In a significant turn of events, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced on Friday that it had removed all import restrictions, which fulfilled another International Monetary Fund (IMF) requirement.
The SBP issued a circular that effectively nullified a previous directive issued on December 27, rescinding the import ban, as advised by stakeholders. According to the circular, the preference previously given to specific imports for obtaining foreign exchange has been removed. Authorized dealers have been directed to provide foreign exchange impartially, catering to all import demands.
The directive from the central bank now allows banks to offer foreign exchange for various container imports. A circular instructing banks to lift the ban on such transactions has been disseminated to all banks by the central bank.