Islamabad (GNP): Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb met with Lucia Real-Martin, Global Executive Director of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), along with Assad Hameed Khan, Head of ACCA Pakistan, and Malik Mahmood, Public Affairs Lead for Pakistan, at the Finance Division.
Welcoming the delegation, the Finance Minister discussed Pakistan’s key economic reform goals, focusing particularly on strengthening the private sector, driving export-led growth, and preserving the progress made toward macroeconomic stability. The two sides also explored possibilities for deeper collaboration with ACCA in advancing Pakistan’s ongoing economic and institutional reform efforts.
Senator Aurangzeb pointed to the expanding potential of Pakistan’s IT and IT-enabled services sector, stressing the need to further build out the ecosystem through better connectivity — including 5G rollout — and focused upskilling and reskilling programs, especially in emerging fields like artificial intelligence and blockchain. He underscored the importance of moving toward higher-value services and growing shared service centres, which would allow Pakistan’s skilled workforce to engage more deeply with global markets while generating greater value and opportunity domestically.
The Finance Minister argued that talent export and talent retention need not be at odds, emphasizing the importance of building a robust domestic pipeline of skilled professionals capable of serving both international and local demand. He highlighted the need to develop capabilities that would help Pakistani professionals and shared service centres transition from basic transactional work toward more sophisticated, knowledge-driven functions.
Lucia Real-Martin briefed the Minister on ACCA’s global initiatives in professional development and talent-building, reaffirming the organization’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s skills and economic priorities.
She pointed to opportunities to strengthen the country’s shared services sector, citing Pakistan’s strong talent pool and its potential to develop higher-value services through targeted skills training, professional development, and institutional partnerships.
The ACCA delegation also discussed its continued collaboration with the government on public financial management, including capacity-building efforts, improved management reporting, and the shift from cash-based to accrual-based accounting systems. ACCA expressed willingness to assist public-sector institutions in developing new operational models and strengthening their people, processes, and technology — particularly in digitalization, transparency, and tax administration improvements.
The Finance Minister also highlighted the government’s commitment to strengthening the SME sector through capacity-building initiatives and improved access to financing. He stressed the need to make SMEs more bankable and to provide affordable access to professional expertise, helping smaller businesses improve their financial management, documentation, and cash-flow tracking, while better positioning them to access commercial and other financing options.
Real-Martin outlined ACCA’s work supporting SMEs through professional training, policy development, and research — including initiatives focused on improving access to finance and promoting sustainable business practices. She also pointed to the growing potential of fractional CFO services as a way to give SMEs affordable access to financial expertise without the cost of hiring a full-time finance professional.
The Finance Minister welcomed the prospect of closer cooperation in this space, noting that strengthening SMEs requires not just greater access to financing but also stronger financial capability and readiness to make use of it.
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Senator Aurangzeb acknowledged ACCA’s long-standing contributions to Pakistan’s professional community and its ongoing engagement with members, students, and partners through various leadership initiatives — including efforts to highlight Pakistan’s economic progress and reform agenda. Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening cooperation in support of Pakistan’s economic transformation, professional talent development, SME growth, and private-sector-led development.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
