WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund on Friday welcomed Pakistan’s reform progress, saying policy measures under the Fund-supported programme have helped stabilise the economy and restore market confidence.
IMF Director of Communications Julie Kozack said Pakistan is currently implementing an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement, adding that an IMF staff mission is expected to visit the country from February 25 to hold discussions on the third review under the EFF and the second review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).
She noted that Pakistan’s policy efforts under the programme have contributed to macroeconomic stabilisation and a gradual rebuilding of confidence. Fiscal performance has remained strong, with the country posting a primary fiscal surplus of 1.3 percent of gross domestic product in fiscal year 2025, in line with programme targets.
Kozack said headline inflation has remained relatively contained, while Pakistan recorded its first current account surplus in 14 years during the same fiscal year.
The Washington-based lender also recently published its Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Report, outlining reform proposals including simplifying tax policy design, ensuring fairness in public procurement and improving transparency in asset declarations.
In December last year, the IMF Executive Board approved a $1.2 billion tranche for Pakistan after completing the second review of the country’s economic reform programme under the EFF.
Ahead of the upcoming review, Pakistani authorities have prepared a 15-point action plan in response to the governance diagnostic assessment, including identifying high-risk federal agencies vulnerable to corruption and reducing the backlog of economic disputes through improved judicial performance monitoring.
The plan also proposes legislative review of the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) 2010 to remove ambiguities and strengthen investigations and prosecutions related to financial crimes. Amendments are expected to be presented before parliament with a target for implementation by June 2027.
Officials said a national corruption risk assessment framework would also be developed through coordination among multiple agencies to strengthen institutional governance and accountability mechanisms.