Author: AdminPAGE

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he balance of trade compares the value of a country’s exports of goods and services against its imports. When exports are greater than imports, that’s a trade surplus. Most nations view that as a favorable trade balance. A country that imports more goods and services than it exports has a trade deficit. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] BALANCE OF TRADE (Million US $) PERIOD EXPORTS (VALUE) IMPORTS (VALUE) BALANCE OF TRADE Nov-16 R 1,860 3,954 -2,094 Dec-16 R 1,891 4,241 -2,350 Jan-17 R 1,811 4,328 -2,517 Feb-17 R 1,791 4,102 -2,311 Mar-17 R 2,075 4,303 -2,228 Apr-17 R 1,784 4,100 -2,316 May-17 R…

[dropcap]K[/dropcap]ibor rate is the average interest rate at which term deposits are offered between prime banks in the Pakistani wholesale money market or interbank market. KIBOR as a benchmark, to encourage transparency  and improve management of the market risk undertaken by banks. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] KIBOR RATES IN PAKISTAN TENOR BID OFFER 1 – Week 5.71 6.21 2 – Week 5.74 6.24 1 – Month 5.76 6.26 3 – Month 5.90 6.15 6 – Month 5.92 6.17 9 – Month 5.95 6.45 1 – Year 5.97 6.47 2 – Year 6.14 6.64 3- Year 6.36 6.86

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]emographic is the study of a population based on factors such as age, race and sex, among others. Governments, corporations and non-government organizations use demographics to learn more about a population’s characteristics for many purposes, including policy development and economic market research. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] DEMOGRAPHIC INDICATORS OF PAKISTAN Details 2017 Total Population (Million) 199.1 Urban Population (Million) 80.72 Rural Population (Million) 118.38 Total Fertility Rate (TFR) 3.0 Crude Birth Rate (Per thousand) 25.2 Crude Death Rate (Per thousand) 6.60 Population Growth Rate (Percent) 1.86 Life Expectancy (Year) – Female 68.2 – Male 65.8

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]nflation is a sustained increase in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy. When the price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation reflects a reduction in the purchasing power per unit of money. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INFLATION IN PAKISTAN (Base 2007-08) INDEX AVERAGE JULY – OCT % CHANGES 2017-18 2016-17 2015-16 CPI 3.50 3.95 1.65 SPI 0.89 1.74 -0.84 WPI 1.39 3.17 -2.99

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n interest rate is the cost of borrowing money, or conversely, the income earned from lending money. Interest rates are expressed as percentage of the principal per period. “Reduced interest rates encourage people to spend money on home improvements” [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INTEREST RATES DATE (%) 26-Jan-15 8.5 24-Mar-15 8.0 25-May-15 6.5 14-Sep-15 6 23-May-16 till date 5.75

