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Potato exports likely to suffer due to smog, webinar told

Potato exports are likely to fall during the current fiscal year because smog has led to a 20 per cent decline in per acre production in Pun­jab, a webinar was told on Wedne­sday. The webinar, conducted by the Pakistan Horticulture Development Export Company (PHDEC), aimed to explore the consequences of climate change on potato crop and to suggest measures for combating its impact on productivi

Govt raises Rs1.2tr with cut in yields

The government has further slashed the returns on treasury bills (T-bills) by up to 66 basis points in the auction held on Wednesday. However, the banking liquidity was more visible as bids for T-bills and Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) reached Rs3.75 trillion. The bids for T-bills and PIBs were Rs2.493tr and 1.264tr, respectively. According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the governm

Oil eases on rate-cut worries

Oil prices edged lower on Wednesday as a large, surprise build in US gasoline stocks and worries about the outlook for US interest rates next year outweighed easing supply concerns from a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. Brent crude futures were down 42 cents, or 0.6 per cent, to $72.39 a barrel by 1:20pm ET (1820 GMT). US West Texas Intermediate crude slipped 51 cents, or 0.7pc, to

Trump picks trade envoy, top economic adviser

Don­ald Trump on Tuesday named Jamieson Greer his trade representative, a key figure in implementing the president-elect’s economic agenda, particularly his plans to use tariffs to raise revenue and help bring more manufacturing to US shores. Trump also picked Kevin Hassett as his top economic advisor, bringing the member of his first administration to head the White House National Economic Cou

SBP profit, PDL help govt retire Rs1.9tr debt

The government on Wednesday announced that it had retired about Rs1.9 trillion debt while taking advantage of the unprecedented surge in revenues from petroleum development levy (PDL) and the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) profits driven by the highest interest rate and projected further decline in inflation. In its Monthly Economic Update & Outlook (November 2024), the Ministry of Finance (MoF