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Markets see policy rate cut
THE State Bank of Pakistan is due to announce its new monetary policy on August 10. Financial markets are abuzz…
Drought fear
THE fear of a severe drought across the country looms large as the monsoon currents are forecast to weaken further…
Olympics-driven business trends
Speaking in terms of economics, London Olympics 2012 has provided opportunities to numerous businesses and employment to 40,000 Brits. It…
Foreign investment: perception and reality
FOREIGN direct investment has plunged from its peak at $5.3 billion over the past half decade, according to the Board…
Delay in monsoon hampers rice sowing
WITH the delay in monsoon rains, rice sowing is in trouble in Punjab. By the end of July, the province…
US drought heralds global food inflation
A LARGE swath of the US Midwest and mid-South has been devastated by extreme heat and the worst drought since…
Banana crop hit by disease
BANANA, the delicious and nutritious fruit for all ages is very much absent from fruit stalls in Karachi. If available…
Agriculture universities: going back to basics
AS the Punjab government prepares to establish an agriculture university in the southern part of the province (probably Multan), it…
Wind energy projects’ take-off
AFTER a long delay, Pakistan has finally embarked upon a long-term plan to generate wind-power on commercial scale. Financial close…
World economies
China
CHINA will retain a high economic growth in the future. Recently economic growth rate has slowed down, compared to…
Sindh’s paltry farm income tax collection
SINDH suffered a serious shortfall of Rs750 million in revenues from agriculture income tax during the 11 months (July-June) 2011-12.…
Municipal bodies in electricity business
THE Capital Development Authority’s initiative for installing a coal-based 2x100MW power project in Islamabad is a welcome step. However, the…
India’s deepening electricity crisis
THE massive power failure in northern and eastern India last week, affecting 670 million residents in 21 states, may have…
Punjab’s ambitious sales tax target
THE Punjab government is hopeful of increasing collection of provincial sales tax on services from Rs36.56 billion to over Rs100…
Concessional loans for rice mills’ upgrade
THE rice millers will be provided loans at below market rates to upgrade their factories for producing quality milled rice…
Anomaly in salary income tax mode
THE Finance Act 2012 has brought two unique changes, one positive and the other negative. While taxation of capital gain…
Alarming pace of climate change
IN an event that alarmed Nasa scientists last month, almost the entire surface layer of ice over Greenland has melted…
Linking domestic commerce with foreign trade
THE ministry of commerce has come up with an ambitious draft strategic trade policy framework (2012-15) setting an export target…
Rolling economic bubbles
THE world is lurching from one crisis to another. In 2007 it was the Great Financial Crisis that led to…
Is it a zero-sum game?
A Rs47 billion case relating to tax adjustments of telecom operators is currently under investigation by the National Accountability Bureau…
