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PAC irked by murky sugar mills affair

Amid a hike in sugar price, the Public Accounts Committee was informed on Tuesday that the sugar mills have earned Rs300 billion due to recent fluctuations in the rates of the essential commodity. The Auditor General of Pakistan made these revelations during the meeting of the apex parliamentary panel, which convened the high-stakes session to review the sugar import and export policy, rising p

Petrol, diesel may see up to Rs9 per litre cut

After four consecutive hikes, petrol and diesel prices are expected to fall by about Rs9 and Rs3.50 per litre, respectively, for the upcoming fortnight ending Aug 15, owing to lower international oil prices and reduced import premiums, sources said on Tuesday. Based on prevailing tax rates, the ex-depot price of petrol is estimated to decline by around Rs9 per litre (3.3 per cent), while high-s

Govt quietly cuts profits on savings schemes

The government has quietly slashed profit rates on all national savings schemes — both conventional and Sharia-compliant — within a month, dealing a fresh blow to small investors, particularly pensioners, widows, and low-income savers. Despite repeated adjustments, the Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS), which operates under the Ministry of Finance, continues to withhold timely publ

Govt looks to fast-track crypto adoption

The government seems willing to fast-track the adoption of crypto currencies for banks, foreign exchange comp­anies and gold trading, sources told Dawn after a high-level meeting on Tuesday. A day earlier, representatives from the State Bank of Pakistan, finance min­istry, commercial banks and exchange companies met with senior security officials to discuss steps to bring down the dollar price,

Power tariff may drop by Rs1.51 for three months

Electricity tariffs for consumers of all distribution companies (Discos), including K-Electric, are likely to decrease by Rs1.51 per unit for three months due to lower capacity charges, driven by reduced interest and exchange rates and revisions in power purchase contracts with both public and independent power producers (IPPs). The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has sched