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[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=””]Anna Bruce-Lockhart Editor, World Economic Forum[/box] They walk among us, dead-eyed, with heavy tread. They are the colleague sagging at the coffee machine, the project manager staring out of the window. Meet the zombie workforce: an army of employees who’re failing to find inspiration at work. There are more of these “working dead” than you might imagine. According to a recent study by Aon Hewitt, less than one-quarter of the world’s employees are classified as “highly” engaged in their jobs, while only 39% admit to being “moderately” so. This leaves an awful lot of the 5 million…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Information This entry was posted on October 6, 2017 by fweyzig in English posts.[/box] [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Netherlands just joined the race to the bottom in corporate tax. Repeating the mantra that lower tax is good for the investment climate and necessary to remain competitive, the new government cheerfully leaked that it will reduce the rate from 25% to 21%. Let’s hope that other economic policies of this new government have a better foundation! For that mantra is a myth. The facts show that corporate taxes are irrelevant for a country’s competitiveness. Many people would acknowledge that low taxes are…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Alexander Starritt Editor, Apolitical[/box] You probably don’t realise how much your life is affected by the working habits of civil servants. While doing their jobs, they have so much power to shape your daily experiences: does the new school go on your street or someone else’s; does your city build a park in your neighbourhood or does it build a motorway; is your electricity cheap or expensive; your air dirty or clean; your commute easy or frustrating; your job opportunities plentiful or scarce. And how do these individuals, no more omniscient than you or I, make…

How Emerging Technologies Are Changing the Risk Landscape [dropcap]O[/dropcap]ver the last year, the World Economic Forum project Mitigating Risks in the Innovation Economy has worked to examine how emerging technologies are causing a radical shift in the nature of risks faced by individuals, businesses and society. This information, gathered through research, interviews and roundtable discussions, was used to develop a shared set of recommendations among the Steering Committee and Working Group members to support society in anticipating and tackling the changes arising from the emergence of technological innovations. [ads2] [box type=”note” align=”” class=”” width=””]Download PDF[/box]

