Govt gave most help to salaried class in Budget 2026-27: Finance minister

Federal Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday stated that the government had given as much assistance as possible to the salaried class in the federal budget. He reiterated the government’s commitment to tax reforms, economic stability and transparency.

The finance minister said that Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves had reached close to $18.5 billion. Addressing an event in Karachi, the minister said the government had successfully floated a Panda Bond as part of its plan to diversify sources of funding.

Aurangzeb said a medium-term tax policy would be created in conjunction with stakeholders to create a more predictable and business friendly tax regime.We did everything we could for the salaried class in the budget,” he said. He said the government continued to focus on eliminating corruption and simplifying the tax system.

The finance minister said it was in the interest of Pakistan’s economy to increase commerce with all the countries. He said that talks on the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award were underway with the assistance of province governments.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani said the government was taking significant steps to develop a modern, transparent and resilient financial sector.

On the same occasion, Kayani also claimed that reforms in the financial sector will boost economic stability and improve the business environment. The government was also encouraging the digital economy and growing use of technology in the banking sector was making financial services more accessible to the people, he said.

He claimed great progress had already been achieved but Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif desired further improvements to speed the restructuring of Pakistan’s economy.