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US-China thaw crucial to end geo-economic division: IMF chief

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has said this week’s meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping is a badly needed signal that the world needs to cooperate more. “It sends a signal to the rest of the world that we must find ways to cooperate on those challenges where no country on its own can succeed,” Georgieva told Reuters on Frid

Dual exchange rate resurfaces in banking market

The banking currency market is again operating on a dual-rate system, where dollars are selling at a premium compared to the official exchange rate, particularly impacting small-scale importers, banking sources said on Saturday. The discrepancy comes even though there are no official restrictions on imports or the opening of letters of credit (LCs). Atif Ahmed, a currency dealer in the inter

Advancing Pakistan’s EV Policy

Earlier this month, the government of Punjab declared a smog emergency. A few days later, the Lahore High Court ordered school and office closures twice a week to mitigate smog in the largest city of Punjab. According to a 2018 study, air pollution comes from vehicular emissions, industry and agriculture through crop burning.The electric vehicle revolution Globally, the electric vehicle (EV)

CORPORATE WINDOW: Conversion towards Islamic finance

The Federal Shariat Court ruling in April 2022 to eliminate interest from the economy by December 2027 marked a pivotal moment in Pakistan’s financial landscape. The judgment declared an unequivocal prohibition of Riba (including banking interest) in all its manifestations and forms, setting a target to transform the nation into an interest-free economy by the end of 2027. This historic decision n

Pakistan’s debt dependence

Caretaker Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar stated the obvious when she stressed that Pakistan will remain dependent on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for some time. Still, it is better than empty promises of never going to the IMF again, though those sweet nothings are expected from those who wish to be elected rather than the caretaker setup. Pakistan’s debt has climbed alarmingly in th