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Rob Wilson, Sheffield Hallam University; Dan Plumley, Sheffield Hallam University, and Kieran Maguire, University of Liverpool[/box] [dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen the English Premier League was founded in 1992, clubs agreed an egalitarian system for distributing Sky TV money. Skip forward 25 years, and that model is under threat after the 20 Premier League clubs met to discuss how to share future international TV rights. Overseas broadcasters have discovered that Premier League football is a key vehicle to deliver subscriptions. The money paid to broadcast football has increased considerably. Glancing back to 1992 shows broadcast revenue of £192m. In the…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Rob Gowers, Anglia Ruskin University[/box] [dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen Arsene Wenger was named as the new manager of Arsenal FC in September 1996, English football was in a period of transition. The 1989 Hillsborough disaster had led to a transformation of the grounds and treatment of supporters, and the arrival of the Sky Sports TV channel heralded the formation of the Premier League in the 1992-93 season. At pitch level however, the game remained the same. Tactics, pre-match preparation, training methods, were all largely unchanged. When Wenger got his job at Arsenal, he was only the third foreign manager…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””] Peter Holmes, University of Sussex and Michael Gasiorek, University of Sussex[/box] [dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is commonplace to emphasise that we are now in a new era of globalisation, marked by the rise in the importance of emerging economies. But what does this really mean? Richard Baldwin, author of The Great Convergence, argues that what is new is the combination of northern technology and southern labour. But he adds that for the present, global value chains are still mainly regional. Intermediate goods like car parts are primarily moved around within a regional “factory” (North America, Europe, East Asia),…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Asghar Zaidi, University of Southampton[/box] [dropcap]O[/dropcap]ne of the central arguments in support of pro-immigration policies in Europe is that developed nations in the West need young workers to help pay for the pensions and healthcare of ageing populations. We can argue over the merits of that into the night, but what is often forgotten is the fate of the older people in the countries suffering large net emigration of the young and educated to the West. Countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) have been particularly affected, and in several ways. Young relatives who might…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””] Murray Goulden, University of Nottingham[/box] [dropcap]F[/dropcap]ollowing TfL’s decision to withdraw Uber’s license to operate in London, there has been a widespread picking over of the ride-hailing app’s recent history – and speculation about its future. A fairly common conclusion is that Uber needs to become more ethical if it is to survive. I want to suggest that this may not be possible. After the calamitous year Uber has had, it should not be difficult for the company to improve its reputation – simply by avoiding many of the unnecessary embarrassments heaped upon itself in 2017.…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Emma Tominey, University of York[/box] [dropcap]H[/dropcap]ow much should new mothers work? It turns out the example set within families and friendship groups has a major role in deciding the hours women will consider after returning from maternity leave. Policy makers should take note. We are all used to the idea that, almost subconsciously, family and friends establish precedents in our lives. We find ourselves repeating the admonishments of our parents to our own children; we fall into step with the fashions of our social groups. It is now clearer how dramatic this effect can be on…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””] Padraic Regan, Trinity College Dublin[/box] [dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith plans underway for the UK’s biggest peacetime repatriation of 110,000 customers following the collapse of Monarch Airlines – the biggest UK airline ever to cease trading – questions are quite rightly being asked about what went wrong. Intense competition, terrorism, and Brexit-related sterling changes have already surfaced as the main culprits. But after the anger and recriminations have calmed down, attention should turn to the correct behaviour of the agency charged with protecting consumer rights. In this case the Civil Aviation Authority. The CAA’s job is to ensure that…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””] Alexander Tziamalis, Sheffield Hallam University[/box] [dropcap]B[/dropcap]ritain is locked in a seemingly constant battle with the burden of its overheated housing market. Theresa May has announced measures at the Conservative Party conference designed, at the very least, to dampen criticism over a lack of housing and ever-increasing prices. It is unclear for now just what impact May’s announcement for land releases and an extra £2 billion for affordable housing may have. After all, the UK’s housing stock is valued at close to £7 trillion. But her announcement comes after London real estate prices registered their biggest…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Andrew Wright Freelance writer This article is part of the India Economic Summit[/box] [dropcap]I[/dropcap]ndia’s economic success in recent years has helped to ensure that South Asia is the fastest-growing region in the world – but it faces significant challenges alongside its opportunities for further growth. Ahead of the India Economic Summit 2017, taking place in New Delhi from 4-6 October, here are eight things you need to know to understand the current state of India’s economy. Economic and population growth India is the world’s seventh-largest economy, sitting between France and Italy. Its GDP growth recently dipped to 5.7%;…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]John McKenna Formative Content[/box] [dropcap]S[/dropcap]audi Arabia is putting vast sums of money behind its ambitions to nearly quadruple the number of visitors to its holy sites by 2030. It is spending $26.6 billion to expand the Grand Mosque in Mecca in order to accommodate more pilgrims during the haj week, plus another $3.6 billion on a hotel nearby that with 10,000 rooms would be the world’s largest. When associated projects such as the Mecca-Medina rail link are included, it is estimated that Saudi Arabia is spending $80 billion on Mecca alone. The Grand Mosque in Mecca is undergoing a $26.6 billion…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]James Hewitt Head of Science & Innovation, Hintsa Performance[/box] [dropcap]W[/dropcap]e are accelerating into the age of “connected everything”. There are almost three million apps in one of the world’s leading app stores, many of us check our smart-phones once every 6 minutes and most of us carry our digital devices for 22 hours per day. Connectivity is limitless and choice is copious, but are we truly experts in the use of our digital tools, or are we merely familiar? Are the rapid switches, scans and swipes which characterise our interactions with technology masking the fact that we have not…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]David Aikman Chief Representative Officer, Greater China, World Economic Forum[/box] 1. In China, you can smile to pay for fried chicken [dropcap]W[/dropcap]hile everyone is talking about face recognition on new phones, China is already developing some surprising applications for this technology such as smiling to pay for your meal, using your face and your voice to access your residence hall at university, enforcing social norms by, for example, naming and shaming jaywalkers, and catching criminals on their day off. 2. China is cracking down on cryptocurrencies This month there was tremendous noise around the boom and bust of bitcoin exchanges and initial coin…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Michael Bordo This article is published in collaboration withVoxEU [/box] [dropcap]I[/dropcap]n third-century Rome, Julius Paulus Prudentissimus, chief legal advisor to Emperor Severus Alexander, described the fundamental rationale for a government-issued currency using terms that remain familiar to modern monetary economists. It was, he wrote, a unit of account for the pricing of goods and services, a method of storing value, and a medium of exchange that facilitated economic and financial transactions (Watson 2010). Paulus had recognised that the utility of currency depended on its nominal quantity, not on its material substance. That is, the efficacy of a…

FORMATION OF PNSC [dropcap]P[/dropcap]akistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) was established through an Ordinance XX of 1979 that merged two shipping companies, National Shipping Corporation (NSC) and Pakistan Shipping Corporation (PSC). Administration of the affairs and business of the Corporation was vested in the Board of Directors. BUSINESS OPERATIONS PNSC is engaged in the following sea transportation trades i.e.: Dry Bulk Cargo and Liquid Bulk Cargo (Crude & White Oils) Slot/NVOCC Services PNSC has been operating in Dry Bulk market for a long time. PNSC has transported raw material such as Iron Ore for Pakistan Steel Mills in the past. The…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Sennen Desouza, Hammad Hashmi, & Baqar Jafri Co-Founders Investors Lounge Pakistan’s Leading Financial Analytics Firm[/box] [dropcap]F[/dropcap]inancial Technology or ‘Fintech’ has taken the centre stage in discussions on business model innovation, especially for commercial banks and investment management industry. Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Block Chain are gaining acceptability in global financial fraternity. Are Pakistani financial institutions ready for this transition? To explore this, we took exclusive interview of the co-founders of Investors Lounge, Pakistan’s leading financial information and analytics firm, to get their insights on the 5 Major Trends that will completely transform Pakistan’s Financial Sector…

