Policy Research and Advisory Council (PRAC) Chairman Mohammad Younas Dagha has urged the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to bring down its policy rate to 17.5 per cent from 19.5pc. He said this would keep the real interest rate positive within a range of 2.4-3.4pc, as per the International Monetary Fund’s requirement. According to a PRAC press release issued on Tuesday, Mr Dagha said the govern
The Senate Standing Committee on Power on Tuesday asked the government to conduct a comparative analysis of electricity tariffs in neighbouring and regional countries since huge power bills have made electricity unaffordable for an average person in Pakistan. The committee chairman, Senator Mohsin Aziz, emphasised the importance of resolving issues with independent power producers (IPPs), which
The grey currency market — which functions outside the ambit of regular remittances channels — has reemerged due to an uptick in the smuggling of dollars to neighbouring countries, experts have said. The market is attracting about $500 million per month by offering an exchange rate of Rs4 per dollar higher than the official rate, according to the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan Gener
Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Monday plunged more than 1,100 points in a widespread bearish activity, sparked by the global equity sell-off over fears of a potential US recession and escalating tensions in the Middle East. The KSE-100 index started off the day positively, reaching its intra-day high of 78,330.09 points very soon. However, it struggled to sustain the momentum and started desc
US listed shares of crypto-linked companies slumped as bitcoin fell more than 15% on Monday, after weak economic data last week triggered fears of a recession and set off a frenzied selling of risky assets. The plunge marks a stunning reversal for the sector that until recently was riding a wave of optimism sparked by the approval of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to the spot prices of bitco