Day: April 8, 2021

Prime Minister Imran Khan while remarking on (the United Nations Development Programme’s) UNDP’s Pakistan National Human Development Report stated it is time for a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) package given the economic disruptions ahead due to a “very scary” third wave of Covid-19. These sentiments, be they coincidental or by design, mirror the sentiments expressed in a report titled ‘Pakistan Development Update’ released by the World Bank the same day wherein it was stated that “Pakistan’s economic growth is expected to recover slowly, given heightened uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19…

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As a nation, Pakistan reigns as master of its potential yet buckles in the face of prevailing challenges. The country is confronted by uncertain geo-political realities. It shares borders with nations that are home to the second- and third-largest defence budgets globally, while the world’s lone superpower and biggest military spender retains key interests in the region. Closer to home, trade imbalances and debt intricacies continue to be a factor in macro-economic conversations. Elsewhere, UN projections regarding Pakistan’s ongoing population explosion makes for grim reading. The world body predicts: by…

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The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has Wednesday announced a revision in the imported LNG prices for the month of April hiking $0.17 for the Sui Northern system and $0.16 for the Southern, ARY News reported. For the month of April, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) shall sell the imported gas against $9.763 per unit, according to the notification while for the Sui Southern Gas Company, the per unit rates will be $9.477 from now on. The previous rates were $9.59/unit and $9.31/unit for SNGPL and SSGC respectively…

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In the last 9 months, the national flag carrier – the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) – has suffered a loss of over Rs19billion on account of a ban imposed on its flight operation by the European Union (EU) primarily due to the negligence of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Sources in the PIA said the airline has to incur a loss of Rs2.2billion every month since July 2020 when the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (Easa) placed a six-month ban on the PIA flights in the wake of PIA plane…

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We may not know much about when it will be safe to resume traveling internationally, or how soon after that countries will begin to lift travel restrictions. What we do know is that travel will be fundamentally different on the other side. Airlines, airports, cruise lines, and hotels will all need to develop and adhere to new guidelines about social distancing, cleaning, and food service. Transparency, which hasn’t been the industry’s strongest suit—think ineffective travel insurance policies and cryptic passenger protection rules—will become essential. And companies will need to shift…

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