Energy sector reforms
Our fiscal space is wafer thin. The economy is starting to pull back from a precipice. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Staff-Level Agreement (SLA) is around the corner and has…
Through creative destruction: Part – I
Continuing from my last article in these pages (‘Breaking the IMF cycle’, February 22), the tragedy of Pakistan is that it is poor despite being rich in natural resources. It…
Crimes against logic
In August 1985, at a conference in Havana, Fidel Castro laid out the facts and figures and indeed the mathematical impossibility of the Third World ever being able to repay…
The exchange rate: a steady hum of discontent
No economic variable captures the popular imagination in Pakistan more than the exchange rate. After Pakistan moved from a fixed to a flexible market exchange rate in the summer of…
Dire need of investment in Pakistan
The other day, as I was going through a newspaper and something caught my attention. It was heartening to see Karachi proactively welcoming a corporate giant with open arms to…
Sinking revenues and IMF conditionalities
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Pakistani authorities have been unable to reach a staff-level agreement after a week-long discussions on 9th Review. Reportedly, Pakistan having broadly agreed to all…
Struggling to get IMF’s booster shot
The IMF (International Monetary Fund) is a multilateral lender with a membership of over 195 countries, from advanced economies to the bottom of the economic ladder. It was created to…
Is investor’s fright an investment’s flight?
Pakistan is nestled in the southern part of Asia, sitting precariously between Afghanistan, India, Iran, and below China, with the Arabian sea lapping on its southern shores and the Himalayas…
Energy sector reforms: Low-hanging fruit rotting – III
The energy sector also requires a fast-track deregulation, which should have happened yesterday. It requires a focused phased plan for power, gas, and oil sectors to streamline their supply chains…
Redefining Pakistan’s economy
This article is an effort on not only understanding the fundamental economic issues but also some tough but realistic reforms that can provide immediate corrections and some medium to long-term…
