State Bank of Pakistan slashes policy rate by 200 BPS amid falling inflation | The Express Tribune
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reduced its policy rate by 200 basis points to 17.5% on Thursday, as headline and core inflation saw a sharper-than-expected decline over the last two months. The rate cut will be effective from September 13, 2024. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the SBP attributed this decision to falling […]
Financial globalisation and shrinking policy space | The Express Tribune
LAHORE: The economy has stabilised to some extent with the stabilisation measures initiated in May 2022. The policy rate, which was jacked up to 22%, has come down to 19.5% in a recent monetary policy announcement. Similarly, the fiscal deficit decreased to 6.8% in fiscal year 2023-24 by cutting down development expenditure to 2% of […]
Govt adopts irrational pricing policy | The Express Tribune
LAHORE: Pakistan is facing a low growth trap while the new budget essentially increases expenditure through more borrowing and a higher burden of taxes. Increasing expenses, based on heavy borrowing, just raise the payments on borrowing, which now account for 57% of the total expenditure. This policy is clearly profligate and not sustainable; therefore, this […]
SBP slashes policy rate to 19.5% as inflationary pressures ease
SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad addressing a press conference in Karachi on July 29, 2024. — Screengrab via Geo News The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday cut the interest rate from 20.5% to 19.5%, marking the second consecutive reduction, in response to easing inflation and market expectations. Addressing a press conference after Monetary Policy […]
SBP reduces policy rate by 1.5% ahead of budget
The State Bank of Pakistan building in Karachi. — APP/file KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday announced to cut the policy rate by 150 basis points, marking its first rate reduction in nearly four years. The decision to cut the key rate to 20.5% comes two days ahead of budget and a […]
PSX slumps over pre-budget, policy rate worries | The Express Tribune
KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) endured a turbulent week where it plunged over 2,000 points as investors were worried about the potential increase in capital gains tax (CGT) and due to uncertainty over the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) monetary policy announcement. Investors were wary ahead of the budget presentation next week where taxes on […]
Experts call for EV policy overhaul | The Express Tribune
KARACHI: Auto experts believe electric cars could become far more accessible to customers if the government addressed key policy issues. They call for a revision of policy classifications, offering incentives to all electric vehicles (EVs), removing obstacles in EV financing, and reducing heavy taxes, which currently constitute over 50% of the car prices, making them […]
Pakistan’s fiscal policy at a crossroads | The Express Tribune
ISLAMABAD: Fiscal policy in Pakistan is usually far from a fine balancing act and is more of a reckless feat. It has long been marked by a contentious debate between austerity and stimulus measures – with the government oscillating between these two approaches, often thoughtlessly. Thanks to these policies, the past three years have been […]
Is govt mulling to review solar net metering policy?
Several solar panels can be seen in this picture. — AFP/File ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Energy Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari on Tuesday categorically rejected media reports and said that the government would not make any change in solar net metering policy sans the consensus of all the stake holders. Responding to a call attention notice […]
Govt ‘moves’ to end solar net metering policy
A man wipes the dust off solar panels he recently installed on the roof of his home in Larkana, in Pakistan’s Sindh province, June 28, 2017. — Reuters ISLAMABAD: The federal government has planned to introduce a “gross metering” policy to replace already in place “solar net metering” which could curtail monetary benefits of the […]