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Industries close due to IPPs’ exorbitant electricity costs: KATI

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Korangi’s businesses have been driven to ruin, according to President KATI Johar Ali Qandhari, by IPPs, high electricity costs, and onerous taxes.

According to him, 60,000 people are unemployed and 350 industries have shuttered or scaled back.

He emphasized that if the IPP contracts aren’t reviewed, things will get worse.

The public was outraged, as were industrialists, about costly power and capacity payments to IPPs. Lately, a number of trade associations and chambers of commerce nationwide have bemoaned the effects of exorbitant electricity prices.

In a social media announcement on Sunday, former caretaker minister Gohar Ejaz claimed that the IPPs had received payments totaling Rs. 1.95 trillion. The former minister claimed, “The government is paying a power plant 140 billion rupees on a 15 percent load factor.” He continued, “Another plant is being paid 120 billion rupees over a 17 percent load factor, and the third power plant is being paid 100 billion on a 22 percent load factor.”

Gohar Ejaz remarked, “These are only three power plants, receiving 370 billion rupees.”

He revealed that the IPPs have provided substantial capacity quantities without producing any electricity.

“Capacity payments” is a phrase in all these contracts that permits inflated earnings, according to the former minister. He continued, “This clause results in the IPPs receiving sporadically distributed capacity payments.”

In addition, he had asked that the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) represent all parties involved.

Additionally, he insisted that the agreements with the IPPs be changed to a “take and pay” arrangement.

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The total amount of Pakistan’s liquid foreign reserves is $15.95 billion.

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As of February 14, Pakistan’s total liquid foreign reserves were $15,947.9 million, with the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) holdings being $11,201.5 million.

Official figures for the week ending February 14, 2025, show that the central bank’s liquid foreign exchange reserves rose by $35 million to $11,201.5 million.

Commercial banks maintained net foreign reserves of $4,746.4 million during the period under review, according to the breakdown of foreign reserves.

The nation’s total liquid foreign reserves as of the week ending February 07, 2025, were $15,862.6 million.

Of these, the central bank held $11,166.6 million in foreign reserves, while commercial banks kept $4,696 million in net reserves.

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In January 2025, RDA inflows reach 9.564 billion USD.

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Remittances under the Roshan Digital Account (RDA) increased from US $9.342 billion at the end of 2024 to US $9.564 billion by the end of January 2025.

The most recent data issued by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) revealed that remittance inflows in January totaled US$222 million, compared to US$203 million in December and US$186 million in November 2024.

Millions of Non-Resident Pakistanis (NRPs), including those who own a Non-Resident Pakistan Origin Card (POC), desire to engage in banking, payment, and investing activities in Pakistan using these accounts, which offer cutting-edge banking options.

Nearly 778,697 accounts were registered under the scheme by the end of January 2025, according to the data.

By the end of January, foreign-born Pakistanis had contributed US $59 million to Roshan Equity Investment, US $479 million to Naya Pakistan Certificates, and US $799 to Naya Pakistan Islamic Certificates.

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FBR lowers Karachi’s built-up structure property valuation rates

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A year-by-year breakdown of the depreciation value of residential and commercial built-up properties is included in the updated property valuation rates for Karachi that the FBR has announced.

The notification said that built-up structural values on residential property will be gradually reduced.

A residential home’s built-up structure, which is five to ten years old, will lose five percent of its worth.

In a similar vein, constructions between the ages of 10 and 15 will lose 7.5% of their value, while those between the ages of 15 and 25 would lose 10%. Built-up structures that are more than 25 years old will be valued similarly to an open plot.

Furthermore, age will also be used to lower the valuation of built-up properties, such as apartments and flats.

Structures that are five to ten years old will depreciate by ten percent, while those that are ten to twenty years old will depreciate by twenty percent. A 30% depreciation will be applied to properties that are 20 to 30 years old, while a 50% reduction will be applied to those that are above 30 years old.

In terms of commercial built-up properties, buildings that are 10 to 15 years old will lose 5% of their value, while those that are 15 to 25 years old will lose 8%. The value of properties that are more than 25 years old will drop by 10%.

In contrast, there would be a 15% boost in the value of commercial properties in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) that face any Khayaban.

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