Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level review meeting on investment promotion on Tuesday, directing authorities to speed up the digitization of licensing and approval processes for investors and businesspeople as part of a broader push to reduce procedural bottlenecks that have historically deterred both local and foreign investment in Pakistan. The prime minister directed officials to make the process of regulatory compliance simpler and more cost-effective, stressing that connections between the government and investors should be strengthened and that the pace of digitization of the entire system for access to licensing and other services should be accelerated.
Participants at the meeting were informed that the government is in the process of establishing the Pakistan Regulatory Registry, which is intended to digitize government services and simplify the process of obtaining official approvals for investors and businesspeople. A business-ready action plan for promoting investment is also being prepared in consultation with the provinces. The meeting also reviewed the performance of special economic zones, with participants told that the share of special economic zones in domestic exports from July to March of the current fiscal year stood at 3.7 percent, against a government target to increase that share to 8 percent by fiscal year 2028. There are currently 21 operational special economic zones in the country, and this number is expected to reach 26 by June 2026.
Pakistan formed the Special Investment Facilitation Council in 2023 to attract foreign investment in key sectors such as agriculture, livestock, mines and minerals, and tourism. The council was established as a high-powered body to cut through institutional delays and provide a single-window experience for major investors, reflecting an acknowledgment at the highest levels of government that Pakistan’s investment climate required structural change. Pakistan escaped a sovereign default in 2023 by securing a last-gasp financial bailout from the International Monetary Fund, and since then the government has focused on consolidating economic gains by increasing exports, undertaking fiscal reforms mandated by the global lender, and expanding regional trade and investment partnerships. The latest directives from the prime minister signal that digitizing the interface between government and business remains central to that economic stabilisation strategy.
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