A summary moved by the Ministry of Finance refers to a Minister of Finance who would lead the Pakistani delegation to attend the spring 2013 annual World Bank/International Monetary Fund meeting scheduled from 19 to 21 April.
The summary, a copy of which is available with Business Recorder, maintains that during the 10-member delegation's stay in Washington DC, the largest delegation in recent history, the Finance Minister and the delegation would meet senior members of the United States Administration, legislators and officials of major bilateral development partners.
The summary contends that the visit would provide Pakistani delegation with an opportunity to meet senior officials of IMF/World Bank and other institutions and discuss important issues relating to various development initiatives, which have significant impact on Pakistan's economy. A number of bilateral meetings with finance ministers and leaders of delegates will also take place.
Sources said a summary was sent by Finance Secretary Nasir Mehmood Khosa to the Prime Minister for approval of the delegation's visit to the spring meeting of donors stated that the objective of the delegation would be to engage the Fund for a possible IMF programme and pursue early reconciliation and release of Coalition Support Fund by the US Administration. Pakistani delegation would hold week-long meetings with the Fund officials from April 17-22 excluding travel time.
The IMF authorities have informed that the Fund mission scheduled for visiting Pakistan during April 2013 has been postponed due to coming elections. The Fund has indicated an interest in meetings with the representatives of Finance Division and FBR, focusing on a quantified macroeconomic framework along with macroeconomic and structural policies that have implications for external viability, on the sidelines of the spring meetings 2013.
The delegation proposed by the Finance Ministry for the IMF/World Bank spring meetings and the meeting with the Fund officials from April 17 to 22, 2013 (excluding travel time) include Minister for Finance, Governor State Bank of Pakistan, Secretary Finance and Secretary Economic Affairs Division. The technical meeting with the IMF staff would be held by the Chairman, Federal Board of Revenue and Mohammad Younus Dagha, Additional Finance Secretary (EF), Finance Division.