False starts, faltering economy
BACK in December 2018, Finance Minister Asad Umar was telling almost everyone he met that the economy has turned the corner, that improvements have begun to materialise, that green shoots…
Beyond inflation: the hidden risks in Pakistan’s economic recovery
Pakistan’s economy is addicted to debt. Lavish government spending, recklessly financed through borrowing has resulted in a precarious debt trap, a depreciated rupee, escalating inflation, and an economy on the…
A reality check
The government has been patting itself on the back for what it claims to be remarkable achievements: inflation falling from 40 per cent to around 2.0 per cent, interest rates…
Power sector on the brink
Pakistan’s state-owned power companies are trapped in a cycle of mounting debt, persistent inefficiencies and constant government bailouts, with no signs of relief. The sector faces high operational costs, staggering…
Pakistan’s $3 trillion dream
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, recently made a bold declaration: Pakistan aims to become a $3 trillion economy by 2047, driven by a targeted 9.0 per cent growth rate. As someone…
Govt, IMF, and need for policy revisit
In March, the government and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are due to hold first review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme, which was negotiated in September 2024. There are…
Time to end neoliberal monetary policy well overdue
‘This chapter has shown that the NMPC [New Monetary Policy Consensus] is limited in four important ways. Firstly, it is based on doubtful assumptions, unwarranted generalisations, overly optimistic expectations about…
Need for institutional reforms
Pakistan’s economy has started showing positive signs of recovery and resilience after years of grappling with inflationary pressures, fiscal imbalances, and external debt challenges. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS)…
A truly global economic policy needed
In an October 24 post by The Guardian, it highlighted the comments made by Kristalina Georgieva, the head of International Monetary Fund (IMF), which are highly indicative of a global…
Pakistan’s economic outlook 2025: inflation, growth, & debt
Among macroeconomic indicators, primarily inflation has come down drastically over recent months, whereby consumer price index (CPI) has fallen from a high of 28.8 percent in January to 4.9 percent…
