KARACHI: Out of a total of 18 Electric Vehicle (EV) motorbike brands, ten have been gaining more popularity compared to fuel-driven bikes in the market. Another eight brands are expected to emerge in March, according to experts and analysts. “Ten branded companies have started selling EV motorbikes, while another eight firms will come up … Read more
KARACHI: Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) has kick-started a refinery expansion and upgrade project (REUP) costing $1.7 billion in a bid to double its installed crude processing capacity to 100,000 barrels per day and boost the production of products with high profit margins as well as low-sulphur fuel including Euro-II and Euro-V petrol and diesel. In … Read more
Pakistan was tied to a rollercoaster ride in the year 2023, grappling with the sudden highs and lows of grave economic uncertainty, coupled with soaring inflation and depreciating currency, tearing apart people’s lives. The country had already been reeling from the aftermath of the 2022 floods that washed away swathes of agricultural land, affecting … Read more
ISLAMABAD: PIA, with cumulative losses of Rs750 billion, is finally on its death bed. What else better reflects our approach than the fact that an ex-bureaucrat has been tasked to supervise its last rites as the privatisation minister. This is despite the fact that it has reached this stage mostly because of the non-professional … Read more
LAHORE: Following three decades of electricity reforms, underperformance is witnessed in the electricity sub-sector. Electricity reforms are unable to deliver the intended promises of affordable and reliable electricity to the people. The first question is how to bring affordability to the system? The unbundling of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has given rise … Read more
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) achieved a historic milestone by collecting more than Rs 1 trillion in gross revenue in a single month for the first time in December 2023. According to a press release issued here on Sunday, the FBR collected Rs 1,021 billion in December 2023 and after adjusting refunds of … Read more
ISLAMABAD: For most political parties in Pakistan, the post-election economic strategy is straightforward: plan the next stimulus in the form of an infrastructure spending spree (CPEC 2.0), increased social net spending (BISP+, retaining subsidies, etc), or tax concessions for the realty sector – all to be funded by public debt. Since any new debt … Read more
When does it make sense to leave Pakistan, and when does it make sense to come back home? Embedded in the consciousness of Pakistani society are seemingly immutable and incontrovertible answers. When does it make sense to leave Pakistan? At the very first feasible opportunity. When does it make sense to come back home? … Read more
KARACHI: Forget the past; let’s focus on 2024. Very early in the year, we need a democratically elected government with a strong mandate for economic reforms. There is no other wish-list of the voters except their financial well-being. Individuals assigned responsibilities of such ministries shouldn’t identify problems but only provide solutions. It will be … Read more
The curtains close on 2023, Pakistan concludes another year marked by economic misery, combined with uncertainty on the political front and a looming security threat that has the potential to exacerbate the suffering. While 2022 may be remembered as one of the worst years in the country’s history, its successor, though not as dire, … Read more