Imtiaz Rafi’s top business principles are to honor commitments, treat employees like family, create relationships not just transactions Interview with Mr Imtiaz Rafi Butt – Chairman, Rafi Group PAGE: MR IMTIAZ RAFI BUTT, IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, YOU COME FROM AN ESTEEMED FAMILY BACKGROUND, YOUR FATHER WAS A CLOSE ASSOCIATE OF THE QUAID-E-AZAM AND A FINANCIER OF THE PAKISTAN MOVEMENT. YOU YOURSELF HAVE BEEN A PIONEER IN THE FIELD OF REAL ESTATE, A SOCIAL PHILANTHROPIST, A POLITICAL AND HISTORICAL AUTHORITY THROUGH THE JINNAH RAFI FOUNDATION AND HAVE EVEN BEEN LINKED TO MANY POLITICAL FIGURES. HOW WOULD…

STOCKS TAKE A BREATHER ON INVESTOR RETURN AFTER CONTINUOUS HAMMERING ON POLITICAL TURBULENCE SUMMARY The stock market in present circumstances is highly dependent high level of political development happening in the country and on any economic trigger which provide positive incentive for investors to invest. The political events like appearance of ex-PM in court on 2nd Oct.; the start of legal proceeding against Mr. Ishaq Dar –the Finance Minister, and rejection earlier his petition against it; the Bill rushed thru NA to make Nawaz Sharif party chief Such political events creates more impact with uncertainty in the minds of investor…

PAKISTAN: ZONG 4G TOPS PTA’S CUSTOMER RESOLUTION INDICATOR: Zong 4G Pakistan’s No .1 4G Network has achieved yet another milestone in the telecom industry according to the latest PTA figures. Staying true to its focus on customer centricity, Zong 4G is leading the telecom industry with a 99.3% success rate in customer resolutions for August 2017. PAKISTANI STARTUP WINS INTERNATIONAL TELECOM UNION COMPETITION: Wajiha Habib and Navera Waheed, founders of Cygnus Solutions who won the first position in “ideas about CSRs and SDGs”. The competition is called the Busan Global Smart Cities Challenge held in the beautiful city of South…

UNION COOP RECEIVES DUBAI CHAMBER CSR LABEL FOR FIFTH YEAR IN A ROW Union Coop received the Dubai Chamber Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Label for the fifth year in a row on Sunday. The CSR Label recognises the distinguished efforts of Union Coop in the field of corporate social responsibility and its commitment to developing its practices in this field. It also celebrates the Union Coop initiatives to support vital sectors via social and environmental initiatives and activities. The CSR Label certificate was received by Harib Mohammed bin Thani, director of Operations Division at Union Coop on behalf of CEO…

BALTIC MAIN INDEX RISES AS RATES OF LARGER VESSELS RECOVER The Baltic Exchange’s main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, snapped a six-session losing streak on Wednesday as rates for larger vessels improved. The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels, rose 12 points, or 0.92 percent, to 1,320 points. The capesize index rose 49 points, or 1.87 percent, to 2,667 points. Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes such as iron ore and coal, rose $468 to $18,397 after falling for six straight sessions.…

IBBI AMENDS INSOLVENCY RESOLUTION PROCESS NORMS New Delhi, Oct 6: An insolvency resolution plan will need to have a statement spelling out how the interest of all stakeholders will be dealt with, according to the amended regulations under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. The move would help in ensuring more clarity in terms of taking into consideration interests of stakeholders, including home buyers, concerned during the insolvency process. With the latest amendment by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), a resolution plan should have a statement about dealing with the interests of all stakeholders. The IBBI is implementing…

TPL LIFE AND U MICROFINANCE BANK AGREE TO SERVE THE UNDERSERVED TPL Life and U Microfinance Bank Ltd. (U Bank) have signed an agreement whereby TPL Life’s innovative life insurance and health insurance products will be available through U Bank branches. Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Faisal Abbasi – CEO, TPL Life said “Developing products for the financially excluded members of our society has been the driving force behind our existence. This alliance with U Microfinance Bank will go a long way in providing tailor made insurance solutions to the common man to help his health and saving needs.” He…

