Category: Highlights

An analysis by Rystad Energy projects overall oil and gas investments will rise 4 percent to $628 billion this year from $602 billion in 2021. A significant factor behind the increase is a 14 percent increase in upstream gas and LNG investments. These segments will be the fastest-growing this year, with a jump in investments from $131 billion in 2021 to around $149 billion in 2022. Although this falls short of pre-pandemic totals, investments in the sector are expected to surpass 2019 levels of $168 billion in just two years,…

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National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Wednesday deferred a public hearing regarding Quarterly Tariff Adjustment (QTA) for first quarter (July-September) 2021-22 due to “inexact” figures of power Distribution Companies (Discos). Presided over by Nepra Chairman Tauseef H Farooqi, the Authority received a briefing from Nepra’s own team and a couple of Discos. However, when CPPA-G representative Naveed noted that the figures for QTA sent by the Discos are Rs11 billion less than the statistics shared by the Discos Chairman, Nepra questioned if Discos had shared accurate numbers. Discos, in…

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The Pakistani rupee fell from 152 rupees to the dollar in May 2021, the rate used for budget projections, to 179 rupees to the dollar and then recovered to 176.51 rupees on 7 January 2021. There is a perception in this country that the rupee value is market-based, as part of the staff- level agreement on 12 May 2019 between Pakistan’s then economic team leaders — Dr Hafeez Sheikh, de facto finance minister and Dr Reza Baqir, Governor State Bank of Pakistan — with the International Monetary Fund; however, this…

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The government has launched an ambitious plan for transformation of the agriculture sector. It has embarked upon a short-term plan for the growth of agriculture sector, whereas long-term perspective plan is underway. Several measures have been adapted in this context. The State Bank of Pakistan has set the agriculture credit target of Rs1.7 trillion for the year 2022-23. Farm modernisation and mechanisation is a crucial element of the programme, considered essential for enhanced crop productivity and diversification, aiming at national food security. Therefore, to encourage manufacturing of affordable tractors domestically,…

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The Khan administration has tabled two controversial bills in the two houses of parliament – 343 billion rupees money bill though its passage was required by a majority only in the lower house and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) amendment bill that envisages its autonomy – prior conditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and agreed on 24 November 2021 by the country’s economic team leaders – Shaukat Tarin, appointed Minister of Finance on 16 April 2021 and Dr Reza Baqir, Governor State Bank of Pakistan appointed on…

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