A high-level delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Sunday for a five-day visit to discuss a new lending programme, assess Bangladesh’s economic reform agenda, and review budget support requirements.

Led by the IMF’s Bangladesh mission chief, the delegation will remain in the country until July 16. During the visit, it will hold a series of meetings with policymakers from the Ministry of Finance, Bangladesh Bank, the National Board of Revenue (NBR), and other key government institutions.

On the first day of the visit, the delegation is expected to hold two key meetings with the Finance Division. The first will focus on revenue policy, the national budget, and domestic and external financing plans.

The second meeting will center on the government’s proposed Ninth Pay Scale and the budget allocation required for increased salaries and allowances for public employees. According to the current budget, implementing the new pay scale will require Tk 440 billion in the current fiscal year, while full implementation is expected to cost more than Tk 1.06 trillion annually.

Against the backdrop of a widening revenue shortfall, weaknesses in the banking sector, and persistently high inflation, the IMF is expected to seek details on how the government plans to finance the additional expenditure.

The discussions will also cover a proposed new loan package, replacing the programme signed under the previous Awami League government, along with planned reforms in the banking sector, revenue administration, and the broader economic reform agenda.

A high-level delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Sunday for a five-day visit to discuss a new lending programme, assess Bangladesh’s economic reform agenda, and review budget support requirements.

Led by the IMF’s Bangladesh mission chief, the delegation will remain in the country until July 16. During the visit, it will hold a series of meetings with policymakers from the Ministry of Finance, Bangladesh Bank, the National Board of Revenue (NBR), and other key government institutions.

On the first day of the visit, the delegation is expected to hold two key meetings with the Finance Division. The first will focus on revenue policy, the national budget, and domestic and external financing plans.

The second meeting will center on the government’s proposed Ninth Pay Scale and the budget allocation required for increased salaries and allowances for public employees. According to the current budget, implementing the new pay scale will require Tk 440 billion in the current fiscal year, while full implementation is expected to cost more than Tk 1.06 trillion annually.

Against the backdrop of a widening revenue shortfall, weaknesses in the banking sector, and persistently high inflation, the IMF is expected to seek details on how the government plans to finance the additional expenditure.

The discussions will also cover a proposed new loan package, replacing the programme signed under the previous Awami League government, along with planned reforms in the banking sector, revenue administration, and the broader economic reform agenda.