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ADB revises Pakistan’s economic outlook for FY25 upwards to 3pc

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday revised its forecast for Pakistan’s economic growth in the fiscal year 2025 (FY25) slightly upwards, projecting it at 3 per cent. In an Asian Development Outlook (ADO) report issued by the Manila-based lending agency in September, Pakistan’s economic growth had been estimated to be struggling at 2.8pc in FY25, subject to domestic and external risks.

Gas, power tariff hikes under IMF fuel inflation: finance minister

The government admitted on Wednesday that a record 840 per cent increase in gas prices, over 110pc rise in electricity tariffs and a 43pc currency depreciation under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme have contributed significantly to the unprecedented inflation that has eroded the purchasing power and living standards of many Pakistanis. “Under the IMF stabilisation programme, the

Govt raises Rs1.25tr, cuts T-bill yields by 100bps

The government on Wednesday cut the yields on treasury bills (T-bills) by up to 100 basis points across different tenors, strengthening expectations for a significant softening of monetary policy in the upcoming review on Dec 16. The government remained within its auction target while the investors’ bids reached Rs1.928 trillion, indicating banks’ eagerness to park their maximum liquidity in th

Businesses urged to act on climate risks to avoid losses

Two new reports released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) have warned businesses to act now to address growing climate risks or face steep financial losses, saying that the delay could see up to seven per cent of annual earnings wiped out by 2035, an impact akin to Covid-19 level disruptions every two years. Extreme heat and other climate hazards are expected to cause $560 billion to $610bn in

Minister directs speedy privatisation of Discos

The Board of the Privatisation Commission has sought a detailed presentation from the Ministry of Power for divesting electricity distribution companies (Discos) to address outstanding issues in advance. The decision to speed up the privatisation process came a day after the release of the annual performa­nce reports by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), which spoke about