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Pakistan requests Saudi-based IsDB for additional oil financing, waiver of service charges

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  • Pakistan asking IsDB to jack up oil facility from $50m to $100m.
  • IsDB has proposed services charges of less than 1%.
  • It is yet to be seen how Pakistan’s request would be entertained.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has proposed enhanced service charges on Pakistan’s request for an additional oil financing facility but Islamabad has requested the lender to give a waiver, reported The News on Thursday.

Officials of the Prime Minister’s Secretariat told The News that after striking the staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan is negotiating with the Jeddah-based lender to jack up the oil facility from $50 million to $100 million for the end of December 2023. They are also discussing the possibility of reducing the level of service charges imposed on this facility.

“IsDB has proposed services charges of less than 1% on the committed oil facility but we made a request to grant us a waiver or reduce it,” an official told the publication.

The term sheet shows that the service charges are around 0.05% to 0.5%. The IsDB had already provided $100 million in September 2023 for oil financing and has indicated that it may provide a $50 million facility till the end of December.

It is yet to be seen how Pakistan’s request will be entertained by the IsDB management and its board when it meets on December 11.

The IsDB’s Executive Board is also set to meet next month to approve syndicate financing of $300 million.

With the signing of SLA with the IMF, all other multilateral creditors including the World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have responded positively and shown an inclination to resume programme loans.

As per The News, the three multilateral institutions are ready to give approval for programme loans in December 2023.

The ADB board is expected to hold a meeting on December 4 in Manila to consider the Domestic Resource Mobilization (DRM) programme loan of $350 million for Pakistan.

The WB is expected to grant approval to RISE-II on December 20 while the AIIB is going to consider approval of $250 million on December 21 just a few days before the start of the Christmas and new year holidays.

The IMF’s Executive Board date has not yet been confirmed or communicated when it would meet to grant approval for Pakistan’s next tranche. It might be held either on December 7 or December 13 or 14.

However, it is likely that the IMF’s Executive Board may grant approval for $700 million tranche before the Christmas holidays.

If everything gets materialised, then Islamabad is expecting a disbursement of $1.7 to $1.8 billion during December.

Out of the total gross financing requirement of $25 billion, Pakistan has so far materialised $5 billion from all multilateral and bilateral creditors in the shape of disbursements of loans and time deposits. 

The EXIM Bank of China also granted a rollover of $1.2 billion so far for the current fiscal year.

Pakistan has also made a fresh request to credit rating agencies to review their ratings after approval of the next tranche from the IMF next month.

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With its second-largest surge ever, PSX approaches 114,000 points.

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Driven by renewed activity from both private and government financial institutions, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) saw its second-largest rally in history on Monday.

The market regained many important levels in a single trading session as it rose with previously unheard-of momentum.

Intraday trading saw a top increase of 4,676 points, and the PSX’s benchmark KSE-100 Index gained 4,411 points to settle at 113,924 points. This impressive rebound demonstrated significant investor confidence by reestablishing the 100,000, 111,000, 112,000, and 113,000-point levels.

The market also saw the 114,000-point limit reestablished during the trading session.

The positive tendency was reflected when the market’s heavyweight shares touched its upper circuits. Among the most busiest trading sessions in recent memory, an astounding 85.78 billion shares worth a total of Rs55 billion were exchanged.

Experts credited the spike to heightened institutional investor activity and hope for macroeconomic recovery. Considered a major market recovery, the rally demonstrated the market’s tenacity and development potential.

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In interbank trade, the Pakistani rupee beats the US dollar.

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In the international exchange market, the US dollar has continued to weaken in relation to the Pakistani rupee.

The dollar fell to Rs278.10 from Rs278.17 at the beginning of interbank trading, according to currency dealers, a seven paisa loss.

In the meantime, there was a lot of turbulence in the stock market, but it recovered and moved into the positive zone. The KSE-100 index recovered momentum and reached 116,000 points after soaring 1,300 points.

Both currency and stock market swings, according to analysts, are a reflection of ongoing market adjustments and economic uncertainty.

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Phase II of CPEC: China-Pakistan Partnership Enters a New Era

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The cornerstone of economic cooperation between the two brothers and all-weather friends is still the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the initiative’s flagship project.

In contrast to reports of a slowdown, recent events indicate a renewed vigour and strategic emphasis on pushing the second phase of CPEC, known as CPEC Phase-2, according to the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives.

According to the statement, this crucial stage seeks to reshape the foundation of bilateral ties via increased cooperation, cutting-edge technology transfer, and revolutionary socioeconomic initiatives.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal is leading Pakistan’s participation in a number of high-profile gatherings in China, such as the 3rd Forum on China-Indian Ocean Region Development Cooperation in Kunming and the High-Level Seminar on CPEC-2 in Beijing.

His involvement demonstrates Pakistan’s commitment to reviving CPEC, resolving outstanding concerns, and developing a strong phase-2 roadmap that considers both countries’ long-term prosperity.

At the core of these interactions is China’s steadfast determination to turn CPEC into a strategic alliance that promotes development, progress, and connectivity.

Instead of being marginalised, CPEC is developing into a multifaceted framework with five main thematic corridors: the Opening-Up/Regional Connectivity Corridor, the Innovation Corridor, the Green Corridor, the Growth Corridor, and the Livelihood-Enhancing Corridor.

With the help of projects like these, the two countries will fortify their partnership, and CPEC phase-2 will become a model of global economic integration and collaboration that benefits not just China and Pakistan but the entire region.

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