‘No rice, no sugar, no eggs’: Bolivians despair as economy tanks
Waiting in line for hours, often in vain, for basics such as cooking oil has become a way of life in Bolivia, where anger over shortages and skyrocketing prices has…
Power sector—hope on the horizon
Over the past year, power tariffs in Pakistan have come down considerably and, contingent on key reforms being implemented over the next five years, are on their way to becoming…
Tariff Policy: a bold step towards trade liberalization
The federal government has approved the National Tariff Policy (NTP) 2025–30, a transformative step toward trade liberalization. If implemented as planned—reducing the maximum customs duty (CD) to 15 percent and…
Pakistan’s economic strategy
The overarching economic strategy of the incumbent government is not quite focused on achieving macroeconomic stability, though that is certainly a stated objective, or to implement pro-growth policies — pledged…
Choking growth
Pakistan has reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF, meaning the economy gets to stay afloat for another six months. However, behind the superficial macroeconomic stability is only economic stagnation…
Pakistan’s water crisis: the cost of sugarcane and rice
Pakistan is on the brink of a worsening water crisis, one that threatens its inter provincial relationship, agriculture, economy, and food security. Ranked among the most water-stressed nations in the…
US tariffs: what is on the table?
With the announcement of our FM that a high-level delegation will soon leave for Washington for talks on tariffs levied on Pakistan exports, the politicians and higher-ups in ministries along-with…
The burden
The discussions on the idiot box relating to the economy, and the fact that almost all anchors on talk shows are apparently economists, continues to amaze; the passionate portrayal that…
Why textile exports fell in March despite full order books?
In March 2019, Pakistan's textile and clothing exports witnessed the largest monthly decline since May 2017. They fell 9.47 percent year-on-year basis to $1.088 billion, as uncertainty in the continuity…
FBR’s anti-technology strides
“The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has become a significant barrier to the widespread adoption of QR code payment systems in Pakistan. FBR often sends notices to businesses when they…
