News
June 23 , 2023
Dar Apprises US Envoy of Progress on IMF Talks as Deadline Looms
Islamabad: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar met US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome on Wednesday and informed him about the progress on the ongoing talks with International Monetary Fund (IMF), conveying his government’s commitment to complete the program with the lender, a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance said.
Dar’s meeting with the US envoy comes as Pakistan’s ninth review by the IMF under the 2019 Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for the release of $1.2 billion remains pending with less than 10 days remaining till the program’s expiry on June 30.
Last week, the IMF had raised several issues with Pakistan’s budget for fiscal year 2024, saying that some of the proposed measures went against the EFF program’s conditionality.
In his meeting with Blome, Dar informed the US ambassador about his government’s budgetary measures to reduce the fiscal gap in order to meet its national as well as international financial obligations, according to the statement.
He shared the economic policies and priorities of the government to address the challenging economic environment and set the economy on the path to stability and growth, it added.
“The two sides also exchanged views about areas of common interest and how the existing bilateral relations between the two countries can be enhanced further.”
The statement said Ambassador Blome “expressed confidence in the policies and programs of the government for economic sustainability and socio-economic uplift of the masses” and “extended his support to further promote bilateral economic, investment and trade relations between both the countries”. - Dawn
Courtesy Dawn