Finance minister discusses budget preparations with visiting IMF mission
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Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday discussed preparations for the upcoming federal budget and the country’s broader reform agenda with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) visiting Islamabad, the finance ministry said. He briefed the delegation on the country’s macroeconomic outlook, fiscal strategy, reform priorities, and the government’s ongoing efforts to ensure sustainable economic stability and long-term growth, the ministry said on the social media platform X. The ministry said that the discussions focused on the country’s “macroeconomic stabilisation efforts, preparations for the upcoming federal budget, and the broader reform agenda aimed at strengthening fiscal and external sustainability while fostering sustainable economic growth”. “Both sides exchanged views on maintaining reform momentum, preserving macroeconomic stability, and advancing structural reforms to promote investment, productivity, and export-led growth within a balanced and forward-looking policy framework,” the ministry said. Welcoming the IMF delegation to Islamabad, the finance minister “appreciated the Fund’s continued engagement and constructive dialogue” with the government, it said, adding Aurangzeb particularly acknowledged the productive discussions initiated during the spring meetings held in Washington earlier this year. The ministry added that Aurangzeb shared encouraging developments regarding the country’s external sector, highlighting positive trends in remittances and export performance. “He noted that recent data indicated improvement in exports on both a month-on-month and a year-on-year basis, reflecting growing resilience in the economy and a gradual strengthening of macroeconomic fundamentals,” it said. Further, the finance minister emphasised that while economic stabilisation efforts had produced encouraging results, the government remained fully mindful of the structural challenges confronting the economy, particularly external liabilities and the need t