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Nicholas Lord, University of Manchester[/box] [dropcap]R[/dropcap]emember, remember, the 5th of November. Not, this time, for gunpowder, treason and plot. But for the news break by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) of the so-called “Paradise Papers”, a leak of 13.4m files detailing the financial behaviour of individual and corporate elites, many of whom use offshore financial centres to avoid paying tax in their home countries. This is a major leak that not only questions the opportunities available to the wealthy in arranging their taxes, but also the extent to which governments facilitate such enduring arrangements…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Abhinay Muthoo, University of Warwick and Siobhan Benita, University of Warwick[/box] [dropcap]B[/dropcap]rexit negotiations are complex but, at their core, they are exactly the same as any other negotiation in life. It is in the interests of both players – in this case the UK and the EU – to strike a deal. At the same time, each player has a different view on exactly which deal to strike. According to the principles of game theory, a player will take action in two main areas to try and secure the best deal for themselves – enhancing their…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Adam Behr, Newcastle University[/box] “It’s one for you, 19 for me” ran George Harrison’s scabrous jibe at the “Taxman” in 1966, a bitter riposte to the 95% supertax that Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s Labour government had imposed on the very wealthy. Although top rates of tax are now substantially lower across the developed world (under 50% in the UK and Australia), it’s hardly surprising that the latest international tax avoidance scandal – the Paradise Papers – should feature rock stars in its cast. The leaked papers reveal Michael Hutchence’s estate tied up in offshore tax havens…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]ClaraDon, CC BY-NC-ND Martin Parker, University of Leicester[/box] [dropcap]C[/dropcap]artoons, pop songs and film all tend to show management as evil, organisations as places which crush the soul, and work as something to be escaped from. Even in shows which present work that we are supposed to admire – doctors, firefighters, the police – there is corruption and conspiracy, which mean that the bosses can rarely be trusted. You might think that the stories about the most famous secret agent in the world would conform to this pattern. But they don’t. It is easy to forget that…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Nelson Blackley, Nottingham Trent University[/box] [dropcap]F[/dropcap]or the past few years, Black Friday has become a focal point for many US and UK retailers – and for media outlets hungry for images of shoppers bursting into stores in pursuit of posh televisions. The event, supposedly named after the moment when retailers move into profit for the year, has quickly escalated into a four-day shopping festival. But it is not the only game in town – or even the biggest. Black Friday falls the day after Thanksgiving in the US (November 23 this year) and is followed up…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]This article is part of the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils Ellen R. Stofan Honorary Professor, Hazard Research Centre, University College London (UCL)[/box] [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he numbers are appalling: women make up less than 25% of the STEM (science-technology-engineering-mathematics) workforce in the United States. Data from the US National Science Foundation shows that between 2006-2014, the number of women graduating with a degree in computer science actually declined. Life and social sciences have higher rates of participation and the physical sciences are improving, but still the numbers are not representative of the wider population. Why does…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Liliana Lyra Jubilut Professor of International Law, Human Rights and Refugee Law, Universidade Católica de Santos, Brazil[/box] [dropcap]R[/dropcap]efugees and refugee protection have become global issues, in a number of ways. Firstly, geographically. There is no region of the world not affected, whether as a producer or a receiver of refugees, or as a country of transit. Secondly, in the causes of migration. These form a broad spectrum, including forced migration, due to persecution, conflict, environmental issues and violation of human rights; economic migration; voluntary migration; and, in several cases, people migrating for different reasons but following…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]This article is part of the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils World Economic Forum[/box] [dropcap]S[/dropcap]even hundred experts are meeting in Dubai in early November to discuss how breakthrough technologies can bring about change in critical areas such as health, energy and infrastructure. It’s called the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils; here’s our guide on how to follow it on our digital channels. Join the conversation Twitter The official meeting hashtag is #gfc17. Follow tweets on this hashtag to keep up with everything going on at the meeting. The World Economic Forum’s official Twitter…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Felix Richter, Nov 3, 2017[/box] [dropcap]D[/dropcap]espite the fact that Apple pushed the release of the anniversary iPhone X to November and thus to fiscal year 2018, iPhone sales returned to growth in Apple’s fiscal 2017 that ended September 30. As the company reported yesterday, it sold 46.7 million phones in the fourth quarter, bringing the total for the fiscal year to 217 million units. After iPhone sales had declined for the first time in the smartphone’s history last year, some analysts had proclaimed the end of the iPhone era, but, taking yesterday’s results and the hype surrounding the iPhone…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Felix Richter, Oct 17, 2017[/box] [dropcap]N[/dropcap]etflix’s share priced soared to an all-time high on Thursday after the company beat its subscriber growth target in the third quarter. The video streaming giant added 5.3 million subscribers in the past three months, bringing its total to 109 million subscribers. Revenue climbed 30 percent to $2.98 billion while net income more than doubled to $130 million. Netflix currently generates most of its revenue from streaming, but it recently entered into a partnership with Target that could mark the birth of an important new business for the company: licensed merchandise. As Netflix continues…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]This article is part of the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils Yori Kamphuis Co-founder, Coblue Cybersecurity[/box] [dropcap]I[/dropcap] was visiting business banks – the likes of Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Barclays – in The City of London one particular week in 2008. While bankers kept spirits as high as spending levels at first, meetings were shortened or cancelled later in the week. I was witnessing the pinnacle of the financial crisis in the very heart of London, arguably the most interesting week in the business banking world in the past 80 years. The subprime mortgage…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]This article is published in collaboration with Business Insider Chris Weller Ideas Reporter, Business Insider[/box] [dropcap]P[/dropcap]sychologists are quickly learning how dangerous smartphones can be for teenage brains. Research has found that an eighth-grader’s risk for depression jumps 27% when he or she frequently uses social media. Kids who use their phones for at least three hours a day are much more likely to be suicidal. And recent research has found the teen suicide rate in the US now eclipses the homicide rate, with smartphones as the driving force. But the writing about smartphone risk may have been on the wall…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Ali Adnan Ibrahim Global Head of Sustainability and Social Responsibility, Al Baraka Banking Group Mohit Joshi President and Head, Financial Services, Insurance, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Infosys Limited[/box] [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he intersection of newer financial tools and technology is creating an enormous impact that can help unleash a sustainable development revolution. How can a new fintech-based initiative connect with this sweet spot? Blockchain and the Fourth Industrial Revolution The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is rushing towards us probably faster than we think. Despite the fact that we are still on the fringes of this revolution, one can somewhat…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Johan Rewilak, Aston University[/box] [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Bank of England is poised to raise interest rates for the first time since July 2007. Its monetary policy committee (MPC) will meet to decide on November 2. The MPC’s last vote on the issue was a 7-2 majority for maintaining current rates, but it’s only a matter of time before rates rise. Initially, the rise will likely be from 0.25% to 0.5%. This may not sound like much, but it could have significant implications for the UK economy. Mark Carney, the bank’s governor, is facing an uncomfortable trade-off, mulling priorities…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Jennifer Ferreira, Coventry University[/box] [dropcap]I[/dropcap]n many towns and cities across the UK it seems like there are new coffee shops appearing all the time, even in streets where there are a good handful already. This raises a series of questions. At what point will there be too many? And is there any way to support continued growth? By the latest estimates, the coffee shop industry in the UK is worth around £9 billion, with over 20,000 outlets across the country. There are predictions that this could grow to £15 billion and over 30,000 outlets by 2020,…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Udeni Salmon, Keele University[/box] [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he young tyros and mouthy bundles of self-confidence that grab the attention every year on TV show The Apprentice offer up a now familiar image of youthful and spirited entrepreneurship. That’s not how it works worldwide. The global statistics show that, by-and-large, young people are pushed towards an entrepreneurial career through necessity, rather than pulled by the kind of “passion” on display for Alan Sugar every week in the UK version of the show. In fact, young people are most likely to own their own business in “factor-driven” economies rather than more…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Martin Armstrong, Nov 2, 2017[/box] Facebook has again flown past expectations in its latest quarterly earnings report. As our infographic shows, in Q3, the company posted a year-on-year increase in net income of 79 percent. Moving up from the $2.6 billion in 2016, the last three months put $4.7 billion in Facebook’s coffers. Revenue is a similar story, with a 47 percent year-on-year increase to $10.3 billion. Investors have nevertheless been spooked though, driving share prices down by as much as 2 percent in response to Zuckerberg’s warning that operating expenses in 2018 will rise by up…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Felix Richter, Nov 1, 2017[/box] [dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen the iPhone X, Apple’s re-designed anniversary iPhone, officially launches on Friday, we’ll see the familiar images of people lining up in front of Apple Stores around the world to be among the first ones to get their hands on the new device. Despite the X’s lofty price – it starts at $999 for the smaller 64 GB model, making it the most expensive iPhone to-date – it’s safe to say that Apple could sell a lot more units on Friday than it can possibly produce by then. When the iPhone X became…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Martin Armstrong, Nov 2, 2017[/box] [dropcap]B[/dropcap]ased on current trends, the global gender gap will not be closed for another 100 years. These predictions are of course fluid. In fact, this year’s figure is even an increase on 2016 – in the last report, the time needed was forecast at 83 years. When looking at particular aspects of the gap, the biggest factor in the current disparity becomes clear. According to the World Economic Forum it will take 217 years to close the economic gender gap. On the more positive side, the educational gap looks set to be almost…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Martin Armstrong, Nov 1, 2017[/box] [dropcap]D[/dropcap]o you have the feeling your child spends most of its life glued to a screen? The good news is, you’re not alone in thinking this, the bad news – your assumption is probably correct. According to a survey of U.S. parents and caregivers by Gallup, the average child spends the largest share of its free time on screen-based activities. When looking at 2 to 10 year olds, parents reported that their kids spend 18.6 hours on screen-based play in a usual week. As our infographic shows, this trumps indoor screen-free play…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Martin Armstrong, Nov 1, 2017[/box] [dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) still hanging in the balance as negotiations between Canada, Mexico and the United States reached an apparent impasse in October, a number of high-profile figures, bodies and industries have been voicing their support for the agreement, and their concern should it ultimately be thrown out. President Trump has been an outspoken opponent of NAFTA, once branding it “the worst trade deal maybe ever signed anywhere, but certainly ever signed in this country”. While the president’s negotiators are clearly going to be pressing…

