Pakistan attains agreement with IMF to receive $6 billion over 3 years. The package, will help the government’s attempts to revitalize the country’s sick economy, comprises a gradual release of the additional aid over a 39-month period. The IMF will also carry quarterly review of Pakistan’s performance over this period. Pakistan object is to return supportable growth to the economy and improve the standards of living. The financial adviser deliberated steps being carried out to accelerate exports, consequently lessening the budget deficit and advancing supportable dollar inflows. The scheme is to raise overseas shipments to $26.8 billion this fiscal year by awarding subsidies and concessions on raw-material imports. It is making efforts to concentrate on the business side and have become aware that the private sector needs to play its part. In this context it can maintain Pakistan to escape a debt trap. Pakistan enters its 13th IMF programme since 1988.That date is memorable because it is the first of the programmes was concluded that included the terms for structural reforms. It desired intense reform in the tax system as well as privatization-related commitment conditions, deregulation of the foreign currency transactions and the device for raising government debt, as well as reforms in gas and power pricing and a move away from a chosen towards a better market- firmed exchange rate. In view that in 1988 that Pakistan has spent inside an IMF programme, it would be seen that Pakistan has spent excessive time within than out ward Fund programmes. PM’s Adviser on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh stated the recommendation of 39-month reform programme by the IMF executive board without objection from any member would provide strength to Pakistan.
This had no doubt significantly strengthened the Pakistan’s image and other establishments had also initiated extending their financial support. The Asian Development Bank would distribute about $2.1billion out of $3.4billion agreed funds to Pakistan this year and the World Bank had also agreed to additional assistance mainly for budgetary support. Deliberation with the World Bank was moving in progress for support only for the object of government expenditure. An allocation of $38 billion anticipated financial support from lenders other than IMF. About $8.7billion funds had been against project loans, $4.2billion for programme loans, about $14billion of rollover loans and up to $8billion in commercial loans.
Fund’s newly appointed head hopes that Pakistan’s reforms programme could bring economic stability. Pakistan’s outflows for debt-servicing amounted to $9.5billion during the last financial year and assessed at $11.8billion during the present financial year. The government making a choice to enter into the IMF programme was a signal to the world and other lending organizations that Pakistan was conscious and ready to prove its obligation towards controlling expenditures, enhancing revenues and taking stiff decisions while safeguarding the segments. There was also no condition or IMF demand in the programme about the privatization as it would become apparent from the documents to be released by the Fund. Pakistan has to develop a complete programme to satisfy which loss making organization could be strengthened and function in the public sector, which can be satisfactorily run by the private sector and which require winding-up.
Pakistan has stated this programme will be completed by September 2020, but there was also a possibility that it will finalize the revitalization plan before this target. Some of the entities are an open burden on the public finance and should be solved early as possible and if Pakistan State Oil and Pakistan International Airlines are not being functioned in an efficient manner then this will not be in the interest of country. The government had given all sorts of independence to the State Bank of Pakistan so that it appears as a healthy institution like others in the world. The IMF would release about $1billion to Pakistan by July 8 and approximately around $1billion every year contemplating an interest rate of approximately 3 percent. In the energy sector circular debt had gone beyond Rs1, 200billion. This debt was being solved and had already been reduced from Rs38billion per month to Rs28billion and would be erased by the late 2020. In this context the IMF’s new leader David Lipton hopes that Pakistan’s reforms programme will bring economic stability and financial support. The 2020 budget object was towards reforming the Pakistani economy and a financial strengthening was the object to lessening the country’s large public debt and structuring strength. This will require a huge revenue mustering scheme to lengthen the tax base and raise tax revenue. It will require the provinces to effectively improve the worthy and capability of public spending. The IMF released a summary evaluation of the current economic situation in Pakistan, along with a summary of the IMF programme for the country, stating that the Pakistani economy was at a crucial position. Mr Lipton stated that the government’s agenda to improve institutions and remove obstacle to growth will permit Pakistan to reach its full economic strength. IMF stressed on the market flexible foreign exchange rates was necessary to reconstruct official reserves. This will be backed by a corrective monetary policy to build up confidence and control inflation, carried by a free autonomous central bank.