Washington, June 25 (IANS) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday said an IMF team is in Sri Lanka to assess the country’s economic recovery programme, including the impact of higher energy prices following the recent conflict in the Middle East. Speaking at a regular IMF press briefing, Julie Kozack, Director of the IMF’s Communications Department, confirmed that the mission began this week and would conclude on June 30.”We do indeed have a team currently in Sri Lanka. This is a staf…
Latest Structural Reforms News & Updates
Chennai, June 25 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar on Thursday released a white paper detailing the financial status of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB), revealing that the state’s power sector has accumulated an outstanding debt of Rs 2.47 lakh crore. Despite the mounting financial burden, the minister assured consumers that electricity tariffs would not be increased during the current year.The white paper, released at the TNEB headquarters in Chennai, presents a…
Washington, May 21 (IANS) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said its staff mission had held “constructive discussions” with Pakistani authorities on the country’s economic situation, including the fallout from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, while reviewing Islamabad’s reform commitments and budget strategy for fiscal year 2027.An IMF mission led by Iva Petrova visited Islamabad from May 13 to 20. The talks focused on recent economic developments, implementation of refor…
New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) Pakistan’s prolonged focus on “economic stabilisation” without meaningful structural reforms risks trapping the country in a cycle of stagnation and recurring crises, a report has said.The report came after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif acknowledged that the ongoing US-Iran conflict had negatively impacted Pakistan and other economies in the region through rising energy prices, geopolitical uncertainty and disruptions in trade and supply chains, according to an edi…
Washington, May 9 (IANS) The International Monetary Fund approved about $1.3 billion in fresh funding for Pakistan after completing key programme reviews.The IMF Executive Board completed the third review of Pakistan’s Extended Fund Facility and the second review of its Resilience and Sustainability Facility. This allows an immediate disbursement of about $1.1 billion and $220 million.Total disbursements under the two programmes now stand at about $4.8 billion.The IMF said Pakistan’s “stro…
New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) Pakistan’s economy is under mounting pressure as its total debt and liabilities have surged to Rs 85 trillion over the past four years, which highlights a steep rise in fiscal stress amid limited structural reform, a report has said.A report in The News Pakistan highlighted that the country’s debt and liabilities have increased from around Rs 55 trillion four years ago to Rs 85 trillion at present — an overall jump of nearly 55 per cent. This translates into an avera…
New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) As deliberations on the upcoming budget gather pace, Pakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s recent engagement with trade bodies and the business community has thrown up a set of entrenched concerns that continue to weigh on economic activity, according to an editorial in the Karachi-based Business Recorder newspaper. Stakeholders pointed to the persistently high cost of doing business, tightening liquidity, chronic infrastructure gaps and most importantly, po…
Washington, April 15 (IANS) India’s economic growth remains robust, but rising global uncertainties could weigh on the outlook in the coming months, Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) V. Anantha Nageswaran said on Wednesday. Speaking at the US-India Economic Forum 2026, Nageswaran said India has sustained strong growth in recent years, but cautioned that external risks have intensified.“We shouldn’t underestimate or understate the wide range of uncertainty that prevails,” he said, referr…
Seoul, April 14 (IANS) South Korean foreign minister Cho Hyun said on Tuesday that the foreign ministry has dispatched envoys to Algeria and Libya and is seeking to send additional envoys to secure alternative supply routes amid the Middle East crisis.Cho made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting after President Lee Jae Myung called on the government to explore supply chain alternatives as the United States’ war against Iran has choked off the crucial Strait of Hormuz and disrupted maritime traf…
New Delhi, April 10 (IANS) India should brace for geopolitical disruptions every one to two years and use the current pause in geopolitical tensions to push through long‑pending structural reforms, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (EAC-PM) Member and Axis Bank chief economist Neelkanth Mishra said on Friday.The pause in hostilities offers a window to “hard‑wire resilience into growth” by accelerating reforms in electrification, housing, urban infrastructure and tourism, Mishra …