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  • PM Imran invites Chinese companies to invest in Pakistan

    PM Imran invites Chinese companies to invest in Pakistan

    BEIJING (China): Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday invited Chinese companies to invest in Pakistan and take benefit from the business-friendly policies of the government.

    The prime minister, who held a series of meetings with the executives of Chinese State-owned and private corporate sectors, said Pakistan was offering conducive environment for investment in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

    READ MORE: Prime Minister Imran kicks off visit to China

    In his remarks, the prime minister appreciated the keen interest of the Chinese companies to invest in Pakistan.

    The executives who met the prime minister included leadership of China Communication Construction Company (CCCC), Huazhong Technology, Zhejiang Seaport Group, Challenge Apparel, Hunan Sunwalk Group, Royal Group, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), Zhengbang Group and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC).

    READ MORE: PM Imran terms exports, tax collection must for growth

    The corporate leaders briefed the prime minister on the progress of their on-going projects in Pakistan.

    They evinced keen interest in expanding investments in Pakistan in projects related to recycling of metals and paper, energy, textile, fibre-optics networks, housing, dairy and water management.

    READ MORE: Timelines for CPEC projects should be adhered to: PM

    The CCCC is a leading global construction and infrastructure development company; Huazhong Technology, specialises in integrated papermaking equipment; Zhejiang Seaport Group is one of China’s largest port operator; Challenge Fashions is a leading textile company; Hunan Sunwalk’s core business is in communications, 3D printing and construction; Royal Group is China’s largest buffalo milk producer; CRBC focuses in civil engineering and construction projects; Zhengbang Group is Jiangxi Province’s largest agricultural enterprise; and CMEC is one of Chinese top agro-industrial machinery company.

    The prime minister was joined in the meetings by federal ministers, advisers and senior officials.

    READ MORE: Work on CPEC projects in full swing: Asad Umar

  • Dollar plunges by PKR 1.04 in interbank

    Dollar plunges by PKR 1.04 in interbank

    KARACHI: The US dollar plunged by Pak Rupee (PKR) 1.04 to Rs174.48 in the interbank foreign exchange market on Friday.

    The rupee ended Rs174.48 to the dollar from previous day’s closing of Rs175.52 in the interbank foreign exchange market.

    READ MORE: PKR up 89 paisas to dollar as IMF okays Pak tranche

    The rupee is gradually making recovery against the dollar for the last eight consecutive days. The local currency recovered Rs2.50 against the dollar since recording at Rs176.98 to the dollar on January 26, 2022.

    READ MORE: Rupee gains two paisas against dollar

    Currency experts said that the rupee remained positive during the day after the decision of the IMF Executive Board to release $1 billion 6th tranche of EFF program for Pakistan.

    Analysts said that the transfer of IMF tranche would help the country to boost foreign exchange reserves and support the local currency.

    READ MORE: Dollar falls by 29 paisas against PKR

    The foreign exchange reserves of the country deteriorated sharply. Pakistan’s liquid foreign exchange reserves fell by $482 million to $22.085 billion by week ended January 28, 2022 as against $22.482 billion by week ended January 21, 2022.

    READ MORE: Dollar slips five paisas to PKR

  • Saudi oil facility for Pakistan to start soon

    Saudi oil facility for Pakistan to start soon

    ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia to operationalize soon the oil facility to Pakistan, it was agreed at a meeting on Thursday.

    Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Islamabad Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Malkiy called on the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Omar Ayub Khan in his office on Thursday.

    READ MORE: KSA extends oil on deferred payments to Pakistan

    During the meeting, it was agreed to operationalize the Saudi Oil Facility at the earliest.

    The Financing Agreement worth $ 1.2 billion for import for petroleum products was signed on November 29, 2021 between the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and Economic Affairs Division (EAD), Pakistan.

    As per Financing Agreement, the SFD will extend financing facility up to $100 million per month for one-year for purchase of petroleum products on deferred payment basis.

    Both the sides discussed ongoing development projects and new initiatives.

