ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday met Ambassador of the United States (US) to Pakistan Donald Blome and discussed bilateral economic, investment and trade relations between countries, ARY News reported.
According to details, the finance minister and US Ambassador also discussed opportunities to further strengthen economic relations.
During the meeting, Ishaq Dar apprised Donald Blome of Pakistan’s national and international financial responsibilities and also informed about the government’s policies in the difficult economic situation.
Speaking on the occasion, US Ambassador expressed his satisfaction over the government’s policies for economic stability and economic development and said that there are strong relations between Pakistan and the United States.
Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced that the Board of the China Development Bank (CDB) has approved a loan facility of $700 million for Pakistan.
“This amount is expected to be received this week by State Bank of Pakistan which will shore up its forex reserves” tweeted Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
Pakistan was eyeing to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that would not only lead to a disbursement of $1.2bn but also unlock inflows from friendly countries.
It is pertinent to mention here that the National Assembly on Monday passed the Finance (Supplementary) Bill, 2023 aimed to amend certain laws relating to taxes and duties. The bill proposed to impose new taxes of Rs 170 billion to minimize fiscal deficit.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Pakistan moved closer to the revival of $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) as the lender responded to the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) draft.
Sources told ARY News that IMF and finance ministry held virtual talks today, adding that the ninth review to the revival of $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) will be completed soon.
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