Agriculture is pivotal to Pakistan’s economy, contributing 23 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP) and employing 37.4pc of the labour force. With 70pc of the country’s exports directly or indirectly linked to agriculture, disruptions in this sector can have profound economic impacts. Recent protests by farmers, sparked by governmental policies and market conditions, have thrown the sector
The banks made record investments of Rs7.6 trillion during the year, mostly in risk-free and lucrative government papers, while advances during the same period declined instead of increasing. The latest data issued by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday shows that the total investment of scheduled banks till April 2024 reached Rs27.281tr, compared to Rs19.694tr in April 2023. The jump
France and the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday signed a “strategic partnership” on artificial intelligence (AI) aimed at boosting cooperation between them, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told AFP. The agreement signed with Khaldoon Al Mubarak, managing director of the Abu Dhabi government-controlled fund Mubadala, opens “a new era of economic cooperation” in the burgeoning sector, Le
Dollar inflows through Roshan Digital Account (RDA) decreased in April over the preceding month. According to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Tuesday, inflows in April were $171 million, a six per cent decline from March’s $182m. The State Bank introduced the RDA in September 2020 following an outflow of foreign investments from domestic bonds. The RDA offers up to 8pc p
Pakistan’s economy will grow at a higher rate in the outgoing fiscal year, beating international lenders’ predictions. However, due to a downturn in the manufacturing and service sectors, it failed to meet budgetary projections. The provisional GDP growth is anticipated to be 2.38 per cent for FY24, surpassing the projections of International Monetary Fund’s 2pc, Asian Development Bank’s 1.9