An IMF-guided budget
Amid its preparation for its 24th IMF programme, the Pakistan government presented an IMF-guided budget for FY2024-25 in June. The crux of the budget is to keep the primary balance…
Data for development
Stable economies around the globe are well documented. In Pakistan, there is a culture of reluctance to documentation and, subsequently, evaluation. Evidence-based policymaking is virtually nonexistent here. For stable economic…
This is a budget for the rich
The major issue with the federal government’s recently announced budget is its failure to convince anyone outside the government’s core supporters that it can achieve its intended results. Another significant…
Provincial budgets for FY2024-25
The provincial budgets for 2024-25 have all been presented last month in the respective Provincial Assemblies. However, they have not received much attention in the media because of the exclusive…
Economic policy, federal budget and role of opposition
‘…the existence of the opposition is ‘nearly the most distinctive characteristic of democracy’. In parliamentary democracies, since government and parliamentary majorities often coincide, the opposition is expected to function as…
Provincial surplus and the federal budget
To formulate federal and provincial budgets necessitates engagement between the federal government and its federating units on two critical items: projected share of each province from the divisible pool and…
Budget tightens the screws on urban middle class
The FY25 budget has been passed, potentially securing next programme from the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and unlocking up to $7.5 billion in external flows. While this is a rare…
Federal budget and pro-cyclical policy
The federal budget, due to come into effect in the next few days, has continued with the pro-cyclical policy approach, whereby as growth continues to remain stuck in a low…
Reorienting Budget 2024-25
THE CONTEXT: Budget 2024-25 is being presented at a time when things are tough for millions of citizens. Exhausting inflation in fiscal years (FYs) 23 and 24, has eroded 40…
Democratizing the budget
The ruling coalition government in the country has submitted Budget FY25 to the national parliament. Pakistan’s budget-making and approval process, in its essence, is undemocratic and at times devoid of…
