Budget-making is in the process. This one is a tough budget to make. Covid-19 demands stimulus; but the fiscal deficit is already too high. The government is asking for no new taxes and demanding stimulus for industries and vulnerable. The government want
The sugar inquiry report did not focus on the structural problems creating the 'economic rents'. Rather the energies are expended on chasing the rentiers. And the media eyes are on personalities. The study dealt with the tactical issues - nothing on fixin
As new data comes in, the bitter reality is sinking. The global economic slowdown is expected to be worse than what was earlier expected. There could be further downside risks to global economic growth outlook of minus 3 percent in 2020. No economist in t
Provincial GDP figures for 2019-20 will be announced. The official number is likely to remain in the range of negative 0.6 percent to 0.7 percent. The IMF projection is of negative 1.5 percent, and SBP's latest estimation is similar. This could be the fir
It's a known fact that banks in Pakistan are not doing their supposed financial intermediation business of routing savings of large pool to lending businesses and consumers. In the developed world, big corporates and governments do not really rely on bank
It is widely argued that historically cement cartel existed in Pakistan. It appears that the 'cartel' is back. Last week, reportedly, there was a meeting of cement companies to jack up prices in North. Some say that how can a cartel persist with around tw