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Budget-implementation shake-up imminent as govt engages IMF | The Express Tribune

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Budget-implementation shake-up imminent as govt engages IMF | The Express Tribune


Fifteen reform proposals have been under intense discussion between Pakistani authorities and an IMF tech team

In a bid to plug long-standing leaks in its fiscal machinery, the Ministry of Finance is scrambling to finalise a comprehensive set of proposals aimed at overhauling Pakistan’s budget-implementation system, with plans to present the reforms to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by next month, highly placed officials told The Express Tribune.

The reform package—built around 15 proposals—has been under intense discussion between Pakistani authorities and an IMF technical team. At the heart of the plan is a push to fully digitise the Public Finance Management (PFM) system, a move that officials believe could end chronic inconsistencies that have long plagued budget execution.

To steer this transformation, the government is considering the formation of a specialised committee tasked solely with overseeing the implementation of the digitisation plan.

Read: Pakistan faces risk of corruption-related money laundering

The reforms also envisage taking the entire budget-preparation cycle online through e-office and e-pads, streamlining financial data, and preparing budgets on the basis of consolidated, verified datasets. Officials insist that improved coordination with line ministries is crucial to making the annual budget process less fragmented and more evidence-based.

Sources confirmed that the IMF mission has also held wide-ranging talks on possible adjustments to tax policy for the upcoming budget—an area where the Fund has consistently pushed Pakistan to undertake deeper, more politically difficult reforms.

The Ministry of Finance maintains that the objective of these measures is straightforward: create a transparent, efficient and digitally integrated budget-implementation system that strengthens fiscal discipline and reduces the scope for manipulation.

The urgency behind these reforms has sharpened after the IMF, earlier this week, issued a stark warning about Pakistan’s entrenched corruption challenges. In its Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Report—released by the Ministry of Finance on November 19—the Fund flagged “significant risks of corruption-related money laundering,” particularly in banking, real estate, construction, dealings involving politically exposed persons and public procurement.

The report paints a picture of systemic institutional weaknesses and presses Islamabad to immediately roll out a 15-point reform agenda to improve integrity across the board.

Also Read: IMF opposes purchasing rule tweaks

In a separate but related admonition, the IMF criticised the federal and Punjab governments for amending procurement rules to allow contracts to be handed to state departments without competitive bidding—practices that, according to the Fund, have opened the door to opaque subletting arrangements with private firms.

The IMF has now demanded that Pakistan eliminate preferential treatment for state-owned enterprises within a year, warning that such exemptions distort competition, create opportunities for abuse and increase corruption risks.

The coming weeks, officials say, will determine whether Islamabad can translate these reform plans into actionable commitments—something the IMF will scrutinise closely as it weighs Pakistan’s next steps.



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Stock market today: Which are top gainers and losers on NSE & BSE on May 25? Check list

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Stock market today: Which are top gainers and losers on NSE & BSE on May 25? Check list


Stock market rallied sharply on Monday, with the Sensex soaring more than 1,000 points and the Nifty reclaiming the 24,000 mark, as easing geopolitical tensions in West Asia and falling crude oil prices boosted investor sentiment globally.The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 1,073.61 points, or 1.42 per cent, to close at 76,488.96, while the NSE Nifty 50 surged 312.40 points, or 1.32 per cent, to settle at 24,031.70.The rally came after optimism grew around a possible agreement between the United States and Iran, following remarks by US President Donald Trump over the weekend that a deal was “largely negotiated”.

Nifty50 top gainers

Company Name Current Price (Rs) Price Change % Change
Eicher Motors 7,414 433.00 ↑ 6.20% ↑
Adani Ent. 2,850 132.00 ↑ 4.88% ↑
Bajaj Finance 941.90 25.40 ↑ 2.77% ↑
Tata Motors PV 373.25 9.90 ↑ 2.73% ↑
L&T 4,033 107.00 ↑ 2.72% ↑
HDFC Bank 786.85 20.10 ↑ 2.62% ↑
Eternal 247.67 5.72 ↑ 2.37% ↑
Bajaj Finserv 1,807 41.40 ↑ 2.35% ↑
Kotak Bank 392.85 8.71 ↑ 2.27% ↑
Shriram Finance 961.95 21.00 ↑ 2.23% ↑

Sensex top gainers

Company Name Current Price (Rs) Price Change % Change
Bajaj Finance 941.90 25.40 ↑ 2.77% ↑
L&T 4,033 107.00 ↑ 2.72% ↑
HDFC Bank 786.85 20.10 ↑ 2.62% ↑
Eternal 247.67 5.72 ↑ 2.37% ↑
Bajaj Finserv 1,807 41.40 ↑ 2.35% ↑
Kotak Bank 392.85 8.71 ↑ 2.27% ↑
ICICI Bank 1,292 27.50 ↑ 2.18% ↑
SBI 969.60 20.40 ↑ 2.15% ↑
Axis Bank 1,311 25.80 ↑ 2.01% ↑
Titan Company 4,159 79.40 ↑ 1.95% ↑

