Islamabad: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb declared substantial advancements in the nation’s financial status over the past eighteen months. Speaking at an event in the capital today, Aurangzeb highlighted improvements in the domestic business landscape, noting a 41% rise in small and medium enterprise liabilities, with agricultural debts surpassing 2.5 trillion rupees. He also reported a 38% surge in private sector borrowing.

The minister pointed to a growing number of stock exchange participants, with 65,000 new investors joining in the last year. Company registrations, he added, have reached an annual rate of 250,000. Aurangzeb emphasized ongoing large-scale structural changes, including unprecedented tariff adjustments.

The government, he revealed, trimmed its debt service expenditures by 1 trillion rupees last year. A streamlining initiative is currently underway across 43 ministries and 400 government bodies. A contributory pension framework has also been implemented.

Aurangzeb further indicated that the privatization of state-owned entities will accelerate this year, with Panda Bonds expected to be launched before year-end.