News

Pakistan improves risk score on global AML index

Following Pakistan’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list, a global body of banking supervisory authorities has acknowledged the progress made by the country in the overall regulation of the financial affairs slightly lowering the risk score of the country. However, experts believe that the recently-released Basel AML [anti-money laundering] Index briefing on Pakistan wo

Rs3.8 surcharge imposed on power users

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Monday rubber-stamped the government decision of imposing Rs3.82 per unit surcharge on electricity consumers across the country for four months with retrospective effect from March 1 and then continue it at a reduced rate of Rs1.43 per unit throughout the next fiscal year. The additional surcharges have been imposed on the demand of th

Shares lose 98 points on IMF delay, impending rate hike

Shares at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) fell on Wednesday, with analysts attributing the downtrend to a delay in signing the staff-level agreement (SLA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a desperately needed economic bailout, as well as, the impending rate hike. The benchmark KSE-100 index reached an intraday low of 480.65 points, or 1.19 per cent, around 11am. However, it clos

Stricter conditions

IT is all a bit confusing. Is it its familiarity with Pakistan’s poor track record or some sinister international ‘plot’ that is keeping the IMF from finalising the staff-level agreement with Islamabad for the revival of the stalled loan, despite the government’s implementation of several politically tough ‘prior actions’? At a rare background briefing arranged for journalists on the current st

‘Eating less, travelling less’: How Pakistanis are coping with sky-high inflation

The worst part is that there seems to be no light at the end of this tunnel. Those in power keep repeating the same mistakes and the poor end up paying the price. Wara Irfan Published February 28, 2023 Updated about 18 hours ago Someone sleeps hungry tonight. Or at least tries to. It’s not really easy to sleep on an empty stomach. Or when your ears are ringing with the hunger-induced screams o