ISLAMABAD: Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Dr Shamshad Akthar here on Thursday stressed the need for strengthening micro-finance industry to help alleviate poverty from the country.

LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry Thursday severely criticized the government for making unprecedented massive 31 per cent increase in gas prices and 68 per cent increase in captive power generation and termed it a big blow to an already hard pressed industry.

LAHORE: The Lahore Businessmen Association for Rehabilitation of Disabled (LABARD) Thursday distributed wheel chairs, tricycle and certificates among the disabled persons at an impressive ceremony which was jointly chaired by the LCCI Vice President Shafqat Saeed Piracha and LABARD President Mohammad Pervaiz Malik.

ISLAMABAD: The Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF) here on Thursday launched a brochure on its Business Incubator/Matching Grants Facility to promote its co-financing initiatives for micro enterprises in Pakistan.

SIALKOT: Punjab Governor Salman Taseer has said that the Sialkot business community has written a golden history, a success story of commitment, dedication and a saga of self-help by completing Sialkot International Airport Limited (SIAL) He advised others to replicate this unique example of self-help.

LAHORE: Large Taxpayers Unit (LTU) Lahore has surpassed tax collection targets for the year 2007-08 by a substantial margin both in terms of direct and indirect taxes.

LAHORE: WAPDA is striving for optimal exploitation of hydropower potential to cope with the increasing demand of electricity.

LAHORE: The Emirates Global Islamic Bank Limited (EGIBL), a major player in the rapidly growing Islamic banking industry, has joined as a conference partner at the 2nd Pakistan SME Conference 2008 being held on August 2 in Karachi.

MULTAN: The three-day "International Mango Festival" will be held in a local hotel from July 18 which will continue till July 20.

MULTAN: President Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Khawaja Muhammad Jalaluddin Roomi has demanded of the government to grant moratorium on their debts for ten years so that textile industry could survive, however, we are ready to pay markup and repay these loans in next ten years.

ISLAMABAD: The consumption of petroleum products (POL) has recorded an increase of 8.4 percent to 15.31 million tons during the July 2007 to April 2008 as compared with 14.12 million tons in the corresponding period of last year, while this increase is mainly due to the increasing demand for power, industrial consumption and the transport sector.

KARACHI: Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) has awarded contracts for supply of 516,000 metric tonnes of wheat to six bidders at a rate of $409.88 per tonne.

KARACHI: Pakistan's total liquid foreign reserves stood at 11,284.5million dollars, said a statement issued by State Bank of Pakistan here on Thursday.