Small industries under stress
 Many small to medium enterprises in the manufacturing sector may be facing a serious threat of closures, layoffs and sizeable production cuts because of a steep rise in their cost of doing business and a substantial reduction in their sales....
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Mounting pressure for gas tariff cut
 The meeting of the ministers’ committee held at Islamabad last Thursday brought cheers to the textile tycoons as it agreed to review the 68 per cent increase in gas prices for the captive power plants....
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Soaring trade deficit and sliding rupee
 For decades, Pakistan’s balance of trade remained negative, though not as high as now. In 1996-97, with the PPP in power, it touched $ 3.52 billion; today it is a staggering $20.75...
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Keeping birds cool in hot summer
 Dr Rao Zahid Abbas and Dr Zafar Iqbal...
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Trade in sub-standard pesticides
 THE pesticides trade has come under increasing pressure from the Punjab government during the last fortnight. In a bid to control fake and sub-standard pesticides, a Task Force has started raiding...
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Tristeza virus: a threat to citrus fruits
 CITRUS, the second most important fruit worldwide after grapes in terms of area and production, is attacked by more than 30 viruses and virus-like diseases in the world....
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Improving farmers’ lot for better crop yield
 THE government’s efforts are now focused on controlling food shortage, checking inflation by eliminating market imperfections and curbing hoarding and smuggling. Will these steps resolve the problem food security, ignoring the...
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G8’s meaning for Pakistan
 Why should Pakistan’s policymakers — or, for that matter, the country’s citizens — be interested in the meeting of the G 8 industrial countries held in a remote corner of Japan....
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Taxing the consumer
 The principle of taxation is ‘ability-to-pay’ but in our country it is to ‘tax the poorest’, taxing those who do have an ability to pay, as they are unable to resist....
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Market for sports goods
 Russia has seen strong economic growth over the last eight years. Consumers have more disposable income, which continues to rise....
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D8 summit: an exercise in futility
 As the economy struggles to brave hard times, the government is forced to pursue an aggressive economic diplomacy to attract petro-dollars, benefit from the experience and expertise of trading partners, seek...
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World economies
Germany the eurozone’s biggest economy, is set for a sharp slowdown next year, a panel of top economists warned, stressing that the government should carry...
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Overlapping business and political interests
 THE interests of political parties and business groups often overlap in India and it is not uncommon to find politicians interfering in the affairs of businessmen, or vice versa....
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India’s growth slipping
 While the impact of current hike in food and fuel prices has jolted Pakistan’s economy in a big way, it does not appear to have hit India the same way....
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The second busiest market for IPOs
 A recent report shows that Tadawul, the Saudi Stock Exchange surpassed the London bourse to become the world’s second busiest market for initial public offerings in the first five months of 2008....
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Riba and inflation
 Capital market reforms are necessary to start work on the elimination of Riba. These reforms will affect operations of all the players in the capital market i.e....
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Doha Round: the last mile?
 After having missed many artificial deadlines, it seems that the Doha Round is probably inching towards closure. It has been almost seven years since Ministers agreed on the Agenda and decided at Doha to launch this Round....
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Stagflation or simple recession?
 What is it? A straightforward recession? Stagflation? Or a simple cycle of economic boom-bust ? A debate has ensued among macroeconomists here with one large group insisting that it is a...
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Rice crop estimate
 The government and growers expect to reap a record rice crop this year assuming normal weather conditions....
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Lean trading as investors keep on sidelines
 THE share market went through another terribly lean week as investors kept to sidelines in the absence of any positive news both from the corporate and political fronts amid falling daily volumes....
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Rupee recovers against the dollar
 Economic and political uncertainty and increasing oil prices in the world market pushed up the demand for dollars, as a result of which the American currency breached the barrier of Rs73 in both inter-bank and open markets this week....
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Marginal fall in lending to industry, agriculture
 On July 10, the State Bank of Pakistan sold Rs12.7bn of Treasury Bills under four-day repo contract at 9.95 per cent to mop up liquidity from the money market....
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Prices of pulses, wheat show sharp increase
 AFTER having softened during the last couple of weeks, prices of essential items again resumed upward drive last week and tended further higher amid light trading....
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