Ishaq Dar: Final round with IMF on right track

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has said that final round of negotiations with International Monetary Fund (IMF) is under way and is on the right track.

Talking to newsmen in Islamabad on Thursday, the finance minister said there iss no hitch in the talks and everything is going fine. “More talks are going to be held with the IMF today. We will inform you very soon,” he told the reporters.

Dispelling the impression that there were differences between the government and the IMF, Ishaq Dar said negotiations with the money lending organisation were going on smoothly. “There will again be talks with the IMF’s delegation today,” Dar said, adding, “The nation will hear good news soon.”

The finance minister was responding to questions from reporters after addressing a road safety conference in Islamabad.

A delegation of the IMF, headed by Nathan Porter, is currently in Islamabad for discussions on the ninth review. The talks are scheduled to be concluded today.

The review’s completion would not only lead to a disbursement of $1.2bn from the IMF but also unlock inflows from friendly countries and other multilateral lenders that Pakistan needs to stave off default.

Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Aisha Ghaus Pasha told journalists on Wednesday that the government and the global lender were “very close to the finalisation” of a Memorandum of Economic and Fiscal Policies (MEFP).

She said the MEFP would be handed over to Pakistan by the IMF once all issues are finally settled. She said a lot of things had been settled while the lender required clarity on some aspects, which the government team was trying to address.