Beating the market expectations of a 50 basis points (bps) cut, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has slashed the policy rate by 100 bps to 11%, effective May 6, 2025, reflecting easing inflationary pressures. However, the central bank has highlighted that the broader economic landscape remains fraught with challenges, including sluggish GDP growth, weak large-scale manufacturing, persistent fiscal
Industrialists, traders, and business leaders strongly criticised the State Bank of Pakistan's (SBP) decision during its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting to cut the interest rate by just 1%, urging swift reduction to single digits without any further delay. Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Muhammad Jawed Bilwani termed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)'s decision
The GSM Association (GSMA), a body of mobile operators, has called for reducing taxes and fees in the telecom industry in the upcoming budget 2025-26. In a letter to Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, GSMA's Head of Public Policy and External Affairs for Asia Pacific, Jeanette Whyte, argued that lowering sector-specific taxes would make mobile services more affordable, particularly for l
The federal government on Monday reviewed the possibility of adjusting provincial reconciled outstanding electricity bills' dues against their shares under the National Finance Commission award, after limiting power sector losses to Rs221 billion, down by 40%. The Power Division shared the performance of the power distribution companies with the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabi
The sentiment on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) remained bearish as panicky investors continued to reduce their holdings amid ongoing border tensions with India, causing the benchmark KSE index to lose over 1,000 points intraday ahead of the monetary policy announcement. Ahsan Mehanti of Arif Habib Corporation said the PSX turned flat after the government took tit-for-tat security measures t