News

Auto sales drop by over 80pc in April

Sales of cars, light commercial vehicles, jeeps and vans plunged by over 80 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to 4,463 units in April amid growing economic and political uncertainties. As a result, the sales halved to 114,868 units in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year compared to 227,995 units in the same period last fiscal year. On month-on-month (MoM), the sales stood lower by 52pc in

Rs3.93 per unit tariff hike notified for KE

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Thursday notified K-Electric to charge Rs3.93 per unit additional cost to its consumers in the current month’s bill to mop up another Rs5.8bn funds as ex-Wapda distribution companies (Discos) sought to add another Rs44.5 billion burden to their consumers in next three months. In a notification issued on Thursday, the regulator said it

Rupee hits new low near 300 vs dollar

Extending overnight losses for almost the same reasons, the rupee hit an all-time low of Rs298.93 against the US dollar in the interbank market on Thursday. In the open market, the local currency lost Rs2 to settle at 299. Meanwhile, the foreign exchange reserves of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) declined by $74m to $4.38bn for the week ending on May 5, the central bank reported on Thursday.

Digital payments halve in ‘longest’ internet shutdown

Point-of-sale (POS) transactions routed through main digital payment systems fell by around 50 per cent the day after former prime minister Imran Khan’s arrest ignited countrywide protests and prompted authorities to shut down mobile internet services, data showed on Thursday. The reason for the slump was primarily the mobile broadband suspension, in addition to lower footfall at the limited nu

Budget to be presented on June 9: Dar

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday announced that the federal budget for fiscal 2024 would be presented on June 9 and insis­ted that Pakistan would not default on any foreign liability, with or without an IMF programme. Speaking to journalists after a seminar organised by the National Security Division, the minister said there should be no concern over the repayment of $3.7 billion foreign