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BR Research » Miscellaneous

Peaking food inflation
Miscellaneous

Peaking food inflation

The headline inflation stood at 12.7 percent in Nov-19, in line with the expectations. On monthly basis, the toll is up
Published 05 Dec, 2019 05:32am
Macro obsessions
Miscellaneous

Macro obsessions

Despite the increasingly powerful reign of chicken in Pakistan, the country is unable to competitively export chicken to
Updated 03 Dec, 2019 11:10am
The future of work
Miscellaneous

The future of work

Businesses in Pakistan may be put into three kind of boxes: the aging legacy types, corporates or  family-owned SMEs, th
Updated 23 Oct, 2019 01:01pm
Pakistan needs PPP
Miscellaneous

Pakistan needs PPP

Governments in Pakistan, including provincial ones, do not have money to spend on development. Private sector is cash ri
Updated 23 Oct, 2019 01:43pm
On cellphone imports
Miscellaneous

On cellphone imports

It’s probably a false alarm. As per central bank data, mobile phone imports came in at roughly $74 million for July 2019
Updated 20 Sep, 2019 05:57am
Much ado about 5G
Miscellaneous

Much ado about 5G

The quest to bring 5G to Pakistan is off to a controversial start. Last month, Zong marketed itself as “the first and on
Updated 19 Sep, 2019 06:01am
Inflation holds the key
Miscellaneous

Inflation holds the key

Central banks are like ocean liners they take time to change directions. Something on those lines was the SBP Governor i
Updated 18 Sep, 2019 06:41am
Good vibes from DC
Miscellaneous

Good vibes from DC

If the world is looking to wait out Trump, perhaps it should pay attention to the Democratic presidential race. This goe
Updated 16 Sep, 2019 07:01am
FATF: grace period?
Miscellaneous

FATF: grace period?

The clock is ticking. Pakistan has now presented its last stand before FATF’s regional body. The finance ministry sounds
Updated 13 Sep, 2019 06:20am
Readying for hot money
Miscellaneous

Readying for hot money

The recipe sought to jack up reserves in coming quarters is to attract foreign portfolio investment in government de
Updated 12 Sep, 2019 08:11am
Save the deal
Miscellaneous

Save the deal

The abrupt suspension of Afghan peace talks has surprised many. Folks are wondering whether the “deal in principle” can
Updated 12 Sep, 2019 05:52am
Does it nudge you?
Miscellaneous

Does it nudge you?

Macro problems are symptoms of numerous micro frictions which are termed as transaction costs and regulatory hurdles. Wh
Updated 06 Sep, 2019 06:02am
A bird in hand
Miscellaneous

A bird in hand

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Especially when the avian is a golden goose that is unwilling to yield. The
Updated 06 Sep, 2019 05:46am
Eyes on fiscal now
Miscellaneous

Eyes on fiscal now

There are talks of interest rates cut in the second half of this fiscal (some even are eying for doves to dominate in No
Updated 04 Sep, 2019 06:44am
All eyes on Shabbar
Miscellaneous

All eyes on Shabbar

Shabbar Zaidi, the FBR Chairman, is the man to anchor the second year of a five-year match. The first was not good for t
Updated 02 Sep, 2019 05:17am
Regional cooperation
Miscellaneous

Regional cooperation

Commonwealth, OIC, SCO, ECO, and SAARC. The list of alphabet soup of intergovernmental organizations that Pakistan is an
Updated 02 Sep, 2019 06:10am
EPQL in good shape
Miscellaneous

EPQL in good shape

2018 and 2019 have seen a spike in currency deprecation, which has been one key factor in determining the profitability
Updated 30 Aug, 2019 06:12am
Karachi, Karachi!
Miscellaneous

Karachi, Karachi!

