May 8, 2006	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 9, 1427

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Changing priorities for development after interim NFC Award WITH just four weeks to the next year budget, disputes over resource distribution and financing of development projects among the provinces and between the centre and its federating units have again cropped up....		Will the KSE’s party go on? IT is said investors have incredibly short memories. That’s an old saying. But what’s truly intriguing is that this notion applies equally to good and bad occurrences in stock markets....
A trade regime without rebates and refunds THE Central Board of Revenue (CBR) wants an increase in the number of income taxpayers as well as the over all tax revenues. It seeks an amount which reflects the current higher economic growth and the larger incomes of the rich....		Issues in water resources management THE surface water from rivers is the primary source of water in Pakistan while infiltration from rivers, canals, watercourses, and fields is the main source of groundwater, which is a secondary resource....
Making harvesting of mangoes productive MANGO occupies second position after citrus in terms of area and production. Its output is low at 9-10 tons/ha, considerably less than the potential 20 tons/ha yield....		Depletion of forest resources FOREST resources are important for countries like Pakistan with an agro-based economy. Trees contribute to productivity of agriculture by protecting arable crops from hailstorms and windstorms, preventing lodging of crops, increasing...
Returns on horticultural products Horticultural crops have tremendous potential as these fit well with local production and help in improving the livelihood of farmers....		Natural gas supplies critical for effective economic growth PAKISTAN is experiencing a rising tide of violence against natural gas installations located in Balochistan where the majority of the energy-starved country’s natural gas facilities are located....
Expectations from managerial hierarchy THE last two decades have witnessed a significant change in organizational approach towards performance evaluation of their managers at all levels due to penetration of outside influence in the form of...		PC/server market approaches half-million mark AIDED by growing IT awareness in the country and increased focus from multinational IT vendors, the Pakistan’s PC shipments grew 16.6 per cent annually in 2005 to reach just under the half-million mark with the shipment of 494,000 units....
SEZs — flavour of the season SPECIAL Economic Zones (SEZs) are the flavour of the season in India. State governments are in a big rush to capitalise on the expected boom in the sector, and many have unveiled ambitious plans....		Tough conditions for running Gwadar Port THE terms of reference (TOR) prepared by the Dubai Port World (DPW) for an deal for running the Gwadar port has been criticized by ports and shipping experts....
Entrepreneurial interest in energy sector PRIVATE businesses primarily work for profit and Pakistani entrepreneurs, like foreign businessmen, would not easily let go an attractive investment opportunity. If they are not buying large energy companies, an expectation...		Bird flu flutters poultry market NOW it is more than three months that the bird flu virus continues to cause both panic among consumers and mass killing of chickens in parts of the NWFP and areas near the federal capital....
Changing perspectives on growth THE field of developmental economics is comparatively new. It gained recognition as formerly colonized developing countries tried to follow their ex- masters to progress and prosperity....		The Washington Consensus and after ‘THE Washington Consensus’ was based on the belief that the market forces, supported by macro-economic stability, liberalization of trade and privatization of economic activity, will spur economic growth in the poor...
Current account deficit and options PAKISTAN’S current account balance that slipped into red in 2004-05 after posting surpluses for three consecutive years remains in deficit with the gap widening owing to hefty rise in non-oil imports fuelled by strong domestic demand....		World commodity report GOLD prices have risen to fresh 25-year highs as mounting tension over Iran’s nuclear programme induced buying of the metal for safe haven purposes. In the London market, gold prices are heading towards...
Shares rebound as index gains ground THE KSE 100-share index, last week, recovered from its previous lows and signalled that it was again heading towards its coveted level of 12,000 points and beyond on the strength of...		Rupee stays unchanged THE local currency market remained closed for Labour Day holiday on May 1. Trading in the market resumed on May 2. The inter-bank market observed a quiet week....
SBP to raise Rs10bn from sale of Pakistan Investment Bonds THE State Bank of Pakistan announced to sell the Pakistan Investment Bonds on May 18, after a gap of one year. It has set a target of Rs10 billion....		Commodities pass through brisk trading week Physical activity on the Karachi wholesale commodity markets during last week stayed on the higher side as prices of some essential items were marked lower on active selling after steady arrivals....