SUNDAY, AUGUST 8, 2021 05 gig Bahrain launches AFS and PaySky Solutions partner for AFS Pay from full visibility on transac- revamped mobile app, The AFS Pay app will tions through an easy to use and • easy to navigate app dashboard website serve to empower AFS’s interface. network of merchants “The launch of AFS Pay brings with virtual point of us one step closer to realising sale POS terminals our vision of full digitisation of payment services, an agenda that AFS is endorsing and pro- The app enables • moting across the MENA region,” businesses to seamlessly said Samer Soliman, CEO of AFS. and cost-effectively “We are proud of our part- accept electronic nership with AFS, our collab- Samer Soliman, CEO of AFS Waleed Sadek, Founder & CEO of oration will enable AFS and its payments, online and in- PaySky Payment Solutions customers to harness the power person (via any Android of digital payment solutions, mobile phone or tablet) a major partnership agreement electronic payments, online realizing our commonly sought to deliver Bahrain’s first full and in-person (via any Android goals of financial inclusion & TDT | Manama payments acceptance solution mobile phone or tablet), elim- digital transformation,” said to businesses via an app: AFS inating the need to invest in a Waleed Sadek, Founder & CEO Dr Abdulla Sultan Ali Noor Pay, which transforms merchant physical device. In addition to of PaySky Payment Solutions. rab Financial Services smartphones into payment ter- scanning a credit card in-store Regulated by the Central TDT | Manama ious customer feedback and (AFS), a leading digital minals. (Tap and Pay), AFS Pay allows Bank of Bahrain, AFS boasts nu- Beta Testing to ensure that all Apayment solutions pro- The AFS Pay app will serve remote payments for home de- merous ground-breaking, end- ahrain Kuwait Insurance our customer requirements vider and Fintech enabler in to empower AFS’s network of liveries by generating payment to-end payment services and BCompany (gig Bahrain) are clearly reflected. the Middle East and Africa, merchants with virtual point links that can be shared via so- solutions. These span card pro- announced launching its re- Ali Noor COO at gig Bahrain and PaySky Solutions (PaySky) of sale POS terminals. The app cial media such as WhatsApp, cessing, Merchant Acquiring, vamped mobile application said they have added unique a disruptive digital payments enables businesses to seamless- Facebook Messenger, SMS and Fintech and a state-of-the-art, gig-GO as well as website www. features to the new app and ecosystem builder, have signed ly and cost-effectively accept email. Merchants also benefit value-added services suite. gigbh.com redesigned com- the website which is first for pletely with new features and Bahrain, such as tracking your a seamless user experience. Motor Claims Status. “This Dr Abdulla Sultan, CEO at feature will allow our custom- New Zealand grants residency to Google’s co-founder Page gig Bahrain, said, “as we move ers to know exactly at which China’s export Reuters | Melbourne towards the digital world rap- stage their Motor claim is at. of COVID-19 restrictions. Once idly, we at gig Bahrain are im- Moreover, you can now add Page entered New Zealand his slowdown in proving our digital platforms and remove benefits from your arry Page, Google’s application was able to be pro- July may signal to meet the digital demand.” insurance policy and recalcu- Lco-founder and one of cessed and it was approved on Dr Sultan also added that the late the price through the app the world’s richest men, has 4 February 2021.” more bumps CBB is instructing all insurance or click on the virtual branch become a New Zealand res - The visa requires applicants companies to have their busi- icon for a live call with one ident, with immigration ser- to have NZ$10 million ($7 m) ahead ness digitally ready before the of our agents and many more vices saying he had applied to invest in New Zealand over a Reuters | Beijing end of the year, and “we at gig other features,” Noor said. under a category for wealthy three-year period, according to Bahrain aim to distinguish our The gig GO app is available investors. a statement on the immigration services in the local market.” on Google play store, Apple “Larry Page submitted an ap- website. New Zealand closed its hina’s export growth The revamp, he said, is re- Appstore and Huawei AppGal- plication for residence under borders to visitors at the start Cunexpectedly slowed in sultant to the outcome of var- lary. the Investor Plus Category on of the pandemic, except for July following outbreaks of 3 November 2020,” Immigra- on-and-off