The IMF has agreed to start negotiations on November 2, 2023, to unlock the second loan tranche of $710 million. The government is confident that it will successfully complete the programme review despite some external sector challenges.
A clear date for the next general elections could further strengthen the Ministry of Finance's position during the upcoming review talks for the July-September period of this fiscal year, even though the IMF has not explicitly attached such a condition.
An IMF team led by Nathan Porter will visit Pakistan starting on November 2, 2023, for the first review under the current $3 billion Stand-By Arrangement (SBA), according to Esther Perez, the IMF's resident representative in Pakistan.
The IMF had proposed November 7 in anticipation of a delay in compiling the first quarter data, but the Ministry of Finance assured that all relevant data was available for the review talks, according to sources.
