Pakistan Wants B+ Rating Next Year

Pakistan is aiming for a B+ sovereign credit rating next fiscal year, according to Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, who spoke to Bloomberg TV. The country has achieved three credit rating upgrades since last year, with Moody’s changing its rating from Caa1 to B3 in August and S&P Global raising it to B from B- in July. These upgrades have been driven by improvements in Pakistan's economic conditions and financial position.

The country narrowly avoided default in 2022 with assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and has seen its foreign exchange reserves hit a record high following a $3 billion Eurobond issuance. Aurangzeb indicated that Pakistan is not in a hurry to issue bonds this fiscal year but is diversifying its borrowing options, including appointing banks for future Islamic sukuk offerings and exploring dollar-settled bonds denominated in rupees.

The government also plans to seek bids for the remaining portion of its panda bond programme and is considering tokenising existing Eurobonds. Additionally, Pakistan is in talks with the US over a potential $10 billion liquidity facility, separate from conventional loans or credit lines, as trade tariff discussions approach their final phase.

Brief written by urgent.news from ProPakistani's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.