Macro Pakistani

Risking arrest, probation, legal fees and above all their future, students are protesting against the Israeli onslaught and advocating for Palestine. The 'student spring protest' has surged in the US, urging an end to Israel's "genocidal campaign" in Gaza and calling for university divestment from corporations backing Tel Aviv and facilitating the barbaric genocide being conducted by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) for almost 7 months now. Data visualization by Brand Nib #WeStandWithPalestine🇵🇸 #freepalestine🇵🇸 #EmpoweringPakistanWithData #GazaGenocide #studentspring #encampments #EndTheBarbaricActs #divest #disclose #CeasefireNow

Over recent years, Pakistan's traditional trade has witnessed a decline, attributed to a decrease in specialized goods and a subsequent reduction in participation within the global value chain. However, amidst this trend, trade in services has displayed resilience, showing a reduced vulnerability to external factors. To enhance its role in the global value chain, Pakistan needs to diversify its export baskets, expand its number of trade partners, and prioritize services trade due to its strong performance. Achieving this requires forging better trade agreements with multiple partners and providing institutional support for human development. By implementing these strategies, Pakistan can bolster its participation rate in the global value chain and strengthen its position in the international market. #EmpoweringPakistanWithData #trade #OICCI #goods #Pakistan #InternationalMarket #GlobalValueChain #economy #economicdata

Industry and transportation together account for over 67% of Pakistan's energy consumption, a trend seen in India and Southeast Asia as well. Despite significant international assistance, Pakistan has overlooked climate considerations in its infrastructure investments. To adapt to climate change, green industrialization is crucial for Pakistan, particularly as it ranks among the top ten most climate-vulnerable nations. Given the substantial energy footprint of the industrial sector, it serves as a pivotal lever in Pakistan's energy transition. To facilitate this transition, concessional climate finance is required to scale up interventions that are currently not commercially viable, complemented by regulatory measures and increased private sector investment. #EmpoweringPakistanWithData #news #economy #economicdata #OICCI #energy #SoutheastAsia #investments #Pakistan

The latest Regional Economic Outlook for Middle East and Central Asia by the IMF, titled "An Uneven Recovery amid High Uncertainty," underscores the potential for policy interventions to address longstanding obstacles, such as reducing trade restrictions, easing regulatory burdens, and enhancing infrastructure investment. According to IMF projections, closing the trade restriction gap with advanced economies could lead to a 14% increase in exports for CCA countries and over 15% for the non-GCC MENA countries and Pakistan, relative to the baseline scenario. Similarly, upgrading infrastructure has the potential to elevate exports by approximately 7% in CCA nations and 8% in non-GCC MENA countries and Pakistan, driven by enhanced intra and interregional trade flows. Moreover, improvements in the regulatory landscape could yield export expansions of more than 3% for the CCA and around 6% for non-GCC MENA countries and Pakistan. These gains in exports resulting from diverse policy measures could also translate into higher annual GDP growth rates, ranging between 1% and 2% for the CCA and between 1% and 3% for non-GCC MENA countries and Pakistan. Data visualization by Brand Nib #EmpoweringPakistanWithData #news #economy #Pakistan #Trade #Exports #GDP #TradeRestrictions

Over the past decade, Indonesia, India, and Bangladesh have consistently witnessed improvements in labor productivity, contrasting with Pakistan's decline relative to its Asian counterparts. Despite Pakistan's workforce putting in long hours, with approximately 40% working beyond 49 hours per week, efficiency has waned. This decline in productivity is exacerbated by insufficient investment in human capital by the public as well as private sector, particularly evident due to a higher prevalence of informal employment and a downturn in the manufacturing sector. Consequently, the average Pakistani worker generates a mere $7 of output per hour, significantly trailing behind regional counterparts in terms of productivity and earnings. #EmpoweringPakistanWithData #news #economy #economicdata #LaborProductivity #Asia #OICC #business

Pakistan trails other emerging markets in VC funding during 2022. Do you think this trend will continue in 2023 and 2024? #EmpoweringPakistanWithData #news #economicdata #economy

In the recent World Economic Outlook report by the IMF, Pakistan's economic growth has been projected at 2% for FY2024 (current fiscal year). This follows a thorough review of Pakistan's macroeconomic status under the USD 3 billion Stand-By Arrangement, with a Staff-Level Agreement reached on March 20, 2024. While this forecast slightly surpasses the World Bank's and the Asian Development Bank's predictions of 1.8% and 1.9%, respectively, in early April, it falls short of the Pakistani government's target of 3.5%. #EmpoweringPakistanWithData #IMF #PakistanEconomy #EconomicOutlook

Pakistan's agricultural sector faces significant challenges, with annual production of corn, wheat, and rice valued at around Rs. 3 trillion, yet suffering a Rs. 279 billion loss due to quality, supply chain, and storage issues. High transportation, seed, and fertilizer costs contribute to low returns for small farmers, furthered by limited access to credit. Only 18% of farms have direct bank loans, leaving smallholder farmers with just 28% of total financing. Consequently, yields and productivity remain low, hindering export diversity and perpetuating supply chain issues. Pakistan needs to implement best practices in providing financing, pricing inputs, and storage. #EmpoweringPakistanWithData #OICCI #agriculture #agricosts #Pakistan #agricosts #business #farms #economy #economicdata

Rural Disparities Overlooked in Pakistan’s IMF Plan The agricultural sector leads Pakistan’s economic rebound in the first quarter of FY24, yet Pakistan fails to reciprocate the contribution. #EmpoweringPakistanWithData #news #economy #economicdata #Pakistan

In the second quarter of FY24, digital transactions surged by 22%, reaching Rs. 20 trillion following a sluggish end to FY23.  Mobile phone banking accounted for 42% of transactions, while 35% were conducted through ATMs, with the remaining 23% distributed across POS machines (10%), internet banking (9%), e-wallets (3%), and e-commerce (2%). This uptick in digital transactions signals Pakistan's progression toward a cashless economy, with further acceleration expected through promoting investment in Fintech startups, thereby attracting crucial foreign capital. The investment in Fintech startups, particularly in credit, financing, and payments, totaled $20.1M 2023, down by 80% from the previous year. Emphasizing stability and technological support is imperative as Pakistan integrates payment systems with tax, fostering increased revenue and economic growth. Macro Pakistani #EmpoweringPakistanWithData #DigitalBanking #OICCI #PaymentSystemsReview #transactions #MobilePhoneBanking #InternetBanking #Pakistan #FintechStartups