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World Bank warns of ‘lost decade’ in global growth

The World Bank on Monday warned that the global economy’s “speed limit” — the maximum long-term rate at which it can grow without sparking inflation — is set to slump to a three-decade low by 2030 and advocated an ambitious policy push by national economies to boost productivity and the labour supply, ramp up investment and trade, and harness the potential of the services sector. The report, “F

Fund okayed for Reko Diq dispute settlement

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Monday approved about Rs72 billion financing facility for payment of the Balochistan government’s obligations in the Reko Diq Project dispute settlement. The meeting presided over by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, however, deferred proposals for increasing the minimum prices of about 177 medicines because of poor defence by the Drug Regul

China spent $240bn bailing out ‘Belt & Road’ countries: study

China spent $240 billion bailing out 22 developing countries between 2008 and 2021, with the amount soaring in recent years as more have struggled to repay loans spent building “Belt & Road” infrastructure, according to a study published Tuesday. Almost 80 per cent of the rescue lending was made between 2016 and 2021, mainly to middle-income countries including Argentina, Mongolia and Pakistan,

Stocks drift lower amid growing tensions

Share prices bounced within a small range throughout the session after trading began on the lower side on Tuesday. Arif Habib Ltd said investors preferred to stay cautious owing to ongoing political and economic worries. Their participation remained dull as they waited for some clarity on the revival of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programme. Volumes on the mainboard of the exchan

Govt bonds fail to attract dollars despite record returns

A record increase in returns on treasury bills and Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) has failed to attract a single dollar. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) increased the interest rate by 300 basis points to 20 per cent and the discount rate to 21pc on March 2 to counter high inflation. Before announcing the interest rate hike, the government had already increased the treasury bill returns to