tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post6169331149079364900..comments2024-03-27T15:36:44.737-07:00Comments on Haq's Musings: Pakistan At 75: Highlights of Economic and Demographic Progress Since IndependenceRiaz Haqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-43757816197911808682023-07-14T16:45:16.403-07:002023-07-14T16:45:16.403-07:00Peanuts to solve high edible oil prices issue
Paki...Peanuts to solve high edible oil prices issue<br />Pakistan, China join hands to increase planting area, crop yield<br /><br />https://tribune.com.pk/story/2404516/peanuts-to-solve-high-edible-oil-prices-issue<br /><br /><br />Lately, Rainbow’s high-oleic-acid peanut cultivation base project was formally included in the China-Pakistan agricultural cooperation framework by the Ministry of Agriculture, China.<br /><br />“As you can see, our seed registration with Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) has started. A total of five high-oleic peanut varieties for oil extraction of Runhua series have been trial-planted in Pakistan, which is expected to achieve fruitful results,” revealed Fan Changcheng, Deputy General Manager of Rainbow.<br /><br />“Next, our aim is to increase the area gradually to 1,500 hectares in the coming years,” he said.<br /><br />“My country has a long tradition of peanut planting. Peanuts like warm environment with sufficient sunlight, with loose and breathable sandy loam as the most suitable soil condition. The Potohar region of Punjab is the best area for peanut production,” Ijaz stated, adding that peanut seeds contain 40-50% oil and the high-oleic peanut oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids.<br /><br />“During our trial, we always focused on how the local environment can act on the quality of seeds on the whole. The varieties we selected have the highest oleic acid content, up to 75-80%, which means very high nutritional value.”<br /><br />“Self-sufficient in peanut production means that we can reduce our import bill of edible oil,” said Muhammad Jahanzaib, Scientific Officer of the Oil Seed Research Programme in NARC Pakistan.<br /><br />Statistics of the US Department of Agriculture showed that Pakistan’s peanut planting area in 2022-23 is about 150,000 hectares, with total output of 140,000 metric tons.<br /><br />THE ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON THE CHINA ECONOMIC NET<br /><br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-9222225100980993012023-07-13T19:00:40.135-07:002023-07-13T19:00:40.135-07:00Bilal I Gilani
@bilalgilani
Literacy rate by age
...<br />Bilal I Gilani<br />@bilalgilani<br />Literacy rate by age<br /><br />Alhamdulilah the younger generation is significantly more literate than older generation<br /><br />Our literacy rate ( which is calculated on 15+ age group) is going to rise slowly as it has older cohorts in large numbers<br /><br />Literacy is not end all but it's a start<br /><br />https://twitter.com/bilalgilani/status/1679408985613676545?s=20<br /><br />(Bar graph shows literacy rate is 75% for 10-14 age group, 73% for 15-19 and 69% for 20-24....going down to 51% for 40-44 and 34% for 60-64 age group) Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-80885432952323729012023-05-29T13:29:39.253-07:002023-05-29T13:29:39.253-07:00Pakistan’s New Middle Class
Neo Pei En, Phedra, Am...Pakistan’s New Middle Class<br />Neo Pei En, Phedra, Amit Ranjan<br /><br />15 December 2022<br /><br /><br />https://www.isas.nus.edu.sg/papers/pakistans-new-middle-class/<br /><br />New Middle Class<br /><br /><br /><br />The new middle class is distinct from the old middle class. Its members work in mid-level positions, often in the private sector or have families making money through semi-skilled jobs in the Middle East or North America.[33] They rose mainly during Musharraf’s rule, whose economic reforms allowed many to join the middle class though his subsequent actions disillusioned them.[34] In 2008, more than 50 per cent of Pakistanis lived in towns of more than 5,000 people or more – this increasing urbanisation indicates most of the middle class could be found in urban areas.[35]<br /><br />-----------------<br /><br />This new middle class is also evolving as it uses social media to interact with the outside world more. It is “a global pioneer in digitally fuelled amplification of protests” and has the power to take down governments.[46] Currently, its identity is diversifying with the additional mix of freelancers and gig workers. The ease of accessing information with the rise of the internet contributed to the middle class’ increased connectivity with the world through digital means. This would, therefore, continue to have an effect on the Pakistani middle class. It may lead to new developments as protests are now initiated online and can reach more people instantaneously, which is a great way to swiftly gather a large following.<br /><br /><br /><br />As is seen in many countries, including Pakistan, there is a global consensus that the rise of new information and technologies has changed the political arena.[47] With heightened access to the internet and unrestricted information, the middle class, particularly the youths, are likely to receive more information and be mobilised from such online platforms that would influence their political views. This can be seen from the throngs of middle-class youths that support Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who have been mobilised by the PTI through digital media both in the past and in the present.[48] The PTI’s ability to use social media platforms, broadcast videos and initiate blog postings have led them to successfully attract the viewership of the youths and the middle class. The evolution of the new middle class, which has also included increased access to the internet, combined with the political parties’ deft use of digital media, will change how political parties function in Pakistan in the long run.<br /><br /><br /><br />Further, other factors, such as Imran’s populist politics, may have a part to play in galvanising apolitical youths.[49] With their contempt for politicians of the past and their corrupt ways, the new middle class and youths threw their support behind Imran for his promises to implement large-scale political change and his stand against status quo politics.[50] The effects of this support in pushing Imran back to being the leader of Pakistan remain to be seen. Given their fervent support for Imran and his politics, the middle class is likely to have a role to play if that happens.<br /><br /><br /><br />Conclusion<br /><br /><br /><br />Over the course of Pakistan’s history, the middle class has seen itself morphing, transiting from the old to one that now includes the new middle class. The new middle class appears to subscribe to a slightly different set of religious values and leadership compared to the old middle class. The identities and aspirations of the new middle class, along with their engagement in Pakistani civil society, may continue to change as they grow in size and influence. In the contemporary times, many in this new middle class viewed the old leaders as corrupt politicians who have damaged the country. In this regard, Imran’s pledge to fight corruption and his vow to create a Naya Pakistan (new Pakistan) are directly responding to the imperatives of the new middle class. As a result, a sizeable portion of the middle class supports him, which could trigger political changes and restore Imran to power.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-63904258191359632032023-05-01T08:51:45.465-07:002023-05-01T08:51:45.465-07:00The wheat production (in Pakistan) this year toppe...The wheat production (in Pakistan) this year topped 27.5 million metric tons, the highest in the last 10 years, despite the challenges posed by heavy rains and floods last year, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Sunday.<br /><br />https://tribune.com.pk/story/2414418/pm-hails-bumper-wheat-crop<br /><br />Chairing a review meeting on the wheat situation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the relevant federal government institutions as well as the provinces to increase their procurement quotas in the wake of a bumper crop.<br /><br />According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the meeting received a briefing on the wheat production, current reserves, carry-forward reserves, procurement targets, and progress of federal and provincial departments.<br /><br />Shehbaz applauded the record wheat production, saying that this achievement made possible by the grace of Allah, quality seeds, uninterrupted supply of fertiliser, and the timely decisions of the government and its Farmers Package.