Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Pakistan faces fresh pressure on taxes for IMF loan
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Pakistan faces fresh pressure on taxes for IMF loan
Reuters - Friday, November 5
Send
IM Story
Print
* Reformed general sales tax key to sixth tranche
* Public frustration with government running high
By Sahar Ahmed
KARACHI, Nov 4 - Pakistan is coming under more pressure in talks with the International Monetary Fund to implement a reformed general sales tax as Islamabad attempts to secure the sixth tranche of an $11-billion emergency loan that has kept its economy afloat.
President Asif Ali Zardari's weak government needs all the financial help it can get, especially after summer floods caused nearly $10 billion in losses for the U.S. ally.
But securing funds from the IMF would mean taking unpopular decisions such as raising tariffs to help generate funds for the power sector and broadening the tax base.
Public frustrations already run high with a government critics say is corrupt and ineffective in dealing with crippling power cuts, a Taliban insurgency and deep poverty.
IMF and Pakistani officials are holding talks in Islamabad on the possible release of the sixth tranche of the loan agreed in November, 2008. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ For Pakistan stories [ID:nAFPAK] Or see link here: http://link.reuters.com/kac58m
Pakistan blog: http://blogs.reuters.com/pakistan/ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
"It was always the case, that the sixth tranche would be on the case of progress on RGST ," said a government source, when asked if there were any obstacles in the talks.
Pakistan said in June it would replace its general sales tax by the RGST by Oct. 1, but that deadline has slipped to Dec. 1.
Another government source familiar with the negotiations said this week that the government was in a position to show progress on some issues of concern to the IMF and a bill on the RSGT would be introduced in parliament soon.
Talks on policy-level issues were expected to resume on Thursday.
The IMF mission is expected to stay in Pakistan until Friday and then return to Washington to present its findings on the country to its board, which will have final say on the tranche.
Pakistan has also agreed to raise electricity tariffs by around 2 percent a month, according to official sources, to try to eliminate its spending of $2 billion annually on power subsidies.
The last IMF review was completed in May and the review for the release of the sixth tranche has been delayed since August over several issues, such as an increase in power tariffs and the implementation of the RGST. (For more Reuters coverage of Pakistan, see: http://www.reuters.com/places/pakistan)
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
RPT-WRAPUP 2-Coal still king as green power IPO struggles Reuters - 25 minutes ago
Global economic activity accelerates in October -PMI Reuters - 32 minutes ago
'Spiral' CT scans reduce smoker deaths - US study Reuters - 37 minutes ago
Canada will explain BHP decision early next month Reuters - 37 minutes ago
List of bidders for Dogan Yayin sale soon-Dogan Reuters - 38 minutes ago
News Search
Top Stories
Serbian leader apologises at Croatia massacre site
Norway best for the good life: UN report
ECB, BoE hold rates steady as Fed pumps out funds
Deutsche Telekom results underscore iPhone effect
Fed resumes massive spending to spur recovery
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Toddler survives seven-floor fall in France
Be fit, have fewer colds: study
Germany unveils new 'psychic' octopus -- and he's French
Google 'Street View' broke Data Protection Act
Fed resumes massive spending to spur recovery
More Most Viewed »
Time, like all good things, may come to an end: study
Alcohol more harmful than heroin, crack cocaine: study
Toddler survives seven-floor fall in France
Spectacular unknown species found in Amazon
Iranian chocolate thief 'to have hand chopped off'
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo!
