ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission arrived in Pakistan to assess progress in governance reforms and efforts to eliminate corruption in key government institutions.
It is the second mission to visit Pakistan in just two months.
The IMF delegation began preliminary meetings this week. Regular talks will start on Monday. The main goal is to evaluate steps taken to improve transparency, governance, and institutional performance.
Sources in the Ministry of Finance said the IMF mission will meet with over thirty government departments. These include the Ministry of Finance, the State Bank of Pakistan, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and the Planning and Privatization Commissions.
Meetings will also include officials from the Auditor General’s office, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
The IMF mission will also examine competition in sectors such as banking, construction, and sugar. Talks will cover the Supreme Court and accountability courts as part of legal and judicial reforms.
The mission’s arrival follows a recent staff-level agreement between Pakistan and the IMF. The agreement secured a $1 billion tranche of financing under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), pending IMF Board approval. It also includes a new $1.3 billion arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), totaling $2.3 billion.
The IMF praised Pakistan’s efforts to stabilize its economy, citing improvements in fiscal discipline, reduced inflation, and stable external balances despite global economic challenges. However, the IMF warned of ongoing risks from geopolitical tensions, fluctuating commodity prices, and climate-related issues, which threaten Pakistan’s recovery.
The IMF emphasized the need for continued structural reforms, especially in taxation, energy, and governance. It stressed the importance of expanding the tax base, particularly through agricultural income taxes, and phasing out energy subsidies.