[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 5.72 6.22 1 – Month 5.74 6.24 3 – Month 5.91 6.16 6 – Month 5.92 6.17 9 – Month 5.96 6.46 1 – Year 5.98 6.48 2 – Year 6.14 6.64 3- Year 6.33 6.83

[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. [divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″] [ads2] STRUCTURE OF INTEREST RATES IN PAKISTAN (%) Month SBP Reverse Repo Rate SBP Repo Rate SBP Policy (Target) Rate 8-Oct-12 10.00 7.00 – 17-Dec-12 9.50 6.50 – 11-Feb-13 9.50 7.00 – 24-Jun-13 9.00 6.50 – 16-Sep-13 9.50 7.00 – 18-Nov-13 10.00 7.50 – 17-Nov-14 9.50 7.00 – 26-Jan-15 8.50 6.00 – 24-Mar-15 8.00 5.50 – 25-May-15 7.00 5.00 6.50 14-Sep-15 6.50 4.50…

[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=””]David Abulafia, University of Cambridge[/box] [dropcap]F[/dropcap]ew images are more enduring in the historical imagination than the train of two-humped Bactrian camels plodding across desert sands from west to east, or vice-versa, across the vast open spaces of Eurasia. Now that China is edging towards a modern incarnation of the “silk road” it is worth remembering how this emblem of the ancient world actually came into being. There is no doubt that these overland trading routes existed in the early and late Middle Ages. There is also no doubt that these treks across deserts brought massively important…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Mark Sumner, University of Leeds[/box] [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he fashion industry has some major sustainability problems. By 2030, it is predicted that the industry’s water consumption will grow by 50% to 118 billion cubic metres, its carbon footprint will increase to 2,791m tonnes and the amount of waste it creates will hit 148m tonnes. These predictions are in spite of significant progress being made by brands and retailers to minimise their impact. Many are using sustainable cotton initiatives to reduce water, energy and chemical use, new dyeing technology to reduce water consumption by up to 50% as well as…

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s one of the leading 3PL providers in the country, Agility has vowed to remain at the forefront of logistics progress in Pakistan. With the extensive foreign investment that CPEC is expected to inject in the country’s economy, the industrial development led by the venture will usher a new era of potential for logistics in the nation and industry veterans affirm to this view. Of critical importance in the CPEC plan is China’s Xinjiang province in Pakistan’s immediate neighborhood. Xinjiang is China’s top cotton growing area, producing 60% of China’s cotton production. At present, the province is undergoing rapid industrialization…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Amany Elbanna, Royal Holloway[/box] [dropcap]U[/dropcap]ber has been met with a mix of excitement, anger, protest, legal action and dispute when introduced in most countries. With operations in over 250 cities, the ride-hailing app has disrupted transportation and models of work. It has also been disrupted by the termination of all or part of its services in some countries including France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Denmark and China. London is the latest location where Uber is facing serious challenges. Transport for London, the city’s transport authority, has denied it a new licence to operate, which would effectively shut…

POSITIVE TRIGGERS FAILED AS POLITICAL SHENANIGANS HEIGHTENED INVESTORS ANXIETY SUMMARY Stock market seems to function smoothly on account of basic fundamentals. Triggers, the market stimulus, which moved the market were present in last week’s trading. Supreme Court‘s judgment in favor of the pensioners of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), which will likely cost the bank approximately Rs47.7 billion hit the lower lock of the bank on Monday. Global urea prices posted biggest weekly gain in almost four years Crude oil surge were visible as oil prices hovered near 26 months high supported by Turkey’s threat to cut crude exports from…

PAKISTAN: IPHONE 8 GETS NEW BENCHMARKS-OUTPACES A CORE I5-POWERED MACBOOK PRO AND OTHER WINDOWS-RUNNING NOTEBOOKS: The improved performance could be one of the reasons why the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus can provide support for 4K video recording at 60 frames per second. The iPhone 8 is surely an expensive phone, and it is a mobile computing beast the latest benchmark scores show that iPhone 8 is powerful in processing compared to MacBook Pro and Windows 10-powered notebook. MEET FACEBOOK’S NEW $35 MILLION LUXURIOUS EARTHQUAKE-RESISTANT OFFICE: Facebook is coming to San Francisco soon and its new office looks amazing.…

FIND YOUR CONNECTED HOME AT GITEX SHOPPER Living in a smart home is no more a high aspiration, but a new normal for UAE residents – more so for the digital-savvy millennial population who either own a house or looking to buy one. As the world hails 2017 as “The Year of the Smart Home,” the UAE is already leading the revolution in the region, aided by its increased adoption of smart technologies. Gitex Shopper – the Middle East’s largest annual consumer electronics exhibition – is a key enabler of such smart technologies along with UAE telecoms, a multitude of…

