Laos has confirmed 305 new cases of Covid-19 across the country, bringing the total number of cases to 9,668.
Amar Bank Won 2 Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards 2021
JAKARTA, INDONESIA – Media OutReach – 13 August 2021 – PT Bank Amar Indonesia Tbk (“Amar Bank”), a technology company with a banking license and Indonesia’s first and only pure-play digital bank, announced its achievements at the prestigious Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) 2021 for winning the Corporate Excellence Award under the Financial Services Industry category. At the same time, President Director of Amar Bank Vishal Tulsian is also awarded the Master Entrepreneur Award for his tenacity and perseverance in growing and expanding the business. Under Vishal’s leadership, Amar Bank has grown its employees from a total of 17 people in 2014 into 1100+ people in 2021; increased interest revenue which grew 86.8% CAGR from USD 1.07 million to USD 45 million in 6 years, and brought home 22 prestigious awards since 2017.
Furthermore, Vishal led a capital raise for Amar Bank in June 2019, with core capital now more than IDR1 trillion, and the banking license upgraded from a BUKU I to BUKU II. Amar Bank then reached profitability within just two years of operation, and in 2020 over USD370 million (IDR5 trillion) in loans were disbursed to more than 400,000 customers (100,000 of which are MSMEs) via digital lending platform Tunaiku. In January 2020, Vishal led Amar Bank’s IPO to the Indonesian Stock Exchange (IDX:AMAR) with 1.2 billion shares released. More recently he led the launch of Indonesia’s first cloud-based digital bank (Senyumku) in partnership with Google. Senyumku aims to help people develop positive savings habits and maintain their financial wellness through AI and data analytics.
President Director of Amar Bank, Vishal Tulsian said: “We are deeply humbled and honored for the recognition towards Amar Bank’s commitment to improve Indonesian’s financial inclusion and revolutionize the banking experience. We started this journey back in 2014 with a belief that technology must improve lives and we built a new business model and this award validates that it is possible to build a successful business model while doing some social good. Though as any award as any validation this makes you very good, what it is more important to recognize is that it is not a one-person job, this is a job of a whole team. So as a representative of the team, I would like to express my gratitude to the whole Amarites for the inspiring ideas and exceptional breakthroughs brought to the table each day. As we look to the future, we will remain agile and flexible in creating innovations to provide financial access and literacy to more people that align with our vision of bringing 200 million smiles to Indonesian faces by 2025.”
Despite the national economic downturn following the COVID-19 pandemic, Amar Bank has shown its continued commitment to providing financial services for the underserved and the unbanked. Through the unique AI-led, intelligent digital bank (Senyumku) and lending platform (Tunaiku), Amar Bank eliminates the complicated conventional banking bureaucracy to enable easier and convenient financial access to the customers. Through Tunaiku, more than 400.000 people and SMEs have benefited across Indonesia with more than USD 370 million (IDR5 Trillion) total loan disbursements while the top 3 usage purposes are for house renovations, business capital and education (all categorized as productive loans).
Amar Bank strives for talent excellence by implementing a semi-startup culture where people are encouraged to break their limits while putting banking fundamentals at the core. A series of progressive learning initiatives across levels of employment are created to nurture a customer-centric and data-driven team. These efforts to bring improvements both to the people, customers, and communities alike strengthens Amar Bank’s position in winning the Corporate Excellence Award at the APEA 2021.
APEA is an annual recognition program first held in 2007 that focuses on honoring the entrepreneurial excellence of leaders and businesses in the Asia Pacific. To maintain a fair, and independent evaluation, APEA deployed an extensive primary, secondary, and tertiary audit for each nominee in each category by a panel of judges and industry experts. Using the EAGLE (Enterprise Asia Growth Leadership Excellence) Framework, companies and leaders are assessed against several parameters including organizational capability, talent mobilization, model sustainability, brand stewardship, and corporate agility. Themed “The Great Reset: Towards A Sustainable Recovery”, the APEA 2021 Regional Edition aims to foster continuous and sustainable entrepreneurial growth in Asian economies as well as addressing the need for collaboration in tackling the ever-changing business environment.
About Amar Bank – Tunaiku
PT Bank Amar Indonesia Tbk. (“AMAR”) or Amar Bank is Indonesia’s first and only pure-play digital bank. Founded on 15 March 1991 in Surabaya as PT Anglomas International Bank (Amin Bank), the bank was acquired by Tolaram Group in 2014. It has undergone a significant digital transformation to become one of the country’s forerunner fintech institutions through its award-winning digital lending platform, Tunaiku.