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Entertainment
Photos
Yahoo! News Network
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Community
- Intellectual Property Rights Policy
- Help
Other News on Thursday, 4 November 2010 Iran says 'stoning woman' in perfect health, attacks West
Liberian President Sirleaf dissolves cabinet: sources
|
Israeli strike kills Gaza militant
GPS maker Garmin hanging up on smartphones
Yemen al Qaeda warned tribe against helping government
|
Fed resumes massive spending to spur recovery
Holographic video takes step forward with updated display
Robot Astronaut Debuts, Joins Last Flight Of Discovery
Fearful Iraqi Christians face fresh Qaeda threats
Chernomyrdin, PM in Russia's post-Soviet chaos, dies at 72
Candidates with more Facebook fans won 70 percent of races
Obama Reiterates Bipartisan Efforts; Ready To Listen, Work For Americans
Insurgents step up attacks on Afghan forces
Parcel plot not linked to international terror, Greece says
Drug Related Shooting Injures Son Of University Veep
Germany unveils new 'psychic' octopus -- and he's French
Jay-Z To Release First U.S. "Hits Collection" In November
US-TECH Summary
Weakened Obama Faces Demands For More Muscular Middle East Policy
Italy carries out first hi-tech pancreas transplant
Microsoft sees 5 million sales of motion-sensing Kinect
Google 'Street View' broke Data Protection Act
Afghan insurgents step up attacks on police
French union to propose more pension protests
|
Rick Scott Celebrates Narrow Win For Florida Governor
German police arrest 22 in neo-Nazi internet raid
Retinal implant brightens future for blind
Kathy Griffin To Host "VH1 Divas Salute The Troops"
Turkey reinstates YouTube ban
Taylor Swift Sells Over One Million Copies Of Speak Now In First Week
Young Broadway Singer Loses Battle To Cancer
Don't put us on the Google map, says German village
Cirque Du Soleil's "Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour" Kicks Off In October
Japan urges Medvedev not to return to disputed isles
Britain rules Google Street View breached data law
Hollywood stars latest weapon in Gulf Arab cinema wars
Three US drone strikes kill 11 militants in Pakistan
U.S. Republicans promise to roll back Obama agenda
Facebook revs up mobile device plans
|
British watchdog says Google 'Street View' broke law
SAP agrees to pay $120 million to Oracle: sources
|
US to spend $511 million to expand Kabul embassy
New hologram technology brings 3-D to life
|
Huge volcanic blast spurs more Indonesians to flee
Facebook says apps shared user data, promises fix
|
Egyptian scrolls give tips on the afterlife in London show
Britain rules Google Street View breached data law
|
Youth vote falls in US mid-terms: study
ITC staff backs Nokia in Apple case
|
Toni Morrison awarded France's Legion of Honour
Dutch govt intends to exempt small bars from smoking ban
Microsoft sees 5 million sales of motion-sensing Kinect
|
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Outcry after Ukraine TV ditches satire on president
Peru asks Obama to get Yale to return Machu Picchu pieces
Baghdad school system struggling as pupils resume studies
NZealand should be smoke free by 2025, say lawmakers
Kings of Leon ditch "party vibe" with new album
China, Poland mark cooperation with copper, chemical deals
Indian businesses say they are making US jobs
BOC Aviation orders 30 Airbus A320
Cirque du Soleil Jackson show to debut October 2011
|
Kings of Leon ditch party vibe with new album
|
US to spend 500 million dollars on embassy in Afghanistan
Lloyds bank poaches Santander UK head for new chief
Qantas grounds giant A380s after engine failure
|
Samsung aims to sell 1 mln Galaxy Tabs by year's end
Iran says four terrorists arrested: report
|
Journalist held as Darfur rebels clash with government troops
Merkel defends 'multiculturalism has failed' comments
U.S. improves security in Afghan province: governor
|
Facebook shrinks Web page fonts
Canada rejects BHP Billiton takeover of Potash Corp
Iran says 'stoning woman' in perfect health, attacks West
Mass grave of drug war victims found in Mexico: report
|
NATO, Russia must 'bury ghosts' at landmark summit: chief
Republican Victories Overshadow Obama's Foreign Policy Control
NASA greenlights launch of shuttle Discovery
For crisis-weary Icelanders, it only gets worse
|
Asustek to join tablet parade with new models in January
France says Iran woman will not be hanged Wednesday
LG Elec to launch 8.9-inch tablet in early 2011: source
Ivorian leader ahead in poll, faces runoff
|
PayPal patches hacker hole in iPhone application
Catholics open first new Cuban seminary in decades
|
Samsung sees Galaxy Tab sales above 1 million units this year
"The Hobbit" gets two new stars
