The International Monetary Fund (IMF) executive board will meet on Monday (today) to discuss the bailout plan for Pakistan.

The 8th and 9th tranches, totaling over $1.2 billion, are anticipated to be disbursed with board approval.

According to Geo, Pakistan also requested that the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) be increased from $6 billion to $7 billion and that the term be extended from September 2022 to June 2023.

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If the contract is approved by the board, the IMF will give Pakistan an initial payment of roughly $1.2 billion and could give up to $4 billion during the remaining months of the current fiscal year, which started on July 1.

The board gave its approval for the transfer of $1.386 billion to Pakistan under the RFI in April 2020 to help with the economic effects of the Covid-19 shock.

Additionally, according to The Wall Street Journal, Pakistan has secured at least $37 billion in foreign loans and investments in recent weeks, saving it from a financial catastrophe similar to that of Sri Lanka.

The restart of the programme will greatly benefit the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as it will assist prevent what would be the second default in Asia this year after Sri Lanka.

Bloomberg estimates that Pakistan would have to pay at least $3 billion in debt payment during the first half of the fiscal year 2023.

The State Bank of Pakistan anticipates that foreign exchange reserves would increase to around $16 billion this fiscal year from $7.8 billion, thanks to the IMF loan opening the door for additional funding.