News

Talks with friends for fresh loans progressing: Aisha Pasha

Snubbing sovereign default possibility, Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr Aisha Ghaus Pasha on Thursday said the discussions with China and Saudi Arabia were continuing for inflows of $3 billion each and the government was also in contact with International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout. Talking to journalists after a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenu

Export finance markup rates raised to 13pc

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has raised the export refinancing markup rates by 200 basis points, bringing them close to the current policy interest rate of 16 per cent. In a circular issued on Thursday, the central bank said it had decided to reduce the gap between its policy rate and the Export Finance Scheme (EFS) and Long-Term Fin­ancing Facility (LTFF) rates from the existing 5pc to 3pc

SBP’s forex reserves fall to eight-year low

With the expected IMF tranche still nowhere to be seen, State Bank of Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves on Thursday further declined by $294 million to $5.8 billion — their eight years’ low — making it even more difficult for the country to repay its foreign debts. The country has been facing a worrisome scenario as the reserves are not enough to service its huge foreign debt. Though Fina

Stocks dive over delay in IMF programme

Bears became aggressive at Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday as they completely sidelined the bulls and the market lost significant ground, which analysts attributed to the delay in resumption of International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) loan programme. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar reiterated that Pakistan “will not default” on international payments as the government had arranged the entire r

What investors watch out for in emerging markets in 2023

It has been a rough 12 months for emerging markets that have seen more governments stumble into default, currencies suffer and double-digit losses in stocks and bonds alike – though many investors are optimistic that 2023 could bring some relief. Developing economies are expected to cling to their growth differential over developed peers, but recession fears in the United States as well as Euro