ISLAMABAD: The government has granted tax authorities sweeping powers to seize bank accounts, properties, and seal businesses without prior notice, immediately following rulings from the country’s superior courts to recover unpaid taxes.
Economy
IMF sticks to Pakistan review on May 9, defying India’s push
KARACHI: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will proceed with its Executive Board meeting on May 9 to review Pakistan’s $7 billion bailout program, dousing speculation of a delay sparked by a media report that India is pressing global lenders to rethink funds to Islamabad after a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir.
Pakistan says IMF $7bn deal secure as India targets funds after Kashmir clash
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s $7 billion International Monetary Fund program remains firmly on course, a top official said on Friday, brushing aside India’s calls for the lender to reassess the country’s financial support.
Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio set to reach 10.6pc by fiscal year-end
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio is projected to reach 10.6% by the end of the current fiscal year, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Friday, signaling incremental progress toward a 13% target under the country’s International Monetary Fund (IMF) program to stabilise its debt-strained economy.
Trade deficit balloons 55pc in April as exports fall, imports jump
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s trade deficit surged 55.2% month-on-month to $3.39 billion in April 2025, driven by a sharp contraction in exports and a double-digit rise in imports, official data showed on Friday.
Inflation hits historic low of 0.3pc in April, deflation fears grow
KARACHI: Pakistan’s consumer inflation rate slowed sharply to 0.3 percent year-on-year in April 2025, the lowest level in approximately six decades, marking a dramatic turnaround from the double-digit crises that gripped the economy a year earlier, data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed on Friday.
Multinationals press for 17 percent GST to reverse sales slump
ISLAMABAD: Multinational companies in Pakistan are pushing the government to slash taxes and overhaul fiscal policies they blame for eroding profits, with sales declines of up to 30 percent across industries.
FBR races to close Rs3 trillion tax gap in 2 months
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is racing against time to bridge a Rs3 trillion fiscal gap over the next two months to meet a revised tax target of Rs12.332 trillion, after sluggish collections deepened risks of missing a critical benchmark renegotiated under an International Monetary Fund bailout program.
Petrol, diesel prices cut by Rs2/liter, tax grab limits relief
ISLAMABAD: The government cut petrol and diesel prices by Rs2 per liter on Wednesday, a marginal reprieve for consumers as it siphoned savings from falling global oil costs through higher taxes to shore up revenue.
FM Aurangzeb sees FY25 current account surplus, against central bank’s caution
KARACHI: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb struck an optimistic tone on the nation’s current account trajectory, projecting a surplus for the full fiscal year 2025 even as the central bank warned of a potential deficit, underscoring diverging views within the country’s economic leadership.