The government would soon be delisting two mega LNG-based power plants of about 1,230MW each — Balloki and Haveli Bahadur Shah — from the privatisation agenda for their expedited sale on a government-to-government (G2G) basis. The government has been in talks with friendly governments in the Middle East, including Qatar, for the sale of at least two out of four LNG-based power plants, the most
A massive power breakdown last week in Pakistan left millions of citizens without electricity across the country for most of the day on Monday. Triggered by ‘frequency variations’ in the system, it was the second major electricity breakdown since October, forcing many to compare the nation’s fragile power sector and its economy on the verge of collapse. Later in the evening, the State Bank h
Policymakers’ efforts to raise productivity for export-oriented economic growth have not achieved any meaningful success, as the country has remained primarily focused on producing low value-added goods in demand in developed economies. In the process, we have built an import-oriented economy on the brink of default, prompting a call by relevant experts for productivity-led growth. The econo
Climate change manifests itself through rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events. It has enhanced the production risk of agricultural farming, a business which has already been inherently risky for farmers due to high dependency on favourable weather conditions and volatile prices of crops in the market. Even if we put asi
Does populism have a role in the making of the current economic crisis in Pakistan? The general perception in business circles is that it does. For many, delays in harsh but necessary policy decisions by the last and the current government are the most blatant expressions of the populist tendencies of rulers in Pakistan. The initial reluctance of former prime minister Imran Khan’s government