ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has commended Pakistan’s reform efforts under its ongoing programme, stating that the country has made notable progress in stabilising its economy and rebuilding investor confidence.
Speaking during a media briefing, IMF Director of Communications Julie Kozack said Pakistan’s policy measures under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) have yielded positive results.“Pakistan’s policy efforts under the EFF have helped stabilise the economy and rebuild confidence,” Kozack said.
She highlighted that Pakistan’s fiscal performance remains strong, with the country achieving a primary fiscal surplus of 1.3 percent of GDP in fiscal year 2025, in line with programme targets.
Kozack also referred to the recently published Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Report, which outlines key reform proposals. These include simplifying tax policy design, ensuring a level playing field in public procurement, and improving transparency in asset declarations.
Pakistan continues to operate under the EFF arrangement. Kozack confirmed that an IMF staff team is scheduled to visit Pakistan starting February 25 for discussions on the third review under the EFF and the second review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).
The upcoming review will assess Pakistan’s performance against assigned criteria and targets for September and December 2025. Pakistan is currently working to meet the conditions of its $7 billion EFF programme, aimed at addressing structural economic weaknesses and medium-term balance-of-payments challenges.
Earlier, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb stated after a Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue meeting that there is no shortfall in external financing. In a recent report, Topline Securities projected that Pakistan is likely to meet nearly all seven Quantitative Performance Criteria (QPCs) set under the ongoing IMF programme.
