Finance Minister reaffirms Pak’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety & security of Chinese citizens & investments in the country
WASHINGTON, April 20 (SABAH): Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb met with the Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo’an on the sidelines of the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in
Washington. Finance Minister conveyed condolences on behalf of the leadership and people of Pakistan over the recent terrorist attack against Chinese nationals in Pakistan. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and security of Chinese citizens and investments in the country. He lauded China’s invaluable contribution to Pakistan’s development through initiatives such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and support at international financial institutions.
Apprising the Chinese counterpart of the progress on CPEC, Finance Minister stated that Phase-I focused on infrastructure development, while Phase-II would emphasize monetizing assets through the operationalization of Special Economic Zones and relocation of Chinese Private-Owned Companies (POCs). He expressed the government’s resolve to accelerate Phase-II of CPEC. Finance Minister also expressed gratitude to the Chinese government for the SAFE deposits and their regular roll-overs, which have played a crucial role in addressing Pakistan’s external financing gaps. He informed the Chinese Minister that Pakistan was entering into a larger and extended program with International Monetary Fund (IMF) and looked forward to China’s continued support. He also briefed him on the government’s priorities,
including broadening the tax base, fixing the energy sector, and overhauling the state-owned enterprises (SOEs). He stated that Pakistan aimed to tap into the Chinese Bond Market and launch
Panda Bonds during the fiscal year 2025-26. Both sides agreed on the need to continue their cooperation within international institutions, reflecting deep-rooted economic ties between the two countries.
Meanwhile Finance Minister also met with Martin Raiser, the World Bank’s Regional Vice President for South Asia, to discuss Pakistan’s reform initiatives and development priorities. During the meeting,
Finance Minister expressed satisfaction that the new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) between Pakistan and the World Bank would be finalized soon. He underlined the government’s reform thrust in the areas of energy, taxation, and state-owned enterprises (SOEs), highlighting the pursuit of both short and long-term goals in these crucial sectors. Referring to his earlier meetings with the Senior Leadership of the World Bank, Finance Minister stated that the Bank’s focus on climate change, digitalization, and human capital development aligns well with the priorities of the government. Finance Minister highlighted the government’s vision to realize Pakistan’s true
economic potential in terms of sustainable economic growth. He stressed the importance of timely completion of development projects and the realization of intended impacts and outcomes, emphasizing the need for effective implementation and monitoring. He also briefed Martin Raiser on the role of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) as a one-window facility for investment promotion and facilitation. Both sides agreed on the need for reforms in the agriculture sector, water management, and waste-water treatment.
Meanwhile Finance Minister met with Brent Neiman, Deputy Under Secretary for International Finance at the U.S. Department of Treasury, on the sidelines of the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington D.C. Finance Minister briefed Neiman on Pakistan’s positive economic indicators in the wake of the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) signed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He informed that the government has prioritized reforms in taxation, energy sector, and state-owned enterprises (SOEs). He underscored the United States’ significance as Pakistan’s largest trading partner and a key source of remittances and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). He
briefed Mr. Neiman on the role of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in facilitating foreign investment into the country. Finance Minister welcomed his visit to Pakistan after the
presentation of the budget and assured full support in this regard.
Meanwhile Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb held a meeting with Jin Liqun, President of the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), to discuss Pakistan’s economic trajectory and explore avenues for enhancing cooperation in infrastructure development. During the meeting, the Finance Minister briefed the AIIB President on Pakistan’s positive economic indicators, including improving foreign exchange reserves, a stable currency, declining inflation rates, and a surging
stock market. He highlighted the renewed institutional and foreign inflows into the market, on the back of the successful 9-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Finance Minister informed Jin Liqun that Pakistan was looking to enter into a larger and extended program with the IMF, building upon the progress achieved under the SBA. He identified broadening the tax base, fixing the energy sector, and undertaking state-owned enterprise (SOE) reforms as key priorities of the government. Finance Minister expressed gratitude for AIIB’s support in the aftermath of the devastating 2022 floods, particularly the co-financing of
US$ 250 million for the RISE-II program of the World Bank. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to continue working closely with AIIB on the infrastructure development of the country. He
appreciated AIIB’s additional commitment of US$ 500 million in project assistance and acknowledged the satisfactory progress on project implementation and disbursements.
Meanwhile Finance Minister met with Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). In the meeting, Finance Minister briefed Makhtar Diop on Pakistan’s positive economic indicators, including improving foreign exchange reserves, stable currency, declining inflation rates, and a surging stock market. He highlighted the renewed institutional and foreign inflows into the market, bolstered by the successful 9-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He informed the IFC Managing Director that Pakistan looked forward to entering into a larger and extended program with the IMF. The Finance Minister
identified broadening tax reforms, fixing the energy sector, and undertaking state-owned enterprise (SOE) reforms as key priorities of the government. He expressed gratitude to IFC for its support
in the outsourcing of the Islamabad airport, which will be followed by similar initiatives in Lahore and Karachi. He noted with satisfaction the uptick in IFC activities in the country and requested the corporation’s support in assisting the government in shifting its Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) to PPP mode.
Other engagements of the Finance Minister included luncheon meeting with Country Management Unit (CMU) of the World Bank, participation in the High-level Closed-door Roundtable on Financial Markets Access: Challenges and Opportunities organized by the Middle East and Central
Asia Department (MCD), IMF and meeting with Andrew Torre, Regional President, VISA.
Finance Minister is leading Pakistan’s delegation in the IMF / World Bank’s 2024 Spring Meetings being held in Washington DC. Other delegates include Imdadullah Bosal, Finance Secretary,
Dr. Kazim Niaz, Secretary Economic Affairs Division, Jameel Ahmed, Governor State Bank of Pakistan and Adil Akbar Khan, Senior Joint Secretary, Economic Affairs Division.