BY Our Correspondent
LAHORE: The Executive Development Institute (EDI) of the National School of Public Policy (NSPP), Lahore conducted the 7th series of “Two-Day “Public Financial Management (PFM-VII) Training Workshop” on Thursday 11th to Friday 12th September, 2025.
The Public Financial Management (PFM-VII) Training Initiative develops participants’ understanding of strategic foundations and reform pathways in public financial management. It builds core competencies in budgeting, accounting, auditing and fiscal literacy; deepens knowledge of fiscal federalism and equitable intergovernmental finance; examines the transformative role of AI in driving fiscal growth and governance; and identifies challenges and solutions in tax compliance and fiscal transparency.
A total of 41 Participants attended from across the nation, including civil officers from both federal & provincial governments, in addition to executives from the private sector. Key representatives from notable ministries and departments comprised the Senate Secretariat, National Assembly Secretariat, State Bank of Pakistan(SBP), Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex(PAC)-Kamra, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority(PTA), Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority(PEMRA), Public Procurement Regulatory Authority(PPRA), Higher Education Commission(HEC), Inter-Boards Coordination Commission(IBCC), Pakistan Mint, Punjab Mineral Development Corporation (PUNJMIN), Mines & Mineral Department-Punjab, Finance Department-Government of Baluchistan, Military Lands & Cantonments-Peshawar, National Engineering Scientific Commission (NESCOM), Oil & Gas Development Company Ltd.(OGDCL), University of Management & Technology(UMT), National University of Technology(NUTECH), Lahore College for Women University(LCWU), Islam Engineering(Pvt.) Ltd., Alfalah Insurance Company, NIPA and EDI-NSPP, Lahore.
Dr. Naveed Elahi, Dean EDI, launched the 7th PFM Course by extending a warm welcome to the Participants and delighted to witness a varied mix of attendees in PFM-7. In his opening remarks, he highlighted the PFM-7 importance in strengthening fiscal governance and effective resource utilization. The program combines theory and practice to build expertise in budgeting, debt management, taxation, transparency and accountability. Bringing together key stakeholders, it addresses Pakistan’s fiscal challenges including budget credibility, fiscal federalism, procurement, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), accounting, auditing and financial reporting to develop practical, reform-oriented solutions.
Mr. Kamran Ahmad, Director EDI, comprehensively presented the performance and goals of Executive Development Institute (EDI) in detail. He emphasized that the planning process of EDI involves careful selection of experts from the practitioners, academics and training sector ensuring a 3600 view of the issues. He also gave an overview of the successful courses that were previously held at EDI, highlighting the diverse representation of participants from all over the country.
The eminent Guest Speakers of the first-day were, Dr. Ishrat Hussain, Former, Advisor to the Prime Minister, Governor SBP/Director, IBA, Karachi, Mr. Sibtain Fazal Halim, Former Managing Director, Punjab Mass Transit Authority, Dr. Arshad Hasan, Associate Professor/CFO, Lahore School of Economics. They covered the topics of “Introduction to Public Financial Management: Achieving Public Finance Objectives and Strategic Pathways to Reform”, “Procurement and Public Private Partnership (PPP)”, “Strengthening Tax Compliance and Public Financial Management in Pakistan: Challenges and Reforms”.
On the second-day, Mr. Tariq Bajwa, Ex-SAPM on Finance & Former Governor SBP, addressed the Participants via Zoom on the topic “Concept of Fiscal Federalism and National Finance Commission (NFC)”, Dr. Waqar Masood Khan, Senior Partner at Khan & Ali Associates/Former Federal Finance Secretary, shared insights on “Foundations of Public Financial
Management: Budgeting, Accounting, Auditing and Financial Literacy for Managers”,
Ms. Namana Gulrukh Fareed, Accountant General, Punjab, presented on “Improving Fiscal Transparency in Pakistan: The Role of Standardized Financial Reporting”, Lastly, Mr. Faisal Rashid, Senior Consultant, Public Finance, Oxford Policy Management, Islamabad and Dr. Rizwan Basharat, Collector of Customs (Appraisement), engaged in a panel discussion emphasizing “Public Finances for Growth: AI’s Transformative Role”.
Participants exhibited significant enthusiasm throughout all the Q&A sessions. They expressed their deep gratitude to EDI, NSPP for the superb execution of the PFM-VII Training Workshop. At the program’s conclusion, the Rector NSPP, Dr. Jamil Afaqi gave a vote of thanks and alongwith Dean EDI distributed certificates amongst the participants.
