IMF mission chief to meet Asad Umar tomorrow: sources

ISLAMABAD: The officials of Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will hold crucial talks for a bailout package as the IMF mission chief is due to land in Islamabad on Monday night, ARY News reported.

The IMF mission chief Ernesto Ramirez Rigo will meet Finance Minister Asad Umar tomorrow (March 26).

He will also hold talks with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) officials and the economic team constituted by the government. Sources said Pakistan could ask for $6 to $8 billion loan from the IMF. They said the final agreement between IMF and Pakistan could reach in April in Washington when the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank hold a session.

Finance Minister Asad Umar had earlier said that talks with the IMF had entered in final stage.

Read: Talks with IMF enter final stage: Asad Umar

“Pakistan has come closer to reaching an agreement with the IMF as the differences have decreased between Pakistan and the IMF over a possible bailout package,” Umar had said while talking to journalists.

Umar, said that the government would further negotiate with the newly appointed IMF mission chief before reaching to an agreement.

The new IMF Mission chief for Pakistan would hold important meetings with the officials of finance ministry and State Bank of Pakistan to finalize an agreement, the minister had said.

Ernesto Ramirez Rigo has replaced Herald Finger, the previous mission chief of IMF for Pakistan.