The government has decided to delay announcing its 2008-09 budget until June 10, having earlier set a date of June 7, a senior official told Reuters on Monday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani's possible absence from the country forced the delay.
The coalition government that emerged from February elections is expected to announce a budget that would provide relief for the poor of the poor, most vulnerable to the effects of soaring international fuel and food commodity prices, while at the same time dragging down a fiscal deficit that ballooned as a result of subsidies.
Pakistan is targeting 6.5 percent growth in the 2008-09 fiscal year through better macro-economic management and expected growth in the farm and manufacturing sectors, a government official said last month.
The trade deficit has been projected at 15.9 billion dollars in the upcoming fiscal year, with exports at 21.6 billion dollars and imports at 37.6 billion dollars, while the current account deficit will be targeted at 12.5 billion dollars.
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