Temu's 300% price hike after new tax sparks debate in Pakistan
Experts warn tax-driven cost increases will hurt consumers, digital economy
Temu customers in Pakistan have seen the price of a pair of sunglasses jump from 500 to 2,000 rupees, while a thermometer that once cost 1,200 rupees now goes for 3,800 rupees. © Reuters
ADNAN AAMIR
ISLAMABAD -- Temu, a Chinese e-commerce platform, has raised prices for customers in Pakistan by up to 300% following the government's decision to impose new taxes on online sellers last month.
Experts say the tax measures will hurt consumers and potentially slow the growth of Pakistan's digital economy.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Nikkei Asia
an hour ago
- Nikkei Asia
Japan chipmaker Kioxia to weed out suppliers lax on cybersecurity
Cyberattacks result in damages of $1.15 million on average, according to a survey of Japanese companies. © Reuters AKINOBU IWASAWA TOKYO -- Japanese memory-chip maker Kioxia Holdings will reassess contracts with suppliers deemed most vulnerable to cyberattacks, Nikkei has learned, joining other businesses seeking to reinforce their supply chains against hackers.

Nikkei Asia
3 hours ago
- Nikkei Asia
Trump says he will raise India tariffs in next 24 hours over Russia oil
U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are pictured in a mirror as they attend a joint press conference at the White House in Washington in February. © Reuters KEN MORIYASU WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump said he is set to raise tariffs on India further in the next 24 hours in light of its continued purchases of Russian oil, which he said is "fueling the war machine."


The Mainichi
6 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Taiwan's Lai reaffirms defense spending hike above 3% of GDP
TAIPEI (Kyodo) -- Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on Tuesday reaffirmed that next year's defense budget is set to exceed 3 percent of gross domestic product, as part of efforts to strengthen the island's self-defense capabilities amid rising tensions with mainland China. Taiwan has allocated about 2.45 percent of its GDP for defense in 2025. Speaking at a regional security forum in Taipei, Lai warned that China's growing military activities in the Taiwan Strait as well as the East and South China seas pose "an unprecedented challenge to the rules-based international order." "As authoritarianism continues to expand, democratic nations must join even closer in solidarity to defend our values," Lai said at the Ketagalan Forum, adding that his government remains committed to maintaining the status quo and ensuring peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Cross-strait tensions have been rising since Lai, whom Beijing condemns as a separatist, assumed the presidency in May last year. The mainland considers the self-ruled island as an inalienable part of China's territory and aims to bring it into its fold, by force if necessary. Lai also vowed to advance Taiwan's economic resilience and security by deepening economic and trade cooperation with other countries, including in the sectors of semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Echoing Lai's call for solidarity, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the forum that he hopes the United States, Britain and all European nations will stand with Taiwan and strengthen economic ties as China ramps up pressure on the island. "No one wants war, and certainly no one wants to see Chinese domination of the first island chain," Johnson said, referring to the strategic chain of islands stretching from Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines. Communist-ruled China and Taiwan have been governed separately since they split in 1949 following a civil war.