Business

‘IMF giving Pakistan tough time’: Dollar soars to historic high of Rs279 after PM’s comments

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

The rupee on Friday plunged to a historic low against the dollar after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is giving Pakistan “a tough time” — as the lender wants the government to do more on the economic front.

“As we speak, an IMF delegation is in Islamabad [holding parleys on loan programme] and giving a very tough time to the finance minister and his team,” the prime minister said while speaking at the Apex committee meeting in Peshawar, and termed the economic challenges “unimaginable”.

Following the PM’s comments, the local currency depreciated further against the greenback in the interbank market.

During intra-day trade, the rupee was changing hands at 279 against the dollar at 12:48pm, according to the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan (ECAP), up from Rs271.35 a day earlier.

Analysts have stressed that the country needs the Washington-based lender’s bailout programme to avoid default — a threat that has been looming over Islamabad for some months now.

AA Commodities Director Adnan Agar told Geo.tv that the rupee’s downward spiral is expected till Pakistan secures a staff-level agreement with the Washington-based lender.

The analyst said that the market is reacting to the reports coming on the demands being put forward by the IMF to the government.

Agar warned that if the government fails to secure a staff-level agreement with the Fund, then the rupee will incur further losses.

“If the IMF deal is done timely then it would appreciate but not that much,” said Agar.

In a bid to curb the black market and meet IMF demands, the government and exchange companies removed the dollar cap — imposed to stabilise the dollar’s value.

But that did not have a substantial effect on the local currency as the investors remain wary due to a surge in terrorism and the decline in State Bank of Pakistan-held foreign exchange reserves — which now stand at just $3.08 billion and will provide an import cover of 18.5 days.

ECAP General Secretary Zafar Paracha told Geo.tv that when the dollar cap was removed, it was estimated that the rupee would hit 270 and rebound, however, circumstances changed.

“Our reserves are at their lowest in nine years and terrorism — which isn’t restricted to Peshawar — is also surging,” he said, explaining the reason behind investors’ lack of confidence in the government.

The ECAP general secretary added that the ongoing political turmoil was also adding to the country’s woes as opponents are being arrested every other day and being put behind bars.

Paracha added that the black market gap has been met to a certain extent, but since the government has not opened the letters of credit (LCs) for importers, it will persist.

“The government has asked the importers to arrange dollars on their own […] this is why the black market is still active. If this does not stop, the gap might even increase,” he warned, urging the authorities to move towards import rationalisation.

Paracha added that amid the terror threat and other underlying reasons, the exports have not released their payments yet, resulting in the scarcity of dollars in the market.

Pakistan-IMF talks

A day earlier the IMF rejected the government’s circular debt management plan.

And today it was reported that the Fund has conveyed to the authorities to undertake substantial qualitative and sustainable tax and non-tax revenue measures to fetch additional revenues for filling the projected gap of Rs600 billion in the fiscal framework.

The IMF delegation has asked the government to jack up the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) tax collection target to align it with the projected nominal growth in the current fiscal year mainly with the help of a surge in the CPI-based inflationary pressures.

The Fund seems ready for providing an adjuster on flood expenditures once the fiscal framework is finalised. But it will depend on how much expenditures could be occurred on floods both on the development and non-development side of the budget especially through disbursements of stipends through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).

Business

Pakistan’s $1.1 billion loan tranche is approved by the IMF board.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

The cash is the third and last installment of a $3 billion standby agreement with the international lender that it obtained to prevent a sovereign default last year and that expires this month.

Following the discussion of Pakistan’s request for the release of funds at today’s IMF Executive Board meeting in Washington, the final tranche was authorized.

Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) came to a staff-level agreement last month about the last assessment of a $3 billion loan package.

The total amount of $1.9 billion that the nation has received thus far is divided into two tranches: $1.2 billion in July and $700 million in January 2024.

According to Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Islamabad could have a staff-level agreement on the new program by early July. Pakistan is asking the IMF for a fresh, longer-term loan.

In order to support macroeconomic stability and carry out long-overdue and difficult structural changes, Islamabad says it is seeking a loan for a minimum of three years; however, Aurangzeb has reluctant to specify the specific program in question. If approved, it would be Pakistan’s 24th IMF bailout.

See Also: Pakistan formally requests new IMF assistance

The event transpired on the day following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s meeting with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, during which he reaffirmed the government’s resolve to restart Pakistan’s economy.

During the meeting held in conjunction with the World Economic Forum Special Meeting, the prime minister announced that he had given his finance minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, strict instructions to implement structural reforms, maintain strict fiscal discipline, and pursue prudent policies that would guarantee macroeconomic stability and continuous economic growth.

Georgieva was commended by him for helping Pakistan obtain the $3 billion Standby Arrangement (SBA) from the IMF last year, which was about to be finalized.

Business

Macroeconomic circumstances in Pakistan have improved.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

By virtue of the Board’s resolution, SDR 828 million, or roughly $1.1 billion, can be disbursed immediately, increasing the total amount disbursed under the arrangement to SDR 2.250 billion, or roughly $3 billion.

After being adopted by the Executive Board on July 12, 2023, Pakistan’s nine-month SBA effectively served as a framework for financial support from both bilateral and multilateral partners, as well as a policy anchor to resolve imbalances both domestically and internationally.

According to the official announcement from the IMF, Pakistan’s macroeconomic conditions have improved during the program. Given the ongoing recovery in the second half of the fiscal year, growth of two percent is anticipated in FY24.

With a primary surplus of 1.8 percent of GDP in the first half of the fiscal year 2024—well ahead of expectations and putting Pakistan on track to meet its target primary surplus of 0.4 percent of GDP by the end of the fiscal year—the country’s fiscal condition is still strengthening.

Even while it is still high, inflation is still falling and should end up at about 20 percent by the end of June if data-driven and adequately tight monetary policy is continued.

In contrast to 11.4 per cent last year, the IMF predicted in an official statement that Pakistan’s tax collection and grants will stay at 12.5% of GDP in FY2024.

After remaining at 7.8% of GDP in FY2023, the deficit is predicted to stay at 7.5% of GDP in FY2024.

Business

Pakistan’s fuel prices should drop.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

At 0423 GMT, U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude prices fell 13 cents, or 0.16%, to $82.50 a barrel, while Brent crude futures were down 10 cents, or 0.11%, to $88.30 a barrel.

Both benchmarks’ front-month contracts saw losses of over 1% on Monday.

on line with the worldwide trend, the price of gasoline is anticipated to decrease by Rs. 5.4 per liter on the local market. In the same way, buyers in the Pakistani market may see a drop in the price of diesel of Rs8 a litre.

Additionally, it is anticipated that the prices of light fuel and kerosene will decrease by Rs5.40 and Rs8.3 per liter, respectively.

The finance ministry will receive a summary from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), and PM Shehbaz Sharif will be consulted before a final decision is made today.

The federal government raised the cost of gasoline by Rs. 4.53 per liter and diesel by Rs. 8.14 per liter at the most recent review.

At the moment, the price of gasoline was Rs 293.94 per liter, while the price of high-speed diesel was Rs 290.38 per liter.