DAWN - Business; December 15, 2006

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December 15, 2006	Friday	Ziqa'ad 23, 1427

Imports contribute 37pc to exports KARACHI, Dec 14: While the threat of huge trade imbalance is looming large, the exports dependency on imported inputs has touched a new peak....		WB forecasts 7.5pc growth for S. Asia in ’07 WASHINGTON, Dec 14: Economic growth in South Asia is likely to slow gradually to a still robust 7.5 per cent in 2007 and 7 per cent in 2008, the World Bank reports....
Stock market rallies do not cool off in Dec KARACHI, Dec 14: Equity markets have provided an average annual return of 11 per cent during the month of December in each of the years between 2002 and 2006....		Stocks turn in mixed performance KARACHI, Dec 14: Trading volume on the stock market on Thursday shrank further to modest total of 72m shares as leading investors and financial institutions were not inclined to make fresh...

Retailers yet to cut sugar prices KARACHI, Dec 14: Consumers are yet to see the real benefit of falling sugar prices at the wholesale as retailers have been too lethargic in passing on the decline to consumers,...		FTA with Malaysia delayed for three months ISLAMABAD, Dec 14: As talks on free trade agreement (FTA) remain inconclusive, Pakistan and Malaysia have extended operation of the early harvest programme (EHP) — zero rate of duty on selected...

SECP hired US firm on task force proposal ISLAMABAD, Dec 14: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) on Thursday said that it engaged the US firm Diligence for conducting forensic probe into stock market crash on the...		Oil prices climb LONDON, Dec 14: World oil prices rose above $62 a barrel on Thursday after the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries said it would slash crude output by 500,000 barrels per day from February 2007....

City CNG dealers not to increase rates KARACHI, Dec 14: The rate of compressed natural gas (CNG) in the city is expected to stay at Rs31 per kg as two Karachi-based CNG associations have refused to follow their...		Expo-2007 to focus on SMEs, women entrepreneurs KARACHI, Dec 14: Minister for Commerce Humayun Akhtar Khan has asked the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to go for outsourcing by hiring services of event managers and also immediately...

Reserves KARACHI, Dec 14: The total liquid foreign reserves held by the country registered a gain of $348.1 million at $12,651.2 million on December 9, the State Bank of Pakistan announced here on Thursday.—APP...		Hectic buying on cotton market KARACHI, Dec 14: Brisk trading was witnessed on the cotton market on Thursday as spinner and mills were not in a mood to take a technical breather to have an overview of their inventories as lower crop ideas haunted them....

Govt urged to approve policy on SMEs KARACHI, Dec 14: The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (Unisame) has appealed to the Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, to approve the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) policy before close of the current year....		Karachi Port operations KARCHI, Dec 14: Eight ships carrying soyabean meal, chemicals, cars and to load rice are expected to arrive at the outer anchorage on Friday, according to KPT sources....

Port Qasim KARACHI, Dec 14: Three ships to load and offload containers, seeds and edible oil were accommodated berths during the last 24 hours, said a PQA press release on Thursday....		Dollar gains against euro LONDON, Dec 14: The dollar moved higher against the euro here on Thursday as market concerns about the fate of the US economy appeared to ease....

Asian stocks close higher HONG KONG, Dec 14: Asian stocks rallied back into the record books on Thursday with investors buying up ahead of an anticipated end of year bounce around the region....		WPI rises ISLAMABAD, Dec 14: The wholesale prices of commodities increased by 7.46 per cent in November from a year earlier, showing a rise in the cost of production....

MCB GDR offering KARACHI, Dec 14: The MCB Bank''s GDR offering has been awarded ‘Best Pakistan Deal in Awards for Achievement-2006’ by Finance Asia, Asia''s leading financial publishing company, says a press release....		R&D claims KARACHI, Dec 14: The Karachi Export processing Zone Council has urged the government to resolve the problem of the time-barred research and development (R&D) claims of the garment exporters of the KEPZ, which involve about Rs130 million....