trip during your voyage.

4. Travel alerts and travel warnings of your travel destination

This is usually the most neglected part when preparing for a travel. Refer to the State Department’s Consular Information Program to keep you posted of all the travel alerts and travel warnings of the place you are visiting. It is also very advisable to make a note of addresses and contact numbers of your home embassies and consulates in the destinations that you will be visiting.

5. Copy of all your important documentations

One should always make a separate folder for the copies of all your travel related documents and store it somewhere safe and separate from your original passport.In addition, also make copies of your hotel itineraries, ticket confirmations, visa and other important travel related documents.

ACCA hosts a Research and Insight session

ACCA Pakistan hosted a research and insights event which was attended by representatives and heads of leading accounting bodies of the country, prominent development sector organizations as well as various public sector entities.

The discussion was moderated by ACCA Regional Head of Policy (MENASA), Arif Mirza and key participants included, Mr. Salman Amin, Executive Director - NEPRA, Syed Waseem Abbas Kazmi, Financial Management specialist - The World Bank, Ms. Qurat-ul-Ain Hadi, Financial management specialist - The World Bank, Mr. Tariq Javed, FCMA, Director Technical and Practice Development - ICMA Pakistan, Mr. Haider Abbas, FCMA, Additional Director Finance -Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS), Mahmood Ahmad Khan, Director ( Accounts)- CGA.

Businesses and the accountancy profession will need to be better prepared to anticipate and respond to the unprecedented challenges of a volatile global economy while seeking and capitalising on opportunities, according to a survey of finance professionals around the world.

They were asked to identify the key factors they should be thinking about to prepare for in the next 5-10 years, with responses helping to create the new study, 100 Drivers of change for the global accountancy profession, by the ACCA’s Accountancy Futures Academy.

The study has developed 10 strategic imperatives for business and the accountancy profession based on insights from the members of the academy, as well as members of the IMA and ACCA’s other Global Forums and experts working in and close to the profession around the world.

The imperatives for business were discussed at length with the audience and included the need to assume and plan for volatility. With uncertainty as the new norm, businesses have to factor in turbulence as a very real possibility and develop strategies for a range of different economic and market conditions. At the same time, they will need to build a radar to prepare for a wide range of possibilities, tolerance of uncertainty and ‘seeing round corners’. At an operational level, development of a truly global model is becoming a priority which will require business to prepare for true globalisation. Leveraging technology effectively is of high importance as is developing the capability of management to work with, adapt to and get the best out of a multi-location, multicultural and age-diverse workforce. With this, business will undoubtedly need to pursue technology leadership, as developments in ICT have placed technology at the heart of strategy and operations of businesses across all sizes. Finally, companies will need to develop a curious, experimental and adaptable mindset which is a critical success factor in an increasingly complex and fast-changing environment.

The imperatives for the accounting profession included the need for accounting professionals to embrace an enlarged strategic and commercial role. As businesses adapt to a turbulent environment, opportunities are emerging for accountants to assume a far greater organisational remit across all aspects of corporate decision making, from strategy formulation through to defining new business models. The profession will also need to focus on a holistic view of complexity, risk and performance and establish trust and ethical leadership. There is growing consensus on the need for reporting to provide a firm-wide view of organisational health, performance and prospects. Such a holistic perspective must acknowledge the complexity of modern business and encompass financial and non-financial indicators of a firm’s status and potential.

It was concluded that it is now down to the profession to ensure it meets the public’s needs for the highest standards of integrity while taking a broader leadership role, both within business and the wider community.