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Pakistan, IMF discuss energy sector losses in virtual talks

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  • Govt shares new Circular Debt Management Plan with IMF.
  • FPA and quarterly tariff adjustment to be revised upward.
  • IMF asks govt to chalk out effective strategy to tackle this issue.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) discussed the energy sector losses in the context of a cut in the circular debt during the current fiscal year in a virtual meeting on Wednesday, The News reported.

With the goal of eliminating the accumulation of circular debt, the government showed its commitment to adjusting the fuel prices and the quarterly tariff.

The government also shared a new Circular Debt Management Plan (CDMP) with the lender for which the baseline tariff was previously increased.

Now the fuel price adjustment (FPA) and quarterly tariff adjustment would be revised upward in order to reduce accumulation of the circular debt. The IMF team raised the issue of the sustainability of the CDMP as the pace of recoveries declined.

The government was asked to chalk out an effective strategy to tackle this issue. This meeting was held virtually at the technical level and it was expected that the newly inducted Minister for Finance Dr Shamshad Akhtar might hold a meeting with the IMF team virtually in the coming weeks.

The IMF mission is expected to hold the first review in October or November on the basis of official macroeconomic figures for the first quarter (July-Sept) period of the current fiscal year.

Pakistan and the IMF struck $3 billion bailout package under Standby Arrangement (SBA) in July 2023, out of which Islamabad so far secured $1.2 billion as upfront installment.

Now, two reviews would be done to release the remaining $1.8 billion till the end of March/April 2024.

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Issues Affecting Pakistan’s Textile Mills Industry: The Government Is Determined To Address Textile Industry Concerns: FM

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Muhammad Aurangzeb, minister of finance, has stated that the government is firmly committed to helping the textile industry in every way possible.
He made this pledge today in Islamabad during a meeting with the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association’s leadership.
In order to guarantee the long-term sustainability and future expansion of Pakistan’s industrial sector, the Minister also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing important tax, energy, and funding challenges.
He welcomed the APTMA office-bearers and gave the delegation his word that the government is committed to resolving the issues facing the textile industry since it understands how important it is to Pakistan’s economy.
Muhammad Aurangzeb underlined that resolving the fundamental issues facing the sector is essential to establishing an atmosphere that is favorable for industrial expansion, promoting economic stability, and bolstering the country’s overall growth trajectory.

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As the MPC meeting draws closer, stocks rise.

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On the final working day of trading, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) maintained its optimistic trend.

After rising more than 900 points, the benchmark KSE-100 index stabilized around 114,684 points.

The forthcoming Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on March 10 is allegedly connected to the bullish trend.

Recall that the KSE-100 index gained over 1,400 points on Thursday before closing at 113,713 points.

The greenback, on the other hand, dropped Rs0.07, from Rs279.82 to Rs279.75.

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FBR to Enhance Revenues: Enacts Significant Reforms, Attains Record Revenue Collection

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The Federal Board of Revenue has effectively executed significant reforms in the past year, enhancing tax administration, compliance, and digital transformation under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The FBR implemented AI-driven risk identification algorithms to improve tax audits and introduced a customer relationship management dashboard for real-time compliance monitoring.
Moreover, AI-driven Customs Intelligence and digital invoicing systems have transformed tax collection and customs operations.
The implementation of faceless customs assessment has markedly diminished clearance waits, optimizing international trade.
The unified sales tax return has streamlined the tax filing procedure, while the continuous advancement of a tier-3 data center seeks to enhance data security and AI-driven surveillance.
To enhance transparency, the FBR digitized its litigation management system for faster dispute resolution.

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