its an assignment of international trade and finance on the topic, how to pull Pakistan out of heavy debt? I hope you will find it very helpful.

1. International Trade &
Finance
Assignment Number: 01
Assignment TITLE: How to pull Pakistan out of Heavy Debt?
Submitted To: Sir Hassan Kamran
Submitted By:
Zulqarnayn Shehzad (1285)
Aamir Shahzad (1304)
Shahtaj Ahmed (1299)
Saad Chaudhry (1305)
Muzaffar Mehmood (1265)
BBA-E8, Hajvery University, Lahore

2. Contents
1. Introduction
2. Debt Threat to Pak Economy
3. A Shot History of SAPs and the Aftermaths
4. Deadly Debt Trap
5. Pakistan’s National Debt Details
6. Comparison with other Nations
7. Printing Currency in Pakistan
8. Remedies to Reduce Foreign Debts
9. Mechanism to Handle External Perspectives of Pak Economy
10. Conclusion

3. Introduction
Pakistan is faced with low standards of living, underdevelopment, and high poverty
level, weak and unstable currency, low capital level and low GDP. All the above
problems faced by Pakistan are caused by debts which affect not only those who
acquire loans but also generations that follow.
Pakistan Government has cut back on social, health, environmental conservation,
employment and other important programs. The workers’ unions are fighting against
intensified exploitation and attacks on their rights and working conditions. They are
mounting a powerful resistance to the drive towards privatization and the single-minded
pursuit of maximum profits in the name of global competitiveness. Constant currency
devaluation for the last about five years have costs paying the people of Pakistan,
including a plunge in output, a squeeze on living standards and the much higher
inflation. For a country of an 18 Million people, majority of whom are young and have
most of their lives and dreams ahead of them – they deserve a better Government.
Debt Threat to Pak Economy
The debt problem also has internal impacts in addition to the external problem of
repayment. Our growing national debt is a threat not only to domestic programs but
also adversely affects our foreign policy. The heavily indebted Pakistan have not
established a good track record of making improvements in either debt or poverty
reduction.
The World Bank and the IMF are said to be the two largest sources of foreign currency
loans claiming working for poverty alleviation in the poorest countries of the world and
today have a strong influence over economic policies in those countries. Both the
institutions are too big, too powerful, and too over-extended working under the
influence of rich countries, especially the US, who use the IMF and World Bank as
instruments of financial diplomacy.
Both the institutions purposely extended liberal loans to our rulers which are now hard
to repay back because most of these loans were either so poorly designed that the
political elites of borrowing countries wasted on luxuries or white elephant projects and
could not reap enough income to pay them back or in other cases, politicians,
government officials and private contractors siphoned off the funds into Swiss and other
private international banks and very little was invested productively with a view of
achieving sustainable economic growth.

4. A Short History of SAPs and the Aftermaths
Structural adjustment programs (SAPs) were implemented in Pakistan since the 1990s
to ensure the repayment of debts. The SAPs were designed by the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank and imposed as a condition for further loans.
The structural adjustment measures, global, unregulated free markets and lack of
protection for emerging economies all contributed to the economic and financial crisis.
As a result of adopting SAPs for getting further loans Pakistan is constrained to divert
resources away from social provisions to repay debt; those most affected are the poor,
especially women and children. Pakistan now pays more money as debt servicing to the
World Bank and the IMF each year than it invests in social sectors like education, health
and physical infrastructure. Privatization program under SAPs has fostered the worst
manifestation of crony capitalism, when choice national assets were sold to cronies of
the ruling elite almost free of cost.
These measures have forced the country on a path of deregulated free market
economy. Under the SAPs the Government has adopted the principal of cost-recovery
for social services and the gradual withdrawal of the state from basic health and
educational services in the name of so-called ‘Public Expenditure Review’. SAPs have
failed to achieve their goals. They have not created wealth and economic development
as unregulated markets did not benefit the poor and failed to protect the delivery of
social services; the people of Pakistan still have to suffer under structural adjustment
programs.
Deadly Debt Trap
Pakistan trapped in deadly ‘debt prison’ needs concentrated short and long term efforts
to come out of it. Unfortunately, till today no workable plan and viable strategy is
devised by the government or any political party in opposition to tackle the issue. The
debt burden — Rs14.5 billion internal and $60 billion external — is becoming
unmanageable as major resources are consumed by debt servicing. The budget
allocation of Rs1.52 trillion for retiring public debt and payment of interest during fiscal
year 2013-14 would prove short as there was surge of Rs180 billion in external debts
alone during July 2013.
On July 29, 2013, the rupee recorded its lowest value against the dollar: Rs102.4 in the
interbank market, Rs104.7 in open market, but actual rate was Rs105.5. Continuous
slide of the rupee is not merely due to widening demand-supply gap or maneuverings

