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Asian Development Bank recommends 5pc GST on digital transactions

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has advised Pakistan to implement a uniform 5 per cent general sales tax (GST) for all digital transactions to encourage nationwide adoption of e-commerce platforms, reduce cash-related inefficiencies and document the economy. In its latest report on Pakistan’s Digital Ecosystem issued yesterday, the ADB cautioned that steep and inconsistent taxes on digital inf

Indonesian defence minister expresses Jakarta’s desire to boost defence ties with Pakistan

Indonesia’s Defence Minister Lt Gen (retired) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin expressed his country’s desire to boost defence ties and explore possible collaboration in defence production as he met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Tuesday. Pakistan and Indonesia maintain strong bilateral relations rooted in shared religion and culture, with both countries cooperating in trade, education,

PSX continues positive trajectory to cross 136,000 points barrier

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a positive trajectory on Monday, crossing the 136,000 barrier due to increased investor sentiment and improved economic outlook. The benchmark KSE 100 index surged by 2202.77 points, or up by 1.64 per cent, to close at 136,502.53 points. The stock market reached its highest intraday level of 136,841.49 points around 3:28pm. Prime Minister Shehbaz S

PSX rises past 136,000 to new all-time high

Continuing its remarkable rally, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) touched another all-time high on Monday as it surged past 136,000 points over encouraging economic developments and robust interest from mutual funds and institutional investors. The benchmark KSE-100 index added another 2,202.77 points, or 1.64%, to settle at 136,502.54 at the close of trading. Since the commencement of the

IMF slams tax-free sugar import

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reacted to a major breach of the $7 billion programme and conveyed its reservations about the government's decision to import 500,000 metric tonne of sugar by waiving taxes, in violation of written commitments. The development came as sugar prices officially hit Rs200 per kg for the first time in the country's history, according to the Pakistan Bureau o