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| July 28, 2008 | Monday | Rajab 24, 1429 |
Mandatory crop loan insurance?
 The State Bank of Pakistan is expected to issue a working paper to the banks on the modalities of crop loan insurance in a week or so, a spokesman for the SBP said last Wednesday....
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Rising power tariff
 AMID unprecedented power shortage in hot and humid summer, the consumers would have to brave a huge rise in electricity rates very soon. There will be no exception....
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Annual trade policy: a relic of the past
 Do we need an annual trade policy any longer? Many businessmen and academics don’t really see any sense in it. They argue that the government should rather spell out its long-term...
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Who allowed export of maize?
 THE agriculture sector has suffered from prolonged official indecision about the way the agricultural trade should go. Whether it should be governed by free trade laws or by providing a human...
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The ‘what and how’ of agriculture?
 THERE was not a single cabinet meeting where I was not told what should be done and what was required to be done. The ‘what’ part is easy....
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Focusing on agriculture to tackle food crisis
FOOD security means that food is available at all times, all persons have access to it, it is nutritionally adequate in terms of quality, quantity and variety, it is affordable and is acceptable within a given culture....
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Securing food through biodiversity
 WILD animals and plants are sources of food, medicine and building materials, and help generate income. Rivers and lakes provide transport facility, water and sea food....
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A financial management failure
 Pakistan Railways’ miserable financial position is no secret. It has been incurring losses since 1972-73 reaching a whopping Rs11 billion during 2006-07 which is likely to be higher during the next year....
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Privatisation of strategic assets
 The Federal Minister for Privatisation and Investment, Syed Naveed Qamar, announced on June 6 the re-prioritised privatisation programme 2008-09....
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Coal mining in Balochistan
 In his budget speech last month, Balochistan’s Finance Minister Mir Asim Kurd said the provincial income from mining had increased from Rs100 million to Rs500 million over last financial year on...
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World economies
UK.The British economy continues to go from worse to bad with consumer sentiment now at levels not seen since the early 1990s, growth slumping, house.....
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Focus shifts to economic reforms
 EVER since the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government came to power over four years ago, economic reforms have stalled, thanks to the intransigence of the four Left parties that were offering ‘outside’ support....
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Saudi oil facility or grant?
 SAUDI oil on deferred payment — the ‘Saudi Oil Facility’ — is expected to deliver another lifeline to Pakistan currently battling the worst of the budgetary woes....
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What is the real per capita income?
As stated in the Pakis-tan Economic Survey, one of the redeeming features in fiscal year 2007-08 when the economy was faced with multiple challenges, was that the per capita income moved up from $926 to $1,085....
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Documentation of informal business
 The Planning Commission(PC) is examining as to how to improve the investment climate, particularly for bringing the informal sector into formal economy, estimated at half of Pakistan’s $160 billion GDP....
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Experiments in modern farming
 SIX Muslim states have come together to increase their food and livestock production.. Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangla-desh, Malaysia, Turkey and Iran were amongst the countries that met at the prime ministerial level...
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Public finances worsen
 Britain’s current budget deficit for June was £7.6 billion, compared with £5.3 billion in the same month of 2007, according to the Office for National Statistics....
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Initiatives for GM crop sales
 One outcome of the soaring food prices and global grain shortages has been least predictable. It is the relaxation in resistance by some countries towards the genetically modified crops and many...
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Liberal trade policy, huge imports
 The private sector has found the first trade policy of the Gilani government more business-friendly than the finance bill announced in June 08. It further liberalises trade....
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United States: a fickle partner
 There is serious talk in the American policy circles to change the relationship with Pakistan and to move towards an association that places much greater emphasis on a long-term arrangement....
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Institutional support boosts investors’ confidence
 STOCKS recouped a good part of the previous massive losses last week on strong covering purchases made by financial institutions and mutual funds after the launching of Rs20 billion equity market fund amid hope of sustained run-up next week....
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Rupee firm Against dollar
 Local currency market continued to witness mixed sentiments, with deteriorating economic indicators, political uncertainty and mounting dollar demand exerting downward pressure on the rupee....
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Banks’ deposits show decline
 On July 24, short term money rates eased, amid increased inflows. In the 2-day repo, the central bank rejected all bids for Treasury Bills. Overnight call rates ended at seven down from 11.5...
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Prices of essentials ease further
 PRICES of some essential items on the Karachi wholesale commodity markets eased further partly due to some administrative steps taken by the government and partly to a considerable fall in general consumers’ demand....
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