  It used to be called the City of Lights. Anyone living in Karachi over the last few decades might as well des
Updated 29 Aug, 2019 05:09am
Frictions in real estate
Miscellaneous

Frictions in real estate

There are micro frictions that are hindering major economic sectors to attain their true potential. Real estate is a maj
Updated 29 Aug, 2019 04:54am
CPEC Authority
Miscellaneous

CPEC Authority

PM Khan’s decision to set up CPEC Authority for quick and judicious completion of CPEC projects is a tacit acceptance th
Published 21 Aug, 2019 06:12am
Chasing English
Miscellaneous

Chasing English

Next to 5 million children out of primary school in Pakistan— a number large enough itself to sound off some alarming be
Published 19 Aug, 2019 06:04am
Punjab Spatial Strategy
Miscellaneous

Punjab Spatial Strategy

Cities are engine of growth; and to attain the potential of resources, proper planning is at the core, and to plan, the
Published 09 Aug, 2019 07:05am
Resetting the economy
Miscellaneous

Resetting the economy

Are we subject to decimating the aggregate demand to reset the economy? The pricing adjustments are taking place more th
Published 02 Aug, 2019 06:40am
Indo-Pak: what next?
Miscellaneous

Indo-Pak: what next?

Under PM Khan, Pakistan’s eagerness to restore normal relations with India is out in the open. But so far the overtures
Updated 01 Aug, 2019 07:09am
Friends and foes
Miscellaneous

Friends and foes

When the Khan government started its term a year ago, a number of foreign policy challenges confronted Pakistan. Erstwhi
Published 30 Jul, 2019 08:16am
Regulating tea prices
Miscellaneous

Regulating tea prices

Recently there has been some noise over tea importers and suppliers planning to increase tea prices from next month espe
Updated 30 Jul, 2019 09:58am
In pursuit of exports
Miscellaneous

In pursuit of exports

Resolution of Pakistan’s perennial macroeconomic woes depends on growing exports and sustaining them on a high level. Al
Published 26 Jul, 2019 07:10am
Khan’s diplomatic coup
Miscellaneous

Khan’s diplomatic coup

It was a high-risk, low-return scenario. But from Pakistan’s perspective, PM Khan’s White House visit could not have gon
Published 24 Jul, 2019 07:10am
Imports and the bogeyman
Miscellaneous

Imports and the bogeyman

Boo! Parents (often cruelly) use the bogeyman to scare their errant children and condition better behaviour and obedienc
Published 23 Jul, 2019 06:46am
Export silver linings
Miscellaneous

Export silver linings

Many hopes were pinned on exports to help improve Pakistan’s trade deficit, especially in view of massive currency depre
Published 22 Jul, 2019 06:43am
Mad about Cad?
Miscellaneous

Mad about Cad?

Kudos to the government for chopping the current account deficit (Cad) significantly in FY19! At $13.6 billion, Cad came
Published 22 Jul, 2019 06:35am
Cereals for our future
Miscellaneous

Cereals for our future

Outside of developed world and Middle East, Pakistan has one of the highest per capita consumption of wheat in the world
Published 22 Jul, 2019 06:28am
WPI heating up
Miscellaneous

WPI heating up

While the CPI inflation gets noticed more for obvious reasons, the oft-ignored Wholesale Price Index (WPI) is foretellin
Published 18 Jul, 2019 06:24am
Tanking think-tanks
Miscellaneous

Tanking think-tanks

Congratulations! The federal government has reportedly approved project to establish a China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
Published 18 Jul, 2019 06:08am
Of strikes and lockdowns
Miscellaneous

Of strikes and lockdowns

According to a latest poll by Gallup Pakistan, public opinion on the opposition’s plans to protest against the governmen
Published 16 Jul, 2019 07:16am
Reviewing climate change
Miscellaneous

Reviewing climate change

Pakistan stands fairly low on the carbon footprint scale relative to its peers in the region. However, as the monsoon ar
Published 16 Jul, 2019 06:46am
Anatomy of cotton belt
Miscellaneous

Anatomy of cotton belt

Pakistan’s largest cash crop is grown in over half of the districts of the country, from Awaran in hinterlands of Baloch
Published 15 Jul, 2019 06:38am
Lure of the long-shot
Miscellaneous

Lure of the long-shot

A few days ago, the Washington Post ran a feature cleverly titled “Random Man Runs for President” quite literally descri
Published 15 Jul, 2019 06:35am
Can Khan court Donald?
Miscellaneous

Can Khan court Donald?

