News

Govt claims saving Rs1.5tr by revisiting IPP contracts

The government on Monday claimed to have secured about Rs1.571 trillion in savings in future payments to a total of 27 independent power producers (IPPs) through negotiations so far, while another ‘unwilling’ producer would have to undergo a forensic audit. This was the key takeaway from a presentation made by a power division team — comprising federal minister Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Special

Will PSX spiral to 150,000?

Hold your breath for a while. There are differing views over the country's economic progress under the current government. While government officials rightly point out improvements in certain indicators as signs of victory and stability after tumultuous years of firefighting, the majority remain unconvinced. Nonetheless, there is a very small segment of stock market investors who seem to be hav

Implementing a flat-rate tax

For too long, we have allowed Pakistan's tax codes to wreak havoc on our state's finances – revenue shortfalls lead to excessive borrowing, cuts in essential services, enormously inefficient disruptions in long-term projects and tax increases that only exacerbate the crisis. These crises are exceptionally deep and lasting, directly resulting from Pakistan having the worst tax system in the regi

Who will lead change to democracy dilemma?

In recent days, as Pakistan's economic woes have intensified, a veritable cottage industry has developed to suggest ways of putting the country back on track. Those offering advice include eminent Pakistani professors at universities such as Harvard and Princeton, former finance ministers, and retired bureaucrats. In posts on social media and newspaper columns, these distinguished thinkers prov

Inflation concerns come to haunt US consumers

US shoppers are fretting about unpredictably increased inflationary trends as high tariffs may take a heavy toll on the country's economic growth as well as the global economic architecture. An array of countries seems grumpy on account of a whimsical and an uncertain world economic order following a new tariff strategy adopted by US President Donald Trump. The US central bank has also raised e