Social security for all
The province of Sindh, characterized by its diverse economic framework, encompasses a substantial labour force integral to its industrial and service sectors. According to the most recent Labour Force Survey,…
A social democratic, green, mission-oriented budget
In contrast to the usual approach to a budget discourse based on ideas around raising taxes, and expenditure allocations with slight hints of expanding the tax base, and having progressivity,…
Tax reforms: Aurangzeb has a difficult road ahead
Reportedly, the IMF expects FBR tax revenues to grow by over 30 percent in the upcoming fiscal year (FY25). However, achieving such growth is simply impossible without broadening the tax…
Transparency, taxation & reforms
Macroeconomic conditions have improved over the course of the program. Growth of 2 percent is expected in FY24 given continued recovery in the second half of the fiscal year. The…
Towards a new eco-social contract
At the recent UNFPA Asia-Pacific Leadership Conference, I had the honour of moderating a panel discussion on demographic diversity. The panel discussion delved into the complexities of developing new business…
NFC: call for fiscal reforms
In an analysis of the 7th NFC Award (‘Fiscal realities: A case for NFC reform’, March 20), published on these pages, I showed that provincial governments collect a small fraction…
Social media blackouts
Pakistan has long touted its ambitions to improve its citizens’ quality of life and economic well-being through digital transformation. This includes initiatives such as Digital Pakistan, or the more recent…
Need for reforms and accountability
Corruption will continue to thrive until justice systems can punish wrongdoing and keep governments in check. When justice is bought or politically interfered with, it is the people that suffer.…
IMF has a tough call on Argentina: force major reforms or pull the plug
Argentina and the International Monet-ary Fund share a rocky history spanning seven decades - and it looks as if things could get worse. Just five years ago, Argentina became the…
Gas tariffs and reforms—II
However, some increase in small and medium category tariff will have to be, willy-nilly, done to cover the costs. In Bangladesh, minimum monthly charge is PkRs 1380-1500 per MMBtu for…
