New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) After more than a decade of preparation, India is finally set to launch the Producer Price Indices (PPI) — marking a major shift in the country’s inflation measurement framework. The new PPI series will be unveiled on June 15 alongside the revised Wholesale Price Index (WPI) with a new base year of 2022-23. For many people, the introduction of PPI may sound technical, but the concept is fairly simple.The new framework is aimed at measuring inflation more accurately fr…
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Washington, May 30 (IANS) US President Donald Trump ended a two-hour Situation Room meeting on a proposed Iran agreement without announcing a decision, media reports said.Trump had earlier said he would make a “final determination” on a proposal aimed at extending a ceasefire with Iran, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and launching negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme.However, after the meeting concluded, the White House offered no indication that a final decision had been reached.CNN rep…
New Delhi, May 29 (IANS) Behind Pakistan’s negotiations for new bailout packages from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a silent yet highly consequential power struggle is unfolding between the IMF and the Pakistani military over control of the country’s key economic power structures, according to an article published by Pressenza International Press Agency.State-owned enterprises, energy facilities, mines, ports and banks are facing a confrontation between two competing models of econo…
New Delhi, May 29 (IANS) As the International Monetary Fund (MF) has reclassified Bangladesh from a low risk to a moderate risk country in its debt sustainability analysis, a report has said that mounting repayment obligations are emerging as one of the biggest challenges for the BNP-led government in its first budget preparation.The report published in The Daily Star highlighted that the IMF’s downgrade reflected “deteriorating metrics across debt volume, debt servicing relative to GDP, exports…
Colombo, May 28 (IANS) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed the combined fifth and sixth reviews of Sri Lanka’s economic reform program under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement, giving the country immediate access to a fund of 695 million US dollars. The latest disbursement brings total IMF purchases under the arrangement to 2.4 billion US dollars. The 48-month EFF arrangement, approved in March 2023 for about 3 billion US dollars, supports Sri Lanka’s program to restore…
Singapore, May 25 (IANS) Singapore maintained its 2026 economic growth forecast at 2 per cent to 4 per cent on Monday, citing stronger-than-expected first-quarter expansion driven by artificial intelligence (AI)-related demand, even as risks from the US-Israel-Iran conflict cloud the global outlook.The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said the economy grew 6 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter, extending the 5.7 per cent expansion recorded in the previous quarter, supported by strong …
Washington, May 21 (IANS) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said its staff mission had held “constructive discussions” with Pakistani authorities on the country’s economic situation, including the fallout from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, while reviewing Islamabad’s reform commitments and budget strategy for fiscal year 2027.An IMF mission led by Iva Petrova visited Islamabad from May 13 to 20. The talks focused on recent economic developments, implementation of refor…
New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) Pakistan’s upcoming federal budget is likely to reflect an economy constrained by prolonged stabilisation policies, weak revenue generation and growing dependence on externally driven reforms, according to a recent economic analysis that warns the country risks slipping into a low-growth equilibrium without major structural recalibration.According to the analysis by Sakib Berjees, the country’s economic model has become heavily centred on stabilisation measures, with…
Harare, May 16 (IANS) The Zimbabwean government has begun formal negotiations for membership to the BRICS New Development Bank, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Mthuli Ncube said in a statement on Saturday.The minister said that Zimbabwe had received official communication from New Development Bank President Dilma Rousseff, confirming the start of the accession process and outlining the next steps toward full membership.”The government of the Republic of Zimbabw…
Mumbai, May 15 (IANS) India’s foreign exchange reserves rose sharply by $6.295 billion to $696.988 billion during the week ended May 8, mainly driven by a significant increase in gold reserves, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India on Friday.The latest rise comes after the country’s forex reserves had declined by $7.794 billion to $690.693 billion in the previous reporting week.India’s foreign exchange reserves had earlier touched a record high of $728.494 billion in the …