US Ambassador Donald Blome met with Finance & Revenue Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb at the Finance Division today.
The minister emphasized the longstanding relationship between Pakistan and the US. He updated the Ambassador on the successful completion of the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) and Pakistan’s ongoing engagement with the fund to build on SBA reforms.
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He highlighted the government’s priority reform areas: increasing the tax-to-GDP ratio through comprehensive digitization, incorporating under-taxed sectors into the tax system, and implementing tax administrative reforms.
The minister reaffirmed the prime minister’s commitment to privatizing State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), attracting interest from local and foreign investors, particularly regarding Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). For energy sector reforms, he mentioned initiatives to bring in private sector experts to improve efficiency. He also informed the Ambassador about potential investments in the agriculture, mining, and IT sectors.
The envoy praised the Pakistani government’s efforts to enhance macroeconomic indicators and assured US support in achieving economic stability and sustainable growth.
