Business

World Bank approves $1.69bn financing for Pakistan’s flood rehabilitation efforts

Published

12 months ago

Farwa

WB says Sindh was the worst-affected province by floods.
Two projects worth $500 million and another is worth $292 million.
Two projects of $200 million also approved.

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on Tuesday approved $1.692 billion in financing for five projects in the flood-hit province of Sindh, announced the global lender in a statement.

Out of the five, three projects support rehabilitation and housing reconstruction and the restoration of crop production for vulnerable communities. Out of the three, two projects are worth $500 million and another is worth $292 million.

While the other two projects support health services for mothers and children. Both projects are worth $200 million.

“Sindh was the province worst affected by the 2022 floods. There were huge damages to the housing, health, and agriculture sectors and people lost their livelihoods. Beyond the rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged houses and infrastructure, our engagement in the flood response effort is an opportunity to strengthen resilience, and reform institutions and governance structures”, said World Bank Country Director for Pakistan Najy Benhassine.

The $500 million “Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project” will focus on providing short-term livelihood opportunities and strengthen the provincial government’s capacity to respond to disasters.

“The project will help restore and improve critical irrigation and flood protection infrastructure, water supply schemes, roads, and related infrastructure,” said the global lender in the statement. It has forecast that close to 2 million people, out of which 50% are women, will benefit from the restoration and resilient reconstruction of critical infrastructure.

A community-level cash-for-work program will provide short-term income support to approximately 100,000 households.

On the other hand, the $500 million “Sindh Floods Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project” will support owner-driven and multi-hazard resilient reconstruction of core housing units.

Meanwhile, the $292 million approved for the “Sindh Water and Agriculture Transformation Project” will increase agricultural water productivity, improve integrated water resources management, and restore crop production by flood-affected farmers.

“More than 885,000 households (approximately 4.4 million people) are expected to benefit from the project. As an immediate response to the floods, the project will provide cash transfers to 800,000 flood-affected farming households to help restore crop production through the purchase of seeds, fertilizer, and other critical inputs,” the WB said.

The lender has also approved $200 million for the “Sindh Strengthening Social Protection Delivery System Project” that will strengthen the provincial social protection delivery system and enhance access to and utilization of mother and child health services.

Another $200 million was also approved for the “Sindh Integrated Health and Population Project” to improve both the quality and utilisation of basic reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition services.

“It will also help in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of health infrastructure that was damaged in the floods, disrupting the delivery of these services. The project will improve access to quality healthcare services for, the population of the selected government dispensaries in remote and peri-urban areas especially women, girls, and children, and in the flood-affected settlements in Sindh,” said the lender.

Business

IMF board to meet on Jan 11 for Pakistan’s first review approval

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

Pakistan’s case not included in board meeting agenda for Dec 1-15.
Ongoing SBA programme is going to expire on April 14, 2024.
Pakistan, IMF reached agreement on first review last month.

The International Monetary Fund’s Executive Board will take up Pakistan’s first review on January 11 next year for approval that will unlock $700 million under the standby arrangement (SBA), Bloomberg quoted the lender’s spokesperson as saying on Friday.

Last month, Pakistan reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF under the $3 billion SBA and is awaiting the board’s approval to receive a second tranche.

Earlier this week, The News had reported that Pakistan’s first review for approval was not included in the IMF’s Executive Board meeting agenda for the 1-15 December schedule

The publication reported that the IMF did not firm up its exact schedule because the Fund’s team was busy securing re-confirmation from all multilateral and bilateral creditors to meet the financing requirements of $24.9 billion for the current fiscal year.

This delay surfaced in discussions among the policymakers that the IMF might kick-start parleys on the second review probably after the general elections and takeover by the elected government.

The IMF programme was initially scheduled to kick-start parleys for a second review from Feb 3, 2024, but if the elections were scheduled to be held on February 8, 2024, then the possibility of holding talks might be done in the last week of Feb or early March 2024.

The ongoing SBA programme is going to expire on April 14, 2024.

A day earlier, IMF Executive Director Bahador Bijani noted an overall improvement in the economic situation, saying, the “Pakistani authorities have delivered”.

He made these remarks at an event hosted by Pakistan’s ambassador to the US in honour of friends of Pakistan from International Financial Institutions including IMF, International Finance Corporation (IFC), World Bank (WB), and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), at Pakistan House in Washington.

