News

Asian markets lack direction as disappointing US tech earnings impact stocks; yen strengthens

Asian stocks were subdued on Wednesday after lacklustre earnings from US tech behemoths Tesla and Alphabet dented sentiment, while the yen hit a six-week high ahead of a central bank meeting next week where a rate hike remains on the table. The US dollar was broadly firm, with traders watching out for an inflation reading on Friday and Federal Reserve meeting next week. The Bank of Japan is als

PBC questions govt \'ambitious\' export plans

The Pakistan Business Council (PBC) has expressed surprise over the government’s ambitious plan to boost exports by 113% to $65 billion within three years. The PBC raised concerns that exporters were not consulted and questioned the measures taken to achieve this target. In a letter addressed to Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Ehsan Malik, Chief Executive of PBC—a business policy

5G spectrum auction planned for March 2025

The Standing Committee on Information Technology & Telecommunications announced on Tuesday that the 5G spectrum auction is under consideration and is likely to be held in March 2025. The committee underscored the need for service providers to ensure high-quality 5G services in major cities following the auction. The committee recommended that the ministry incentivise service providers in the 5G

Indonesia for tapping true trade potential

Indonesia Charge d’affaires Rahmat Hindiarta Kusuma has stressed that time is ripe for collaboration with Pakistan to push bilateral trade to levels that can match true potential. Speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Tuesday, the envoy underlined the importance of forging partnerships as Indonesia was the largest economy in Southeast Asia with stable economic growth

US, China and UAE top export destinations

The United States remained the top export destination for Pakistani products during financial year 2023-24, followed by China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Total exports to the US reached $5.43 billion during July-June 2023-24 against exports of $5.93 billion in 2022-23, showing a decline of 8.4%, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). It was followed by China, where Pakistan e