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Economy shows improvement in first quarter: SBP
KARACHI, Dec 29: The State Bank of Pakistan said on Monday that the economy had improved during the first quarter of the current fiscal year and some macro-economic indicators had shown strength after a steep fall in 2007-08.
In its first quarterly (July-Sept) report the SBP expressed the hope that economy would see stabilisation despite lower than expected growth.
“The sense of crisis gripping Pakistan’s economy in the initial months of the financial year 2009 has visibly eased by November 2008, as the government moved to address the most immediate risks and entered into a macroeconomic stabilisation programme to support medium-term reforms under the aegis of the IMF,” the report said.
The fiscal performance improved consequent to the policy shift, with the overall fiscal deficit estimated to have dropped to 1 per cent of the annual GDP. This was consistent with the annual fiscal deficit target set under the IMF stabilisation programme.
The SBP said that reduction in fiscal deficit had been brought about mainly by a drastic cut in development expenditures.
The data available so far show that the government has made a fine start to contain the fiscal deficit. However, the fiscal improvement appeared to be largely based on reduction in oil subsidies and a cut in development expenditure.
According to the July-Sept data, revenue grew by 24.4 per cent compared to 14.8 per cent of the corresponding period of last year. Similarly, exports increased by 12.7 per cent against 6.5 per cent of last year. The money supply was negative 0.2 per cent while it was 4 per cent during the same period last year.
“On a positive note, both fiscal and current account deficits are estimated to improve in FY09,” said the SBP.
KARACHI, Dec 29: The State Bank of Pakistan said on Monday that the economy had improved during the first quarter of the current fiscal year and some macro-economic indicators had shown strength after a steep fall in 2007-08.
In its first quarterly (July-Sept) report the SBP expressed the hope that economy would see stabilisation despite lower than expected growth.
“The sense of crisis gripping Pakistan’s economy in the initial months of the financial year 2009 has visibly eased by November 2008, as the government moved to address the most immediate risks and entered into a macroeconomic stabilisation programme to support medium-term reforms under the aegis of the IMF,” the report said.
The fiscal performance improved consequent to the policy shift, with the overall fiscal deficit estimated to have dropped to 1 per cent of the annual GDP. This was consistent with the annual fiscal deficit target set under the IMF stabilisation programme.
The SBP said that reduction in fiscal deficit had been brought about mainly by a drastic cut in development expenditures.
The data available so far show that the government has made a fine start to contain the fiscal deficit. However, the fiscal improvement appeared to be largely based on reduction in oil subsidies and a cut in development expenditure.
According to the July-Sept data, revenue grew by 24.4 per cent compared to 14.8 per cent of the corresponding period of last year. Similarly, exports increased by 12.7 per cent against 6.5 per cent of last year. The money supply was negative 0.2 per cent while it was 4 per cent during the same period last year.
“On a positive note, both fiscal and current account deficits are estimated to improve in FY09,” said the SBP.