MANGO EXPORTS EARNED PAKISTAN $94MN IN 2 YEARS Mango exports earned Pakistan $94.059 million in foreign exchange during 2014-16, officials in the Commerce Division said on Tuesday. Quoting figures compiled by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), they said that 129,423 tons of mangoes were exported to various countries in the last two years. Figures for the recently-concluded fiscal year were not discussed. During 2014-15, Pakistan exported 65,311 tons worth $45.672 million while in 2015-16,64,112 tons were exported valued at $48.387 million. Most importing countries require vapour heat treatment and irradiation before accepting exports, the officials said, adding that the…

BE WARY OF MONOPOLY IN TELECOM SECTOR: ANIL AMBANI MUMBAI: Anil Ambani on Tuesday said the telecom sector is in “ICCU” with government and lenders most at risk, and warned of a monopolistic market emerging. He also promised to get RCOM out of its difficulties by March 2018, saying its lenders are supportive of all its actions. With the entry of his elder brother Mukesh Ambani-promoted Reliance Jio wrecking the already competitive market, Anil Ambani said we are “potentially” moving towards a market with limited competition and feared that it may turn into a “monopoly”. “The wireless or mobility sector,…

NHA SETTING UP EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTERS IN BALOCHISTAN Minister of State for Communications Muhammad Junaid Anwaar Chaudhry presided over a high level meeting at Ministry of Communications last week where in Chairman NHA Mr. Shahid Ashraf Tarar gave a briefing regarding establishment of Emergency Response Centre along national highways in Balochistan. Inspector General National Highway and Motorway Police Dr. Syed Kaleem Imam, senior officers from Ministry of Communications and National Highway Authority were also present. Giving briefing Chairman NHA said, NHA is setting up 09x Emergency Response Centres along national highways in Balochistan. These centers, he said, are being set…

[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 5.65 6.15 2 – Week 5.70 6.20 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 5.98 6.48 2 – Year 6.13 6.63 3- Year 6.30 6.80

[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 % 15-December 6 Employed Persons 57420 Thousand 15-December 56520 Unemployed Persons 3620 Thousand 15-December 3580 Population 190 Million 15-December 186 Living Wage Family 49600 Rs/Month 16-June 48600 Living Wage Individual 17600 Rs/Month 16-June 17000 Wages High Skilled 43600 Rs/Month 16-June 51100 MONEY Interest Rate 5.75 % 16-November 5.75 Interbank Rate 5.9 % 16-September 5.9 Money Supply M0 4166452 Rs. Million 16-October 4184873…

