News

FPCCI demands R20/litre cut in petroleum prices

Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh has urged the caretaker government to reduce the petroleum prices by Rs18-20 per litre as a result of the declining trend in world oil prices despite ongoing conflict and supply cuts announced by Saudi Arabia and Russia till December. “I can project that these major producers of oil will continue their

Rupee suffers 15th straight loss vs dollar

The rupee on Monday continued losing its value despite falling demand for US dollars in the interbank market. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported the greenback closed at Rs287.55 after gaining 52 paise over last session’s Rs287.03. The local currency has weakened by four per cent against the dollar since the start of the declining trend in mid-October. Currency experts and dealers have

IMF contacts key partners directly over fund pledges

With policy-level discussions boiling down primarily to external financing gap, the visiting staff mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has started direct communications with key bilateral partners to confirm their committed support to Pakistan, including rollovers and additional flows, during the current fiscal year. On the first day of policy-level talks, caretaker Finance Ministe

Are computer science graduates up to the mark?

The perception that few among the 35,000-odd computer science graduates the country produces every year are actually skilled was reinforced on Saturday at +92Disrupt, a two-day startup and technology conference held by Katalyst Labs. The CEO of one of the country’s largest software houses made a 30-minute presentation to drive home a single point: computer science programmes run by Pakistani un

Plan shared with IMF to add 1.5m new taxpayers

Pakistan’s top tax authority has unveiled an ambitious plan to the International Monetary Fund to bring 1.5 million new taxpayers into the net by the end of June 2024. The blueprint of the strategy, which was shared during the technical-level discussions with IMF officials, represents a significant milestone in Pakistan’s efforts to bolster its fiscal framework, a senior tax official told Dawn