IMF Mission to Arrive in Pakistan Tomorrow For First Review

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission will arrive in Islamabad on Monday for the first economic review of Pakistan’s $7 billion bailout arrangement and disbursement of the next loan tranche of $1 billion, Finance Ministry sources told ProPakistani. The nine-member review mission will be led by Nathan Porter. The IMF mission will stay for two weeks, concluding on March 15. The review will begin with technical discussions before moving to policy-level negotiations with government officials. The delegation will also present recommendations for the next fiscal year’s budget. Any relief for the salaried class will be subject to IMF approval. Sources added that talks will involve key institutions, including the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Planning, and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). The IMF team will also engage with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), and other state departments.