PM forms elite working groups led by business leaders to overhaul policies

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addresses the federal cabinet on July 10, 2024. — PID 

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted eight specialised working groups comprising top business leaders, technical experts, and government officials to formulate concrete policy recommendations across critical economic sectors. This initiative is aimed at revitalising Pakistan’s economy.

In an official directive issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Saturday, it was announced that the eight working groups were constituted following a high-level meeting with businesspersons on October 23.

At the heart of this public-private collaboration is the Customs, Trade, Tariffs and Dumping Working Group, which has been tasked with addressing the bottlenecks that are hampering Pakistan’s export competitiveness and trade facilitation. This group represents the crux of the government’s reform agenda, as customs and tariff policies have been widely recognised as the single most significant impediment to Pakistan’s ability to compete in global markets.

The group, chaired by prominent industrialist Muhammad Ali Tabba of Lucky Cement, brings together a formidable combination of private sector expertise and government authority. The panel includes Musadaq Zulqarnain from Interloop Holdings, Ziad Bashir from Gul Ahmed Textile Mills, and international trade experts Dr. Muhammad Saeed from the International Trade Centre and Dr. Ijaz Nabi from the International Growth Centre. The inclusion of Dr. Robina Athar, former member of the National Tariff Commission, adds institutional memory to the deliberations.

The working group features three senior Federal Board of Revenue officials: Member Customs Operations Syed Shakeel Shah; Member Customs-Policy Ashhad Jawad and Director General of Research and Analysis Imran Mohmand. Secretary of Commerce Jawad Paul will serve as convener.

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