- Premier Shehbaz calls National Tariff Policy a ‘revolutionary step’ for competitive industry
- Directs strict monitoring of customs duties, transit and border trade, saying data-driven reforms vital to lift production and exports
- Holds meeting with business leaders who present customs, tax bottlenecks
- Laments decades-long underuse of Export Development Fund, vowing full facilitation
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the government was prioritising structural measures to slash the production cost of industrial goods, emphasising that easing pressures on local industry, trade and the wider population was central to reviving economic momentum.
Chairing a high-level meeting to review recommendations of the sub-working group on customs duty and broader trade-sector reforms, he said the recently approved National Tariff Policy was a “revolutionary” intervention designed to boost domestic industrial output and enhance the global competitiveness of Pakistani businesses.
The prime minister said the Policy also sought to harmonise the country’s import–export regime with national economic growth targets, adding that a data-driven understanding of sector-specific challenges and proposals was crucial for expanding industrial production and trade volume.
Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chairs meeting on the briefing by Working Group on reforms in Custom, Tariff and Trade Sector. pic.twitter.com/y0xLPFLtRF
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) December 3, 2025
Regretting that the Export Development Fund had for decades remained underutilised and failed to deliver its intended support for research and training, the prime minister stressed the need for reforms firmly rooted in empirical data and realistic economic assessments. He directed the authorities concerned to ensure strict monitoring of customs duty collection, particularly on bilateral and transit trade consignments handled at border points.
The working group observed that sustainable, export-led economic growth would only be achievable through higher investment and production capacity, policy continuity, targeted government protection where required, and improved industrial infrastructure.
وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف کی زیر صدارت کسٹم ڈیوٹی اور تجارتی شعبوں میں دیگر اصلاحات پر قائم کردہ ذیلی ورکنگ گروپ کی سفارشات پر جائزہ اجلاس
ملک کے نمائندہ کاروباری حضرات پر مبنی ذیلی ورکنگ گروپ نے وزیراعظم کو کسٹم اور ٹیکس وصولی سے متعلقہ مسائل سے آگاہ کیا اور اپنی سفارشات پیش… pic.twitter.com/xLe4T6t641
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) December 3, 2025
During the meeting, Muhammad Ali Tabba and other business-community representatives briefed the prime minister on customs- and tax-related bottlenecks and presented a set of reform recommendations. Prime Minister Shehbaz welcomed their input and instructed the concerned ministries and institutions to extend all possible facilitation to industry and investors, underscoring that a predictable and supportive regulatory environment was essential for accelerating industrial recovery.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar, Musadik Malik, Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Ahad Khan Cheema, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Azhar Bilal Kayani, Haroon Akhtar, the National Coordinator of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), as well as representatives of national industry, business associations, and senior government officials.
PM condemns DI Khan terror attack
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the terrorist attack on a police van in Dera Ismail Khan, reiterating that the fight against terrorism would continue until its complete eradication. Expressing profound grief over the martyrdom of three police personnel, he prayed for the elevation of their ranks in paradise and for courage to the bereaved families.
He also directed that the injured police official be provided the best possible medical treatment. “The entire nation, including myself, pays tribute to the great sacrifices rendered by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police in the fight against terrorism,” the prime minister said, instructing authorities to identify and bring the perpetrators to justice with exemplary punishment.
