ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said to have given approval for the appointment of Secretary Finance Naveed Kamran Baloch as Executive Director (ED) World Bank (WB) for the period of four years, and Baloch would assume the office in November 2020.

Sources confirmed that Kamran Baloch would be leaving for Washington on October 31, 2020, following approval of his appointment by the prime minister.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh held a meeting with the prime minister on Wednesday, and the meeting may have been in this context. Sources added that Shahid Ashraf Tarar’s tenure as ED-WB would be ending in October 2020.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs Division (EAD) has reportedly proposed four names for ED, WB position – Secretary to Prime Minister Azam Khan, Secretary Finance Naveed Kamran Baloch, Secretary Establishment Division Dr Ijaz Munir, and former secretary finance Tariq Bajwa.

Sources close to development stated that two candidates may be given serious consideration for the post of Secretary Finance after the departure of Naveed Kamran Baloch including Special Secretary Finance Mohsin Mushtaq Chandna, Secretary Cabinet Division Ahmed Nawaz Sukehara, and Secretary Economic Affairs Division Noor Ahmed.

Prospects of Special Secretary Finance’s elevation to the office of Secretary Finance are relatively more as he had served as the ED International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Noor Ahmed, a grade 22 officer of the Secretariat Group has also served as special secretary finance and also has experience of dealing with the IMF.

Ahmed Nawaz Sukehra is also a grade 22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Group and is presently severing on the position of secretary cabinet.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020