Dr. Aisha Ghaus Pasha, the minister of state for finance and revenue, stated on Monday that Pakistan is prepared to deal with the pending completion of the staff-level agreement (SLA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The minister explained to reporters in Islamabad that there had been some delays because of modifications to the external finance criteria.
The minister asserted that the negotiations are progressing and claimed that Esther Perez Ruiz, the IMF’s resident representative in Pakistan, has recently stated the same. The minister reassured that even if the SLA is further delayed, the government will address the problem without letting things get out of hand.
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Pakistan is committed to finishing the IMF programme, Pasha said.
It is important to note that the Ministry of Finance recently explained that the reason the IMF’s agreement hasn’t been signed yet isn’t because the IMF needs confirmation from the ministry that the funds won’t be used for political objectives. According to the statement, the IMF has never brought up this issue with the government and no monies may be used for any purpose without the consent of the parliament as reflected in the budget.
