Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb emphasised on Friday that sustained economic reforms are essential for Pakistan to exit the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.
During a meeting with a delegation from the US Business Council in Islamabad, Aurangzeb reaffirmed the government's commitment to implement equitable taxation across all sectors. He also briefed the delegation on recent IMF and World Bank meetings held in Washington.
The delegation discussed budget-related proposals and raised concerns during the meeting. According to communique, it was suggested that consultations on the budget should continue throughout the year to ensure inclusive economic planning.
Aurangzeb said, "There is no room for leakage in the value chain. We will achieve the goal of complete digitisation of the country’s economy." He added that specialists are being recruited in the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) IT wing to support these efforts.
Highlighting the importance of human capital, the finance minister remarked, "In order to bring about reforms, what we need is not capital, but skills."
The US Business Council expressed its commitment to continuing cooperation with the Government of Pakistan. Both parties resolved to strengthen economic ties going forward.
