IMF to hold talks with Pakistan today

ISLAMABAD: The delegation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to hold formal talks with the economic team of Pakistan.

As per the proposed schedule of the visit, it is a five-day official visit of IMF team, the delegation will remain in Pakistan until 20th September.

The IMF’s director of the Middle East and Central Asia, Jihad Azour will lead the delegation. Pakistan and IMF would discuss the ongoing loan programme, which was approved in July this year.

Earlier on Monday, the team held informal meetings with Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Shabbar Zaidi.

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An official said that the delegation would hold marathon meetings with Hafeez Shaikh and top officials of the Ministry of Finance, Planning Minister Khusro Bakhtyar, Planning Commission officials and the Minister of Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar and his team.

According to sources, critical discussions were anticipated over FBR’s revenue collection challenges even though the government expects higher than targeted inflows from non-tax revenues.

The ministers will brief the visiting delegation on the economic situation of the country. Last week, the IMF had said that Pakistan needed to increase its tax revenue in order to fund development.

The IMF delegation will meet Prime Minister Imran Khan, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar, and Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Khusro Bakhtiar.