- Public-private model is aimed at trade facilitation and competitiveness.
- Customs/tariff force placed at center of reforms.
- Muhammad Ali Tabba appointed chairman of the leading working group.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has established eight specialized working groups, comprising leading business figures, technical experts and senior government officials, to develop concrete policy recommendations across key economic sectors, The news reported.
The prime minister’s office said in a directive issued on Saturday that the groups were formed following a high-level meeting with business leaders on 23 October.
Anchoring the public-private push is a Task Force on Customs, Trade, Tariffs and Dumping, tasked with removing bottlenecks that blunt Pakistan’s export competitiveness and impede trade facilitation.
This group represents the core of the government’s reform agenda, as customs and tariff policies have been widely recognized as the most significant obstacle to Pakistan’s ability to compete in global markets.
The group, headed 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 of Interloop Holdings, Ziad Bashir of Gul Ahmed Textile Mills and international trade experts Dr. Muhammad Saeed from the International Trade Center and Dr. Ijaz Nabi of the International Growth Centre. The inclusion of Dr. Robina Athar, a former member of the National Customs Commission, adds institutional memory to the considerations.
The task force has three senior officials of the Federal Board of Revenue: Member Customs Operations Syed Shakeel Shah; Member of Customs Policy Ashhad Jawad and Director General of Research and Analysis Imran Mohmand. Commerce Minister Jawad Paul will act as convener.
