Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb today articulated an ambitious vision for Pakistan”s maritime sector, expressing confidence that the blue economy will become a transformative force for the nation”s overall financial landscape.
Addressing the Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference (PIMEC) via video link, Aurangzeb detailed a goal to increase seafood exports from the current figure of approximately five hundred million dollars to two billion dollars within the next three to four years, a milestone he described as achievable.
The minister underscored a more extensive, long-term objective from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs to grow the blue economy to one hundred billion dollars by 2047. While acknowledging this target as ambitious, he affirmed it is attainable.
He explained that this vision is supported by a robust and clear roadmap, with primary strategies centered on achieving excellence in fisheries and aquaculture.
This plan includes enhancing value-added processing capabilities, modernizing cold chain logistics, and implementing world-class hygiene standards to ensure the highest quality of products.
Aurangzeb also alluded to significant progress in Pakistan”s macroeconomic stability, noting the exchange rate is stable and foreign exchange reserves are sufficient to cover roughly two and a half months of imports.
He added that the country”s inflation rate is now in the single digits.
The finance minister stated that upcoming structural reforms, coupled with improved trade and investment flows expected in the coming months, will help guide the country toward a sustainable growth path.