Business

Pakistan’s Toyota manufacturer shuts down plant for two weeks

Published

10 months ago

Farwa

Plant will be completely shut down from July 21 to August 3.
Company faces significant hurdles in importing raw materials.
It isn’t only automotive manufacturer affected by raw material scarcity.

KARACHI: Indus Motor Company Limited, a prominent player in Pakistan’s automotive industry and the manufacturer of Toyota vehicles, has temporarily closed its production plant for two weeks, The News reported Friday.

The decision comes as the company faces significant hurdles in importing raw materials, leading to disruptions in its supply chain.

Last month, Indus Motors experienced a brief shutdown of its production plant due to similar challenges with raw material imports.

However, the current situation has worsened, leaving the company with insufficient inventory levels to sustain its production activities.

The company secretary of Indus Motor released a statement to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, outlining the difficulties the company and its vendors are facing in importing raw materials and clearing consignments.

These challenges are primarily due to issues with opening letters of credit (LCs) and supply problems from certain foreign vendors.

As a result of these obstacles, the company has no choice but to halt its production activities temporarily.

The plant will be completely shut down from July 21, 2023, to August 3, 2023. Indus Motors is not the only automotive manufacturer affected by raw material scarcity.

Other prominent companies like Pak Suzuki Motors and Honda Cars have also experienced several shutdown days in recent months due to similar issues.

The automotive sector, along with other industries reliant on imported raw materials, has been grappling with these challenges due to a shortage of foreign exchange reserves in Pakistan.

The struggle to open LC has severely impacted the smooth functioning of the supply chain, leading to disruptions in production activities.

Indus Motors has a significant presence in Pakistan’s automobile industry and has invested $100 million in local production of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).

The company has played a crucial role in establishing the local automotive ecosystem, with over 50 part manufacturers contributing to the value chain by producing parts worth over Rs250 million every working day.

Additionally, the company has established 53 independently owned authorised dealerships that provide aftersales service to customers, generating employment opportunities for over 450,000 people directly and indirectly across Pakistan.

The temporary closure of the production plant presents challenges for the company, its employees, and the overall automobile industry.

The management of Indus Motor Company Limited is likely to be exploring solutions to address the raw material scarcity and resume operations as soon as the situation allows.

One analyst said the government and relevant stakeholders may also need to collaborate to find long-term solutions to ensure a stable supply of raw materials for the automotive and other affected industries.

Swift action and strategic measures will be essential to mitigate the impact of these closures on the economy and preserve the growth trajectory of Pakistan’s automotive sector.

Business

Pakistan’s gold prices are still declining; see the most recent

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

The price of 10-gram gold reduced by Rs943 to settle at Rs207,733, while the price of gold dropped by Rs1200 to close at Rs242,300 a tola, according to the Sindh Sarafa Jewellers Association.

In the global market, the price of the precious metal fell by $10 to $2,349 per ounce, resulting in losses.

At 04:48 GMT, the spot price of gold had dropped by 0.2% to $2,354.77 per ounce. In the previous session, prices reached a two-week high.

American gold futures dropped 0.6% to $2,361.

Spot silver decreased by 0.4% to $28.03 per ounce, while palladium remained steady at $978.03 and platinum decreased by 0.1% to $992.89.

Business

Pakistan and the IMF begin talks for a new loan.

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

Pakistan is requesting a $6 to $8 billion bailout package from the international lender over the next three to four years to address its financial troubles.

A mission team led by Nathan Porter, the IMF’s Mission Chief in Pakistan, is meeting with a Pakistani delegation led by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.

According to sources familiar with the situation, Islamabad may face more difficult options, such as raising power and gas bills.

Mr. Aurganzeb informed the IMF team that the country’s economy has improved as a result of the IMF loan package, and Islamabad is ready to sign a new loan programme to further develop.

The IMF mission expressed satisfaction with Islamabad’s efforts to revive the country’s struggling economy.

The IMF praised Pakistan’s economic growth in its staff report earlier this week, but warned that the outlook remains challenging, with very high downside risks.

The country nearly avoided collapse last summer, and its $350 billion economy has stabilized since the end of the last IMF program, with inflation falling to roughly 17% in April from a record high of 38% last May.

Business

Petrol prices are likely to drop significantly beginning May 16.

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

According to sources, the government is set to decrease petrol prices by Rs 14 per litre and diesel prices by Rs 10 on May 16 for the next fortnight’s revision.

Last month, the government reduced the price of fuel and high-speed diesel by Rs5.45 and Rs8.42 per fortnight, respectively.

The current fuel price is Rs288.49 per litre, while the HSD price is Rs281.96.

Meanwhile, oil prices fell further on Monday, as signs of sluggish fuel consumption and comments from U.S. Federal Reserve officials dimmed optimism for interest rate reduction, which may slow growth and reduce fuel demand in the world’s largest economy.

Brent crude prices down 25 cents, or 0.3%, to $82.54 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 19 cents, or 0.2%, to $78.07 per barrel.

Oil prices also declined on signals of poor demand, according to ANZ analysts, as gasoline and distillate inventories in the United States increased in the week before the start of the driving season.

Refiners throughout the world are dealing with falling diesel profitability as new refineries increase supply and warm weather in the northern hemisphere and weak economic activity reduce demand.