Hafeez caretaker PM?
Dr Hafeez Sheikh's resignation as the Federal Minister for Finance has generated considerable speculation as to its reason. What fuelled these speculations was the fact that the Presidency issued a…
A careless caretaker government
There was no dearth of warnings about the impending economic crisis prior to the induction of the interim government. The PPP-led government had followed policies that led to a dire…
The real tragedy
The Finance Division has released its "Year Book 2011-12" which, besides citing heavy line losses, incomplete corporatisation, weak governance, costly fuel mix, and delays in bill payments, points to partial…
Agenda for the nation 2013 and beyond-III
Over the past five years, extremely bad governance wrought with corruption and compromise in the name of continuity of democracy has brought the country to a disastrous point. This has…
‘A harmful trend in banking sector’
Apropos editorial 'A harmful trend in banking sector', I find it necessary to highlight some of the important and relevant missing links that need more attention and clarity. It seems…
Easy Fed softens fiscal policy punch on US economy
The Federal Reserve's aggressive easing of monetary policy is proving surprisingly effective at blunting the blow to the US economy from tighter fiscal policy, according to economists who have been…
Power tariffs: role of competition and transparency – II
Solar PV generation tariff: We should have an appetite for solar PV of around 100 MW at the prevailing PV prices, which compares with a corresponding figure of 1000 MW…
A transformational leader, unfortunately
Looking back, it now seems strange that during her first couple of years as prime minister, Margaret Thatcher was widely viewed as something of an aberration. In 1981, with unemployment…
What ails the SBP?
The amendments made to Section 9 of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Act in 1994, 1997 and 2012 have redefined the role and responsibilities of the Central Board of…
Debt and fiscal policy statements 2012-13
Two important documents, namely, Fiscal Policy Statement and Debt Policy Statement for 2012-13, released on 4th February 2013 by the Debt Policy Co-ordination Office of Ministry of Finance, while expressing…
