Top Story

  Editorial

  Metro

  Kashmir

  Business

  Sports

  Scoop

  Societal

  Health

    Cartoon

ISLAMABAD: Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance Shaukat Tarin Thursday said Pakistan requires financial assistance of 3 to 5 billion US dollars.

All options available under Plan-A, B and C will be explored to meet the requirement, he remarked.

“The discussions with International Monetary Fund (IMF) have started under Article-IV but any formal request will be made after reviewing the progress of Plan A and B after November 15, 2008,” Tarin told a crowded press conference here at his office.

“We have presented plan of economic stabilization to the IMF and Governor State Bank of Pakistan and Secretary Finance have already left for Dubai for taking part in the discussion with the Fund.

The Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance said that government thinks that there is a fiscal gap of US $ 3 to 5 billion. He added that this fiscal gap is other than the financial assistance being provided to Pakistan.

He further said that presently Pakistan was in dire need of assistance to build its foreign exchange reserves.

The reserves at present were only enough to meet the two months imports of the country.

“We want more reserves for our economic stabilization and restore the confidence of the people on Pakistan’s economy”, he remarked.

The Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance Shaukat Tarin said that Pakistan is expecting US $ 3 to 4 billion by November 15 this year from the multilateral and friends of Pakistan.