News

PKR nears record low in interbank after sliding 74 paise

The PKR neared an all-time low against the dollar on Wednesday after falling 74 paise in the interbank market. The local currency closed at Rs239.65 per dollar — a depreciation of 0.31 per cent from yesterday’s close of Rs238.91. The rupee had reached a record low of 239.94 per dollar on July 28. Head of Research at Tresmark, Komal Mansoor, said the government was “paralysed by inaction even

SECP amends regulations for ‘share issue’

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) on Wednesday revamped the Companies (Further Issue of Shares) Regulations 2020 for listed companies allowing the investors to make informed decisions and implement them at a faster pace. The SECP has said that the examination of the historical cases of right issues by listed companies indicated that risk disclosures were minimal and prov

Japanese govt agrees to defer $160m debt

The governments of Japan and Pakistan have agreed on a debt deferral amounting to $160 million as the third and last phase of the ‘G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI)’. The total amount of deferred debt has now reached $730m, which will provide the fiscal space for the Pakistan government to restore its economy affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the floods, the Japanese embassy ann

SBP to settle importers’ payments in two days

The State Bank of Pakistan has assured the business community of clearing all backlog import-related payments of less than $50,000 within two days, said a statement issued by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FPCCI) on Wednesday. Sharing this breakthrough with trade and industry, FPCCI President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh said the central bank had agreed to clear or settle

Current account deficit narrows to $0.7bn

Pakistan’s current account deficit (CAD) fell to $0.7 billion in August, compared to $1.2bn in the previous month, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said late on Wednesday night. This equates to a decline of 41.67 per cent month-on-month. For the first two months of the current fiscal year, the current account deficit narrowed by $0.5bn to $1.9bn compared to the corresponding period in FY22, the