Business

SBP offers interest-free loans to women for starting business

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Central bank’s decision to back those starting their own businesses.
SBP official says women can support families via this opportunity.
Bank will provide interest-free loans up to Rs0.5 million.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: In its bid to ensure economic stability and female participation in the workforce, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is offering interest-free loans to unemployed women to start their large-scale businesses.

The central bank’s Dera Ismail Khan Deputy Chief Manager Fazal Muqeem made the announcement while addressing participants of a seminar ‘Women bankability and banking on equality’ at the Government Polytechnic Institute for Women in Dera Ismail Khan on Sunday.

Women, Muqeem said, will be able to support their families by starting their own businesses. He said the current wave of inflation has impacted the entire society and social strata. The SBP official added that it gets difficult for the poor to manage their everyday expenses due to their income resources.

The employment opportunities are also limited in the country, therefore starting of own business is the only way to handle such a situation, he added. He informed that the prime minister introduced different policies with the support of the central bank to make unemployed women productive citizens.

Under these policies, the bank accounts of unemployed women were being opened along with men on an equal basis so that they could be provided with interest-free loans up to Rs0.5 million.

Addressing the seminar, Assistant Director Muhammad Zubair said that today’s era is of digital mobile app and citizens must take benefit from this facility. He said the citizens should become income tax filers which would make them avoid many taxes.

On this occasion, GPI for Women Principal Sara Khan thanked the guests from the SBP. She said their institution was working to make its students skillful so that they could become self-sufficient and useful citizens of society.

She said many women would benefit from this SBP’s policy in the future. She expressed the hope that such type of useful seminars would be organised in the future so that poor and eligible women of DIK could benefit.

On this occasion, GPI for women Principal Sarah Khan, SBP Dera Ismail Khan Assistant Chief Manager Muhammad Amir Ejaz, Assistant Director Muhammad Zubair, Rizwanullah Shah, GPI (women) Placement Officer Zafar Awan, a good number of teachers and female students were present on the occasion.

Business

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

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

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.

Business

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

Published

1 week ago

Farwa

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.

Business

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

Published

1 week ago

Farwa

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.