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Tough reforms needed to improve ratings: S&P

Pakistan’s road to securing high credit ratings will depend on whether the elections this week will bring about a government that can push for tough reforms, according to S&P Global Ratings. Almost all top rating agencies have downgraded the country’s ratings due to prolonged political and economic crisis. The economic situation has apparently improved, but the uncertainty over fair elections r

Exports of services shrink in December

Services’ exports in December 2023 contracted year-on-year for the second consecutive month during the current fiscal year, according to data compiled by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. The services exports shrank 6.93 per cent to $726.94 million in December from $781.09m in the corresponding month last year. Contrary to this, merchandise exports reversed the trend and increased in Januar

Caretakers concede to refineries’ demands

Conceding to the key demands of the private sector oil refineries, the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) on Tuesday approved amendments to the Brownfield Refineries’ Policy to ensure the upgrade of the existing refineries within six years capable of producing Euro-V petrol and diesel, with minimal production of low-quality fuel like furnace oil. The meeting presided over by Minister for Petrol

Ogra seeks to raise gas prices again to meet IMF condition

In order to meet the IMF’s mid-February deadline, the Oil and Gas Regula­tory Authority (Ogra) made significant concessions to the gas utilities — SNGPL and SSGC — to extract another Rs100 billion from consumers over the next four months through an increase of 9 to 35 per cent in tariffs. The decision comes as part of the government’s commitment to the International Monetary Fund, promising to

Caretakers defy ECP directive, okay PIA restructuring

ISLAMABAD: A day after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) barred the caretakers from taking any step vis-à-vis Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), including its privatisation, the federal cabinet on Tuesday approved a plan for restructuring of the national flag carrier. The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar. The ECP had ask