Pakistan is once again not on the agenda list as the ninth review under the Extended Fund Facility programme remains pending.
After The issuance of the schedule, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Tuesday made his fourth contact with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director (MD) Kristalina Georgieva in six days as the cash-strapped nation scrambles to revive a stalled bailout programme.
Rating agencies and economists fear that the $350 billion economy could default on its foreign debt obligations if it fails to secure the $1.1 loan tranche of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).
The fourth contact was made when the prime minister spoke to the IMF chief over the phone after meeting her thrice — from Thursday to Saturday — on the sidelines of the New Global Financial Pact summit held in Paris, France.
The PM’s Office released a statement that the IMF chief and the prime minister discussed matters related to the stalled bailout programme.
On the call, the IMF chief acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts for attempting to revive the loan — after policy matters were discussed in Paris.
In a dramatic final attempt to appease the fund, the nation agreed to raise taxes by $750 million and cut spending in its annual budget over the weekend.
