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Tuesday, 24 July, 2012
Workers remit history Remittances cross $13bn mark for the first time in country’s history ISLAMABAD APP
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emittances sent home by overseas Pakistani workers crossed $13 billion mark for the first time in country’s history during the last fiscal year (2011-12). according to a latest report released by the state Bank of Pakistan, overseas Pakistani workers remitted a record amount of $13,186.58 million during the last fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2012, showing an impressive growth of 17.73 percent when compared with $ 11,200.97 million received during the preceding fiscal year (2010-11). except for the months of september ($890.42 million) and november ($924.92 million), Pakistani workers remitted more than $1 billion during ten months of the fiscal year. Remittances received from all countries of the world showed substantial growth during the last fiscal year and almost all of this growth was
Damn you
thieves! ICCI calls for containing power theft
ISLAMABAD APP
the islamabad chamber of commerce and industry (icci) urged the government on monday to check power theft in energy system of the country. icci President Yassar sakhi Butt stressed in a statement that it is time the Government should have planed a strategy on war-footing basis to check the power theft and corruption in the system which cause loss of billion of rupees yearly and as a result affecting domestic customer as well as industry thus causing loss of billion of rupees to the national exchequer. He said that the operational directors of all distribution companies should have been directed to chalk out efficient plans in order to minimize power outages during holy month of Ramazan as prolonged electricity load shedding has increased the problems of the people. the icci President urged the Government to resolve the iPPs issues to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the public during Ramazan. He also called for minimizing the electricity shortfall by bringing non-operational power plants into the system and utilizing them optimally according to their capacity.
KARACHI
amount of $1,117.48 million in June 2012 when compared with $1,104.56 million received in the same month of 2010-11. During last month i.e. June 2012, remittances from saudi arabia, Uae, Usa, UK, Gcc countries (including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman) and eU countries amounted to $333.68 million, $219.14 million, $206.60 million, $128.12 million, $126.72 million and $29.24 million respectively as compared with $291.55 million, $270.04 million, $204.64 million, $121.35 million, $106.20 million and $33.83 million in June 2011. Remittances received from norway, switzerland, australia, canada, Japan and other countries amounted to $73.98 million during June 2012 compared with $76.95 million received in the same month of 2010-11. the continued impressive growth in workers’ remittances is the result of the efforts made by Pakistan Remittance initiative (PRi) in collaboration with other stakeholders to facilitate both Overseas Pakistanis and their families back home.
Adiós!
Digging up a record APP
LONDON APP/AFP
World stocks fell sharply, the euro hit a 12-year low versus the yen and spanish borrowing costs struck record highs monday on speculation spain could soon require a full state bailout, traders said. “there are fears that spain is edging closer to being forced to seek a full scale bailout, having secured 100 billion euros ($121 billion) to help recapitalise its banks,” said Joshua Raymond, chief market strategist at city index traders. all eyes were also on bailed-out Greece, with auditors from the european Union, international monetary Fund and the european central Bank due in athens this week for another inspection of the new government’s economic programme. the report will determine whether Greece will receive fresh loans of 31.5 billion euros by september due under its debt res-
Despite energy shortfall the consumption of oil in the country declined by 3 percent during fiscal year 2011-12 to 19.1 million as against 19.7 million recorded in FY11. this is the second consecutive year that oil consumption has posted a decline. “the reduction primarily came from 7 percent decline in FO (furnace oil) sales which account for approx. 45% of total oil consumption in Pakistan,” said topline Research analyst nauman Khan. Despite electricity shortage, cash problems amid circular debt prompted power units to consume lower furnace oil for electricity generation which decline by 7% to 8.4mn tonnes. according to estimates, power sector consumed 5% lower FO as government increase gas supplies by 4% which is cheaper source of generation for power units as power sector has been given priority over others sectors in terms of gas allocation. moreover, liquidity constraints with Omcs also led to restricted FO supplies.
