28 C
Vientiane
Saturday, May 3, 2025
spot_img
Home Blog Page 2250

Increased security for Pacific region digital payments: Bank South Pacific and Netcetera team up

  • Swiss payment expert Netcetera is securing online transactions for over 650,000 business banking customers in the Pacific Islands.
  • This means improved conversions, optimized checkout processes, reduced fraud, and protection from fraudulent chargeback liability.
  • The 3DS server is supported by the global schemes: VISA, Mastercard, UnionPay, AMEX, Diners, and JCB

ZÜRICH, SWITZERLAND – EQS Newswire – 12 April 2022 – 2022 started with full steam ahead for the Swiss payment expert Netcetera, as they teamed up with Platform Pacific Limited (Platformpac), a homegrown fintech subsidiary of Bank South Pacific Financial Group Limited (BSPFGL).

As Card Not Present (CNP) transactions become more relevant in the pandemic payment landscape, so does the need for enhanced online payment security. Through innovative technology and a team of skilled developers, Platformpac supports BSPFGL with an enabling route to extend these services to customers and merchants.

Netcetera’s 3-D Secure offering provides an extra level of security to BSPFLG’s core infrastructure, enabling it to extend the same level of protection to its customers and merchants such as Air Nuigini, Pacific Adventist University, Shopsmart PNG Ltd. And GoFood Ltd, to name a few.

“Given Netcetera’s global reach and reputation, it was easy to decide that they are the perfect partner to help us secure the digital payments throughout our operations. This exciting collaboration opens up new advances in payment around the Pacific,” said Belinda Manning, Head of Digital – Design, Development & Operations at BSPFGL.

Through the usage of Netcetera’s 3DS server, BSPFLG enjoys and provides end customers compelling business benefits such as improved conversions, optimized checkout processes, reduced fraud, and protection from fraudulent chargeback liability.

Ivan Ong, Senior Business Development Executive at Netcetera stated, “In the case of Bank South Pacific, our goal is to guarantee secure online payments for over 650,000 business banking customers. Our 3DS server means service availability of 99.95%, measured and reported monthly, and supporting the needs of the bank 24/7.”

3-D Secure is a globally trusted protocol for securing online transactions. It involves links between various components to ensures communication between merchants, issuers and acquiring banks during a CNP transaction. The 3DS server is the final piece in the puzzle. The customer’s code or OTP is sent back to the acquiring bank, the data is secured, and the transaction is completed.

Netcetera’s 3DS Server supports all new protocol versions and card network requirements, including some of the biggest scheme names, like VISA Secure, Mastercard ID Check, AMEX Safekey, Diners ProtectBuy, UnionPay UPOP/3-D secure and JCB J/Secure. Being hosted on Netcetera Payment platform in a highly secured PCI 3DS/DSS certified data, it enables strong exemptions strategy and supports configuration of multiple acquirers and merchants.

Netcetera provides continuous upgrades and updates to support all new trends and clients’ requirements in the payment industry. The payment platform is constantly being upgraded to offer the best solution to its customers on how to overcome challenges, improve their conversion and grow their overall fintech business.

About Netcetera

Netcetera is a global software company with cutting-edge IT products and individual digital solutions in the areas of secure digital payment, financial technologies, media, transport, healthcare and insurance. More than 500 banks and issuers, and 160,000 merchants rely on the digital payment solutions and globally certified 3-D Secure products of the market leader for payment security. The owner-managed company covers the entire IT lifecycle, from ideation and strategy to implementation and operation. The balanced combination of the latest technologies and proven standards ensures investment security, from large-scale projects to innovative start-ups. Founded in 1996, Netcetera is a holding company with around 800 employees and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, with locations across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Further information:

#Netcetera

About Bank South Pacific:

BSP is the largest bank in Papua New Guinea, with 35 branches throughout the country and present in 6 countries. BSP currently services over 650,000 business banking customers throughout the Pacific, in Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Cooks Island

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

VENI, VIDI, VICI – Mitch Evans Conquers Rome For Jaguar TCS Racing

Mitch Evans makes history for Jaguar TCS Racing as the first driver to win both races in a double-header weekend in Rome.

Ackenting Group Shifts Accounting Services In Singapore Online

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 12 April 2022 – In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the evolving landscape of business operations, accounting firm in Singapore, Ackenting Group, has announced that they are shifting their accounting services online to serve and meet their clients’ evolving needs for digital strategies.

To remain competitive and relevant in the post-COVID business environment, Ackenting Group recognises that technology is strategically important as a vital component of the industry. Before the pandemic, many corporate accounting functions and services take place manually. However, with certain COVID-19 restrictions set in place for the workplace, Ackenting Group had to shift their services and operations online to cater to the shift in working environment, allowing both the firm and their clients access to the accounting system anytime and anywhere. This will be achieved with the implementation of effective and well-tested accounting software such as Optical Character Recognition that automates specific accounting procedures to minimise human error and boost efficiency.

Many SMEs lack the necessary training and do not have the fundamental IT knowledge. Furthermore, cost has always been the key factor that impedes the implementation and training of IT solutions. By going online, small businesses can now tap into the knowledge and expertise of Ackenting Group’s consultants without having to come up with additional resources and increasing their budget.

AG is a mid-tier audit and accounting firm in Singapore that provides affordable accounting services in Singapore. Their services also extend to company incorporation, secretarial, GST and tax filing services, among others. With two offices in Singapore and Malaysia and over ten years of experience under their belt, Ackenting Group is also part of the IR Global Professional Services Network, which is made up of more than 1,000 professional corporations across the globe.

Ackenting Group currently provides comprehensive accounting and corporate advisory solutions to clients from a wide range of industries including Oil & Gas, Marine, Printing, Manufacturing, Logistics, Construction & Engineering, F&B, and more. With Ackenting Group’s services, the firm hopes to provide quick, affordable, and practical solutions to both small and large businesses.

For more information on Ackenting Group and their extensive range of corporate solutions, do visit https://ag-singapore.com/.

#AckentingGroup

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

DHL Global Forwarding delivers Covid-19 antiviral pills to Thailand

BANGKOK, THAILAND Media OutReach – 12 April 2022 DHL Global Forwarding, the freight specialist arm of Deutsche Post DHL Group, managed the transport of the newly approved Covid-19 antiviral pills from the production site in Italy to its destination in Thailand. The delivery of vaccine pills follows DHL’s commitment to vaccine deliveries. Globally, the Group has shipped over 2.3 billion shipments of vaccines across 176 countries.

DHL-Global-Forwarding.jpg

“In Thailand, we worked with our sister division, DHL Express, to transport Covid-19 vaccines last year. We are pleased to support Thailand’s next phase of managing the pandemic and returning to normalcy by delivering the Covid-19 antiviral pills,” said Thomas Tieber, Chief Executive Officer, DHL Global Forwarding Southeast Asia. “The transportation of the antiviral pills is similar to regular pharmaceutical goods transported at a range of 15-25 degree Celsius, without the need for ultra-cold temperature control used for shipping Covid-19 vaccines.”

“It is a privilege to be part of a global effort to provide access to Covid-19 vaccines worldwide, and now we are doing the same with the antiviral pills. Since 2020, we have transported the urgently needed vaccines to the Asia Pacific region, including remote areas, to ensure that people have access to it. We continued that effort by bringing in the Covid-19 antiviral pills to South Korea, the first country in Asia Pacific to receive the treatment, and to Singapore this year,” said Kelvin Leung, Chief Executive Officer, DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific.

More than 9,000 life sciences and healthcare specialists work across DHL’s dedicated global network so that pharmaceutical, medical devices, clinical trials and research organizations, wholesalers and distributors, as well as hospitals and healthcare providers are connected across the value chain and through digitalization, from clinical trials to point of care, and every step in between.

DHL’s portfolio for the healthcare industry includes 150+ pharmacists, 20+ clinical trials depots, 100+ certified stations, 160+ GDP-qualified warehouses, 15+ GMP-certified sites, 135+ medical express sites, and a time-definite international express network covering over 220 countries and territories.

DHL – The logistics company for the world

DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 380,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, engineering, manufacturing & energy, auto-mobility and retail, DHL is decisively positioned as “The logistics company for the world”.

DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 81 billion euros in 2021. With sustainable business practices and a commitment to society and the environment, the Group makes a positive contribution to the world. Deutsche Post DHL Group aims to achieve zero-emissions logistics by 2050.

#DHL

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Eureka Translations Expands Their Services To South Korea

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 12 April 2022 – Eureka Translations is delighted to announce its expansion overseas, with its first branch office being located at 431 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. As part of Eureka Translations’ growth strategy, this helps the company extend its role as a critical player in the language industry.

As an Asian language specialist company, Eureka Translations aims to become a significant part of the translation industry in the Korean market by offering prompt, precise and professional translation services. By combining their primary translation services with other services such as graphic design and video editing, they hope to provide unrivalled services, especially in both cost and quality.

