ADB reaffirms support for Pakistan’s reform agenda

Ahad Khan Cheema, the Minister of Economic Affairs, met with a delegation of the Asian Development Bank’s Executive Directors and Alternate Executive Directors in Islamabad.

The delegation is visiting Pakistan from the 6th to the 12th of this month to have discussions with the government and other important parties in order to better match the government’s priorities with ADB’s support.

Ahad Khan Cheema emphasised at the meeting the solid cooperation between Pakistan and ADB, which was confirmed during the bank’s president Masatsugu Asakawa’s recent visit.

The Minister outlined the government’s commitment to a broad reform program that is aimed at fostering sustainable growth and re-establishing macroeconomic stability. He outlined several important reform areas, such as reorganising state-owned businesses, improving the energy sector, and digitising the tax code to increase income production.

The Minister also underlined Pakistan’s top priority for ADB assistance in vital areas including infrastructure development, social uplift, and combating climate change. The visiting team restated its unwavering support for the government’s plan, which includes stabilising the economy, creating fiscal space, and implementing structural reforms. The Executive Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are in Pakistan to further strengthen their strong partnership in pursuit of sustainable development objectives and national economic stability. The delegation also went to the One Window Centre of the Benazir Income Support Program in G-7, Islamabad, to observe how it was run. It praised the BISP One Window Center’s effective functioning and the array of services offered to women beneficiaries.