Pakistan Seeks IMF Nod for Flood Bill Relief

The Government of Pakistan, following directives from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has formally approached the International Monetary Fund seeking permission to defer electricity bills for one month for residents in areas affected by recent floods. The move aims to ease the immediate financial burden on households that have lost homes, crops, livestock, or suffered infrastructure damage due to the severe flooding in provinces like Punjab and Sindh.

To make this relief possible, the Ministry of Finance has held virtual talks with the IMF, and the Power Division has been tasked with collecting detailed data on the flood damage in the affected areas. The data will include estimates of affected consumers, damage to homes and agricultural land, and projected cost of the relief measure, which the IMF reportedly requested before approving the request.

In parallel, the government is considering broader relief efforts for flood victims, including deploying support through the Benazir Income Support Programme and introducing a special relief package for farmers. The agricultural emergency has already been declared in the affected regions, with standing crops on about 1.32 million acres reported submerged, millions displaced, and substantial loss of livestock. The exemption, if granted, could provide crucial breathing space for affected households as they recover from the devastation.

Read more: IMF Delegation Visiting Pakistan by September End