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Indian growth at a nine years’ low
FOR a government that has been unable to come out with any major policy decisions or reform initiatives during the…
Balancing populism with fiscal deficit
IT was a populist budget by all means — a reflection of election politics. Despite known key challenges facing the…
Hard realities ignored
THE current budget presented by the harassed finance minister to the National Assembly on Friday does not give a sense…
Tax breaks to cut cost of doing business
THE Large-scale tax breaks proposed in the federal budget for the next fiscal year must reduce the surging cost of…
Setting strategic direction
WITH the second budget after the 18th Amendment and provinces fully empowered for their agriculture development, it may be time…
More growers to get subsidy on tractors
THE Sindh government will continue to provide subsidy on tractors for farmers as part of a number of agriculture-related schemes…
Farmers’ expectations
THE enormous food deficit in Khyber Pakthtunkhwa necessitates that agriculture should be at the centre of the provincial development strategy,…
Differing estimates of wheat crop
THE Punjab government concluded its procurement on the stipulated deadline of May 30 after a purchase of 2.9 million tons…
Populism to trump prudence
POPULISM is set to trump prudence in the budget exercises in the election year. The trend will probably be more…
World commodities
Oil
IN the New York market, crude oil futures dropped on May 31 by more than one per cent, ending…
Funds assured for coal gasification
RECOGNISING the significance of the underground coal gasification process at Thar for developing indigenous energy sources, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza…
Plans for online tax collection
SINDH will embark on a new phase of computerisation of tax collection from July 1, 2013 by extending online facility…
Bloated development targets, faltering implementation
Given Sindh’s current low development spending, the directive given by the provincial chief minister to his economic team to increase…
Punjab mulling tax reforms
PUNJAB’s revenue budget for the next financial year projected to be 16 per cent heftier than this year’s original estimate…
Decline in Balochistan’s development spending
Increasing public spending on development to stimulate economic growth in the province for eradicating poverty will be the most serious…
Lower federal transfers raise KP’s fiscal deficit
THE reduced federal transfer of funds including from the federal divisible pool to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa may increase its budget deficit…
Target-fixing model ‘a thing of the past’
ON the back of missed macroeconomic targets, the government has now finalised three-year ‘Medium-Term Economic Outlook 2013-15’ setting ‘rolling targets…
Weakening fiscal and monetary coordination
WILL the ‘populist’ budget approach be helpful in forging closer fiscal and monetary coordination to combat inflation and stimulate economic…
Unrealistic tax revenue target
“WE, as a nation, have not been successful in mobilising revenues,” regretted Finance Minister Dr Hafeez Shaikh while presenting taxation…
No surprises for stock market
INVESTORS in equities who had scrambled to buy shares on Friday hoping to hear some extraordinary investment promotion measures for…