During FY12 the local mutual funds industry remained in upward trajectory as the asset Under management (aUm) posted a significant appreciation of 51%Year over Year this year. the growth momentum this year stood almost twice compared to the growth of 25% witnessed last year, aUm said. major growth was witnessed in the size of income, money market, islamic income and islamic money market funds, which surged by 124%YoY, 95%YoY, 43%YoY and 22%YoY respectively. an aerial view reveals that, major growth was witnessed in the aUm of the aBL asset management and naFa Funds, which grew by solid 233%YoY and 102%YoY respectively during FY12. “the main reason of such growth was induction of new funds under the umbrella of the company as well as appreciation in the size of income and money market funds of the respective fund managers,” viewed mazhar a. sabir, an analyst at investcap Research. On Quarter on Quarter basis, he said, the performance during the 1QFY12 stood relatively depressing posting the decline of 1.2% during Jul-sept 2012, however later three quarters of FY12 witnessed robust growth of average 15% QoQ of FY12 in the size of mutual Fund industry. However on monthly basis, the industry posted the decline of 3%mom to reach at Rs379bn, as compared with the figure of Rs390bn, a month ago.Out of Rs11bn redemption witnessed during the month, 70% contributed by three funds, namely aBL-cash Fund (reduction: Rs5.3bn), UBL Liquidity Plus Fund (reduction: Rs1.4bn) and meezan cash Fund (reduction: Rs1.1bn).
ISLAMABAD
World stocks, euro slide on rising Spain tensions
KARACHI
Mutual Funds swell by 51pc to Rs379bn in Fiscal Year 12 STAFF REPORT
through banking channels. the inflow of remittances in July-June, 2012 period from saudi arabia, Uae, Usa, UK, Gcc countries (including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman) and eU countries amounted to $3,687.00, $2,848.86 million, $2,334.47 million, $1,521.10 million, $1,495.00 million and $364.79 million respectively as compared with $2,670.07 million, $2,597.74 million, $2,068.67 million, $1,199.67 million, $1,306.18 million and $354.76 million respectively in the JulyJune, 2011 period. Remittances received from norway, switzerland, australia, canada, Japan and other countries during the last fiscal year (2011-12) amounted to $935.36 million as against $1,003.81 million received in the preceding fiscal year (2010-11). the monthly average remittances for July-June 2012 period comes out to $1,098.88 million as compared with $933.41 million during the preceding fiscal year, registering an increase of 17.73 percent. Overseas Pakistanis also sent home an
STAFF REPORT
GrowinG mUtUally
cue programme. German Finance minister Wolfgang schaeuble warned Greece in a newspaper interview monday that it must redouble efforts to comply with bailout conditions imposed by international creditors. “if there were delays, Greece must make up for them,” he told the daily Bild. London’s Ftse 100 benchmark index of leading shares dropped 1.61 percent at 5,560.69 points nearing midday. Frankfurt’s DaX 30 index shed 1.40 percent to 6,537.16 points and in Paris the cac 40 slid 1.69 percent to 3,139.74 points. madrid’s iBeX 35 index plunged more than 5.0 percent and athens dived over 6.0 percent. “after a pretty week of inspiring corporate results, investors are again looking at the markets through the lenses of the euro crisis,” said anita Paluch, a trader at Gekko Global markets.
the mining and Mining, quarrying sector quarrying sector recorded positive growth recorded positive of 4.38 percent growth of 4.38 percent during year 2011-12 against the negative growth of -1.28 percent last year. talking to aPP on monday an official of ministry of petroleum and natural resources told that the contribution of this sector in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has expanded remarkably and now it accounts for 9.45 percent of the industrial value addition. He said the output of chromite, bauxite, gypsum, chalk and fluoride increased by 591.54 percent, 82.15 percent, 24.43 percent, 82.18 percent and 111.28 percent respectively. this growth was also made possible due to increase in natural gas production. to a question, he said extraction of minerals through efficient mining and quarrying provides convenient and economical access to raw materials and a competitive edge to the country.
Useth thy grease, Wilt thou please? Gasoil (commonly known as HsD or diesel) sales declined by 1 percent to 6.8mn tons. However, in FY12 diesel consumption could have been much higher as local diesel market was also infiltrated by smuggled diesel from iran whose share in local market had increased in past few months. the reason being the rising price disparity between the two products as Pakistani diesel is now more costly that iranian diesel due to continuous rise in taxes on local product. sales of gasoline (petrol) depicted a robust growth of 21% on the back of growing auto market and rising gas curtailment to cnG sector prompting consumers to switch towards gasoline. its share of total oil consumption rose to
14% in FY12 against 12% last year, while it was 8% in FY08. amongst the individual companies, PsO continue to remain the major victim of circular debt that has approx. 80% market share in FO segment. company’s sales declined by 3% in FY12 to 12.4mn tons, but was able to maintain its market share. aPL on the other hand benefited from higher petrol sales with company’s sales increasing by 13% in the year.
Low FO consumption downs oil sales by 3pc in FY12