PM Approves Trade Facilitation Board to Streamline Cross-Border Trade

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the formation of a Trade Facilitation Board (TFB) aimed at improving the country’s trade supply chain and tackling non-tariff barriers affecting cross-border commerce.

 

The prime minister will chair the board, which will address issues across the trade supply chain, develop a roadmap for promoting trade, establish a Trade Facilitation Index, and introduce a monitoring mechanism to track progress.

 

During a high-level meeting on trade facilitation, the prime minister directed relevant authorities to urgently enhance the capacity and efficiency of Pakistan’s ports to facilitate smoother movement of goods.

 

He also ordered the creation of working groups focusing on port efficiency, inter-agency coordination, regulatory compliance and pre-arrival clearance. The groups will also explore measures to increase the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in international trade.

 

Authorities were instructed to simplify the movement and clearance of goods at ports and provide greater facilitation to importers and exporters.

 

Officials briefed the meeting that port charges had already been reduced under ongoing reforms, contributing to increased port utilisation. They also noted a steady rise in the use of pre-arrival goods declaration facilities, allowing importers to submit declarations before vessels reach port.

 

The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal, Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar, Minister of State for Finance Azhar Kayani and senior government officials.