Finance minister says government provided maximum relief to salaried class in Budget 2026-27

KARACHI (Dunya News) - Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday said the government had provided as much relief as possible to the salaried class in the federal budget, while reaffirming its commitment to tax reforms, economic stability and transparency.   Speaking at an event in Karachi, the finance minister said Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves had reached nearly $18.5 billion, adding that the government had successfully launched a Panda Bond as part of its strategy to diversify financing sources.   Aurangzeb said a medium-term tax policy would be formulated in consultation with stakeholders to ensure a more predictable and business-friendly taxation framework.   "We did whatever we could for the salaried class in the budget," he said, adding that the government remained focused on eliminating corruption and simplifying the tax system.   The finance minister said expanding trade with all countries was in Pakistan's economic interest and noted that discussions on the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award were continuing with the cooperation of provincial governments.   Meanwhile, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani said the government was taking effective measures to promote a modern, transparent and resilient banking system.   Addressing the same event, Kayani said reforms in the financial sector would strengthen economic stability and improve the business environment. He added that the government was also promoting the digital economy, while increased use of technology in the banking sector was making financial services more accessible to the public.   He said significant progress had already been made, but Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wanted further improvements to accelerate Pakistan's economic transformation.