Pakistan finance minister eyes cut to key policy rate from 11 percent

Pakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb speaks during a Reuters interview at the 2025 annual IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC, US, April 25, 2025. (Reuters/File)
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Updated 13 August 2025
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Pakistan finance minister eyes cut to key policy rate from 11 percent

  • The next policy rate announcement is due on September 15
  • Central bank left its key interest rate unchanged at 11 percent on July 30

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s finance minister said on Wednesday that there was more room for the central bank to cut the country’s key policy rate down from 11 percent.

“We are hopeful of progress in terms of the policy rate going south,” Mohammed Aurangzeb said at an event in Islamabad.

The next policy rate announcement is due on September 15, according to the State Bank of Pakistan’s calendar.

The central bank left its key interest rate unchanged at 11 percent on July 30, going against analyst expectations. In a Reuters poll ahead of the policy rate announcement, all 15 analysts said they expected the bank to ease, with nine forecasting a 50 basis-point cut, four predicting a deeper 100 basis-point reduction and two projecting a smaller 25 basis-point cut.

The bank, however, held the rate steady, saying the inflation outlook had deteriorated due to rising energy prices.


Pakistan receives $1.2 billion from IMF under EFF, RSF loan programs— central bank

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Pakistan receives $1.2 billion from IMF under EFF, RSF loan programs— central bank

  • IMF Executive Board approved Pakistan’s second review under EFF, first review under RSF loan programs this week 
  • Disbursements from IMF have been crucial for cash-strapped Pakistan as it tries to recover from economic crisis 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s central bank announced on Thursday that it has received $1.2 billion under the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) External Fund Facility and Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) loan programs. 

The IMF approved a $7 billion bailout package for Pakistan under its EFF program in September 2024 while in May 2025, it approved a separate $1.4 billion loan to Pakistan under its climate resilience fund. The RSF will support Pakistan’s efforts in building economic resilience to climate vulnerabilities and natural disasters. 

The global lender approved Pakistan’s second review under its $7 billion EFF program and first review under the RSF loan on Tuesday. As per the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the central bank received a combined sum of $1.2 billion under the EFF and RSF on Dec. 10. 

“The amount would be reflected in SBP’s foreign exchange reserves for the week ending on Dec. 12, 2025,” the SBP said in a statement. 

IMF bailouts have been crucial for cash-strapped Pakistan, which has been struggling with a prolonged economic crisis that has exhausted its financial reserves and weakened its currency. Pakistan came to the brink of a sovereign default in 2023 before a last-gasp IMF bailout package helped it avert the crisis. 

Pakistan has had to take tough decisions to comply with the IMF’s loan requirements, which include scrapping subsidies from food and fuel items to trigger inflation. Since then, Pakistan has attempted to regain stability by sharply reducing inflation and recording a current account surplus. 

The disbursement, however, comes at an important time for the South Asian country as it mitigates losses from a deadly monsoon season that killed over 1,000 people since late June and caused at least $2.9 billion in damages to agriculture and infrastructure.