ISLAMABAD: Presi­dent Arif Alvi on Thursday gave accent to the Finance (Supplementary) bill, 2023, generally known as the mini-budget, paving the way for revival of the IMF loan programme.

The president gave the approval to the bill in accordance with Article 75 of the Constitution, the media wing of the President House said. The National Assembly had passed the bill on Monday.

The bill envisages additional taxes and duties worth Rs170 billion to meet the conditions of the International Monetary Fund for the revival of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) stalled for months.

The government is making all-out efforts to convince the Washington-bas­ed lender of its commitment to fulfilling the req­uirements set for the loan programme.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2023