Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb stated that there is no proposal under consideration to increase the salaries of government employees in the upcoming budget.
In a written response submitted during the National Assembly session, he clarified that there are no plans to raise the salaries of government employees or revise their allowances and pay scales for the next fiscal year.
He also informed the Assembly that there is no proposal to increase the pensions of federal government employees, although the issue of expanding hiring and salary caps is under consideration.
Pakistan Paid $11.475 Billion in Foreign Debt in 2024: Finance Minister
In the same session, the Finance Ministry presented details regarding foreign debt and liabilities over the past five years.
According to the Finance Ministry, by June 2023, the total foreign debt and liabilities amounted to $126,141 million, which is 43.03% of Pakistan’s GDP.
Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb added that Pakistan repaid $11.475 billion in foreign debt during the fiscal year 2024.
The Ministry of Commerce also presented details on the trade deficit for the past five years, revealing a trade deficit of $154 billion.
The documents showed that during the last five years, exports totaled $136 billion, while imports amounted to $291 billion, with the increase in imports primarily driven by economic growth.
