The aftershocks of govt-IMF agreement
The aftershocks of the agreement with IMF are being felt by trade, industry and all segments of society. Most-affected are the middle- and lower-middle classes. More will sink below the…
Agreement with the IMF
The IMF staff and the Pakistani authorities have finally reached a staff-level agreement on the 14th of July on policies to complete the seventh and eighth reviews of the Extended…
IMF staff agreement
There is considerable uncertainty as to the specific/precise time-bound conditions and structural benchmarks signed-off by Pakistan’s economic team leaders - Finance Minister Dr Hafeez Sheikh and Governor State Bank of…
IMF programme & our vulnerabilities
Pakistan’s economy has been perpetually struggling through recurrent turbulent phases, facing severe fiscal and external account challenges, exacerbated by outside shocks, weak governance, and inefficient financial management. The country has…
IMF review: challenges, and uncertainties
The IMF review mission is expected to arrive by the end of February to conduct the first semi-annual review of the ongoing programme. While the programme remains largely on track,…
IMF and provincial governments
Three provincial chief ministers from three competing political parties – Punjab (PML-N), Sindh (PPP) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (PTI) — are vying with each other to deliver more to their people…
Lack of awareness of IMF conditions
Pakistan’s private sector elite in industry and the farm sectors, major non-institutional recipients of budgeted expenditure and an influence behind the continued reliance on indirect taxes as a revenue source…
SCO, IMF & reforms
Hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Islamabad by Pakistan on October 15-16, 2024 was a good omen after a long period of diplomatic isolation. The event provided a…
Structural reforms in IMF programme
The Staff Report on the new 37-month Extended Fund Facility by the IMF of $7 billion contains a number of structural benchmarks, along with their rationale and the date by…
The IMF’s failed prescription
In September 2024, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a $7 billion bailout package for Pakistan. Yet just four months ahead of the schedule, a surprise IMF mission arrived in…
