05 September 2004 Sunday 19 Rajab 1425 Furnace oil demand may rise by 20pc KARACHI, Sept 4: Country's furnace oil demand is likely to enhance by 20 per cent because of increased dependence on thermal power generation in this fiscal year. ... Pakistan facing power shortage KARACHI, Sept 4: With very little rainfall in the monsoon season and less water available from melting snow, the water level in dams has fallen to low levels ... Inflation-protected bonds needed KARACHI, Sept 4: Consider this. You invest Rs10,000 in one-year bond carrying three per cent annual profit. After a year, you get back Rs10,300 the additional Rs300 being the profit. ... State Bank issues guidelines: Business Continuity Planning KARACHI, Sept 4: State Bank of Pakistan on Saturday issued Guidelines on Business Continuity Planning (BCP) to help banks prepare to meet any unforeseen situation. ... Narrow and shallow capital market KARACHI, Sept 4: Despite reforms spanning over a decade, a diversified and sophisticated capital market, though growing, remains "narrow and shallow" by regional standards and the financial system is "dominated" by commercial banks. ... Phutti arrivals shoot up by 114pc KARACHI, Sept 4: Season's (2004-05) first arrival figures of phutti (seed cotton) stood higher by over 114 per cent over the corresponding period last year, indicating a bumper cotton crop this season. ... CED waiver on incoming calls extended ISLAMABAD, Sept 4: The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has extended central excise duty (CED) exemption on international incoming calls of private companies. ... Pakistan, US trade talks on 28th LAHORE, Sept 4: Pakistan and the United States will discuss bilateral trade issues during the first Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meeting to be held in Washington on September 28. ... PM wants sell-off process accelerated ISLAMABAD, Sept 4: Fresh instructions have been issued to the officials concerned to further accelerate the privatization process especially by completing the much-delayed transactions like PTCL, KESC and PSO, preferably during the calendar year 2004. ... Trade gap with Saarc states widens by 77pc ISLAMABAD, Sept 4: Pakistan's trade deficit with Saarc-member countries rose by 77 per cent to $87.1 million in the financial year 2003-04 against $20 million over the previous year. ... Badla rates ease to 8pc KARACHI, Sept 4: Weighted average carryover rate on the Karachi Stock Exchange showed a fresh modest decline of 60 basis points at 8 per cent as compared to 8.6 per cent a week earlier as the market remained terribly liquid ... Progress on garment city project LAHORE, Sept 4: The steering committee on Faisalabad Garment City met here on Saturday with Federal Commerce Secretary Tasneem Noorani in the chair. ... Lint prices fall on hasty selling KARACHI, Sept 4: Cotton market on Saturday eased from the recent higher levels as some of the ginners indulged in hasty selling on reports of steep increase in arrivals of phutti into ginneries. ... Oil consumers seek secured supplies RIYADH, Sept 4: With chatter and confusion all around about the ability of the oil producers in meeting the global energy needs - in the medium- to long-term - consumers are scrambling to ensure security of supplies. ...

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