travel bubble with COVID-19 cases, while im- tion New Zealand said in an Australia. ports also lost momentum, e-mailed statement on Satur- The country allows only a pointing to a slowdown in Kuwait’s 2020-21 budget deficit day. limited number of returnees, the country’s industrial sec- “As he was offshore at the Larry Page, CEO and Co-founder of requiring them to spend two tor in the second half even increases 175% to 10.8 bln dinars time his application was not Alphabet weeks in a government-run as easing global lockdowns able to be processed because quarantine facility. boost commerce. approved the 2021-22 state The world’s biggest Kuwait would budget proposed by the gov- exporter has staged an • ernment in January, which impressive economic re- need oil prices of projected 23.05 billion dinars bound from a coronavi - $90 per barrel to in expenditure and a deficit of India cenbank holds rates but raises inflation forecast rus-induced slump in the balance the budget 12.1 bn dinars. Reuters | Mumbai RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das first few months of last year The parliamentary vote said in a virtual address accom- after quickly containing the Reuters | Cairo came amid a stand-off be - he Reserve Bank of India panying the MPC’s decision. pandemic, and its rapid vac- tween government and par- Theld rates at record lows on All members voted in favour cination rollout has helped liament that has delayed re- Friday, but it raised its inflation of the decision to hold rates drive confidence. uwait’s budget deficit forms in the OPEC member forecast and said it would nor- and a 5-1 majority supported But new infections in July, Kreached 10.8 billion dinars state. malise liquidity conditions in a retaining the accommodative mainly caused by the highly ($35.5 bn) in the 2020-21 year, Earlier this year, Kuwait’s signal that policymakers could monetary policy stance, Das transmissible Delta strain up 174.8%, the finance ministry finance minister said that an be edging closer to tapering said. have spread to tens of Chi- said yesterday. increase in oil revenues due pandemic-induced stimulus. The RBI also announced nese cities, prompting local Budget income fell to 10.5 to higher oil prices does not As widely forecast, the RBI rate which has been steady at four variable rate reserve repo authorities to lock down af- bn dinars in the financial year cover the Gulf state’s budget held the repo rate, its key lend- 4% since May last year. (VRRR) auctions of a larg - fected communities, order that ended on March 31, down obligations. ing rate, at 4% and kept the re- “The need of the hour is not er-than-expected quantum, one millions to be tested and 38.9%, while expenditure in- Brent crude oil futures set- verse repo rate, the borrowing to drop our guard and to remain each fortnight, over August and temporarily suspend oper- creased 0.7% to 21.3 bn dinars, tled at $70.70 on Friday, while rate, unchanged at 3.35%. vigilant against any possibility September to restore normal ations of some businesses, the ministry said in a state- U.S. West Texas Intermediate All 61 economists polled by of a third wave especially in the liquidity operations and raised including factories. ment. (WTI) crude fell to $68.28 a Reuters late last month had said background of rising infections its 2021/22 inflation forecast to Seasonal floods and bad Kuwait’s parliament in June barrel. they see no change in the repo in certain parts of the country,” 5.7% from 5.1% before. weather last month also af- fected industrial production in some areas. Exports in July rose 19.3% from a year earlier, com - pared with a 32.2% gain in Joyalukkas wins the coveted RetailME ICONS award June. Analysts polled by TDT | Manama Reuters had forecast a gain for the world’s favourite hon- operations. The aim behind of 20.8%. oyalukkas, the world’s fa- our from the region’s leading the award function is to let the Imports in July rose a vourite jeweller, was re- media dedicated to the retail world know who the top retail- slower 28.1% from a year Jcently awarded the cov- industry. ers in the region are. earlier, lagging a 33% in - eted RetailME ICONS award as “Awards are a recognition for “We always strive to provide crease forecast in the Reu- an acknowledgement of their the efforts we put in our busi- an unmatched retail experience ters poll, and 36.7% growth pioneering leadership in the ness and I am happy to note that to our valued customers and the previous month. De - business of retail in MENA. we have been bestowed with this this award reinforces our com- mand has dropped in recent Joy Alukkas, Chairman of great honour.