Pakistan makes progress on IMF bailout negotiations

Islamabad: Progress has been made in talks on the revival of Pakistan’s International Monetary Fund bailout programme, both sides said on Wednesday, with Islamabad expecting the lender to increase the size and duration of the 39-month, $6 billion facility. The statements came as Pakistan’s economy teeters on the brink of a financial crisis, with foreign exchange reserves drying up fast and the Pakistani rupee at record lows against the US dollar as uncertainty surrounded the IMF programme.

“Discussions between the IMF staff and the authorities on policies to strengthen macroeconomic stability in the coming year continue, and important progress has been made over the FY23 budget,” Esther Perez Ruiz, the IMF’s resident representative in Islamabad, said. Pakistan unveiled a PKR9.5 trillion ($47 billion) budget for 2022-23 this month aimed at tight fiscal consolidation in a bid to convince the IMF to restart much-needed bailout payments.

However, the lender later said additional measures were needed to bring Pakistan’s budget in line with the key objectives of the IMF programme. The two sides held talks on Tuesday night and agreed on the budget and fiscal measures but still need to agree on a set of monetary targets, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said.

He did not expect any ‘hiccups’ in the remaining talks and expected an initial memorandum on macroeconomic and financial targets and then an official agreement. “I am also expecting that the duration of the program will be extended by a year and the amount of loan will be augmented,” he said, adding that the IMF had not committed to it yet, but based on talks he expected it to come through.