Launched in 2014, Tunaiku is Indonesia’s first app-based microloan platform and continues to remain the flagship product of Amar Bank. Tunaiku provides personal loans to individuals and MSMEs of up to Rp. 20 million, with a loan term of 6-20 months. Applications are processed and approved within 24 hours.
Amar Bank officially floored at the Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI) on January 9, 2020, by releasing 1.2 billion shares through an initial public offering with the stock code “AMAR”.
For further information, please visit us at:
Tunaiku Website: www.tunaiku.com
Facebook: Tunaiku
Twitter: @tunaikucom
Instagram: Tunaikucom
Instagram: @lifeatamar.tunaiku
LinkedIn: Tunaiku
#AmarBank
Industrial & Manufacturing Employment Up 62% in Q2 2021 from Q1: Michael Page Indonesia
JAKARTA, INDONESIA – Media OutReach – 13 August 2021 – Global recruitment specialists Michael Page Indonesia witnessed the number of jobs rise in Q2 2021 compared to Q1 led by an increase in Industrial & Manufacturing at 62%. This was followed by an increase in job positions within Legal (up 56%) and Human Resources (up 24%). According to job opportunity data shared by Michael Page, Q2 2021 saw an overall 5% growth from Q1 2021.
Olly Riches, Managing Director of Michael Page Indonesia & Philippines
Speaking from recent observations, Olly Riches, Managing Director of Michael Page Indonesia & Philippines says, “Due to the recent increase in demand and price for coking coal, gold, and nickel, there is more hiring activity in the mining industry. This will have a positive ripple effect on the entire mining ecosystem from heavy machinery, dry bulk, shipping, tires to mining contractors.”
“Manufacturing companies in Indonesia are investing in domestic expansion, as the cost of export activities rise due to COVID-19. We also see growth in the production or manufacturing of food ingredients, flexible packaging and logistics which has resulted in an increased demand for professionals within industrial engineering, production as well as continuous improvement,” Olly Riches continues.
Hiring in Legal almost doubled in Q2 2021 and as reported in the Michael Page Indonesia Talent Trends 2021 report, these law professionals can command a 23% average renumeration increase when moving jobs this year.
“We see aggressive hiring activity for high-calibre legal talent within Technology companies as they prepare for IPO in Indonesia, mid-senior level candidates with experience in capital markets, mergers & acquisition and compliance are highly sought after. Companies are also hiring legal business partners to consult with other business units to create new product lines or restructure business models,” comments Olly Riches.
A 24% rise in Human Resources job opportunities was also observed from Q1 to Q2. Olly Riches observes, “The pandemic’s impact on flexible working, healthcare schemes or in some cases downsizing has increased pressures on HR functions. As companies manage these new challenges, many businesses require either upskilling or hiring additional HR professionals.”
Source: Information and facts procured from Michael Page Indonesia’s proprietary data
#MichaelPageIndonesia
Keep an Eye on Your Vision Health with Be Quinn Global’s Lumina Eye Vitamin
- Lumina Eye Vitamin is formulated in Japan with three main ingredients – Lutein & Zeaxanthin, Blue Green Algae, and Prune Extract
- It addresses common vision problems faced by people, such as short-sightedness, amblyopia (lazy eye), visual fatigue and eye strain especially among schoolchildren and senior citizens
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 13 August 2021 – According to the Health Ministry, at least 80% of all blindness or limited vision cases can be prevented or treated[1]. With this understanding, Be Quinn Global (BeQ), a health and beauty company launched its first flagship product, Lumina Eye Vitamin, that aims to enhance vision and provide essential nutrients that can help maintain eye health and good macular function.
Formulated in Japan with three main ingredients – Lutein & Zeaxanthin, Blue Green Algae, and Prune Extract – Lumina Eye Vitamin was created to address common vision problems faced by people, such as short-sightedness, amblyopia (lazy eye), visual fatigue and eye strain induced by excessive screen time (including dry eyes, conjunctivitis and night blindness, among others), especially among schoolchildren and senior citizens, and more serious problems such as cataracts and aging macular degeneration.
A study in 2013 found that more than six in 10 people wear glasses or contact lenses[2], and another study done by The Segamat Paediatric Eye Disease Study done in 2016 found that one in 10 children in Malaysia has an undiagnosed vision problem that can lead to chronic headaches and learning difficulties[3].
The study, which involved 1,287 children, also found that 12.5 per cent (161 children) of them suffer from visual impairment, and 61 per cent of the 161 children have bilateral visual impairment.
