The federal government has reported its half-year (July-December) fiscal deficit at 3.1 per cent of GDP, or the highest-ever figure of Rs1.393 trillion in absolute terms. AFP/File
ISLAMABAD: Highlighting certain risks to fiscal sustainability, the federal government has reported its half-year (July-December) fiscal deficit at 3.1 per cent of GDP, or the highest-ever figure of Rs1.393 trillion in absolute terms.
In its mid-year Budget Review Report submitted to the parliament as required under the Public Finance Act, 2019, the Ministry of Finance on Monday claimed credit for higher revenues, controlled expenditures amid fiscal consolidation measures but conceded that there were “certain risks to fiscal sustainability”.
IMF grants over Rs200b spending waiver to fight Covid
Executive board to give final approval this month provided Pakistan fulfils all agreed actions
PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has granted over Rs200 billion spending waiver to create fiscal space for mitigation of the coronavirus contagion – an amount which is less than half of the remaining unspent funds committed under the Prime Minister’s Covid-19 Relief Fund 2020.
The over Rs200 billion fiscal adjuster is part of the staff-level arrangement agreed between Pakistan and the IMF this month, sources in the Ministry of Finance said. The agreement is subject to the approval of the IMF Executive Board that may meet this month, provided Pakistan fulfils all the agreed actions.
A long-awaited COVID relief bill is now making its way to the US Senate after the House of Representatives approved the $1.9 trillion package early Saturday. CNN reports that.
After the Senate parliamentarian dealt a potentially lethal blow Thursday to Democrats’ drive to hike the minimum wage, deciding that the cherished progressive goal must.
Aug 11 hearing on Vivy Yusof’s defamation suit against netizen 25 Feb 2021 / 13:54 H.
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25: Datin Vivy Yusof’s (pix) defamation suit against a netizen, for allegedly slandering her on the issue of the government helping the B40 and M40 groups affected by COVID-19 outbreak, is set for trial on Aug 11.
Lawyer Mohd Syakirin Syazwan, who represented Alia Najwa Hassannudin, the defendant in the suit, said the court had set Aug 11 and 12 for trial.
“A total of five witnesses, including my client, will testify at the trial while the plaintiff (Vivy) will produce three witnesses,” he said when contacted by Bernama after online case management before Judge Datin Rohani Ismail today which was also attended by lawyer Pauling Hee representing Vivy, or her real name Vivy Sofinas Yusof.