'Talks with IMF were dispute-free'

AMMAN — The Finance Ministry on Saturday denied allegations that it disputed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) about the financial reform programme. 

In a statement, carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, the ministry said that the IMF mission that concluded a visit to the Kingdom last week held several meetings with various ministries to discuss strategies and plans that are part of the current financial reform programme. 

The ministry added that there were discussions with the new IMF mission chief to Jordan about financial and economic indicators and procedures related to the economic reform programme.

Talks also addressed procedures aimed at enhancing economic growth and their impact on controlling the increasing debt in light of a failure to achieve the targeted economic.

The ministry also denied allegations that the IMF mission meetings had discussed the allocation of funds to ministries and public departments, according to Petra.

It stressed that the third review of the programme is scheduled to take place during a visit in November. 

An IMF mission visited Amman from September 17 to September 26, during which the new mission chief for Jordan, Chris Jarvis, was introduced and assessed recent economic developments in the Kingdom.

A mission to complete the third review of the IMF's Extended Fund Facility (EFF) will take place after the IMF holds its annual meetings in October.

In addition to conducting the third review of the Jordanian economy, the IMF mission is scheduled to discuss the Kingdom's fiscal and economic indicators, Finance Minister Ezzeddine Kanakrieh said last month.

In August 2016, to support the Kingdom’s economic and financial reform programme, the IMF Executive Board approved a three-year extended arrangement with Jordan under the EFF for an amount equivalent to SDR514.65 million (about $723 million, or 150 per cent of Jordan’s quota).