ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva wherein both sides discussed Pakistan’s ongoing IMF program and the macroeconomic stability achieved through the government’s comprehensive reform agenda.
The meeting held on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit (WGS) 2025 in Dubai, highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to implementing structural reforms and maintaining fiscal discipline, which had been instrumental in restoring economic stability and would be critical in driving sustainable growth, according to a PM Office press release issued Wednesday.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif underscored the progress made under the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF), which has played a key role in stabilizing Pakistan’s economy; setting it on the path of long-term recovery.
He reaffirmed the government’s resolve to sustain the reform momentum, particularly in critical areas such as tax reform, energy sector efficiency, and private sector development. He assured the IMF chief of Pakistan’s commitment to economic prudence, efficiency, and sustainability as essential pillars for achieving inclusive and sustained growth.
Kristalina Georgieva commended Pakistan’s efforts in effectively implementing the IMF-supported program, highlighting the country’s improving economic performance with rising growth and declining inflation. She recognized that Pakistan is on the path to growth and has undergone economic recovery.
The IMF Managing Director also acknowledged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership and personal commitment to driving the country’s reform agenda, which has been critical in achieving economic stability and progress.
She reiterated the IMF’s continued support for Pakistan’s reform agenda, emphasizing the importance of sustained fiscal discipline, structural reforms, and good governance to ensure long-term economic stability and growth.-APP
Reuters adds: Pakistan’s economy is on a path to long-term recovery, thanks to a stabilisation programme backed by the International Monetary Fund, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, ahead of a first review of a $7-billion bailout set for early in March.
The comments came in Sharif’s meeting on Tuesday with Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the World Government Summit (WGS) 2025 in Dubai, his office said in a statement. Sharif underscored the progress made under the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF), which has played a key role in stabilising Pakistan’s economy and set it on the path of long-term recovery, it added.
In a post on X, Georgieva said, “I am encouraged by their strong commitment to Pakistan’s IMF-supported reforms and support their decisive actions.”
These would help pave the way to higher growth and more jobs for Pakistan’s youthful population, she added.
Ahead of the IMF review, the government and central bank have expressed confidence about meeting its targets, even as Pakistan struggles to navigate the recovery, following the bailout secured in September. Tuesday’s meeting focused on the macroeconomic stability brought by the government’s reform agenda under the IMF programme and efforts to maintain fiscal discipline, Sharif’s office said.
He vowed to keep up the momentum for reform, particularly in areas such as taxes, energy efficiency and private sector development, it added.
A three-member IMF mission is separately in Pakistan for an assessment under the EFF programme.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.