This
year we are publishing the survey on banking sector covering both
domestic and foreign commercial banks operating in Pakistan. Efforts
have been made to highlight performance of banks in year 2000, issues
affecting the sector, opportunities and threats. The bottomline is,
the efforts by central bank to link banks with real sectors of economy
have started yielding positive results.
CEMENT
Cement industry in
Pakistan despite having a strong industrial base with an overall
production capacity of 16 million tons a year is running below 50 per
cent of the installed capacity due to lack of demand.
The decline in this important sector is reflected in the fact that
capitalization worth Rs60 billion in 1994 has gone down to the level
of Rs2.5 billion which is enough to say about the state of affairs in
this sector. The industry feels that the revival of cement sector
badly needs government support to survive.
ANTHRAX
Pakistan has become target of many scares and two
confirmed cases of anthrax. Highly placed sources in the postal
department said that "while the bacteria poses no potential
threat" they have nevertheless provided masks and gloves to its
sorters at three of the centers where international mail is sorted in
Karachi. PAGE highlights the need not to underestimate the
threat to sooth the concerns of the people