[box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]ABOUT PMEX Pakistan Mercantile Exchange Limited (PMEX) is Pakistan’s first and only multi-commodity futures exchange, which is licensed and regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). Shareholders of PMEX include National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Pakistan Stock Exchange Limited (PSX), ISE Towers REIT Management Company Limited, LSE Financial Services Limited, Pak Brunei Investment Company Limited, ZaraiTaraqiati Bank Limited and Pak Kuwait Investment Company Limited. The Exchange offers a diverse range of domestic and international commodities and financial futures. With a sophisticated infrastructure based on state-of-the-art technology, PMEX provides a complete suite of services…

MARKET REVIEW The local bourse snapped gains of last week to close lower on profit-taking, dragging benchmark index to 41,105, down by 2.3%WoW. The market participation deteriorated significantly as ADT and ADTV decreased by 27%WoW and 24%WoW respectively. Foreign institutional investors remained net seller during the week with an outflow of USD5.36mn. Key developments during the week included imposition of definitive antidumping duty on imported rebar from China at 19.15%. Long rolled manufacturers with re-rolling plant are the main beneficiaries which includes ASTL, MUGHAL, ITTEFAQ and DSL. On the other hand, old cases pertaining to alleged cartelization and price fixing…

KSE-100 INDEX FALLS ON UNEXCITING RESULTS WITH POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY SUMMARY The result week closely watched by the investors produced cold response from them on some unexciting results. OGDC (-0.93%)result for 1QFY where the company posted an EPS of Rs3.95 & announced cash payout of Rs1.75/share. NCPL (-0.90%) and NCL (-5%)announced their result for 1QFY18 with an EPS Rs2.44, and a loss of 0.40/share. The KSE-100 Index went down by 2.33 points to close at 41,105.41. The average volume too declined to 134.53 million to 184.63 million last week. The market capitalization decreased to Rs8.473 trillion from Rs8.62 trillion last week.…

PAKISTAN GALAXY S9 AND S9+ MAY HAVE A SMALL FINGERPRINT READER AT THE FRONT: The Galaxy S8 and S8+ and Galaxy Note 9 have the “Infinity Display” that made an enormous change in smartphones display.  However, these three devices were also criticised for having lousy placement of fingerprint sensor. The Galaxy S9 announcement may fix the issue. It is expected that we could see an end to this little gripe as Samsung has filed a patent in which small but accurate fingerprint sensor could integrate on front-side. THE BIGGEST DARAZ BLACK FRIDAY SALE 2017 JUST A MONTH AWAY: Daraz Black Friday…

DUBAI PROPERTY DEALS CROSS DH204 BILLION IN NINE MONTHS Overall property transactions in Dubai totalled Dh204 billion in the first nine months of 2017, according to the Dubai Land Department (DLD) data released on Monday. This was done through 52,170 transactions. This compares to Dh259 billion worth of property deals achieved for the full year 2016 and Dh132 billion in the first half of 2017. “Transactions have increased this year compared to 2016 mostly due to the success of off-plan transactions. By August of this year, the number of off-plan transactions had already exceeded the total amount of off-plan sales…

CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT WIDENS 102PC IN Q1 Pakistan’s current account deficit widened 102% in the first quarter (Jul-Sep) of current fiscal year 2017-18 (FY18) to stand at $3.56 billion compared to $1.64 billion in the same period of previous year, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday. In September 2017 alone, the current account gap swelled $956 million compared to $550 million in August 2017. It is commented that the numbers were broadly in line with its estimates and investor concerns were allayed after seeing August and September numbers as the deficit had widened…

ANIL AMBANI GETS A SEAT ON ATLANTIC COUNCIL ADVISORY BOARD NEW DELHI: Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani has been inducted into the international advisory board of global think-tank The Atlantic Council. He joins News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch, former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar, Airbus CEO Thomas Enders and former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, among others, on the board. “The Atlantic Council today announced the induction of Anil Ambani, one of India’s best-known business leaders, to its international advisory board – a prominent group of global corporate and political leaders,” a company statement said. Welcoming Ambani, former Utah…

RAKEZ ENGAGES OVER 120,000ATTENDEES AT THE PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone continues to go global with its upcoming participation at this year’s Pakistan International Trade Fair (PITF), one of the biggest consumers and trade fair happening in Expo Centre Karachi in Pakistan from 26 to 29 October 2017. Expected to gather over 120,000 visitors and 16,000 exhibitors from 20 different countries, RAKEZ will capitalise on the event’s large-scale attendance to tap into expanding players in the field of construction, automobile, chemical, pharmaceutical, and textile, among others. “Over the years, investors from Pakistan have been consistently very…

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is one of the best known lagging indicators. The consumer price index expresses the current prices of a basket of goods and services in terms of the prices during the same period in a previous year, to show effect of inflation on purchasing power. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INFLATION RATES MONTH ON MONTH BASIS (%) (BASE 2007 – 2008) Period CPI Core Inflation SPI** WPI General Food Non-food NFNE* Trimmed Jan 16 0.2 -0.6 0.8 0.9 0.6 -0.7 -0.5 Feb 16 -0.3 -0.7 0.0 0.2 0.1 -0.5 -0.6 Mar 16 0.2 0.5 -0.1 0.2 0.2 -0.2 -0.4 Apr 16…

