Business

BeNewz Report WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s finance minister discussed economic reforms and stronger bilateral cooperation with the U.S. Treasury secretary as Islamabad reportedly seeks a $10 billion U.S.-backed exchange stabilization facility. Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington on Tuesday and discussed Pakistan’s economic reform agenda, …

Aftab Maken ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has proposed a new set of conditions for resolving Pakistan’s mounting gas sector circular debt, including formally recognizing the financial losses of the country’s two state-owned gas utilities and writing off unrecoverable receivables in their accounts. According to sources, the IMF has …

BeNewz Report ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has carried out a major reshuffle in the Inland Revenue Service (IRS), transferring and posting more than 50 senior officers from BS-19 to BS-22 in an effort to strengthen tax administration and improve operational efficiency across the country. According to a …

–Food and Fuel Costs Hit Households Hard Aftab Maken ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s inflationary pressures intensified further during the week ending July 16, 2026, as the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) rose by 1.40% over the previous week, signaling another sharp increase in the cost of living for millions of households. Data released …

–Pakistan’s weekly inflation eased slightly by 0.45%, but annual inflation climbed to 11.94% as food staples and energy prices continued to place heavy pressure on household budgets Aftab Maken ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s inflationary pressures remained elevated despite a slight weekly decline in prices, with the latest Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) showing …

ISLAMABAD:  Customs Enforcement Islamabad has intensified its anti-smuggling campaign, seizing smuggled vehicles and foreign-origin goods worth more than Rs215 million in a series of intelligence-based operations launched since June 15. The Collectorate of Customs Enforcement Islamabad has stepped up its anti-smuggling campaign, seizing smuggled vehicles and foreign-origin goods worth more …

Aftab Maken ISLAMABAD:  Pakistan’s weekly inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), declined 0.98% for the week ended July 2, 2026, mainly due to sharp cuts in petroleum product prices, although tomato, onion and wheat flour prices recorded significant increases. Weekly inflation eased by 0.98% during the week ended …

Aftab Maken ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s merchandise trade deficit widened by more than 21 percent during fiscal year 2025-26, reaching $39.47 billion, as import growth significantly outpaced exports, according to provisional trade statistics released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). The data showed that the cumulative trade deficit for the period …

Aftab Maken ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Thursday approved a series of key decisions relating to the restructuring of the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO), trade policy reforms, and higher education governance during a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue …

Aftab Maken ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s economy ended fiscal year 2025-26 on a significantly stronger footing, recording its highest economic growth in four years, single-digit average inflation, and a current account surplus, according to the Finance Division’s Monthly Economic Update & Outlook for June 2026. The report, released by the Finance Division, …