Modi dangles tax cuts as US tariffs loom
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to slash consumption taxes on everyday goods could deliver billions of dollars in annual relief and boost demand in an economy bracing for painful…
The global trade race is on
Pakistan has a history of dropped catches. Just when opportunity swings our way, we let it slip through our fingers. Today, we face another critical moment – and this one…
Sanctions eroding USD’s global reach
History may hold US President Donald Trump responsible for undermining the pervasive influence of his country in several international agencies dating back to when the US was the sole superpower…
Wealth tax is a bad idea
Economists and academics continually seek innovative tax ideas. Led by international financial institutions (IFIs) and their consultants, the prevailing goal in many studies is to tax everything in sight. A…
Tax Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025: Ill-advised, confiscatory & undemocratic
The President of Pakistan issued Tax Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, published in The Gazette of Pakistan on May 2, 2025, made effective at once. Presidential Ordinance No. IV of 2025…
US seeks to weaken global development finance efforts
The United States is seeking to weaken a global deal aimed at helping developing countries struggling with the impacts of climate change and other issues, an internal United Nations document…
The truth about the tax ordinance
Since the promulgation of the Tax Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, several commentaries have surfaced in editorial columns, professional circles, and even in government forums. They raise misinformed concerns about the…
Carbon levy, water pricing & the green tax puzzle
It began with a bang—quite literally. On April 16, Islamabad was hammered by a freak hailstorm that turned the capital into a scene from a disaster flick. Hailstones the size…
Global shipping navigates Trump tariffs uncertainty
Shifting trade announcements have led to unprecedented volatility in the global shipping industry in recent weeks, with industry players having to constantly adapt to new US tariffs. Cargo ships put…
Tariffs and non-neoliberal globalization – II
US President Donald Trump recently enhanced tariffs unilaterally on all countries – with a base uniform tariff of 10 percent applied on all countries, along with half of the ratio…