[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=””]Alex Gray Formative Content[/box] [dropcap]A[/dropcap]lmost 10 years after the economic crisis, the world economy is in much better shape. The slow yet steady growth seen over the last few years is set to continue, with a predicted 3.5% in growth in 2017. However, we are living in a time of unprecedented change and uncertainty. Geopolitical headwinds are colliding with rapid technological change, creating a world where global leaders have to think long and hard about their political and economic policies. Continued growth is far from guaranteed. Image: WEF The latest World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Index ranks 137 economies…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]This article is published in collaboration with MIT News[/box] [dropcap]I[/dropcap]f at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. A new study from MIT reveals that babies as young as 15 months can learn to follow this advice. The researchers found that babies who watched an adult struggle at two different tasks before succeeding tried harder at their own difficult task, compared to babies who saw an adult succeed effortlessly. The study suggests that infants can learn the value of effort after seeing just a couple of examples of adults trying hard, although the researchers have not…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Vasudha Thirani Policy Associate, #DigitalIndia Foundation Arvind Gupta Chief Technology Officer, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)[/box] [dropcap]R[/dropcap]ecently, Equifax, a US based consumer credit reporting agency that collects and aggregates information on over 800 million individual consumers and more than 88 million businesses worldwide, suffered a data breach of 143 million users. As a result, they’re facing a class action lawsuit of up to US$ 70 billion. In 2015, an insurance company compensated its 75,000 users with $100 per person for breach of their personal data. These are just two of the several cases of data breach, which over the…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Tilmann Gabriel, City, University of London[/box] [dropcap]R[/dropcap]yanair’s announcement that it is cancelling 18,000 flights between November and March has understandably evoked the ire of the 400,000 customers affected. And, hot on the heels of news that it was cancelling up to 50 flights a day from mid-September to the end of October, it is facing a PR nightmare and trouble with regulators. Amid the outrage, the reason for the cancellations has been largely lost. The airline said it “messed up in the planning of pilot holidays”. But this is part of a major industry-wide problem. Ryanair…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Julia Gillen, Lancaster University[/box] [dropcap]S[/dropcap]ocial media site Twitter is trialling longer, 280-character limits to help users “easily express themselves”. At first glance this announcement might seem like nothing but a nice new feature. But this new step exemplifies two ways in which Twitter continues to tread a fine line between success and failure. Firstly, what this move demonstrates is how difficult it is to get the balance between being distinctive and having to move closer to the features that rivals offer. Secondly, the new measure heaps new problems onto an unstable business model that keeps Twitter…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Yeganeh Morakabati, Bournemouth University[/box] [dropcap]I[/dropcap]n 2016, tourism in the Caribbean saw a healthy growth of 4.7% and Mexico earned its place among the top ten tourist destinations. Tourism is an important source of income for both the Caribbean Islands and Mexico. In Mexico, the industry was responsible for 16% of total GDP in 2016, with North America its main source market. Both the Caribbean and Mexico were recently in the headlines due to a series of natural disasters. Hurricanes Irma and Maria battered the Caribbean, causing widespread destruction and loss of life, and a deadly earthquake…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Valerie Smith Director and Global Head of Corporate Sustainability, Citi This article is part of the Sustainable Development Impact Summit[/box] [dropcap]P[/dropcap]olicy debates on climate change and sustainable development routinely cite the massive numbers needed to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): an additional $1 trillion annually in clean energy investments to limit global warming to below 2 degrees and between $5-7 trillion a year to achieve the SDGs. These numbers are overwhelming – but there is good news. When put in context with broader economic activity, these are far more manageable than they first appear. The trillions needed for…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Johan Rockström Executive Director, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University This article is part of the Sustainable Development Impact Summit[/box] [dropcap]I[/dropcap] and my colleagues have spent a decade or more trying to get a handle on tipping points in complex systems. A tipping point is when something changes rapidly to a new state – like water turning to ice at zero degrees Celsius, or when a virus bubbling around in a population suddenly explodes into an epidemic, as if from nowhere. We’ve been looking for signs – early warning signals – of approaching tipping points. This could help…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]John McKenna Formative Content[/box] [dropcap]W[/dropcap]orldwide fossil fuel use could end as early as 2050. By then renewable energy could entirely power the countries that today account for more than 99% of all energy use, according to a new study. Researchers at Stanford University and other US and European universities have plotted out roadmaps for 139 nations to transition to 100% renewables by 2050. While the individual power mixes of each country vary, the vast majority (94.7%) of all energy demand is predicted to be met by established wind and solar power technologies. However, the study, which is part of…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Rebecca Mardon, Cardiff University[/box] [dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen Snapchat launched in 2011, ephemerality was its unique selling point. Its self-destructing photo and video messages were a stark departure from established social media platforms, which encouraged users to construct and populate content-laden profiles. Disappearing “Snaps” may have gained traction initially as a discrete way of sexting, but their transient nature turned out to have a broader appeal. Users embraced Snapchat as a way to share the insignificant, silly, mundane, or simply less polished moments of everyday life. Moments not deemed Instagram-, Twitter- or Facebook-worthy, could be shared as ephemeral Snaps.…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Nafis Alam, University of Reading[/box] [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he future of money looks very different in the world of cryptocurrencies. There is a growing consensus among businesses, investors and countries (Venezuela in particular) that these alternative forms of online money are going to dominate payments in the next decade. There may be agreement on the potential, but quite how regulators and central banks will respond is still up in the air. The combined market value of all cryptocurrencies in circulation reached US$170 billion by the end of August 2017, 850% higher than at the beginning of the year, according…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Chengwei Liu, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick[/box] [dropcap]B[/dropcap]ill Gates is a lot luckier than you might realise. He may be a very talented man who worked his way up from college dropout to the top spot on the list of the world’s richest people. But his extreme success perhaps tells us more about the importance of circumstances beyond his control than it does about how skill and perseverance are rewarded. We often fall for the idea that the exceptional performers are the most skilled or talented. But this is flawed. Exceptional performances tend to occur…

[box type=”info” align=”” class=”” width=””]Eva Selenko, Loughborough University and Chris Stride, University of Sheffield[/box] [dropcap]“W[/dropcap]ill I lose my job in the near future?” For most people this is an unpleasant scenario to ponder, and for many it is a real and pressing concern. Since the financial crisis, more than half of all jobs created in the European Union have been through temporary contracts. This high level of job insecurity doesn’t just have an economic effect on people, making financial planning extremely difficult. Our research shows how the precarious nature of the job market has a huge impact on how people…

[dropcap]G[/dropcap]lobally, significance of women’s role in economies of the countries has gained momentum to such an extent that almost all socio-economic growth strategies of low and middle income countries have special focus on issues relating to gender disparity, lack of education and healthcare facilities and above all growing poverty due to one of the basic reasons that a major chunk of female population are excluded from the economic mainstream, which is detrimental not only to the country as a whole, but also for individual lives. Almost all the studies conducted so far at different forums from economic development perspective show…

