Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in Paris on Thursday and apprised her of the reformed introduced by his government to revive the fragile economy
The prime minister also expressed the hope that the IMF would release funds under Extended Fund Facility (EFF) at the earliest.
On the sidelines of the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact being held in Paris, France, PM Shahbaz Sharif met Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, MD of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Views were exchanged on the ongoing programmes and cooperation between Pakistan and IMF. pic.twitter.com/05rKbNVpi8
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) June 22, 2023
The talks took place on the sidelines of the New Global Financing Pact Summit being held in Paris, which the prime minister is attending at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Shehbaz Sharif’s meeting with Georgieva came as Pakistan’s ninth review by the IMF under the 2019 EFF for the release of $1.2 billion stays pending with less than 10 days remaining till the programme’s expires on June 30.
Pakistan was expected to get around $1.2 billion from the lender in October last year as part of the EFF’s ninth review, but almost eight months later, that tranche has not materialized as the IMF says Pakistan has been unable to meet important prerequisites.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday, Premier Shehbaz Sharif outlined the steps taken by the government for economic growth and stability in his meeting with the IMF managing director. “He underscored that all prior actions for the ninth review under the EFF had been completed and the government of Pakistan was fully committed to fulfilling its obligations as agreed with the IMF,” it said.
