Pakistan shifting away from aid to trade with GCC countries: FinMin

• Inflation drops to single-digit from 38% peak.
• Primary surpluses and reserves strengthen external buffers.
• Ratings agencies upgrade Pakistan’s outlook this year.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has that said Pakistan is shifting away from aid-based support towards trade and investment-led engagement, with a focus on deeper economic partnerships with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

In an interview with CNN Business Arabia, Aurangzeb said the strategic shift, which he said has been clearly articulated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reflects Pakistan’s renewed economic confidence and reform momentum, aimed at long-term economic sustainability.

He said Pakistan has remained on a comprehensive macroeconomic stabilisation programme over the past 18 months, delivering what he described as “tangible and measurable” results. Inflation, which he said had peaked at an unprecedented 38%, has declined to single-digit levels. 

Aurangzeb also pointed to primary surpluses, a current account deficit “well within” targeted limits, a stabilised exchange rate and foreign exchange reserves improving to around 2.5 months of import cover, which he said reflected strengthening external buffers.

The finance czar cited two external validations of Pakistan’s improving outlook. He said all three international credit rating agencies have upgraded Pakistan’s ratings and outlook this year, and that Pakistan has completed the second review under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Fund Facility (EFF), with the IMF Executive Board granting its approval earlier this week, developments he said signalled growing international confidence in Pakistan’s economic management and reform trajectory.

The finance minister said macroeconomic stabilisation has been achieved through a coordinated approach combining disciplined monetary and fiscal policies with an ambitious structural reform agenda. He said reforms are being pursued across taxation, energy, state-owned enterprises, public financial management and privatisation to consolidate stability and lay the foundations for sustainable growth.

On taxation, the finance minister said Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio has improved from 8.8% at the start of the reform programme to 10.3% in the last fiscal year, with a clear path towards 11%. 

He said the government’s objective is to reach a level of tax collection that ensures fiscal sustainability over the medium to long term by widening the tax base and bringing previously undertaxed but economically significant sectors, including real estate, agriculture, and wholesale and retail trade, into the formal net.

He said the plan also includes deepening compliance by reducing leakages through production monitoring systems and AI-enabled technologies, alongside reforms in people, processes and technology to transform tax administration.

In the energy sector, Aurangzeb highlighted efforts to improve governance in distribution companies, bring in private-sector expertise, advance privatisation and reduce circular debt, which he said has long constrained the power sector. He said rationalising the tariff regime is essential to make energy more competitive for industry, supporting industrial revival and economic growth.

The senator acknowledged the longstanding support of GCC countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, noting their role in supporting Pakistan through financing, funding and cooperation at international financial institutions such as the IMF. He said the relationship is now evolving towards a new phase centred on trade expansion and investment flows.

He said remittances continue to play a vital role in supporting the current account, with inflows reaching about $38 billion last year and projected to rise to $41–42 billion this year, with more than half originating from GCC countries.

Looking ahead, Aurangzeb said Pakistan is engaging GCC partners to attract investment in priority sectors including energy, oil and gas, minerals and mining, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, pharmaceuticals and agriculture. He also expressed optimism about progress on a Free Trade Agreement with the GCC, saying discussions are at an advanced stage.

Reiterating the government’s direction, the finance minister said Pakistan’s future lies in fostering trade and investment partnerships rather than reliance on aid, arguing that foreign direct investment into productive sectors would support higher GDP growth, generate employment and deliver shared economic benefits for Pakistan and its partners. 

He said the government is fully mobilised to translate the vision into reality.