Digital financial services (DFS) have gained momentum in Pakistan since the Covid pandemic. Mobile app and internet banking have grown phenomenally, and branchless banking accounts have surged to 103.1 million. The State Bank (SBP) has launched Pakistan’s first fully interoperable instant payment gateway — RAAST — and recently introduced a merchant payment module. Thus, the country’s digital fi
The real estate sector holds eminent status in Pakistan. From an investment viewpoint, it has offered lucrative returns primarily due to appreciation in land value, while rental yields remained subdued, mostly below the country’s risk-free rate. On the economic level, the sector is linked to a number of ancillary industries like steel, cement, brick, sanitary, timber, and marble and has a sizable
Countries that introduced land reforms to unleash corporate and cooperative farming potential based on the latest technologies ushered in an agricultural revolution. With the transformation in the mode of production, not only the yield per acre of crops went up at an unprecedented pace, but a huge middle class emerged, widening prosperity in the countryside. High economic growth in regional
For a common man, figuring out how to manage and invest money in Pakistan is sometimes like finding your way through a maze. There are different ways to handle money, like keeping it with conventional banks, buying mutual funds units or stock, holding on to gold or property, investing funds, or opening an account with an Islamic bank that follows Sharia principles. According to the 2021 World B
With the IMF estimating a Rs175 billion cut in the consolidated development programme of the federal government and provinces, the caretakers in the Centre are seeking over Rs201bn reduction in the federal development budget alone for the current fiscal year, including Rs121bn allocated for the federal-funded provincial projects. On Monday (today), the National Economic Council (NEC), chaired b