TAHIR AMIN

ISLAMABAD: The country provisionally received $ 5.79 billion, i.e, 72 percent of budgeted estimates of foreign assistance from multilateral and bilateral donors in the first ten months (July-April) of the current financial year 2016-17.

The Economic Affaires Division (EAD) data shows that country received $ 5.79 billion in the current fiscal year (July-April) against $ 5.68 billion during the same period of last year.

The government budgeted foreign assistance of $ 7.998 billion including grants and loans against $ 9.18 billion budgeted for 2015-16. The budgeted estimates include a significant amount - $ 2.005 billion - from commercial banks for 2016-17.

The country received $ 491.78 million in the month of April including $ 458.6 million loans and $ 33.18 million grants. The latest figures show that the country provisionally received $ 5.415 billion in loans and $ 378.82 million grant in the current fiscal year.

Pakistan received $ 1.082 billion from China in the current fiscal year including $ 49.55 million in the month of April against the budgeted $ 572.3 million for the current financial year. The country had received $619.4 million from China during the same period of last year.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) disbursed $ 914.31 million in the current financial year including $62.83 million in the month of April against the budgeted estimates of $1048.2 million for the current fiscal year, i.e, 87 percent.

International Development Association (IDA) disbursed $ 496.82 million including $ 339.28 million in the month of April, i.e, 33 percent of the budgeted estimates of $ 1.468 billion, IDB (S-Term) disbursed $350 million i.e.77 percent of the budgeted estimates of $ 452 million and USA disbursed $72.83 million including $ 3.62 million in the month of April i.e. 65 percent of the budgeted estimates of $111.41 million.

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) disbursed $ 188.72 million including $ 11.25 million in the month of April against the budgeted estimates of $ 62.48 million for the current fiscal year, UNHCR disbursed $0.77 million, IDB $ 78.72 million, Japan disbursed $44.56 million against the budgeted $ 77.13 million for the current fiscal year and UK released $ 149.74 million including $ 9.76 million in April. EU disbursed $ 17.84 million in the current financial year against the budgeted estimates of $51.12 million.

Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) disbursed $0.11 million in April under the head of grant, bringing the total disbursement to $17.04 million in the current fiscal year against the budgeted estimates of $18.75 million.

The government has also borrowed $2.38 million from Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in the month of April bringing the total borrowing to $21.38 million in the current financial year which was not budgeted as per the EAD data.

The government has borrowed $1.315 billion from commercial banks in the current fiscal year against the budgeted estimates of $ 2.005 billion. In addition, the government issued Sukuk of one billion dollar during the current fiscal year (July-April).

The country received no assistance from France, Korea, Norway, Oman, Saudi Arabia, UNDP and Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in the current fiscal year 2016-17.