Moaaz Manzoor

Pakistan is taking a historic step toward structured, evidence-based trade and industrial planning, as the government has launched 17 sectoral councils to design policies and boost competitiveness across manufacturing and services.

Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Industry, told WealthPK that the Ministry of Commerce has undertaken a comprehensive reform initiative.

“The Ministry of Commerce has had a lot of work. We have established 17 sectoral councils, nine of which are for manufacturing and eight for the service sector. The sectors include hospitality, tourism, logistics, jewellery, and minerals. These sectoral councils give sectoral policy recommendations. This is a big job. We have never worked on sectoral policy before,” he said.

Integrating the private sector expertise, the council aims to cover the entire value chain, starting from raw materials up to finished goods. The private sector is leading the sectoral councils. We have the working groups of stakeholders. They are representatives of the provincial government, federal government, and private sector. They will analyze the entire sector, point out weak areas, and give recommendations on the overall sector policy,” Khan explained.

Analysts said this approach could help Pakistan tackle persistent challenges, including fragmented supply chains, inconsistent export policies, and low productivity. By systematically reviewing each sector, the government aims to create coherent policies that align the industrial, trade, and fiscal strategies. Alongside policy reforms, Pakistan continues to attract investment in key sectors. Fashion Private Limited has announced a $100 million expansion in the textile sector, reflecting confidence in the country’s manufacturing potential.

Highlighting the government’s broader trade strategy, he said, “We have announced a tariff liberalization policy on commerce. The finance minister is chairing the Steering Committee. There are regular meetings. Work is on the strategic trade policy. These are all sectoral policies that will come under the umbrella of the strategic trade policy.” He also confirmed progress on digital trade and regional integration.

“The e-commerce policy 2.0 is on the cards. The draft is ready. We are about to finalize it. Many things are coming up. The GCC FTA is about to come,” he added. Together, these initiatives, sectoral councils, investment momentum, tariff rationalization, and digital trade reforms mark a proactive agenda for Pakistan, positioning its industries for greater competitiveness in regional and global markets.

Credit: INP-WealthPk