Dar discusses steps for improving public debt management

Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar here on Sunday chaired a meeting to discuss measures for improving public debt management. Director General (Debt), Finance Division, briefed the Finance Minister about the steps taken for synchronization of retail and wholesale debt, said a statement issued here.

The Minister asked for data projections related to external debt and directed that Economic Affairs Division (EAD) might share the said data with the Debt Office on regular basis. During the course of the discussion, it was agreed that there was a need to have an optimal composition between domestic and external debt portfolios for cost effectiveness. The Minister appreciated all the efforts for effective debt management and provided guidelines with regard to market issues and in house improvement.

Earlier, Dar said the Japanese companies were an important facet of Pak-Japan economic linkages and appreciated their contribution in the Pakistani market. He was talking to Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan Hiroshi Inomata, who called on him discuss the issues being faced by Japanese companies.

The envoy informed the minister about the visit of JICA team to Pakistan which would evaluate the progress on Energy Sector DPC-II. He also apprised him of tax related matters, including sales tax refunds, raised by the Japanese companies operating in Pakistan, said a Finance Ministry press release. He also shared with the minister the request of Japanese pharmaceutical company, Otsuka Pakistan, for revision of prices of infusion solutions keeping in view the hike in their cost of production.