News

Pakistan Bureau Statistics plans digital census for agri sector

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) will conduct a digital census of the agriculture sector to maximise its benefits for policymakers in the country. An official announcement stated that PBS will employ seven software modules for an integrated and digital census approach, maximising benefits for Pakistan’s agricultural sector. In this connection, PBS will train employees on HR

Food exports to cross $7bn by end of FY24

ISLAMABAD: The export of Pakistani food items is safely projected to cross the $7 billion mark by the end of fiscal year 2023-24, reflecting a sharp contrast of about $4 billion annual exports in this sector previously, the Chief Executive of Trade and Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), Muhammad Zubair Motiwala, said on Wednesday. Speaking at the Pakistan Pavilion at the ongoing Gulf Foo

Car buyers in no rush ahead of sales tax hike

KARACHI: Consumers have not shown any enthusiasm to pre-book or lift vehicles on cash despite the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet’s decision to increase the sales tax to 25 per cent from 18pc. The caretaker government has yet not issued a statutory regulatory order (SRO) to enforce the hike in general sales tax on locally produced vehicles of 1,400cc and above carrying ex-factory

Hopes for interest rate cut fade away

The cut-off yield for short-term treasury bills has risen by 126 basis points on the back of inflationary pressures as hopes fade away for cut in the State Bank of Pakistan’s policy rate. The auction of treasury bills, held on Wednesday, saw a sudden jump in the three-month T-bills, surprising many even though it was not improbable. On Wednesday, the cut-off yield for three-month T-bills was

Govt slashes profit rates on savings, again

ISLAMABAD: With immediate effect, the government on Wednesday slashed profit rates on all, but two, national savings instruments including those in the so-called Sharia-compliant papers. The returns on two savings instruments that were kept unchanged at 20.5 per cent for now included a conventional savings account and a Sarwa Islamic Savings Account (SISA). The reduction in returns has come