ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) here on Wednesday acknowledged the positive progress made by Pakistan in maintaining macroeconomic stability despite a challenging global and regional environment.
The appreciation was made by the visiting IMF Mission, led by Mission Chief Ms. Iva Petrova during a meeting with Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb and his team.
The Mission appreciated the government’s continued commitment to prudent economic management and reform implementation. It emphasized the importance of sustaining reform momentum, maintaining fiscal discipline, and advancing structural reforms to support durable and inclusive economic growth.
Discussions during the meeting also focused on the broader macroeconomic framework, the government’s reform agenda, and priorities for the upcoming budget.
The Mission reaffirmed its commitment to continued engagement and constructive cooperation with Pakistan in support of the country’s economic reform programme and long-term economic resilience.
Earlier, minister Aurangzeb briefed the visiting IMF mission on Pakistan’s macroeconomic outlook, fiscal strategy, reform priorities, and the government’s ongoing efforts to ensure sustainable economic stability and long-term growth.
The discussions focused on Pakistan’s macroeconomic stabilization 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 Finance Minister appreciated the Fund’s continued engagement and constructive dialogue with the government of Pakistan. He particularly acknowledged the productive discussions initiated during the Spring Meetings held in Washington earlier this year.
Senator Aurangzeb shared encouraging developments regarding Pakistan’s external sector, highlighting positive trends in remittances and export performance.
He noted that recent data indicated improvement in exports on both month-on-month and year-on-year basis, reflecting growing resilience in the economy and a gradual strengthening of macroeconomic fundamentals.
The minister emphasized that while economic stabilization efforts had produced encouraging results, the government remained fully mindful of the structural challenges confronting the economy, particularly external liabilities and the need to accelerate sustainable, export-led growth.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to deepening reforms aimed at strengthening macroeconomic stability without compromising long-term growth prospects.
In this regard, he underscored the importance of moving Pakistan away from recurring boom-and-bust cycles through structural reforms, productivity enhancement, deregulation, and improved export competitiveness.
Senator Aurangzeb further stated that the government’s reform agenda had been carefully calibrated in consultation with international experts and economists. He emphasized that the ongoing policy measures were not driven by short-term considerations, but formed part of a broader and technically grounded economic transformation strategy endorsed at the highest level.
The Finance Minister also briefed the Mission on Pakistan’s continued engagement with international development partners, including ongoing economic cooperation initiatives with China and efforts aimed at mobilizing long-term investment aligned with the country’s strategic economic priorities.
The meeting was attended by Governor State Bank of Pakistan, Jameel Ahmad; Secretary Finance Division, Imdad Ullah Bosal; Chairman Federal Board of Revenue, Rashid Mahmood Langrial, and senior officials of the Finance and Revenue Division as well as the Tax Policy Office.
