Islamabad – July 23, 2025 — Pakistan’s aggressive push to expand its tax base may be costing more than it’s collecting, warns a hard-hitting new report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The findings paint a troubling picture of misplaced priorities, mounting administrative burdens, and a tax system in dire need of simplification and reform.
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Pakistan, ADB seal $350 million women empowerment deal
Islamabad, June 24, 2025 — In a significant stride towards inclusive economic development, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Pakistan have signed a landmark $350 million loan agreement aimed at advancing women’s economic empowerment in the country.
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ADB Projects 2.5% GDP Growth for Pakistan in FY25
Islamabad, April 9, 2025 – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has projected Pakistan Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth at 2.5% for the fiscal year 2025, attributing the forecast to ongoing tight macroeconomic policies.
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ADB, Pakistan Ink $200M Loan Deal to Boost Electricity Distribution
Islamabad, December 31, 2024 – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Pakistan signed a $200 million loan agreement on Tuesday aimed at enhancing the country’s electricity distribution system.
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Pakistan Secures $200M ADB Loan for Electricity Improvements
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $200 million loan to support Pakistan in modernizing its power distribution infrastructure and enhancing the capacity of distribution companies to provide reliable electricity.
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Pakistan Gets $500M ADB Loan for Climate Adaptation Program
Islamabad, November 19, 2024 – Pakistan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) formalized a $500 million loan agreement on Tuesday under the Climate and Disaster Resilience Enhancement Program (CDREP), signaling a significant step toward addressing the country’s climate challenges and disaster vulnerabilities.
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ADB Okays $320 Million for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Road Upgrade
Islamabad, September 13, 2024 – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan of $320 million to support the rehabilitation and development of roads in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. This investment aims to improve safe, all-weather connectivity for rural areas, enhancing access to essential services such as education, healthcare, and markets.
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ADB Approves $100 Million Loan for Uzbekistan
MANILA, July 16, 2024 — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced on Tuesday the approval of a concessional loan of $100 million aimed at enhancing perinatal health services for pregnant women and their newborns in Uzbekistan.
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ADB Approves $148.5 Million to Enhance Indian Electricity System
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has greenlit a loan of $148.5 million aimed at bolstering the electric distribution system and improving the resilience of the electricity supply in Sikkim, India.
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SBP receives $1.5 billion from Asian Development Bank
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Wednesday night said it received $1.5 billion from Asian Development Bank (ADB) as disbursement of policy based loan for Pakistan.
In a Tweet on Wednesday late night, the central bank said that it had received $1.5 billion from the ADB in value October 26, 2022 as disbursement of policy based loan for the government of Pakistan.
“These proceeds have increased the foreign exchange reserves of SBP and will be reflected in the reserves for the week ending October 28, 2022,” it added.
READ MORE: Asian Bank approves $1.5 billion to finance Pakistan
Earlier an official statement revealed that the ADB released $1.5 billion to the SBP under Building Resilience Under Active Countercyclical Expenditures (BRACE) Program.
The BRACE program aims to support the government’s efforts to deal with the adverse impacts of devastating floods, supply chain disruptions, rising energy, fuel prices and inflation on the poor and vulnerable.
READ MORE: FATF removes Pakistan from grey list
It would expand the number of families receiving cash transfers through Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) from 7.9 million to 9 million, increase the number of children enrolled in primary and secondary schools, and enhance geographic coverage of health services and nutritional supplies for pregnant and lactating mothers and children under 2 years old.
The program is completely aligned with the Government’s strategy to provide targeted and temporary countercyclical relief measures.
The facility aims to support deployment of planned countercyclical development expenditure and will promote sound macroeconomic management.
READ MORE: Foreign direct investment in Pakistan plunges by 47% in 1QFY23
The program is also in line with the framework of ongoing International Monetary Fund (IMF) program to implement necessary structural reforms to improve the country’s macroeconomic prospects.
It will also enhance support for business entities to safeguard employment and would help increasing food security measures as well. Furthermore, it will also strengthen social safety net and fiscal measures for the government’s crisis response.
The BRACE program amounting to US$ 1.5 billion was approved by the ADB Board on Friday, 21st October 2022.
This program was initially conceived and approved by the ADB’s Board in May 2022 under a new Countercyclical Support Facility (CSF) to provide targeted support to its developing member countries (DMCs) facing emergency situations.
READ MORE: Pakistan’s weekly forex reserves increase nominally
The signing ceremony of the BRACE Program was held on 24th October 2022 at Prime Minister House, which was witnessed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Ishaq Dar along with Director General ADB Central and West Asia Department.