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Lack of gas hurting production, says SITE Assoc­iation of Industry

KARACHI: SITE Assoc­iation of Industry (SAI) President Muhammad Kamran Arbi has said low gas pressure (almost zero supply) is making it impossible for the industries to run boilers, furnaces or other gas-run machinery installed. In a letter to Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd Managing Director Imran Maniar, the SAI chief said the problem of low gas pressure has persisted for the past many years sin

SBP reserves post second straight fall

KARACHI: The foreign exchange reserves of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) experienced a further decline of $54 million during a week, exacerbating the vulnerability of the exchange rate. This marks the second consecutive drop in the central bank’s reserves, with a $63m decrease reported last week, highlighting imbalances in the outflows and inflows of dollars. The SBP regularly purchases do

Trade deficit with Gulf nations narrows

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s trade deficit with the Middle East narrowed 41.31 per cent to $5.674 billion in the first seven months of the current fiscal year mainly due to low imports of petroleum products from the region. In absolute terms, the value of Pakistan’s exports to the Middle East rose 36.18pc to $1.769bn between July and January 2023-24 while imports dipped 31.69pc to $7.443bn, showing a

Urea makers plan $300m investment to ensure gas

KARACHI: A consortium of Engro Fertilisers Ltd (EFL), Fatima Fertilisers and Fauji Fertilisers will invest over $300 million in the Gas Pressure Enhancement Facilities (GPEF) project at the Mari network to ensure the availability of gas for domestic urea production and safeguard the food security. “Our expected share in capital expenditure in this project is over $100m, Engro Fertilisers Chief

Washington tells Islamabad to engage IMF, bring economic reforms

WASHINGTON: The US State Department has conveyed a clear message to Pakistan’s new rulers, emphasising the importance of collaboration with the Interna­tional Monetary Fund (IMF) and economic reforms for stability. In response to a set of questions from Dawn, a State Department spokesperson underscored the enduring partnership between the two nations, stating, “We value our long-standing partne