WB okays $700m for Pakistan

Published
1

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has approved $700 million in financing for Pakistan under a multi-year initiative aimed at supporting the country’s macroeconomic stability and service delivery, it emerged on Saturday.

The lender said the funds will be released under the bank’s Public Resources for Inclusive Development — Multip­hase Programmatic Appro­ach (PRID-MPA), which could provide up to $1.35 billion in total financing.

Of this amount, $600m will go for federal programmes and $100m will support a provincial programme in Sindh.

The approval follows a $47.9m World Bank grant in August to improve primary education in Punjab.

A separate statement issued by the lender quoted Bolormaa Amgaabazar, the World Bank’s country director for Pakistan, as saying, “Pakistan’s path to inclusive, sustainable growth requires mobilising more domestic resources and ensuring they are used efficiently and transparently to deliver results for people.”

She said that through the MPA, the bank was working with the federal and Sindh governments to “deliver tangible impacts — more predictable funding for schools and clinics, fairer tax systems, and stronger data for decision-making — while safeguarding priority social and climate investments and strengthening public trust”.

Tobias Akhtar Haque, World Bank lead country ec­­onomist for Pakistan, said stregthening Pakis­tan’s fiscal foundations was “es­­sential to restoring ma­­cro­economic stability, deli­vering results and strengthening institutions”.

“Through the PRID-MPA, we are launching a coherent nationwide app­roach to support reforms that expand fiscal space, bolster investments in human capital and climate resilience, and strengthen revenue administration, budget execution, and statistical systems,” he said.

“These reforms will ensure that resources reach the front line and deliver better outcomes for people across Pakistan with greater efficiency and accountability,” he added.

According to the statement, the federal component will focus on raising domestic revenues more fairly, improving budget planning and execution, and strengthening data systems for evidence-based decisions.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2025

Opinion

Editorial

Fixing bond markets
Updated 01 Oct, 2026

Fixing bond markets

Pension funds, insurance companies, mutual funds, retail investors, and eventually, foreign investors must become bigger participants in the market.
Call centre rackets
01 Oct, 2026

Call centre rackets

A NUMBER of recent raids conducted by the authorities in different cities point to the growing threat fraudulent ...
Homeward bound
01 Oct, 2026

Homeward bound

FIVE months after Somali pirates captured an oil tanker carrying a 19-member multinational crew, Somali maritime...
Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...