Loreen Ling, the founder and CEO of BeQ says “When I was 8, I was diagnosed with the lazy eye condition, something that can be corrected with early diagnosis and treatment. The awareness regarding eye health back then was pretty low, but I was lucky to have been diagnosed early. Unfortunately, there are so many people out there who are suffering from the same problem, and I wish more people are aware of the importance of early diagnosis and treatment for excellent vision health.”
Lumina, with its Hexane-free formulation, is vegetarian-safe and contains the minerals and nutrients required for maintaining eye health and good macular function. It also contains extracts from butterfly pea flower and blueberry, which were extracted using a high technology extraction process and micro activation to ensure the purity of the product, apart from also containing soy lecithin, taurine, ascorbic acid, and astaxanthin, all components proven to be beneficial for eye health. The patented manufacturing process makes it a natural product with minimal residual solvents, and non-toxic.
“Some eye conditions are related to your genes. While you can’t do much to reduce your genetic risk, there are some changes that you can make to your diet and lifestyle that can help make it less likely that you’ll develop conditions affecting your vision,” says Loreen.
“However, most of the time, we do not consume sufficient amounts of vitamins & minerals, antioxidants and phytoestrogen from our normal diet, which is crucial for eye health. Lumina, with its safe botanical formula, includes all the necessary nutrients to serve the purpose. With the natural plant & herbs extract that have been clinically proven, maintaining your eyesight has never been easier,” she adds.
Apart from enhancing vision concentration and sharpness, Lumina can also support healthy eye function, preserve overall eye health, maintain the density of the protective macular pigment of the retina, and protect against free radicals.
It can be taken every day, and BeQ advises users to take 2 sachets per day for the first 10 days before gradually easing into 1 sachet intake per day.
In regards to the effectiveness, Loreen says “It depends on the condition of your health as well as age and other factors. Everyone is unique, therefore, results will vary. Some benefits will be noticeable around 15-21 days, however, the best results usually take approximately 4-6 weeks of regular use.”
Lumina is JAKIM Halal-certified, HACCP-certified, KKM-approved, ISO-9001-certified and is produced in a GMP-certified manufacturer. To date, BeQ claims that a box of Lumina is sold every 10 minutes and they have exported their products to Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan with testimonials from over 15,000 customers.
BeQ is also launching I-mmuplus in August, an immune system booster containing liposomal Vitamin C, which are tiny, nano-sized bubbles that mimic the body’s own cell membranes and are designed to protect the Vitamin C as it travels through the body, providing faster absorption.
All BeQ products can be purchased from BeQ’s own website, as well as various pharmacies and health supplement shops in Malaysia, as well as its registered agents in Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
[1] https://www.thestar.com.my/news/education/2020/03/30/through-the-lenses-of-an-eye-care-expert [2] https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2013/38/more-than-6-in-10-people-wear-glasses-or-contact-lenses [3] https://www.nst.com.my/news/2017/03/217734/one-10-children-malaysia-has-undiagnosed-vision-problem-studyAbout BeQ Global
Be Quinn Global (BeQ) is a health and beauty company under Beauty Queen Group started by Loreen Ling in April 2017. It’s star product – the Lumina Eye Vitamin is formulated in Japan with 3 main ingredients, Lutein & Zeaxanthin, Blue Green Algae, and Prune Extract, Lumina contains the minerals and nutrients required for maintaining eye health and good macular function. To date, BeQ claims that a box of Lumina is sold every 10 minutes. They have exported their products to Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan and have gotten good testimonials from over 15,000 customers. Lumina can be purchased from BeQ’s own website, as well as various pharmacies and health supplement shops in Malaysia, as well as its registered agents in Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. For more information about BeQ and Lumina, please visit https://store.beqglobal.com/.
#BeQGlobal
Covid Patient Flees Hospital in Khammouane Province
A woman who fled a field hospital in Khammouane Province has since returned to receive treatment.
Disney+ To Launch In South Korea, Hong Kong And Taiwan In November 2021
- Highly anticipated streaming service will feature a vast library of entertainment content from Disney’s iconic brands – Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, National Geographic and Star
- In October, Disney+ Japan will be expanded with additional general entertainment content
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 13 August 2021 – At the company’s Q3 earnings call this morning, The Walt Disney Company announced that Disney+, the highly anticipated streaming service, will launch in South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan in November 2021. Disney+ Japan will also be expanded to feature additional general entertainment content in October 2021.
