It was a tough year for the IT sector, with telecom operators and users taking the brunt, especially after a change of government in April and the belt-tightening that followed. Call and internet rates jumped and yet the service quality worsened and speeds slowed in 2022. Network outages intensified thanks to ‘connectivity load-shedding’ in the wake of hours-long power outages and rising fuel c
Governments over the past years have attempted to have social media companies maintain an on-ground presence in Pakistan. They employed a carrot-and-stick approach — offering incentives of increased revenue and, when that failed, drafting legislation to force them into opening offices. Over the years, officials claimed multiple times that companies have agreed to establish their presence
People don’t realise that economics is about politics, particularly political economy. Issues about taxation, distribution, pricing, and much else, are governed by vested interests and lobbies of capital and of power. With grave uncertainty in the political terrain, the economy will continue to suffer. This is not simply about elections but also about the clarity of purpose of all political act
Croatia was counting down the hours on Saturday ahead of a switch to the euro and entry into Europe’s passport-free zone — two major milestones for the country after joining the EU nearly a decade ago. At midnight (2300 GMT) the Balkan nation will bid farewell to its kuna currency and become the 20th member of the eurozone. It will also be the 27th nation in the passport-free Schengen zone, the
The prices of cement and steel — the two key building materials — have jumped 41 per cent and 16pc, respectively, pushing up the cost which resulted in a construction slowdown in the outgoing calendar 2022. The 50-kg cement bag rate rose to Rs1,043 from Rs738 on Dec 30, 2021 while per tonne steel bar prices increased to Rs224,500-225,500 from Rs194,500-197,500 a year ago. Steel bars, which h