IMF rep in Pakistan terms country’s economic performance ‘encouraging’

Describing Pakistan’s performance on the economic front as encouraging, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday said that in order to ensure durable development, the country would have to get over political roadblocks, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Mahir Binici, the IMF’s Representative in Pakistan, while speaking on the changing economic situation in the Middle East, northern Africa and Pakistan at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), said that the Fund would continue to support Pakistan’s economic reforms agenda.

He said that he could foresee further progress in Pakistan, northern Africa and the Middle East in 2025 and beyond. 

He warned that geopolitical tensions, trade disruptions, and declining global cooperation continue to weigh on recovery efforts.

Binici stressed the need for immediately taking policy steps for long-term economic development. “So far, Pakistan has shown a strong performance under the Fund’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF),” he said, and termed the successful conclusion of the first review in May 2025 a ‘milestone’. 

The initial police measures, he went on to say, helped revive economic stability besides restoring investors’ confidence despite external challenges.

The IMF rep was of the view that structural reforms could play a key role in Pakistan’s long-term economic stability. “Especially, the kind of reforms which ensure equality in the tax system, make the environment business-friendly and encourage investment by the private sector,” he explained.

Binici also appreciated the progress made by the country in the sector of environmental reforms.