Business
IMF to assess Pakistan’s flood spending, budget agility | The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD:
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in Pakistan’s recent devastating floods and announced that its second economic review mission will also assess the disaster’s impact on the economy, as well as the financial requirements for recovery and reconstruction.
According to sources, the IMF team will evaluate whether Pakistan’s fiscal policies and emergency measures are sufficient to deal with the crisis.
“The mission will assess whether the FY26 budget, its spending allocations and emergency provisions remain sufficiently agile to address the spending needs necessitated by the floods,” said Mahir Binici, the IMF’s resident representative in Pakistan.
Read More: IMF’s nod sought for power relief to flood victims
The review will also examine the 2025–26 budget, its expenditure allocations, and relief provisions to determine how effectively they meet the urgent needs arising from the floods.
The government had already approached the IMF for relief measures following the destruction, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif suspended electricity bill collections for August from consumers in flood-hit areas.
He directed distribution companies to comply immediately, adding that payments already made by affected consumers would be adjusted in their next bills.
The flash floods have killed 972 people so far, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.
The floods have destroyed crops, livestock and homes across Punjab province and are now pushing into Sindh, threatening fresh food inflation and deeper hardship in the cash-strapped South Asian nation.
State bank of Pakistan is expected to keep its key rate at 11% on Monday, as policymakers weigh inflation risks from crop losses against a slowing economy. An analyst estimated agricultural damage could shave up to 0.2 percentage points off growth this year, with reconstruction-led demand offering only partial offset.
It is noteworthy to mention that an IMF mission is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on September 25 to begin talks for the release of the third loan tranche of $1 billion, subject to the completion of the second review of the economy. The IMF team will remain in Islamabad until October 8.
With additional input from Reuters
Business
Petrol, diesel prices likely to increase by Rs4.8 per litre – SUCH TV

The prices of petroleum products are expected to rise by up to Rs4.79 per litre from September 16, under the fortnightly price review driven by fluctuations in the international oil market.
According to estimates, petrol may see an increase of Rs1.54 per litre, while high-speed diesel is likely to go up by Rs4.79 per litre.
Prices of kerosene and light diesel oil are projected to climb by Rs3.06 and Rs3.68 per litre, respectively.
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) will submit its final calculations to the Petroleum Division on September 15.
The Petroleum Division and the Ministry of Finance will forward the calculations, including levy and tax adjustments, to the PM, who will give the final approval.
Business
MPs urge maximum pressure on US over tariffs ahead of Donald Trump’s state visit

MPs have called for the Government to maximise pressure on the US to secure relief from tariffs ahead of Donald Trump’s state visit.
The Commons Business and Trade Committee said the visit next week is the moment to put pressure on the US president to agree to the final terms of the so-called economic prosperity deal.
The UK and US signed a trade deal in June that reduced tariffs on car and aerospace imports to the US, but failed to agree on terms for British steel, leaving tariffs on it at 25%.
In a report on the deal, the committee welcomed the Government securing swift tariff relief for key sectors.
“It is however now vital that Government maximises pressure on the United States — beginning and following the president’s state visit — to agree final terms for a lasting economic prosperity deal to end the threat of future sectoral tariffs, maximise predictability and that where the UK has secured terms which are second best to the EU, we aim to improve them,” they said.
Committee chairman Liam Byrne MP said the state visit is “no mere pageant”.
He said: “It is a test of whether Britain and America build a safer, richer future – or remain trapped in tariff fights that serve neither nation well. Sir Keir Starmer deserves credit for securing the economic prosperity deal.
“But we can’t escape the truth that Britain now trades with its biggest partner on terms that are worse than the past, the EU has in places secured a better edge, and key sectors of our economy still face the peril of new tariffs. That means jobs hang in the balance and investment waits on certainty.”
The committee also urged the Government to seal a deal on aluminium and pharmaceuticals and for any final agreement to reflect the realities of the UK’s supply chains and transition to low-carbon production.
It said the UK should leverage the US partnership to gain an edge over China in artificial intelligence and defence technology, de-risked supply chains and greater security for critical minerals supplies.
“Britain’s science, AI and the City of London, joined with America’s tech giants and venture markets, could set the standards of this century and help secure western leadership over China for decades to come,” Mr Byrne said.
“But that means we have got to turn paper promises into a binding bargain that ends the tariff tempest that is battering British exporters and investors.”
It comes as US financial firms have announced investments in the UK worth £1.25 billion before Mr Trump’s state visit.
Citi Group has confirmed it will invest £1.1 billion across its UK operations, while S&P Global will put £4 million into its Manchester offices.
PayPal has confirmed a £150 million investment in product innovations and growth and Bank of America will create up to 1,000 new jobs in Belfast in its first operation in Northern Ireland.
Alongside the new investment announcements, companies are committing to ramp up commercial activity between the US and UK in the coming years.
Blackrock is allocating £7 billion to the UK market over five years, while Rothesay is planning to double its investment in the US with another £7 billion in the coming years.
The investment and capital commitments line up some £20 billion trade between the two countries – with some £8 billion to come to the UK and £12 billion to go to the US, the Department for Business and Trade said.
Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said: “These investments reflect the strength of our enduring ‘golden corridor’ with one of our closest trading partners, ahead of the US presidential state visit.”
Tech giants OpenAI and Nvidia are reportedly planning to unveil billions of dollars of investment into UK data centres during the visit next week.
Sam Altman, the boss of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, and chipmaker Nvidia’s chief executive Jensen Huang are understood to be part of a delegation of US executives to join Mr Trump.
The US president’s two-day trip begins on Wednesday and includes an overnight stay at Windsor Castle.
A Government spokesperson said: “Our special relationship with the US remains strong.
“Thanks to our trade deal, the UK is still the only country to have avoided 50% steel and aluminium tariffs, and we continue to partner on technologies such as AI, quantum, and cyber security in our trillion-dollar tech sectors.
“We will work with the US to implement this landmark deal as soon as possible to give industry the security they need, protect vital jobs, and put more money in people’s pockets through the plan for change, as well as welcoming the president on this historic state visit.”
Business
Citi Group among US finance firms pledging investment into UK before Trump visit

