IMF team visits Parliament, briefs parliamentarians on economy

ISLAMABAD: The delegation of Intentional Monetary Fund (IMF) visited the Parliament House on Wednesday and briefed the members of Senate and National Assembly standing committees on finance and revenue on the performance of economy in second quarter of the year, ARY News reported.

After conclusion of the in-camera meeting, Senator Sherry Rehman talking to media said that the economic situation is serious, the current account deficit and the economic crises are needed to be addressed properly.

Five Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were discussed with the IMF team during the briefing, the PPP Senator said.

The problems of poor masses of Pakistan are yet to come on the agenda, she said.

The focus of the IMF is to decrease the current account deficit and economic crises, “while our business is to fight the case of the downtrodden people,” Senator Rehman said.

“It was a very important meeting but the Adviser to Finance and Secretary Finance were absent from the meeting,” the opposition senator lamented.

She also urged the government to bring forward suggestions to guide the people out of rising dearness and inflation. “The opposition is ready to walk along the government for solution of the people’s problems,” she said.

“The IMF has urged for opening the economy and taking steps to increase the exports,” Chariman Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Faiz Ullah Kamoka said.

IMF delegation also urged for more free trade agreements with other countries and encouraging small and new exporters in the field. The delegation also urged for the need of improvement in business environment, the finance committee chairman said.

Mr Kamoka also said that it seems difficult to achieve the tax targets.

The next tranche of the IMF bailout is expected to be received soon after completion of the talks, he said.