News

Petrol, diesel prices left unchanged for next fortnight

The care­taker government decided to keep the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) unchanged for the first fortnight of the new year. According to a statement issued by the finance ministry, the per-litre price of petrol will remain at Rs267.34 and that of HSD at Rs276.21 until mid-January. The ministry said the government had left the prices unchanged on the recommendation of the Oi

Fears of plunging kinno exports

Pakistan’s kinno export this season is likely to shrink by 50 per cent from 450,000 tonnes a few years ago. The country would earn only $100 million instead of $220m despite a good crop of 2.75m tonnes versus 1.75m tonnes last year. The issues of quality and shelf life have deeply impacted the exports.“From the last year, the quality of fruit has dropped significantly from the previous years

ADB to fund climate-resilient housing projects

The Asian Development Bank will assist seven countries of Central and West Asia, including Pakistan, to enhance the role of the private sector in the delivery of inclusive, accessible, adequate, affordable and climate-resilient housing ecosystems that also champion the needs of disadvantaged population groups. Approving the regional technical assistance of $500,000, the ADB says its team will e

CPI-based inflation quickens to 29.7pc in December

Headline inflation accelerated for the second consecutive month in December, rising to 29.7 per cent year-on-year from 29.2pc in the previous month, primarily due to soaring prices of essential kitchen items and electricity rates. In December, power rates saw a 15.76pc increase, LPG rose by 2.62pc, and the 520pc spike in gas prices in November further contributed to inflation. Vegetables such a

Stocks rebound in a jittery week

The stock market witnessed a meltdown at the beginning of the outgoing week amid profit-taking by investors because of a substantial reduction in leveraged positions. Arif Habib Ltd said the bearish momentum proved short-lived as the market rebounded the following day by 1,693 points, marking the third-highest day-on-day increase in its history. Foreign exchange reserves of the State Bank of