US financial firms have announced investments in the UK worth £1.25 billion before Donald Trump’s state visit next week.
Citi Group has confirmed it will invest £1.1 billion across its UK operations, while S&P Global will put £4 million into their Manchester offices.
PayPal has confirmed a £150 million investment in product innovations and growth and Bank of America will create up to 1,000 new jobs in Belfast in its first operation in Northern Ireland.
Alongside the new investment announcements, companies are committing to ramp up commercial activity between the US and UK in the coming years.
Blackrock is allocating £7 billion to the UK market over five years, while Rothesay is planning to double its investment in the US with another £7 billion in the coming years.
The investment and capital commitments line up some £20 billion trade between the two countries – with some £8 billion to come to the UK and £12 billion to go to the US, the Department for Business and Trade said.
Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said: “These investments reflect the strength of our enduring ‘golden corridor’ with one of our closest trading partners, ahead of the US presidential state visit.”
Tech giants OpenAI and Nvidia are reportedly planning to unveil billions of dollars of investment into UK data centres during the visit next week.
Sam Altman, the boss of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, and chipmaker Nvidia’s chief executive Jensen Huang are understood to be part of a delegation of US executives to join Mr Trump.
The US president’s two-day trip begins on Wednesday and includes an overnight stay at Windsor Castle.
It comes as the future of tariffs on British steel is still unclear.
When the UK and US signed a trade deal in June, it reduced tariffs on car and aerospace imports to the US.
But no agreement on a similar arrangement for Britain’s steel imports was reached, leaving tariffs on steel at 25%.
A Government spokesperson said: “Our special relationship with the US remains strong.
“Thanks to our trade deal, the UK is still the only country to have avoided 50% steel and aluminium tariffs, and we continue to partner on technologies such as AI, Quantum, and cyber security in our trillion-dollar tech sectors.
“We will work with the US to implement this landmark deal as soon as possible to give industry the security they need, protect vital jobs, and put more money in people’s pockets through the plan for change, as well as welcoming the president on this historic state visit.”
-
Tech1 week ago
New non-volatile memory platform built with covalent organic frameworks
-
Tech1 week ago
The Top New Gadgets We Saw at IFA Berlin 2025
-
Fashion1 week ago
UK trade weathers tariff shocks with agility and new deals: BCC
-
Tech7 days ago
Psychological Tricks Can Get AI to Break the Rules
-
Tech1 week ago
Elite Blade Gaming Laptops from Razor Are on Sale Today
-
Tech1 week ago
The Best Phones You Can’t Officially Buy in the US
-
Tech1 week ago
These are the Password Managers You Should Use Instead of Your Browser
-
Tech7 days ago
Undersea cables cut in the Red Sea, disrupting internet access in Asia and the Mideast