Govt committed to meeting conditionalities

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed resolve to complete the terms of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Fund Facility programme.

The prime minister in a tweet stated on Saturday that “in a phone call with Managing Director of the IMF yesterday, I told her about the government’s resolve to complete the terms of IMF’s program. I also explained Pakistan’s economic difficulties especially after the devastating floods. IMF delegation will come to Pakistan soon”.

INP adds: The premier’s statement comes a day after he said an IMF delegation would come to Pakistan in “two to three days” to finalise the ninth review of Pakistan’s $7bn Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

Pakistan entered a $6 billion IMF programme in 2019, which was increased to $7bn last year. The programme’s ninth review, which would release $1.18bn, is currently pending. It had earlier been put off for two months due to the PML-N-led government’s unwillingness to accept certain conditions placed before it by the Fund, and the disagreements have yet to be resolved.