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he balance of trade compares the value of a country’s exports of goods and services against its imports. When exports are greater than imports, that’s a trade surplus. Most nations view that as a favorable trade balance. A country that imports more goods and services than it exports has a trade deficit. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] BALANCE OF TRADE (Million US $) PERIOD EXPORTS (VALUE) IMPORTS (VALUE) BALANCE OF TRADE Jul-16 P 1,495 3,093 -1,598 Aug-16 P 1,840 3,807 -1,967 Sep-16 P 1,672 3,209 -1,537 Oct-16 P 1,826 3,340 -1,514 Nov-16 P 1,841 3,785 -1,944 Dec-16 P 1,860 4,109 -2,249 Jan-17 R…

[dropcap]K[/dropcap]ibor rate is the average interest rate at which term deposits are offered between prime banks in the Pakistani wholesale money market or interbank market. KIBOR as a benchmark, to encourage transparency  and improve management of the market risk undertaken by banks. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] KIBOR RATES IN PAKISTAN TENOR BID OFFER 1 – Week 5.71 6.21 2 – Week 5.74 6.24 1 – Month 5.76 6.26 3 – Month 5.90 6.15 6 – Month 5.92 6.17 9 – Month 5.95 6.45 1 – Year 5.97 6.47 2 – Year 6.14 6.64 3- Year 6.36 6.86

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]emographic is the study of a population based on factors such as age, race and sex, among others. Governments, corporations and non-government organizations use demographics to learn more about a population’s characteristics for many purposes, including policy development and economic market research. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] DEMOGRAPHIC INDICATORS OF PAKISTAN Details 2017 Total Population (Million) 199.1 Urban Population (Million) 80.72 Rural Population (Million) 118.38 Total Fertility Rate (TFR) 3.0 Crude Birth Rate (Per thousand) 25.2 Crude Death Rate (Per thousand) 6.60 Population Growth Rate (Percent) 1.86 Life Expectancy (Year) – Female 68.2 – Male 65.8

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]nflation is a sustained increase in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy. When the price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation reflects a reduction in the purchasing power per unit of money. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INFLATION IN PAKISTAN (Base 2007-08) INDEX AVERAGE JULY – APRIL % CHANGES 2016-17 2015-16 2014-15 CPI 4.09 2.79 4.81 SPI 1.51 1.44 1.86 WPI 4.00 -1.30 0.03

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n interest rate is the cost of borrowing money, or conversely, the income earned from lending money. Interest rates are expressed as percentage of the principal per period. “Reduced interest rates encourage people to spend money on home improvements” [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INTEREST RATES DATE (%) 26-Jan-15 8.5 24-Mar-15 8.0 25-May-15 6.5 14-Sep-15 6 23-May-16 till date 5.75

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Martin Armstrong, Sep 28, 2017[/box] [dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen you think of tech companies you probably imagine a stylish modern office somewhere in California. While this certainly is the tech capital of the world, other regions are also emerging to challenge the Golden State’s dominance. According to CB Insights, there are currently 108 ‘unicorns’ – private companies valued over $1 billion – in the United States, accounting for half of the all such companies in the world. Over in Europe though, the tech landscape is also looking pretty lush. As our infographic shows, according to GP. Bullhound, the UK boasts the…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Martin Armstrong, Oct 23, 2017[/box] [dropcap]A[/dropcap]ccording to figures from Transparency International, when it comes to lobbying, the U.S. tech giant setting aside the most money in Europe is Microsoft. Having had 84 high-level meetings with the European Commission since 2014, the Washington-based company has recorded €4.5 million of spending on lobbying. Close behind, but with many more meetings (153), Google had a budget of €4.25 million. You will find more statistics at Statista

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Felix Richter, May 18, 2017[/box] [dropcap]Y[/dropcap]esterday’s opening keynote at Google I/O offered us a rare glimpse at some numbers behind the company’s vast online offerings. Among other things, CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that more than two billion Android devices are actively used around the world and that six of Google’s services have reached over 1 billion users. The numbers, summed up in the chart below, along with recent product/service introductions (e.g. Google Home or Google Lens) illustrate the company’s ongoing efforts to move beyond search. As web usage continues to shift away from PCs and mobile browsers to…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]by Niall McCarthy, Sep 21, 2015[/box] [dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen it comes to broadband speeds in European capitals, Dublin comes 15th overall. Home to the headquarters of tech giants such as Google and Facebook, the Irish capital has an average download speed of 39.43 mbps. Bucharest, Paris and Vilnius come first in Europe’s broadband league. Read more in Statista’s first infographic feature in Irish online news publication The Journal. You will find more statistics at Statista

