News

Carpet exporters urge tariff relief to save industry

The Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCMEA) has appealed to Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan for urgent relief from customs tariffs threatening the survival of the sector, according to a press release issued Thursday. A delegation led by Patron-in-Chief Abdul Latif Malik, Senior Vice Chairman Usman Ashraf, and Vice Chairman Riaz Ahmed highlighted the challeng

Investment, privatisation matters reviewed

In light of the recent visit of a high-level Pakistani delegation to Azerbaijan, Federal Minister for Board of Investment, Privatisation, and Communications Abdul Aleem Khan chaired a high-level review meeting to assess progress on investment and privatisation matters following the visit to Azerbaijan. Pakistan's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Qasim Mohi Uddin, joined the meeting via video link, whe

ADB\'s $500m loan lifts reserves

Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves received a $500 million boost from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under its Climate Change and Disaster Resilience Enhancement Programme (CDREP). This inflow, expected to be reflected in the State Bank of Pakistan's reserves by the end of November 2024, offers much-needed stability amid ongoing currency fluctuations. The Pakistani rupee has remained ran

Firewall blocks govt\'s $1tr goal

After being unsatisfied with Stefan Dercon's strategy, Pakistan has finalised a new five-year economic plan to increase the economy's size to $1 trillion. However, some critical goals cannot be achieved until the newly erected social media firewall is dismantled. The plan also aims to increase the low literacy rate to 70% and reduce poverty incidence by 13% over the next five years. The documen

Facing popular upheavals

THE state may have succeeded in pushing the protesters back from the streets of the capital on Tuesday night, but consider what it took to make that happen. Even before the crowds had departed, the scale of the lockdown in Punjab was perhaps unprecedented, even compared to the pandemic. Speak with industry owners across the province and listen to the stories of shipments stuck — whether of raw