News

World Bank proposes changes to Sindh water, agriculture project

The World Bank has proposed some changes in the implementation plan for the Sindh Water and Agriculture Transformation project to adapt mitigation activities to help the provincial government manage climate risks with a focus on the water and agricultural nexus. In a just-released climate change technical note on the project, the World Bank says the project approved in December last year intend

The deaths caused by power politics

The death of 11 women and children in a stampede in Karachi on Friday during the distribution of charity ration shows how inflation-hit people are prepared to risk their lives to get free food for their families. The composition of the crowd also underlines that it mostly consisted of women from white-collar families, underlining the reality that the rapidly soaring cost of living is now starti

Oil prices soar as producers unveil shock output cut

Oil prices soared Monday after top producers unveiled a shock output cut of more than a million barrels, while equities mostly rose after data showed US and European inflation eased further last month. However, the decision by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries OPEC+, the cartel, which has other top non-OPEC oil-exporting nations, fanned concerns about a fresh spike in prices

Forex reserves fall by $354m to $4.24b

The foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank fell by 7.7% on a week-on-week basis to $4.24 billion, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Thursday. On March 24, 2023, the SBP’s foreign currency reserves stood at $4,244.3 million, down by $354 million compared to $4,598.7 million on March 17. The central bank attributed the decrease in foreign exchange re

Garments industry for stopping audit notices

Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) has asked the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to help strengthen the industry and exporters by timely releasing sales tax refunds, instead of sending them audit notices. In a statement, the association pointed out that more than 51% of tax revenue was being collected from the manufacturing sector, though its share in gr