The delegation of Belarus on April 15-16, participating in the spring session of world Bank and International monetary Fund held in Washington. During the visit, scheduled talks on a new credit programme of the IMF for Belarus.
According to BelaPAN, the delegation is headed by Deputy Chairman of the Board of the National Bank Dmitry kalechits. The delegation also includes first Deputy Minister of Finance Maksim yermalovich, Deputy economy Minister Alexander Zaborovsky, assistant to the President for economic Affairs Kirill Rudyi.
Last week Finance Minister Vladimir Amarin told reporters that in Washington, the Belarusian delegation plans to hold another round of talks about the new loan program from the IMF. The Minister made it clear that the conclusion of a new loan agreement with the IMF is desirable for Belarus in connection with the plans of the government to place on the foreign market a new Eurobond ($1 billion) until the end of 2016. “During our debut release of the Eurobonds (in 2010. — BelaPAN) significant condition was the presence of a program with the International monetary Fund. Positive signals in the negotiations with the IMF will be viewed positively by investors this time”, — believes Amarin.
Earlier, the Belarusian authorities have stated that the program with the IMF could be signed in January-February 2016. The reasons why this has not happened, the government has not commented.
The last IMF mission, during which the Belarusian authorities were discussing with the lender the possibility of cooperation, visited Minsk in November 2015. The head of mission Peter Dolman was then noted that the program, which the Foundation is discussing with the Belarusian authorities, implies deep structural reforms. “We’re talking about a three-year program with an emphasis on deep structural reforms. They should be aimed at increasing the private sector’s role in economic decision-making,” said Dolman.
Under the new loan program with the IMF Belarus hopes to obtain a new loan in the amount of $ 3 billion.