Is the US-Pakistan bilateral finally getting a break? Maybe yes, maybe not – just as Donald Trump likes to say. The prem
Published 09 Jul, 2019 05:29am
The usual suspects
Miscellaneous

The usual suspects

Kudos to the Planning Commission for standing up for development! Well, for standing up somewhat, as far as numbers are
Published 08 Jul, 2019 06:34am
Tyranny of optimism
Miscellaneous

Tyranny of optimism

Politicians, when in power, share a unique trait with tech entrepreneurs. It’s the trait of optimism on the basis of whi
Published 05 Jul, 2019 06:09am
SOEs – clueless again
Miscellaneous

SOEs – clueless again

Yesterday’s piece on state-owned enterprises (SOEs) ended on the note that the fixing of SOEs doesn’t appear on the hori
Published 04 Jul, 2019 06:04am
Sick enterprises
Miscellaneous

Sick enterprises

The finance ministry’s latest report on the federal footprint on economy courtesy the state-owned enterprises (SOE) has
Published 03 Jul, 2019 06:19am
An ode to shadows
Miscellaneous

An ode to shadows

Politics’ love affair with the shadows is a longstanding tradition. In the past, these behind-the-scene operatives have
Updated 03 Jul, 2019 06:31am
Dazed and confused
Miscellaneous

Dazed and confused

Readers know this column has an interest in following the US presidential campaigns, for what happens in DC still has an
Published 02 Jul, 2019 06:20am
End of OTC?
Miscellaneous

End of OTC?

As Pakistan struggles to meet FATF requirements, there is speculation that the branchless banking sector may be affected
Published 01 Jul, 2019 06:41am
Farming our future
Miscellaneous

Farming our future

Who will be the farmer of the future? The globally renowned agricultural and food expert Prof. Louise Fresco raised this
Updated 01 Jul, 2019 09:17am
Whither cotton emergency?
Miscellaneous

Whither cotton emergency?

For months, PTI’s economy team hinted at revolutionary steps for cotton revival on national forums including ECC and fed
Published 26 Jun, 2019 05:46am
Gold gets going
Miscellaneous

Gold gets going

The global geo-political atmosphere is heating up. Just a few days back, a US surveillance drone was downed near the Ira
Published 26 Jun, 2019 05:31am
The fog of FATF
Miscellaneous

The fog of FATF

On an issue that may potentially leave Pakistani citizens and businesses poorer in years to come, the federal government
Published 25 Jun, 2019 05:41am
KP: high on development
Miscellaneous

KP: high on development

After Fata’s merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), an already under-developed province’s development needs have increased
Published 20 Jun, 2019 06:59am
Hafeez fights back!
Miscellaneous

Hafeez fights back!

At a post-budget conference organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan last Saturday, Dr Abdul Hafe
Published 19 Jun, 2019 06:31am
Beyond Econ 101
Miscellaneous

Beyond Econ 101

Professor Baqer delivered an Econ 101 lecture to journalists is his maiden moot where he explained the role of exchange
Published 18 Jun, 2019 06:40am
Falling livestock GDP
Miscellaneous

Falling livestock GDP

Last week BR Research flagged how livestock sector, which has 60 percent share in agriculture GDP has been growing at a
Published 17 Jun, 2019 06:44am
A much realistic budget
Miscellaneous

A much realistic budget

The overall budget direction is right. There is a sense of paradigm shift with focus on enhancing direct taxation, penal
Published 13 Jun, 2019 06:37am
Housing under duress
Miscellaneous

Housing under duress

The ambitious pet project of PM Imran Khan, Naya Pakistan Housing Program (NPHP), seems diametrically opposed to the bud
Published 12 Jun, 2019 05:47am
Combating climate change
Miscellaneous

Combating climate change

If there is one sector where the current government has shown more fervour than its counterparts, it’s the focus on envi
Published 11 Jun, 2019 05:18am
PSDP blues
Miscellaneous

PSDP blues

PSDP blues As expected, “development” is the major fiscal casualty in the “austerity” budget. Reportedly, the federal go
Published 10 Jun, 2019 07:31am
Some breathers
Miscellaneous

Some breathers

Some pressure on the exchange rate and interest rate pricing is eased, a week before the budget. Crude oil coming down i
Published 03 Jun, 2019 07:22am
GMO redux
Miscellaneous

