The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has appointed a new country head for Pakistan ahead of high-stake talks for the release of $1 billion loan tranche and holding a comprehensive review of health of Pakistan’s economy under Article-IV.
Pakistan and IMF will hold staff-level discussions from October 4 to decide the thorny issues like further increase in electricity tariffs and approval of a highly controversial State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Amendment Bill 2021 by the Parliament, the government sources told The Express Tribune.
The successful conclusion of the talks would facilitate immediate disbursements of $1 billion by the IMF and another $1.6 billion by the Asian Development Bank ($600 million) and the World Bank ($1 billion) over the course of the current fiscal year.
Neither the finance ministry nor the IMF gave comments and preferred to officially remain tightlipped.
Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin has already announced to visit Washington from October 11 to 17 to hold talks with the top IMF management on sidelines of the annual meetings.
