Asia

Even as the Pak economy is faced with daunting challenges, the budget for FY2022-23 is neither innovative nor bold enough to address the structural issueswhich are proving a hurdle to economic revival of the country. The economy whichhas been continuously facing twin deficit (fiscal deficit and current account deficit)in the recent past while inflation is getting out of control with an imminent threat oflooming default. The authorities should have endeavoured to take up boldstructural reforms, but the budget disappointed.It came as a shock to both international and domestic observers as well theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) that Finance Minister Miftah Ismail’s USD 47billion federal budget for the ensuing fiscal year has done little to address thefundamental problems facing the econom...

Washington: The scrutiny of Chinese banks pertains to individual characteristics such as concentration, rapid asset growth, the importance of shadow banking, the opaque interconnectedness of financial firms, and Chinese banks’ increased international clout. Recent reports indicate that Credit Suisse Group is slowing its expansion in China. Credit Suisse has postponed the launch of its locally incorporated bank until 2024, allowing it to expand its wealth management bank. Among the COVID-19 lockdowns and increased regulation, the firm’s management cited China’s slowing economy. Credit Suisse is also awaiting an on-site inspection from regulators before it can expand on the mainland, said Sherman. Because well-known local and entrenched banks control the majority of the market shar...

Gilgit Baltistan, PoK: Pakistan has a lot of loan on its head from China. To pay the load and settle the debt, Pakistan might give Gilgit-Baltistan regions, a Pakistan Occupied part to China on lease in order to pay the debt.  Chairman of Karakoram National Movement, Mumtaz Nagri also expressed fear that the isolated and neglected, Gilgit Baltistan could become a future battleground for the world powers to compete, reported Al Arabiya Post. The northern-most part of Kashmir borders China and Nagri expressed fear that Pakistan may cede GB to China. Nagri is arousing people and has asked them “not to be scared of ISI and be prepared to go to jail,” Pakistani media reports have said. Pakistan ceding GB that it illegally occupies would be a boon for China’s South Asian expansion...

There was a wave of optimism and sigh of relief when Pak authorities got an assurance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) about restoration and extension of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), which was scuttled due to Islamabad’s failure to meet conditionality of the bailout package. But now it is becoming increasingly difficult, amid double digit inflation, to eliminate fuel subsidies, stop tax exemption and levy new taxes, and meet the IMF conditionality. The recent suggestion from the IMF to Pak government in the Doha talks (May 18-25) to renegotiate the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) before making a payment worth USD 149 million to the Chinese power plants due to allegations of suspected overcharging, adds another dilemma for Islamabad and its tethering economy.   ...

According to Nomura Holdings Inc., China's economy is under extreme pressure since the first wave of Covid-19 struck in the spring of 2020. Construction and real estate sales are down. Due to growing expenses and lacklustre sales, many firms have a shutdown. Local governments that are in debt are reducing public worker wages. In the closing months of the last fiscal year, China's economy slowed significantly, as the government steps in to curb real estate speculation. This harmed other industries as well. Consumer spending came down due to lockdowns and travel restrictions to combat the coronavirus. New restrictions are affecting everything from online enterprises to after-school tutoring services as waves of layoffs have been witnessed. China's National Bureau of Statistics recorded, ...

Beijing, China: China has ramped up its testing with the country now requiring nucleic acid tests done within the past 48 hours just to enter public spaces, offices and even schools. However, it is estimated that the testing could cost some 1.7 trillion yuan a year in China's major cities alone, or about 1.5 per cent of the country's gross domestic product. Moreover, the emotional toll of China's Zero-COVID strategy has also taken a toll on the Chinese people. This emotional toll has outweighed everything else. But it is interesting to note that China is still insisting that these stern policies are the only way to go, reported Straits Times. The world is now more than two years into the COVID pandemic and with this China's Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, quarantines and f...

Islamabad, Pakistan: Pakistan amid the economic crisis trying to convince International Monitory Fund (IMF) to layoff its loans. The talks have been organised for the 7th time but it got delayed as they could not reach to staff level agreement. Notably, the IMF pointed out the ‘deviations’ on fiscal sides from the policies agreed upon in the last review, Business Recorder reported. The Fund emphasized the urgency of concrete policy actions and including the context of removal the fuel and energy subsidies in the fiscal year 2023 budget, to achieve programme objectives.The IMF statement indicates that the government would be taking prior actions in the federal budget for the fiscal year 2022-23. The revival of the stalled programme can be expected by end of July/August 2022. “An I...

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has upended the global aluminium market,transforming China into an exporter as supplies of the energy-hungry metal flow toEurope where it fetches higher prices.The white metal, used in a variety of industriesstarting from cans and kitchen utensils to automotive to aeroplane parts, had been risingsince the beginning of the Chinese economic recovery from Covid-19 in the secondhalf of 2020. Last year’s severe power crunch in China further boosted aluminium assmelters curbed production.China’s journey from the world’s largest metals buyer to largest supplier has alarmedthe global community which has been keeping a close watch on Beijing’s future moves.Known for shrewd diplomatic moves, China will most likely exploit the situation to itsadvantage. The journey, c...

Chinese president have given slight hint of the economic policies he is going to impliment once he is given the third term power by National Congress. The policies will focus on common prosperity and stricter regulation of capital, both of which spell disaster for the monopoly businesses of China. President Xi will prioritise five economic issues, in this order: Common prosperity, capital, primary products, risks, and carbon. The order in which he presents the issues gives a peep into his mind, on how he grades his priorities. It is clear that he sources all of China’s current economic inadequacies to inequality of income and wealth accumulated in the country since the reforms process began. He now wishes to apply the Xi Thought and Chinese Characteristics to rein in the shortcom...

Islamabad, Pakistan: Combined natural gas prices have reached its highest in Pakistan. The price rose to Rs. 300 per kg because of  which the CNG Dealers Association slammed the government for wanting to end the sector and jacking up the prices without consultations.This comes as CNG prices shot up to their highest level of Rs 300 per kilogram in Pakistan, following a hike of Rs 70, ARY News reported on Saturday. In a statement, CNG Dealers Association Chairman Abdul Sami Khan said that the price of Re-Gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) has also been increased. Expressing anger over the price hike, the chairman said that investments worth billions are being wasted in the CNG sector. He added that CNG was considered a cheap fuel but the massive hike will wipe out its demand. T...