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Debt is costlier than we think

Would you believe that out of every 100 rupees the federal government spends each year, Rs52 goes on debt servicing? Sadly, this is true. During July-September 2022, the current expenses of the federal government totalled Rs1.832 trillion. Of this, Rs954 billion was used for domestic and foreign debt servicing, according to the quarterly fiscal review. Domestic debt servicing alone consumed Rs8

Stocks rally 636 points after AIIB okays $500m

Bulls reigned supreme on the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Thursday following the announcement by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar about $500 million financing by Asian Infra­structure Investment Bank. According to Arif Habib Ltd, investors gained considerable confidence because of the promised fund under the Building Resilience with Active Countercyclical Exp­en­diture initiative supported by Asian Dev

Interest-free economy

FINANCE MINISTER Ishaq Dar’s announcement that the ruling coalition would withdraw the legal challenge to the April judgement of the Federal Shariat Court that gave the government until the end of 2027 to eliminate interest-based banking must have come as a surprise. Mr Dar said the government wants to eliminate riba as soon as possible. He also said that both the State Bank and the state-contr

Is it possible for Pakistan to shift to an interest-free banking system?

Pakistan will implement the decision of the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) to rid the country of an interest-based banking system, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday, but many are questioning whether it will be possible to do it at all. The FSC was established in Pakistan in 1980 under the reign of military dictator Ziaul Haq and is responsible “to examine and decide the question whether

Mind the Gap!

Fintech is one of the most rapidly growing sectors with the highest demand in the world. Fintech fuses financial services with digital technology to provide consumers and corporations with creative financing alternatives. The creation and installation of the BAAS (Banking As A Service) Model – which enables firms to accept and deliver a full variety of financial services to their customers – usher