23 August 2004 Monday 06 Rajab 1425 Trade-off between inflation and employment Critics say that the latest Monetary Policy Statement issued by the State Bank gave out too much and risked speculation in the local exchange market. However, bankers strongly support the State Bank's move to help the market ... Legacy of NPLs - lessons to be learnt Loan delinquency is not an entirely avoidable consequence of lending. Entrepreneurs and their financiers - most often bankers - take a view on the unfolding business opportunities and it is expected that they will take calculated risks in pursuing them. ... Pakistan-India trade vital for progress The secretary-level trade talks between Pakistan and India, held as last leg of the process of composite dialogue, ended recently without any concrete development. ... External debt burden and its causes There are four major sources of capital availability to a country: (1), capital may be raised through surplus budgeting; (2) the profits earned from the public enterprises may be utilized for financing the projects; (3) the government may borrow for supplementing domestic saving ... Sindh bristles against inequities The Sindh government is bristling against the double inequity it is meeting with at the hands of the federal government in their financial dealings despite the fact Sindh is the largest revenue-provider to the centre. ... Expatriates switching back to 'hundi' Pakistan's economy is entering a new era of opportunities and threats. Sustained economic growth, controlled inflation, increased foreign reserves and dynamic outlook have been the hallmark in the last 4-5 years. ... A review of banking sector performance Prior to the independence in 1947, 631 branches of the banks were operating in Pakistan. Immediately after partition, majority of these branches were closed and by June, 1948 the country was left with 195 branches ... Share options and executive remuneration There are various methods of rewarding executives and managers in Pakistan; out of these some are the LTI (Long Term Incentives) and some are the STI (Short Term Incentives). Options and shares are included in the LTI. ... 'Alternate dispute resolution' Before studying the pros and cons, effects and implications of the recently inserted section 134A on 'alternate dispute resolution' in the Income Tax Ordinance 1979 ... The cell phone war Smelling a cut-throat competition after the advent of two more cellular phone companies, the existing operators have geared their efforts up for an improved market share. ... Fruit production remains neglected The current season present a riot of colors in the market produced by a variety of fruits. There is not a fruit shop, kiosk or hand or donkey pulled cart that does not display mangoes, apples, apricots, peaches ... Improving peri-urban dairy farms Pakistan is blessed with a good genetic potential for dairy development. Buffalo, being the principal source of milk, produces about 66 per cent i.e., 24.2 million tonnes, while cows contribute 32 per cent, and goats and sheep two per cent. ... Mismanagement in farm inputs Seed, fertilizers and pesticides are agricultural inputs which increase crop production and water-use efficiency. High cost, mishandling, adulteration and often non-availability of these input son time ... Non-farm rural sector expanding fast The role of rural non-farm sector activities (RNFA) in economic growth and poverty reduction is documented. With time this sector has emerged as an engine of rural employment and income generation. The RNFA has assumed an important position. ... Bourses hang on to swearing-in of new premier Stocks remained bullish last week as investors made heavy covering purchases in the energy sector. There were predictions of higher capital gains due to massive inventory gains on account of steep increase in world oil prices. ... Pressure eases off the rupee Despite increased demand for dollars in the local currency markets this week, the rupee remained range bound. Due to matching supply of dollars with demand ...

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