<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has relaxed several targets including foreign exchange reserves, revenue collection, automatic price adjustment of fuel for the $4.70 billion loan package for Bangladesh.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the beginning of this year, the IMF had set forex reserves target at $25.34 billion by September and $26.81 billion by June next year as conditions for the loan package.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">According to BPM6 – reserve calculation method – Bangladesh’s forex reserves stand at $21.15 billion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On a net basis, this amount has further decreased to below $18 billion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In this situation, the Finance Division officials requested the IMF to relax the target for forex reserves.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Considering the request, the IMF has relaxed the target. Bangladesh has committed to keep the reserves at $18.4 billion at the end of December this year, and at $20 billion at the end of June next year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last Tuesday and Wednesday, the visiting IMF delegation discussed the issues with the relevant officials of the Finance Division of the Ministry of Finance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sources in the Finance Division said that after discussion, IMF agreed on being flexible on some conditions. Finance Secretary Md. Khairuzzaman Majumder led the meeting on behalf of the government. The IMF mission was led by Rahul Anand, head of the IMF’s Asia-Pacific division. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bndb24/kh</div>