Pakistan to spend 'bare minimum' $6 billion to boost economic growth

The government's GDP target for next year is a percentage point higher than the IMF's 4% projection, and FM Tarin is seeking to boost growth to 6% in the year after

Pakistan plans to boost spending on large infrastructure projects by as much as 40% to create jobs and foster productivity in an economy crippled by the coronavirus pandemic, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin said.

The federal government will earmark as much as $6 billion for development expenditure in the year beginning July, Tarin, who took office last month, said in an interview in Islamabad. The economy needs to expand by 5% next year, he said.

“That’s the bare minimum we need for a country this size,” said Tarin, who is due to present a new budget next month for the world’s fifth most-populous