Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb has underscored the need for robust coordination between federal and provincial governments to ensure coherence in policy formulation and implementation, stating that while provinces lead execution, federal ministries must remain actively engaged in planning, oversight and monitoring to safeguard national alignment and ownership of reforms.
The remarks were made during a meeting held at the Finance Division with the World Bank Country Director for Pakistan, Bolormaa Amgaabazar. The discussion centered on strengthening collaboration under the World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework and accelerating priority reform areas identified by the Government of Pakistan.
During the engagement, the finance minister highlighted that effective operationalisation of the Country Partnership Framework is essential to deliver measurable development outcomes. He pointed to population management and climate change as immediate priority areas requiring seamless coordination across all tiers of government. According to the minister, policy coherence can only be achieved if federal ministries remain fully embedded in strategic planning and performance monitoring, even when implementation authority lies primarily with provincial administrations.
The dialogue covered a wide range of reform themes, including human capital development, climate resilience strategies, agriculture sector transformation, energy sector sustainability, and the overall performance of the World Bank’s development portfolio in Pakistan. Both sides reviewed ongoing initiatives and discussed ways to refine institutional processes to enhance delivery and accountability.
Muhammad Aurangzeb stressed that national reform momentum depends on structured collaboration and transparent target-setting. He called for improved information sharing and more rigorous monitoring frameworks to ensure development programs generate tangible and sustainable benefits. In his view, alignment between provincial initiatives and federal policy objectives is critical to maintaining fiscal discipline and achieving long-term macroeconomic stability.
The World Bank Country Director reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to deepening cooperation with both federal and provincial stakeholders. She emphasised the importance of strengthening institutional linkages and ensuring that technical assistance, financing mechanisms and knowledge-sharing efforts are synchronised with Pakistan’s reform priorities.
Agriculture sector reforms featured prominently in the discussions. The meeting reviewed progress aimed at enhancing productivity, strengthening value chains, expanding access to finance and increasing private sector participation. The finance minister highlighted the need to modernise agricultural frameworks to unlock sustainable growth and employment generation, noting that provincial governments play a central role in implementation but must operate within a nationally aligned reform structure. The World Bank expressed readiness to continue supporting agricultural transformation in coordination with relevant partners, including the International Finance Corporation.
Energy sector reform and financial sustainability were also key agenda items. Both sides examined options to reinforce the long-term viability of the energy sector, recognising its central importance to fiscal stability and industrial competitiveness. Technical-level engagements are expected to continue to identify feasible pathways aligned with Pakistan’s broader reform agenda and fiscal framework.
The country director provided an overview of portfolio performance and ongoing development operations, reiterating the World Bank’s continued support for Pakistan’s economic stabilisation efforts, climate resilience objectives and human capital development initiatives.
Concluding the meeting, Muhammad Aurangzeb conveyed appreciation for the World Bank’s partnership and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to structural reforms, governance enhancement and transparent policy execution. He reiterated that coordinated action between federal and provincial institutions remains essential to ensuring that development programs translate into inclusive growth and measurable socio-economic progress across the country.
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