Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are set to resume talks for the revival of a $6 billion derailed programme in upcoming week, in which both the sides would try to find a middle ground on the contentious issue of increase in electricity prices.
The five-day round of technical discussions will virtually begin on October 4, with the IMF team joining from Doha, Qatar. Sources said that Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin was keen to conclude the parleys on a positive note during face-to-face meetings with the top IMF management in Washington on October 15.
The IMF has not yet shown its willingness for the face-to-face meetings and instead proposed virtual meetings for October 13 to 15. Therefore, the schedule of the policy-level talks remains tentative and it will be finalised next week, according to finance ministry sources.
The policy level talks are coinciding with the annual IMF-WB meetings that will take place from October 11 to 17th. The Pakistan’s embassy in Washington and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor are trying to get dates from the IMF top management for a physical meeting.
