Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to ensure provision of all necessary facilities to domestic and foreign investors for enhancing exports. He was chairing a review meeting on investment promotion in the country on Tuesday.
The Prime Minister said that promoting investment for economic growth remains the government’s top priority. He stressed that all required facilitation must be provided to local and foreign investors to increase exports, while regulatory compliance procedures should be made simpler and less costly.
He further directed that coordination between the government and investors be strengthened, and that the pace of digitisation of licensing and other service delivery systems be accelerated. He noted that the establishment of the Special Investment Facilitation Council has improved investor confidence in the country.
The meeting was briefed on various government initiatives to increase investment. It was informed that during the current fiscal year from July to March, the share of Special Economic Zones in national exports stood at 3.7 percent, with a target of raising it to 8 percent by FY2028.
The briefing also highlighted that, in consultation with provinces, a Business Ready Action Plan is being developed to promote investment. All services are being digitised to simplify the process of obtaining government approvals for investors and businesses, and a Pakistan Regulatory Registry is being established for this purpose.
It was further informed that 21 Special Economic Zones are currently operational in the country, and this number is expected to increase to 26 by June 2026. The Ease of Doing Business Act will help eliminate red tape, while digital services will further facilitate investment.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema, Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, SAPM Haroon Akhtar Khan, and senior government officials.