December 19, 2005	Monday	Ziqa’ad 16, 1426

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Need for an external finance strategy THERE is no immediate danger of unravelling the notable success Pakistan has achieved in its external sector. But there are several worrying signs that cannot be ignored for long-term health of the economy....		Loss, waste in the economy THE President of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz, following his first visit to Pakistan says this country loses four to six per cent of its GDP annually due to poor infrastructure, regulatory obstacles and informal barriers....
Challenges for the new SBP governor THE newly appointed governor of the State Bank of Pakistan will take over charge of the central bank early next month in relatively providential circumstances. Unlike her predecessor Dr Ishrat Husain,...		Setback to agricultural performance THE country is facing aftermaths of the earthquake, and disappointing agricultural performance. The former is the consequence of a natural calamity, while the latter is manmade on account of poor planning....
Devolving the farm extension system THE agricultural performance at the farm level remains significantly below potential, limited by weak institutional framework for technology generation and transfer. It is an area where agricultural extension services can play...		Nutritional and cultural uses of tomatoes THE tomato plant (Lycopersicon esculentum) is a member of Solanaceae family, which includes drug, fruit, flowering, ornamental and narcotic plants, besides some vegetables like egg-plant, potato tubers and tomatoes....
Developing dairies and the role of technocrats THE management of human resources is a very important aspect in dairy development programmes, which can be fulfilled through new knowledge and technologies. One of the tasks for achieving excellence in...		Damaging row over sugarcane prices WITH prices of sugar touching record levels and the country already forced to import the commodity, the row over sugar-cane prices between growers and millers is threatening to aggravate the situation....
World commodity report GOLD prices struck the highest level for almost 25 years, reaching $530.75 per ounce on December 9, — the highest point since April 1981, as investors flocked to the safe haven amid global inflationary pressures...		Growing economic ties with Muslim countries THE present global economic activities are increasingly being aligned with various international, regional, and intra-regional organizations. Some international economic and trade bodies are loosely connected while the bond of relationship in...
Balochistan — tribalism and development ADDRESSING a public gathering during his four-hour visit to Kohlu some 350 km east of Quetta, President General Pervez Musharraf announced Rs1.5 billion development plan for Kohlu district and sought people’s...		Donors demand tighter monetary controls MULTILATERAL lending agencies have expressed the need for undertaking tighter monetary controls to mitigate the likely negative impact of the October 8 earthquake. In their joint report on ‘Pakistan Earthquake,’ the...
Can VAR margin fix risk management? Stock exchanges are planning to shift to risk-based margins based on the Value at Risk (VAR) model. In news reports and TV talk shows expectations are being raised about the difference...		India’s competitive edge THE corporate sector of Pakistan has received a wake up call from across the border. With the emergence of WTO, and the bilateral barriers crumbling, the Indian companies are casting covetous eyes at the Pakistan market....
An evolving flexible labour policy KEEPING with the international trend, the employment scene in Pakistan is changing. Focusing on core business and unable to provide lifetime careers to their employees, many companies are opting for a...		Upgrading company law for the 21st century WITH luck, 2006 will see a new company law on the statute book: a corporate law for the 21st century? Its contours will emerge in the next few months....
China’s baffling feat CHINA has overtaken the United States as the world’s largest exporter of a broad category of electronic goods including computers, mobile phones and digital cameras. A report issued by the Paris-based...		Fertilizer prices to hit Rabi crops TIMELY supply of fertilizers at official rates has become a perennial problem for Pakistan, particularly during the Rabi season when wheat is the main crop. This has been an issue for...
Stocks sustaining upward thrust for last six weeks THE KSE 100-share index, in the preceding week, briefly crossed the barrier of 9,600 points but failed in sustaining it on the week-end selling in some leading base shares....		Rupee/dollar parity moves in narrow range THE rupee-dollar official parity moved in a narrow range in the local currency market this week. Stuck in a tight range in the inter-bank market, the rupee opened the week unchanged at its week-end levels of Rs59.78...
Treasury bills’ yield unlikely to rise ON December 13 the State Bank of Pakistan carried out an open market operation and mopped up Rs4.2 billion at 7.65 per cent. The overnight rate fell to four per cent on the day from six per cent a day earlier....		Improved supplies keep market stable THE wholesale commodity markets showed mixed trend last week due to improved supplies on some counters. This triggered selling by some leading commercial houses. Arrivals from the upcountry markets were active,...