The final round of talks between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded on Wednesday with key differences persisting over the release of the governance and corruption diagnostic report, according to informed sources.

The publication of the report remains a central sticking point between the two sides, even as the IMF mission prepares to depart today.

During the talks, Pakistan proposed setting up a task force to review its anti-corruption framework.

The government briefed the IMF that new rules have been drafted requiring Grade-17 to Grade-22 officers to submit details of their assets to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

Amendments to the Civil Servants Act 1973 and the Elections Act are also under consideration to ensure the disclosure of assets by non-elected advisers and special assistants.

Discussions also continued, defining and harmonising the powers of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The IMF recommended launching a public awareness campaign on curbing corruption and improving access to information.

The mission also suggested empowering provincial anti-corruption departments to investigate money laundering cases, while Pakistan requested that incentives for Special Economic Zones (SEZs) not be withdrawn prematurely.

Islamabad has appealed for a review of the condition requiring the phase-out of tax exemptions by 2035 and called for IMF reconsideration based on third-party study findings.

A 10-year plan for a gradual phase-out of SEZ incentives has been developed in case the Fund does not accept Pakistan’s proposal.

Both sides agreed to abolish the baggage and gift schemes for imports, while the transfer ofresidence scheme will be tightened further. The deadline for implementing the revised import policy is set for October 15.

Under the proposed rules, vehicles up to five years old may be imported only under conditional permission, while cars brought in under the transfer of residence scheme must have been used for at least one year abroad.

Steps have also been mandated to curb the misuse of car imports routed through Dubai from Japan and the UK.

Approval for these decisions will be sought from the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) within the month, and Pakistan will update the IMF on the implementation progress by October 15.