KARACHI: Mian Zahid Hussain, President of the Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum and several other business groups, highlighted the critical nature of the International Monetary Fund's upcoming mission to Pakistan. According to Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum, the delegation, led by Iva Petrova, will arrive on February 25, 2026, to conduct reviews under the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility and the $1.1 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility.

Hussain stated that the successful completion of these reviews could lead to a disbursement of $1.2 billion by April 2026, bolstering Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves, which the State Bank of Pakistan aims to increase to $18 billion by June 2026. The IMF mission will evaluate Pakistan's economic performance in key areas, including maintaining a primary fiscal surplus and managing revenue shortfalls.

The IMF delegation will also assess Pakistan's management of "circular debt" and power tariff adjustments, scrutinizing the sustainability of electricity subsidies and the Green Pakistan Energy Policy 2026. Discussions will also cover the privatization of state-owned enterprises and the Tax Policy Office's transfer to the Ministry of Finance.

Hussain noted moderation in headline inflation, which is projected to stabilize between 5% and 7% for FY26, allowing the State Bank to maintain a policy rate of 10.5%. This stability contributed to Pakistan's first current account surplus in 14 years during FY25.

He emphasized the importance of the visit in setting the framework for the Federal Budget 2026-27 and urged the government to negotiate more flexible tax targets to enhance competitiveness. Hussain also called for accelerated reforms in revenue and governance to ensure long-term economic and climate resilience.

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