Talks between IMF, GoP going ‘very good’, says IMF’s Jihad Azour

October 19, 2021 (MLN): The talks between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the government of Pakistan on the Sixth Review of the $6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) have progressed to a “very good step”, said IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department Director Jihad Azour while answering a question from MG News on Tuesday.

“The IMF mission to Pakistan and the authorities [Government of Pakistan] are currently in the process of the discussion around the Sixth Review of the [EFF] program. And the discussions are progressing around the various pillars of the program and the measures that the government of Pakistan is currently contemplating,” he told MG News.

Mr. Azour was speaking at a press conference to unveil Regional Economic Outlook: the Middle East and Central Asia – October 2021.

“The progress has gone in a very good step and the [IMF] mission with the [Government of Pakistan] authorities is going through various details,” he added.

Meanwhile, Spokesperson to the Finance Minister Muzzamil Aslam tweeted that: “IMF latest update: Mr. Shaukat Tarin, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance, has returned to Washington DC to join ongoing discussions with IMF. Media reports related to inconclusive talks are baseless.”

Earlier, a media report had claimed that the talks between the fund officials and the Government of Pakistan had failed due to differences over the macroeconomic framework.

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