What changed. Who it affects. What to do next.
Official rates, taxes, regulated prices and financial-rule changes that affect everyday decisions.
Money and Markets covers official interest rates, taxation changes, regulated prices, and financial rule amendments that affect everyday decisions. We track State Bank of Pakistan monetary policy announcements, Federal Board of Revenue notifications, Securities and Exchange Commission regulations, and commodity price adjustments to explain what changed, why it matters, and how it reaches household budgets. Coverage includes policy rate decisions, tax filing deadlines, fuel and utility price adjustments, remittance rule changes, and regulated product pricing. Articles separate the announcement date from the effective date and the rate level from the size of the change, because those distinctions determine what a reader should actually do.
The Federal Board of Revenue has added four new parts to the Second Schedule of the Income Tax Rules, 2002 through SRO 1495(I)/2026, drawing criticism from tax experts who say the last-minute changes create legal and technical difficulties.
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority has increased petrol price to Rs343.87 and high-speed diesel to Rs370.92 per litre, effective September 2, 2026.
Sales Tax General Order 19 of 2026 charges tax on local footwear at the value of supply and on imports at 130% of the customs value, with effect from July 1, 2026.
The Federal Board of Revenue has introduced a risk-based, time-bound registration mechanism under Sales Tax General Order No. 20 of 2026, promising three-day processing for low-risk applicants.
The Finance Ministry has amended S.R.O. 329(I)/2023 to insert 59 new tariff lines, effective 14 August 2026, widening duty concessions for qualifying imports.
The State Bank of Pakistan issued SH&SFD Circular No. 04 of 2026 on 18 August, revising prudential regulations for housing finance with immediate effect and superseding four earlier circulars from 2019: 2021.
OGRA revised ex-depot prices under the daily petroleum pricing mechanism; petrol now costs Rs341.59 and high-speed diesel Rs368.29 per litre through August 24.
NEPRA's 7 August 2026 decision adds Rs0.7503 per kWh to most ex-WAPDA DISCO and K-Electric bills for the August 2026 billing cycle, recovering an estimated Rs9.8 billion.
The MPC voted unanimously on 27 July 2026 to hold the rate, judging the stance appropriate to steer inflation toward the 5: 7% target despite an improving but risk-laden outlook.
The State Bank has kept the merchant discount rate at Re1 per litre and the interchange fee at Re0.20 per litre for all card-present fuel transactions, and ordered banks to activate Raast QR acceptance at petrol pumps.
The Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously to keep the rate unchanged on July 27, citing elevated inflation at 11.1% and the resurgence of conflict in the Middle East.
The State Bank has also launched InvestPak, a digital platform letting institutional and retail investors buy government securities directly. The new rules took effect on 1 August 2026.
The Monetary Policy Committee unanimously opts to hold borrowing costs steady as domestic inflation slows and foreign reserves strengthen despite international economic risks.
The Monetary Policy Committee unanimously decided to keep the benchmark policy rate unchanged, citing appropriate conditions to guide inflation toward its medium-term target.
The State Bank of Pakistan has designated ten financial institutions as Primary Dealers and two market infrastructure entities as Special-Purpose Primary Dealers for Fiscal Year 2026-27.
The Monetary Policy Committee unanimously retains key interest rate to guide inflation toward its medium-term target amid strengthening domestic reserves and ongoing global risk factors.
Ten financial institutions and two special purpose dealers have been appointed by the central bank to participate in government debt auctions, alongside performance rankings for the preceding year.
The central bank appoints ten financial institutions and two market infrastructure entities under DMMD Circular No. 03, while recognizing top performers from the previous fiscal year.
The State Bank of Pakistan limits compulsory minimum savings returns to individual deposits up to PKR 10 million, while launching the InvestPak portal for direct digital investment in Treasury Bills and Pakistan Investment Bonds.
The web portal and mobile app enable individual and institutional investors to trade T-Bills, PIBs, and Ijara Sukuk digitally without visiting a bank branch.