<br /><br />“The bumper crop of wheat is a testament to the government’s timely decisions and excellent governance,” he said. “Looking forward, the government is preparing a strategy to increase wheat production even further next year,” he added.<br /><br />“With the government’s continued efforts and the dedication of farmers, Pakistan aims to maintain its position as a leading wheat producer,” he said, congratulating the farmers for their hard work and dedication to achieve the milestone despite financial difficulties.<br /><br />He noted that Pakistan became a wheat importing country due to the mismanagement of the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. The PTI government, he added, made farmers to stand in long queues for fertilisers.<br /><br />He urged the federal and provincial institutions to increase procurement targets to enable uninterrupted supply of wheat throughout the year. He also instructed that the resources required to obtain the specified quantity of wheat should be provided through banks.<br /><br />He congratulated Food Security Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema and the officials concerned, and directed all institutions to increase their targets. The meeting was also attended by the caretaker Punjab minister for industries, and other senior officials.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-35989898387725480772023-02-19T19:39:55.234-08:002023-02-19T19:39:55.234-08:00Why Pakistan Won’t Be A Failed State – OpEd
Februa...Why Pakistan Won’t Be A Failed State – OpEd<br />February 19, 2023 Eurasia Review 1 Comment<br />By Asad Ali<br /><br />https://www.eurasiareview.com/19022023-why-pakistan-wont-be-a-failed-state-oped/<br /><br /><br />In the US-led war against terror, no other nation has sacrificed as tremendously in terms of both men and materials as Pakistanis have done. The nation’s incessant and intrepid campaign against the militancy has tested the resilience of the economy. Between 2001-02 and 2017-18, the direct and indirect economic cost of the war on terror has teetered on the edge of $127 billion, which accounts for nearly 40% of Pakistan’s present GDP of $319 billion.<br /><br />The road and highway network in Pakistan spans 260,000 kms – more than five times the length inherited in 1947. Modern motorways and superhighways and four-lane national highways link the entire country along with secondary and tertiary roads.<br /><br />Despite these harsh challenges both at domestic and international fronts, Pakistani governments fought well to uplift the country. They worked on infrastructures, roads and industries in order to gain maximum economic benefits and enhance their exports. Even during the Covid-pandemic, Pakistan’s currency and economy were flourishing at high pace. Pak Rupee was the best currency during Covid era.<br /><br />At strategic fronts, Pakistan is having very troubled neighborhood. In its Eastern side, India is located, which never missed a single chance to destabilize Pakistan economically, politically and strategically. With already having limited economic resources, Pakistan spends major chunk of GDP in defense sector due to the hegemonic and warmongering designs of Indian government. Likewise, on the Western front, Afghanistan is located, which has witnessed many civil wars. The Afghan soil has become cauldron of non-state actors. The security situation in Afghanistan is having spill-over affect over Pakistan’s security and economic situation. To curb the menace of terrorism and extremism on Western front, Pakistan is spending huge sum of money, which is hurting overall economic environment. The influx of Afghan refugees has further complicated the matter for Pakistan.<br /><br />Iran is another neighbor of Pakistan. The country is under direct and most stringent sanctions of US and Western countries. Pakistan cannot continue its trade with Iran freely due to the economic embargos. Despite limited economic options, troubled neighborhood and changing regional geo-strategic environment, Pakistan is performing well by extending all possible facilities to its people. The is absolutely no truth in the reports of Pakistan is going to be default. The country cannot default.<br /><br />The war on terror has been most tiring for Pakistan because not has it consumed the state’s strategic and conventional resources but the menace of terrorism has infiltrated into the fabric of society as the biggest challenge ever to grapple with. However, despite all the bloodshed and loss, Pakistan still manages to survive and stands tall in the face of all these challenges.<br /><br />Most recently, the economic turmoil is putting heavy pressure on Pakistan’s new government, which is currently in long-running negotiations with IMF on a bailout deal to stave off a disastrous default on foreign debt. Likewise, with government and armed forces’ tireless efforts, Pakistan can mop up all its socio-economic and religious political evils from its soil.<br /><br />In a nutshell, governance is a phenomenon that smoothly steers government and state. However, the game is not over yet. Pakistan can come back on the right path by taking some extraordinary steps in this sphere<br /><br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-62503532774535806992023-02-19T19:39:14.728-08:002023-02-19T19:39:14.728-08:00Why Pakistan Won’t Be A Failed State – OpEd
Februa...Why Pakistan Won’t Be A Failed State – OpEd<br />February 19, 2023 Eurasia Review 1 Comment<br />By Asad Ali<br /><br />https://www.eurasiareview.com/19022023-why-pakistan-wont-be-a-failed-state-oped/<br /><br />Pakistan’s economic performance over the past seven decades has been a mixed bag. The country, which started off virtually from scratch and was almost written off by many analysts at the time of its inception, has bounded ahead in the face of enormous challenges.<br /><br />Today, Pakistan offers the most liberal trade and investment regime in the region. It is fully integrated into the multilateral economic and trading systems. In order to appreciate the impediments faced by Pakistan on the road to economic development and prosperity, it is imperative to take stock of the country’s economic predicament at the time of its birth.<br /><br />Since independence in 1947, the economy of Pakistan has emerged as a semi-industrialized one, the on textiles, agriculture, and food production, though recent years have seen a push towards technological diversification. Successive governments in Islamabad have been working tirelessly to uplift the country be it economically or socially. The major focus of the previous governments had been socio-economic area. The economic situation of Pakistan is satisfactory because rapid growth rate has resulted in a quadrupling of per capita incomes and reduction in poverty levels by one half despite fairly high population growth. Structural changes have transformed a predominantly agrarian economy to a more diversified production structure. Manufactures account for 80 percent of the country’s exports.<br /><br />The governance issue prevails in many parts of the planet. Several countries are faced with this conundrum. It is not denying the fact that governance plays a key role in the growth of any state. The absence of governance causes various issues that lead this state towards abysmal shambles. In this contemporary world, developing countries present the worst-case scenario in this regard in order to achieve long-term economic stability. They are the mercy of developed states and leading global financial institutions.<br /><br />In the first decade after independence, Pakistan’s economy grew on average 3.1%. Despite the overall modest growth, manufacturing grew at a healthy rate of 7.4%. During the 1960s, the growth rate more than doubled to reach 6.8%, which was underpinned by 5.1% growth in agriculture, 9.9% growth in manufacturing and 6.7% growth in services. However, the healthy growth rate could not be sustained and the next decade saw it come down to 4.8%. The nationalization policy is stated to be one of the factors which put the brakes on the economic march. While the services sector nearly maintained its robust expansion, agriculture and manufacturing growth fell to 2.4% and 5.5% respectively.<br /><br />The economy regained momentum during the decade of the 1980s with overall growth of 6.5%. But as in the past, the growth rate fell to 4.6% during the 1990s as the country remained in throes of political instability as well as struggled to undergo structural economic transition. The next two decades also witnessed modest growth rates of 4.7% and 4.4% respectively. During this period, Pakistan has waged an epic struggle to ward off an existential threat posed by terrorism. The war against terror has tolled upon the national economy (we will come back to the economic costs of terrorism later).