Pakistan’s central bank is expected to hold its key rate steady at a fourth straight policy meeting on Tuesday, with inflation forecast to start easing in coming months paving the way for rate cuts to boost the economy, analysts said. The country has embarked on a difficult path to economic recovery under a caretaker government after a $3 billion loan programme was approved by the IMF in July t
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Monday approved a total of nine development projects worth about Rs367 billion mainly to ensure international development assistance. The meeting was presided over by Caretaker Finance Minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar and attended by Sami Saeed and Shahid Ashraf Tarar, the ministers for Planning and CommÂunications respectively. How
The shares market maintained its upward momentum on Thursday registering a sixth consecutive day-on-day gain even though the benchmark index exhibited some volatility. Topline Securities Ltd reported the first half of the session witnessed substantial buying activity, propelling the index close to the 65,000-point mark. However, a temporary decline in the benchmark occurred due to profit-tak
The Ministry of Finance is issuing for the first time a one-year Islamic bond through the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday to raise Rs30 billion. As opposed to the earlier practice where commercial banks would place bids for the government debt, the new method will allow the general public to participate directly in the bond auctions. This is expected to bring the interest or profit r
Meat exporters seek soft loans and subsidies, foot-and-mouth disease-free zones and restricted animal feed export. In written recommendations submitted to the caretaker chief minister of Punjab, the All-Pakistan Meat Exporters & Processors Association says the government should provide soft loans to the meat industry and land on lease for animal breeding and fattening farms to ensure sustainabl