News

UK firm shows interest in buying Shell Pakistan

Shell Pakistan Ltd (SPL) said on Monday it has received a public announcement of intention from UK-based Prax Overseas Holdings Ltd to buy its 77.42 per cent shares, which are currently held by the oil firm’s foreign sponsor. The potential acquirer is a British investment firm with its entire shareholding resting with fuel supplier State Oil Ltd. The energy conglomerate owns companies in up-

Pakistan International Container Terminal Ltd yet to find business opportunity

Pakistan International Container Terminal Ltd (PICT) said on Monday it has found no “immediate financial viable business opportunity” in a review exercise it held recently to look for possible business avenues. One of the four container-terminal operators in Pakistan until recently, PICT lost its principal line of business when its 21-year concession agreement with the Karachi Port Trust (KPT)

PSO receivables cross Rs755bn

Rising with each passing day, the receivables of Pakistan State Oil — the country’s largest firm by revenue — have crossed a record Rs755 billion by Monday or about 21pc of its annual revenue, virtually halting its strategic business expansion. In its latest report of its financials submitted to the federal government, the country’s largest fuel supplier reported that almost 90pc of its funds h

Businesses want cut in power tariffs

After a substantial decline in petroleum prices for the current fortnight mainly due to the rupee’s appreciation against the US dollar, business leaders have asked the caretaker government to reduce power tariffs and improve gas supply on a priority basis. Businessmen Group chairman Zubair Moti­wala and Karachi Cham­ber of Commerce Industry (KCCI) President Iftikhar Ahmed Sheikh, in a statement

Big industry expands in August after 11 months

Large-scale manufacturing (LSM) registered year-on-year growth of 2.52 per cent in August, reversing the trend after 11 consecutive months of contraction, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics showed on Monday. On month-on-month, it witnessed a growth of 8.44pc. This indicates a resurgence in industrial production, a development that followed the easing of opening letters of credit