<br /><br />As per the data available with Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, like most other developing economies, fiscal deficit has been a norm in Pakistan. In the 1960s, the average fiscal deficit made up 2.1% of the GDP, which more than doubled to reach 5.3% in the 1970s and further to 7.1% during the 1980s. During the 1990s, fiscal deficit came down marginally to 6.9% before falling significantly to 4.6% during the 2000s. During the current decade on average 6.2% fiscal deficit has been recorded.3 In 2017, Pakistan’s fiscal deficit was 4.5% of the GDP compared with India’s 6.5%, Bangladesh’s 4.9% and Sri Lanka’s 4.8%.4.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-24836244212008541612023-01-29T17:52:45.920-08:002023-01-29T17:52:45.920-08:0069% Pakistanis feel that their children will have ...69% Pakistanis feel that their children will have a better life than them in a global Gallup International survey in 64 countries<br /><br />Figure in India is 43%<br /><br />https://twitter.com/bilalgilani/status/1619768586276569088?s=20&t=AfVrdN1yfTuVjhOxMf22eQ<br /><br /><br /><br />https://www.gallup-international.bg/en/46667/fsdfdsfs/<br /><br /><br />The most positive country among those surveyed is Nigeria (90% minus 6%) and the most negative is Slovenia a (14% minus 53%). Among the prominent countries where GIA could poll, expectations for their children’s future are highest in Nigeria is followed by Russia (52% minus 10%), Mexico (48% minus 30%), the USA (43% minus 31%) and India (43% minus 33%).<br /><br />When combining the two questions, another perspective is added. For instance, Moldova shows a total of 86 (45% saying that their live is worse life than the one of their parents plus 41% expecting a worse life of today’s children), followed in this negative ranking by North Macedonia (82: 35% negative assessments plus 47% negative predictions), Afghanistan (81), Syria and Italy (78), etc.<br /><br />Most of the countries are still positive on both questions, but if one looks for instance for countries with both above 50% positive answers, Nigeria stands out with 171 (81% positive for today plus 90% positive for tomorrow), followed by Kosovo (162), the United Arab Emirates (150), Ghana (141), Pakistan (134), etc.<br /><br />Findings are proved, confirming that developing parts of the world share more hope. National and political peculiarities leave their footprint but in general is seems that the closer the war and troubles are, the worse are the answers on both issues – as expected.<br /><br />---------<br /><br />Every second citizen (51%) of the world believes that their life is better than that of their parents. The other half of the people asked is equally divided between those who assess a worse life (23%) and those who find it the same (23%). 3% could not answer. Satisfaction with the living standard is a key factor for people to believe that they have a better life than their parents. But in some rich regions like Europe this is not so valid.<br /><br />Expectations for the life of today’s children are predominantly good as well but lower than the comparison of own life to the life of the previous generation – 44% are expecting a better life for today’s children in comparison to our lives, 28% expecting a worse life, 20% expecting about the same and 8% not responding. Aged people are less sure about the better future of the next generation. More money unsurprisingly seems to result in more confidence in the future on a personal level, but on a national level countries that experience or used to experience difficulties are the ones to believe stronger in better future for the next generation. Unsurprisingly again.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-29023210570790683492023-01-14T08:18:17.280-08:002023-01-14T08:18:17.280-08:00"Milk has the potential to be a $30 billion i..."Milk has the potential to be a $30 billion industry if it is organised"<br /><br />https://aurora.dawn.com/news/1144640<br /><br /><br />ZC: Doesn’t that result in a lot of milk being wasted nationwide?<br />ABN: Yes. Pakistan is among the top four largest milk producers in the world, but over 26% of this milk is wasted, due to storage issues, even before it reaches commercial entities. We also have the lowest milk yields in the world – we produce about seven to eight litres of milk per day per animal, whereas the world average is about 39 litres per day. We are far behind the optimum milk production level required.<br /><br />ZC: What are the reasons for the high wastage and low yield?<br />ABN: There are a lot of contributing factors to wastage. For one, inefficient farming practices and poor farming infrastructure. Small-scale farmers especially are unaware that milk does not have a shelf life unless chilled immediately. Some dairy companies have set up milk collection centres where farmers can bring their milk for basic processing, chilling and transportation, but they need a method to preserve the milk during the travel time from the farm to the collection centre. Sometimes farmers add ice to the milk, causing adulteration. A major change is required in terms of infrastructure to preserve the quality of the milk supplied by farmers. There is also the need for government regulatory frameworks and policies. For example, India has a minimum pasteurisation law (milk must be heated at a certain temperature before it is sold for consumption) and this has resulted in the country’s milk producers converting to septic cardboard packaging, due to its shelf life and durability. Pakistan is probably the only country among the top 10 or 15 milk producers in the world which does not have a minimum pasteurisation law. The Punjab Government passed a minimum pasteurisation law in 2018, whereby loose milk would no longer be available by 2023, but nothing has been done so far. The low milk yield is due to an inbred gene pool of livestock, which results in lower production of milk (along with higher mortality rates and hereditary abnormalities). Moreover, the quality of the feed/ fodder is either low-quality or too costly. A lot of the time, farmers resort to letting their livestock free graze, resulting in them consuming toxins and other harmful substances.<br /><br />ZC: Have the recent floods aggravated the situation?<br />ABN: Almost 33% of the population has been impacted and about 800,000 animals have been lost, which will have a significant impact. Loose milk prices have increased from Rs 120 and 130 per kilo to Rs 180 and 190 in Karachi. We are slightly lucky that the areas affected were not major dairy areas for encashment. It would have been more catastrophic if central or north Punjab were hit. The overall recovery will be difficult, but we can take this as an opportunity to start from scratch and improve the dairy/ livestock sector. This can be done by importing animals of certain breeds, investing in artificial insemination and teaching good farming practices.<br /><br />ZC: What is the solution in terms of best farming practices?<br />ABN: Ten years ago, Tetra Pak conducted a CSR activity called ‘Dairy Hub’, where we introduced best farming practices to dairy farmers and trained them on the basic hygiene an animal requires, how to keep them hydrated, and how to clean their spaces. With these simple changes, we were able to improve their milk yields by 20 to 25%. However, a company can only give a certain level of support. It is a question of awareness at a national level. Similar to how awareness and information about wearing masks and getting vaccinated was disseminated during Covid-19, that is the scale of the intervention that is required. The milk industry has the potential to be a $30 billion industry if it is organised.<br /><br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-1392353255300453552023-01-14T08:17:29.854-08:002023-01-14T08:17:29.854-08:00"Milk has the potential to be a $30 billion i..."Milk has the potential to be a $30 billion industry if it is organised"<br /><br />https://aurora.dawn.com/news/1144640<br /><br />Published in Nov-Dec 2022 Zeenat Chaudhary<br />Interview with Awais Bin Nasim, Managing Director, Tetra Pak Pakistan<br /><br />ZEENAT CHAUDHARY: When was Tetra Pak established in Pakistan?