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New car levy to power EV revolution

After imposing up to three per cent tax on gross sale value of conventional local and imported vehicles, the government approved a five-year subsidy scheme on Tuesday for the rollout of 116,000 electric bikes and 3,170 electric rickshaws/loaders, with an estimated cost of around Rs100bn. The scheme is part of efforts to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in Pakistan, reduce oil i

PM directs FBR to eliminate bureaucratic barriers

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to ensure the full implementation of reforms by removing bureaucratic hurdles and institutional barriers. Chairing a weekly review meeting on proposed reforms within the FBR, PM Shehbaz also expressed satisfaction over the increase in the country’s tax-to-GDP ratio, which rose from 8.83 per cent in FY24 to 10.2

Non-tax bonanza pushes tax ratio to 21-year high

The overall tax-to-GDP ratio increased by a record 3.2 percentage points in fiscal year 2025 to reach 15.7pc — the highest in over two decades. The record earnings came on the back of heavy taxes imposed by the government to implement strict conditions outlined in the IMF loan programme and last-minute windfalls from non-tax revenue (NTRs). During FY2024-25, the non-tax revenue grew by 68 pe

High-stakes bid for Telenor faces key test

The Pakistan Tele­com­munication Company Ltd (PTCL) on Tues­day presented a detailed business development plan to the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP), marking a crucial step in the ongoing process of acquiring Telenor Pakistan. This submission comes after the CCP had earlier agreed to the acquisition of Telenor Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd and Orion Towers, contingent on certain conditions. The

Govt approves Rs2 billion bailout package for Quaid-i-Azam University

In a major development, struggling Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) on Tuesday received Rs2 billion bailout package from the federal government. Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) headed by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, besides other agenda items, approved the package for QAU. “The ECC approved in principle a bailout grant of Rs2 billion for Quaid-i-Azam University, contingent upon th