News

Discos allowed to extract Rs26.5bn more

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Thursday notified an additional fuel cost adjustment (FCA) of Rs1.71 per unit for consumers of ex-Wapda distribution companies (Discos) with a net financial impact of Rs26.5 billion for electricity consumed in August. The “adjustment of Rs1.7141/kWh shall apply to all the consumer categories except Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (E

Taxing low-income citizens is ‘insane advice’: industry

With citizens already braving high food prices, massive power bills, and expensive fuel, a World Bank concern that the income tax exemption threshold for salaried individuals is “suboptimally high” has rubbed salt into many already festering wounds. In Pakistan, salaried people earning Rs50,000 or below per month are currently exempt from any tax. So, if the government goes on to follow the Wor

PIA’s sell-off plan discussed with World Bank

Privatisation Minister Fawad Hassan Fawad on Thursday reiterated the government’s firm resolve to divest major loss-making state-owned enterprises to avoid a substantial financial drain of resources and make them efficient. During a meeting with World Bank Resident Director Najy Benhassine, the minister also discussed the privatisation agenda with a specific focus on the divestment of PIA and o

PSX rallies as tech scrips attract investors

The stock market soared on Monday in a session marked by an uptick in trade volumes. Topline Securities said the KSE-100 index commenced the week on a positive note and stayed in the green zone throughout the trading hours before settling on the higher side. The brokerage attributed the rally to the rejuvenated buying interest in the technology sector. Systems Ltd remained the “darling stock

Transitioning away from a cash economy

As the global economy graduates towards digital payments and digital currency platforms, Pakistan is moving in the opposite direction with rising demand for cash. State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data indicates that the Cash in Circulation (CinC) has increased to Rs9.2 trillion ($32 billion) at the end of June 2023, which is equivalent to 30 per cent of the total money supply (M2), or around 11pc o