A mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of nine members, directed by Nathan Porter, is expected to arrive in Pakistan on March 3 to carry out a crucial economic exam.
The talks will continue until March 15 and will play a key role in the development of the country’s budgetary policies 2025-26.
According to the sources of the Ministry of Finance, negotiations will be held in two phases: discussions at the technical level followed by talks at the level of the policy.
The mission will engage with officials of the Ministry of Finance, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Authority for Petroleum and Gazière (OGRA) and the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), among others.
A key problem on the agenda is the tax relief of the salaried class, which, according to sources, remains conditional for the approval of the IMF.
The examination will also assess the budgetary framework of Pakistan, budgetary consolidation efforts and revenue generation measures.
In addition, separate discussions will take place with the four provinces to align tax objectives.
Pakistan’s economic policies, including taxation, energy pricing and structural reforms, should be examined closely by the IMF before other financial commitments are made.
Previously, a technical delegation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) arrived in Islamabad to discuss Monday climate funding and related political measures with Pakistani officials.
According to sources, the IMF team of four members will engage in interviews with the federal and provincial authorities to examine climate financing strategies, in particular the mechanisms of green budgeting and monitoring.
The discussions, which take place until February 28, aim to assess Pakistan’s progress on the adaptation and financing of the climate.
A key element of the agenda is the proposed introduction of a carbon tax in the federal budget for the year 2025-26.
The IMF will present recommendations on its implementation and its framework.
Negotiations will also cover subsidies, electric vehicles and the expansion of green budgeting. Officials should provide briefs on Pakistan’s current climatic initiatives and future plans.
The visit to the IMF delegation is one of the broader efforts to align Pakistan’s financial policies with global climate commitments, ensuring sustainable economic reforms.
In addition, the IMF has announced that its examination mission will go to Pakistan to negotiate the next slice of the 7 billion dollars loan, with discussions also to focus on climate funding.
The IMF delegation is expected to arrive in Pakistan in early March to carry out the first examination of the current loan program.
According to the IMF representative in Pakistan, Maahir Binesi, the delegation will engage in talks concerning the next episode of the loan and will also examine the technical aspects of climate funding at the request of Pakistan.
The Minister of Finance, Aurangzeb, had previously declared that Pakistan is expecting climate funding of $ 1.5 billion from the world lender.
Last month, the IMF held meetings with managers of the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to carry out an assessment of governance and corruption.
Sources have revealed that the IMF mission had been informed of transparency and audit process in the public sector. The mission has been informed that the Parliament serves as a highest forum for audit and responsibility in the public sector.
In addition, the opposition has the power to audit government institutions, the head of the Public Accounts Committee being appointed by the Opposition Head.
FBR officials provided a briefing on digitization and tax reforms to ensure transparency of the tax system. Meanwhile, SECP representatives informed the IMF on the measures taken to improve the ease of stock market and business sector.
The IMF mission also organized meetings with officials from the Ministry of Climate Change and the Ministry of Housing and Works.
