'No change in budget date': Govt dismisses Eid-related delay

• NEC and APCC schedules under review.
• IMF talks resume with relief focus.
• ADB funding decision expected June 3.

ISLAMABAD: Amid speculations regarding a possible delay due to Eid holidays, Federal Finance Secretary Imdadullah Bosal on Thursday confirmed the federal budget will be presented on June 10 as planned.

In an informal chat with reporters, he said the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting date may be revised, while the upcoming fiscal year’s budget is being finalised in consultation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Bosal also said Pakistan and the IMF will resume virtual talks today, where relief measures for the salaried class and industrial sector will be discussed.

He noted that the date for the Annual Plan Coordination Committee (APCC) meeting remains undecided.

He also stated that $800 million in funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is expected to be approved on June 3.

Earlier today, Finance Ministry sources indicated that the federal government could further delay the presentation of the Budget 2025–26 due to scheduling constraints posed by Eid holidays.

As Eid ul Adha is set to fall on June 7 and 8 (Saturday and Sunday), sources indicate that the third day of Eid, June 9, will have to be declared a working day to accommodate critical economic proceedings.

The schedule includes the meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) and the release of the Economic Survey 2025 on the same day.

However, finance ministry sources say it will be unfeasible to conduct both the NEC meeting and the Economic Survey launch on June 9.

The NEC meeting, which typically spans the entire day, finalises the federal and provincial development programmes and is attended by the chief ministers of all four provinces, the prime minister of Azad Kashmir, and representatives from Gilgit-Baltistan.

Traditionally, a two-day gap is observed between the NEC meeting and the formal presentation of the federal budget in parliament. In light of this, officials suggest that the budget may now be presented on June 12, two days later than the currently expected June 10.

A few days back, the federal government had postponed the budget presentation from the initially planned June 2 to June 10, citing unresolved fiscal targets in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.

Talks between the government and the IMF resumed last week but failed to yield a breakthrough.

Meanwhile, Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has signalled tax relief for the salaried class, saying the upcoming federal budget will include measures to ease the financial burden on salaried individuals.

Speaking at an event in Islamabad on Monday, the finance minister said the government is actively working to reduce the tax burden on salaried persons, adding that their income is taxed as soon as it is credited into their accounts.

He stressed the need for a strategic direction in the budget, not just a statement of income and expenditure.