- The public-private model aims to facilitate trade and competitiveness.
- The customs and tariffs working group is at the center of the reforms.
- Muhammad Ali Tabba appointed chairman of the main task force.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has set up eight specialized working groups, comprising prominent business figures, technical experts and senior officials, to develop concrete policy recommendations in 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 October 23.
Anchoring the public-private drive is a Task Force on Customs, Trade, Tariffs and Dumping, charged with removing obstacles that weaken the competitiveness of Pakistan’s exports and hamper trade facilitation.
This group represents the crux of the government’s reform agenda, as customs and tariff policies have been widely recognized as the most significant impediment to Pakistan’s ability to compete in global markets.
The group, chaired by noted 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 of the International Trade Center and Dr Ijaz Nabi of the International Growth Centre. The inclusion of Dr Robina Athar, former member of the National Tariff Commission, adds institutional memory to the deliberations.
The task force comprises three senior officials of the Federal Board of Revenue: Member Customs Operations Syed Shakeel Shah; Ashhad Jawad, member of Customs Policy, and Imran Mohmand, director general of Research and Analysis. Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul will act as coordinator.
