Shaukat Tarin has returned to the United States to participate in the IMF's latest round of negotiations.
ByShehryar Makhdoom | Published date:
Government advisor on finance and revenue Shaukat Tarin has traveled to Washington for further discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Before coming to Washington earlier this month, Tarin served as India's finance minister until he became an MP to keep his ministerial position.
His spokeswoman Muzzamil Aslam claimed in a tweet that the adviser has returned to Washington DC to participate in active negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. He went on to say that media stories about the talks failing were "baseless."
According to reports, director of the IMF's Middle East and Central Asia Department Jihad Azour told media in Washington on Tuesday that ''The Fund's discussions with Pakistan's government regarding the sixth review of the $6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) had progressed to a "very positive step."
"The Pakistani government and the IMF mission are currently discussing the program's sixth assessment. There is progress on the many program pillars and initiatives that the Pakistani government is considering right now," he said during the press briefing.
"made progress in a positive direction, and the team, in collaboration with the authorities, is working through the many issues," he continued. According to a previous media source, the talks broke down over disagreements over the macroeconomic framework.
Tarin urged the public not to be disheartened by reports that talks to revive the IMF credit facility had failed at a news briefing in New York earlier this week.
As he pointed out, the conversations were "going positively," he concluded. According to him, "Some people in Pakistan have generated a sense that we failed and the discussions have failed, that is entirely wrong."
His discussions with the IMF's managing director and other high-ranking officials in Washington last week, according to the advisor, were quite beneficial.
"As a result, despite reports to the contrary, the talks have not failed. Finance Minister: "I don't understand where they're getting this information. It's misleading.
Moreover, Tarin said
Whenever you go to a banker, he asks for more, but we have our own red lines. We have made it obvious that we will continue the reform process for sustainable growth. He said that these were negotiation points and should not be interpreted wrongly. “I want you to understand that we are moving towards positivity. Both sides are working out details. Our finance secretary is still in Washington and Chairman FBR (Federal Board of Revenue) is also in contact with this team. They consult me too. He said his team and he were committed to fixing Pakistan’s economy. “Give us some time and God willing we will fix it.
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