News

NA panel seeks roadmap to boost exports

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Commerce has recommended a sectoral roadmap and measures to promote exports. The committee meeting, chaired by MNA Muhammad Jawed Hanif Khan, reviewed the implementation status of previous recommendations. The committee also evaluated the Trading Corporation of Pakistan’s (TCP) performance. Secretary Commerce Jawad Paul informed the committee

Pakistan Business Forum opposes unconstitutional curbs, seeks simplified tax return

The Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) has opposed restricting public facilities to ineligible citizens for not filing tax returns, saying the proposed law appeared to be against fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution. In a statement, the PBF — a non-profit association of country-wide trade and industry — instead proposed that tax returns should be simplified to a one-pager as was the case

UBL arranges $300m loan for Pakistan

Amid the growing need for financing to meet external debt repayment obligations, the government has arranged a $300 million loan from United Bank Ltd (UBL). According to a press release issued on Monday, UBL had arranged and financed a $300m short-term loan for the government of Pakistan through its UAE and Bahrain branches. While the government is trying to arrange more financing for its de

0.92pc quarterly growth negates govt claim of economic revival

Pakistan’s economy grew by a modest 0.92 per cent in the first quarter (July-September) of the current fiscal year, a steep fall from 2.3pc recorded in the same period last year. The PML-N-led coalition government claims economic revival, but first-quarter figures tell a different story compared to the growth recorded during the caretaker setup last year, according to data released by the Natio

More rallies in store for the PSX?

Pakistan’s equity market ripped higher in 2024, carrying the KSE-100 index to its record peak as the economic fundamentals stabilised and the State Bank started cutting interest rates. The benchmark index climbed to 116,169 points on Dec 17 (before settling down to 110,246 points on Friday) from 64,661 points on Jan 1. This compares with the previous peak of around 52,000 points achieved in 201