5. by unscrupulous elements. Other factors are external debt repayments of around
$1billion and speculations about official devaluation in the wake of IMF bailout.
Devaluation will have devastating effects e.g. tremendous surge in public debt (one
rupee loss in the exchange rate adds Rs60 billion to public debt), enhancement in debt
servicing, further widening of fiscal deficit and more expensive imports, especially of
crude oil raising cost of all goods and services.
Already huge debt servicing is taking a heavy toll on economy — fiscal deficit for
financial year 2012-13 jumped to 8.8 per cent of GDP as shortfall on the part of Federal
Board of Revenue (FBR) alone was Rs442 billion. The fast depletion of foreign exchange
reserves — from $14.776 billion in July 2011 to $5.153 billion by July 2013 —
aggravated the situation. Heavy repayments to the IMF and others plus financing of
current account deficit amounting to $2.3 billion in 2012-13 forced the new government
to approach the IMF for a bailout package.
The situation on internal debt is equally disturbing. The government, for the first time in
the history, borrowed from local banks Rs one trillion during the fiscal year 2012-13.
The net government borrowing from domestic banks increased to Rs1.012 trillion
between July 1, 2012 and June 28, 2013 against Rs629.9 billion over the same period
last fiscal year. The federal government borrowed Rs1.005 trillion for budgetary support
as compared to Rs696.5 billion during the corresponding period fiscal year.
The reckless and unabated borrowing from commercial banks is not only retarding
growth but also depriving private sector of the much-needed funds for investments. It
is but also forcing State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to inject heavy amounts of liquidity in
the banking system through frequent open market operations as high borrowings wipe
out liquidity from the money market.
The only way to come out of prevalent mess is to accelerate growth, generate
employment, enhance tax revenues, and stop financing luxuries of elites and losses of
public sector enterprises (PSEs). But the present government, like the PPP-coalition
government, is not serious about it. During its election campaign, the Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz (PML-N) made tall claims that on assuming power it will get rid of the
“cancer of external debts”.
However, the PML-N government is knocking the doors of international lenders more
vigorously than the PPP. Besides the IMF’s lending of $5.3 billion to pay off previous
loan, Government is approaching Asian Development Bank and World Bank for further
borrowing. The main priority of the government is to rely more on external borrowing
than mobilizing own resources.

6. Pakistan’s National Debt Details:
Total National Debt: $56.91 Billion
Total External Debt: $67.1 Billion
Interest per Year: $5.4 Billion
GDP: $229.1 Billion
Debt as % of GDP: 24.75%
Population: 176 Million
Debt per Citizen: $321
Comparison with other Nations
Total Debts of Pakistan: $133 Billion
Total Debts of USA: $59.4 Trillion
Total Debts of China: $1.3 Trillion
Total Debts of Japan: $10.46 Trillion
Printing of Currency in Pakistan
 Rs 1.5 to 3 Billion/day
 This much amount of printing leads to Inflation
 Pak recent Inflation rate Almost 10.9%
 Inflation in other countries: Zimbabwe worst effected
 100 Billion Zimbabwe Dollars can buy only 3 eggs.
Remedies to Reduce Foreign Debts:
 Tax Reforms
 Rapid Economic Growth (i.e. 6% in 2008 and 2.4% GDP growth rate in 2012)
 Foreign Investments
 Promote Economist & Research Scholars
 Eradicating Corruption
Mechanism to Handle External Perspectives of Pak Economy
 Reduce Govt. Expenditure
 Stable basis for Growth
 Getting of Roller Coaster Economy

7.  Reduce Balance of Payments
 Promote Export
 Reduce Imports
 Expanding Trade Basis
 Implementation of RGST
 Proper Collection and Utilization of Public Finance
 Promote Free Trade with Neighbors
 Encourage FDI's
 Foresightedness in Policy Making
Conclusion
 The challenges faced by Pakistan’s economy are quite formidable but the
salvation lies in resumption of growth that will result in decline in both
unemployment and the incidence of poverty and preserve the living standards of
the middle class.
 The reprioritization of development expenditures, savings on recurrent
expenditure, reduction in across-the-board subsidies to public sector enterprises
and corporations, improvement in tax collection and levy of flood surcharge tax
along with the grants and donations from the international community for flood
rehabilitation works can provide the stimulus for growth.
 Governance reforms are the key to economic stability and growth in Pakistan and
should be relentlessly pursued.
 The government needs to extend the masses a helping hand to fend for
themselves, not so much by schemes like the BISP, but by providing impetus for
the utilization of the huge, idle reservoir of human and natural resources for
economic development and peoples’ well-being.
References:
www.nationaldebtclock.org
www.pakistanthinktank.org
www.sbp.com.pk