Govt Revises Import Data After $30 Billion Discrepancy to Meet IMF Conditions

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has revised the country's import data to meet International Monetary Fund (IMF) requirements. The PBS found major discrepancies in the data. The differences reached nearly $30 billion over certain periods. As a result, the revisions could significantly affect Pakistan's GDP figures for those periods. The PBS has now updated the monthly and annual import figures. It has also incorporated the revised data into calculations for key sectors of the economy. According to senior government officials, the PBS has completed a detailed report. The bureau has submitted the report to the Ministry of Finance for publication. The ministry is currently reviewing the findings and may release the report by the end of August. Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry is working to align Pakistan's GDP data with IMF standards. The ministry wants to ensure consistency between different government datasets before it publishes the revised figures. The issue emerged after officials found a major gap between import figures reported by the PBS and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). Initially, authorities identified the problem while reviewing trade data between Pakistan and China. Later, officials discovered more discrepancies across several tariff lines. The PBS had not included some of these figures in its calculations. Therefore, authorities launched a broader reconciliation process. The Pakistan Single Window and other relevant institutions joined the process. Together, they worked to identify and correct the discrepancies in the import data. The Prime Minister's Office also took notice of the issue. Subsequently, the IMF raised the matter during its review of Pakistan's economic programme. The IMF then asked the PBS to prepare a comprehensive report by the end of August 2026. The Fund also directed Pakistan to strengthen its procedures for collecting and compiling import data. Read More: SBP Designates Three Major Banks as Systemically Important Banks for 2026 Accordingly, the PBS has revised both monthly and annual statistics. The bureau also plans to provide explanations for the changes to ensure transparency. The IMF review mission is expected to visit Pakistan in early September 2026. The mission will conduct the next review under Pakistan's $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The PBS has completed its assigned task. However, the government is carefully reviewing the revisions because they could have a significant impact on GDP and other economic indicators. The Finance Ministry will decide when to publish the report after completing its analysis. The government expects the revised data to improve the accuracy and transparency of Pakistan's economic statistics.