ISLAMABAD: A delegation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is expected to arrive in Pakistan on Monday, February 3, for talks to release of the $6-billion Extended Fund Facility's (EFF) third tranche.
According to the organisation's resident representative for Pakistan, Teresa Daban, the IMF team will hold talks with the Pakistani leadership the same day. The discussions with the government will continue till February 13.
Daban also confirmed that the review delegation would issue its report at the conclusion of its Pakistan visit. Sources said the IMF delegation would conduct a quarterly review of the country's economy.
The mission would also review the performance of different ministries and departments, as well as the energy and tax reforms.
In December 2019, the money lending institute said Pakistan’s programme was on track and had started to bear fruit, but warned that risks remain. The statement from the IMF came after it approved second tranche of $452 million under the $6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for Pakistan.
The IMF Executive Board on July 3 had approved a three-year bailout package worth $6 billion to Pakistan. Soon after the agreement was signed, Pakistan had received the first tranche of loan of $991.4 million from the fund.
Following the Executive Board’s decision, First Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair David Lipton, in a statement, said that the country’s EFF programme was on track and had started to bear fruit, but warned that risks remain.
Lipton also called for strong ownership and steadfast reform implementation which he termed were “critical to entrench macroeconomic stability and support robust and balanced growth”.