Islamabad(The COW News Digital)Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the establishment of a Trade Facilitation Board aimed at improving Pakistan’s trade environment, streamlining cross-border commerce and addressing non-tariff barriers affecting businesses and traders.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to review measures for facilitating trade and improving the efficiency of the country’s ports.
According to the decisions taken at the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif himself will chair the newly proposed Trade Facilitation Board. The board will oversee measures aimed at improving the entire trade supply chain and will take decisions concerning non-tariff issues related to cross-border trade.
The board will also develop a roadmap for promoting trade, establish a Trade Facilitation Index and formulate a monitoring strategy to assess progress and ensure effective implementation of reforms.
During the meeting, the prime minister directed authorities to work on improving the operational capacity of Pakistan’s ports on an emergency basis. He also ordered the formation of several working groups to address key challenges affecting port operations and international trade.
The proposed working groups will focus on enhancing port capacity, improving coordination among relevant government departments and ensuring compliance with the regulatory framework. They will also examine pre-arrival clearance mechanisms and measures to increase the participation of small and medium-sized businesses in international trade.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif further directed authorities to provide maximum facilities to importers and exporters at ports. He emphasized the need to simplify cargo handling, clearance procedures and other trade-related processes to reduce delays and facilitate businesses.
Officials briefed the meeting that port charges had already been reduced as part of ongoing reforms. The reduction, according to the briefing, has contributed to a noticeable improvement in port utilization.
The meeting was also informed that the facility for submitting Goods Declarations before the arrival of ships has continued to gain traction, potentially helping traders save time and improve the efficiency of cargo clearance.
The government’s latest measures are part of broader efforts to improve trade facilitation, strengthen port infrastructure and make Pakistan’s international trade procedures more efficient and business-friendly.
The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Rana Tanveer Hussain, Jam Kamal Khan, Ahsan Khan Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb and Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, along with Prime Minister’s Adviser Haroon Akhtar, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani and senior officials from relevant departments.
