Tue, 21-Oct-2025

Smog of incompetency, corruption, inflation has engulfed the country: Shehbaz Sharif

Shehbaz Sharif

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) President and Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said the smog of incompetency, inefficiency, corruption and inflation had engulfed the entire country for the last three years. “The people standing in queues are remembering former prime minister Nawaz Sharif with grief,” Shehbaz Sharif said in a … Read more

UK factory orders growth hits record, inflation climbs too

UK factory

LONDON: British industrial orders surged this month with a growth measure hitting its highest since at least 1977 and price expectations among manufacturers also climbed to a 44-year high, Reuters quoted a survey published on Wednesday. The survey is likely to add to unease at the Bank of England about growing inflation pressures ahead of the British … Read more

US retailers cheery about holiday season despite inflation

US cheery

NEW YORK: After nearly two years of pandemic gloom, American consumers appear primed to spend generously for the holidays in spite of worries over inflation and item availability. Retailers have seen strong buying interest this fall, with robust “back to school” and Halloween sales fueling optimism about the holiday season, which kicks off this week with … Read more

Monthly US inflation to return to 0.3% in second half of 2022: Yellen

US inflation

WASHINGTON: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Monday she expects the current record-high inflation to ease, with monthly rates falling back to 0.2 per cent or 0.3 per cent in the second half of 2022. “I’m hoping and expecting in the second half of next year, to see monthly CPI (consumer price index) rates coming … Read more

SBP clarifies inflation target, forecast

Pakistan forex reserves

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday clarified news reports related to average inflation forecasts. The SBP said that in some sections of the media, SBP’s average inflation forecast of 7-9 per cent in FY22 is being interpreted as the ‘inflation target’ and being compared to the inflation targets of other countries. This … Read more

Germany expects inflation to ease in 2022

RIYADH: Germany’s inflation would notably decline at the beginning of the next year, as the effects of one-off factors soften, Arab News quoted the country’s Economy Ministry, as saying. The temporary decrease in the value-added tax rate in the middle of 2021 helped inflation to increase to 4.5 per cent in October. Higher prices of … Read more

‘If constitutional institutes will interfere in polls then country will face inflation, troubles’

PDM gears up for anti-govt long march, mass resignations

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday said if constitutional institutes would interfere in elections then country would continue to face inflation and other troubles. He said this while referring to former chief justice Gilgit-Baltistan Rana M Shamim’s claim in a notarised affidavit that ex-top judge of Pakistan Saqib Nisar had directed not … Read more

Inflation, governance real challenges: Punjab governor

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar has said that governance and inflation are the real challenges for the government and not the opposition. “We have to improve governance and introduce a system of reward and retribution at all levels. Whoever commits corruption, he must be punished to set a precedent,” he said, while addressing the … Read more

PML-N’s Shahid Khaqan Abbasi slams PTI for rising inflation in country

PML-N's Shahid Khaqan Abbasi raps PTI Govt for inflation

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday once again berated the incumbent government over growing inflation in the country and laid the blame on the “incompetent cabinet” of Prime Minister Imran Khan. “Prime Minister Imran Khan was unable to attend the National Security Committee meeting as he was busy maintaining the price … Read more

Turkey increases gas prices by 48.4%

ISTANBUL: Turkey has raised natural gas prices by 48.4 per cent for large industrial and commercial organisation subscribers for November, while experts warned of higher inflation rates. The latest hike was announced by Turkey’s BOTAS Petroleum Pipeline Company, which also revealed that the tariff for electricity generation plants for the same month was increased by … Read more

‘Govt trying to keep commodity prices low despite inflation in global market’

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan assured on Monday that the government was taking measures to keep prices low despite the coronavirus pandemic and rapidly rising commodity and petroleum prices in the international market. PM Imran Khan said this during a briefing given to him by his economic team on inflation in the international market and … Read more

Gold holds above $1,800 mark on inflation worries

BENGALURU: Gold prices reclaimed the $1,800 mark, supported by persisting worries over inflation, as investors looked ahead to the next Federal Reserve meeting for its outlook on the monetary policy. Spot gold rose 0.5 per cent to $1,801.22/ounce by 1203 GMT. The US gold futures rose 0.4 per cent to $1,802.50. While there is a … Read more

Govt to slash edible oil price by Rs45-50 per litre, says Asad Umar

COVID-19 vaccination across Pakistan crosses 15-crore mark

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar on Monday said that the government had decided in principle to reduce the edible oil price by Rs45 to 50 per litre. “This will be achieved by reducing taxes on the edible oil. Sales tax on edible oil will be cut from 17 per cent to 8.50 … Read more

FM Qureshi terms economic hardships temporary

Opposition exposed with its defeat despite numerical majority in Senate: FM Qureshi

MULTAN: The economic hardships were temporary, as the government was trying its best to strengthen the country’s economy, a senior official said. Talking to people, hailing from his constituency NA-156, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the government was well-aware of the difficulties and problems of the masses. “Poverty alleviation is [the] top … Read more

No fear of inflation ‘runaway train,’ says IMF chief

IMF chief

WASHINGTON: Global finance officials are worried about rising inflation pressures but there is little fear that it will become a “runaway train,” IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said. With supply chain bottlenecks growing in the face of surging demand, policymakers have focused attention on rising prices and whether they will linger or fade away in coming … Read more