GMO redux

After a two-month hiatus, reports on GMO seed technology have once again begun to do rounds in print media. Last week, a
Published 03 Jun, 2019 07:05am
Uncle Biden and Pakistan
Miscellaneous

Uncle Biden and Pakistan

Elections in India are over and Pakistanis aren’t exactly thrilled with the outcome. Onto the next election of interest.
Updated 28 May, 2019 09:39am
The taxation challenge
Miscellaneous

The taxation challenge

This is the third week after finalization of IMF programme. The first week was depressing as the as the PTI economic tea
Published 27 May, 2019 05:38am
Orange is the new black
Miscellaneous

Orange is the new black

India’s saffron revolution is nearing completion. The orange hues of BJP have managed to avoid a hung parliament, relega
Published 27 May, 2019 05:19am
Huawei: gloves are off
Miscellaneous

Huawei: gloves are off

There may be a method to this madness. But Donald J. Trump is taking Richard Nixon’s Madman Theory to a whole new level,
Published 23 May, 2019 05:55am
Getting inflation right
Miscellaneous

Getting inflation right

An opposition that was supposed to be hiding in the slumbers or just fighting court cases for their respective leaders u
Published 22 May, 2019 03:44am
Costly detours
Miscellaneous

Costly detours

The country’s airspace closure has entered a third month amid the ongoing hostility between Pakistan and India post Pulw
Updated 20 May, 2019 06:45am
A Teflon prime minister?
Miscellaneous

A Teflon prime minister?

Nothing wastes political capital like an economic downturn. It’s not just in the West where consultants warn political i
Updated 20 May, 2019 06:33am
Tale of two amnesties
Miscellaneous

Tale of two amnesties

Embarrassments aside, the Assets Declaration Ordinance 2019, commonly referred to as Amnesty Scheme , is one of the bett
Published 17 May, 2019 05:10am
Reinventing office space
Miscellaneous

Reinventing office space

In an age of disruption, almost all conventional sectors have undergone a complete transformation in business model. Rid
Published 17 May, 2019 04:53am
Too big to break?
Miscellaneous

Too big to break?

A social media giant finds itself under the spotlight again. Critics have previously charged that fake news, fake person
Published 15 May, 2019 06:17am
When the sky falls
Miscellaneous

When the sky falls

A year after unilaterally pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, the Trump administration has Iran right where it wanted
Published 10 May, 2019 04:43am
People are never happy
Miscellaneous

People are never happy

Criticism on everything seems to be the favorite time pass; not just coming from opposition benches, but intellectuals o
Published 09 May, 2019 03:49am
From Shabbar’s lens
Miscellaneous

From Shabbar’s lens

Shabbar Zaidi is no stranger to tax policy and administration affairs in Pakistan. The official notification of his appo
Published 08 May, 2019 06:55am
PSDP’s April surprise
Miscellaneous

PSDP’s April surprise

Contrary to suspicions of a slowdown in development spending, the federal government’s development ledger seems is still
Published 07 May, 2019 05:24am
Press freedom!
Miscellaneous

Press freedom!

The World Press Freedom Day was celebrated last week (May 3). This year’s theme of Unesco’s annual conference marking th
Published 06 May, 2019 06:31am
Thanos: the last laugh
Miscellaneous

Thanos: the last laugh

Tickets for ‘Avengers: Endgame’ are reportedly in black trade in Karachi these days. As superhero movies go, the plot re
Updated 03 May, 2019 06:46am
SYS has a good start
Miscellaneous

SYS has a good start

It’s been a good start to the year for a prominent local software house. As per a company notice sent to the stock excha
Published 30 Apr, 2019 05:22am
Top-up to lose
Miscellaneous

Top-up to lose

A judicial ruling on money matters is bound to draw mixed response, depending on how favourable the precedent is to one’
Published 29 Apr, 2019 06:49am
Agri-Plotistan
Miscellaneous

Agri-Plotistan

Populist notions peddled by the media often insinuate that most of Pakistan’s rural economy is landless, with land owner
Published 24 Apr, 2019 06:15am
Pakistan’s finmin curse
Miscellaneous

Pakistan’s finmin curse

Asad Umar’s removal from the Q-Block is a story bigger than Asad himself; it is also bigger than the PTI and its real or
Published 24 Apr, 2019 05:55am
Selling a purge
Miscellaneous

Selling a purge

Communist regimes in the middle-half of the twentieth century were notorious for what Western historians would later lab
Published 23 Apr, 2019 06:00am
Hindsight is always 20-20
Miscellaneous

Hindsight is always 20-20

“Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call on the Lord to send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what
Published 22 Apr, 2019 06:24am
Going, going, gone!
Miscellaneous

Going, going, gone!

