Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday reiterated the government’s commitment to a consultative policy approach during a meeting with the Pakistan Business Council (PBC) amid its leadership transition.
At the Finance Division, Aurangzeb met with outgoing CEO Ehsan Malik and incoming CEO Javed Kureishi.
He welcomed the new leadership and assured full support, emphasizing the government’s dedication to inclusive dialogue and continuous engagement with the business community.
During the meeting, Aurangzeb appreciated the constructive role played by the PBC, particularly acknowledging the value of its policy input, research, and the extensive sectoral data regularly shared with the government.
He underscored the importance of evidence-based policymaking and informed the delegation that the Tax Policy Office had been relocated from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to the Finance Division, intending to institutionalise tax policy formulation and strengthen engagement with forums such as the PBC.
Aurangzeb also emphasised that the government places high value on the perspectives and feedback of the business and industrial community, and in keeping with this approach, the consultative process for the federal budget 2025–26 was initiated earlier than usual this year.
This step was taken to allow greater time for dialogue, reflection, and integration of a wide range of recommendations received from chambers, trade bodies, and business forums into the budget-making process, he added.