After taking the first step of expanding to Korea, Eureka Translations will form a strategic partnership with agencies such as KILSA Korea, a subsidiary of KILSA Global. With this partnership, both parties will be able to synergise their contributions to assist local Korean companies planning to expand overseas and vice versa.

Mr Eric Tan, Branch Director of Eureka Translations Korea, shared that what makes Korea unique is its globalisation, language and culture that can be thoroughly felt and experienced worldwide. He also expressed his appreciation for the privilege of working with numerous clients including local SMEs, major law firms, and government agencies in Singapore and Korea.

Mr Tan also stated that the new branch office would be their first overseas milestone towards their goal of deeper engagement towards expanding in the Asian market. He believes that their first physical foray into the overseas market is well-timed with the world currently re-emerging from the COVID-19 aftermath.

Eureka Translations is a one-stop translation service provider located in Singapore. Founded in 2014, they engage only native language professionals of specific languages as part of their professional translation services in Singapore. Their translation consultants follow the five Ps in their services: Prompt, Precise, Peerless, Prized and Progressive.

Whether you need assistance with the official translation of documents, hire a linguist for international meetings or even engage video editing or graphic design services to market to the public, Eureka Translations is here to lend a hand.

As part of their growing portfolio, some of Eureka Translations’ clients include Audemars Piguet, Drew & Napier, HP, Microsoft, Nintendo, P&G, J&J, Google, KOGAS (Korea Gas Corporation), etc.

To learn more about Eureka Translations and their range of services, visit their website at https://www.eurekatranslations.com/.

#EurekaTranslations

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Thai Police Investigate Bomb Thrown at PM Prayut’s House

Prayut's residential compound
Prayut's residential compound (Photo: Matichon).

Thai police are investigating an incident on Sunday night during which a home-made explosive device was thrown into the residential compound of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Laos Confirms 662 New Cases of Covid-19

Covid-19 Update

Laos has recorded 622 cases of Covid-19 across the country today.

China Lesso Announces 2021 Annual Results

Plastic Piping System Business Maintained Steady Growth
Successfully Expanded into Photovoltaic Industry
Provide Sustainable Green Products and Services

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 11 April 2022 – China Lesso Group Holdings Limited (“China Lesso” or the “Group”, HKEx stock code: 2128), a leading large-scale industrial group that manufactures piping and building materials in mainland China, today announced its annual results for the year ended 31 December 2021 (the “Year”).

As a leading large-scale industrial conglomerate that manufactures piping and building materials in mainland China, China Lesso (https://en.lesso.com/) capitalises on the Chinese government’s favorable policies and the strong demand of the domestic market by fully developing all lines of its business. In 2021, the Group achieved growth in overall revenue despite a number of unfavourable happenings such as the recurring Covid-19 pandemic at home and abroad and the multiple outbreaks of the pandemic in the second half of the year, the state’s tightening regulation of the real estate industry, the collapse of some real estate enterprises in the fourth quarter, the debt crisis in the property sector, the environmental policy on attaining carbon emission peak and carbon neutrality, limitations on use of electricity and production, and rising prices of energy and raw materials. The Group’s revenue increased by 14.2% year on year to RMB32,058 million. Gross profit slightly increased by 0.8% to RMB8,448 million and gross profit margin was 26.4% mainly due to the Group was not able to fully adjust the product selling prices at the same rate of the dramatically increase in raw material costs and fluctuations in production costs in the second half of 2021. Profit attributable to owners of the Company amounted to RMB3,044 million due to various negative factors during the Year. Basic earnings per share was RMB0.99. The Board recommended the payment of a final dividend of HK26 cents per share for the year ended 31 December 2021. Together with the interim dividend, the dividend for the year in 2021 was HK38 cents per share.

The plastic piping systems business is the mainstay operation of the Group. During the Year, leveraging its industry-leading innovation capability and scale of operation, the Group has capitalised on the state’s dual circulation economic model and pressed ahead with technological innovation so as to actively develop new products and technologies to satisfy the market’s needs. By grasping the opportunities arising from the Chinese government’s initiatives in the “New Infrastructure, New Urbanisation Initiatives and Major Projects” and economic stimulus package, the Group further expanded the market share of its plastic piping system business and maintained its steady growth, so as to consolidate its leading position in the industry. In addition, the Group was committed to optimising its customer portfolio, and further shifted its focus from private engineering and construction projects to projects led by state-owned enterprises and municipal governments which had stronger demand.

