Trade
LCCI wants level playing field on tax-free imports via Sost Border
LAHORE, Dec 29 (APP):Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Faheemur Rehman Saigol here Monday called for a comprehensive, consultative and nationally harmonized approach to import tax exemptions, following the Federal Board of Revenue’s decision to allow tax-free import of over 2,400 Chinese goods through the Customs Dry Port Sost for exclusive consumption in […]
SMEDA, SECP to improve collaboration for SMEs development
LAHORE, Dec 29 (APP):Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and Security Exchange Corporation Pakistan (SECP) have agreed to enhance mutual collaboration for strengthening SME sector of Pakistan. This decision came up at a meeting held between SMEDA and SECP officials here at SMEDA head office on Monday. The meeting, chaired by SMEDA CEO Ms. […]
PDWP approves development schemes worth Rs. 2.5b
LAHORE, Dec 29 (APP):Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP), in its 55th meeting, here Monday, approved development scheme with an accumulative estimated cost of Rs. 2.5 billion. Chaired by P&D Board Chairman Dr. Naeem Rauf, the forum approved the following schemes: Rehabilitation / Widening & Improvement / Construction of Metalled Roads in Cholistan at an estimated […]
PRA impounds 11 outlets’ record
LAHORE, Dec 29 (APP):Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) in its grand operation against tax defaulters across Lahore, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Taxila and Bahawalpur, impounded records from 11 outlets. During the operation, enforcement teams carried out inspections of 58 marquees and food points, according PRA spokesman here Monday. He added that records from 11 outlets including a well-known […]
Punitive Economic Measures and Pak-Afghan Trade and Transit Disruptions Fuel Regional Instability, Experts Warn
Dec. 29, 2025 | Islamabad: Exclusionary economic measures cause prolonged disruptions inPakistan-Afghanistan trade and transit, and generate wide-ranging economic and socialconsequences across the region. Uncertainty, rather than cost alone, has emerged as the mostdamaging factor, eroding livelihoods, weakening regional connectivity, and placingdisproportionate strain on border communities between the two countries.These concerns were raised at the […]
FBR suspends officials absent from sugar mill monitoring duties
ISLAMABAD, Dec 28 (APP):The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has initiated disciplinary action and immediately suspended six officials who were found unauthorizedly absent from their assigned monitoring duties at sugar mills, reaffirming its zero-tolerance policy toward misconduct and dereliction of duty. The officials had been deployed under Section 40B of the Sales Tax Act, 1990 […]
Malik urges intl community to play role in IWT restoration
LAHORE, Dec 28 (APP):SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s former president Iftikhar Ali Malik urged the international community to exert pressure on India for immediate restoration of Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), cautioning that continued violations could destabilise peace and economic stability in South Asia. In a media statement issued here Sunday, he mentioned, the IWT brokered by World […]
CCP wraps up 2025 with strong enforcement against cartelization
ISLAMABAD, Dec 28 (APP):The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) took strong enforcement action in 2025 against cartelization, price fixing, and other anti-competitive practices across key sectors, including sugar, steel, poultry, fertilizer, education, transport, advertising, power supply, and manufacturing, to protect consumers and ensure fair markets. In the sugar sector, CCP issued show cause notices to […]
Pak-Tajikistan PTA key to trade liberalization, targeting $300m in bilateral trade: Ambassador Sarwar
Dushanbe, Dec 28 (APP): Pakistan’s Ambassador to Tajikistan, Muhammad Saeed Sarwar, stated that a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between the two nations is a strong possibility, emphasizing trade liberalization’s role in fostering regional economic integration. Bilateral trade could reach $300 million in the coming years, with the business communities of both countries playing a pivotal […]
ADB President mourns passing of Dr Shamshad Akhtar
ISLAMABAD, Dec 28 (APP): President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Masato Kanda on Sunday expressed deep shock and grief over the passing of Dr Shamshad Akhtar, paying rich tribute to her distinguished career and lasting contributions to regional development and public service. In a condolence message posted on X, Masato Kanda said he had […]