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Asian Development Bank approves $1 billion emergency loan for Pakistan

Asian Development Bank approves $1 billion emergency loan for Pakistan

ADB

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday approved a $1 billion emergency loan for cash strapped Pakistan to provide support to the country`s public finances and help strengthen its slowing economy.

The loan is part of a multi-donor economic reform program led by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to stabilise Pakistan's economy after it crumbled in mid-2018 and caused the "growth to slump and threatened (the country`s) progress in alleviating poverty," the ADB said in a statement.

The financing was approved after the Pakistan government implemented a series of IMF-supported reforms and actions to improve its current account deficit, strengthen its revenue base, and protect the poor against the social impact of the economic crisis.

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Commenting on the same, Werner Liepach, ADB Director General for Central and West Asia said that the funds would meet the government`s emergency financing needs to prevent significant adverse social and economic impacts and lay the foundations for a return to balanced growth.

"Pakistan is facing significant economic challenges on the back of a large balance of payments gap and critically low foreign exchange reserves together with weak and unbalanced growth," the ADB`s statement read.

Back in July this year, the IMF had approved a three-year USD 6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) to finance the government`s economic reform program that aims to put Pakistan`s economy on the path of sustainable and inclusive growth.

"The EFF is expected to catalyze at least $38 billion in financing from Pakistan`s development partners. ADB has committed to provide a total of $2.1 billion in policy-based lending during (the) fiscal year 2019-2020 to support the reform program," it added.