ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will receive $3 billion in financial assistance from Saudi Arabia within a week, a finance ministry spokesman said on Friday, as the South Asian nation continues to struggle with depleting foreign reserves.
The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) announced a generous financial package of $4.2 billion after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Saudi Arabia in October.
The SFD said it would deposit $3 billion dollars into the Pakistani central bank to support the cash-strapped South Asian’s nation’s shrinking foreign reserves.
The kingdom, which is a leading supplier of oil to Islamabad, also pledged it would additionally supply $1.2 billion worth of oil to Pakistan on credit.
Saudi Arabia had also supported Pakistan back in 2019 with $3 billion deposits and $1.2 billion of deferred oil payment facility.
Muzammil Aslam, a spokesperson for Ministry of Finance, said the Saudi dollars would be deposited in Pakistan’s central bank “within a week.”
“Our State Bank is in touch with the Saudi central bank to finalize the transaction,” Aslam told Arab News.
“This $3 billion deposit from Saudi Arabia in our central bank will be for a year as per the agreement.”
Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said on Thursday all legal matters relating to transfer had been finalized.
“All legal matters have been finalized relating to the transfer of $3 billion from Saudi Arabia,” he tweeted. “Pakistan will get these dollars this week.”
Pakistan’s currency and equity markets showed a bullish trend and recovered some of their losses soon after the Saudi announcement last month, as Islamabad’s external account has been under dual pressure of debt repayments and rising current account deficit.
Earlier this week, Pakistan also reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to draw $1 billion loan tranche under a three-year $6 billion accord reached in 2019.
The agreement awaits approval of the IMF executive board, which is expected to meet in January 2022.
Pakistan to receive $3 billion in Saudi assistance within a week — officials
https://arab.news/wtr2r
Pakistan to receive $3 billion in Saudi assistance within a week — officials
- Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain says all matters relating to transfer have been finalized
- Saudi Arabia announced assistance after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to kingdom in October
World Bank president in Pakistan to discuss development projects, policy issues
- Pakistan, World Bank are currently gearing up to implement a 10-year partnership framework to grant $20 billion loans to the cash-strapped nation
- World Bank President Ajay Banga will hold meetings with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials during the high-level visit
ISLAMABAD: World Bank President Ajay Banga has arrived in Pakistan to hold talks with senior government officials on development projects and key policy issues, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday, as Islamabad seeks multilateral support to stabilize economy and accelerate growth.
The visit comes at a time when Pakistan and the World Bank are gearing up to implement a 10-year Country Partnership Framework (CPF) to grant $20 billion in loans to the cash-strapped nation.
The World Bank’s lending for Pakistan, due to start this year, will focus on education quality, child stunting, climate resilience, energy efficiency, inclusive development and private investment.
"World Bank President Ajay Banga arrives in Pakistan for a high-level visit," the state-run Pakistan TV Digital reported on Sunday. "During his stay, he will meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials to discuss economic reforms, development projects, and key policy issues."
Pakistan, which nearly defaulted on its foreign debt obligations in 2023, is currently making efforts to stabilize its economy under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.
Besides efforts to boost trade and foreign investment, Islamabad has been seeking support from multilateral financial institutions to ensure economic recovery.
“This partnership fosters a unified and focused vision for your county around six outcomes with clear, tangible and ambitious 10-year targets,” Martin Raiser, the World Bank vice president for South Asia, had said at the launch of the CPF in Jan. last year.
“We hope that the CPF will serve as an anchor for this engagement to keep us on the right track. Partnerships will equally be critical. More resources will be needed to have the impact at the scale that we wish to achieve and this will require close collaboration with all the development partners.”
In Dec., the World Bank said it had approved $700 million in financing for Pakistan under a multi-year initiative aimed at supporting the country's macroeconomic stability and service delivery.
It followed a $47.9 million World Bank grant in August last year to improve primary education in Pakistan's most populous Punjab province.
