IMF & WB Meetings: Key Agendas Revealed (International Edition)

Pakistan, June 25 — In 2025, Pakistan’s economic blueprint is being redefined under the weight of conditions tied to its $7 billion IMF Extended Fund Facility and concurrent World Bank engagement. Central to these are four intertwined reforms: tax-base expansion (notably Agricultural Income Tax), GST harmonization, State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) restructuring, and public spending discipline. The success or failure of these measures will decisively shape Pakistan’s macroeconomic stability, growth prospects, and ability to access future financing tranches.

Under the IMF programme approved in September 2024, Pakistan committed to a 37-month Extended Fund Facility worth $7 billion. The first tranche release came with strict conditionality: achieving a primary surplus, passing a market-driven budget, and undertaking structural reforms, including tariff liberalization and energy pricing. These reform obligations have now evolved into a national policy matrix, enshrined in the federal budget and monitored by multilateral partners.

A keystone reform is the Agricultural Income Tax (AIT). Pakistan’s 2023 IMF staff-level agreement mandated taxing farm income-long shielded through political patronage-at rates comparable to corporate income (up to 45%). By June 2025, AIT legislation was passed by parliament and approved by provinces under the National Fiscal Pact. According to IMF staff reviews, the “steadfast implementation” of budget and AIT “rebuilding policymaking credibility” is integral to revenue mobilization. Historically, agriculture represents over 18% of GDP and employs more than 37% of the labor force, yet contributes less than 1% of total tax revenue-a glaring imbalance the IMF has long flagged. The hope is that formalizing this sector’s tax obligations could add PKR 250-300 billion annually to the national exchequer.

Complementing AIT, the shift to a harmonized GST regime ranks high on the agenda. The National Fiscal Pact plans to move from the existing positive-list of taxable services to a negative-list approach by July 2025-expanding the base across all provinces, with Islamabad’s FBR managing federal services under a unified, presumptive framework. This step is expected to reduce tax evasion and administrative complexity by standardizing rates, broadening collection, and leveraging digital compliance systems. The IMF and World Bank estimate GST harmonization alone could add 0.8% to Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio, translating to more than PKR 450 billion in additional annual revenue if implemented effectively.

Overseeing these tax measures, the Pakistan Raises Revenue (PRR) project-backed by a US?$470 million World Bank facility-is accelerating revenue administration reforms. It supports taxpayer registration (1.5 million new taxpayers), upgraded FBR automation, a centralized portal, and compliance tool deployment. These measures aim to sustain the upward momentum in the tax-to-GDP ratio, which has hovered around 9.2% but needs to rise to 13-14% for macro-stability. As of April 2025, FBR had reached only 91% of its target due to slow rollout of enforcement reforms, collecting approximately PKR 5.7 trillion against a PKR 6.3 trillion goal.

Another IMF-WB conditionality nexus lies in SOE restructuring and subsidy rationalization, notably in power and energy sectors. The IMF’s October 2024 program guidelines emphasised SOE governance, independent boards, tariff adjustment mechanisms, and circular debt control. As of mid-2025, “cost-side reforms” and “power tariff adjustments” have yielded early declines in circular debt, from PKR 2.31 trillion in early 2024 to PKR 1.98 trillion. The World Bank singled out energy sector changes as critical to fiscal sustainability and investment viability. Yet, legacy losses in power distribution companies (DISCOs) and lack of private participation continue to impede progress.

In parallel, public spending discipline is enforced. The FY?2025 federal budget cut overall expenditures by 7% and capped the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) to around PKR 1 trillion. International lenders stress steering development financing to provinces under the 18th Amendment-targeting exclusively provincial-impact projects to provincial budgets from FY?2026. This shift aligns with fiscal federalism reforms and reduces duplication of efforts between federal and provincial agencies.

These reforms are already showing impacts. The primary surplus target has been narrowly achieved (~2% of GDP during the first half of FY?2025), thanks to reduced debt servicing costs following SBP’s interest rate cuts (from 22% to 11%) and strict subsidy controls. Pakistan’s fiscal deficit, which stood at 7.9% of GDP in FY?2022-23, is projected to narrow to 4.3% in FY?2025-26 if reform momentum holds. The energy reforms have halted the annual accumulation of circular debt-a critical milestone for both fiscal and operational reform.

Nonetheless, substantial execution risks persist. The historical tax base is narrow; only 1.3% of Pakistanis pay income tax. Initial AIT collections and provincial compliance remain limited. Helps from the PRR project notwithstanding, as of mid-2025 FBR revenues remain PKR 601 billion behind target (?10% shortfall Jul-Feb). Similarly, GST harmonization faces provincial resistance. Though cabinet approval is anticipated before July 1, political and administrative coordination are incomplete. Revenues from existing provincial sales taxes remain highly variable and vulnerable to local politics. World Bank studies suggest regressive GST structures persist-draining low-income citizens unless balanced by targeted safety nets like BISP.

SOE reforms too are slow: while tariff increases and audit transparency have begun, there remains limited progress in installing independent boards, redefining management autonomy, and committing to privatization schedules. Analysts warn that without comprehensive governance overhaul, energy losses and circular debt cycles may resume. The losses from SOEs account for approximately 1.5% of GDP annually and represent a major fiscal burden. Looking ahead, the IMF programme countdown is aggressive. The Q2 2025 review requires finalization of AIT implementation, GST shift, and primary surplus achievement. Q3 actions include SOE reform roadmap, PSDP devolution, and digital tax systems. A Q4 rating hinges on tariff reforms, fiscal consolidation, and GST harmonization tied to provincial legislation. Failure in any must-pass milestone could trigger a pause in IMF disbursements-jeopardizing World Bank lending ($20 billion over 10 years). Such disruptions would spook investors, disrupt macro-stability, deplete FX reserves, elevate borrowing costs, and possibly re-start inflation-mindful of Pakistan’s history of IMF stand-by failures (22 previous since 1958).

To transform conditional reform into transformational development, Pakistan needs to reinforce several strategic levers. Speed up legislative implementation: AIT and GST regulations must be passed before faltering provincial elections disrupt consensus. Implement taxpayer outreach and grievance resolution: Through PRR, digitized systems, simplified returns, and taxpayer education to shift compliance culture. Establish transparent governance mechanisms for SOEs: Independent boards, commercial accountability, and regular oversight. Empower provincial institutions: Ensure that devolved PSDP funds follow transparent criteria, focus on local development, and accountability. Protect low-income groups: Use BISP and targeted subsidies to cushion the poor from regressive tax impacts, especially GST expansions and energy tariff adjustments. Maintain macro prudence: Keep policy interest rates designed to cap inflation expectations, especially if public spending tightens or external shocks emerge.