WE lag economically even in South Asia. This lag is well-known but not its huge scale. To display that, I compare Saarc economies using World Bank data which runs up to 2022 and thus excludes our poor 2023 data. I focus on the state we left (India) and the one that left us (Bangladesh) to show our lag even against ones with similar DNAs. GDP: South Asia (mean), Bangladesh and India’s GDP per ca
The caretaker government has recently announced its decision to separate Pakistan Customs and Inland Revenue Services (IRS). This action has reignited the rivalry between these two tax groups, leading to a renewed exchange of rhetoric after a gap of 14 years. Back in 2009, a significant reform separated sales tax from customs, and its operation was handed over to the IRS. Despite facing opposit
Mari Petroleum Company Ltd has successfully drilled a third horizontal development well, which has been tested at the rate of around 17 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of gas. As opposed to a vertical well that’s drilled downwards, a horizontal one is drilled off a vertical borehole at an angle of at least 80 degrees. Mari-124H is located within Habib Rahi Limestone Reservoir of
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Monday announced that it has approved $155.5 million in financing for Pakistan that will support policy reforms enhancing women’s access to finance and providing credit to women-led micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. In a statement, the Manila-based lending agency said the financing comprised a $100 million policy-based loan that supports legal and r
The Chinese government has agreed to consider a request to amend the existing Free Trade Agreement (FTA), supply trade finance in yuans and provide loans to assist industry relocation to Pakistan. The requests were made during Pakistan’s Interim Commerce Minister Gohar Ejaz’s visit to China, where he is leading a 20-member group. Pakistan and China have come to a mutual understanding to revise