Islamabad: A high-level meeting chaired by Ahad Cheema, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, took place to review potential export promotion schemes and policy options for the upcoming federal budget. The focus of the discussions was on fortifying Pakistan’s exports and supporting priority sectors through targeted incentives.

According to Press Information Department, the meeting was attended by key officials including Bilal Azhar Kayani, Minister of State for Finance; Jameel Ahmad, Governor State Bank of Pakistan; Imdadullah Bosal, Secretary Finance; Rashid Mahmood Langrial, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue; and Jawad Paul, Secretary Commerce. International experts Dr. Ijaz Nabi and Stefan Dercon also provided insights into export competitiveness and economic policy reforms.

The meeting involved briefings on various export policy proposals for the forthcoming budget, with discussions centered on priority sectors, policy measures to enhance export growth, competitiveness, SME participation, and international market presence. Considerations included fiscal support, trade facilitation, and sector-specific incentives, emphasizing the role of tax reductions and improved production factors and infrastructure.

Minister Cheema stressed the need for a sustainable, performance-based export incentive framework to boost export volumes, value addition, product diversification, and SME integration into global value chains. Options such as performance-based rebates and incentives tied to export growth were also reviewed.

Participants concurred on aligning incentive schemes with measurable outcomes to ensure transparency and efficiency, with proposals to be refined through stakeholder consultations before budget finalization. The government is committed to supporting exporters and fostering export-led growth through strategic policy interventions.