Unlocking foundational revenue
I often explain the idea of a three tiered federation as a three storied structure. Just as a structure would not be stable without...
The bitter aftertaste of FED on Pakistan’s juice industry
In face of the need to broaden our tax net, the government imposed a flat 20% Federal Excise Duty (FED) on fruit juices beverages...
Why isn’t the PTA worried about the data of Pakistani citizens being misused?
As Pakistanis’ digital footprint grows, so do the threats to the confidential details of its citizens. Without data protection laws in place, bad actors in India may be able to misuse Pakistani citizens’ private data that they should not even have access to
The need for farmer cooperatives in Pakistan
As the economy goes through a structural transformation, farmer cooperatives are more important than ever before
Bond spreads rise with political risk
Pakistan has a long history in global capital markets. The country’s first international bond dates to late 1994 when $150mn was raised at a...
If equity injection is a drug, Microfinance Banks are an addict
Sponsors step in as MFBs grapple with capitalization crunch
Here’s how we fix Pakistan’s SOE problem
Privatization or legislation, we must address the root of the problem
The start-up culture is causing Pakistanis (& Wapistanis) to dream
Rising inflation, declining foreign reserves, energy shortages, political instability – These headlines make a grim reading for any investor. But in all the negativity...
Trouble at the power plants
In the last few weeks, there have been a slew of reports about plant failures and power assets going offline one after the other...
A policy abyss
Pakistan is stuck in a low-growth trap. The population is growing at a rate of 2.5 percent per annum, while economic growth remains sluggish,...
Stocktaking of power sector challenges in NEPRA State of Industry Report
NEPRA released its State of Industry Report 2022 (SIR) on 30th September, 2022. This year's addition is particularly significant due to multiple key events...
Chicken and affordable protein
The price of broiler chicken has increased to more than Rs 400 per kg lately, largely due to supply chain constraints, and a complete...
How depositors lose out on Islamic savings accounts
The increase in interest rates to almost all-time high levels, coupled with a super tax on bank profits, as well as an arbitrary tax...
Living on the edge
Pakistani start-ups face a difficult future as international venture capital funds dry up
Price Fixing
The government is obsessed with fixing prices, whether that be of the most basic staples, fuel, or medicine – it wants to meddle in...


















