Finance minister calls for strong federal-provincial coordination to ensure coherent policy design and implementation

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb emphasised the need for strong coordination between federal and provincial governments to ensure coherence in policy design and implementation, stating that while provinces lead execution, federal ministries must remain fully engaged in planning, oversight and monitoring to maintain national alignment and ownership.

The finance minister made these remarks during a meeting at the Finance Division on Wednesday with World Bank Country Director for Pakistan Bolormaa Amgaabazar. The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation under the World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework (CPF) and advancing key reform priorities of the Government of Pakistan. 

Discussions covered broad areas, including population and human capital development, climate resilience, agriculture sector reforms, energy sector sustainability, and overall portfolio performance.

The finance minister emphasised the importance of effective operationalisation of the CPF, particularly in priority areas such as population management and climate change. He underscored the need for strong coordination between federal and provincial governments to ensure coherence in policy design and implementation. 

The minister highlighted that while implementation largely rests with the provinces, relevant federal ministries must remain fully engaged in planning, oversight, and monitoring processes to ensure national alignment and ownership.

Both sides exchanged views on enhancing institutional coordination, improving transparency in project design and target-setting, and strengthening monitoring mechanisms to achieve intended development outcomes. 

The World Bank Country Director reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to working closely with both federal and provincial stakeholders and further enhancing information sharing and collaboration.

The meeting also reviewed progress in the agriculture sector, with particular emphasis on reforms aimed at improving productivity, value chains, access to finance, and private sector participation. 

The finance minister stressed the importance of aligning provincial initiatives with broader national reform efforts to promote sustainable growth and job creation. The World Bank expressed its readiness to continue supporting agricultural transformation efforts in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, including the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

Energy sector reforms and financial sustainability were also discussed, including options for strengthening the sector’s long-term viability. Both sides agreed to continue technical-level engagements to explore feasible solutions in line with Pakistan’s reform agenda and fiscal framework.

The country director briefed the finance minister on overall portfolio performance and ongoing development operations, reaffirming the World Bank’s continued support for Pakistan’s economic stabilisation, climate resilience, and human capital development objectives.

Muhammad Aurangzeb appreciated the World Bank’s partnership and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to advancing structural reforms, improving governance frameworks, and ensuring that development programs deliver tangible and sustainable benefits for the people of Pakistan.