- The public-private model aims to facilitate trade and competitiveness.
- A customs/tariff task force placed at the heart of the reforms.
- Muhammad Ali Tabba is appointed chairman of the main working group.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has established eight specialized working groups, comprising business figures, technical experts and senior officials, to develop concrete policy recommendations in key economic sectors, News reported.
The Prime Minister’s Office said in a directive released on Saturday that the groups were formed following a high-level meeting with business leaders on October 23.
The anchor of the public-private effort is a working group on customs, trade, tariffs and dumping, tasked with removing bottlenecks that weaken Pakistan’s export competitiveness and hinder trade facilitation.
This group represents the heart 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, 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 of Interloop Holdings, Ziad Bashir of Gul Ahmed Textile Mills, as well as international trade experts Dr. Muhammad Saeed of the International Trade Center and Dr. Ijaz Nabi of the International Growth Center. The inclusion of Dr Robina Athar, a former member of the National Tariff Commission, adds institutional memory to the deliberations.
The task force includes three senior officials of the Federal Board of Revenue: customs operations member Syed Shakeel Shah; Ashhad Jawad, Member of Customs Policy, and Imran Mohmand, Director General of Research and Analysis. Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul will be the organizer.
