The Ministry of Finance of Pakistan announced on Sunday that a three-member mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be visiting the country to conduct a tour aimed at preparing a diagnostic report on governance and corruption. This mission will be carried out under the Extended Fund Facility agreed upon for 2024, although specific dates for the visit were not disclosed.
According to the statement issued by the Finance Ministry, the report will recommend measures to address the risks of corruption and strengthen governance and integrity. It was mentioned that the outcomes of this report will assist in supporting structural reforms. The statement further elaborated that the mission’s objective will be to assess the severity of corruption risks in six key areas of the state, including financial governance, central bank governance and actions, oversight of the financial sector, market regulations, rule of law, and measures against money laundering and terrorist financing.
The Pakistani government has welcomed the technical assistance from the IMF and stated that this assessment will prove helpful in promoting transparency and enhancing institutional capacity. At present, the government is engaged in economic recovery efforts with the assistance of a $7 billion facility from the IMF. The IMF is prepared to evaluate the country’s progress by March, while the government and central bank have expressed confidence in achieving their objectives.
