The World Bank has agreed to $20bn of new lending to Pakistan over the next decade as the multilateral lender seeks to support the cash-strapped government in undertaking reforms to stabilise the economy.
The move to a 10-year country partnership framework — from short-term adjustment programmes previously — is aimed at shielding the lender’s investments from crisis-hit Pakistan’s political turbulence and incentivising the government to stick to reforms announced in recent months.
“Our new decade-long partnership framework for Pakistan represents a long-term anchor for our joint commitment with the government to address some of the most acute development challenges facing the country,” Najy Benhassine, the World Bank’s Pakistan country director, said in a statement.