Nifty50 top losers

Company Name Current Price (Rs) Price Change % Change
Max Healthcare 1,001 -22.40 ↓ -2.19% ↓
ONGC 284.95 -5.06 ↓ -1.75% ↓
Hindalco 1,100 -9.61 ↓ -0.87% ↓
Nestle India 1,414 -9.50 ↓ -0.67% ↓
Bajaj Auto 10,491 -58.50 ↓ -0.56% ↓
Infosys 1,169 -6.00 ↓ -0.52% ↓
TCS 2,308 -9.11 ↓ -0.40% ↓
Tata Consumer 1,187 -4.60 ↓ -0.39% ↓
HUL 2,197 -7.10 ↓ -0.33% ↓
Sun Pharma 1,841 -4.00 ↓ -0.22% ↓

Sensex top losers

Company Name Current Price (Rs) Price Change % Change
Infosys 1,169 -6.00 ↓ -0.52% ↓
TCS 2,308 -9.11 ↓ -0.40% ↓
HUL 2,197 -7.10 ↓ -0.33% ↓
Sun Pharma 1,841 -4.00 ↓ -0.22% ↓
Kwality Wall’s 26.33 -0.06 ↓ -0.19% ↓

Oil prices tumble as Iran deal hopes rise

Investor confidence improved as markets increasingly priced in the possibility of a diplomatic breakthrough between Washington and Tehran, which could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and ease global energy supply concerns.According to news agency ANI, market expert Ponmudi R said optimism surrounding a potential US-Iran agreement revived risk appetite across global markets.“Investor sentiment improved significantly after Donald Trump stated over the weekend that a deal was ‘largely negotiated’, encouraging markets to increasingly price in the possibility of a near-term diplomatic resolution,” he said.He added that markets would look for the “successful implementation of a lasting peace agreement and the credible reopening of the Strait of Hormuz”.Brent crude prices dropped sharply below the $100 per barrel mark and were trading around $98 per barrel, down more than 5 per cent during the session.The Indian rupee also recovered strongly, gaining 48 paise to trade at Rs 95.21 against the US dollar after recent weakness.

Banking stocks lead market rally

Financial stocks led the gains on Dalal Street. Bajaj Finance, Larsen & Toubro, HDFC Bank, Eternal, Bajaj Finserv and Kotak Mahindra Bank emerged among the top Sensex gainers.Sectorally, Nifty PSU Bank rose 2.73 per cent, while Nifty Private Bank advanced 2.02 per cent, as per ANI. Nifty Auto climbed 1.66 per cent and Realty gained 1.54 per cent.However, FMCG stocks remained under pressure. Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Sun Pharma and Hindustan Unilever were among the laggards.

Global markets gain amid improving sentiment

Asian markets also ended higher on Monday amid improving global risk appetite. Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 2.76 per cent, while Taiwan’s weighted index jumped 3.15 per cent.European markets were trading in positive territory, while US markets had settled higher on Friday.Meanwhile, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 4,440.47 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.



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PSX gains over 2,500 points as US-Iran peace hopes fuel bullish rally | The Express Tribune

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PSX gains over 2,500 points as US-Iran peace hopes fuel bullish rally | The Express Tribune


KSE-100 surges past 170,000 intraday on strong institutional buying, easing geopolitical tensions


KARACHI:

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) extended strong bullish momentum on Monday as the benchmark KSE-100 Index hovered around 170,423.30 points at 1:24pm, up 2,579.06 points or 1.54% in intraday trade.

During the session, the benchmark index touched an intraday high of 171,519.26 points, while the day’s low was recorded at 170,161.66 points. Market participation remained strong, with traded volume reaching 125.96 million shares and total traded value standing at Rs11.75 billion.

Read: PSX gains 2,248 points in mixed week

Investor sentiment remained upbeat amid reports of a likely peace agreement between the United States and Iran, which boosted confidence across regional markets and improved risk appetite among investors. 

Analysts said the rally was driven by aggressive institutional buying and renewed optimism over easing geopolitical tensions following progress in US-Iran negotiations.

The previous close of the KSE-100 index was 167,844.24 points.



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Oil prices slide on hopes of US-Iran peace deal

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Oil prices slide on hopes of US-Iran peace deal



Trump said on Saturday that an agreement would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, without giving further details.



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