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IT accounted for 35pc of total service-sector exports in 2023

Pakistan’s IT services exports have grown 2.7 times since 2014, making up 35 per cent of all service-sector exports in 2023, according to a new report. The report titled ‘Agay Barho: Empowering Pakistan’s Digital Economy’ was unveiled at an event attended by the prime minister and the IT minister on Thursday. The report, part of the ‘Agay Barho’ initiative by Google, said Pakistan has vast p

Govt caught in a ‘double debt’ trap

The domestic debt of the central government increased by Rs537 billion in July, reflecting the surging expenditure of the state machinery. Experts in the media have been stating that heavy borrowing will be necessary due to a revenue shortfall that started from the first day of 2024-25. The country is caught in a double debt trap, with domestic and foreign debt servicing consuming almost all

Opec+ delays oil output hike for two months

Opec+ has agreed to delay a planned oil output increase for October and November, the producers group said on Thursday after crude prices hit their lowest in nine months, adding that it could further pause or reverse the hikes if needed. Oil prices have been falling along with other asset classes on concerns about a weak global economy and soft data from China, the world’s biggest oil importer.

Tax procedures for property deals notified

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has notified procedures for developers and builders to collect and pay duty on allotments and transfers of property. The FBR has also issued the Computerised Payment Receipt (CPR-FE) for payment of Federal Excise Duty (FED) through a notification SRO1376 of 2024 issued on Thursday. The amendments were made to the Federal Excise Rules 2005. Through the notif

Cement demand tumbles on high prices, construction slowdown

Due to tax-driven price increases and a construction slowdown during the monsoon season, local cement sales plunged by 27.54 per cent year-on-year to 2.752 million tonnes in August. Cement exports also fell 16pc to Rs613,857 tonnes compared to 730,755 tonnes in August 2023. As a result, overall cement despatches (local sales and exports) tumbled by 26pc to 3.366m tonnes from 4.528m tonnes in