Economic turbulence in China
After decades of unprecedented growth, China’s economy has hit heavy turbulence. Its official GDP growth rate has slowed to around 7pc so far this year — from over 10pc in…
Refugee crisis shows the changing soul of Germany
Europe's refugee crisis is revealing the changing soul of Germany. Back in 2010, Chancellor Angela Merkel declared that multi-culturalism in Germany had been an abject failure; today the nation is…
Wasting energy on FTAs
The first phase of our Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China involving restructuring of import tariffs ran its course in 2012. There is heart-burning in Islamabad that the benefits that…
Political uncertainty hits Nigeria stocks, currency
The postponement of Nigeria's general election has hit the country's faltering economy, adding to existing pressures caused by the global fall in oil prices, analysts said. The six-week suspension was…
Privatisation and Disinvestment
The Chairman of the Privatisation Commission (PC) insists that proceeds of disinvesting state equity in UBL and ABL in markets abroad were used to repay the external debt (not fund…
Convenient’ taxation
Last week, at a function to announce the discovery of substantial gold, silver, copper and iron reserves in a 2,000 square miles area around Chiniot, while the Prime Minister rightly…
Slovakia says Brussels should discipline states that break budget rules
France and Italy should face disciplinary action if they do not act to bring budget deficits into line with EU rules, Slovak Finance Minister Peter Kazimir told Reuters, saying the…
Migration crisis tears at EU’s cohesion and tarnishes its image
Deep divisions over how to cope with a flood of migrants from the Middle East, Africa and Asia pose a threat to the European Union's values and global standing and…
Gold’s lustre lures Turkish savers
From the outside, it looks like any other automatic bank machine on the streets of Istanbul. But rather than notes, this one distributes small pieces of gold. Gold is hugely…
Pakistan’s failing exports
Pakistan’s exports have floundered in the past year and a half. After an increase of nearly 3pc in 2013-14, the US dollar value of exports declined by 5pc in 2014-15.…