<br />AWAIS BIN NASIM: Tetra Pak, headquartered in Sweden, is one of three companies owned by the Tetra Laval Group. About 40 years ago, Syed Babar Ali brought it to Pakistan as a joint venture with Packages Limited. Today, our customers include most of the major local dairy and juice producers like FrieslandCampina, Haleeb Foods, Nestlé, Shakarganj and Shezan International.<br /><br />ZC: What material is used to make Tetra Pak’s packaging?<br />ABN: The main material (70% of it) used in Tetra Pak packaging is paperboard (which is made from wood pulp and provides stability and smoothness to the printing surface), aluminium foil (protects against oxygen and light to maintain the nutritional value and flavours of the contents in ambient temperatures) and polyethene (protects against moisture and enables the paperboard to stick to the aluminium foil). All of the raw material is imported from suppliers in Sweden and Brazil that are Forest Stewardship Council certified (a non-profit that promotes responsible management of the world’s forests).<br /><br />ZC: Are Tetra Pak’s carton components recyclable?<br />ABN: We are able to recycle 100% of our carton components, including aluminium and plastic. Seventy percent of the packaging is made from long, strong recyclable fibres. In Pakistan, we work with Green Earth Recycling to recycle 42% of our annual production (27,000 tons of cartons) into furniture, waste bins, playground swings and other items. We are even turning the cartons into corrugated roofing for use in parking lots, animal sheds and stadiums, as they also lower the temperature by two to three degrees. Globally, we operate school feeding programmes and try to provide underprivileged children with free milk every day. This activity does not exist in Pakistan, but we are working with the government to find a mechanism to do so.<br /><br />ZC: What makes Tetra Pak’s packaging, for milk in particular, stand out?<br />ABN: Tetra Pak packaging consists of six layers. The idea is to be able to package milk so that it can be made available for longer and to a larger number of people while remaining fresh, nutritious and free from adulteration and without using chemicals or preservatives. We provide our clients with Ultra High Temperature (UHT) treatment equipment, which they use at their plants to destroy the micro-organisms present in raw milk, while maintaining the milk’s nutritional integrity, making the end product suitable for distribution and consumption.<br /><br />ZC: Are milk and juices packaged at Tetra Pak plants?<br />ABN: All products are packed at our customers’ plants. After manufacturing, we send them the packaging and we supply milk producers with UHT equipment.<br /><br />ZC: What does UHT treatment entail?<br />ABN: When raw milk is produced, it needs to be preserved by killing most of the bacteria – this is done by flash boiling it at approximately 139 degrees centigrade for two to three seconds. The remaining bacteria become inactive/ dormant because the packaging prevents light and air from affecting the product, resulting in a shelf life of between six and eight months. Once a carton is opened, allowing light and air to enter, the bacteria become active, hence the need for refrigeration. UHT-treated milk requires a cold chain management process (once the milk is produced, it must immediately be stored at four degrees centigrade, otherwise the bacteria start multiplying). We are the only player in Pakistan to have a cold chain process.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-44465151917081039872022-12-29T09:54:32.120-08:002022-12-29T09:54:32.120-08:00Pakistan’s Agriculture-focused Fintech Digit++ Obt...Pakistan’s Agriculture-focused Fintech Digit++ Obtains Approval from State Bank<br /><br />https://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2022/12/200398-pakistans-agriculture-focused-fintech-digit-obtains-approval-from-state-bank/<br /><br /><br />The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the nation’s central bank, has reportedly granted approval to the test launch of the country’s very first agriculture-focused Fintech platform, Digitt+ (providing an Electronic Money Institution or EMI permit).<br /><br />Digitt+ is supported by Akhtar Fuiou Technologies (AFT), the firm revealed this past Friday.<br /><br />According to the firm, the aim of this agri-Fintech app is to fully digitize the agricultural ecosystem, enable greater financial inclusion for local farmers and unbanked consumers via its tech, partnership, relationship with agri-businesses and FMCGs operating in Pakistan.<br /><br />As reported by local sources, Digitt+ has teamed up with FuiouPay, an international payment solutions provider, in order to offer a market-based alternative to the traditional banking system.<br /><br />As explained in the announcement, FuiouPay provides holistic enabling solutions via their 75 intellectual property licenses and proprietary software solutions.<br /><br />Qasim Akhtar Khan, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Digitt+, noted that the firm will offer financial technology solutions to farmers residing in the country, who will have the option to open bank accounts and also gain access to credit and digital financial services – including easy bill payments, digital commerce, investments as well as fund transfers.<br /><br />As noted in the update, the approval from the State Bank of Pakistan is a key milestone.<br /><br />This ongoing initiative has the potential to address persistent food security issues, significantly improve yields and enhance human welfare in Pakistan, directly affecting local farmers and merchants, he stated.<br /><br />Notably, Pakistan has been a significant agriculture powerhouse for many years. Agriculture employs around 50% of the nation’s workforce and also contributes approximately 25% to the GDP.<br /><br />While this is considerable, the industry doesn’t have adequate access to financial services from the banking sector.<br /><br />Ahmed Saleemi, CEO of Digitt+ explained that using tech to create digital financial products focusing on micro services to build a platform that should support the delivery of these solutions for the retail Agri market and corporate sector can be achieved via the provision of business tools.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-24164338137012591692022-12-25T19:34:17.490-08:002022-12-25T19:34:17.490-08:00Pakistan: Top Performing Sectors And Scrips Of 202...Pakistan: Top Performing Sectors And Scrips Of 2022 – OpEd<br /><br />https://www.eurasiareview.com/26122022-pakistan-top-performing-sectors-and-scrips-of-2022-oped/<br /><br /><br />Let me and you accept the harsh reality that 2022 was a bad year for Pakistan’s capital market. Market value (market capitalization) of companies listed at Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) declined 17% to RKR6.4 trillion. In US$ terms it plummeted 35% to US$28 billion. Still there are some islands of excellence.<br /><br />Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), Synthetic & Rayon, and Sugar were the top performing sectors in 2022 as their market cap increased by 12%, 6% and 5% respectively, despite bad market conditions.<br /><br />Technology sector was up 2% and outperformed the market despite fall in global listed technology stocks.<br /><br />As against these, Engineering, Automobile Parts, and Miscellaneous sectors remained the worst performing sectors posting decline of 45%, 41% and 34% respectively.<br /><br />REIT sector that has only one listed company gained in 2022 due to stable dividend yield coupled with changes in regulations on REITs investment for banks. To recall, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) recently allowed banks to count their investments in shares issued by REIT towards achievement of housing and construction finance targets.<br /><br />Synthetic & Rayon also posted strong performance led by rally in Ibrahim Fiber Limited (IBFL).<br /><br />Sugar sector performance was led by JDW Sugar Mills (JDWS) that announced buy back.<br /><br />Engineering sector (mainly steel related companies) was badly impacted due to economic slowdown and subdued construction activity.<br /><br />Automobile parts sector also remained amongst worst performing sectors primarily due to import restrictions, high financing rates and lackluster demand.<br /><br />For its analysis, Pakistan’s leading brokerage house, Topline Securities assumed sectors with minimum market capitalization of US$100 million adjusted for new listings including Adamjee Insurance (AICL), and Telecard Limited (GEMSNL).<br /><br />Lotte Chemical (LOTCHEM) doubled while Airlink was down substantially in 2022. LOTCHEM was the top performing stock of the market in 2022 where the scrip gained more than 100%. Investors were excited over potential sell off by Lotte Chemical Corporation South Korea (parent company of LOTCHEM) and subsequent public offer for minority shareholders.<br /><br />LOTCEHM was followed by Faysal Bank (FABL) and Unilever Pakistan Foods (UPFL). The strong stock performance by FABL is on announcement to convert into an Islamic Bank followed by a special dividend.<br /><br />Similarly, UPFL stock was up 34% as the company posted strong profitability growth of 33%YoY in 9M2022.<br /><br />Systems Limited (SYS), Pakistan’s largest listed IT firm remained amongst the top performing stocks for the third consecutive year as the company continued to post strong profitability growth in spite of economic challenges.<br /><br />Air Link Communication (AIRLINK) declined 54% due to low profits led by lower volumetric sales.<br /><br />Gul Ahmed Textile Mills (GATM) also reported decline by 52% amid slowdown in textile exports.<br /><br />Searle Company Limited (SEARLE) was down 52% due to lower profits led by falling gross margins driven by significant jump in raw material cost and company’s inability to immediately pass full impact on to consumers.<br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-49649016428959254252022-12-10T09:04:16.415-08:002022-12-10T09:04:16.415-08:00The Path to 2075
