The IMF has to give $1.1 billion in the last tranche of the current loan programme.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb while talking to the media said that he wanted to take a big and long-term loan programme from the IMF.

“The IMF Pakistan will try to take the biggest programme according to its quota. We want to take the longest programme in the history of Pakistan from the IMF,” he added.

He pointed out that if there was continuity in the IMF programme, there would be economic discipline. “The improvement of the economy is the goal of our government more than the IMF.”

He also said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had a clear vision for the improvement of the economy, adding that the prime minister had given strict instructions to maintain economic discipline. “We are preparing the initial outline of a new loan programme from the IMF.”

The finance minister said that economic stability was a common goal of the IMF and the Government of Pakistan, adding that the caretaker government had worked diligently to improve the economy.

“Privatisation issues were handled by Fawad Hasan Fawad with great interest and effort. We want to collect tax revenue digitally,” he pointed out.

He further stated that transparency in the tax system was among the top priorities of the government, adding: “We want to take the share of taxes in the national income to 10 per cent. Environmental funding can also be discussed with the IMF along with the loan programme. The IMF has been giving loans to some countries more than the quota to some countries to improve the environment.”