Tech and Telecom

The Ministry of IT and Telecom has submitted the National Freelancing Facilitation Policy to the Federal Cabinet for approval. The policy, developed after extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders, aims to position Pakistan as a leading global freelance market, enhancing exports and foreign exchange earnings. According to the IT Ministry, the policy will provide freelancers with access to international markets, projects, and clients, supported by a robust marketing and promotional strategy. Fiscal and non-fiscal incentives are proposed to boost the freelancing sector, with goals to increase the number of active freelancers to one million and raise the average annual earnings to…

Restrictions will remain in full effect on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and other Pakistani airlines in the European Union (EU) after safety concerns were identified in recent evaluations. The EU Air Safety Committee in its latest evaluation decided that the current ban on air carriers certified by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) will remain active. An on-site review conducted from November 27 to 30, 2023, scrutinized the PCAA’s safety oversight and found significant issues. The PCAA then presented a corrective action plan on May 6, 2024, in response to these findings, outlining measures to address the deficiencies. This plan…

Two-time T20 World Cup champions West Indies will face Papua New Guinea (PNG) in their inaugural World Cup clash at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. Co-hosts of the tournament, West Indies, have a formidable squad, aiming to assert their dominance against a fresh and inexperienced PNG side. West Indies skipper Rovman Powell leads a squad brimming with talent, including star all-rounder Andre Russell, explosive batters like Nicholas Pooran, Shai Hope, Romario Shepherd, and ace bowler Alzarri Joseph. The team is also strengthened by slow left-arm orthodox Akeal Hosein, known for his brilliant spin-bowling. For Papua New Guinea, this match represents…

After almost 10 years of pursuing the man, Spanish football giants Real Madrid will officially unveil French international Kylian Mbappé as their first signing of the summer, putting an end to months of uncertainty. Mbappe is leaving Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent and would be a marquee addition in the tradition of past Galacticos to wear the famous white shirt like Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo (both). “Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid, HERE WE GO! Every document has been signed, sealed and completed. Real Madrid, set to announce Mbappé as new signing next week after winning the Champions League,” sports…

The federal government has for now delayed the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) demand to increase tax burden on salaried class in the upcoming budget. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has postponed the budget proposal to increase the effective income tax rate for salaried individuals, reported Express Tribune. During a recent meeting on taxation proposals for the new budget, the prime minister did not support increasing the tax burden on the salaried class. He instructed the Finance Ministry to request the IMF to drop this proposal. Salaried individuals in Pakistan already rank as the fourth highest taxpayers, after bank depositors, contractors, and…

The coalition government is all set to present its first budget for FY25 on June 10, 2024, in the parliament. This timeline also correlates with the news, whereby, it was mentioned that the Staff Level Agreement (SLA) may be announced formally by the end of June 2024 or early July 2024, after assuring satisfactory compliance with prior actions and amendments in some tax laws through Finance Bill 2024-25. The Budget FY25 is likely to be the prior action of the IMF, and this will be key in taking Pakistan near to the SLA. The budget will aim at targeting a…

The federal government has decided to shut down Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD), said an official notice by the Prime Minister’s Office this week. The notice stated, “The Prime Minister has been pleased to direct that Secretary Housing and Works will prepare a concrete plan for winding up of Pakistan Public Works Department (Pak PWD), in consultation with the Minister for Housing an Works and present it to the Prime Minister within a week’s time”. Currently, the Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD) is managing development projects across the country valued at approximately Rs. 60 billion. Originally founded in 1854, it…

The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) and Pakistan Institute of Corporate Governance (PICG) agree to broaden the canvas of their collaboration with the inclusion of competition law modules in other PICG trainings in addition to the existing Directors Training Program (DTP). In the meeting held between senior officials of CCP and PICG in Karachi, it was discussed that competition law provides an enabling environment and level playing field to all stakeholders in the economy. It is very important for the decision makers, board members, entrepreneurs, corporate managers, officials of state-owned enterprises to have a good understanding of the Competition Law.…

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Saturday announced a Rs. 3.25 per unit increase in the price of electricity in terms of quarterly fuel adjustment. This hike will affect consumer bills for June, July, and August. The regulator’s decision has been sent to the federal government. This hike comes despite recent calls to reduce the power cost burden on the population. NEPRA’s quarterly tariff adjustments are reflected in power bills for three-month periods. For the second quarter of the current fiscal year (2023-24), an adjustment of Rs. 2.75 was included in bills for April, May, and June. Power…

Infinix GT 20 Pro, the official gaming phone of the PUBG Mobile Super League (PMSL), is now available. Targeted towards young gaming enthusiasts, the GT 20 Pro offers up to 120FPS gameplay for PUBG and other game titles. The processing power of Dimensity 8200 Ultimate 4nm 5G processor paired with a dedicated gaming display chip ensures lossless frames delivering an immersive gaming experience. The GT 20 Pro is now available online on Xpark and in stores nationwide for 99,999/- GT 20 Pro is equipped with an impressive array of hardware features crafted to offer an unparalleled user experience. At its…