The federal government is set to provide preferential treatment to two domestic banks and is willing to take responsibility for their $88 million foreign currency lending to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) without any restructuring. The handling of the foreign currency loan contrasts with the restructuring of PIA’s Rs243 billion domestic debt, which is being extended for 10 years at reduc
Firms in the telecom sector are worried that the acquisition of Telenor Pakistan by the Pakistan Telecommunication Ltd (PTCL) will harm their interests, the Competition Commission said on Monday. In what is believed to be one of the largest deals in the country’s telecom sector, the agreement will see Ufone merge with Telenor Pakistan, making the joint company a close rival of Jazz, the nation’
The policies of Pakistani commercial banks regarding the environment, social and governance (ESG) risk mitigation lack transparency and lack a tangible action plan, according to Fair Finance Pakistan. In a press release, the Pakistan chapter of Fair Finance International (FFI) — a civil society coalition campaigning for responsible banking practice — said financial institutions “are evolving” t
The increasing scale of smuggling of petroleum products has brought the country’s oil supply chain — from import to refineries and from marketing companies to pipeline transport network — to its knees. With a massive drop in registered sales, the country’s oil industry has sought emergent action from the prime minister and other state agencies to stop the smuggling of petroleum products that th
The continued stability in the exchange rate has made treasury bills (T-bills) attractive for foreign investors, as increased inflows noted during the first 15 days of the current month, according to sources in the financial sector. State Bank of Pakistan’s latest data shows that market treasury bills attracted $13.863 million during the first 15 days of March FY24. Financial market experts