https://www.goldmansachs.com/ins...The Path to 2075<br /><br />https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/pages/gs-research/the-path-to-2075-slower-global-growth-but-convergence-remains-intact/report.pdf<br /><br />The 10 years following the creation of the BRICs acronym in 2001 represented a golden<br />era for emerging market economic and financial market outperformance. Between the<br />early 2000s and the 2007/08 Global Financial Crisis (GFC), growth was unusually strong<br />in most economies and especially so in EMs, fuelled by exceptionally rapid globalisation.<br />And, while the Global Financial Crisis drove developed economies into a deep and<br />lengthy recession, the majority of EMs weathered that storm relatively well. For most<br />economies and in most respects, our first set of BRICs projections underestimated the<br />speed of EM convergence over the subsequent 10 years.<br />The same was not true for the 10 years after that. In Exhibit 7 we compare actual GDP<br />growth for the period 2010-2019 with our 2011 projections.4<br />GDP growth has undershot<br />our 2011 estimates by an average of 0.6 percentage points per year (based on a<br />PPP-weighted average). The most notable underperformers have been Russia, Brazil,<br />and Latin America more generally. That said, the cross-country performance has been<br />mixed, with the world’s two largest economies – the US and China – matching our<br />projections and India slightly surpassing them.<br /><br />Country GDP % Growth Rate by decades 2000-2009 to 2070-2079<br /><br />Brazil 3.4 1.4 1.9 2.4 2.8 2.5 2.1 1.7 1.5<br /><br />Mexico 1.5 2.7 1.8 3.0 3.0 2.6 2.2 1.7 1.4<br /><br />Argentina 2.6 1.4 2.6 3.3 3.1 2.6 2.2 1.8 1.5<br /><br />Colombia 3.9 3.7 3.4 3.4 3.3 2.7 2.2 1.7 1.4<br /><br />Chile 4.2 3.3 2.1 2.3 2.4 2.0 1.6 1.4 1.2<br /><br />Peru 5.0 4.5 3.3 4.2 4.0 3.5 2.9 2.5 2.1<br /><br />------------<br /><br />Country Per Capita Income in thousands of US$ by Decade-ends 2000 to 2075<br /><br />Brazil 5.7 13.8 7.1 10.4 15.3 21.3 28.3 36.3 40.8<br /><br />Mexico 11.0 11.6 9.0 14.3 21.2 29.5 39.2 50.0 55.7<br /><br />Argentina 13.0 12.7 9.0 15.2 20.9 27.2 34.5 42.5 46.7<br /><br />Colombia 3.8 7.9 5.5 9.8 16.4 24.4 33.3 43.1 48.5<br /><br />Chile 7.7 15.7 13.6 18.3 26.2 35.0 44.0 54.2 59.8<br /><br />Ecuador 2.2 5.7 5.9 7.8 11.2 15.5 21.0 27.6 31.4<br /><br />Peru 2.9 6.3 6.4 9.8 15.5 22.7 31.1 41.0 46.5<br /><br />-----------<br /><br />Country GDP in Trillions of U$ from 2000 to 2075<br /><br />Brazil 1.0 2.7 1.5 2.3 3.5 4.9 6.4 8.0 8.7<br /><br />Mexico 1.1 1.3 1.1 1.9 3.0 4.2 5.6 6.9 7.6<br /><br />Argentina 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.7 1.0 1.4 1.8 2.2 2.4<br /><br />Colombia 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.9 1.4 1.9 2.4 2.6<br /><br />Chile 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.7 0.9 1.1 1.2<br /><br />Ecuador 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.7<br /><br />Peru 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.6 1.0 1.4 1.8 2.1<br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-89285068207546770792022-12-10T09:03:06.895-08:002022-12-10T09:03:06.895-08:00#Pakistan's top court endorses #Canadian minin...#Pakistan's top court endorses #Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold's $10 billion #investment at Reko Diq in #Balochistan. It is one of the world's largest underdeveloped sites of #copper and #gold deposits.<br /><br />https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/pakistans-court-endorses-settlement-with-barrick-gold-over-mining-project-2022-12-09/<br /><br /><br />Pakistan's Supreme Court endorsed on Friday a settlement for Barrick Gold (ABX.TO) to resume mining at the Reko Diq project, one of the world's largest underdeveloped sites of copper and gold deposits, it said in an order.<br /><br />The endorsement was a condition of the settlement for Barrick to resume work on the project in the southwestern province of Balochistan, bordering Afghanistan and Iran, in which it will invest $10 billion.<br /><br /><br />Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, the head of a five-judge panel, read out the operative part of the brief order in court.<br /><br />"The agreements ... have not been found by us to be unconstitutional or illegal on the parameters and grounds spelt out," read the order seen by Reuters.<br /><br />President Arif Alvi had asked the court to review the deal.<br /><br />In an out of court agreement this year, Barrick Gold ended a long-running dispute with Pakistan, and agreed to restart development.<br /><br />Under the deal, the company withdrew its case in an international arbitration court, which had slapped a penalty of $11 billion on Pakistan for suspending the contracts of the company and its partners in 2011.<br /><br />The company's licence to mine the untapped deposits was cancelled after the Supreme Court ruled illegal the award granted to it and its partner, Chile's Antofagasta (ANTO.L).<br /><br />Antofagasta had agreed to exit the project, saying its growth strategy was focused on production of copper and by-products in the Americas.<br /><br />Pakistan's mineral-rich province of Balochistan is home to both Islamist militants and separatist Baloch insurgents, who have engaged in insurgency against the government for decades, demanding a greater share of the region's resources.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-57598428941891716602022-12-10T09:01:42.300-08:002022-12-10T09:01:42.300-08:00The Path to 2075
https://www.goldmansachs.com/ins...The Path to 2075<br /><br />https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/pages/gs-research/the-path-to-2075-slower-global-growth-but-convergence-remains-intact/report.pdf<br /><br />Country GDP % Growth Rate by decades 2000-2009 to 2070-2079<br /><br />Germany 0.8 2.0 0.7 1.2 1.3 1.1 0.9 0.9 1.0<br /><br />France 1.5 1.4 1.2 1.7 1.5 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.1<br /><br />Italy 0.5 0.3 0.9 1.4 1.0 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.5<br /><br />Japan 0.5 1.2 0.6 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.5<br /><br />United Kingdom 1.6 2.0 1.4 2.0 1.9 1.6 1.5 1.3 1.2<br /><br />Australia 3.1 2.6 2.3 2.5 2.4 2.1 1.8 1.7 1.5<br /><br />Canada 2.1 2.3 1.7 2.1 2.0 1.9 1.7 1.6 1.6<br /><br />Indonesia 5.3 5.4 3.8 4.3 3.6 3.0 2.6 2.3 2.0<br /><br />Thailand 4.3 3.6 1.9 2.8 2.4 1.9 1.4 1.1 0.9<br /><br />Philippines 4.5 6.4 4.4 6.0 4.9 4.1 3.5 3.1 2.7<br /><br />Malaysia 4.7 5.4 2.9 3.6 3.5 2.9 2.2 1.8 1.5<br /><br />Russia 5.5 2.1 0.3 1.2 1.6 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.1<br /><br />Turkey 4.0 5.9 4.2 3.5 2.9 2.1 1.7 1.4 1.1<br /><br />Kazakhstan 8.6 4.4 2.7 3.1 3.2 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.5<br /><br />South Africa 3.6 1.7 1.8 2.8 3.6 3.4 2.9 2.6 2.2<br /><br />Nigeria 8.3 3.8 3.6 4.6 6.3 6.1 5.4 4.6 3.9<br /><br />Ghana 5.3 6.7 4.3 5.0 5.2 4.9 4.5 4.1 3.6<br /><br />Ethiopia 8.6 9.6 8.6 10.7 8.2 6.6 5.5 4.7 4.0<br /><br />------<br /><br />Country GDP in Trillions of U$ from 2000 to 2075<br /><br />Germany 3.0 4.2 4.0 4.4 5.3 6.2 6.9 7.7 8.1<br /><br />France 2.1 3.3 2.7 3.2 3.9 4.6 5.4 6.1 6.5<br /><br />Italy 1.7 2.6 2.0 2.3 2.7 3.1 3.4 3.6 3.8<br /><br />Japan 7.5 7.1 5.2 4.4 5.2 6.0 6.7 7.2 7.5<br /><br />United Kingdom 2.5 3.1 2.9 3.3 4.3 5.2 6.1 7.1 7.6<br /><br />Australia 0.6 1.5 1.4 1.8 2.3 