Govt Committed To Make Pakistan Effective Part Of Global Supply Chains: PM
ISLAMABAD, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 10th Sep, 2026) Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday stated that the government is dedicated to integrating Pakistan into regional and global supply chains through trade facilitation. He was presiding over the inaugural meeting of the Trade Facilitation Board.
He expressed that the government aims to provide ample support to the business sector, prioritizing the promotion of trade and simplifying business activities.
"Effective steps are required to minimize delays in trade processes, cut down business expenses, and boost exports," said Sharif. He emphasized the need for a system of joint inspection and profiling among various institutions at high-volume ports, aiming to eliminate obstacles in trade.
The Prime Minister directed the development of a National Trade Performance Index to measure key performance indicators such as cargo dwell time, customs clearance, logistics, ship clearance time, post-clearance audit, and pre-clearance. He also called for special measures to elevate the role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in trade, identifying challenges faced by them through mapping their trade journey stages.
Sharif suggested enhancing risk management systems to facilitate trade and urged for a broader control scope from pre-arrival to post-release to expedite cargo clearance. He proposed leveraging artificial intelligence to streamline the risk management process and accelerate the trade procedure.
The meeting reviewed the goals of the Time Release Automated System for all ports, including a 30% pre-arrival clearance target by the end of the current fiscal year, a 65% Green Channel share, and expanding Authorized Economic Operators to over 50 by the same period. The Prime Minister approved these targets and established a working group to review non-tariff measures, tasked with submitting a roadmap within a month for eliminating unnecessary regulations.
