Pakistan’s exit from grey list: Business community sees promising economic future

ISLAMABAD: Following Pakistan’s exit from Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list, the business community on Sunday said coming out of the watchdog’s increased monitoring process would boost economic activities and help put the ailing economy back on sustainable growth path.  

The business community said the decision would restore the confidence of international financial institutions, help attract foreign direct investment, and promote exports from the country besides improving credit ratings for the country.

Commenting on the mega development, President Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Irfan Iqbal Shaikh lauded the efforts of civil and military leadership and said that it would further cement the government’s endeavours to attain sustainable economic development.

It will also address the liquidity issues as releases from the multilateral and other donor agencies such as IMF, ADB, WB and Paris Club would further enhance, he said adding that it would further boost the “credibility and rating of the local economy that would attract foreign direct investment”.

Meanwhile, President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari said that the removal from FATF’s grey list would boost the confidence of international creditors and donors agencies including International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank and other development agencies.

He said that the decision would also help in promoting soft image of the country in all international forums, adding that the credit rating of Pakistan would improve as well, which will be another development signal for the economy of the country.

Pakistan had borne accumulative financial losses to the tune of $40 billion during the last three years as it was put on the grey list of FATF, he said, adding that the removal would attract more export orders from abroad and help in bridging the widening trade deficit.

“Besides, it will also help reduce rupee-dollar parity as well as ease negotiations with IMF and other multilateral donors and creditors,” he said, adding that it will also provide positive input for the rescheduling of all payable and creating sufficient liquidity scope for the country.

Pakistan Hi-Tech Hybrid Seed Association (PHHSA) Shahzad Ali Malik said that it was a good omen that FATF excluded Pakistan from the grey list of global watchdog on terror financing and money laundering after over four years, in a major setback to India which had always tried to keep Pakistan on the list.

He said as a result of FATF’s decision, economic activities would accelerate and greatly help to restore the confidence of investors across the globe.

Read More: PM Shehbaz Sharif says Pakistan’s exit from FATF grey list was collective effort

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has announced the removal of Pakistan from its grey list, appreciating the country’s efforts in anti-money laundering and anti-terror financing.

The Financial Action Task Force has decided by consensus that Pakistan has completed all substantial, technical and procedural requirements of both the 2018 and 2021 Action Plans. As a result, Pakistan has been taken off the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, with immediate effect.