ISLAMABAD, April 11, 2025 (Alliance News): Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has announced that the upcoming budget will bring good news for the salaried class and efforts are underway to further reduce electricity bills by July.
Speaking to the media, the finance minister said that a comprehensive relief package for salaried individuals is in the works and will be shared with the IMF soon.
He added that the government is in regular contact with the International Monetary Fund to finalize the measures, and the IMF Executive Board is expected to approve the staff-level agreement in May.
He confirmed that all IMF-set targets have been met, with minor delays in a few areas that have now been addressed. Pakistan will also receive the next IMF installment of one billion dollars along with climate financing support.
Aurangzeb revealed that 98% of the proposals for the upcoming budget were gathered from both public and private sectors.
These proposals are currently under review by relevant departments, and only those deemed feasible will be implemented from July 1, without further changes, to ensure immediate execution.
Regarding taxation, he noted that tax collection from traders has improved, but emphasized that the trader-friendly scheme should not be seen merely as a tax drive. A simplified tax form is being developed to ease compliance for all citizens. Furthermore, the tax policy department will now operate under the Ministry of Finance for better coordination.
