News

IT ministry seeks Rs16.5bn for FY24

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication has sought Rs16.5 billion in the upcoming budget for projects and services to promote digitisation across the country as well as in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The requested sum includes developmental and non-developmental expenses of the ministry and its affiliated institutions, but the size of non-developmental expe

Trading in Soneri’s Rs4bn bond to begin tomorrow

Trading in the privately placed Rs4 billion bond of Soneri Bank Ltd will commence on the Pakistan Stock Exchange on June 7 (Wednesday). Locally known as a term finance certificate (TFC), the debt instrument will contribute towards the bank’s Tier-II capital, which is the second or supplementary layer of capital that’s less secure than Tier-I capital. This category of capital includes subordi

Rupee plunges 2.6pc in open market amid dollar shortages

The rupee, facing the brunt of dollar shortages, plunged 2.6 per cent against the greenback in the open market on Monday as speculators are holding back their foreign currencies anticipating further appreciation. The currency dealers said that despite very thin business volume, the open market was dry, which allowed the dollar to resume its upward trend and closed at Rs308, an increase of Rs8 f

Central govt’s debt swells to Rs58.6tr

The total debt of the central government increased 34.1 per cent year-on-year to Rs58.6 trillion at the end of April, latest statistics released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) showed on Monday. The increase was 2.6pc on a month-on-month basis. The domestic debt amounted to Rs36.5tr (62.3pc) while the external debt accounted for a 37.6pc share with Rs22tr at the end of April. On an an

Stocks attain modest weekly gains

Trading on the stock market opened on a positive note in the outgoing week amid expectation of certain budgetary measures. Arif Habib Ltd said sentiments improved as investors expected a likely tax on corporates that didn’t announce pay-outs in rec­ent years. They resorted to buying while anticipating that the rumoured tax would encourage companies to revive pay-outs. Moreover, a statement b