Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has directed devising a comprehensive and effective strategy to enhance exports to sixty billion dollars in next five years.
He issued these directions while chairing a high-level meeting to review measures aimed at increasing Pakistan’s exports in Islamabad .
During the meeting, the Prime Minister instructed the economic team to introduce sustainable tariff reforms to enhance economic growth, facilitate industrial growth and boost exports.
He underscored the importance of prioritizing key sectors such as services, information technology, and agriculture to drive export growth. He reiterated that export-led economic progress is a crucial pillar of the “Uraan Pakistan” vision.
To support the development of export industries, the Prime Minister directed the implementation of necessary reforms in the governance system of the Export Development Fund.
The Prime Minister was briefed about the ongoing reforms within the Ministry of Commerce and the strategies in place to enhance exports to 60 billion dollars in next five years. The officials informed the Prime Minister that gradual reductions in tariff have been implemented over the past two years. Additionally, the Ministry of Commerce hosts international-level exhibitions in Pakistan annually to promote exports.
The briefing highlighted that consultations with stakeholders on Strategic Trade Policy Framework 2025-30 are underway.
It was told that the e-commerce policy is in its final consultation phase and will be presented before the Cabinet for approval next month. Furthermore, the National Compliance Center has been established to align Pakistani products with international standards. The center will develop programmes for training and to enhance the capabilities of Pakistan’s export industries.
Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the establishment of an international-level drug testing laboratory in Islamabad to ensure global standards for medicines in the country.
He gave these directions, while chairing a meeting on health and pharmaceutical sector reforms in Islamabad today.
The Prime Minister also instructed to launch mobile hospitals to deliver healthcare facilities in the outskirts of Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, and Balochistan.
He advised an operation against the spurious medicines in the country in consultation with the provincial governments. He emphasized that fraudsters cannot be allowed to play with human lives.
Shehbaz Sharif said that a comprehensive plan should be developed and presented to improve the pharmaceutical sector and regulations in cooperation with provincial governments. He said officers facilitating counterfeiting in the pharmaceutical sector within DRAP should be identified, and immediate action should be ensured against them.
The Prime Minister further advised to ensure an increase in medicine exports through research in the pharmaceutical sector. He instructed to expedite the implementation on reforms programme in the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan.
The Prime Minister instructed officials to expedite the implementation of the reform program in the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan.
