News

Auto price war: a boon for some and bane for others

An unexpected, massive cut in the price of Kia Stonic has triggered a price war among auto assemblers for some models, forcing Pak Suzuki Motor Company Ltd (PSMCL) to make its Swift models cheaper by up to Rs710,000. The new prices of Suzuki Swift GL MT, GL CVT and GLX CVT are Rs4.336 million, Rs4.560m and Rs 4.719m, down by Rs85,000, Rs159,000 and Rs710,000, respectively, with effect from May

Lowest inflation rate in 2 years result of PDM govt’s hard work: PM Shehbaz

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday declared the downward trend of inflation as “welcome news” for the people, saying that inflation falling towards the lowest level in two years was a sign of improvement in the economy. Consumer price inflation slowed to 17.3 per cent in April from a year earlier, data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed today, the lowest reading in nearl

SBP reserves rise above $8bn

In a positive development, the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) foreign exchange reserves increased by $25 million, reaching $8.006 billion by the end of the week on April 26. While the central bank did not disclose the specific sources of inflow that bolstered its forex holdings, industry experts suggest that the SBP’s typical strategy involves purchasing dollars from the interbank market to saf

FPCCI defends wheat imports

The Federation of Pakistan Cham­bers of Commerce and Industries (FPCCI) urged the federal government on Thursday to avoid harassing the private sector for timely importing wheat to bridge the demand-supply gap. The FPCCI reacted to the government’s claim that the interim setup permitted the private sector to import wheat without a rational justification. The FPCCI supported the private sector’s

Govt hints at 27pc hike in PSDP

Hinting at calling the 13th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of the CPEC to meet on May 22-23, the government is expected to increase by over a quarter the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the next fiscal year, notwithstanding struggling development spending this year amid IMF-backed fiscal consolidation and stabilisation outlook. Informed sources told Dawn that the Ministry of P