Experts clear CDC investment
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has approved the proposed investment by the Central Depository Company of Pakistan Ltd (CDC) in Naymat Collateral Management Company Ltd (NCMCL) following a Phase-I review conducted under the Competition Act 2010.
CDC had submitted a pre-merger application to the Commission under Section 11 of the act, seeking approval for the subscription of additional ordinary shares in NCMCL.
Following a competition assessment, the commission authorised the transaction, allowing CDC to acquire additional shareholding in the company.
CDC, established in 1993, is one of Pakistan’s key capital market institutions, providing electronic custody of securities, settlement facilitation and related depository services.
Import push current account back into deficit
Pakistan’s external account slipped back into deficit in April 2026 as a sharp rise in imports outpaced export growth, highlighting renewed pressure on the country’s balance of payments despite strong remittance inflows and improving services exports.
According to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the country posted a current account deficit of $324 million in April 2026, compared with a marginal deficit of $12 million in the same month last year. On a month-on-month basis, the deterioration was also significant after the country recorded a surplus in March. The latest reading brought the cumulative current account position in the first ten months of FY26 to a deficit of $252 million, against a surplus of $1.66 billion in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year.
Analysts said the deterioration mainly stemmed from a strong rebound in imports amid improving domestic demand, easing restrictions on inflows and higher global commodity prices.
Brokerage house Arif Habib Limited (AHL) noted that the widening deficit was driven by an 11.4 percent year-on-year increase in total imports, which significantly exceeded the 3.4 percent growth in exports during April. Total imports stood at $6.9 billion in April, compared with about $6.2 billion a year earlier, while exports increased to $3.47 billion from $3.36 billion in April 2025.
PKR6-per-unit tariff shock averted
The government on Monday claimed to have rescued consumers from up to Rs6-per-unit electricity tariff hike following timely interventions to arrange liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies.
It projected that consumers may instead receive a nominal relief of 20 paisa per unit in June bills against the anticipated tariff increase due to a hike in fuel prices and shortage of LNG for power generation.
Pakistan arranged LNG cargoes through spot market and the resumption of LNG shipments from Qatar on a contract basis.
“Owing to timely state interventions, astute policy decisions and moderate load management, the federal government has shielded electricity consumers from a projected tariff hike of Rs5-6 per unit for the billing month of June 2026,” said the Power Division in a statement.
Despite an acute shortage of re-gasified LNG (RLNG), triggered by the regional conflict (the US-Iran war), an unprecedented surge in international fuel prices and the forced generation of electricity using expensive fuel oil, the government’s policy continuity and rigorous mitigation measures would prevent any upward revision in June’s electricity bills, it said. On the contrary, “consumers are projected to receive a nominal relief of up to 20 paisa per unit.”
RLNG plays a pivotal role in Pakistan’s power generation infrastructure. In the reference tariff, the price of RLNG was projected against the Brent crude price of $70 per barrel; however, in April 2026, Brent surged to $120 per barrel.
Tech exports rise 33pc to $423m
Pakistan’s technology exports maintained strong momentum in April 2026, rising 33 percent year-on-year to $423 million from $317 million in the same month last year, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported on Monday.
Trend data from several research houses showed technology exports steadily strengthening over the past year. In March 2025, IT exports stood at $313 million, rising slightly to $317 million in April 2025 before accelerating through FY26. The sector witnessed particularly strong momentum in the latter half of the fiscal year, with export receipts climbing consistently to record levels.
Cumulative technology exports during the first ten months of FY26 reached $3.81 billion, compared with $3.15 billion in the same period last year, reflecting annual growth of 21 percent. The IT sector remains one of Pakistan’s fastest?growing export industries and a major contributor to services exports.
On a monthly basis, IT exports increased 2.42 percent from $413 million in March 2026, marking another month in which the country’s technology export proceeds remained above the $400 million threshold. The continued growth highlights the resilience of Pakistan’s information technology sector despite global economic uncertainty and domestic macroeconomic challenges.
Provinces urged to raise PKR 400bn in taxes
The centre on Monday urged all provincial governments to collect more than Rs400 billion in additional taxes in the new fiscal year, mainly from agriculture, services and real estate sectors, to meet a major condition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
With the provincial contribution, the total additional tax burden on the population under five different budgets would amount to more than Rs1.1 trillion. Of this, nearly Rs700 billion will come from the federal government through tax measures, enforcement actions and the petroleum levy. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb held a virtual meeting with provincial governments and shared their new net additional revenue targets for fiscal year 2026-27, according to government officials.
Almost half of the additional provincial target of Rs200 billion has been assigned to Sindh, followed by about Rs175 billion to Punjab, Rs45 billion to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and nearly Rs20 billion to Balochistan. Sindh’s target is higher than Punjab’s because of revenue collected at seaports.