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Alex Gray Formative Content[/box] [dropcap]I[/dropcap]n 2015, over a billion people migrated: 244 million went abroad and 763 million moved within their home country. Some boarded planes to start a new job in another country. Some risked their lives in overcrowded boats, fleeing war or famine. And others left the countryside in search of jobs and a better quality of life. What the vast majority have in common is that they ended up moving to a city. A new report by the World Economic Forum looks at these patterns of migration and how they affect the world’s cities. Where…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Ronald Labonte Professor and Canada Research Chair, University of Ottawa[/box] [dropcap]T[/dropcap]his week, representatives from most of the world’s governments are meeting at a World Health Organization global conference in Uruguay to tackle the global pandemic of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). These NCDs are the chronic diseases — including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and diabetes — that now kill around 40 million people each year. They are responsible for 70 per cent of all deaths globally and have a much bigger impact than infectious diseases such as HIV and malaria. Reducing the preventable deaths they cause is one of the key…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Adam Jezard Senior Writer at Formative Content.[/box] [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he walls are coming down in Finland’s schools – but not just the physical barriers between classrooms. Also going are divisions between subjects and age ranges, and students have more of a say over what will be learnt than children in many other countries. According to CityLab, an architecture website, the country is undergoing an ambitious national redesign of its 4,800 schools. Some 57 new schools began construction in 2015 and 44 in 2016. Others are being refurbished using open-plan principles. CityLab reported in August that: “This still leaves…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Michael Buehler Head of Infrastructure & Urban Development, World Economic Forum Thorsten Jelinek Director, Taihe Institute Sergio Gusmao Suchodolski Director General, Strategy and Partnerships, New Development Bank (NDB) Pedro Rodrigues De Almeida Member, B20 Task Force on Financing Growth & Infrastructure, B20 Germany Olivier M. Schwab Head of Business Engagement – Member of the Managing Board, World Economic Forum Geneva[/box] What is the New Silk Road? [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Silk Road was the name given in 1877 by the German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen to the ancient network of trade routes linking China to central and western Asia,…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Feng Li, City, University of London[/box] [dropcap]R[/dropcap]ide-sharing company Uber has led a charge by companies who are upsetting applecarts in their respective industries. The power and convenience of mobile platforms can efficiently match assets, labour, or both with those who need them. Established players in regulated markets are on notice, and the regulations, in many cases, have been left looking unfit for purpose. The modern world has been built on what economist Joseph Schumpeter described as “creative destruction”. When regulations are out of date, or can be circumvented by new technologies or new ways of doing…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Nicolai Due-Gundersen, Kingston University[/box] [dropcap]A[/dropcap] blockade against Qatar by its Gulf neighbours is now in its fifth month. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates severed socio-economic ties with Qatar as punishment for its alleged support of terrorism and interference in their affairs. As well as hurting Qatar’s economy, economists have argued that this is bad news for the entire Gulf, which will face the threat of lowered interest from foreign investors, trade restrictions and a drop in tourism, challenging regional ambitions to diversify away from oil dependence. There is one country working hard…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Alex Simpson, University of Brighton[/box] [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he UK has a consumer debt crisis and it is young people, aged 18 to 34, who are most vulnerable. National unsecured debt – which includes credit cards, overdrafts and car loans – has topped £200 billion for the first time since the global financial crisis struck in 2008. But the concentration of debt, and the experiences of vulnerability, are not shared out equally. Andrew Bailey, the head of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has warned that there is a “pronounced build-up of indebtedness amongst the younger age group”. He was…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Jeff Bray, Bournemouth University and Heather Hartwell, Bournemouth University[/box] [dropcap]E[/dropcap]ating out is bad for us. Studies have shown that food provided outside the home contains more calories and more fat, especially saturated fat. The trouble is, many of us are eating this food every day without really realising what’s in it. In recent years great efforts have been taken to help us understand the composition of packaged food. The clear marking of allergens, ingredients lists and “traffic light” indicators on the front of packs show retail customers how much fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt are…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Neha Makwana & Muhammad Kazmi, Hansuke Consulting Limited, UK[/box] Autumn 2016 saw the HMRC publish an updated draft on the guidance for the new corporate criminal offence of failing to prevent the criminal facilitation of tax evasion. This comes as part of HMRC’s continuing commitment to crack down on tax evasion crimes. The new offence was passed into law in March 2017, and went live as of 30 September 2017. The scope of the offence is deliberately wide and applies to relevant bodies, defined as ‘a body corporate or partnership’. Bodies based not only in the…

GBP/USD WEEKLY OVERVIEW The Pound showed lower trend throughout this week due to unexpected sharp slowdown retail sales data coupled with doubts regarding Bank of England interest rate strategy. Weak data of retail sales fell up to 0.8% weakest annual rates since 2013. Eventually Pound declined to a one week low against the Dollar after the retail sales data at around $ 1.32. The authorities of Bank of England are indicating for taking back the rate cut after Brexit issue. So chance of one hike is likely to be expected up to next month. TECHNICAL STUDY USING LUTFI MAGNET THEORY…

MARKET REVIEW During the week, stock market gained 2,241pts to close at 42,088, up by 5.6%WoW as political noise subsided somewhat. The market participation improved significantly as ADT increased by 26.6%WoW while ADTV also depicted an increase of 48.4%WoW. FIPI outflow was recorded at USD7.4mn as against an inflow of USD38.8mn witnessed during the last week. Major news for the week included an increase in DAP fertilizer prices by PKR110/bag to PKR2,620/bag. The manufacturers had already increased DAP prices by PKR60-80/bag during the previous month. Moreover, SSGC has suspended supply to Fatima Fertilizers over a dispute regarding tolling charges. On…

BAILOUT EXPECTATION BLOSSOM ON POSITIVE STREAK WITH STOCK GAINING ABOVE 42,000 LEVEL SUMMARY The stock market which was trailing below 40,000 last week hiked to 42,000 this week on the weekend news of meeting of PM, Mr. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi with Stock Brokers and other stakeholder of PSX to discuss how the tumbling stock at PSX could be revived. The possibility of a bailout package worth Rs20 billion was discussed the details of which still to be informed. This news brought positive sentiment among investors and market remained positive for four sessions with a gain of 2,241 points in the…

PAKISTAN: DUBAI POLICE FORCE ADDS HOVERBIKES FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE: Dubai is transforming into “Future City”, to get one step near to this initiative, they’re putting self-flying taxis in skies and facial recognition system at its airport. The Dubai police department is now adding another sci-fi transportation staple: the hoverbike. NO NONE USES FACEBOOK STORIES, SO NOW THEY’RE AVAILABLE FOR #BRANDS: Just imagine working at Facebook and imagine yourself a person who introduced stories to the social network after observing this idea from Snapchat and introduced it on Instagram and Facebook. This feature looks great, but, according to expectations, it could…

VALUE OF EXPO 2020 DUBAI-LINKED PROJECTS HITS DH122B The value of all projects related to Expo 2020 Dubai has touched Dh122 billion as the UAE begins the countdown for the mega global showcase that will kick-off on October 20, 2020. Project research and intelligence provider BNC Network said the projects underway include transport infrastructure, such as the expansion of road networks, several highways, roundabouts, interchanges and expansion of the Dubai Metro line to connect to the Expo 2020 site and Al Maktoum International Airport to the rest of Dubai. Also under contract are mixed-use projects, residential, commercial, hospitality and golf…

STATE BANK LAUDS IMPROVED SECURITY’S IMPACT ON ECONOMY State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Deputy Governor Jameel Ahmad, while appreciating the reviving economic activities in the country, has lauded the impact of improved security conditions attributed much to the operation Zarb-e-Azb and the ongoing operation Radd-ul-Fasaad. “A marked turnaround in retail sales has been observed in metropolises, with positive readings in investor and consumer confidence surveys,” said the deputy governor. [divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″] DIGITAL PRINTING WILL SPARK REVOLUTION IN TEXTILE SECTOR: LCCI The Digital Printing and Signage Technology Exhibition brings modern machinery and equipment, which will spark revolution in the…

