After months of postponements that stalled critical fiscal discussions, the federal government has finally scheduled the inaugural meeting of the 11th National Finance Commission (NFC) for December 4, formally kicking off high-stakes negotiations on a new resource-sharing arrangement between the federation and the provinces.
The much-anticipated maiden session, to be chaired by Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, will aim to establish a procedural roadmap for the extensive deliberations. The talks will focus on both vertical revenue distribution between the federal government and the provinces, as well as the horizontal allocation among the provinces themselves.
According to official notifications dispatched to all provincial governments, the agenda for the first gathering includes strategic discussions on the overall framework for the 11th NFC Award. A key objective will be the formation of specialized technical sub-groups to support and inform the complex negotiation process.
The commission’s formal launch has been significantly overdue. Though the 11th NFC was officially constituted on August 22, its inaugural convocation faced multiple deferrals. An initial postponement occurred in August following requests from the provinces, while another was directed by the Prime Minister’s Office in November.
The NFC comprises the federal finance minister, who serves as its chairman, the finance ministers from all four provinces, and one non-statutory member nominated by each province to represent their interests in the fiscal dialogue.