Investment boost: Aurangzeb delineates macroeconomic stability, investor trust & PPPs

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb addressed the importance of macroeconomic stability, investor confidence and public-private partnerships in mobilizing domestic and foreign investment for Pakistan’s sustainable development.

Delivering an online keynote address as chief guest at the SDGs Investment Fair 2026, titled “Investing in Pakistan’s Sustainable Future,” organized by UNDP Pakistan here, the Finance Minister commended the event as a timely platform for dialogue on strengthening the country’s investment climate.

“Macroeconomic stability is the basic hygiene factor for investment. Building confidence among domestic investors is essential to attracting foreign investment,” he said, emphasizing the need for both local and foreign investors to finance development projects.

Senator Aurangzeb noted that Pakistan’s economy, which had been contracting three years ago, was now moving towards growth. While acknowledging inflation pressures arising from global conflicts, he stressed that maintaining macroeconomic stability remained a priority.

He also said that the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines, with the collective bid of USD1.2 billion, demonstrated the capacity of domestic investors to collaborate and pursue large-scale opportunities. He also highlighted the growing activity at the Pakistan Stock Exchange, including five upcoming initial public offerings (IPOs), as evidence of expanding investment opportunities.

On foreign investment, the Federal Minister highlighted interest from three Turkish companies in the privatisation of power distribution companies (DISCOs), urging investors to leverage platforms such as the SDGs Investment Fair to pitch develop bankable projects and attract international financing.

Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb also highlighted Pakistan’s participation in the COP31 Climate Implementation Bridge (BRIDGE) initiative, developed in partnership with UNDP to connect climate goals with financing through investment-ready projects. He stressed the importance of capacity building and collaboration among federal and provincial governments and the private sector.

In his concluding remarks, Senator Aurangzeb identified population growth and climate change as two major challenges requiring sustained national attention and expressed his confidence in Pakistan’s potential to address them.

The two-day National SDGs Investment Fair brings together stakeholders from the financing and investment sectors to explore opportunities for sustainable development.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026