Economic impact and relief package
The Coronavirus has already spread to 199 countries. The worst hit countries have been the EU countries, the US, China and Iran. The consequences are that normal economic activity, both…
Covid-19: economic & tax reliefs
Pakistan is facing the brunt of Coronavirus outbreak as the country is in a partial lock down. This has had a negative impact on businesses. Initial estimates show that the…
War on relief
The US government’s decision to slash funds provided to the United Nations agency that cares for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, is part of a new American-Israeli strategy aimed at redefining the…
Effective digital services
Hundreds of thousands of people were unable to collect their pensions and suffered as a result when the National Bank of Pakistan’s online computer system broke down right before Eid.…
PM’s Kisaan package: Little relief for peasants
Now that the media hype about the prime minister’s relief package for small owner-cultivators (kisans) has subsided, it is possible to carry out a realistic assessment of the beneficiaries and…
No relief?
After years of delay, the federal minister for National Health Services Regulation and Coordination, Saira Afzal, announced what is being dubbed as Pakistan’s first-ever drug pricing policy. Despite the pharmaceutical…
Floods and mental health
THE theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day, which falls on Monday (Oct 10), is ‘Make mental health and well-being for all a global priority’. For Pakistan, the theme…
Analysing ‘tax expenditure
We don’t do charity in Germany. We pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments’ responsibilities”—Henning Wehn, a German stand-up comedian The announcement of budget 2020-21 on June 12, 2020…
INGO policy
WITH the challenges of Covid-19 becoming more obvious, countries must construct a vibrant and responsive social sector response besides boosting the local economy, healthcare system, etc. This requires us to…
Lessons we refuse to learn
A decade after the disastrous 2005 earthquake, on October 26 Pakistan's northern areas experienced another massive earthquake, which measured 7.7 on the Richter scale. Fortunately though, the earthquake's epicentre was…
