PM meets industrialists ahead of 2026-27 budget

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday held a consultative meeting with leading industrialists and business figures to seek views on priorities for the upcoming federal budget 2026-2027, focusing on shaping economic policy and sustaining recovery efforts, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

According to the PMO, the discussion focused on the general direction of economic growth, export-led development and measures aimed at strengthening investment and job creation ahead of the next budget.

The prime minister said consultations with the business community were “critically important” in policymaking, adding that Pakistan’s economic recovery depended on a strong partnership between the government and the private sector.

The delegation included prominent industrialists and business leaders such as Mian Muhammad Mansha, Arif Habib, Ahsan Zafar Syed, Muhammad Ali Tabba and others representing key sectors of the economy.

The meeting was also attended by several federal ministers and senior officials including Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, IT and Telecom Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, Energy Minister Sardar Awais, Ahmad Khan Leghari, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar Khan, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan and State Bank of Pakistan Governor Jameel Ahmad along with other senior officials.

Addressing the delegation, the Prime Minister said, “You are ambassadors of Pakistan and our identity in the world” and played a key role in shaping the country’s international economic reputation.

He thanked the business community for supporting the government during difficult economic conditions and said sustained cooperation between the public and private sectors was essential for growth.

“We are moving towards an export-led growth model, which remains the core of our economic policy,” said the prime minister.

The prime minister added that reforms were being carried out to improve the resolution of tax disputes through tax courts, with what he described as transparent procurement processes, while a committee had been formed to establish special commercial courts.

He said the upcoming budget would include measures aimed at providing relief to the public while supporting business-friendly policies to attract investment and stabilize the economy.

Read: US proposes tariffs on goods from 60 economies, including Pakistan

The prime minister also highlighted the government’s focus on expanding the industrial, agricultural and information technology sectors, saying these areas would generate employment and strengthen long-term economic stability.

He added that technical and vocational training programs had been launched to improve youth employability and support national development.

Officials briefed participants on ongoing reforms, including improvements to tax courts to speed up resolution of tax disputes, establishment of special commercial courts and infrastructure projects aimed at improving cargo connectivity from Karachi ports to the rest of the country.

These include improvements to the M-10 motorway and works on the Pipri freight corridor, as well as the development of the M-13 (Kharian-Rawalpindi) motorway to reduce travel time between Lahore and Islamabad.

The briefing also highlighted rail infrastructure improvements under Pakistan Railways’ ML-1 and ML-2 projects, designed to improve freight movement and logistics efficiency.

The briefing also highlighted the development of a national AI transformation plan and the use of video analytics in industrial sectors such as sugar and cement to improve revenue collection.

Business leaders welcomed the government’s economic direction and praised efforts to stabilize the economy, improve financial management and promote digitalization. They also expressed support for tax reforms, energy cost reductions for industry and timely tax refunds.

The delegation praised the diplomatic efforts for regional peace and thanked the prime minister for involving the business community in the budget consultations.

They reiterated their commitment to working with the government to strengthen the industry, boost exports and create employment opportunities.