FPCCI Launches Pakistan’s First Indigenous Transparency Index

The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry on Monday launched Pakistan’s first homegrown survey measuring transparency and accountability, aimed at building an objective benchmark of public trust in state institutions.

The Index of Transparency and Accountability in Pakistan was unveiled at a ceremony held at FPCCI Capital House in Islamabad, developed by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with Ipsos.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal attended the event as chief guest. The ceremony was also addressed by FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh and Chairman Policy Advisory Board FPCCI Mian Zahid Hussain, and was attended by representatives from government, business, civil society, academia, and the media.

FPCCI officials said the iTAP survey was conceived in May 2025 as a strategic effort to develop an indigenous and recurring benchmark to assess transparency and accountability across Pakistan. The field survey was conducted during December 2025 and January 2026 to ensure nationally representative and up-to-date insights.

According to the findings, the survey establishes a baseline for governance reform and shows that, despite widespread negative perceptions, a majority of citizen interactions with public institutions are reported to be corruption-free.

FPCCI said the results highlight the need to strengthen transparency, address awareness gaps, and improve communication around institutional reforms to build public trust and improve Pakistan’s investment outlook.

Addressing the ceremony, the planning minister congratulated FPCCI for bringing transparency and accountability into the national policy discourse with data-driven rigor. He said these principles form the foundation of good governance and are essential for citizen satisfaction, a business-friendly environment, and sustainable economic development.

The minister highlighted the gap between public perception and lived experience, warning that unaddressed negative perceptions can undermine national progress and distort realities. He said bridging this perception-reality gap must be treated as a shared national priority.

He added that public institutions that have improved service delivery and earned citizen trust should be recognized, and said that if iTAP is tracked consistently over time, it can serve as a powerful monitoring and reform tool.

FPCCI officials said the index is intended to evolve into a regular national measure, reinforcing the principle that consistent measurement can help drive sustained improvement in governance outcomes.