Asia Economics Update Pakistan to ask for more IMF help Pakistan was already struggling to keep the IMF on-side and the floods have changed the near term economic outlook so much that it makes sense to re-write the current adjustment programme. GDP growth... 20th August 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Pakistan makes the right move Pakistan’s central bank (SBP) today lifted its discount rate by 50bp to 13.0%. The move was a surprise but a rate hike has been the big risk for some time given double-digit inflation and the large... 30th July 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Pakistan is struggling to retain IMF support The delay in implementing a new value added tax has soured relations between Pakistan and the IMF and means that the capital inflow needed to shore up the balance of payments will be slow in coming... 23rd June 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Pakistan targets an ambitious fiscal tightening Pakistan’s annual budget, which was announced over the weekend, aims to narrow the budget deficit by one-two percentage points of GDP by mid-2011. While GDP is likely to accelerate and lift tax... 7th June 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook Asia to keep going its own way (Q2 10) We expect the world recovery will lose momentum in 2010-11 but do not anticipate that the recent turmoil in the markets will derail the global upswing. The implication for Asia is that the regional... 27th May 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Pakistan unlikely to cut rates in 2010 The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) today, as expected, left its policy rate unchanged at 12.50%. We forecast that rates will be kept on hold into 2011. The economic upswing should continue but inflation... 24th May 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Pakistan’s IMF programme appears back on track Reports over the weekend suggest that Pakistan and the IMF have patched up their differences. Renewed funding under the Standby Agreement will help to sustain the economic upswing but inflation looks... 19th April 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Pakistan set to stay on prolonged hold The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), as expected, left its policy rate unchanged at 12.50% over the weekend. We forecast that rates will stay on hold for the rest of 2010. The economic upswing should... 27th March 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook Upswings to stay impressive for a while (Q1 10) The trade-dependent economies will eventually see slower GDP growth later this year and in 2011 as the global upswing loses momentum. But Asia’s rebound will not come to a complete halt and growth, by... 19th February 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Pakistan set to stay on prolonged hold The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), as expected, left policy rates unchanged at 12.50% over the weekend. We forecast that rates will stay on hold this year, before rising in 2011. The economy should... 1st February 2010 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update Pakistan is probably finished cutting rates Today’s 50bps policy rate cut by the State Bank of Pakistan was expected but, we believe, is likely to be the last cut in the current cycle. Politics is clearly a wildcard but the economy has... 24th November 2009 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook Decoupling is back (Q4 09) We expect the upswing in emerging Asia to stay relatively strong in coming quarters. The more trade-dependent economies will be held back by the long drawn-out recoveries that are likely in the US and... 24th November 2009 · 1 min read