LAHORE: By the end of this year, the Punjab government will have a surplus of Rs680 billion. The IMF has acknowledged that the deficit report concerning Punjab is incorrect, and it will soon be updated on the IMF’s website.

This was stated by the Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari, while strongly denying reports about a deficit in the provincial government’s first fiscal quarter.

Releasing an official document to clarify the matter, Azma mentioned that the Punjab government has already recorded a surplus of Rs40 billion in the first quarter. The IMF has confirmed this, noting that Punjab is in a surplus of Rs40 billion for the first quarter and that the province has an investment of Rs200 billion, she added.

During a meeting, the IMF accepted that the deficit reports regarding Punjab were erroneous and that they would be corrected, she said. Azma Bokhari also condemned the false propaganda about the Punjab government being in a deficit. She highlighted that under Maryam Nawaz’s leadership, for the first time since 1952, the overdue wheat debt had been cleared.

Additionally, since Maryam Nawaz became Chief Minister, Punjab’s debt has seen a significant reduction, she added. She urged the media to avoid spreading fabricated news.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024