Islamabad:World Bank’s newly appointed Country Director in Pakistan, Mr Najy Benhassine called on Adviser on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh here on Thursday.
The Adviser highlighted the reforms initiated by the government to tackle the balance of payment crisis in 2018-19 and bring stability to the economy. He shared details of how the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted the economy and slowed down the reforms program.
Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh outlined the steps taken by the government to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and stimulate the economy. In particular, he highlighted the Prime Minister’s Ehsaas program where over 16 million of the most vulnerable households have benefitted from cash transfers.
The World Bank Country Director appreciated the strong response by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic. He highlighted the World Banks support to the emergency response with projects totalling almost half a billion dollars to help the country prevent, detect and respond to the pandemic and strengthen public health preparedness.