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The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet, led by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, met on Monday. They discussed inflation and the prices of essential goods, reviewing data from the Finance Division’s Economic Advisor’s Wing.
The ECC noted a significant drop in inflation for the first half of FY2025 (July-December), down to 7.2% from 28.8% compared to last year. In December 2025, inflation was at 4.1%, the lowest in 80 months. This improvement was attributed to stable exchange rates, careful fiscal management, and better supply of essential items.
While pleased with the decrease in the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), the ECC highlighted concerns about rising prices of sugar, vegetables, and edible oil despite lower international prices. They instructed ministries to work with the National Price Monitoring Committee to ensure adequate stocks of wheat, sugar, and pulses before Ramadan.
Provincial Price Control Committees were urged to enforce fair pricing and prevent unfair profiteering. The government reaffirmed its commitment to making essential goods affordable for all Pakistanis.
In other decisions, the ECC approved adjustments to the Export Facilitation Scheme to prevent revenue losses, changes to procurement for security and infrastructure projects, and amendments to a mediation agreement related to tariff subsidies without increasing consumer costs.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, met today with Sultan Abdulrahman A. AlMarshad, CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development, at the Finance Division. The discussion focused on strengthening economic ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Senator Aurangzeb highlighted Pakistan’s improving economic stability and key financial indicators. He thanked Saudi Arabia for its continued investment and support, which has played a crucial role in Pakistan’s economic growth.
He also mentioned his recent meeting with Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan in Davos. During that meeting, Pakistan was invited to the first high-level annual conference on challenges and opportunities in emerging markets, jointly organized by Saudi Arabia and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Al-Ula on February 16-17, 2025. Senator Aurangzeb expressed his eagerness to attend and learn from Saudi Arabia’s leadership in economic reforms under Vision 2030.
AlMarshad praised Pakistan’s progress in stabilizing its economy and highlighted new investment opportunities in multiple sectors. He encouraged Saudi investors to explore these prospects and enhance bilateral cooperation.
He also acknowledged the significant role of Pakistani workers in Saudi Arabia, recognizing them as the largest foreign workforce in the Kingdom. To meet the demand for skilled labor, he proposed a partnership between the two countries to provide training programs for young Pakistanis in relevant modern skills.
The meeting reaffirmed the strong economic ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, with a focus on investment, workforce development, and deeper collaboration.