INDIA’S OIL IMPORTS HIT RECORD HIGH IN SEPTEMBER NEW DELHI: India imported a record 4.83 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil in September as several refiners resumed operations after extensive maintenance to meet rising local fuel demand. The world’s third-biggest oil importer shipped in 4.2 percent more oil last month than a year earlier and about 19 percent more than in the previous month, ship-tracking data from industry sources showed. “There was heavy maintenance at some refineries in July-August. All those refineries have come online, so naturally refiners will have to boost purchases to meet local demand,” said Senthil…

UBER PAKISTAN PARTNERS WITH SHAUKAT KHANUM CANCER HOSPITAL AND RESEARCH CENTRE Uber, the international smartphone app that seamlessly connects riders to drivers, has signed an MoU with Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) as a part of its long-term commitment to partner on sustainable initiatives that will digitally empower Pakistan. Uber plans to actively participate in SKMCH&RC’s initiatives to raise breast cancer awareness across Pakistan. To extend its support, Uber will be celebrating the Pink Month this October. Riders will be able to donate to the cause by using the promo code “HOPEUBERSKMCH”. Uber will donate the…

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is one of the best known lagging indicators. The consumer price index expresses the current prices of a basket of goods and services in terms of the prices during the same period in a previous year, to show effect of inflation on purchasing power. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INFLATION RATES MONTH ON MONTH BASIS (%) (BASE 2007 – 2008) Period CPI Core Inflation SPI** WPI General Food Non-food NFNE* Trimmed Jan 16 0.2 -0.6 0.8 0.9 0.6 -0.7 -0.5 Feb 16 -0.3 -0.7 0.0 0.2 0.1 -0.5 -0.6 Mar 16 0.2 0.5 -0.1 0.2 0.2 -0.2 -0.4 Apr 16…

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he balance of trade compares the value of a country’s exports of goods and services against its imports. When exports are greater than imports, that’s a trade surplus. Most nations view that as a favorable trade balance. A country that imports more goods and services than it exports has a trade deficit. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] BALANCE OF TRADE (Million US $) PERIOD EXPORTS (VALUE) IMPORTS (VALUE) BALANCE OF TRADE Jul-16 P 1,495 3,093 -1,598 Aug-16 P 1,840 3,807 -1,967 Sep-16 P 1,672 3,209 -1,537 Oct-16 P 1,826 3,340 -1,514 Nov-16 P 1,841 3,785 -1,944 Dec-16 P 1,860 4,109 -2,249 Jan-17 R…

[dropcap]K[/dropcap]ibor rate is the average interest rate at which term deposits are offered between prime banks in the Pakistani wholesale money market or interbank market. KIBOR as a benchmark, to encourage transparency  and improve management of the market risk undertaken by banks. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] KIBOR RATES IN PAKISTAN TENOR BID OFFER 1 – Week 5.70 6.20 2 – Week 5.74 6.24 1 – Month 5.75 6.25 3 – Month 5.90 6.15 6 – Month 5.91 6.16 9 – Month 5.96 6.46 1 – Year 5.97 6.47 2 – Year 6.15 6.65 3- Year 6.38 6.88

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n economic indicator is a statistic about an economic activity. Economic indicators allow analysis of economic performance and predictions of future performance. Economic indicators include various indices, earnings reports, and economic summaries. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding][tie_list type=”plus”] PAKISTAN – ECONOMIC INDICATORS OVERVIEW LAST REFERENCE PREVIOUS LABOUR Unemployment Rate 5.9 % Dec/15 6 Employed Persons 57420 Thousand Dec/15 56520 Unemployed Persons 3620 Thousand Dec/15 3580 Population 208 Million Dec/16 190 Living Wage Family 30448 PKR/Month Dec/16 30326 Living Wage Individual 16967 PKR/Month Dec/16 16909 Wages High Skilled 43600 PKR/Month Jun/16 51100 MONEY Interest Rate 5.75 % Sep/17 5.75 Interbank Rate 6.01…

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]emographic is the study of a population based on factors such as age, race and sex, among others. Governments, corporations and non-government organizations use demographics to learn more about a population’s characteristics for many purposes, including policy development and economic market research. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] DEMOGRAPHIC INDICATORS OF PAKISTAN Details 2017 Total Population (Million) 199.1 Urban Population (Million) 80.72 Rural Population (Million) 118.38 Total Fertility Rate (TFR) 3.0 Crude Birth Rate (Per thousand) 25.2 Crude Death Rate (Per thousand) 6.60 Population Growth Rate (Percent) 1.86 Life Expectancy (Year) – Female 68.2 – Male 65.8

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]nflation is a sustained increase in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy. When the price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation reflects a reduction in the purchasing power per unit of money. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INFLATION IN PAKISTAN (Base 2007-08) INDEX AVERAGE JULY – APRIL % CHANGES 2016-17 2015-16 2014-15 CPI 4.09 2.79 4.81 SPI 1.51 1.44 1.86 WPI 4.00 -1.30 0.03

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n interest rate is the cost of borrowing money, or conversely, the income earned from lending money. Interest rates are expressed as percentage of the principal per period. “Reduced interest rates encourage people to spend money on home improvements” [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INTEREST RATES DATE (%) 26-Jan-15 8.5 24-Mar-15 8.0 25-May-15 6.5 14-Sep-15 6 23-May-16 till date 5.75

