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‘So far, so good’: Aurangzeb says talks with IMF headed in right direction

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday said that talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were headed in the “right direction”. An IMF mission led by Iva Petrova held a formal kick-off meeting with Pakistan’s economic team to review the implementation of the EFF and RSF. The programme’s performance as of the end of June this year — the period under review — has been mixed.

Suzuki raises price of discontinued Ravi

Pak Suzu­­ki Motor Company Ltd (PSMCL) has increased the price of its discontinued Suzuki Ravi model by Rs100,000, taking the new ex-factory rate to Rs2.075 million, up from Rs1.975m. According to a circular issued to authorised dealers on Wednesday, the revised price applies despite the vehicle’s production already being halted. Data from the PAMA shows zero production of the Ravi in July a

Govt raises Rs976bn via T-bills, bonds

The government raised Rs976 billion through auctions of Treasury bills (T-bills) and Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) on Wednesday, tho­ugh cut-off yields remai­ned largely unchanged. In the T-bills auction, the government set a target of Rs750bn but accep­ted bids worth Rs641bn through competitive bidding. An additional Rs89bn was raised through non-competitive bids, bringing the total borrowi

‘Logistics inefficiencies hamper trade’, says FPCCI

The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has identified the logistics sector as a major structural constraint to trade and investment, with inefficiencies costing the economy significantly more than in advanced economies. FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh said Pakistan’s logistics sector accounts for 15.6pc of GDP, compared to 8-9pc in developed economies such as the

Public debt hits Rs80.6tr despite lower interest costs

Pakistan’s total public debt rose by 13 per cent to Rs80.6 trillion by the end of FY25, driven mainly by a fiscal deficit of Rs7.1tr and slower-than-expected GDP growth, according to the Ministry of Finance (MoF). In its Annual Debt Review 2025, the MoF said the debt-to-GDP ratio increased to 70pc, up from 68pc a year earlier. This was attributed to a lower nominal GDP growth rate, resulting fr