2.8 3.3 3.9 4.3<br /><br />Canada 1.1 2.0 1.7 2.3 2.8 3.4 4.1 4.8 5.2<br /><br />Indonesia 0.3 0.9 1.1 2.2 4.0 6.3 9.0 12.1 13.7<br /><br />Thailand 0.2 0.4 0.5 0.7 1.2 1.7 2.2 2.6 2.8<br /><br />Philippines 0.1 0.3 0.4 0.7 1.4 2.5 3.9 5.6 6.6<br /><br />Malaysia 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.6 1.2 1.8 2.5 3.2 3.5<br /><br />Russia 0.4 2.0 1.5 2.8 3.7 4.5 5.4 6.4 6.9<br /><br />Turkey 0.4 1.0 0.8 1.3 2.2 3.1 4.0 4.8 5.2<br /><br />Kazakhstan 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.6 0.9 1.3 1.8 2.1<br /><br />Egypt 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.8 1.9 3.5 5.8 8.8 10.4<br /><br />Saudi Arabia 0.3 0.7 0.7 1.5 2.4 3.5 4.5 5.6 6.1<br /><br />Pakistan 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.6 1.6 3.3 6.1 9.9 12.3<br /><br />South Africa 0.2 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.9 1.4 2.1 2.8 3.3<br /><br />Nigeria 0.1 0.5 0.4 0.8 1.6 3.4 6.2 10.4 13.1<br /><br />Ghana 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.5 0.8 1.2 1.5<br /><br />Ethiopia 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.7 1.6 2.9 4.9 6.2<br /><br />-------------<br /><br />Country Per Capita Income in thousands of US$ by Decade-ends 2000 to 2075<br /><br />Germany 36.3 51.5 48.6 53.2 65.9 78.6 90.7 104.2 111.6<br /><br />France 35.3 52.2 42.6 48.3 59.2 70.5 82.9 96.1 102.8<br /><br />Italy 30.6 44.0 33.1 39.6 49.6 59.2 70.2 82.2 88.0<br /><br />Japan 59.4 55.3 41.8 36.8 47.0 57.5 68.9 81.2 87.6<br /><br />United Kingdom 42.9 48.9 42.9 47.9 60.2 72.5 85.7 99.8 106.6<br /><br />Australia 31.9 70.1 55.1 64.4 75.1 86.7 98.8 112.3 119.4<br /><br />Canada 36.8 58.6 45.2 56.4 64.7 74.5 85.4 97.0 103.1<br /><br />Indonesia 1.3 3.8 4.1 7.5 12.9 19.8 28.2 38.0 43.4<br /><br />Thailand 3.0 6.1 7.3 10.1 17.0 25.0 34.0 44.0 49.3<br /><br />Philippines 1.6 2.7 3.4 5.5 9.9 15.7 23.1 32.1 37.3<br /><br />Malaysia 6.8 11.1 10.6 17.0 29.5 44.2 59.2 75.1 83.5<br /><br />Russia 2.9 14.0 10.6 19.9 27.2 34.1 42.1 52.1 57.2<br /><br />Turkey 6.5 13.1 8.9 14.3 23.2 32.1 41.3 51.5 56.7<br /><br />Kazakhstan 1.8 11.0 9.4 16.1 25.5 35.4 47.4 62.5 70.5<br /><br />Egypt 2.2 3.2 3.7 6.3 12.9 22.0 33.5 47.1 54.6<br /><br />Saudi Arabia 13.3 22.1 20.4 36.1 54.2 71.9 90.2 110.5 120.6<br /><br />Pakistan 0.9 1.3 1.4 2.2 4.8 9.0 14.9 22.5 27.1<br /><br />South Africa 4.9 9.9 6.0 8.0 12.9 19.3 27.3 37.2 42.6<br /><br />Nigeria 0.8 2.8 2.1 2.9 5.1 8.9 14.4 22.0 26.5<br /><br />Ghana 0.9 2.1 2.3 3.3 5.5 8.7 13.2 19.4 23.1<br /><br />Ethiopia 0.2 0.4 0.9 1.9 4.0 7.3 11.8 18.1 21.9<br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-66340541305630057902022-12-10T08:58:27.503-08:002022-12-10T08:58:27.503-08:00The Path to 2075
https://www.goldmansachs.com/ins...The Path to 2075<br /><br />https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/pages/gs-research/the-path-to-2075-slower-global-growth-but-convergence-remains-intact/report.pdf<br /><br />The 10 years following the creation of the BRICs acronym in 2001 represented a golden<br />era for emerging market economic and financial market outperformance. Between the<br />early 2000s and the 2007/08 Global Financial Crisis (GFC), growth was unusually strong<br />in most economies and especially so in EMs, fuelled by exceptionally rapid globalisation.<br />And, while the Global Financial Crisis drove developed economies into a deep and<br />lengthy recession, the majority of EMs weathered that storm relatively well. For most<br />economies and in most respects, our first set of BRICs projections underestimated the<br />speed of EM convergence over the subsequent 10 years.<br />The same was not true for the 10 years after that. In Exhibit 7 we compare actual GDP<br />growth for the period 2010-2019 with our 2011 projections.4<br />GDP growth has undershot<br />our 2011 estimates by an average of 0.6 percentage points per year (based on a<br />PPP-weighted average). The most notable underperformers have been Russia, Brazil,<br />and Latin America more generally. That said, the cross-country performance has been<br />mixed, with the world’s two largest economies – the US and China – matching our<br />projections and India slightly surpassing them.<br /><br />Country GDP % Growth Rate by decades 2000-2009 to 2070-2079<br /><br />Brazil 3.4 1.4 1.9 2.4 2.8 2.5 2.1 1.7 1.5<br /><br />Mexico 1.5 2.7 1.8 3.0 3.0 2.6 2.2 1.7 1.4<br /><br />Argentina 2.6 1.4 2.6 3.3 3.1 2.6 2.2 1.8 1.5<br /><br />Colombia 3.9 3.7 3.4 3.4 3.3 2.7 2.2 1.7 1.4<br /><br />Chile 4.2 3.3 2.1 2.3 2.4 2.0 1.6 1.4 1.2<br /><br />Peru 5.0 4.5 3.3 4.2 4.0 3.5 2.9 2.5 2.1<br /><br />------------<br /><br />Country Per Capita Income in thousands of US$ by Decade-ends 2000 to 2075<br /><br />Brazil 5.7 13.8 7.1 10.4 15.3 21.3 28.3 36.3 40.8<br /><br />Mexico 11.0 11.6 9.0 14.3 21.2 29.5 39.2 50.0 55.7<br /><br />Argentina 13.0 12.7 9.0 15.2 20.9 27.2 34.5 42.5 46.7<br /><br />Colombia 3.8 7.9 5.5 9.8 16.4 24.4 33.3 43.1 48.5<br /><br />Chile 7.7 15.7 13.6 18.3 26.2 35.0 44.0 54.2 59.8<br /><br />Ecuador 2.2 5.7 5.9 7.8 11.2 15.5 21.0 27.6 31.4<br /><br />Peru 2.9 6.3 6.4 9.8 15.5 22.7 31.1 41.0 46.5<br /><br />-----------<br /><br />Country GDP in Trillions of U$ from 2000 to 2075<br /><br />Brazil 1.0 2.7 1.5 2.3 3.5 4.9 6.4 8.0 8.7<br /><br />Mexico 1.1 1.3 1.1 1.9 3.0 4.2 5.6 6.9 7.6<br /><br />Argentina 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.7 1.0 1.4 1.8 2.2 2.4<br /><br />Colombia 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.9 1.4 1.9 2.4 2.6<br /><br />Chile 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.7 0.9 1.1 1.2<br /><br />Ecuador 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.7<br /><br />Peru 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.6 1.0 1.4 1.8 2.1Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-70562854575468061152022-12-09T07:39:09.607-08:002022-12-09T07:39:09.607-08:00Goldman Sachs analysts Kevin Daly and Tadas Gedmi...Goldman Sachs analysts Kevin Daly and Tadas Gedminas project Pakistan's economy to grow to become the world's sixth largest by 2075. In a research paper titled "The Path to 2075", the authors forecast Pakistan's GDP to rise to $12.7 trillion with per capita income of $27,100. India’s GDP in 2075 is projected at $52.5 trillion and per capita GDP at $31,300. Bangladesh is projected to be a $6.3 trillion economy with per capita income of $31,000. By 2075, China will be the top global economy, followed by India 2nd, US 3rd, Indonesia 4th, Nigeria 5th and Pakistan 6th. <br /><br />https://www.southasiainvestor.com/2022/12/goldman-sachs-projects-pakistan-economy.html<br /><br />---------<br /><br />The Path to 2075<br /><br />https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/pages/gs-research/the-path-to-2075-slower-global-growth-but-convergence-remains-intact/report.pdf<br /><br />Country GDP % Growth Rate by decades 2000-2009 to 2070-2079<br /><br />Pakistan 4.7 4.0 5.0 6.0 5.9 5.3 4.7 4.0 3.4<br /><br />China 10.3 7.7 4.2 4.0 2.5 1.6 1.1 0.9 0.5<br /><br />India 6.9 6.9 5.0 5.8 4.6 3.7 3.1 2.5 2.1<br /><br />Korea 4.9 3.3 2.0 1.9 1.4 0.8 0.3 -0.1 -0.2<br /><br />Bangladesh 5.6 6.6 6.3 6.6 4.9 3.8 3.0 2.5 2.0<br /><br />---------------------<br /><br />Country GDP in Trillions of U$ from 2000 to 2075<br /><br />Pakistan 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.6 1.6 3.3 6.1 9.9 12.3<br /><br />China 1.8 7.4 15.5 24.5 34.1 41.9 48.6 54.8 57.0<br /><br />India 0.7 2.1 2.8 6.6 13.2 22.2 33.2 45.8 52.5<br /><br />Korea 0.9 1.4 1.7 2.0 2.6 3.1 3.3 3.4 3.4<br /><br />Bangladesh 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.8 1.7 2.8 4.1 5.5 6.3<br /><br />-------------------<br /><br />Country Per Capita Income in thousands of US$ by Decade-ends 2000 to 2075<br /><br />Pakistan 0.9 1.3 1.4 2.2 4.8 9.0 14.9 22.5 27.1<br /><br />China 1.4 5.5 10.9 17.3 24.7 31.9 40.3 50.4 55.4<br /><br />India 0.7 1.7 2.0 4.3 8.2 13.3 19.6 27.1 31.3<br /><br />Korea 18.7 28.8 33.0 39.3 53.6 67.7 81.8 95.2 101.8<br /><br />Bangladesh 0.7 1.1 2.3 4.4 8.4 13.5 19.7 26.9 31.0<br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-29652309652283995492022-12-08T08:22:05.534-08:002022-12-08T08:22:05.534-08:00In last 65 years (1952-2018), #Pakistan's #GDP...In last 65 years (1952-2018), #Pakistan's #GDP growth rate has averaged 4.92%, reaching an all time high of 10.22% in 1954 & a record low of -1.80% in 1952. If Pakistan continues to average 4.92% over the next 53 years until 2075, it will be $4.9 trillion GDP in today's dollars<br /><br /><br />https://twitter.com/haqsmusings/status/1600882957543043072?s=20&t=J_-ByO5_zXSB-GD98HhslA<br /><br /><br />$1 in 2021 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $5.27 in 2075, an increase of $4.27 over 54 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 3.13% per year between 2021 and 2075, producing a cumulative price increase of 426.85%. The buying power of $1 in 2021 is predicted to be equivalent to $5.27 in 2075.<br /><br /><br />https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/2021?endYear=2075&amount=1&future_pct=0.03<br /><br />----------------------<br /><br />Multiplying $4.9 trillion in today's dollars by 5.27 gives us $25.8 trillion in 2075 dollars.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-23371900584875416722022-11-30T08:32:37.606-08:002022-11-30T08:32:37.606-08:00Pakistan Market Monitor Report - November 2022
