According to sources, an IMF delegation will be visiting Pakistan from September 25 to October 8 for discussions on the ongoing loan programme.
The talks will be held in two phases — beginning with technical discussions, followed by policy-level negotiations. Meetings are scheduled with the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Planning, and the State Bank of Pakistan.
The delegation will also engage with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), OGRA, NEPRA, and other relevant ministries and institutions. In addition, consultations will be carried out with the provincial governments of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.
Sources confirmed that Pakistan has already met most of the targets necessary to secure the third tranche of the IMF loan programme. The budget deficit, current account deficit, and non-tax revenue performance are aligned with IMF benchmarks, while inflation has stayed below the set target of 5.1 per cent.
However, the impact of recent floods has caused a shortfall in tax revenues, and major crops such as rice, maize, and cotton have been severely damaged. Officials have cautioned that the destruction of these key crops could affect the country’s economic growth targets.
It has also been disclosed that responsibility for tax policy has now been shifted from the FBR to the Ministry of Finance, marking an important structural change.
