PM Shehbaz approves establishment of Trade Facilitation Board

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the establishment of a Trade Facilitation Board to oversee cross-border trade matters and develop a strategy for promoting trade, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The PMO reported that a significant meeting on the provision of trade facilitation was chaired by PM Shehbaz in Islamabad, where the board's establishment was officially approved.

The board will handle non-tariff aspects of cross-border trade, enhance the supply chain of trade, and create a roadmap for trade promotion, along with managing the Trade Facilitation Index and monitoring progress. The PMO mentioned that the Prime Minister himself would head the board, with Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Maritime Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, PM’s Industry Advisor Haroon Akhtar, Finance and Railways State Minister Bilal Azhar Kayani, and other senior officials in attendance.

PM Shehbaz directed immediate action to boost the country’s port capacity, as well as initiate various working groups to address issues such as enhancing port capacity, improving inter-departmental coordination, adhering to regulatory guidelines, streamlining pre-arrival clearance processes, and encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises in international trade.

The statement highlighted that port usage has significantly improved since port fees were lowered under current reforms, and there is a growing number of ship arrivals with pre-arrival goods declarations.