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Briony Harris Formative Content[/box] [dropcap]C[/dropcap]hinese unicorns are on the rise. Unicorns – privately owned tech start-ups with a value of more than $1 billion – are powerful forces of disruption, wherever they are found. California’s Silicon Valley remains dominant breeding ground for billion-dollar start-ups, but China is catching up fast. So far this year, 46 global technology companies have reached unicorn status, according to research from CB Insights. Of those, China has produced 17 – only slightly fewer than the 19 created in the US. Image: HowMuch.net The growth is dramatic given that in 2014 China only…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Bhaskar Chakravorti Senior Associate Dean, International Business & Finance at The Fletcher School, Tufts University Ravi Shankar Chaturvedi Research Fellow, Tufts University[/box] [dropcap]W[/dropcap]hat is a “smart” society? While flights of imagination from science-fiction writers, filmmakers, and techno-futurists involve things like flying cars and teleportation, in practice smart technology is making inroads in a piecemeal fashion, often in rather banal circumstances. In Chicago, for example, predictive analytics is improving health inspections schedules in restaurants, while in Boston city officials are collaborating with Waze, the traffic navigation app company, combining its data with inputs from street cameras and sensors to improve road…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Briony Harris Formative Content[/box] [dropcap]N[/dropcap]orway’s sovereign wealth fund, the largest in the world, has just exceeded $1 trillion for the first time. As sovereign wealth funds around the world grow in size and number, they are becoming increasingly powerful players on the global financial scene. But despite their rapid rise, they are often less well understood than other types of investment vehicles. So here’s a closer look at what sovereign wealth funds actually do. Image: Statista What’s a sovereign wealth fund? It’s simply a mechanism through which countries make investments. A pot of money – often derived from…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Viktor Weber Founder & Director, Future Real Estate Institute[/box] [dropcap]A[/dropcap]utomation is a topic on which most people have an opinion. The level of knowledge on the subject varies greatly, as does the amount of fear that people feel towards the technological revolution that is taking place. I get the impression that even informed writers – including myself – in this field often take, for numerous reasons, convenient short-cuts when it comes to writing and talking about automation. It is therefore time to address the abundance of factors that are influencing and will continue to influence how…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Natalie Wolchover Senior Writer[/box] A new idea called the “information bottleneck” is helping to explain the puzzling success of today’s artificial-intelligence algorithms — and might also explain how human brains learn. [dropcap]E[/dropcap]ven as machines known as “deep neural networks” have learned to converse, drive cars, beat video games and Go champions, dream, paint pictures and help make scientific discoveries, they have also confounded their human creators, who never expected so-called “deep-learning” algorithms to work so well. No underlying principle has guided the design of these learning systems, other than vague inspiration drawn from the architecture of the brain (and…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Christine Cole, Nottingham Trent University[/box] [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he dominant position that China holds in global manufacturing means that for many years China has also been the largest global importer of many types of recyclable materials. Last year, Chinese manufacturers imported 7.3m metric tonnes of waste plastics from developed countries including the UK, the EU, the US and Japan. However, in July 2017, China announced big changes in the quality control placed on imported materials, notifying the World Trade Organisation that it will ban imports of 24 categories of recyclables and solid waste by the end of the year.…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Jinghan Zeng, Royal Holloway[/box] [dropcap]I[/dropcap]n 1793, in his letter to Britain’s King George III, China’s Qianlong emperor rejected all the British requests to improve the state of trade between England and China. After all, the Middle Kingdom “possesses all things in prolific abundance … there is no need to import the manufactures of outside barbarians”. Half a century later, China was defeated by Britain in the Opium Wars, and started to rethink its place in the world. Ever since, Chinese elites have been searching for answers to the same question: how to make China great again?…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Larisa Yarovaya, Anglia Ruskin University[/box] [dropcap]I[/dropcap]slamic finance is enjoying a surge in popularity, with 14% annual growth in recent years. And the interest in sharia-compliant stocks and bonds is growing across the non-Muslim as well as Muslim world. My recent research shows that there is good reason for this growth. In fact, Islamic markets were not rocked by the 2007-08 financial as much as conventional markets and can be considered a new safe haven for investors. The popularity of Islamic financial instruments among Muslims is not surprising. Islamic law prohibits any forms of interest (riba) or…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Daphne Martschenko, University of Cambridge[/box] John, 12-years-old, is three times as old as his brother. How old will John be when he is twice as old as his brother? Two families go bowling. While they are bowling, they order a pizza for £12, six sodas for £1.25 each, and two large buckets of popcorn for £10.86. If they are going to split the bill between the families, how much does each family owe? 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, ?, 64. What number is missing from the sequence? [dropcap]T[/dropcap]hese are questions from online Intelligence Quotient or IQ…

PAKISTAN MARKET INDICATORS EXCHANGE RATES Currency Activity Friday 8-Sep Friday 15-Sep Friday 22-Sep Thursday 28-Sep Friday 6-Oct Friday 13-Oct DOLLAR Buying 107.35 106.75 106.7 106.6 106.6 107.2 Selling 107.65 107.05 107 106.9 106.9 107.5 POUND Buying 137.5 142.25 142 141.5 139.5 141.5 Selling 139.25 144 143.75 143.25 141.25 143.25 EURO Buying 126.5 125.25 125 124.25 124.5 126.25 Selling 127.7 126.45 126.2 125.45 125.7 127.45 CANADIAN $ Buying 86.5 86 85 84.5 85 85 Selling 87.35 86.85 85.85 85.35 85.85 85.85 JAP YEN Buying 0.96 0.93 0.92 0.91 0.91 0.92 Selling 0.99 0.96 0.95 0.94 0.94 0.95 HK $ Buying 13.45…

MARKET REVIEW During the week, stock market shed 1,465pts to close at 39,847pts, down by 3.5%WoW on the back of weaker economic indicators coupled with political uncertainty. The market remained lackluster as ADT increased by 4.1%WoW while ADTV depicted a decline of 16.5%WoW, highlighting increased investor appetite for small cap stocks. Valuations have opened up significantly which has attracted foreign investors in the market again and consequently weekly FIPI inflow was recorded at USD38.8mn as against an outflow of USD9.8mn witnessed during the last week. Major news for the week include the official numbers released by PAMA where passenger cars…

FOREIGN BUYING FAILED TO BOOST INDEX AS STOCKS TOUCH ONE-YEAR LOW AND FALL BELOW 40,000 SUMMARY The KSE-100 Index lost 1,465.74 points during the week with an average volume of 145.74. The market capitalization declined to Rs8.316 trillion compared to Rs8,642 trillion last Friday .The market remained bearish throughout all five sessions of the week. On the last trading session Friday it dipped to intraday low of 39,483 while at the end market closed at 39,848.78. The foreigners were net buyers throughout the week to gain $38.88m during the week. Mutual fund were net seller for the week of $30.16m.…

