Islamabad, June 30 (IANS) Pakistan has been ranked last globally — 148th out of 148 countries — in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025. Pakistan’s overall gender parity score also dropped from 57 per cent in 2024 to 56.7 per cent in 2025. These numbers showcase the inequalities faced by women in Pakistan regularly across economic participation and independence, social freedoms, political representation, education, health and personal agency and autonomy, a report has det…
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New Delhi, June 29 (IANS) Pakistan’s investment-to-GDP ratio has fallen to a historic low of 13.1 per cent in 2024 from an average of around 18 per cent over nearly four decades, while foreign direct investment (FDI) has halved to 0.5 per cent of GDP, a report has said.According to an analysis published in Dawn, the country’s declining investment reflects a widening disconnect between its ambitious economic targets and the policy environment.Pakistan’s investment-to-GDP ratio declined from 17.2 …
New Delhi, June 27 (IANS) Bangladesh Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury told parliament that the country’s total external debt stood at $78.22 billion as of March this year, and warned that the country’s debt‑servicing obligations are set to rise in coming years, a new report has said.Around 61.97 per cent of the external debt is concessional while 38.03 per cent is non‑concessional, the report from Dhaka-based The Business Standard cited the minister as saying.Further, the mini…
Washington, June 25 (IANS) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday said Argentina has continued to make “important progress” in restoring macroeconomic stability, with growth strengthening, inflation declining, and financing conditions improving, while expressing confidence that the country will continue to meet its obligations to the Fund. Speaking at a regular IMF press briefing, Julie Kozack, Director of the IMF’s Communications Department, said Argentina’s economic reforms were beg…
New Delhi, June 25 (IANS) The Bangladesh government’s foreign debt service burden is projected to almost double to $7.6 billion in FY29 from $4.11 billion in FY25 due to rising interest payments, shorter loan maturities, and repayments for several mega projects which poses a serious threat to the country’s financial stability, according to a report in The Daily Star, a Dhaka-based newspaper.According to the Finance Division’s ‘Medium-Term Macroeconomic Policy Statement’ for FY27-FY29, the …
New Delhi, June 23 (IANS) Pakistan’s own poverty line of 8,484 Pakistani rupee (PKR) as monthly income leaves about 70 million people or 28.9 per cent of the population below the threshold, the highest rate in 11 years and far higher than 21.9 per cent of previous survey (2018-19), a new report has said.The Afghanistan-based news agency Khaama Press said the official line of PKR 8,484, calculated by the cost‑of‑basic‑needs allocates $3.50 a day, far below the World Bank’s $4.20-a-day l…
New Delhi , June 20 (IANS) Despite mounting evidence that Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, the federal government has sharply reduced climate-related development spending in its budget for FY2026-27, even as neighboring countries continue to increase investments in climate resilience and adaptation, a report has said.The federal government has allocated only Rs 2.4 billion (approximately $8.6 million) for climate-related projects under the Public Sector Developm…
Shillong/Aizawl, June 19 (IANS) Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Friday said the state has emerged as one of the leading beneficiaries of Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) in the Northeast, effectively leveraging international funding to support infrastructure development and socio-economic growth. Addressing a seminar on “Leveraging Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) in the North Eastern States,” the Chief Minister cited several major initiatives supported by international development partn…
Shillong/Agartala, June 19 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday highlighted the transformative role of Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) in the state’s development and urged the Central Government to remove the existing ceiling on EAP borrowings for the Northeastern states to accelerate infrastructure creation and economic growth. Addressing a seminar on “Leveraging Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) in the North Eastern States” in Shillong in the presence of Union Finance Minis…
Islamabad, June 14 (IANS) The floods that occurred in recent years, rising temperatures, deteriorating drought conditions and increasing water stress in Pakistan have repeatedly showcased the institutional failures that leave vulnerable communities trapped in cycles of destruction and recovery, a report has said. The urgency about Pakistan’s environmental crisis became impossible to ignore as policymakers gathered for the Breathe Pakistan climate conference. However, despite repeated warnings fr…