Trade & Economy

  India is the tenth largest economy of the world with GDP growth of 5.3 percent. India has USD 295 billion in reserves on as December 2012. India’s literacy rate is 74 percent which has grown year on year. The country is a major player in the global market when it comes to Trade. The textile, automotive, banking and technology industry is considered the best in the world. Major multinationals, …

  Pakistan and India offer natural markets for each other’s export products and both countries are pursuing policies of trade liberalization since early 1990s. In their mutual trade, they can enjoy the advantages of reduced transaction costs and quicker delivery due to geographical proximity, common language and a heritage of common physical infrastructures. During the first half of the current fiscal year, the two-way trade stood at USD 1.1 billion …

  Upgraded Asian Development Bank (ADB) growth outlook, a bubbling equity market, the sliding LSM growth, an improved foreign reserves position, the still reluctant FDI, and a persisting energy deficit is what the calendar year 2014 had in store for us. While FY14 GDP growth of 4.1% coupled with the expectation of a similar growth rate for FY15 is something to sing about, a deeper analysis may bring to surface …

  When the PML-N came into power, the economy wasn’t in very good shape. In order to reduce the damage to the economy, the government derived a plan along with the support of the IMF and the main focus of the government was to bring about energy reforms, to improve the external balance and to stabilize public finance. The plan, if successful over the tenure of the government is likely …

  Overall fiscal year 2014 was a better year for the economy. As for the actual behavior of various macroeconomic indicators, real GDP during financial year 2014 grew by 4.1 percent compared to 3.7 percent in the previous year and the target of 4.4 percent is better close to meet. The fiscal deficit was indeed contained at 5.5 percent. Growth saw a modest revival, especially in manufacturing. Manpower, for instance, …

  According to International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde the plunge in oil prices since June may hurt some crude exporters. But overall it is a good thing for the world economy. She said “there will be winners and losers, but on a net basis it’s good news for the global economy,” she said in Washington recently while commenting over the declining oil prices and of last Organization of …

  Born of the parents that soon divorced after his birth, the bespectacled master central banker Alan Greenspan carries the baggage of a chequered reputation in the backdrop of 2008 crisis. When talking about him, people take to the two sides of the argument — some calling him “an antiregulatory zealot”, some respecting him as the “growth-oriented president of the Fed.” But almost all of them put at least “some …

  Creation of WTO and arriving at the agreement to give all countries equal opportunities ushered a new era in international trade. Simultaneously, different trade groups emerged to ensure collective wellbeing, NAFTA was the first to emerge, that was followed by European Union (EU) and the story continued. From Pakistan’s perspective it is member of ECO and SAARC but both these blocs have remained muted. RCD was broadened and given …

  Unrealistic revenue targets weigh on trade and industry growth It rightly said that the budget is the most powerful fiscal instruments at the disposal of the government to implement political commitment and development agenda made public during electioneering campaigns; however the story takes a turn when a political party voted to power. Almost every democratically elected government made promises rather tall claims to take care of Public Sector Development …

  Since beginning of privatization process, the successive governments have successfully sold out a large number of public sector entities and also divested government holdings but a question often arises, why the government is selling its stake in profit making entities and still holding loss making entities? There will always be buyers for good performing entities, which are also a major source of income for the government. Top of the …