With weather around, good cloud cover, and a fast and bouncy pitch – it will always be tough batting first. Tougher, if
Published 19 Apr, 2019 06:20am
The FM sent packing
Miscellaneous

The FM sent packing

The Finance Minister Asad Umar has quit. Is it a good decision? That will depend on who replaces him. There is little
Published 19 Apr, 2019 06:19am
Gold succumbs to bears
Miscellaneous

Gold succumbs to bears

The global economy seems to have steadied ship and the jitters have given way to optimism by market participants. This s
Published 18 Apr, 2019 06:20am
A crowded bench
Miscellaneous

A crowded bench

Political observers in Pakistan are concerned about the outcome of elections in India and consequences of a potential NA
Published 17 Apr, 2019 06:37am
Startups: long-term bet
Miscellaneous

Startups: long-term bet

The PTI gave an ambitious plan of creating 10 million jobs in the next five years. However, the economic slowdown has gi
Published 15 Apr, 2019 06:41am
Exports refuse to rise
Miscellaneous

Exports refuse to rise

Imports continue the journey south – hitting a 30-month low of $4.1 billion in March 2019, registering a 21 percent year
Published 12 Apr, 2019 06:33am
“Ehsas” for the poor
Miscellaneous

“Ehsas” for the poor

After the launch if Insaaf heath cards, the government has recently taken another step in the human capital domain. Unde
Published 11 Apr, 2019 06:10am
Polls apart
Miscellaneous

Polls apart

Observers of Indo-Pak bilateral are eagerly awaiting the make-up of next government in New Delhi. Two days from now, Ind
Published 09 Apr, 2019 04:50am
Khan’s dream team
Miscellaneous

Khan’s dream team

When Imran Khan was rallying for general elections 2018, he promised he has a dream team of 200 people who can fix Pakis
Published 08 Apr, 2019 07:17am
Rice: time to adopt SRI
Miscellaneous

Rice: time to adopt SRI

Pakistan’s rice is a highly export centric commodity, with an average 60 percent of total domestic production going towa
Published 05 Apr, 2019 06:39am
Time to talk population
Miscellaneous

Time to talk population

In an interview published yesterday, Dr Mehtab Karim, one of Pakistan’s handful of demographers said something rather al
Published 02 Apr, 2019 06:40am
Demystifying GM food crop
Miscellaneous

Demystifying GM food crop

“Man fears what he does not understand”. Yeats immortal words are an apt description of commonly held attitude towards g
Published 01 Apr, 2019 05:15am
No free water please!
Miscellaneous

No free water please!

Good news first. There is only one. There are serious talks going on in Punjab to bring legislation in the form of a com
Updated 29 Mar, 2019 07:04am
CPEC and manpower
Miscellaneous

CPEC and manpower

lot has been said about CPEC’s ability in generating new employment avenues in the country. No doubt; as China Pakistan
Published 27 Mar, 2019 05:32am
Another term for Trump?
Miscellaneous

Another term for Trump?

Too much smoke, yet no fire. After nearly two years of frenzy surrounding investigations by Special Counsel Robert Muell
Published 27 Mar, 2019 05:28am
Mediocrity Inc.
Miscellaneous

Mediocrity Inc.

As if news on the fiscal front wasn’t dismal enough in FY19, the country is set for an all-around disappointing farming
Published 27 Mar, 2019 05:21am
Export prices take a dent
Miscellaneous

Export prices take a dent

Pakistan’s exports at $15 billion, growing at 1.86 percent year-on-year in 8MFY19 must be a worry. Only that the massive
Published 26 Mar, 2019 06:30am
Uber: all about the IPO?
Miscellaneous

Uber: all about the IPO?

If Uber wed Careem, who is going to look after the dependents? Dependents, in this case, being ride users and drivers. B
Published 26 Mar, 2019 06:15am