Formal negotiations between Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) commenced on Monday in Islamabad. The sessions are being chaired by Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, with the ministry confirming the development through its official social media post. The talks are considered critical for ensuring fiscal stability and shaping the country’s future economic roadmap.
According to officials, the meeting aims to review progress made during earlier technical-level discussions and to finalize the government’s fiscal strategy. Key participants included Federal Secretary of Finance Imdadullah Bosal, State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad, and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial, alongside other senior officials.
Earlier, the IMF’s Resident Representative in Pakistan, Esther Perez Ruiz, confirmed that the IMF mission, led by Eva Petrova—Mission Chief for Pakistan—has already arrived in Islamabad. The mission will conduct the second review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the first review of the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).
During last week’s preliminary technical talks, the FBR team briefed the IMF on Pakistan’s revenue collection status and shared strategies to bridge potential shortfalls. Led by the FBR chairman, the discussions focused on revenue performance, corrective measures, and anticipated challenges. Detailed updates were provided on first-quarter tax collection progress, along with an assessment of possible shortfalls.
Officials also highlighted that recent heavy floods have negatively impacted tax collection efforts, posing additional challenges to meeting fiscal targets. However, the government assured that policy steps are being taken to mitigate these issues and to keep revenue performance on track.