PAKISTAN: GOVT APPROVES PROGRAM TO PREPARE 1 MILLION FREELANCERS IN PAKISTAN: The Board of Directors of Ignite, National Technology Fund formerly named as National ICT R&D Fund, has given its approval over  ” DigiSkills” initiative to encourage 1 million young guns for promotion and development of technology, innovation, and work ethic, along with creation of new workplace for future supported by a 4th Industrial Revolution. GOOGLE’S STORE IS NOW JUST A CLICK AWAY FROM ITS HOMEPAGE: Google has been busy making its minimal homepage a bit busier. From now, the users will be able to see a couple of new links…

MALABAR GOLD OPENS 3 STORES IN A DAY IN UAE AND KUWAIT Malabar Gold and Diamonds, one among the Big 5 jewellery retailers globally with a strong retail network of over 190 retail outlets spread across nine countries, has launched three new stores recently. Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan launched two stores in Dubai on October 5. The store located at Cosmos Lane, Meena Bazar, near Dubai Museum, which is the largest jewellery store in Bur Dubai, was inaugurated by Kareena Kapoor in the presence of MP Ahammed, chairman – Malabar Group;, KP Abdul Salam, group executive director – Malabar…

$2BN LOANS GRANTED EX-POST FACTO APPROVAL The federal cabinet has regularised nearly $2 billion foreign commercial loans that the government had obtained during second half of the last fiscal year without prior approval of the cabinet and also waived 10% tax on interest payments to foreign lenders. It was the second time during the last nine months that the federal cabinet gave ex-post facto approvals of foreign commercial borrowings. In February 2017, the federal cabinet had also regularised the $2.7 billion foreign commercial loans. The Ministry of Finance had signed eight agreements between December 2016 and June 2017 with foreign…

INLAND WATERWAYS AUTHORITY RAISES RS 660 CRORE THROUGH BONDS New Delhi, Oct 13: The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has raised Rs 660 crore through bonds and the proceeds will be utilised exclusively to develop National Waterways, the government said. “The IWAI has raised Rs 660 crore as ‘GOI Fully Serviced Bonds’. The resources raised by way of bonds are in addition to the budgetary support from the Government of India. The Government had taken a decision to enable IWAI to raise Rs 660 crore through GOI Fully Serviced Bonds in 2017-18,” Ministry of Shipping said in a statement.…

WORLD SIGHT DAY: 80PC OF BLINDNESS CURABLE Once a year, on the second Thursday of October, World Sight Day is celebrated to raise awareness of the 36 million people who are blind and the 217 million people that are visually impaired worldwide. 80 per cent of the blindness and vision loss are curable or preventable. That means four out of five of the visually impaired loss their sight needlessly. That’s why Standard Chartered has committed to raising USD 100 million by 2020 through Seeing is Believing – its global initiative, run in partnership with the International Agency for the Prevention…

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is one of the best known lagging indicators. The consumer price index expresses the current prices of a basket of goods and services in terms of the prices during the same period in a previous year, to show effect of inflation on purchasing power. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] INFLATION RATES MONTH ON MONTH BASIS (%) (BASE 2007 – 2008) Period CPI Core Inflation SPI** WPI General Food Non-food NFNE* Trimmed Jan 16 0.2 -0.6 0.8 0.9 0.6 -0.7 -0.5 Feb 16 -0.3 -0.7 0.0 0.2 0.1 -0.5 -0.6 Mar 16 0.2 0.5 -0.1 0.2 0.2 -0.2 -0.4 Apr 16…

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he balance of trade compares the value of a country’s exports of goods and services against its imports. When exports are greater than imports, that’s a trade surplus. Most nations view that as a favorable trade balance. A country that imports more goods and services than it exports has a trade deficit. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] BALANCE OF TRADE (Million US $) PERIOD EXPORTS (VALUE) IMPORTS (VALUE) BALANCE OF TRADE Jul-16 P 1,495 3,093 -1,598 Aug-16 P 1,840 3,807 -1,967 Sep-16 P 1,672 3,209 -1,537 Oct-16 P 1,826 3,340 -1,514 Nov-16 P 1,841 3,785 -1,944 Dec-16 P 1,860 4,109 -2,249 Jan-17 R…

[dropcap]K[/dropcap]ibor rate is the average interest rate at which term deposits are offered between prime banks in the Pakistani wholesale money market or interbank market. KIBOR as a benchmark, to encourage transparency  and improve management of the market risk undertaken by banks. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] KIBOR RATES IN PAKISTAN TENOR BID OFFER 1 – Week 5.71 6.21 2 – Week 5.73 6.23 1 – Month 5.76 6.26 3 – Month 5.90 6.15 6 – Month 5.92 6.17 9 – Month 5.96 6.46 1 – Year 5.97 6.47 2 – Year 6.14 6.64 3- Year 6.35 6.85

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n economic indicator is a statistic about an economic activity. Economic indicators allow analysis of economic performance and predictions of future performance. Economic indicators include various indices, earnings reports, and economic summaries. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding][tie_list type=”plus”] PAKISTAN ECONOMIC INDICATORS Overview Last Reference Previous LABOUR Unemployment Rate 5.9 % Dec/15 6 Employed Persons 57420 Thousand Dec/15 56520 Unemployed Persons 3620 Thousand Dec/15 3580 Population 208 Million Dec/16 190 Living Wage Family 30448 PKR/Month Dec/16 30326 Living Wage Individual 16967 PKR/Month Dec/16 16909 Wages High Skilled 43600 PKR/Month Jun/16 51100 MONEY Interest Rate 5.75 % Sep/17 5.75 Interbank Rate 6.01 %…

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]emographic is the study of a population based on factors such as age, race and sex, among others. Governments, corporations and non-government organizations use demographics to learn more about a population’s characteristics for many purposes, including policy development and economic market research. [ads2] [padding right=”15%” left=”15%”][/padding] DEMOGRAPHIC INDICATORS OF PAKISTAN Details 2017 Total Population (Million) 199.1 Urban Population (Million) 80.72 Rural Population (Million) 118.38 Total Fertility Rate (TFR) 3.0 Crude Birth Rate (Per thousand) 25.2 Crude Death Rate (Per thousand) 6.60 Population Growth Rate (Percent) 1.86 Life Expectancy (Year) – Female 68.2 – Male 65.8