Finance Minister, IFC Discuss Private Capital Mobilisation, Expanded Access To Finance
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✧ GENERATE BRIEFING
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb held high-level discussions with visiting International Finance Corporation (IFC) leadership to advance private capital mobilization, broaden financial inclusion, and accelerate investment-led economic growth across Pakistan. The strategic meeting featured key IFC delegates, including Simon Andrews, IFC Director for Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia, and Naz Khan, Principal Country Officer for Pakistan. Talks centered on bolstering private-sector development, scaling entrepreneurship, and deploying innovative financing frameworks to address structural bottlenecks in key economic verticals.Minister Aurangzeb emphasized the government's steadfast commitment to fostering SME growth, agricultural modernization, affordable housing, and public-private partnerships (PPPs) against the backdrop of improving macroeconomic stability. In response, the IFC outlined progress on a dedicated start-up financing fund to invigorate Pakistan's entrepreneurial ecosystem and reviewed developer-finance models designed to ease supply constraints in affordable housing.
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb and International Finance Corporation (IFC) officials discussed measures to mobilise private capital, expand access to finance and support investment-led growth in Pakistan.
The meeting was held with Simon Andrews, IFC Director for Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, and Naz Khan, Principal Country Officer, IFC Pakistan. The discussions covered private-sector development, financing and investment opportunities.
Aurangzeb highlighted the government’s focus on entrepreneurship, SME and agricultural financing, affordable housing and public-private partnerships (PPPs) as key areas for mobilising private investment. He also pointed to improving macroeconomic stability and investor confidence as a basis for increasing capital formation.
Start-Up Ecosystem and Affordable Housing
The IFC briefed the minister on progress towards establishing a fund for entrepreneurs aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s start-up and entrepreneurial ecosystem. Discussions also covered potential developer-finance models to address supply-side constraints in affordable housing.
Agricultural Financing and AgriConnect
Agricultural financing was another major area of discussion. The meeting reviewed IFC’s AgriConnect initiative, with particular focus on improving storage infrastructure and using electronic warehouse receipts as collateral to help mobilise private financing for farmers and lenders.
Infrastructure PPPs and Local-Currency Funding
The two sides also discussed PPP projects in the water and power sectors, including initiatives to improve water quality and safety and introduce advanced metering infrastructure across distribution companies. Such projects could help improve service delivery, reduce losses and attract private capital into infrastructure.
Aurangzeb and IFC officials further discussed expanding local-currency financing and developing mechanisms for longer-term funding for private-sector projects. The minister stressed that international development finance could complement domestic financial resources and support productive investment.
The minister also emphasised the need to increase financing opportunities for SMEs, entrepreneurs, agriculture and housing, saying greater access to affordable, long-term capital could support business expansion and productive activity.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation on private-sector financing, investment and infrastructure development, with a focus on mobilising greater domestic and international capital for Pakistan’s sustainable economic growth.
