Islamabad: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, convened with Ms. Lucia Real-Martin, Global Executive Director of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), accompanied by Mr. Assad Hameed Khan and Mr. Asad Malik Mahmood at the Finance Division today. The meeting centered on bolstering economic reforms, enhancing the private sector, and promoting export-led growth.

According to Press Information Department, discussions highlighted the potential of Pakistan’s IT and IT-enabled services, focusing on improving connectivity and upskilling in areas like artificial intelligence and blockchain. The Finance Minister emphasized the dual approach of talent export and retention, aiming to enable Pakistani professionals to engage in higher-value knowledge-intensive activities.

Ms. Real-Martin outlined ACCA’s commitment to Pakistan’s skills agenda, emphasizing the development of higher-value services through professional capacity building. The ACCA delegation also discussed ongoing public financial management efforts, expressing readiness to assist in digitalization and improved tax administration.

Further, the Finance Minister stressed the importance of SME sector growth through capacity building and better access to finance, while Ms. Real-Martin highlighted ACCA initiatives for SME financial upskilling. Both parties expressed a commitment to collaboration for Pakistan’s economic transformation and private-sector-led growth.