Ahsan Stresses Tax Reforms and Digitalization for Pakistan’s Economic Transformation
ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Sep, 2026)
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal, on Thursday emphasized the crucial role of comprehensive tax reforms, resource mobilization, and digitalization in achieving the economic goals of Uraan Pakistan.
During a meeting on the National Economic Mission of Uraan Pakistan focusing on tax reforms and digitalization, he highlighted that Mission-2, dedicated to tax reforms and resource mobilization, is among the 11 National Economic Missions approved by the National Economic Council (NEC). This mission acts as the financial backbone for the entire Uraan Pakistan program.
Ahsan Iqbal stated that increasing revenues through reliable and effective sources is vital to funding the other 10 National Economic Missions, aiming to transform Pakistan into a $1 trillion economy by 2035. He described the NEC as the country's highest constitutional economic decision-making body, underscoring the achievable nature of Uraan Pakistan's targets but the need for sector-wide transformation.
"Achieving a $1 trillion economy while maintaining the status quo will be immensely challenging," he said, advocating for a shift to a technology-driven digital economy for sustained growth. The minister noted that while Pakistan has achieved economic stability, it is not yet sufficient for long-term prosperity.
He pointed out the decline in the development budget's share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) since 2018, suggesting that the current level of stability might not guarantee sustainability. "If we are stabilizing with a development budget of Rs2,000 billion, it cannot be considered complete economic stability," he said, emphasizing the need for increased national economy size and effective resource mobilization.
Ahsan Iqbal expressed concern about the limited space for expansion in development expenditure within the existing national budget structure, underscoring the urgency for new resources generation and efficient utilization of existing ones to fuel Pakistan's economic transformation.