Connect with us

Business

Export-led growth cure for country’s economic woes: Ahsan Iqbal

Published

on

Export-led growth cure for country's economic woes: Ahsan Iqbal

Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Prof. Ahsan Iqbal on Friday said that export-led growth is the cure for our economic woes for boosting the country’s economic growth.

The Ministry for Planning Development and Special Initiatives will recommend to Prime Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif that an export emergency should be declared to take the country out of economic quagmire; said the Minister for planning, while meeting the top Pakistani exporters, said a press release issued here.

The meeting was attended by the Exporters Representatives from Steel, Pharmaceutical and Textile sectors, who also apprised the minister about the problems faced by them in the course of doing business and exporting indigenous products abroad.

The Minister while assuring them about the full-fledged support of the Government remarked that we will provide all-out support to the Industrial sector for resolving their issues.

He also asserted that the business community should present to the Government of any red-tapism or any other bottlenecks in the way of undertaking any venture, “we will cut Red Tape”, said the Minister.

He added that the incumbent Government is pursuing a business-friendly policy and promoting a conducive environment for entrepreneurs.

Advertisement

The Minister said that in the past, we learnt to consume instead of earning. He also said that the survival of the country depends on the premise that whether we can enhance our exports from $32 billion to $100 billion in the shortest possible time. The Government stands with the Industrial sector to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and to push Exports.

The Minister offered the platform of the Ministry of Planning and Development to the private sector for assisting in the resolution of their problems.

The Minister lamented that CPEC provided us a golden opportunity to turn-around the economy of Pakistan but the opportunity was squandered due to the bad economic policies of the previous regime.

However, we are committed to reviving the CPEC Project. He added that China imports $2250 Billion worth of goods out of which Pakistan has a meager share of $ 3 billion, which is dismal.

The Minister laid emphasis to target the Chinese market and increase market share in the US and European markets so that a progressive export-led economy can be realized adding that the Government will support the industrial sector to meet the challenges of global competitiveness.

The Minister said that vision 2010 and Vision 2025 envisioned revamping the Economic structure and bringing prosperity and development in Pakistan but unfortunately Political instability derailed the journey of progress.

Advertisement

Business

Dollar muted as traders await Fed rate decision

Dollar muted as traders await Fed rate decision

Published

on

By

Dollar muted as traders await Fed rate decision

The dollar was pinned near five-week lows on Wednesday ahead of the conclusion of the US Federal Reserve’s policy meeting, with investors awaiting clarity on the path the central bank is likely to take in the wake of global banking turmoil.

Investor attention is zeroed in on whether the Fed will stick to its hawkish path to fight sticky inflation or pause interest rate hikes given recent trouble among banks which has included bankruptcy and last-minute rescues.

The US dollar index, which measures the currency against six peers, was at 103.19, just above the five-week low of 102.99 touched overnight. The euro was at $1.0770, hovering around a five-week high of $1.0789 scaled overnight.

Markets are now pricing in about a 15% chance of the Fed not increasing rates, with a roughly 85% chance of a 25 basis point hike, showed the CME FedWatch tool. Just a month earlier, the market was pricing in a 24% chance of a 50 basis point hike.

Advertisement

Investor sentiment remained fragile with worries over the outlook for the banking sector starting to ease after sharp volatility in the market in the past few weeks following high-profile U.S. banking failures earlier in the month and the rescue of lender Credit Suisse Group AG at the weekend.

“Markets are seemingly becoming more comfortable with the idea that authorities have probably done enough to prevent a systemic banking crisis,” said Rodrigo Catril, a senior currency strategist at National Australia Bank in Sydney.

“It might be early days, but the price action over the past 48 hours is certainly signalling a change in mood by investors.”

The Fed meeting concludes on Wednesday with the 2 pm EDT (1800 GMT) release of a policy statement followed half an hour later by a news conference by Chair Jerome Powell.

Catril said the Fed faces a difficult choice given a strong labour market alongside February inflation figures that were higher than many market watchers expected. Such circumstances would usually be ripe for a return to a 50 basis point hike were it not for worries over financial stability, he said.

Advertisement

Christopher Wong, currency strategist at OCBC, said the focus will be on how the Fed communicates its forward guidance, in particular “the higher for longer” rhetoric.

“Ideally, we would like the Fed to go with a 25 basis point hike this meeting, tone down hawkish guidance and emphasize that policy decisions at subsequent meetings will continue to be data-dependent,” Wong said. “This wishlist should see dollar trade on the softer profile and risk proxies trade steadily.”

Meanwhile, the yen strengthened 0.04% to 132.47 per dollar, whereas sterling was last trading at $1.2233, up 0.16% on the day.

The Australian dollar rose 0.36% to $0.6694, while the New Zealand dollar gained 0.11% to $0.6199.

In cryptocurrencies, bitcoin last rose 0.44% to $28,276.58, but was below a nine-month peak it touched on Monday.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Business

Sui Northern to take special initiatives to ensure uninterrupted gas supply in Ramzan

Sui Northern to take special initiatives to ensure uninterrupted gas supply in Ramzan

Published

on

By

Sui Northern to take special initiatives to ensure uninterrupted gas supply in Ramzan

Sui Northern Gas has announced special initiatives to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to its consumers during the holy month of Ramzan.

The company will be undertaking immediate measures to ensure gas supply with full pressure. SNGPL spokesperson, in a statement, said that domestic consumers will be ensured gas supply with full pressure particularly between 2:30 to 6am and 4 to 9pm.

Spokesperson also stated that company will also ensure natural gas supply other than the mentioned timings. SNGPL has also constituted monitoring teams for immediate resolution of complaints regarding gas pressure.

Additionally monitoring room is being established for gas supply related complaints. SNGPL has requested consumers to consume natural gas wisely during the month of Ramzan.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Business

Bitcoin climbs to 9-month high as bank turmoil sparks rally

Bitcoin climbs to 9-month high as bank turmoil sparks rally

Published

on

By

Bitcoin climbs to 9-month high as bank turmoil sparks rally

 Bitcoin climbed to a nine-month high on Monday as turmoil in the banking sector drives some investors to turn to digital assets, as the cryptocurrency built on its best week in four years.

The biggest cryptocurrency rose as far as $28,567, its highest since mid-June, and was last up 0.9%, amid growing expectations that central banks would slow the pace of interest rate hikes.

Bitcoin rose 26% last week, its best weekly gain since April 2019, and has soared some 40% in 10 days as turmoil in the banking sector rippled around the globe – culminating, so far, in UBS Group’s takeover of rival Credit Suisse Group AG over the weekend.

Traditional assets such as banking stocks and bonds plummeted on Monday after UBS sealed its state-backed takeover of Credit Suisse, a deal orchestrated in an attempt to restore confidence in a battered sector.

Advertisement

Top central banks, faced with the risk of a fast-moving loss of confidence in the stability of the financial system, moved on Sunday to bolster the flow of cash around the world. Such a global response has not seen since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Its stunning rally is the result of the banking crisis, and as the interest rate markets prices in rate cuts in the second half of 2023,” said Tony Sycamore, an analyst at IG Markets, predicting a move towards $32,000 should bitcoin hold above the key support level about $25,000.

Other market players predicted that bitcoin would benefit from central bank efforts to bolster liquidity in the global financial system. It rose to a record of $69,000 in November 2021 after central banks and governments launched unprecedented monetary and fiscal stimulus measures.

“The momentum is all driven by liquidity,” said Markus Thielson at digital asset firm Matrixport in Singapore.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © GLOBAL TIMES PAKISTAN