During the Year, the plastic piping systems business continued to grow on the back of its stable performance, with revenue increased by 12.0% to RMB27,457 million, accounting for 85.6% of the total revenue of the Group. Due to the significant increase in raw material prices and price fluctuations, as well as the slowdown in the implementation of certain infrastructure projects in the second half of the year, the sales volume of the plastic piping systems decreased by 2.3% to approximately 2.55 million tonnes. The Group continued to take advantage of its economies of scale and implement effective procurement strategy to actively control the costs of raw materials and manufacturing, as well as made reasonable price adjustments in a timely manner in order to maintain its gross profit margin at a reasonable level. The Group increased the average selling price of its plastic piping system by 14.7% during the Year to RMB10,773 per tonne. The gross profit margin was 25.9%.

With the advantages of the immense capacity and wide geographical presence of its production capacity, excellent quality and strong supporting service capacity, the Group fully implemented automated and intelligent production by integrating resources from both the upstream and downstream of the value chain of the industry, and made use of the IoT to upgrade its production facilities to smart factories. In 2021, the Group expanded or constructed more production bases in Gansu, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Xinjiang and Indonesia to further enhance its overall production capacity. The Group’s annual designed capacity for manufacturing plastic piping systems expanded from 3.03 million tonnes at the end of 2020 to 3.20 million tonnes at the end of 2021, and the capacity utilisation rate was maintained at 81.1%.

In 2021, the Group focused its investment on the construction of an intelligent high-tech and environmental-friendly production base in Gansu, which is not only an integral component in the Group’s nationwide strategic business planning, but also a fulcrum of its move to accelerate the development of the market of northwestern China. It is expected that the project will be able to generate annual sales of approximately 100,000 to 150,000 tonnes of plastic piping at full capacity. In addition, the digital intelligent factory in Guangdong, will be put into operation, adding strong impetus to the Group’s intelligent manufacturing and high-quality development. That factory also indicates China Lesso’s commitment to the plastic piping system business as its primary operation, pursuit of agricultural modernisation, and the expansion of its business of building materials and home improvement. Looking ahead, the Group will continue to expand existing plants and increase production facilities, in addition to its plan to construct new production bases in Guangxi and Gansu. At the same time, the Group will increase investment in exploring and transforming automation and intelligence application, while accelerating the implementation and replication of smart factories.

In terms of the overseas market expansion, the Group has set up overseas sales centres and established sales sub-teams in 11 countries and regions to develop overseas markets, enhancing its brand awareness overseas. In the mean-time, the Group also continued to optimise the overseas supply chain and promote the localisation of its brands. Moreover, the Group is actively scaling up its overseas production with a focus on the Southeast Asian market. It will tap into the huge domestic demand of the market and capitalise on the infrastructure development there. Phase I of the production base in Indonesia has been put into operation and Phase II will be built in 2022 to prepare for the Group’s further expansion into overseas markets. The production base in Cambodia is also undergoing renovation and is expected to commence production in the first half of 2022. In addition, the Group has accelerated the construction of production bases in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Bangladesh to continue to enhance the competitiveness and influence of China Lesso in overseas markets. The Group will also remain open to potential acquisitions in the market to support further production capacity expansion overseas.

To keep abreast of market trends, the Group continues to develop new products and new technologies that satisfy market’s demand. As the stainless-steel pipe products which had been introduced by the Group earlier have been advertised and have gone into mass production, an additional production line will be set up in a plant in Foshan in 2022 for mass production.

For building materials and home improvement business, the Group has taken active measures to diversify its customer portfolio by shifting the focus of its business of building materials and home improvement to supplying its goods to infrastructure projects led by governments and state-owned enterprise. This move aimed at generating more stable growth in revenue at that business segment. During the Year, revenue ofthe Group’s building materials and home improvement business amounted to RMB2,751 million, representing an increase of 37.8% and accounting for 8.6% of the Group’s total revenue.

The Group seized and created new opportunities by giving full play to its advantages such as its well-developed businesses along the value chain of the industry, supply chain and scale of operation. The Group has created a new model of “BBC” home improvement and established a unique ecosystem of businesses in the value chain of industry. Specifically the Group has created a one-stop integrated solution for the supply of all categories of products for home improvement, with the aim of joining hands with its distributors and business partners in exploring new business opportunities in the home improvement sector. The Group has also actively set up home improvement boutique stores under Lesso brand and continued to accelerate its nationwide expansion through promotional meetings held in Wuhan, Hubei; Shunde, Guangdong; Changsha, Hunan; Nanchang, Jiangxi; Hefei, Anhui and Jinan, Shandong. The Group will also provide “Good Housekeeping ” free value-added services to fully address the user’s concern for home improvement.