YouTube yanks cleric's jihad sermon videos: NY Times
"Fiddler on the Roof" composer Jerry Bock dies at 81
Novel material gives nod to 'invisibility cloak'
Qantas plane in trouble over Indonesia, no crash: official
MGM declares bankruptcy after Icahn agrees plan
Qantas says plane did not crash, returning to Singapore
News Corp. puts Myspace on notice
Australia's Rudd calls for Nobel winner's release
Two dead, including German woman in Malaysia floods
Samsung aims to sell 1 mln Galaxy Tabs by year's end
US fine-tunes outreach as Myanmar votes
LG Elec to launch 8.9-inch tablet in early 2011: source
US, NZealand formalise thaw in ties during Clinton visit
"Fiddler on the Roof" composer Jerry Bock dies at 81
Samsung sees Galaxy Tab sales above 1 million units this year
|
Samsung sees Galaxy Tab sales above 1 million units this year
MGM declares bankruptcy after Icahn agrees plan
Qantas to make emergency landing in Singapore
Tencent to shut down IM access for some users
|
"Megamind" turns superhero flicks upside down
ITC staff backs Nokia in Apple case
Weather forecast for the Asia-Pacific region
Asustek to join tablet parade with new models in January
|
MGM studio files for bankruptcy, Icahn backs plan
Facebook revs up mobile device plans
Explosion heard as plane flies over Indonesia
Taylor Swift pays tribute to fans for record sales
LG Elec to launch 8.9-inch tablet in early 2011: source
|
Huge volcanic blast spurs more Indonesians to flee
Nobel laureate Vargas Llosa presents new novel
Stolen Degas painting resurfaces at Sotheby's auction
Obama calls for action to lift gay ban in US military
Pakistani c.bank sells 16 bln rupees of t-bills
Samsung aims to sell 1 million Galaxy Tabs quickly
Yamaha Motor back in black in third quarter
Seoul shares end up 0.3 pct on techs, banks
The Hobbit gets two new stars
|
Seoul central bank seeks capital inflow controls
Director says European actors ugly
|
Coal India shares leap on stock market debut
Fiddler on the Roof composer Jerry Bock dies at 81
|
Taylor Swift pays tribute to fans for record sales
|
GM sees China sales growing strongly
Megamind turns superhero flicks upside down
|
Taiwan govt bond buyback less than target
PAKISTAN
S.Korea cbank calls for steps on foreign bond buys
SAP agrees to pay $120 million to Oracle: sources
Facebook offers Deals, revs up mobile effort
New hologram technology brings 3-D to life
Facebook steps into middle of smartphone lifestyles
News Corp. net profit up 36 percent
Greek police detonate bomb sent to French embassy
|
Afghan campaign destroys hundreds of houses: rights group
|
Stocks Up, Dollar Down On Fed Plan To Pump Billions Into Economy
Federal Extended Jobless Benefits Expiring For 2 Million Americans
France arrests two for suspected militant links
|
San Francisco Poised To Ban "Happy Meals"
South Yemen car bomb kills two
|
Alaska, Washington Senate Races Still Undecided
Obama Reiterates Congress Should Resolve 'Don't Ask' Law
LG Elec to launch 8.9-inch tablet early 2011: source
Kurdish TAK rebels say behind Istanbul bombing
|
Rand Study Says U.S. Health System Better For Older People Than U.K.'s
WikiLeaks urges U.S. to fully examine abuses
|
Indonesia's Mount Merapi erupts again, killing six
|
U.N. says North Korea food problems remain pressing
|
Thai flood death toll hits 122
More evacuated as Indonesian volcano erupts again
Iranians stage mass protest against 'Great Satan' US
Indonesia's Mount Merapi erupts again, killing six
U.S. border cops find massive Mexico drug tunnel
Half Nepal's under-fives stunted by hunger: report
Clinton urges lame-duck Senate vote on START
BBC apologizes to Bob Geldof for aid-for-weapons story
Traditional practices worsen child malnutrition in Nigeria
Subdued Obama says suffered a voter "shellacking"
Japan police probe anti-terror files leak
Clinton aims to mend relations with New Zealand
Chef crusades to revive Parisian 'terroir'
S.Korea installs bullet-proof windows at border village
Russia's political cartoonists find web refuge
Myanmar's Internet 'under attack' ahead of election
Pakistan faces fresh pressure on taxes for IMF loan
Dell to focus on services expansion as demand recovers
|
"The Hobbit" gets two new stars
Malaysian by-elections to test mood ahead of polls
Facebook revs up mobile effort with Deals
|
Director says European actors "ugly"
Matisse sets new $49 mln record in New York
Google and Facebook to face tougher EU privacy rules
|
Military ready for war in cyberspace
|
BBC apologizes to Bob Geldof for aid-for-weapons story
|
Military ready for war in cyberspace
EU bids to frame Facebook 'right to be forgotten'
Passengers share Qantas drama on Twitter
Tencent to shut down IM access for some users
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights