The election cycle
The good news is that the consumer prices of petrol, electricity and gas are unlikely to significantly increase before the next general election, even if costs for the state increase.…
Waterfall days
Pakistan's transition from water-rich to water-stressed didn’t come without fair warning. At the turn of the ’90s, experts predicted that freshwater resources in the country would dwindle substantially and become…
Change of menu? Investors lose appetite for yuan assets
China's changing of the way it reports its foreign exchange data has brought it into line with international practice but the timing appears to have worsened the market's appetite for…
Tax proposals for Budget 2016-17 Need for new tax model
These days, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is reportedly consulting (sic) all the stakeholders to consider only such proposals that can increase "revenues" (hopefully for the State) in the coming…
Ireland fears major impact if Britain votes to leave EU
Irish exporters, British-based Irish citizens and the Irish government all worry that a Brexit, or British exit from the EU, could harm their interests and jolt the country's economy. With…
Rulers unlimited
Today, in sending the less unpopular to the White House, the American voters will also be reminding us, if a reminder was needed, that when America sneezes the rest of…
Cotton country running aground
The Indus valley is credited with being the home of many ancient civilisations stretching back thousands of years that gave mankind a rich heritage of fascinating ancient cities, organized agriculture,…
The cost of the Panama leaks
The final outcome of the Panama leaks on the First Family's political fortunes cannot be evaluated yet due to three lines of action by the Sharif administration whose success or…
Budget strategy: ambitious targets
The budget strategy for 2016-17 was approved recently by the Federal Cabinet. Not only is there a positive expectation about the performance of the economy in 2015-16 but also that…
Protectionism a scourge? Maybe not in Africa
World economic leaders gathered in Washington this week to defend globalization, delivering a single message in unison: Protectionism will not save you. But this glosses over the plight of Africa,…
