Aurangzeb is in today’s headlines, but this one isn’t a PAF base or a Mughal emperor. He’s Pakistan’s Finance Minister, and he’s telling the world: we’re open for business.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, during a meeting with top global investors in London, shared a hopeful message: Pakistan is ready for business and investment.
He talked about how the country’s economy is on the right track, with some major improvements already showing. Pakistan now has a primary budget surplus of 3.6 trillion rupees, a current account in the positive, and inflation brought down to just 0.3%. On top of that, the country’s debt compared to its economy has dropped from 75% to 65%. These shifts, he said, are giving new confidence to international lenders and partners.
Aurangzeb shared that Pakistan is serious about long term reform, moving from an economy driven by spending to one focused on exports and productivity. One of the key areas of change is the tax system. The government is working to bring sectors like real estate, wholesale, retail, and agriculture into the formal economy. He also highlighted efforts to fully digitalize the tax process to reduce corruption and improve fairness.
He also mentioned a strategy to grow Pakistan’s economy beyond traditional sectors. For example, a new agreement around copper mining is expected to add $2.8 billion to the country’s annual exports by 2028. Another major move is the plan to launch a Panda bond, a step toward better debt management and global market presence.
Investors at the meeting responded positively. Oliver Williams, a leading global investor, said he appreciated the clarity of Pakistan’s economic direction. Maud Le Moine from Lion’s Head Global Partners offered to help Pakistan with technical support on investor communication and energy sector modeling.
In another meeting, Aurangzeb sat down with senior leaders from British American Tobacco. They discussed the serious issue of illegal and counterfeit cigarette trade in Pakistan. The company said that the current tax system is too high and inconsistent, which unintentionally supports illegal sellers and hurts the formal market, and tax revenue. They recommended a fairer and more predictable tax structure that could bring consumers back to legal products, support legitimate businesses, and help the government collect more revenue.
Aurangzeb agreed this is a real issue and promised the matter would be looked into during the upcoming federal budget. He reaffirmed the government’s goal: a fair, efficient, and inclusive tax system, one that strengthens the formal economy and tackles illicit trade.
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