Pakistan’s finance minister says fiscal consolidation, tax reforms and privatisation are creating opportunities for international investors.
Federal Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb has highlighted Pakistan’s progress on fiscal consolidation, revenue mobilisation and structural reforms while inviting international investors to explore opportunities in the country.
Aurangzeb made the remarks while delivering the keynote address at the Pakistan Investment Roundtable hosted by the Pakistan High Commission in London. The event brought together leading investors and global financial management firms.
Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Jamil Ahmed, Finance Minister’s Adviser Khurram Schehzad and Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK Tipu Usman also attended the roundtable.
In his address, Aurangzeb said the government remained committed to macroeconomic stabilisation while pursuing sustainable economic growth.
He said the government was implementing a structural reform agenda focused on strengthening the economy and creating conditions for greater private-sector participation.
According to the finance minister, fiscal consolidation was producing results through a primary surplus, a reduction in the fiscal deficit and higher revenue mobilisation.
He said these measures were also supporting wider institutional and fiscal reforms.
Aurangzeb highlighted reforms involving state-owned enterprises and the government’s privatisation programme. He also identified energy-sector reforms, greater financial transparency and measures to improve the ease of doing business as important elements of the economic agenda.
Speaking about tax reforms, Aurangzeb said expanding the tax base and strengthening enforcement were essential for supporting sustainable economic growth.
He claimed that discretionary powers available to tax authorities had been eliminated and that taxpayers were not receiving preferential treatment.
The finance minister also said the government had not imposed additional taxes on the salaried class.
He presented the reforms as part of broader efforts to improve Pakistan’s revenue collection system and strengthen fiscal management.
Aurangzeb acknowledged that Pakistan’s economy had faced setbacks following major flooding across the country last year.
He also pointed to the recent conflict in the Middle East as a factor affecting global oil prices and creating additional external economic pressures.
Despite these challenges, he said Pakistan remained open for business and was seeing renewed interest from international investors.
The minister encouraged investors and international financial institutions to examine opportunities in different sectors of Pakistan’s economy.
The finance minister also discussed Pakistan’s engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the London event.
Aurangzeb said Pakistan had successfully completed all IMF reviews on schedule. He linked the progress made under the programme with three upgrades by international credit-rating agencies.
The comments came as the government seeks to strengthen investor confidence through fiscal consolidation, structural reforms and improved economic management.
During an interactive question-and-answer session, Aurangzeb discussed Pakistan’s economic outlook and investment climate with representatives of financial institutions.
The discussions also covered potential partnerships with international organisations and investment opportunities across several sectors of Pakistan’s economy.
The London roundtable provided Pakistani officials with an opportunity to engage directly with international investors and financial institutions over the country’s economic reform programme, investment environment and prospects for greater private-sector participation.