The Japanese government has approved a grant assistance of $3.50 million for Pakistan to provide smart water meters and related equipment to the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) in Faisalabad. An agreement to this effect was signed in Islamabad on Wednesday between the embassy of Japan and the Economic Affairs Division under the Economic and Social Development Programme. Through technical
The country recorded a significant rise in mobile internet usage among women in 2024, as the gender gap in mobile internet adoption narrowed from 38 per cent to 25pc, according to the GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report 2025 released on Wednesday. This means that women in Pakistan are now 25pc less likely than men to use mobile internet — an improvement from previous years. In contrast, the gender
As virtual technical-level discussions on the upcoming federal budget begin, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects Pakistan’s total revenue to grow to nearly Rs20 trillion in the next fiscal year, up from the current estimate of less than Rs17.8tr, with an emphasis on tight expenditure controls to ensure sustainable debt servicing. After three days of technical discussions through video
Fertiliser makers are upset over reports that the government intends to increase the federal excise duty on key ingredients to 10 per cent in the budget for FY26. Fertilisers are currently subjected to a five per cent federal excise duty (FED), but no GST is levied. Diammonium phosphate (DAP) has an additional five per cent sales tax levy and there are varying levels of taxes on inputs, which
For a third time in two months, the government is considering imposing additional costs — this time at the rate of Rs4.12 per litre — on the prices of petroleum products, a move that may deprive consumers of potential relief in prices due to be announced for the next fortnight today (Thursday). This has been proposed by the petroleum division to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the