The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has highlighted the need for Pakistan to strengthen the management of its public assets, stating that weaknesses in monitoring, accountability and stewardship continue to pose governance risks across the public sector.

According to the IMF's Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment, Pakistan's fiscal policy debate has traditionally focused on taxation, budget deficits and public debt, while comparatively less attention has been given to the management of public wealth created through decades of government investment. The report notes that public assets including land, infrastructure, educational institutions, hospitals and other facilities represent a significant component of the country's national wealth and require more effective oversight.

The assessment identifies fragmented asset records, incomplete information systems and weak accountability mechanisms as key challenges limiting transparency and informed decision-making. It states that without comprehensive and reliable information, governments face difficulties in assessing asset conditions, planning maintenance and making efficient investment decisions.

To address these issues, the federal government introduced the Public Assets Management Guidelines 2025, establishing a unified framework for recording, safeguarding and managing non-financial public assets across the federal government. The guidelines require ministries and public entities to maintain comprehensive asset registers, conduct regular physical verification and integrate asset records with the Financial Accounting and Budgeting System (FABS) through a central digital registry.

The IMF also recommends creating a centralized registry for state-owned land, introducing transparent and rule-based procedures for land transfers, and regularly publishing information on public asset transactions to strengthen governance and public confidence.

Looking ahead, the report suggests that Pakistan should gradually develop a comprehensive national database of public assets, periodically value major government assets and improve transparency by publishing an annual Public Wealth Statement alongside the federal budget. Such measures, it says, would provide policymakers, investors and the public with a clearer picture of the government's overall financial position while supporting stronger fiscal governance and more efficient use of public resources