SBP to identify key economic challenges facing Pakistan

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Wednesday announced that it will organise a one-day “National Conference on Pakistan Economy” on December 18, 2026, to discuss the key challenges facing Pakistan’s economy and explore strategies for achieving sustainable economic growth.

For the first time in its history, the SBP is organising such a conference with the aim of identifying the key economic challenges facing Pakistan and formulating a long-term strategy to achieve healthy and sustainable economic growth in the years ahead.

According to SBP, high-level one-day conference, to be held on December 18, 2026 in Karachi that will explore how policymaking in Pakistan must adapt to meet the emerging challenges.

Given the recurring global shocks, commodity and energy markets continue to remain highly volatile. These disruptions have heightened the vulnerabilities of economies such as Pakistan, which are heavily dependent on imported energy. Owing to their unpredictable nature and severe economic impact, such shocks also pose significant challenges to maintaining price stability and complicate the conduct of monetary policy, the SBP said.

The SBP said that for building long term resilience to supply shocks, strong external buffers are necessary and for this, a competitive and vibrant export sector, and well-functioning and deep domestic markets are essential to increase exports and tap foreign capital.

The conference will bring together researchers from academia, policymakers, market practitioners and opinion leaders to present and discuss the contemporary issues faced by Pakistan’s economy and chart a strategy for the future.

The conference will also serve as a platform to promote and showcase research aligned with the SBP’s Research Agenda 2026-2029. Accordingly, the conference themes have been selected in line with the priorities outlined in the research agenda.

The conference will focus on two key sub-themes: “Monetary Policy Transmission Amid Supply Shocks and Structural Shifts” under Research Agenda Theme I, which examines the effectiveness of monetary policy in the face of supply-side disruptions and structural economic changes, and “Evaluating the Role of Capital Inflows and Export Competitiveness for External Sector Sustainability” under Research Agenda Theme III, which explores how foreign capital inflows and export competitiveness can contribute to strengthening Pakistan’s external sector and ensuring long-term economic sustainability.

SBP has also invited researchers, academics, and policymakers to submit their high-quality original research papers for the upcoming National Conference on Economy.

Accepted papers will be presented in dedicated sessions, complemented by keynote addresses and policy roundtables comprising of renowned subject experts. The conference will also serve as a platform to promote and showcase research aligned with the SBP’s Research Agenda 2026-2029.

The timeline for the conference has been announced, with the submission of abstracts due by August 20, 2026, followed by full-length research papers by September 30, 2026. Authors will be informed of the evaluation committee’s decisions by October 15, 2026, while final presentations must be submitted by November 15, 2026.

All submitted papers will undergo a review process conducted by a committee of experts, and selected authors will be invited to present their research at the conference.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026