News

SBP reserves fall $276m

The foreign exchange reserves of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) declined $276 million to $11.448 billion during the week ended on Jan 17 due to external debt repayments, reported the central bank on Thursday. Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb said in Davos that Pakis­tan had agreed terms for a $1bn loan with two Middle Eastern banks at 6 to 7pc interest rate. The country is in a problema

Senate panel, energy players discuss challenges

Pakistan State Oil Managing Director Syed Muhammad Taha has said that empowering the board of management with regulatory powers is critical to ensuring the company’s sustainability and enabling it to compete effectively in an increasingly challenging market. During a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum held at the PSO headquarters on Thursday to review the challenges facing th

Nadra briefs World Bank team on project

A high-ranking delegation from the World Bank on Thu­rsday visited National Da­­tabase and Registration Au­­thority (Nadra) and was briefed over the progress made under the Dig­ital Ec­­­­onomy Enhance­m­ent Pro­­ject (Deep), a key initiative designed to stren­­gthen Pakistan’s digital economy and digital ID systems. The World Bank delegation was led by Mr Martin Raiser, Vice President for the

Surging rice shipments fuel food exports

Pakistan’s raw food exports grew 13.83 per cent to $3.96 billion in July-December 2024-25 compared to $3.48bn in the same period last year, mainly due to increased rice shipments. Exports of foodstuffs have risen for the past 17 months despite unprecedented food inflation. As a result, consumers are paying higher prices because of supply and demand gaps. Official figures compiled by the Paki

Govt vows consistency to transform economy

Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal has assured the foreign investors of consistency in the policies to make Uraan Pakistan successful. He recalled three such initiatives had crashed in the past owing to inconsistent policies and political instability, he told a press conference after a meeting with the members of Overseas Investors Chambers of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) on Thursday.