Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Sunday hailed the results of the Ipsos Consumer Confidence Survey for the second quarter of 2025, saying the findings reflected the government’s successful microeconomic strategy over the last 14 months. The survey was conducted by Ipsos, a global market research firm that gathers insights on consumer behaviour, public opinion, and market trends. The firm
United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that President Donald Trump could speak with China’s Xi Jinping “very soon” and that such a call could help break the logjam in the trade talks between the world’s two biggest economies. Trump on Friday accused Beijing of violating a deal reached last month in Geneva — negotiated by Bessent — to temporarily lower staggeringly high ta
The protest led by traders and supported by political parties against the centre’s trade policies intensified on Sunday as protesters blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH) for traffic. Local importers and exporters have been protesting against what they call the exploitative policies of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). A local PML-N leader said the federal government — led by his party — wa
As part of its strategic direction to declare ‘war on cash’, the federal government is likely to introduce differential tax and transaction rates for cash and digital payments across various sectors, including fuel pricing, in the upcoming budget. This is going to be the most crucial step among many other things that Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has been hinting at in recent days and may
Amid easing geopolitical tensions and strong anticipation of relief for the agriculture sector in the upcoming budget, the stock market attracted renewed buying interest. Overnight, Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain stated that his ministry is actively working on eliminating the 18 percent general sales tax on local cotton in the upcoming budget. According