News

Stability through elections

With a positive growth rate, Pakistan’s economy has somehow managed to skirt a recession during the ongoing fiscal year, even if the GDP growth has fallen flat to less than 0.3 per cent — the slowest increase in domestic output in four years — from 6.1pc a year ago. Yet it also underlines that the economy is suffering long-term effects from the crises caused by the balance of payments vulnerabi

Gulf countries expected to invest $500m soon

Maritime Affairs Minister Faisal Sabzwari has said an agreement for a $500 million investment from the Gulf countries is being finalised. In this regard, an intergovernmental agreement policy would be submitted to the law ministry on Monday, which if approved, would pave the way for direct foreign investment as per the conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Addressing the m

Political game of chicken

The game of chickens in the political arena can lead to economic malaise; the United States is on the verge of it. The deadlock between President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy has amplified the severity of the question, “Is the US really going towards a default? This question, even its imagination, is enough to send chills down the spine, for the aftermaths of the ‘unlikely’ US default is going

Stifling the private sector

Societies leaning towards capitalism have small governments that provide essential public goods to the people, formulate policy and leave the rest to the imagination and executing capabilities of the private sector. Governments in most developing countries, on the other hand, continue to be large. Investment in these countries is low, and the loss in the investment share of the GDP is either pi

Imported bites

Dal is a humble meal. Be it the big boss man opting for a light meal in his air-conditioned office or his guard sweating in boots with a gun on his back, dal is ubiquitous across the country. Repeated calls for imported substitution and increased localisation of mobiles and cars seem to overlook that almost every bite consumed by any Pakistani is made of imported goods. Whether pulses, palm oil