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n the contemporary world women participation in every aspect of work is phenomenal despite facing hindrances in the society. Women constitute half of the Pakistan’s 207 million population [2017 population census] and women’s contribution has been remarkable in every facet of life however their vitality and potential has never been fully realized in the past 70 years after independence. There is a close relationship between economic development and women’s empowerment defined as improving the ability of women to access the constituents of development in particular health, education, earning opportunities, rights, and political participation. In one direction, development alone can play…

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]ONEY TRADE COIN, the new age cryptocurrency, is able one more time to dazzle its investors’ expectations by listing on NovaExchange. The listing happened at 00:00 GMT and immediate trading was launched. The listing event is held at Burj Al Arab, Dubai, United Arab Emirates and was highlighted by the attendance of H. E. Sheikh Saqer Al Nahyan along with a list of 40 VIP selected honor guests including H. E. Sheikh Jumaa Al Maktoum and Mr. Faisal Almaazmi, his principal advisor and director of Greenland Capital Properties. MONEY TRADE COIN founder and CEO, Mr. Amit Lakhanpal promised earlier this…

WHY DIVERSITY & INCLUSION [dropcap]O[/dropcap]rganizations today are dedicated to serving all stakeholders, including customers, employees, suppliers, regulators, shareholders and society at large. Future-focused organizations want to ensure long term sustainability of our world and the people in our world. Stakeholders are becoming more globally diverse and networked, as organizations are increasingly mobile in their teams, supply chains, shared services, operational processes and outsourcing. To optimize organizational results, creativity, problem-solving, talent management and engagement, operations and innovation, organizational leaders need to adopt inclusive approaches management strategies and styles that incorporate different perspectives, cognitive, cultural and linguistic differences, and collaboration. Research shows…

PAKISTAN: AMD RYZEN MOBILE APU BENCHMARKS LEAKED- 90% FASTER THAN PREVIOUS-GEN: Benchmarks for AMD’s upcoming Raven Ridge APUs featuring the Zen CPU & Vega GPU microarchitectures have spotted online. The mobile Ryzen family of chips is expected to launch within the next couple of months, ahead of the holiday season. PAKISTANI CHRISTIAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SENDING A BLASPHEMOUS WHATSAPP TEXT: A Christian namely Nadeem James was charged and arrested in July last year when his Muslim friend filed a complaint against him stating that the accused, now the culprit, had sent him a poem on WhatsApp in which derogatory remarks…

EXPONENTIAL GROWTH SEEN IN GCC ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT Dubai is set to reinforce its status as the region’s leading financial hub with new legislation and regulation expected to attract inward investment as the GCC is forecast to see an exponential growth in assets under management to nearly $111 billion by 2020, a new study reveals. While fund managers in the UAE are expected to see their asset under management (AUM) grow from $1.6 billion in 2016 to $18.9 billion in 2020, fund managers across the GCC are expected to more than double their AUM from $45.8 billion in 2016 to…

FOREIGN EXCHANGE: SBP’S RESERVES PLUNGE 3.22PC, AMOUNT TO $14.28B Foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) decreased 3.22% on a weekly basis, according to data released by the central bank on Thursday. On September 15, the foreign currency reserves held by the central bank were recorded at $14,283.6 million, down $474.8 million or 3.22%, compared to $14,758.4 million in the previous week, according to the central bank. Total liquid foreign reserves held by the country, including net reserves held by banks other than the SBP, stood at $20,099.7 million. Net reserves held by banks amounted to…

AIRTEL, VODAFONE & IDEA RACE AGAINST TIME TO READY CASE AGAINST IUC CUT NEW DELHI: Top telecom operators are racing against time to build a strong case against the regulartor’s decision to lower the interconnect usage charge (IUC) by 57% to 6 paise. They plan to move court claiming ‘irreverisble damage’ to stall the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) plan, which comes into effect on October 1. An industry executive said that the case or cases need to be filed by Friday latest to be heard on Monday, which is the earliest possible day to get a hearing, and…

QEC, IBA KARACHI HOSTS THE QAA-HEC MS/EQUIVALENT PROGRAMS REVIEW VISIT Quality Enhancement Cell, IBA, Karachi organized the Review Visit of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), HEC and the Committee of Experts from various universities of Pakistan. The purpose of the visit was to review the IBA Graduate Programs’ compliance with the HEC’s minimum criteria/guidelines set for the MPhil/MS and Equivalent level of Programs. The Review committee was comprised of the following experts and the HEC officials: Dr. Amir Ijaz, University of the Punjab, Lahore Dr. Samina Awan, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad Dr. Usman Ghani, Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar…

[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 5.77 6.27 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 6.10 6.60 3- Year 6.26 6.76