ht...Pakistan Market Monitor Report - November 2022<br /><br />https://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/pakistan-market-monitor-report-november-2022<br /><br />HIGHLIGHTS<br /><br />• Headline inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased in October 2022 by 4.71% over September 2022 and increased by 26.56% over October 2021. CPI food inflation in October 2022 increased by 36.24% over October 2021.<br /><br />• In October 2022, prices increased for staple cereals including wheat flour (+7.4%), wheat (+3.8%), rice Irri-6 (+7.0%) and rice Basmati (+1.6%) compared to September 2022.<br /><br />• Among non-cereal food commodities, price increased for pulse Moong (+2.4%) from the previous month.<br />On the other hand, prices decreased for pulse Masoor (-12.0%), live chicken (-3.4%), cooking oil (-2.4%), pulse Mash (-2.1%), vegetable ghee (-1.7%) and pulse Gram (-1.1%) from September 2022.<br /><br />• A comparison of pre-flood (June) and post-flood (October) prices of some food commodities indicated huge increase in prices; for instance, tomatoes increased by up to 199%, onions 79%, pulse moong 48%, potatoes 43% and wheat flour 38%.<br /><br />• Average Terms of Trade (ToT) for October 2022, measuring the amount of wheat flour that can be purchased with one-day of casual unskilled labour wage, worsened by 6.5% from the previous month. It was recorded at 12.5 kg of wheat flour compared to 13.4 kg the previous month.<br /><br />• The retail prices of automotive fuels in comparison to September 2022 decreased during October 2022 i.e.,<br />Super Petrol (-4.7%) and High-Speed Diesel (-4.9%).Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-90681402139644656242022-11-25T19:27:28.834-08:002022-11-25T19:27:28.834-08:00Pakistan's central bank unexpectedly raised it...Pakistan's central bank unexpectedly raised its key policy rate by 100 basis points to 16% on Friday to ensure high inflation does not get entrenched.<br />The move brings the State Bank of Pakistan's (SBP) 2022 hikes to 625 basis points. It kept the rate unchanged at its last two meetings in October and September.<br /><br />https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/pakistan-cenbank-raises-key-rate-by-100-bps-16-curb-inflation-2022-11-25/<br /><br />Analysts at the post-policy briefing told Reuters that SBP Deputy Governor Murtaza Syed said the bank responded as inflation had moved beyond a transient shock in food and energy prices to show up in core inflation.<br /><br />Syed also said the bank did not want high inflation expectations to become entrenched, and aimed to get ahead of broader pressures on the economy, they added.<br />"Looks like SBP is more concerned with rising inflation. Moreover IMF talks for next tranche is under way and is delayed, that may have also compelled the committee to take this step to fight inflation," Topline Securities' Chief Executive Mohammed Sohail said.<br />Pakistan's timely finalisation of a recovery plan from the floods is essential to support discussions and continued financial support from multilateral and bilateral partners, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday.<br />"Too much emphasis on current inflation," Fahad Rauf, head of research at Ismail Iqbal Securities, told Reuters. "On a forward looking basis, inflation is going to head downwards."<br />He estimated a drop in November CPI to 24% from 26.6% in October. Economic activity indicators signal a sharp slowdown and another rate hike will do more harm than good by increasing the government's debt burden, hurting the private sector and causing higher unemployment, he added.<br />The SBP affirmed a Gross Domestic Product estimate of about 2% for fiscal 2023 and a current account deficit forecast of about 3% of GDP. However, it now expects higher food prices and core inflation to push average inflation to 21-23% instead the previous estimate of 18-20%.Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-55623464724987601942022-11-18T06:38:11.952-08:002022-11-18T06:38:11.952-08:00Arif Habib Limited
@ArifHabibLtd
Power Generation ...Arif Habib Limited<br />@ArifHabibLtd<br />Power Generation Data<br /><br />Power Generation<br />Oct’22: 10,705 GWh (14,388 MW), -5% YoY | -17% MoM<br />4MFY23: 51,786 GWh (17,543 MW), -9% YoY<br /><br />Fuel Cost<br />Oct’22: PKR 9.02/KWh, -3% YoY | -9% MoM<br />4MFY23: PKR 9.99/KWh, +41% YoY<br /><br />https://twitter.com/ArifHabibLtd/status/1593521259626737665?s=20&t=gzJqWcF2ePj34iu2mO2j8Q<br /><br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-23820013714531629232022-11-16T07:47:14.312-08:002022-11-16T07:47:14.312-08:00Pakistan Demographic Survey 2020
https://www.daw...Pakistan Demographic Survey 2020<br /><br /><br />https://www.dawn.com/news/1721179<br /><br /><br />The latest figures showed that although the overall life expectancy has dropped, it rose among men from 64.3 to 64.5. For women, it fell from 66.5 to 65.5 but was still higher than for men.<br /><br />Life expectancy also increased for the 1-4 age group to 71.3, including 70.6 for males and 72 for females.<br /><br />The infant mortality rate has fallen to 56 deaths per 1,000 live births. It was 60 in PSLM 2018-19, and 62 in PDHS 2017-18.<br /><br />While the general fertility rate was 124, the age-specific data shows the rate was highest in the 25-29 age group at 215, followed by 176 in the 20-24 age group, 164 in the 30-34 age group, and 94 in the 35-39 age group.<br /><br />This last age group (35-39) also saw the most significant jump when compared with the PDHS figure of 79.<br /><br />The general fertility rate was also quite higher in rural areas (138) compared to urban areas (102).<br /><br />The PDS shows that the country’s population has reached from 207.6m in 2017 to 220.42m now, including 111.69m men and 108.73m women. Most people continue to live in rural areas (139.41m) compared to urban areas (81m).<br /><br />https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/publications/pds2020/pakistan_demographic_survey_2020.pdf<br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-82257786819018512992022-11-06T18:57:18.307-08:002022-11-06T18:57:18.307-08:00Pakistan National Energy Regulator (NEPRA) State o...Pakistan National Energy Regulator (NEPRA) State of the Industry Report 2021-22<br /><br /><br />https://nepra.org.pk/publications/State%20of%20Industry%20Reports/State%20of%20Industry%20Report%202022.pdf<br /><br />The State of Industry Report 2022 (SIR-2022) captures and presents the status and performance of<br />various segments of the electric power sector i.e. generation, transmission, distribution and supply,<br />during the FY 2021-22. The SIR-2022 provides a snapshot of developments, and delivery of sectoral<br />players, identifies weaknesses of the sector, and suggests improvements in each segment of the electric<br />power services. The SIR-2022 has highlighted various challenges that were faced during the FY 2021-22.<br />Some of the issues were the same as highlighted in SIR-2021, continued to have an impact on the power<br />sector, while a few more new challenges surfaced during the FY 2021-22, which added to the woes of<br />the power sector. As discussed in the succeeding chapters, all these issues contributed towards increase<br />in the cost of electricity adversely affecting the affordability of the end-consumers.<br />Supplying affordable and reliable electricity to the end-consumers is to be treated as a priority for<br />sustainable development, economic uplift, and poverty alleviation. This, in return, creates an<br />environment of growth in electricity demand per capita; which is linked with the GDP growth of the<br />country. According to the data submitted by DISCOs and KE, Pakistan’s per capita annual electricity<br />consumption of 644 kWh, is among the lowest in the world, which is only 18% of the world average,<br />7% of the developed countries’ average, and 12% of that of China. Per capita electricity consumption<br />is considered as one of the key parameters, reflecting the living standards of the people in a country.