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Informal economy: the only path?

"Wage jihad against the four ills of our country: poverty, illiteracy, injustice, and corruption" was the PM's New Year resolution. Who could disagree? Not even those who look to the…

In Praise Of Informal Economy

In praise of informal economy

Two headlines on the front page of Business Recorder (January 2, 2016) were chicken soup for the soul of this Shakespearean fool. First dollop: "SBP regulations for the debt-property swap". Delicious. Good…

The Informal Economy

The informal economy

New estimates indicate that Pakistan’s informal economy is larger than previously approximated, and is expanding at a rapid pace. On the other hand, the formal sector appears to be on…

Our Informal Economy

Our informal economy

According to the growth diagnostics framework I discussed in one of my previous articles, high taxation is one of the potential candidates for becoming a binding constraint to economic growth…

The (informal) wedding economy

Pakistan has one of the fastest population growth rates in the world, and considering an ever-expanding population base, it is estimated that more than 1.6 million marriages happen in the…

Emerging challenges to the economy

The budget 2024-25 formulated to qualify for the 25th IMF programme has been passed by the parliament. Now the IMF bailout programme is very much in sight. In the market,…

The slowdown in real economy

Over the past month, it seems that the feel-good factor has returned. The stock market is in a bullish run and the currency is relatively stable. There are some small…

Can economy afford another Dar tenure?

Key economic indicators reflect a worsening trend (as per data released by the Finance Division) in July-August 2023-24 against the comparable period of the year before: remittances declined by 21.6…

Capital suggestion: Informal sector

According to Pakistan's official Labour Force Survey, the informal sector employs nearly 75 per cent of the working-age population. This sector plays a pivotal role in providing income-generating opportunities for…