Benefiting from the national policy of expediting the initiatives in the “New Infrastructure, New Urbanisation Initiatives and Major Projects”, the industry of building materials and home improvement has great potential for development. Therefore, the Group is confident about the prospect of its business. It will actively give full play to the synergy between the pipeline business and its building materials and home improvement business. Furthermore, the Group will increase investment in scientific research, step up the cultivation of technical talents, and innovate and upgrade eco-friendly products. All this will further advance the healthy development of the supply chain of the property sector and drive the steady growth in the business of building materials and home improvement.

Against the backdrop of China’s strategic target of “double carbon”, the Group has actively responded to the government’s call for environmental protection, and vigorously developed the environmental protection business segment. During the Year, the Group’s environmental protection business recorded a revenue of RMB301 million due to the impact of the repeated pandemic outbreak. The Group is planning to further expand its environmental protection business by establishing hazardous solid waste treatment centres in Sanshui, Guangdong and Miluo, Hunan. In the future, by making good use of new opportunities creating by “double carbon” policy, the Group will continue to integrate various resources as it aims for great achievements in various projects and strives to rank among China’s top, large environmental companies.

The Group has built a supply chain service platform, which is positioned as a “One-Stop Specialty Market for Home Improvement and Consumer Products”, to enter overseas markets with the focus on the Southeast Asian market. During the Year, revenue from supply chain services platform business increased by 24.2% to RMB856 million despite the recurrent outbreaks of the global pandemic. In the future, the Group, taking into account the business development, plans to further expand the distribution network of the supply chain services platform business in Southeast Asia, and grasp the resulting business opportunities to promote the long-term development of such business segment

The Group captured opportunities of green transformation and expanded into photovoltaic industry by announcing the establishment of Guangdong Lesso Banhao Photovoltaic New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. in early January 2022 with a view of providing an integrated energy solutions for global industrial and commercial enterprises and households with an array of more diverse green products and services. The Group will sell building applied photovoltaic (BAPV) solutions to existing customers, such as industrial parks, hospitals and schools, and will have three production lines to assemble and produce photovoltaic products. Meanwhile, the Group will actively invest resources in research and development with the aim to develop market-leading building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products and solutions, which are expected to be launched at the end of 2022. As an extension of the Group’s business, the development of photovoltaic business is still at early stage. However, the Group believes that the new photovoltaic business will create strong synergies with its existing businesses and sales channels and the eventual scale of the business would become a major revenue driver of the Group’s revenue and help sustain its gross profit margins.

Mr. Wong LuenHei, Chairman and Executive Director of the Group, said, “Looking ahead to 2022, the Group expects that businesses worldwide will face even greater challenges and difficulties. Facing the complicated and ever-changing global economic situation and fierce market competition, the management is of the view that the business fundamentals of China Lesso remains unchanged. We remain cautiously optimistic about the long-term prospect. The Group will fully grasp the opportunities for development arising from the government policies. It will also press on with its prudent approach to development, seek to reduce cost and raise efficiency, and further deepen the reform and upgrade its business by means of intelligent manufacturing. Meanwhile, it will lead the industry’s green and sustainable development through technological research and development and thus provide green plants, green production, and green products and services. We will also enhance synergies among our various businesses, optimise our team and marketing management, and follow the trend and pursue progress with prudence so as to become a global business group engaged in the businesses of piping and building materials to generate shareholder return for the long term.”

About China Lesso Group Holdings Limited

China Lesso Group Holdings Limited (Stock Code of Hong Kong Stock Exchange: 2128) is a leading large-scale industrial group that manufactures piping and building materials in mainland China. China Lesso is one of the constituent stocks of the Hang Seng Composite MidCap Index and MSCI China index and is a stock eligible for trading through the Hong Kong Stock Exchange’s Stock Connect. After more than 35 years of rapid development, the Group has evolved into a leader in the industry of building materials and home improvement. It provides high-quality products and services such as plastic piping, building materials and home improvement, environmental protection, and operates a supply chain service platform.

Currently, the Group has established over 30 advanced production bases in 18 provinces of China and in foreign countries. The Group has established a nationwide sales network and has also developed long-term strategic partnerships with 2,603 independent and exclusive first-tier distributors that enable timely and efficient supply of comprehensive, quality products and professional services to customers. As an integrated manufacturer of a comprehensive range of piping and building materials, China Lesso provides over 10,000 types of quality products, which are widely applied to such fields as home improvement, civil architecture, municipal water supply, drainage, electric power transmission, telecommunication, gas supply, fire services, environmental protection, agriculture and marine aquaculture.

#ChinaLessoGroup

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.