ISLAMABAD (March 11, 2010): German Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Michael Koch clarified on Wednesday that money pledged at Friends of Democratic Pakistan(FoDP)during the Tokyo conference in April 2009 was never earmarked for budgetary support and will not materialise till projects submitted by Pakistan have been approved by the German government.

ISLAMABAD (March 11, 2010): Prime Minister Yousaf Raza will visit Ministry of Finance on March 13 to have a detailed briefing on current economic situation. Sources said Prime Minister's visit to the Ministry of Finance and briefing on the economic situation may be an indicator that he intends to keep to himself the portfolio, at least till the next budget.

ISLAMABAD (March 11, 2010): The embassy of United States on Wednesday announced a new programme allowing Pakistani businesses to register and receive certification from the US Commercial Service, to establish their bonafides for the US corporations interested in partnering with Pakistani companies.

ISLAMABAD (March 11, 2010): The country's trade deficit has narrowed by 19.45 percent in the first eight months of the current fiscal year with reduced imports and increased exports compared to the same period of last year. The trade deficit during July-February 2009-10 stood at US $9.422 billion against the deficit of US $11.698 billion recorded during July-February 2008-09.

LAHORE (March 11, 2010): The business community has termed the new Trade Organisations Ordinance 2007 as a black and draconian law that was promulgated by former President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf.

PESHAWAR (March 11, 2010): Chambers of trade organisations and trade associations from all around the country unanimously rejected the Trade Organisations Ordinance (TOO-2007) on Wednesday and attributed it to a black law promulgated during the previous dictatorial government.

ISLAMABAD (March 11, 2010): Pakistan and Turkey have agreed to enhance the economic and trade ties between the two countries so as to raise the bilateral trade volume to 5 billion dollar during the current fiscal year, said Babur Hizlan, Ambassador of Turkey here on Wednesday.

FAISALABAD (March 11, 2010): DCO/Admi-nistrator Saeed Wahlah has directed officers of the executing agencies of uplift schemes that unnecessary and unwarranted delay in completing the development projects of public welfare would not be tolerated at any cost and no excuse or delay would be accepted in this regard.

ISLAMABAD (March 11, 2010): The government has established two new Community Welfare Attaches (CWAs) stations, for the facilitation and development of overseas Pakistanis one each at New York (USA) and other at Toronto (Canada). The job of CWAs is to maintain close liaison with host country to utilise the opportunities to promote export of manpower from Pakistan, welfare of overseas Pakistanis and resolve their disputes with the employers, an official source told APP here on Wednesday.

ISLAMABAD (March 11, 2010): Speaker at a discussion forum were of the view that Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP) is not a traditional donor agency like IMF or World Bank, but the concept of FoDP is totally different as it was created by global community to safeguard Pakistan's interests at global level.