An IMF mission, led by Albert Jaeger, is arriving in Belgrade on February 8, on the occasion of the thir revision of a loan arrangement with Serbia, Tanjug learns.

The talks with Serbian government and NBS representatives will start the very next day, with a plenary session, and will last until February 23.

Within the standby arrangement, which the IMF granted on 15 May 2009, Serbia received a loan of 2.0 billion EUR for the strengthening of foreign currency reserves and a total of 1.12 billion EUR have been drawn in the past two tranches.

Serbia has agreed to reduce allotments for payments to budget users, i.e. to freeze incomes and pensions in 2010 and also to dismiss redundant employees in the state administration and to adopt a new law on pension and disability insurance.