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Apr 24, 2024 اردو ► PRINT EDITION ► BR MARKETS ► Dollar to PKR ►

Ali Khizar

Prioritize gas consumption
Opinion

Prioritize gas consumption

Lately, there is a rift between Federal and Sindh governments on natural gas supply and pricing. The Centre's desire is to have weighted average gas price formula of natural gas in Sindh by inclusion of RLNG in supply, whereas the Sindh government is aski
Updated 13 Jan, 2020 07:05am
Energy security
Opinion

Energy security

2020 dawned with war fears. The US-Iran tensions are mounting in the region. Michael Kugelman wrote earlier this week that Pakistan and India are edging closer to a war in 2020. Pakistan needs to have strategic petroleum reserves to combat any war like si
Published 05 Jan, 2020 12:00am
Dealing with the energy mess
Opinion

Dealing with the energy mess

I have been saying for long that the energy sector mess alone can drag the economy down to abyss. The IMF in its latest review is giving a similar picture. The circular debt in the energy chain increased from Rs465 billion in 2013 to Rs1.7 trillion.
Updated 29 Dec, 2019 08:45am
The only way forward: Unlocking exports
Opinion

The only way forward: Unlocking exports

Pakistan economy is like an old car - it runs smoothly at slow pace and causes trouble at higher speed. The ADB in a recent working paper described this condition in terms of numbers. The paper estimates the balance of payment constrained growth at 3.8 pe
Updated 23 Dec, 2019 08:03am
In search of productive investment
Opinion

In search of productive investment

It's an established fact that investment is low in Pakistan. With low investment, the deployment of capital is in less productive sectors. The economic returns in terms of employment generation and production efficiencies are sub-optimal. The barriers to
Updated 16 Dec, 2019 06:39am
In search of exporting FDI
Opinion

In search of exporting FDI

State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor Dr Reza Baqir lately said that focusing on export can take the country out of the boom bust cycle. That is a right approach as import compression is a stop-gap solution to avert the balance of payment crisis. Now with
Published 08 Dec, 2019 12:00am
Rethink public accountability
Opinion

Rethink public accountability

Last week, at a conference on innovative finance, Planning Minister Asad Umar commented on a question on risks associated with public private partnership (PPP) projects that when bad decisions are equated with criminal intent, the appetite of bureaucracy
Updated 02 Dec, 2019 06:36am
C/A: Myths and realities
Opinion

C/A: Myths and realities

"Damned if you do, damned if you don't," someone who should be credited for having current account surplus rightly said on the so-called media bashing upon having one-month current account surplus after four years. A few months back everyone was saying th
Published 24 Nov, 2019 12:00am
Prisoners of elitism
Opinion

Prisoners of elitism

Last week Dr Hafeez Sheikh was under public scrutiny for being oblivion to the rising price of tomatoes - being a finance minister, he should have knowledge of rising prices when price hike is the biggest headache for the government. The issue that needs
Updated 18 Nov, 2019 08:53am
Dealing with the disconnect
Opinion

Dealing with the disconnect

The JUI-F dharna is making things move. Those who were convicted by courts or scrutinized by law enforcement agencies, including NAB, are getting out mainly on medical grounds. The government is on an ordinance passing spree. The IMF first review has been
Updated 11 Nov, 2019 12:01pm
Stabilisation to last longer
Opinion

Stabilisation to last longer

Pressure is mounting on the PTI government to come up with pro-growth policies sooner than later. However, the IMF and SBP are probably thinking that stabilization has just started and it would be too early to ease any kind of fiscal or monetary policy fo
Published 03 Nov, 2019 12:00am
FATF: Complacency not an option
Opinion

FATF: Complacency not an option

On the external front, there are two kinds of diverging sentiments growing - one is emanating from the IMF/WB where an improved macro picture is well received in DC. On the flipside, recently concluded FATF session in Paris is portraying a rather bleak pi
Updated 27 Oct, 2019 07:40am
'World is slowing down'
Print

'World is slowing down'

"The world is slowing down". That was the buzz in the World Economic Outlook report released by the IMF and the World Bank on Monday in Washington. "There is a synchronized global economic slowdown," said International Monetary Fund chief economist Gita G
Published 16 Oct, 2019 12:00am
'World is slowing down'
Pakistan

'World is slowing down'

"The world is slowing down". That was the buzz in the World Economic Outlook report released by the IMF and the World Bank on Monday in Washington. "There is a synchronized global economic slowdown," said International Monetary Fund chief economist Gita G
Published 16 Oct, 2019 12:00am
Resetting factory settings?
Opinion

Resetting factory settings?

Last week, a versatile group of businessmen met with army chief in a five-and-a-half-hour long meeting. The GHQ's message was clear - the present government will complete its tenure so strategize accordingly. Now this week, sentiment is fast changing - bo
Updated 14 Oct, 2019 06:57am
Criticality of PPP
Opinion

Criticality of PPP

The interest rate was last up in Jul-19 with a clear signal of peaking; exchange rate has appreciated in the last quarter. Many pundits believe that things have bottomed; and recovery is imminent in a few months. The question is why the anxiety in the bus
Published 06 Oct, 2019 12:00am
Criticality of PPP
Markets

Criticality of PPP

The interest rate was last up in Jul-19 with a clear signal of peaking; exchange rate has appreciated in the last quarter. Many pundits believe that things have bottomed; and recovery is imminent in a few months. The question is why the anxiety in the bus
Updated 07 Oct, 2019 11:15am
It is half full!
Print

It is half full!

A bad product can be sold by a good salesperson while a good product's prospects can be ruined by a bad salesperson. The negative outlook by people of an otherwise stabilizing economy is depicting poor salesmanship by our economic managers. Lately, the IM
Updated 30 Sep, 2019 09:08am
From stabilisation to growth
Markets

From stabilisation to growth

Pakistan's big businesses often operate on clutches. The winners are selected decades ago, and they have formed a strong lobby to safeguard interests. Nowadays, there are talks on opening up of economy, and let the market, and technical policy levers to d
Updated 23 Sep, 2019 07:57am
Will bitter IMF pill cure?
Markets

Will bitter IMF pill cure?

The visiting IMF team - led by Jihad Azour met an exclusive set of journalists yesterday in Karachi in its last leg of the trip. The finding of the trip points to an encouraging start of the programme based on how market is reacting; how inflation has mov
Published 20 Sep, 2019 12:00am