Tag: IMF Loan Programme

  • PM Shehbaz hails Moody’s rating upgrade amid cooling inflation

    PM Shehbaz hails Moody’s rating upgrade amid cooling inflation

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed his satisfaction with the recent ease in the inflation rate, noting that the government’s ongoing economic reforms are yielding positive results.

    In a recent statement, PM Shehbaz highlighted that the recent upgrade in Pakistan’s credit rating by Moody’s was a clear acknowledgment of the country’s improving economic indicators. He said that international institutions are recognising the progress Pakistan is making.

    Moody’s Ratings recently upgraded Pakistan’s local and foreign currency issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings from Caa3 to Caa2. This upgrade reflects slightly better macroeconomic conditions, alongside improved government liquidity and external positions, which, although still weak, have shown improvement. According to Moody’s, Pakistan’s default risk has now decreased.

    Read more: Govt notifies Rs1.86 per litre ‘reduction’ in petrol price for next fortnight

    This development follows another upgrade in July when Fitch Ratings pushed Pakistan’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) from ‘CCC’ to ‘CCC+’.

    The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) easing to 11 per cent in July, and he anticipates that it will decline further in August. He reiterated the government’s commitment to pursuing economic reforms, including a right-sizing policy, which he is personally overseeing to ensure rapid implementation.

    PM Shehbaz expressed confidence that the reforms would soon have a noticeable positive impact on the country’s economy. He reassured the public that the government is fully aware of the challenges faced by the people and is working to address them.

  • Fitch warns of further depreciation of Pakistani rupee due to $6.7 billion debt payment

    Fitch warns of further depreciation of Pakistani rupee due to $6.7 billion debt payment

    Fitch, the world’s leading credit rating agency based in Hong Kong, said on Friday that Pakistan must pay a total of $6.7 billion in debt payments for the ongoing fiscal year of 2022-23.

    Of this amount, $3.7 billion must be paid by Islamabad this month, with another $3 billion due in June. Krisjanis Krustins, Fitch’s director, warned that these payments could cause the Pakistani rupee to depreciate further, exerting greater pressure on the country’s currency.

    Krustins also revealed that Pakistan expects a rollover of $2.4 billion from China to address its economic needs. However, he emphasised the need for Pakistan to revive its International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programme.

    Pakistan has been working to restart the stalled loan programme with the IMF. Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates pledged external funds, but the IMF has demanded that Pakistan “do more” to unlock the loan programme.

    Finance Secretary Hamid Yakoob recently met with the IMF in the US, but the meeting remained unfruitful. The international lender has proposed that Pakistan arrange $1 billion from commercial banks to unlock the loan programme.