Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of the World Bank Group, has reiterated the institution’s strong commitment to Pakistan’s ten-year, USD 20 billion development program, emphasising continued support for the country’s reform and development priorities.
She expressed these views during a meeting with Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, held on Sunday on the sidelines of the Annual AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The discussions covered a range of priority sectors, including energy, education, health, climate resilience, debt-for-development swaps, fiscal reforms, and infrastructure development.
Emphasis was placed on adopting a more focused approach, introducing clear performance indicators, and ensuring robust and effective implementation mechanisms to translate commitments into tangible outcomes.
She highlighted the importance of sustained engagement and effective execution to maximise the developmental impact of the program. Anna Bjerde reaffirmed the World Bank Group’s strong commitment to Pakistan’s ten-year development program amounting to USD 20 billion, underscoring the Bank’s continued support for Pakistan’s reform and development agenda.
Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb reaffirmed the Government of Pakistan’s commitment to close collaboration with the World Bank Group and assured full cooperation through relevant federal ministries.
He also underscored the role and cooperation of the provincial governments to ensure better coordination, timely execution, and delivery of measurable results under the program.
The AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies, launched in 2025, brings together finance ministers, central bank governors, senior policymakers, leaders of international financial institutions, and leading experts from around the world to deliberate on key economic challenges and opportunities facing emerging market economies.
During the meeting, while following up on the President of the World Bank’s visit to Pakistan last week, both sides reviewed the progress made under the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) and discussed the way forward to further strengthen development cooperation.
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