ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has planned to establish a National Digital Commission to ensure digitization of its economy and paperless governance, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday, citing State Minister for Information Technology (IT) Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
Pakistan, which faced an economic meltdown in recent months, made rigorous efforts to introduce structural reforms under a $3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, which ended in April and helped the South Asian country avert a sovereign default last year.
In May, Pakistan signed an agreement with McKinsey and Company for the digitalization of its tax collection system after the IMF suggested strengthening public finances, broadening the existing tax base and privatizing loss-making state enterprises as part of reforms.
Khawaja said the new commission would be headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif keeping its importance in view, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“It will not only improve governance and tax collection efficiency but it will also smooth the inter-ministerial coordination,” she was quoted as saying.
The minister said paperless governance was “vital” to speed up the government operations and it would help remove procedural bottlenecks.
In July, Pakistan reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF for a new $7 billion loan deal, aimed at strengthening fiscal and monetary policy as well as reforms to broaden the tax base, strengthen competition, secure a level playing field for investment, enhance human capital, and scale up social protection through increased generosity and coverage in a major welfare program.
Pakistan wants to collect 13 trillion rupees ($44 billion) in taxes — 40 percent more than the last fiscal year — according to Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. The government also aims to increase the number of taxpayers from a meager 5 million.
Pakistan plans to establish National Digital Commission to digitize economy, improve governance
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Pakistan plans to establish National Digital Commission to digitize economy, improve governance
- Pakistan made rigorous efforts to introduce structural reforms under its last IMF program that ended in April
- The lender has suggested broadening the tax base and better financial management under a new $7 billion deal
Pakistan, ADB reaffirm partnership to push IMF-backed reforms
- ADB signals further budget support aligned with Pakistan’s $7 billion IMF program
- Finance minister outlines focus on privatization, energy reforms, project execution
KARACHI: Pakistan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Monday reaffirmed their strategic partnership to accelerate IMF-backed economic reforms, as Islamabad seeks to sustain macroeconomic stabilization and deepen private-sector-led growth.
The commitment came during a meeting between Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and a senior ADB delegation in Islamabad, where both sides reviewed Pakistan’s reform trajectory under the International Monetary Fund’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and discussed ways to improve development impact and project execution.
Pakistan has been pursuing wide-ranging fiscal, energy and structural reforms under the $7 billion IMF loan program after years of balance-of-payments stress and repeated stabilization cycles. While recent reviews have pointed to improved macroeconomic indicators, the government has stressed that sustained growth will depend on translating policy commitments into implementation, particularly in taxation, state-owned enterprises and the energy sector.
“ADB representatives expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s reform progress under the IMF program and confirmed ADB’s readiness to provide further budget support aligned with the EFF,” the finance ministry said in a statement.
“They outlined future areas of engagement, including insurance sector reforms, public-private partnerships, pension reforms, and continued support for climate resilience and social sector development.”
Aurangzeb told the delegation that the government was focused on improving project readiness and execution, noting that delays had historically weakened the impact of development spending, especially in social sectors and climate-related initiatives. He said visible progress on privatization and energy sector restructuring was essential to building investor confidence and sustaining reform momentum.
The finance minister highlighted recent steps, including the privatization of a small bank, renewed interest in strategic transactions and ongoing work to restructure electricity distribution companies. He also pointed to encouraging trends in exports, remittances and services, particularly information technology, while cautioning that growth needed to remain balanced and sustainable.
According to the statement, ADB officials reiterated the bank’s emphasis on results-based engagement and faster project implementation, saying streamlined processes were critical for timely disbursements and measurable outcomes. The delegation also flagged expanded support for private-sector development through guarantees, public-private partnerships and potential infrastructure transactions.
