Connect with us

Business

Pakistan to receive $1.17b from IMF within six days after board’s approval: SBP chief

Published

on

  • IMF’s executive board is scheduled to meet on August 29.
  • Fund will take up matter of loan dispersal to Pakistan.
  • “Pakistan has commitments of $38bn, we are over financed,” says acting SBP governor.

KARACHI: Pakistan is likely to receive a $1.17 billion loan tranche from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) within six days after the Executive Board’s approval, State Bank of Pakistan Acting Governor Murtaza Syed told Bloomberg TV.

The executive board of the Washington-based lender is scheduled to meet on August 29 (Monday); accordingly, analysts expect the Fund to give its final approval as Pakistan has met all prior conditions necessary to revive the stalled loan programme.

The acting governor said that the country’s forex reserves will shore up to $16 billion by the end of the current fiscal year 2022-23 which dropped to $8 billion due to delay in the revival of the IMF agreement and external flows.

“Pakistan has commitments of $38 billion so we are over financed,” he said, adding that approvals of bilateral help will materialise soon, amounting to $4 billion, while the current account deficit is expected to clock in at around 3% of the gross domestic product.

Pakistan has approached China, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE to meet the financing gap on the IMF’s demand.

The breakdown of commitment of $4 billion from friendly countries includes $2 billion from Qatar, $1 billion from Saudi Arabia (deferred oil facility), and $1 billion from UAE (investment). These amounts are expected to be received over the next twelve months.

Islamabad reached the staff-level agreement with the Washington-based lender in July but the board meeting could not be held despite Pakistan’s appeal to expedite the process.

Business

Islamic Sukuk Bonds: Government Is Expected To Begin Bond Auction Next Week

Published

on

By

There is now more positive economic news for the people of Pakistan. The government is anticipated to begin the Sukuk Islamic Bond auction next week, after the central bank’s announcement of a large drop in the policy rate.

Continue Reading

Business

SIFC Encourages Green Tourism: Reforming Visas to Increase Investment

Published

on

By

Enhancing investment in the tourism sector, Green Tourism Pakistan’s initiative has received backing from the Special Investment Facilitation Council.

Visa-On-Arrival for 126 countries, Visa-Free Entry for Gulf Cooperation Council nations, and 24-hour expedited visa processing are some of the main features of the Green Tourism Visa Policy.

It is anticipated that these endeavors will draw in about 80 million dollars in foreign direct investment and 8.3 billion rupees in domestic investment.

Green Tourism Private Limited has introduced hunting resorts in Naltar, Hunza, and Skardu, along with four- and five-star city hotels, to improve the tourism experience.

In the first phase of the project, 17 of the 78 areas have seen the start of development activity.

Approved is a central authority for Green Tourism that will supervise the growth of Air Operations.

To promote Religious Tourism, extra precautions have been taken to guarantee the security of visitors from all religions, including Sikhs and Buddhists.

Furthermore, in order to improve the quality of the tourist experience, the green guide quality program has been introduced to supply top-notch tour guides.

There is now a deluxe bus excursion from Islamabad to Peshawar that promotes local culture.

Continue Reading

Business

July 2024 export data from Pakistan shows a significant rise.

Published

on

By

The Strategic Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has been instrumental in improving Pakistani products’ access to international markets, as seen by the significant surge in exports from the country at the start of the 2024–25 fiscal year.

With a 7.26% rise over the same month the previous year, July 2024 exports to the US were $476.017 million. After increasing by 7.74% annually, the United Arab Emirates emerged as the second-largest export destination.

The third and fourth places were occupied by exports to the UK ($183.303 million) and China ($60.100 million). A substantial increase in exports to Afghanistan was recorded in July of this year, rising from $46.262 million to $88.065 million, largely due to successful anti-smuggling efforts.

With a combined export volume of $553.951 million, more important export destinations included Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.

A bright future for the national economy is suggested by the growing confidence major international markets have in Pakistani exports. Through the efforts of SIFC and the government, this greater access to global markets has been made possible.

Pakistan’s economy is predicted to remain stable as a result of the export growth that SIFC has enabled.

Continue Reading

Trending