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[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 2015 2016 2017 Total Population (Million) 191.71 195.4 199.1 Urban Population (Million) 75.19 77.93 80.72 Rural Population (Million) 116.52 117.48 118.38 Total Fertility Rate (TFR) 3.2 3.1 3.0 Crude Birth Rate (Per thousand) 26.1 25.6 25.2 Crude Death Rate (Per thousand) 6.80 6.70 6.60 Population Growth Rate (Percent) 1.92…

[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

GBP/USD WEEKLY OVERVIEW Pound inched up 1% a one year high against the dollar after release of Consumers Price data on Tuesday showing overall increase of 2.9% as compared to previous year in the presence of highest level of inflation rate in Britain since last five years putting pressure on Bank of England to keep the possibility of rate hike in currency as the impact of rising inflation has been a challenge for Central Bank. Later, pound rose as high as $1.3288 its strongest since September 13, 2016. On Thursday pound was up 1.2% highest in a year against the…

MARKET REVIEW The local bourse gained 1,386pts during the week continuing last week’s rally to close at 42,787, up by 3.3%WoW. Market participation also increased substantially during the week with ADT and ADTV reporting a jump of 15.6%WoW and 7.8%WoW respectively. Foreign institutional investors were net buyers during the week with an inflow of USD27.7mn following FTSE’s inclusion of five additional from Pakistan. During the week, remittances figure for the month of August clocked in at USD1.95bn, up by 11%YoY. Country’s total FX reserves reported a 1%WoW jump and clocked in at USD20.6bn owing to inflow from ADB loan. However,…

KSE-100 INDEX CLIMBS ON FOREIGN BUYING AND FTSE, S&P INCLUSION OF PAKISTANI STOCKS SUMMARY The week ended higher and remained bullish on account of positive sentiments developed due to the foreign buying worth $27.66 million along with the news of FTSE, an international company specializing in index calculation is set to include five additional stocks from Pakistan in its Asia Pacific ex-Japan Index with effect from Sept. 18. The five companies to be added in The FTSE Global Equity Index Series Asia Pacific ex-Japan Regional Index, are MCB Bank, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines, Bank Alfalah, Millat Tractors and Thal Ltd.…

PAKISTAN: PAKISTANI TRUCK ART BEING PRESENTED IN A US MUSEUM: Across the globe, Every country has its culture and people who stick to their morals and culture succeed in every field. This is why no matter how the new era of technology has changed lives and how the fashion trend has changed the culture, but coloured trucks are still visible in every part of Pakistan. QUALCOMM’S SNAPDRAGON 845 BEATS APPLE A9 IN SINGLE CORE BENCHMARK: This processor is the successor of Qualcomm’s current Snapdragon 835 if the company continues in its current nomenclature scheme, The Snapdragon 845 scores 2600+ in GeeBench4 for…

FLYDUBAI CUTS FARES BY UP TO 50% Dubai: Budget carrier flydubai has slashed its fares across a number of routes, in an apparent bid to stimulate demand after the peak summer travel period. The airline announced on Wednesday that it is offering up to 50 per cent discount on economy and business class seats for flights from Dubai to more than 80 destinations, including Prague, Maldives, Russia, Georgia, Thailand, India and Ukraine. The sale has already kicked off and flyers have until midnight of September 26, 2017 to avail themselves of price cuts. The discounted fares are for trips between…

WEEK-ON-WEEK: SPI FALLS 0.27PC The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) for the week ended September 14, 2017 registered a decrease of 0.27% for the combined income group, going down from 222.71 points in the previous week to 222.11 in the week under review. Compared to the corresponding week of previous year, the SPI for the combined income group rose 1.10%. The SPI for the lowest income group decreased 0.22% compared to the previous week. The index for the group stood at 213.01 points against 213.48 in the previous week, according to provisional figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. During…

AUGUST WHOLESALE INFLATION SPIKES TO 4-MONTH HIGH OF 3.24% India’s wholesale price inflation (WPI) rose to 3.24 per cent from a year ago, its fastest pace in four months, government data showed on Thursday. The data suggests that the spike in inflation is driven by higher prices of food and fuel products. The rise compares with a 3.0 per cent increase forecast by economists in a Reuters poll and a provisional 1.88 per cent rise in July. The last such high level of inflation was witnessed in April when the rate of price rise was 3.85 per cent. The government…

UBER JOINS INDEPENDENCE CUP 2017, AS OFFICIAL TRANSPORT PARTNER Uber, the international smartphone app that seamlessly connects riders to drivers, is proud to become the Official Transport Partner of the upcoming Independence Cup 2017. The ultimate face-off between Pakistani daredevils and star-studded World XI cricket teams is slated to take place at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on 12th, 13th and 15th September 2017. With the cricket fever returning to the home ground, Uber is all set to provide the citizens of Lahore a hassle-free way to reach the venue. To further show its support to the national cricket team, Uber will…