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Inflation may ease to 23.5-24.5pc in March: finance ministry

The Ministry of Finance has anticipated that inflation will experience a gradual decline from this month primarily due to a decrease in the prices of perishable items. Inflation is projected to hover around 24.5-25.5 per cent in February, with expectations of a further easing to 23.5-24.5pc in March, the ministry said in its Monthly Economic Update and Outlook for February. “Despite the upwa

Petrol price jumps by Rs4, diesel unchanged

ISLAMABAD: In its last fuel price revision announcement before farewell, the caretaker government on Thursday increased the petrol price by Rs4.13 per litre for the next fortnight ending March 15 but left the price of high-speed diesel unchanged. In a late-night an­­nouncement, the Ministry of Finance announced the new prices for the next fortnight, starting from March 1, as recommended by the

SRO removal hampering jewellery exports

KARACHI: Traders claimed on Thursday that gold jewellery exports came to a standstill since last week due to the abrupt removal of SRO760 from the WeBOC system of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Pakistan Gems Jewel­le­ry Traders and Expor­ters Association (PGJTEA) Chair­man Habib-ur-Rah­man in a letter informed the FBR that the SRO facilitates various exemptions including sales tax but its

Revenue collection falls short by Rs33bn in Feb

ISLAMABAD: Tax collection by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) fell short of the target by almost Rs33 billion in February, mainly due to lower collection of domestic taxes and customs duty, provisional figures showed on Thursday. The revenue collection in February stood at Rs681bn against a projected target of Rs714bn. However, it increased by over 30 per cent compared to Rs519bn collected in

Analysis: Who will be handed the keys to national kitty?

WITH the process of government formation well and truly under way, the question on everyone’s lips now is: who will become custodian of the country’s kitty? Speculations abound, yet it is clear that the PML-N — which is actively lobbying to have its own man in the coveted slot — wants to revive the political capital that was eroded by its 16-month stint at the helm of the Pakistan Democratic Mo