ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Finance has rolled out its inaugural framework to monitor fiscal risks tied to public-private partnerships (PPP), revealing that contingent liabilities and guarantees from such projects expose the public sector to about Rs472.3 billion in potential payouts.
Economy
Govt plans Rs5 trillion domestic borrowing in fiscal third quarter
KARACHI: The government is set to borrow roughly Rs5 trillion from domestic banks in the January-to-March quarter through auctions of government securities, leaning heavily on local lenders to plug its fiscal deficit as external funding remains scarce.
Pakistan plans 600 MHz spectrum sale next month in push for faster internet, 5G rollout
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan plans to auction about 600 megahertz of additional spectrum next month, a move aimed at easing a severe shortage that’s hampered internet speeds and delayed the country’s entry into the 5G era, a government minister said.
Exports sink for fifth straight month, slump over 20 percent in December
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s exports tumbled for a fifth consecutive month in December, plunging more than a fifth from a year earlier and driving the trade deficit wider amid sluggish global demand and soaring domestic costs.
Pakistan’s internet users surge 57 percent household access hits 70 percent, survey shows
ISLAMABAD: Individual internet use in Pakistan jumped to 57% from 17% over the past year, while household access to the web more than doubled to 70%, according to a government survey that highlights pockets of progress amid broader economic strains.
Pakistan discovers oil, gas in northwestern province amid push to cut imports
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan announced the discovery of oil and gas in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a find that could bolster domestic production and help narrow the country’s widening energy shortfall.
Inflation slow to 5.6 percent in December, matching government estimate
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s consumer prices inflation rose 5.6% in December from a year earlier, easing from November’s pace and landing within the government’s projected range as food costs dropped.
Pakistan begins 2026 with cuts to petrol and diesel prices
ISLAMABAD: The government rang in 2026 with fuel price cuts, slashing petrol and diesel rates for the next two weeks in a move that tracks softer global crude and delivers modest relief to consumers and transporters battered by high costs.
Retail payments surge 6 percent to $592 billion on mobile banking boom
KARACHI: Pakistan’s retail payments climbed to Rs166 trillion ($592 billion) in the first quarter of the fiscal year, a 6% increase from the prior period, fueled by a rapid expansion in mobile app-based banking, according to the central bank.
Loss-making PIA readies London relaunch following privatization deal
KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines is set to resume direct flights to London in March after a six-year suspension, a move that comes as a local consortium led by Arif Habib Group finalizes its acquisition of the beleaguered carrier in a privatization push aimed at stemming years of losses.