<br />This indicates that there is a lot of room for improving the living standards of the people and running<br />the wheel of the economy to ensure sustainable growth.<br />Climate Change is a reality all across the globe and Pakistan is termed as one of the most vulnerable<br />countries to its impacts. The impacts of climate change include weather shifts, an increase in temperature,<br />heat waves, alteration in precipitation patterns, precipitation intensity, occurrence, and seasonal<br />variations, and the resultant impact on the hydrology, affecting the power sector twofold i.e. increase in<br />the electricity demand particularly for cooling, and reduction in electricity generation from hydropower.<br />Due to this, the reliance on expensive fossil fuel-based power generation was increased during FY<br />2021-22. There is a dire need to take climate change mitigation into account for future power system<br />integrated planning and management.<br /><br />-------<br />The installed electric power generation capacity of Pakistan as of 30-06-2022 remained 43,775 MW<br />which includes 40,813 MW in CPPA-G System and 2,962 MW in KE System. Similarly, the dependable<br />capacity of Pakistan as of 30-06-2022 remained 40,532 MW which included 37,858 MW in CPPA-G<br />System and 2,674 MW in KE System.<br />During the FY 2021-22, 4,498 MW generation capacity has been added to the CPPA-G system which<br />includes 1,263 MW Trimmu RLNG Power Project which is under testing, 1,145 MW KANUPP-III Nuclear<br />Power Project, 720 MW Karot Hydropower Project, 660 MW Coal-Based Power Project of Lucky<br />Electric, Twelve (12) Wind Power Projects with an accumulated capacity of 600 MW and a 100 MW<br />Solar Power Project of Zhenfa Power. During the year, Licenses of 150 MW GENCO-IV, 97 MW Reshma<br />Power, 84 MW Gulf Powergen, 117 MW Southern Electric, 120 MW Japan Power, 31 MW Altern Energy<br />and 137 MW KANUPP have expired.<br />During FY 2021-22, total electricity generation in the country, including KE System remained 153,874.20<br />GWh. This generation translates into 43% utilization factor of dependable capacity meaning thereby<br />57% of the ‘Take or Pay’ based power generation capacity remained unutilized. The total electric<br /><br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-61860373361165679202022-10-17T08:13:18.499-07:002022-10-17T08:13:18.499-07:00The title of the UNDP paper on Multi-dimensional p...The title of the UNDP paper on Multi-dimensional poverty 2022 (MPI) is "Unpacking Deprivation Bundle". Below is an excerpt from it:<br /><br />"The analysis first looks at the most common deprivation profiles across 111 developing countries (figure 1). The most common profile, affecting 3.9 percent of poor people, includes deprivations in exactly four indicators: nutrition, cooking fuel, sanitation and housing.7 More than 45.5 million poor people are deprived in only these four indicators.8 Of those people, 34.4 million live in India, 2.1 million in Bangladesh and 1.9 million in Pakistan—making this a predominantly South Asian profile "<br /><br />https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/hdp-document/2022mpireportenpdf.pdf<br /><br /><br />Also note in this UNDP report that the income poverty (people living on $1.90 or less per day) in Pakistan is 3.6% while it is 22.5% in India and 14.3% in Bangladesh.<br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-23676417558621769252022-10-14T13:57:58.160-07:002022-10-14T13:57:58.160-07:00In the 2022 Global Hunger Index, Pakistan ranks 99...In the 2022 Global Hunger Index, Pakistan ranks 99th out of the 121 countries with sufficient data to calculate 2022 GHI scores. With a score of 26.1, Pakistan has a level of hunger that is serious.<br /><br />https://www.globalhungerindex.org/pakistan.html<br /><br />In the 2022 Global Hunger Index, India ranks 107th out of the 121 countries with sufficient data to calculate 2022 GHI scores. With a score of 29.1, India has a level of hunger that is serious.<br /><br />https://www.globalhungerindex.org/india.html<br /><br />-------------------<br /><br />India also ranks below Sri Lanka (64), Nepal (81), Bangladesh (84), and Pakistan (99). Afghanistan (109) is the only country in South Asia that performs worse than India on the index.<br /><br /><br />https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-ranks-107-out-of-121-countries-on-global-hunger-index/article66010797.ece<br /><br /><br />India ranks 107th among 121 countries on the Global Hunger Index, in which it fares worse than all countries in South Asia barring war-torn Afghanistan.<br /><br />The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool for comprehensively measuring and tracking hunger at global, regional, and national levels. GHI scores are based on the values of four component indicators — undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and child mortality. Countries are divided into five categories of hunger on the basis of their score, which are ‘low’, ‘moderate’, ‘serious’, ‘alarming’ and ‘extremely alarming’.<br /><br /><br /><br />Based on the values of the four indicators, a GHI score is calculated on a 100-point scale reflecting the severity of hunger, where zero is the best score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst.<br /><br />India’s score of 29.1 places it in the ‘serious’ category. India also ranks below Sri Lanka (64), Nepal (81), Bangladesh (84), and Pakistan (99). Afghanistan (109) is the only country in South Asia that performs worse than India on the index.<br /><br /><br /><br />Seventeen countries, including China, are collectively ranked between 1 and 17 for having a score of less than five.<br /><br />India’s child wasting rate (low weight for height), at 19.3%, is worse than the levels recorded in 2014 (15.1%) and even 2000 (17.15), and is the highest for any country in the world and drives up the region’s average owing to India’s large population.<br /><br />Prevalence of undernourishment, which is a measure of the proportion of the population facing chronic deficiency of dietary energy intake, has also risen in the country from 14.6% in 2018-2020 to 16.3% in 2019-2021. This translates into 224.3 million people in India considered undernourished.<br /><br />But India has shown improvement in child stunting, which has declined from 38.7% to 35.5% between 2014 and 2022, as well as child mortality which has also dropped from 4.6% to 3.3% in the same comparative period. On the whole, India has shown a slight worsening with its GHI score increasing from 28.2 in 2014 to 29.1 in 2022. Though the GHI is an annual report, the rankings are not comparable across different years. The GHI score for 2022 can only be compared with scores for 2000, 2007 and 2014..<br /><br /><br /><br />Globally, progress against hunger has largely stagnated in recent years. The 2022 GHI score for the world is considered “moderate”, but at 18.2 in 2022 is only a slight improvement from 19.1 in 2014. This is due to overlapping crises such as conflict, climate change, the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the Ukraine war, which has increased global food, fuel and fertiliser prices and is expected to "worsen hunger in 2023 and beyond."<br /><br /><br /><br />The prevalence of undernourishment, one of the four indicators, shows that the share of people who lack regular access to sufficient calories is increasing and that 828 million people were undernourished globally in 2021.<br /><br />There are 44 countries that currently have “serious” or “alarming” hunger levels and “without a major shift, neither the world as a whole nor approximately 46 countries are projected to achieve even low hunger as measured by the GHI by 2030,” notes the report.<br /><br /><br /><br />Riaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848640164815342479.post-715015466030754732022-10-04T18:18:31.823-07:002022-10-04T18:18:31.823-07:00Installed capacity for power generation in Pakista...Installed capacity for power generation in Pakistan: Tweet by Bilal I Gilani on Twitter (Graph shows installed power generation capacity from almost zero in 1947 to over 40,000 MW in 2021)<br /><br />Tweet<br />See new Tweets<br />Conversation<br />Bilal I Gilani<br />@bilalgilani<br />انکے لیے کو کہتے ہیں پاکستان میں کوئی ترقی نہیں ہوئی<br /><br />بجلی کی پیداوار 1947 سے اب تک<br />Translate Tweet<br /><br /><br />https://twitter.com/bilalgilani/status/1577191450349277184?s=20&t=5u6pQrtqIP_GKsOT5VcQOQRiaz Haqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00522781692886598586noreply@blogger.com