The Prime Minister forms elite business-led task forces to review policies

• The public-private sector model aims to facilitate trade and competitiveness.
• Customs/Tariff Working Group at the heart of reforms.
• Muhammad Ali Tabba was appointed chairman of the lead task force.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has set up eight expert task forces, comprising top business executives, technical experts and senior officials, to develop specific policy recommendations in key economic sectors. The News was mentioned.

The Prime Minister’s Office said in a directive issued on Saturday that the groups were formed after a high-level meeting with business leaders on October 23.

Anchoring the public-private push is a Customs, Trade, Tariffs and Dumping Task Force tasked with clearing bottlenecks that dampen Pakistan’s export competitiveness and impede trade facilitation.

This group represents the core of the government’s reform agenda, as customs and tariff policies have been widely recognized as the single 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 state power.

The panel includes Musadaq Zulqarnain from Interloop Holdings, Ziad Bashir from Gul Ahmed Textile Mills and international trade experts Dr Muhammad Saeed from the International Trade Center and Dr Ijaz Nabi from the International Growth Centre. The inclusion of Dr. Robina Athar, former member of the National Tariff Commission, adds institutional memory to the discussions.

The task force includes three senior officials of the Federal Board of Revenue: Member Customs Operations Syed Shakeel Shah; Customs Policy Member Ashhad Jawad and Director General Research and Analysis Imran Mohmand. Commerce Secretary Jawad Paul will serve as convener.