PAKISTAN is one of the most exciting markets to be in,” said Shahebaz Khan, Senior Vice President, Head of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions, CEMEA, Visa. The economy is not highly digitised, but it has the fifth largest Gen Z population in the world, which are more likely to spend digitally than the preceding generations, he explains. Counterintuitively, the informal small and medium ent
THE general discussion around ‘Pakistani’s leaving Pakistan’ tends to assume that highly skilled and highly educated individuals are quick to “get out fast” lest the high cost-of-living, political uncertainties, and social insecurity bring them down, which may well be true to some extent. However, arguably the largest segment of society that tries to make a break for it abroad is the unskilled
THE cut in the interest rate to 12 per cent from 22pc in June 2024 is reviving auto financing at a snail’s pace as either the monthly instalments are still unaffordable or the consumers are waiting for a further drop in instalments after a possible future interest rate cut. For the last few months, banks and assemblers have been trying hard to lure buyers through promotional offers and lowering
THE country’s economy continues to demonstrate mixed positive and negative trends with a hazy long-term outlook as multiple problems are yet to be effectively addressed by basic structural reforms. On the positive side, a record number of 3,442 companies across diverse sectors were registered in a single month by the Securities Exchange Commission of Pakistan in January, reflecting a 39 per cen
PAKISTAN’S total foreign exchange reserves rose to $16.04 billion by the end of January 2025 from $13.99bn in June 2024, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). This means that during the first seven months of this fiscal year, $2.05bn has been added to the reserves. However, the $11.42bn held by the SBP is still insufficient to cover three months of import bills. The remaining reserves,