Islamabad: Pakistan aur IMF ne $7 billion Extended Fund Facility program par staff-level agreement hasil kar liya hai. Yeh deal qaum par short-term mein bojh dalti hai lekin agriculturists aur exporters ke liye decades-old protections khatam karti hai.
Global lender ne yeh elaan tab kiya jab Pakistan ne Pakistan Sovereign Wealth Fund mein transparency lane aur Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) ke projects ko preferential treatment dena band karne par raji hua.
Federal aur provincial governments nayi National Fiscal Pact sign karengi taake kharchay 18th Constitutional amendment ke mutabiq align ho sakein.
“Pakistani authorities aur IMF team ne ek comprehensive programme par staff-level agreement hasil kiya hai jo federal aur provincial governments ne endorse kiya hai. Yeh $7 billion ka 37-month Extended Fund Arrangement (EFF) support karega,” IMF ne kaha.
IMF ke Executive Board ke approval aur Pakistan ke development aur bilateral partners se zaroori financing assurances ke timely confirmation par mabni hai.
IMF team ne May 10th se 13th tak Pakistan ka daura kiya tha aur virtual discussions iss hafte tak jaari rahi. Meetings Pakistan Sovereign Wealth Fund ke mustaqbil aur agriculture income par 45% tak income tax ke nafaz par hui.
Coalition government ne naye taxes impose kiye hain over Rs1.7 trillion se zyada, mainly poor aur middle-income groups par, aur electricity prices ko Rs7.12 per unit tak badha diya hai.
Pakistan ne $8.2 billion loan package maanga tha lekin IMF ne nearly $7 billion loan par agree kiya. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ne wada kiya hai ke yeh “aakhri programme” hoga.
IMF Mission Chief Nathan Porter ne kaha ke naya programme macroeconomic stability ko mazboot karne aur inclusive aur resilient growth ke liye conditions banane ka aim rakhta hai.
Yeh measures fiscal aur monetary policy ko mazboot karne, tax base ko broaden karne, SOE management ko improve karne, competition ko mazboot karne, aur social protection ko scale up karne ke reforms lani hain.
Pakistan ke development aur bilateral partners se strong financial support critical hoga.
Porter ne kaha ke key policy goals mein sustainable public finances, gradual fiscal consolidation, aur exemptions ko remove karna shamil hai. GDP ka 1.25% tax revenues increase karne ka plan hai.
Revenue collections direct aur indirect taxation ke zariye support kiya jaega, including retail, export, aur agriculture sectors. Provinces apni tax-collection efforts increase karne ke steps uthayenge.
Provinces apni Agriculture Income Tax regimes ko federal personal aur corporate income tax regimes ke sath harmonize karengi, effective January 1, 2025 se. Agriculture income ko tax ambit mein lane ka serious effort kiya ja raha hai up to 45% rate se.
IMF ne kaha ke federal aur provincial governments spending activities ko rebalance karengi National Fiscal Pact ke signature se. Education, health, social protection, aur regional public infrastructure investment par focus hoga.
Federal government ne yeh condition staff-level agreement se pehle violate ki jab isne provincial nature projects ko federal Public Sector Development Programme mein shamil kiya.
Monetary policy disinflation ko support karne par focus rakhegi. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb ne kaha ke interest rates ko kam karne ke liye “kaafi room” tha.
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) flexible exchange rate maintain karega aur FX operations ke transparency ko improve karega.
Energy sector mein Pakistan timely electricity prices ko increase karega aur unnecessary power generation capacity add nahi karega. Energy tariffs, cost-reducing reforms, aur targeted subsidy reforms undertake kiya jaega.
Pakistan transparency ko business deals mein aur state protections dene ko khatam karne ka commitment kiya hai. SOEs ke privatization aur Pakistan Sovereign Wealth Fund ke transparency aur governance ko mazboot karne ka commitment hai.
Pakistan incentives ko gradually withdraw karega Special Economic Zones, agricultural support prices, aur associated subsidies ko phase out karega. Anti-corruption, governance, transparency reforms, aur trade policy ko liberalize karega.