‘No ruler wants inflation’: Sheikh Rashid reacts to widespread criticism

sheikh rashid

ISLAMABAD: The PTI-led federal government drew the wrath of its political rivals on Saturday after it increased the price of petrol by Rs10.49 per litre and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs12.44 per litre. The new price of petrol, effective from today (October 16), is Rs137.79 per litre, while that of HSD is Rs134.48. … Read more

Food inflation likely at 8.27% in September

food

KARACHI: The headline inflation for September 2021 is likely to increase 8.27 per cent, compared with 9.04 per cent in August 2021 and 8.35 per cent in September 2020. Analysts at Arif Habib Limited estimated the Consumer Price Index (CPI) based on the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) data published by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics … Read more

Shaukat Tareen: Inflation rises due to IMF program

Shaukat Tareen

Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen has said that the rise in inflation due to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program will provide direct subsidies on food items to the poor. Shaukat Tareen said that there was a 50 percent difference in the global prices of ghee which we kept at 30 percent. The prices of … Read more

After Asia selloff, European stocks dive at open

Asia

Main European stock markets dropped in opening deals on Monday after a spiteful selloff in Asia, as doubts raised over a likely downfall of debt-laden property giant China Evergrande. London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index lost 1.0% to 6,894.33 points, associated with Friday’s closing level. In the eurozone, Frankfurt’s DAX 40 fell 1.9% to 15,202.28 on … Read more

Saudi Arabia closes $1.7 billion Sukuk programme

Saudi Princess

RIYADH: The National Debt Management Center (NDMC) has closed the September 2021 issuance under the Saudi Arabian government’s riyal-denominated Sukuk programme, Arab News reported. The size was set at SR6.675 billion ($1.7 billion), NDMC said in a statement. The issues were divided into three tranches: a SR3.170 billion tranche, which matures in 2029, a SR2.855 … Read more

Sensitive Price Indicator inflation up 1.37%

Bureau of Statistics Releases A Weekly Inflation Report

ISLAMABAD: The overall Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based inflation for the week ended September 9 recorded an increase of 1.37 per cent, compared with the previous week, the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Friday. The weekly SPI with base year 2015/16=100 is covering 17 urban centres and 51 essential … Read more

Dollar price should be controlled, according to the ex-president of FPCCI

Dollar

The value of the dollar should be controlled and unnecessary imports should be banned, said the President of UBG.

Zubair Tufail, former president of FPCCI and president of United Business Group, has said that the devaluation of the rupee against the dollar has led to imports and the gap between exports is widening and immediate action should be taken, the situation could become alarmingly dangerous.

Zubair Tufail said in a statement that the rupee’s rise to Rs 167 against the dollar would lead to a storm of inflation in the country and food prices would skyrocket, making the livelihood of the poor and middle class more difficult while the trade deficit. It is feared to grow to alarming proportions.

Zubair Tufail appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to take immediate action realizing the gravity of the situation as the appreciation of the dollar has led to fears that the rupee will depreciate further which will affect not only national security but also the economy.

If Prime Minister Imran Khan does not solve this problem, Pakistan’s sovereignty will be endangered, the country’s debt will increase sharply, and therefore it is necessary to control the value of the dollar and unnecessary imports.

The government should take steps to curb unnecessary imports on an emergency basis. In this age of inflation, it has become inevitable to stop the value of the dollar in one place. The people of Pakistan cannot afford further inflation.

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Compressed Natural Gas prices likely to rise across Pakistan once again

Compressed Natural Gas

The Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Association has indicated the possibility of an increase in gas prices once again across the country.

According to Ghias Paracha, Leader of Compressed Natural Gas Association, the price of gas in Punjab will go up by Rs 18 per liter after which the price of gas in Punjab and Islamabad will be Rs 125 per liter, the price of gas in Sindh will be increased by Rs 28 per kg due to which the price of gas in Sindh will be Rs 192 per kg.

Ghias Paracha said that we are waiting for the notification of OGRA, the price of gas has been increased in some places, raising the tax on gas and reducing the tax on petrol and LPG is surprising.

Ghias Paracha said that the government should reduce the taxes in the CNG sector, the CNG sector should be given incentives like other sectors, otherwise, for the first time in the history of the country, gas will become more expensive than petrol and with this move, the country will be drowned in the flood of inflation.

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Interest expenses, rupee devaluation, primary deficit financing spikes public debt

ISLAMABAD: The Finance Ministry has said that interest expenses, currency devaluation and financing of primary deficit due to the Covid-19-related economic slowdown are the major reasons for massive increase in the public debt, a statement issued by the Finance Ministry said on Thursday. To fully understand the underlying economic realities, there is a need to … Read more

Euro area inflation expected to reach 3%, highest in 10 years

Euro area

BRUSSELS: The annual inflation rate of the euro area is expected to reach 3 per cent in August, the highest in 10 years, according to the flash estimate published on Tuesday by Eurostat, the statistical agency of the European Union (EU). The inflation is still driven by the energy sector, with prices recording an increase … Read more

Food inflation grows 8.4% in August

Food Prices Hit 6-year High Around The World: UN

KARACHI: The headline or food inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has increased 8.4 per cent on a year-on-year (YoY) basis in August 2021, compared with an increase of 8.4 per cent in the previous month and 8.2 per cent in August 2020, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Wednesday. On … Read more