IMF urges Pakistan to enhance social support programs

Islamabad:  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Sunday emphasized the need for Pakistan to augment its social support initiatives beyond the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP).

The IMF released a statement and said that Pakistan should implement additional measures to broaden social protection for vulnerable segments of society.

The lending institution urged the incoming elected government to uphold expenditures on social security programs until the conclusion of the ongoing financial year.

The IMF stressed the importance of sustained efforts in managing social assistance programs effectively.

Furthermore, the IMF advised that subsidized electricity and gas tariff tiers should be maintained. While the targets for health and education expenditures were met in September of the current fiscal year, the caretaker government fell short of achieving the December benchmarks due to limited capacity, the IMF noted.