News

Govt asked to prioritise growth despite IMF loan

Businessmen have cautioned the government that the signing of a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) should not be used as an excuse to retard economic growth of the country. “We understand that the country cannot survive without another IMF programme. At the same time, the government should prioritise economic growth, provide employment and reduce inflation,” remark

Trade and industry decry costly electricity

Trade and industry people have asked the government to seriously look into the matter of high electricity tariffs for all categories of consumers, particularly export and general industries, and rationalise the same to bring down the cost of production. SITE Association of Industry President Muhammad Kamran Arbi said there is much unrest amongst the business community due to high electricity bi

Most analysts expect policy rate cut amid low inflation

The financial market is abuzz with speculation as the State Bank prepares to announce its monetary policy by the end of this month, with researchers, analysts and bankers widely anticipating a rate cut, though opinions vary on the extent of the reduction. Given June’s inflation rate of 12.6 per cent, significantly lower than the prevailing interest rate of 20.5pc, the market expects a substanti

Aurangzeb updates Fitch team on economic ‘achievements’

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb briefed officials of a global rating agency on Monday about Pakistan’s economy and the successful agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to stabilise macroeconomic indicators. A virtual meeting via Zoom was held five days after the Business Monitor International (BMI), a subsidiary of Fitch credit ratings firm, released its detailed analysis of

US firm hired to boost investment

The government has hired an American consultancy firm, Kearney, to help attract foreign investment in the country. It was informed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a meeting he chaired at the PM House to review how to increase investment and capacity of federal government ministries. According to Kearney’s website, it is a leading global management consulting firm with over 5,700 peop