ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Wednesday that Pakistan had reached a critical turning point, with macroeconomic stability, sustained reforms, and policy continuity restoring confidence and steering the economy toward export-led, long-term growth.

In an interview with USA Today, the minister said this was opening new horizons for domestic and global investors, and positioning the country for sustainable, long-term economic growth.

He said this transition was enabled by macroeconomic stabilisation, easing inflation and improved external balances, with the government driving expo­rt-led, productivity-based growth through structural reforms, sustaining reform momentum despite challenges, and actively encouraging global investment in emerging opportunities across agriculture, minerals, technology and climate resilience.

He noted that, for the first time in several years, Pakistan had achieved both a primary fiscal surplus and a current account surplus, signalling a decisive shift away from the cycle of recurring deficits.

He said that strong rem­ittance inflows had played a critical role in supporting this turnaround, while in­­f­lation had fallen sharply from a peak of 38 per cent to single-digit levels. He also noted that foreign ex­­change reserves had risen to over $14.5 billion, providing import cov­er of approximately two-and-a-half months, while the ex­­change rate had remained stable, helping to restore investor confidence.

He emphasised that while macroeconomic stabilisation was an essential foundation, sustainable growth remained the central challenge.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2025