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Govt appoints chief adviser to finance minister for Pakistan Crypto Council

The federal government on Wednesday appointed Bilal bin Saqib as the chief adviser to the finance minister on the recently announced Pakistan Crypto Council. On February 25, the finance ministry announced it was considering “establishing a National Crypto Council” to adopt emerging digital currencies in line with global trends. An official statement said Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb had

‘Cut or no cut’: businesses not on same page over policy rate

The State Bank finds itself in a dilemma over the interest rate as on one hand the business community is clamouring for a cut of 500 basis points in one stroke, but on the other multinational companies are advising caution. According to Ehsan Malik, the CEO of Pakistan Business Council (PBC), “the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the State Bank is likely to maintain a cautious approach and le

Govt raises Rs1.2tr at auctions for bonds, T-bills

Amid the high possibility of no further cuts in the interest rate, investors made a total of Rs2.207 trillion bids, mostly for the long-term tenors, with no change in the cut-off yields at the treasury bills (T-bills) and Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) auctions on Wednesday. Announcing the results of the auctions, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported that the government raised a total of

Sugar price surges to Rs170 per kg

The retail price of sugar has surged to Rs170 per kg in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad due to a rise in wholesale rates amid strong demand in Ramazan. Retailers in Karachi feared that the price may hit Rs200 if a bullish trend persists in the wholesale market. However, wholesalers blame millers for increasing the rates. In a week, the wholesale rate swelled by Rs15 to Rs155 per kg in Karachi.

MoU signed with UAE group

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday met an eight-member delegation from the International Free Zones Authority (IFZA) of the United Arab Emirates and the Aleria Group. The premier also witnessed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) exchanged between IFZA and the Board of Investment. “The government is taking steps on a priority basis to provide a business and investment-friendly enviro