    READ MORE: SBP signs $3bn deposit agreement with Saudi Fund

    The Minister for Economic Affairs appreciated the Saudi support in the priority development areas, said a press release received here today.

    They also discussed the remaining work of development projects in the earthquake affected areas of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

    Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) is providing financial assistance for various development projects in the areas of Energy, Health, Education and Infrastructure.

    Most recently, the SFD has committed to provide financing for Mohmand Dam Project, Shounter Hydropower Project, Jagran-IV Hydropower Project, Gravity Flow Water Scheme Mansehra, and Abbottabad- Muzaffarabad Road Project.

    The Saudi Ambassador assured of continued support at all level to further strengthen the bilateral economic cooperation between the two brotherly countries.

    The Saudi Ambassador expressed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is committed to play a much stronger role in the socioeconomic development of Pakistan.

  • Prime Minister Imran kicks off visit to China

    Prime Minister Imran kicks off visit to China

    ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday kicked off a four-day visit to China. Prime Minister Imran will attend the ceremony of Winter Olympics and meet the Chinese leadership.

    The prime minister’s delegation included Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, Planning Minister Asad Umar, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yousaf, Commerce Adviser Abdul Razak Dawood and Special Assistant on China Pakistan Economic Corridor Khalid Mansoor.

    READ MORE: PM Imran terms exports, tax collection must for growth

    The prime minister besides attending the ceremony of Beijing Winter Olympics will meet President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

    Prior to departure, the accompanying ministers termed the prime minister’s visit to China of great significance.

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said PM Khan’s meeting with the Chinese leadership would focus on bilateral strategic partnership, regional matters, and peace and security in South Asia.

    READ MORE: PM Imran Khan announces food subsidy package

    Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin said the prime minister during the visit would propose the Chinese leadership to relocate their industry in Pakistan’s Special Economic Zones for a win-win situation besides extending assistance in agriculture.

    National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yousaf said the visit would provide an opportunity to discuss ways to improve peace in Afghanistan to end terrorism.

    READ MORE: PM Imran launches landmark Karachi BRTS project

    Commerce Adviser Dawood said the meetings would the Chinese counterparts would focus on some areas of Free Trade Agreement and trade of cement, rice, fruit and vegetables.

    During the visit of PM Khan, a book titled ‘China Pakistan Economic Corridor – Investment Opportunities in Pakistan’ will be presented to the Chinese president, premier and investors.

  • FBR freezes accounts of top banker for tax recovery

    FBR freezes accounts of top banker for tax recovery

    The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has taken stringent action against a top banker by attaching three of his bank accounts for tax recovery.

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  • IMF board approves $1.059 billion tranche for Pakistan

    IMF board approves $1.059 billion tranche for Pakistan

    ISLAMABAD: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday approved sixth tranche under $6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for Pakistan.

    Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin announced this in a Tweet. “I am pleased to announce that IMF Board has approved 6th tranche of their program for Pakistan.”

    https://twitter.com/shaukat_tarin/status/1488928059562545159

    Pakistan will get around $1.059 billion after the IMF Board approval. The IMF on November 21, 2021 stated that its staff had completed the sixth review and the release of next tranche was subject to approval from the executive board, which was to be scheduled to meet on January 12, 2021.

    READ MORE: IMF wants Pakistan to improve tax to GDP ratio to 20%

    The IMF also linked the approval of the next tranche with certain conditions, including autonomy of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and withdrawal of tax exemptions to the tune of around Rs350 billion.

    READ MORE: Pakistan to emerge as food surplus country: PM Imran

    Pakistan had requested to extend the date for scheduled meeting of the IMF board up to January 28, 2022 and later it was further requested to extend up to February 02, 2022.

    READ MORE: IMF intervention to add economic miseries of Pakistan

    In meantime, the government presented and got approval the Finance (Supplementary) Act, 2022 and SBP Amendment Act to comply with the conditions of the IMF.

    Analysts said that the transfer of latest IMF tranche would help the country to improve foreign exchange reserves besides it would also support the Pak Rupee (PKR).

