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| January 05, 2009 | Monday | Muharram 07, 1430 |
Fruitless documentation exercises
 The politically hyperactive landed aristocracy and high net worth professionals enjoy a virtual tax holiday. On the other hand, the corporate sector contributes as much as about two-thirds of the total direct tax revenue....
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Leasing sector worries
 The first leasing company was launched in 1984, and by the end of FY99 the sector strength had risen to 25 firms in spite of the chaos caused by high mark-up rates in the late 1990s....
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State Bank’s autonomy: legal status and the reality
 With the recent excessive money creation and consequent high inflation, and the toeing of government line by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in its analysis of macroeconomic trends, there has been a renewed debate in financial circles about the autonomy of SBP or lack thereof.
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Worsening urea supply
 UREA stocks and the distribution crises still persist and are worsening day by day. There are reports of urea-carrying trawlers being snatched at gunpoint and violence erupting at dealers’ shops....
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Saving poultry from winter stress
 TO get the maximum profit out of the poultry farming business, the birds should be free from all types of stress. Nowadays, poultry is facing stress of harsh cold weather which...
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Salt-affected soils
 Salinity is a serious problem affecting irrigated agriculture. Improper irrigation practices and lack of drainage have generally led to accumulation of salts in the soil in concentrations, which are harmful to crops....
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Crop stand: key to maximum yields
 There is a need to get better yields by minimising the use of chemical treatments for the protection of the crop. More attention on agricultural practices can help in getting maximum yields....
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Untapped revenue potential
 The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is facing a serious challenge in meeting an enhanced revenue target of Rs1.360 trillion for the current fiscal year (up from the original sum of Rs1.250...
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Updating the tax system
 The tax-to-GDP ratio is extremely low and the incidence of taxation is non-uniform and discriminatory. An equitable, simple and transparent tax system is needed. A broad-based tax system administrated efficiently can help develop a strong domestic revenue base....
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Microfinance: human resource development
The microfinance industry (MFI), which was pioneered in 1970 with pilot micro credit programmes for providing small loans to poor and low income households, has seen a remarkable growth in Asia and the Pacific Region over the last three decades....
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World commodities
Oil...Output from Opec members bound by supply targets fell by 400,000 barrels per day in December, as the group more than complied with a deal to try to boost oil prices...
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Sharing oil and gas resources
The opposition to privatisation of the Qadirpur Gas field has rejuvenated the debate for ownership of natural resources, especially of oil and gas. The question of ownership of these resources has...
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Textile exports tumble on financial crisis
 INDIA’S textiles and garments industry, which had picked up steam about three years ago after the dismantling of the quota regime, is in the doldrums following the global financial crisis....
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Biofuel policy and food security
 AT a time when biofuel is losing its worldwide appeal as an alternate fuel in the wake of global food crisis, Pakistan has come up with a project to promote its use in transport on a small scale....
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The rising protectionism
 It is said that those who don’t read history or, having read it, don’t learn the lessons it has to teach, are destined to make the same mistakes again....
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Cheering up the big business
 The label ‘credit crunch’ which is being used to refer to the ongoing global financial upheaval does not tell the whole story. Still developing the story would perhaps take much longer to make any sense....
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Cautious optimism about economic recovery
While an early economic recovery does not appear possible, some macroeconomic indicators are showing signs of improvement since the IMF released the first loan tranche of $3.2...
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State Enterprise Fund helps market recover
 THE share market last week opened the New Year account on an improved note after having passed through a virtual nightmare in the second half of the year 2008, which eroded...
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Rupee up 4.8pc from year’s low
 In 2008, weak macro economic indicators, political uncertainty, and law and order situation together with heavy load shedding amid acute power crisis brought entire business and trading activities in the country to its low ebb....
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Yield on 6-month paper falls
 At the Treasury bill auction on December 31, 2008, the cut-off yield on 6-month paper fell, while it rose for 3-month T-bills....
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Rice price goes up, wheat, pulses fall
 PHYSICAL activity on the Karachi wholesale markets last week was on the higher side of the weekly average as commercial dealers played on both sides of the fence adjusting stocks in their position before the annual closing....
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