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Pakistan to ‘complete IMF programme’

Published

2 years ago

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  • Premier directs economic team to increase power generation.
  • PM Shehbaz emphasises need to reduce circular debt.
  • Differences between IMF and Pakistan still persist.

Amid uncertainty over the delay in the 9th review of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday rejected all news reports, saying that Pakistan would complete the programme.

Pakistan and the IMF have been holding talks virtually but differences still persist over tax collection targets, and non-starter energy reforms including hiking of gas tariff, rising circular debt, and expenditure overrun, making consensus harder to strike on a staff-level agreement in the context of the 9th review under $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

PM Shehbaz, during an important meeting held on the economic situation, directed the authorities concerned to provide support to the exporters in order to increase exports and manage twin deficits.

The premier said when the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government came into power in April after ousting then-prime minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion, the economy was struggling miserably.

“We stabilised the economy by working hard,” he said, directing the economic team to take measures to complete the IMF programme and manage the rising current account deficit.

In line with the concerns raised by the Washington-based lender, PM Shehbaz gave directives that the relevant ministries should work on energy policies. He added that power generation should be increased while the circular debt should be brought down.

It should be noted that the IMF had asked Pakistan for hiking the gas tariff because the government kept the gas prices unchanged which resulted in increasing the circular debt of the gas sector.

Although the government made plans for improving the gas sector no progress was witnessed in the power sector. 

The monster of circular debt in the power sector went up to Rs2.4 trillion and all targets agreed with the IMF for reducing it on a monthly and quarterly basis could not be achieved.

The subsidy on tube-wells alone would cause an increase of Rs200 billion in the accumulated circular debt in the ongoing financial year.

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Business

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

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6 days ago

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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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Business

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

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1 week ago

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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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Business

The inflation rate in Pakistan dropped to its lowest level.

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1 week ago

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On December 2, core inflation as determined by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) significantly slowed, falling to 4.9% in November 2024 from 7.2 percent in October 2024.

The CPI-based inflation rate for the same month last year (November 2023) was 29.2%, according to PBS data.

Compared to a 1.2% gain in the prior month, it increased by 0.5% month over month in November 2024.

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