October 17, 2026
Power Companies Seek Fresh Tariff Increases for September
Distribution companies are seeking about Rs2.6 a unit for September while the central power purchasing agency has asked for Rs2.56, both under monthly fuel cost adjustments.
Articles for tag: Circular debt, CPPA, Discos, Electricity, NEPRA, Tariff
August 14, 2026
Karachi Water and Sewerage Charges Raised 7.05 Per Cent, Backdated to July
The Sindh government has approved a 7.05 per cent increase in Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation charges for 2026-27, effective retrospectively from July 1. It is the second major rise in two years.
July 16, 2026
Pakistan Auto Policy 2026–31 Delayed as IMF Rejects 1% Sales Tax on Electric Vehicles; Old Policy Extended
Pakistan's new Auto Industry Development and Export Policy 2026–31 has been delayed after the IMF rejected the government's proposed 1% sales tax on new energy vehicles, insisting on the standard 18% GST across the board. The existing AIDEP 2021–26, which expired in June, will be extended for another year while negotiations continue. The disagreement centres on whether electric and hybrid vehicles should receive preferential tax treatment, which the IMF views as inconsistent with its fiscal reform agenda.
July 13, 2026
Pakistan Misses IMF Gas Tariff Deadline as Gas Sector Circular Debt Tops Rs3.44 Trillion
Pakistan has missed the July 1, 2026 IMF deadline to notify revised gas tariffs — a structural benchmark under its $7 billion Extended Fund Facility — as gas sector circular debt reached Rs3.44 trillion. The delay is attributed to a legal dispute over the OGRA chairmanship and volatile global energy prices, with officials characterising it as a "technical breach." SNGPL alone carries Rs819 billion in gas circular debt and was unable to repay a Rs50 billion bank loan taken for LNG payments.
July 12, 2026
Pakistan and US Report ‘Significant Progress’ in Washington Talks on Reciprocal Trade Agreement
Pakistan and the United States have reported "significant progress" following two days of negotiations in Washington on July 9-10 over a Pakistan-United States Agreement on Reciprocal Trade. Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul, who led the Pakistani delegation, described the talks as productive and said both sides narrowed differences and built consensus toward finalising the agreement. A separate track coordinated by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi during his Washington visit linked trade discussions to Pakistan's role as mediator in the US-Iran diplomacy.
January 14, 2026
Russia slams Trump’s 25% trade tariff on Iran as ‘blackmail’ against partners
Zakharova slams ‘illegal’ Western sanctions for harming Iranian citizens and hindering development Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also said US threats of new military strikes against Iran were “categorically unacceptable”. PHOTO: ANADOLU Russia said on Tuesday it rejected “blackmail attempts” by Iran’s partners, as US President Donald Trump announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on “any and all” countries doing business with Iran. In a statement, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Western sanctions on Iran, which she described as “illegal,” are hindering the country’s development and creating economic and social problems that mainly affect ordinary Iranian citizens.
January 7, 2026
Trump lashes out at Modi as tariff tensions rise
US president says India faces 50% tariffs on Russian oil as Modi seeks meeting amid trade tensions US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PHOTO: FILE United States President Donald Trump recounted a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying Modi asked for permission to meet him as he mocked the Indian leader during his remarks at a House GOP retreat. “Prime Minister Modi came to see me, ‘Sir, to see you please’. Yes,” Trump said of defense sales and trade ties with India. Trump said India had been waiting five years for US-made Apache attack
December 12, 2025
Third Modi-Trump call after US tariff hike
Putin’s visit to New Delhi saw Russia offer uninterrupted fuel supplies while pushing back against US pressure on India US President Donald Trump shows the card that reads USA during the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup being held in the US, Canada and Mexico at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC on December 5, 2025. PHOTO: AFP Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday he spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump, as New Delhi continues to push for relief from punitive 50 percent US tariffs imposed on some of India’s key exports in response to
The government is committed to tariff, regulatory reforms
Haroon Akhtar, Qaiser Sheikh call National Industrial Policy 2025, Asaan Karobar Act 2025 plan for revival Islamabad: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Industries and Production, Haroon Akhtar Khan, reaffirmed the government’s determination to push for comprehensive economic reforms and revitalize the industry, speaking at the Pakistan Prosperity Forum 2025, hosted by the Policy Research Institute of Market Economy (PRIME) in Islamabad. According to an official statement issued on Wednesday, the event, themed “Charting a new path towards limited government and lower taxes”, brought together politicians, economists and business leaders to discuss economic freedom, the dynamism of the
Fears over revised tariff for K-Electric
Additional concerns were raised about capacity payments at K-Electric’s power plants, which are projected to cost more than Rs82 billion. PHOTO: FILE Islamabad: Experts have expressed concern that a revised decision by the National Electricity Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on K-Electric (KE) could have far-reaching financial and industrial consequences. KE CEO Moonis Alvi clarified that recent comparisons between KE tariffs and the national grid overlook key structural differences, stressing that when assessed on a like-for-like basis, KE’s generation costs are lower than the national group’s. Speaking at a webinar organized by the Policy Research Institute of Market Economy (PRIME) on ‘Karachi’s
