19 April 2004 Monday 28 Safar 1425 Rise in per capita income can be misleading Per capita income of Pakistan will be $600 by the end of this financial year in June, says Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz. That would mean a jump of $108 per capita from last year's $492 as given out by the Economic Survey of Pakistan. ... Unleashing the consumer power The move towards consumer-led economic growth is now being followed up by proposed regulatory initiatives to check speculative and unfair trade practices. The anti-trust and anti-monopoly law is being updated. ... Municipal banks for financing local projects The World Bank Country Director has, according to press reports, assured the Nazim Karachi of all possible financial cooperation in the city's development projects. ... Economic development and terrorism Terrorism is now viewed as a critical variable influencing economic development and its course in various parts of the world in general and in Pakistan in particular. ... Who will rule the textile market after 2005? How the textile and clothing market will shape up in a quota-free world after January 1, 2005 is a matter of great anxiety and speculation for the developing country exporters but a study says it is China ... CDA: a question of priority It was astonishing to come across a quarter page advertisement appearing in the national press inviting expressions of interest for development of an amusement and recreational park situated at sector F-9, Islamabad. ... State Bank report: some unanswered questions The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has recently issued its report for the second quarter of the fiscal 2003-04, highlighting the developments in the economy during July-December, 2003. ... Auditors and the public trust Auditors' ethical lapses have battered investors' trust and seriously undermined audit effectiveness. Eugene O'Kelly, Chairman and CEO, KPMG, said: "What we do as a profession is critical to the capital markets". ... Textile exports: challenges ahead The textile and clothing (T&C) sector is the main pillar of Pakistan's economic edifice, the share of which in the total export earnings is 64 per cent. The sector employs 250 million people and accounts for 9 per cent of the GDP. ... Dealing in futures It is fashionable to talk about different kinds of bonds, equities and insurance policies available as financial 'products'. The term 'products' is used because some believe that people buy things, they don't buy concepts. Financial products are imaginary. ... Niab: its utility not exploited in full Three decades can be a long time or a brief period - it is the way one looks at it. In the case of Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (Niab), it is a relatively a short period but one in which a number of achievements have been made. ... Strawberry cultivation Pakistan is producing a limited quantity of strawberries which are either eaten or used in preparing ice-cream, jam, jelly, pickle, cake or milk shake. The fruit fetches Rs100 to Rs120 per kg in big cities. ... Big crop of kinno, export negligible Citrus being the largest group of fruits produced in Pakistan possesses all the potential of becoming our major exportable fruit commodity. We are one of the major citrus-producing countries but our citrus export is negligible. ... Screening of cotton varieties Since 1947, distribution of seed was one of the functions of the Agriculture Extension Department. On the recommendation of the FAO, and with the financial and technical assistance from the World Bank ... Circuit-breakers come in to cool shares down All roads led to the Khalian Street, the Pakistan's Wall Street, during the previous week as investors continued to build- up long positions on selected counters amid predictions of an imminent price flare-up. ... Inter-bank market doles out Rs16.5bn to SBP The State Bank of Pakistan on April 14 realised Rs16.814 billion through the sale of Treasury Bills. The State Bank sold T-bills of 3 months and one year maturity. ...

© The DAWN Group of Newspapers, 2004