    READ MORE: SBP responds to misconceptions on amendments to State Bank Bill

  • Pakistan’s trade deficit widens by 92% in seven months

    Pakistan’s trade deficit widens by 92% in seven months

    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s trade deficit has widened by 92 per cent during first seven months (July – January) of fiscal year 2021/2022, official statistics revealed on Wednesday.

    The trade deficit ballooned to $28.8 billion during the first seven months of the current fiscal year as compared with $15 billion in the corresponding months of the last fiscal year, according to data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

    READ MORE: Pakistan’s trade deficit swells by 100% in 1HFY22

    The exports exhibited a growth of 24 per cent to $17.67 billion during the period under review as compared with $14.25 billion in the same period of the last fiscal year.

    Meanwhile, the import bill of the country surged by 59 per cent to $46.47 billion during first seven months of the current fiscal year as compared with $29.25 billion in the corresponding months of the last fiscal year.

    READ MORE: Pakistan’s trade deficit widens by 112% to $20.59 billion

    The trade deficit widened by 26.49 per cent to $3.36 billion in the month of January 2022 as compared with the deficit of $2.66 billion in the same month of the last year.

    The exports increased by 18.69 per cent to $2.55 billion in January 2022 as compared with $2.145 billion in the same month of the last year.

    Similarly, the imports grew by 23 per cent to $5.9 billion in the month of January 2022 as compared with $4.8 billion in the same month of the last year.

    READ MORE: Pakistan’s import bill surges by 65% in four months

    However, imports registered a massive decline of 22 per cent to $5.9 billion in January 2022 as compared with $7.58 billion in the month of December 2021.

    Similarly, exports fell by 8 per cent to $2.54 billion in January 2022 as compared with $2.76 billion in the previous month.

    The trade deficit recorded a decline of 30 per cent to $3.36 billion in January 2022 as compared with the deficit of $4.81 billion in December 2021.

    READ MORE: Pakistan’s trade deficit doubles in first quarter

  • FBR postpones new property valuation till February 28

    FBR postpones new property valuation till February 28

    ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Wednesday postponed the implementation of new and revised valuation of immovable properties till February 28, 2022.

    The FBR said that new and revised valuation tables of immovable properties issued on December 01, 2021 would remain in abeyance till February 28, 2022 and those valuation tables would be re-notified on March 01, 2022.

    The FBR on December 01, 2021 issued fresh and updated valuation tables for around 40 major cities of the country. However, the FBR deferred the implementation of the new valuations of immovable properties till January 15, 2022 and further deferred till January 31, 2022.

    The FBR on December 01, 2021 issued fresh and upward revised valuation tables for immovable properties located in 40 major cities of the country.

    READ MORE: FBR issues new, revised tables of property valuation

    The revenue body decision to defer the implementation came after several complaints received by the FBR those were pertaining to high valuation in the new tables.

    The complaints were lodged by stakeholders including real estate agents and town developers, who pointed out extraordinary rise in property rates in the latest valuation tables.

    The FBR issued detailed instructions to the tax offices on the procedure to be adopted to review the anomalies in the property rates and rationalize the same.

    READ MORE: FBR’s new, old valuation tables for Karachi properties

    Accordingly, it has been decided to review and revisit the notified valuation tables wherever overvaluation or undervaluation is pointed out by a stakeholder.

    The FBR asked all the Chief Commissioners Inland Revenue (CCIRs) to constitute Valuation Review Committees (VRCs), and notify them by December 10, 2021.

    Any stakeholder having any reservations about valuations may lodge a representation before VRC by December 15, 2021. Chief Commissioners will undertake consultative process with the stakeholders and engage SBP’s approved valuers for determination of values, which could be either more or less than the lately notified valuations.

    To issue the fresh and revised valuation tables, the FBR exercised its powers vested in the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001. The aim was to bring the FBR values at par with the fair market values.

