Islamabad, December 25, 2023 : The Finance Ministry categorically dismissed as unfounded the news broadcast by a private channel, which claimed a delay in releasing funds for development projects and salaries.
In a counter statement, the Ministry’s spokesperson declared that the news aired on a private channel, alleging a delay in releasing funds for development projects and federal government employee salaries, was entirely unfounded and false.
The spokesperson further commented, “It would have been appropriate for the news channel to contact the Finance Division’s spokesperson before broadcasting such news, but unfortunately, this was not done.”
Pakistan continues to adhere to all International Monetary Fund (IMF) program commitments, as demonstrated by the seamless and successful completion of the Staff Level Agreement (SLA) during the first review, according to the statement.
The release further provided details on key fiscal highlights related to fund availability, noting that the finance division has already disbursed funds for both current (salary, pension, and non-ERE) and development expenditure for the second quarter.
Additionally, the Planning, Development, and Special Initiative (PD & SI) Division has duly allocated funds for development expenditure to line ministries. Contrary to the specific channel’s report, there have been no alterations in the release strategy by either the Finance Division or the Planning Division.
Furthermore, the statement noted that the finance division has disbursed all Quarter 2 funds for the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), and the transfer of funds to beneficiaries is already in progress.
Likewise, the division has fulfilled all commitments to subsidize the power sector in accordance with the Circular Debt Management Plan (CDMP) requirements. Additionally, in adherence to tradition, the Finance Division has ensured the timely release of salaries to the Christian community before Christmas.
The statement emphasized that revenue collection by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and non-tax revenue (NTR) collection by other ministries are progressing as planned.
“These facts unequivocally demonstrate that the reported news lacked evidence and neglected the government’s perspective,” it further stated.
