ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided in principle to enter into another International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programme after concluding the fifth review of the $11.3 billion Standby Arrangement (SBA) in June 2011.

The negotiations for the next loan programme will start after announcement of the federal budget, said the sources.

Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh would discuss the options for the new programme with IMF officials during his upcoming visit to Washington DC.

He is scheduled to visit the United States in April 2011.