April 10, 2006	Monday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 11, 1427

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Govt cowers before strong sugar lobby AS the ongoing sugar crisis has brewed and simmered over the past months, it has become amply clear that the inflated prices of sugar are not going to be reversed....		Dark clouds over ‘shining economy’ euphoria DESPITE their virtual isolation from each other for over half a century, the elites of both India and Pakistan are aspiring to a remarkably common future....
Potential of lychee production LYCHEE is a tropical fruit tree and mostly found in China, India, Southeast Asia, and South Africa. Its fruit is high in Vitamin C and mineral potassium....		Preparing agriculturists for precision farming THE Global Positioning System (GSP) guided tractor senses the exact location of tractor within the field and sends signals to the computer which has a Geographical Information System (GIS), storing the soil nutrient requirement map in it....
Sunflower cultivation SUNFLOWER is a seed crop grown on 398,000 acres with an average 278,000 tons of production. About 42,000 tons of oil is extracted from the seeds annually for edible purpose....		Biological control of weeds, pests and diseases THE biological control of weeds, pests and diseases is cost effective, environment- friendly and safe. It increases the yield and productivity of crops. The traditional way to reduce crop loss is through pesticides....
Development scenario in Sindh A RECENTLY released report of the World Bank, “Securing Sindh’s future: challenges ahead” has revealed startling facts about the state of governance and socio-economic well-being in the province, particularly in the rural areas....		World commodity report Copper prices have risen in recent weeks, as demand remains strong. On March 31 copper rallied four per cent to a record $5605 a tonne in the London Market. The market was caught a little short and many were expecting some correction....
One-village, one-product approach WITH the diminishing role of the public sector in employment generation and the limited capacity of the formal private sector to absorb the growing labour force, a large number of workers...		Privatization of the Heavy Electric Complex THE government plans to divest Heavy Electrical Complex (HMC)(Pvt) Ltd on a fast track basis. The Privatization Commission (PC) through private consultants has done the valuation of its assets, and preparations...
Employee pensions to be brought under contribution system INDIA has so far not had to face up to the problem of a pensions crisis, unlike many other economies, especially in the developed world. But last week, a strike by...		Economic inequality and US democracy ECONOMIC inequality has increased in the US during the last three decades. From World War II to the oil shocks in the 1970s, US was well on the way of becoming a more equal society but this trend reversed in 1973....
Preventing debt crisis HOW can developing countries ensure that aid money (often in the form of concessional loans) reaches the poor people. How can they ensure that today’s loans do not contribute to a debt crisis in the future....		Globalisation and de-industrialisation OF late, the PM has claimed a reduction in both poverty and unemployment, but neither ground reality nor independent experts substantiate this view. Though the prices of real estate have soared,...
Breaking the begging bowl POWERS that be often claim to have broken the begging bowl. It means that there is no fresh external borrowing. Given regular debt servicing, this should be reflected in reduction in the stock of outstanding external debt....		Discord over sharing of water Instead of locking horns at the onset of every Kharif and Rabi season, the water distribution dispute should be resolved permanently. The issue has acquired urgency in view of the much...
Need for strong regulators MAJOR multilateral lending agencies want the government to minimize “official interference” in the financial sector by granting more autonomy to the regulators. “The granting of more autonomy to the regulators will...		Banks prosper, depositors get raw deal BANKS in Pakistan are enjoying their biggest boom ever, while the depositors with whose cash the boom is fuelled are enduring the rawest deal ever. Fear of robbery at home makes...
Index beats all records, settles at 64 points below 12,000 level THE KSE 100-share index, in the preceding week, surpassed all previous records and remained only 64 points below the widely-speculated target of 12,000 points. Bulls dominated the trading after a relative lull in the week ahead of the last....		Rupee sheds value on rising dollar demand BEARISH sentiments were observed in the inter-bank market on the opening day of the week, as the rupee was unable to maintain its firmness due to the rising demand for dollars....
SBP efforts fail to control liquidity crunch ON April 5, the State Bank of Pakistan injected Rs16.15 billion in the money market but the prevailing shortage of liquid cash persisted with high overnight rates....		Pulse prices up on panic buying PRICES of some essential items on the Karachi wholesale market last week showed fresh increases on reports of a considerable decline in arrivals from the upcountry trading centres....