The request comes a month after the IMF said the country's economic progress placed it among 'the top performers in the eurozone'.
Greece will need approval from the European bailout lenders in order to repay its IMF loans early, but top officials in the agency and the European Commission are said to have signalled backing for the idea.
The left-wing government in Greece - facing national municipal and European elections this year - is planning to boost funding for social programs with the money eventually saved from the cheaper loan repayment, Mr Tzanakopoulos said. "The IMF loans are expensive, with an interest rate of 5.1% - so that means we can lower debt servicing costs and we will have an increase in the fiscal space to help vulnerable groups in society," he said on Greek radio.
According to Reuters, Greece plans to file a request this week seeking the eurozone bailout fund's consent to the early repayment of expensive loans owed to the International Monetary Fund.The country emerged from its third international bailout program last August and has seen significant improvements in an economy battered by years of recession and budget cuts.
Improvements in Greece's bond yields have been accompanied by a boost to the stock market, which on Monday closed up 26.1% on the year.
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