Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Search
Search:
IMF says no new Pakistani agriculture tax
Reuters - 36 minutes ago
KARACHI, Nov 28 - The International Monetary Fund does not envisage Pakistan putting a new tax on agriculture, it said on Friday, adding policy measures underpinning its $7.6 billion loan will be published next week.
The IMF approved the loan on Monday to help Pakistan avert a balance of payments crisis. Pakistan has got immediate access to $3.1 billion of the funds under the 23-month facility and the rest will be phased in subject to quarterly review.
An agricultural tax has long been resisted by powerful landed families.
"The IMF-supported programme does not envisage a new tax on agricultural income," the fund said in a release.
"Over the medium term, efforts will be made to extend the effectiveness of the income tax."
A senior IMF official said this week a cut in defence spending had not been discussed in the negotiations with the government. Pakistan is a front-line state in the U.S.-led campaign against militancy.
The IMF said it would publish all policy measures in the programme by early next week.
It said earlier the programme's objectives were "to restore overall economic stability and confidence through a tightening of macroeconomic policies, and second, to do so in a manner that ensures social stability and adequate support for the poor during the adjustment process".
The IMF also said the fiscal deficit would be trimmed to 4.2 percent of gross domestic product in 2008/2009 and 3.3 percent in 2009/2010, compared with 7.4 percent in the fiscal year to June 2008.
It said the central bank may tighten monetary policy to control inflation running at 25 percent. The fund wants inflation down to 6 percent by mid-2010.
The fund targeted the current account deficit at 6.5 percent of GDP this fiscal year, and 5.7 percent in the 2009/10 fiscal year, compared with 8.4 percent in 2007/08.
The IMF said it projected foreign exchange reserves to be $8.591 billion this fiscal year and $11.291 billion next year. Reserves were $6.6 billion in the week that ended on Nov. 22.
The fund has also asked for an end to central bank financing of the government from Nov. 1. (Reporting by Sahar Ahmed; Editing by Robert Birsel/Ruth Pitchford)
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: Business
Iceland changes foreign exchange rulesAP - 22 minutes ago
US STOCKS-Futures slip on worry about consumer, energyReuters - 28 minutes ago
European markets lower ahead of Wall Street returnAP - 29 minutes ago
Emerging Markets-Stocks eye 2nd largest weekly gain, rupee downReuters - 30 minutes ago
Report: China tycoon allegedly manipulated sharesAP - 32 minutes ago
Most Popular – Business
Viewed
US clears Bank of America deal for Merrill Lynch
US president's mother 'doing very well' in hospital: Laura Bush
Love handles increase death risk: study
Obama vows 'help is on the way' for the economy
Michael Jackson strikes 'amicable' deal with Arab sheikh
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular