IMF to consider post-programme monitoring report on March 5

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board will meet on March 5, to consider Pakistan''s first post-program monitoring report. An IMF staff mission, led by Harald Finger visited Islamabad during December 5-14, 2017 for the first post-program monitoring discussions since the end of $6.64 billion External Fund Facility (EFF) in September 2016.
Based on the preliminary findings of the IMF mission, the staff would prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF''s Executive Board for discussion and subsequent decision. At the conclusion of the visit, the IMF officials had stated that Pakistan should focus on two pillars of economy - tightening of fiscal deficit and external side - by addressing the loss of foreign exchange reserves. The IMF press release uploaded on its website subsequent to the mission completion stated that pre-election phase could bring some difficulties and "we hope the government will take necessary steps to ensure stability throughout this period."