KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) – The World Bank’s board of executive directors approved $350 million in financing for the Second Resilient Institutions for Sustainable Economy (RISE-II) operation in Pakistan on Tuesday.
RISE-II aims to strengthen fiscal management and promote competitiveness for sustained and inclusive economic growth in the country whose economy is struggling to grow, with persistently high inflation and foreign reserves running low.
“Based on the foundations laid through RISE II and parallel support by other IFIs, Pakistan has the opportunity to tackle long-standing structural distortions in its economy after the upcoming general elections,” Derek H. C. Chen, task team leader of the operation said in a statement.
“Failing to use this opportunity would risk plunging the country back into stop-and-go economic cycles,” Chen added.
The operation also aims to foster growth and competitiveness by reducing the cost of tax compliance, improving financial sector transparency, encouraging the use of digital payments and promoting exports by lowering import tariffs, the World Bank said in its statement.
(Reporting by Ariba Shahid in Karachi; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Miral Fahmy)