    However, certain objections from stakeholders highlighted anomalies and aberrations in the newly notified valuation tables. Although, the notified valuations have been arrived at by FBR Field Formations through a rigorous consultative process and wherefore have largely been well-received, yet the possibility of error cannot be ruled out, and the same cannot be taken as carved in stone.

    The VRCs shall decide upon the representations by January 10, 2022, and forward the same to FBR for notification. All recommendations made by VRCs vis-à-vis revaluations shall be re-notified on January 15, 2022, which shall come into force on January 16, 2022. In the meantime, SRO No.1534-1572(I)/2021 dated 01.12.2021 are held in abeyance to allow registration of the in-process transactions.

  • Industry protests against gas shortage at SSGC

    Industry protests against gas shortage at SSGC

    KARACHI: Hundreds of demonstrators on Wednesday gathered outside the head office of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) to demand immediate restoration of gas supply to industry.

    The demonstrators included the leadership of Businessmen Group and Karachi Chamber along with Presidents/ Representatives of All Industrial Town Associations and sector-specific trade associations.

    They warned that this campaign to demand immediate restoration of gas supply at all the industrial zones would continue and may intensify further with each passing day until gas supply to all the industrial units is fully restored and normalized.

    READ MORE: PM appealed restoring gas to Karachi industrial zones

    Accompanied by prominent business figures, Chairman BMG Zubair Motiwala, Vice Chairman BMG Jawed Bilwani and President KCCI Muhammad Idrees expressed deep concerns over government’s inattentive attitude towards resolving the most pressing issue being suffered by the business and industrial community of Karachi where the industrialists were suffering huge losses due to no gas or low pressure.

    The industrialists of Karachi were totally stunned and disappointed to see government’s sheer negligence in response to press releases, appeals and also a recent press conference over looming gas/ RLNG crises being suffered since last more than 100 days.

    READ MORE: KCCI holds awareness seminar on Pakistan Single Window

    They said that losses of up to Rs45 billion were being suffered each day due to unavailability of gas to Karachi, which despite facing so many challenges at almost all the fronts, continues to contribute more than 68 percent revenue to the national exchequer, 54 percent to national exports while 52 percent of textile exports also take place from Karachi.

    While referring to erroneous allocation of 211 mmcfd gas from Sindh’s resources to SNGPL, BMG and KCCI Leadership demanded that in order to revive the industrial activities in Karachi, Sindh’s gas has to be returned to the province as it was highly unfair to keep the industries of Karachi deprived of Sindh’s own gas resources.

    They said that the rising demand for gas in Baluchistan during winter season was being fulfilled by SSGCL alone which receives 125mmcfd gas from Sui whereas SNGPL, which takes away 180mmcfd from Sui, stands completely spared from sharing the burden of rising gas demand in Baluchistan which was beyond anyone’s understanding.

    READ MORE: KCCI urges SBP to restore PKR at Rs150 to dollar

    They stressed that the rising demand for gas in Baluchistan has to be meted out by SSGCL and SNGPL as per ratio of gas being received by them which means that the extra demand of 160mmcfd in Baluchistan during winter should be rationally divided with 41 percent (65mmcfd) burden on SSGCL and the remaining 59 percent (95mmcfd) must be borne by SNGPL.

    They were of the opinion that gas has to be supplied without any differentiation to all the industries including General, SMEs and export-oriented industries as they all go hand-in-hand. The government has to realize that the general industries were an integral part of the value chain for exports which drive the economy.

    READ MORE: KCCI flays restoration of IR officers bank freezing powers

    In the national interest, BMG and KCCI Leadership appealed Prime Minister Imran Khan to take immediate cognizance of the situation and urgently respond to the Constitutional Right of the business community of Karachi to save the investment of industrialists and protect the soft and positive image of Pakistan globally, otherwise, if such alarming situation prevails, the country may face unrest and uncertainty due to closure of industries in Karachi, massive layoffs and drastic decline in the national exchequer further leading to chaos.

  • Tarin launches automated currency declaration system

    Tarin launches automated currency declaration system

    ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin launched automated currency declaration system at Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Headquarter here on Tuesday.

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