Agri-loans worth Rs 663.9 billion released, disbursements to reach Rs 800 billion by end December
Minister for National Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema said agriculture loans worth Rs 663.9 billion were released during the month of November 2022 and it was expected that the loan disbursement would reach Rs 800 billion by the end of the current month (December). Addressing a press conference, he said that the agriculture…
Adil Aziz
‘Approaching 100 Starlinks active in Iran’: Elon Musk
The satellite-based broadband service could help Iranians circumvent the government’s restrictions on accessing the internet and certain social media platforms amid protests around the country SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Monday that the company is now close to having 100 active Starlinks, the firm’s satellite internet service, in Iran, three months after he…
Pakistan, Uzbekistan agree to implement PTA from Feb 1
Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar said that the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between Pakistan and Uzbekistan would be implemented from February 1, 2023. Today, during the visit of Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Khodjaev Jamshid Abdukhakimovich, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of the bilateral agreement was also…
Sarsabz joins farmers to celebrate fourth Kissan Day
Sarsabz Fertilizer, the flagship brand of Fatima Fertilizer, joined thousands of farmers on December 22 to celebrate the fourth Kissan Day during a special ceremony hosted at Fatima Fertilizer’s plant in Multan which was attended by a large gathering of farmers which also included Mr. Khalid Khokhar, President of Pakistan Kissan Ittehad, Dr. Anjum Ali,…
Asia: Markets track Wall Street down as recession worries return
ASIAN markets fell again on Friday (Dec 23) after forecast-beating US data fuelled expectations that the Federal Reserve will lift interest rates well into next year. A glum warning from top chipmaker Micron and worries about China’s surging Covid cases added to the less-than-Christmassy mood on trading floors. Investors have been on a roller coaster…
S&P decreases Pakistan’s credit score from B- to CCC+
S&P Global Ratings has downgraded Pakistan’s credit score due to the series of shocks — from flooding to surging inflation — that has deteriorated the country’s external, fiscal and economic metrics. The nation’s credit score was downgraded from B- to CCC+ by S&P, which expects Pakistan’s dwindling foreign reserves to remain under pressure in the coming year, just as political…
SECP Constitutes new benches for expeditious disposal of appeals
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, subsequent to appointment of three Commissioners by the Federal Government, completing its quorum of Commissioners, has sanctioned its approval to constitute new Benches, to hear appeals under Section 33 of the SECP Act, 1997. The Commission had been operating with only 2 Commissioners in the past year, which…
Governor SBP urges banks to support agriculture sector to recover from devastation of floods
Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Mr. Jameel Ahmad, while chairing the annual meeting of Agricultural Credit Advisory Committee (ACAC) in Hyderabad referred to the devastation caused by recent floods and observed that climate change is the biggest long-term threat to the country due to its unforeseen impacts. He added that while the government, businesses…
Pakistan clinches 2nd position in ‘Huawei ICT Competition 2022’
Pakistan has clinched second position in the Huawei Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Competition 2022 held in Muscat, Oman. According to the statistics, 12,000 students from 135 universities attempted the nationwide test in which two teams comprising six students qualified for the Middle East Regional Finals from Pakistan. Pakistan Team One including Team Lead Faeez…
TikTok steps up efforts to clinch US security deal
POPULAR short-video app TikTok is offering to operate more of its business at arm’s length and subject it to outside scrutiny as it tries to convince the US government to allow it to remain under the ownership of Chinese technology company ByteDance, according to people familiar with the matter. TikTok has been seeking to assure US…