News

Minister takes action on low prices of sugarcane

Minister for Industries, Production and National Food Secu­rity Rana Tanveer has taken notice of farmers’ complaints regarding the low prices of sugarcane offered by sugar mills and sought a report from provincial cane commissioners on sugar prices. Chairing a meeting of the Sugar Advisory Board on Saturday, the minister emphasised that the exploitation of farmers would not be tolerated and str

Public companies incur Rs6tr losses in 10 years: Aurangzeb

Finance Minister Muha­mmad Aurangzeb said on Saturday that the growing burden of state-owned entities (SOEs) has cost the country Rs6 trillion in the last 10 years, making it ext­remely difficult to live with. Speaking at the Overseas Investors Chambers of Commerce and Industry (OICCI), the minister insisted on privatising these SOEs but did not explain why the government could not move in this

Green banking — a path to financial sustainability

Green banking represents a transformative shift in the financial sector, where banks realign their investment strategies to prioritise sustainable technologies and environmentally friendly initiatives. These financial institutions are at the forefront of sustainable banking, actively promoting clean energy and seeking innovative solutions to combat climate change. With the Air Quality Index (AQ

Explicit and implicit taxation of agriculture

Last month, the Punjab Assembly took the lead in amending its agricultural income tax (AIT) law, increasing the maximum tax rate from 15 per cent (in Punjab and Sindh) to align with federal income tax rates for individuals and businesses, which reach up to 45pc. Other provinces are still deliberating similar changes, all in response to strings attached to the ongoing International Monetary Fund (I

Harvesting the sun for industrial growth

Here comes the sun, and it’s all right. The surge in distributed solar over the last eighteen months has led to an exodus from the electricity grid, as the reduction in the price of solar panels has made distributed solar more affordable. Growth in the adoption of solar has changed the way households and industries alike consume electricity. During the past decade, peak consumption was largely