The streaming service is currently available in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
“The response towards Disney+ across Asia Pacific has exceeded our expectations, as consumers seek diverse entertainment content and are drawn to our portfolio of brands and franchises,” said Luke Kang, President, The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific. “We are pleased with the subscriber growth and partnerships forged in markets, and look forward to engaging with more consumers across the region – through unparalleled storytelling, creative excellence and cutting-edge content delivery.”
In Thailand, the streaming service has topped app store charts since its launch on 30 June 2021, and in Indonesia and Malaysia, it sits as a leading SVOD (subscription video on demand) service.
Disney+ offers an impressive selection of films and episodes of content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and Star, which includes a growing stable of local and regional content. The streaming service is home to exclusive Disney+ Originals content and specials, including Marvel Studios’ WandaVision, Loki and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier; Star Wars’ series The Mandalorian; Disney and Pixar’s Luca, National Geographic’s Secrets of the Whales, along with Hamilton and more. Star offers thousands of hours of general entertainment, from favorites to brand-new originals and exclusives. Disney+ is currently available in 61 countries and 21 languages across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.
More information on the launches in South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as the expanded service in Japan will be available soon.
About Disney+
Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, along with The Simpsons and much more. In select international markets, it also includes the new general entertainment content brand, Star. The flagship direct-to-consumer streaming service from The Walt Disney Company, Disney+ is part of the Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution segment. The service offers commercial-free streaming alongside an ever-growing collection of exclusive originals, including feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series, and short-form content. With unprecedented access to Disney’s long history of incredible film and television entertainment, Disney+ is also the exclusive streaming home for the newest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. Disney+ is available as a standalone streaming service or as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Disney+ Hotstar is the brand launched in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and India. For more, visit disneyplus.com, or find the Disney+ app on most mobile and connected TV devices.
About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes Disney Parks, Experiences and Products; Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution; and three content groups—Studios, General Entertainment and Sports—focused on developing and producing content for DTC, theatrical and linear platforms. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of $65.4 billion in its Fiscal Year 2020.
Sekong Locks Down Four Districts After New Covid-19 Case
Sekong authorities have placed four districts under lockdown including Lamam, Thateng, Kaleum, and Dakcheung, following one new case of Covid-19 recorded in the province yesterday.
A.S. Watson Launches Foundation Finder AI Tool To Help Customers Find the Perfect Match
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 12 August 2021 – A.S. Watson Group, the world’s largest international health & beauty retailer, has announced the launch of its Foundation Finder in its mobile app to help customers identify their perfect foundation colours and shade.
Launched firstly in Watsons Hong Kong and Malaysia, the flagship health & beauty brand of A.S. Watson, Foundation Finder will later be rolled out to other Asian markets including the Philippines, Indonesia and Taiwan. A.S. Watson is also exploring the possibility to launch in Europe. It is now offering customers up to 700 foundation products from over 30 brands. The function will first appear on the Watsons mobile app and then will extend to digital gadgets in-store.
According to Malina Ngai, CEO of A.S. Watson (Asia & Europe), “Most beauty lovers struggle to find the right shade as normally we apply foundation tester on hands. In most cases, the skin colour on hands is slightly different from the face. We know this is the pain point of customers and this inspires us to work on a solution. Our eLab digital team developed this together with Watsons makeup artists. I’ve tried it, and am confident that our customers will love it.”
Technology Enhances the O+O Retail Shopping Experience
Developed by A.S. Watson’s own in-house digital agency eLab, the Foundation Finder offers a seamless O+O retail shopping experience to its customers, thanks to its Advanced Facial Analysis Technology. The state-of-the-art technology helps customers to find the right foundation that matches perfectly to the customer’s skin type and skin tone.
Customers can simply take a selfie and answer a few simple questions about their skin conditions and makeup style preferences, and the app will recommend foundations that best suit the customers’ needs. It also gives the option for customers to then choose a lighter or darker shade based on their individual preference. The function is digitally connected to the Watsons online store, so customers can immediately order their recommended products and have it delivered to their homes or pick up in stores. They can also save the recommendation via email for later reference when visiting the stores.
Innovation Makes Shopping Fun and Easy
Ngai shares her experience, “We all have foundations at home which we’re not happy with the colour as they don’t give a perfect match. Making use of AR technology, we can help our customers to find a much closer match to give a perfect look.
“In fact, we’ve been pioneering the application of AR technology in our O+O experience for beauty lovers. Simply using our Watsons app on their smart phones, they can try on different colour cosmetics and hair colour. Customers are now addicted to their phones, and being able to build a relationship with them involves both our physical store touch point as well as digital is the essence of our O+O strategy. And being relevant and fun is key to add value to our customers’ daily lives.”