ECONOMY

Greece in line for 8.3 bln bailout tranche, sources say

Greece is set to receive a commitment from euro-region authorities as soon as mid-April for a payment of 8.3 billion euros in the next step in the country’s aid program, three officials familiar with the negotiations said.

Deputies to finance ministers are due to hold a conference call March 30 ahead of a euro-area finance ministers meeting in Athens next week, and the ministers could hold a further conference call if needed, two of the officials said.

The International Monetary Fund is considering an aid payment of 3.6 billion euros as its contribution to the next tranche, according to a third official. The IMF said on Thursday that talks are under way without giving any exact figures.

“There’s going to be re-phasing of disbursements to Greece,” IMF spokesman William Murray told reporters in Washington. “I can’t be precise on the exact amount that will be disbursed when this review is completed in May but it will be different than the past review” and “I assume it will be higher.”

Greece will need to follow through on required actions to receive the money and payments also will need to go through national governments under the terms of the current rescue agreement, said the three officials who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. No final decision on the size of the payout has been made and the money may not be disbursed all at once, they added.

[Bloomberg]

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