“I think the future for Pakistan is very bright. Pakistan is not just any country. It’s one of the most important countries in the region and in the world. Pakistanis deserve much more,” the IMF executive director was quoted as saying in an official statement.

Nathan Porter, IMF Mission Chief to Pakistan, also expressed satisfaction over the recently concluded staff-level agreement. He said that the actions and policies of the current government reflected its commitment to steer the country towards stabilisation.

Pakistan is reeling from Asia’s fastest inflation, has about $1 billion in dollar-denominated debt due next year and is scheduled to hold elections scheduled in February.

Interim Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar said after the staff-level deal in November that the country may seek an additional loan from the IMF, describing the economy as “still fragile.”

Business

PSX hits new milestone as KSE-100 surges past 66,000 mark

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

KARACHI: Bulls maintained their grip on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) as the benchmark index shot past the 66,000 mark on Friday by gaining over 1,000 points.

According to the PSX website, the KSE-100 index gained 1,302.45 points or 2.01% to reach 66,020.52 points at 11:39am during the intraday trading.

Raza Jafri, who is the head of equities at Karachi-based Intermarket Securities, said that the banks and energy sector lead the rally at the bourse as cheap valuations and a reasonably settled environment help flows remain strong as foreign and local buys continue to invest.

“The MPC (Monetary Policy Meeting) next week should set the tone for near-term trading. While unchanged interest rates are widely expected, investors will look for clues in the text of the monetary policy statement to gauge how much interest rates can come down by next year,” he added.

Business

Pakistani authorities have ‘delivered’ on economic front, says top IMF official

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

IMF official says Pakistan ‘important’ country in the world.
“Our country is destined to succeed,” says Masood Khan.
Nathan Porter hails actions and policies of Pakistani govt.

WASHINGTON: Bahador Bijani, an Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has noted an overall improvement in the economic situation, saying, the “Pakistani authorities have delivered”.

The meeting took place as Islamabad awaits the IMF board’s meeting to approve a staff-level agreement on the first review of a $3 billion bailout, which will unlock $700 million in funding for the country.

Addressing the event, Ambassador Masood Khan observed that the past year was difficult for Pakistan. “We have passed through a wrenching transition and we are moving toward a new phase of stability,” he added.

“Have faith in Pakistan. Our country is destined to succeed,” he said.

Hosted friends of 🇵🇰 from International Financial Institutions – IMF @imf_pakistan , World Bank @WorldBank, IFC @IFC_org, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency @MIGA – to thank them for their steadfast support during the past year. We’ll continue to count on their partnership. pic.twitter.com/AuKbBDvG3s
— Masood Khan (@Masood__Khan) December 6, 2023

“Our confidence stems from the people of Pakistan. We have a growing middle class and our human capital is increasing at a very fast pace,” he added.

Addressing a gathering of over 40 guests from the IFIs, the ambassador said that we were grateful to IFIs for their steadfast support in navigating through a difficult economic period.

Nathan Porter, IMF Mission Chief to Pakistan, speaking on the occasion, expressed satisfaction over the recently concluded staff-level agreement. He said that the actions and policies of the current government reflected its commitment to steer the country towards stabilisation.

“With that base, hopefully, we can build on and be able to move forward to reforms to build a stronger, prosperous and inclusive Pakistan,” he said.

He also appreciated the cooperation and the policies pursued by the State Bank of Pakistan for ensuring fiscal stability in the country.

Athanasios Arvanitis, Deputy Director Middle East and Central Asia Department IMF, also spoke on the occasion and expressed the hope that the elections in Pakistan would usher into a new beginning of undertaking a reform process that the country needed to make progress and address some of its structural issues.

Thanking them for their strong support, Ambassador Khan observed that the digitisation of Pakistan’s economy was creating new opportunities in the country for its youth and professionals taking the lead role in steering the country towards a bright future.

Lauding the professional achievements of Pakistanis working in the IFIs, the ambassador observed that Pakistani professionals have proved their mettle and have made the entire nation proud of their accomplishments.

“We are a nation of talented people. If you can make it, Pakistan will also make it,” observed the ambassador.

Syed Ali Abbas, Advisor Mission Chief UK, European Department IMF, in his remarks, expressed the hope that with the successful completion of the electoral process in Pakistan, the country would move towards a long-term and more durable approach which would change the trajectory of Pakistan.

Aftab Qureshi from the World Bank and Sidra Rehman from the IMF also spoke on the occasion and assured their continued cooperation.

The ambassador thanked the members of the IFIs and said that the country looked forward to working with its development partners.