ISLAMABAD - The cash-starved government is expecting to receive $400 million from United States (US) under Coalition Support Fund (CSF) within remaining five weeks of the outgoing financial year 2011-12, otherwise country’s fiscal deficit would further increase, it has learnt on Tuesday.Background discussions with different officials have revealed that Islamabad is optimistic to receive $400 million from US before June 30, otherwise fiscal deficit could go to around 5.5 to 5.6 per cent of the GDP against the revised target of 4.7 per cent for the outgoing fiscal year 2011-12. “Pakistan was to receive $400 million under the CSF in the current fiscal year, a sum that has not yet been disbursed despite the fact that ten months of the fiscal year has passed”, said an official seeking anonymity. Despite playing front role in war against terror, Pakistan did not receive a single penny from the US during the outgoing financial year. However officials were of the view that Pakistan and US might reach on an agreement regarding opening of NATO supply routes within the outgoing fiscal year (before June 30), which would lead the US to release to outstanding amount of Islamabad. On the other hand, Pakistan has kept $1.2 billion in the budget under the head of coalition support fund for the financial year to come 2012-13.It might be recalled here that government has already crossed the target of fiscal deficit set for the outgoing financial year in the first ten months (July-April) chiefly due to its failure in auctioning of 3G (third generation technology) licences and receiving outstanding amount from Etisalat against privatising Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) apart from other reasons. The government was expecting to receive some Rs 150 billion under these two heads (disbursement of CSF and receiving amount from Etisalat) during the ongoing financial year. 

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