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Pakistan’s Toyota manufacturer shuts down plant for two weeks

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  • Plant will be completely shut down from July 21 to August 3.
  • Company faces significant hurdles in importing raw materials.
  • It isn’t only automotive manufacturer affected by raw material scarcity.

KARACHI: Indus Motor Company Limited, a prominent player in Pakistan’s automotive industry and the manufacturer of Toyota vehicles, has temporarily closed its production plant for two weeks, The News reported Friday.

The decision comes as the company faces significant hurdles in importing raw materials, leading to disruptions in its supply chain.

Last month, Indus Motors experienced a brief shutdown of its production plant due to similar challenges with raw material imports.

However, the current situation has worsened, leaving the company with insufficient inventory levels to sustain its production activities.

The company secretary of Indus Motor released a statement to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, outlining the difficulties the company and its vendors are facing in importing raw materials and clearing consignments.

These challenges are primarily due to issues with opening letters of credit (LCs) and supply problems from certain foreign vendors.

As a result of these obstacles, the company has no choice but to halt its production activities temporarily.

The plant will be completely shut down from July 21, 2023, to August 3, 2023. Indus Motors is not the only automotive manufacturer affected by raw material scarcity.

Other prominent companies like Pak Suzuki Motors and Honda Cars have also experienced several shutdown days in recent months due to similar issues.

The automotive sector, along with other industries reliant on imported raw materials, has been grappling with these challenges due to a shortage of foreign exchange reserves in Pakistan.

The struggle to open LC has severely impacted the smooth functioning of the supply chain, leading to disruptions in production activities.

Indus Motors has a significant presence in Pakistan’s automobile industry and has invested $100 million in local production of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).

The company has played a crucial role in establishing the local automotive ecosystem, with over 50 part manufacturers contributing to the value chain by producing parts worth over Rs250 million every working day.

Additionally, the company has established 53 independently owned authorised dealerships that provide aftersales service to customers, generating employment opportunities for over 450,000 people directly and indirectly across Pakistan.

The temporary closure of the production plant presents challenges for the company, its employees, and the overall automobile industry.

The management of Indus Motor Company Limited is likely to be exploring solutions to address the raw material scarcity and resume operations as soon as the situation allows.

One analyst said the government and relevant stakeholders may also need to collaborate to find long-term solutions to ensure a stable supply of raw materials for the automotive and other affected industries.

Swift action and strategic measures will be essential to mitigate the impact of these closures on the economy and preserve the growth trajectory of Pakistan’s automotive sector.

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With its second-largest surge ever, PSX approaches 114,000 points.

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Driven by renewed activity from both private and government financial institutions, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) saw its second-largest rally in history on Monday.

The market regained many important levels in a single trading session as it rose with previously unheard-of momentum.

Intraday trading saw a top increase of 4,676 points, and the PSX’s benchmark KSE-100 Index gained 4,411 points to settle at 113,924 points. This impressive rebound demonstrated significant investor confidence by reestablishing the 100,000, 111,000, 112,000, and 113,000-point levels.

The market also saw the 114,000-point limit reestablished during the trading session.

The positive tendency was reflected when the market’s heavyweight shares touched its upper circuits. Among the most busiest trading sessions in recent memory, an astounding 85.78 billion shares worth a total of Rs55 billion were exchanged.

Experts credited the spike to heightened institutional investor activity and hope for macroeconomic recovery. Considered a major market recovery, the rally demonstrated the market’s tenacity and development potential.

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In interbank trade, the Pakistani rupee beats the US dollar.

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In the international exchange market, the US dollar has continued to weaken in relation to the Pakistani rupee.

The dollar fell to Rs278.10 from Rs278.17 at the beginning of interbank trading, according to currency dealers, a seven paisa loss.

In the meantime, there was a lot of turbulence in the stock market, but it recovered and moved into the positive zone. The KSE-100 index recovered momentum and reached 116,000 points after soaring 1,300 points.

Both currency and stock market swings, according to analysts, are a reflection of ongoing market adjustments and economic uncertainty.

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Phase II of CPEC: China-Pakistan Partnership Enters a New Era

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The cornerstone of economic cooperation between the two brothers and all-weather friends is still the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the initiative’s flagship project.

In contrast to reports of a slowdown, recent events indicate a renewed vigour and strategic emphasis on pushing the second phase of CPEC, known as CPEC Phase-2, according to the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives.

According to the statement, this crucial stage seeks to reshape the foundation of bilateral ties via increased cooperation, cutting-edge technology transfer, and revolutionary socioeconomic initiatives.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal is leading Pakistan’s participation in a number of high-profile gatherings in China, such as the 3rd Forum on China-Indian Ocean Region Development Cooperation in Kunming and the High-Level Seminar on CPEC-2 in Beijing.

His involvement demonstrates Pakistan’s commitment to reviving CPEC, resolving outstanding concerns, and developing a strong phase-2 roadmap that considers both countries’ long-term prosperity.

At the core of these interactions is China’s steadfast determination to turn CPEC into a strategic alliance that promotes development, progress, and connectivity.

Instead of being marginalised, CPEC is developing into a multifaceted framework with five main thematic corridors: the Opening-Up/Regional Connectivity Corridor, the Innovation Corridor, the Green Corridor, the Growth Corridor, and the Livelihood-Enhancing Corridor.

With the help of projects like these, the two countries will fortify their partnership, and CPEC phase-2 will become a model of global economic integration and collaboration that benefits not just China and Pakistan but the entire region.

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