ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Commerce has initiated a consultative process with relevant sectoral councils for sports goods, gems, and jewellery to identify key bottlenecks hampering growth in these sectors and explore actionable strategies to enhance Pakistan’s export performance.

The specific sectoral councils, which brought together relevant stakeholders and officials from the ministries, met on Thursday. Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan, the coordinator to the prime minister on commerce, led discussions on identifying export barriers and formulating strategies to revitalise sectoral growth.

An official announcement said that, in the sports sector, the meeting reviewed key challenges and discussed initiatives to strengthen Pakistan’s competitiveness in the global sports goods market.

It was agreed to develop a structured skill development initiative in collaboration with universities, NAVTTC, and TEVTA to ensure that training and technical qualifications align with modern industry requirements. The importance of introducing third-party certification to meet international quality benchmarks was also highlighted.

The industry representatives raised several key issues, including streamlining procedures related to the Drawback of Local Taxes and Levies (DLTL) scheme, improving access to the Export Finance Scheme (EFS), updating technical training curricula, and establishing credible systems for product certification and quality assurance.

Mr Afzal stressed the need to institutionalise regular monthly reviews of the Sectoral Council to monitor progress and maintain close coordination between industry stakeholders and government departments. The participants agreed to move forward with the outlined initiatives through sustained follow-up and collaborative implementation.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transforming the sports goods industry, noting that improved skill development, credible quality certification, and continuous engagement with stakeholders will collectively enhance the sector’s export potential.

According to the official announcement, the sectoral council for gems and jewellery discussed growth and development. Mr Afzal noted that the gems and jewellery sector has significant potential for contributing to exports and economic growth.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting the industry and to fulfilling its mandate to develop a policy framework to guide its progress.

Discussions focused on strengthening the sector, improving competitiveness, and enabling better access to international markets. Participants also reviewed areas where collaboration between government bodies and the private sector could help address challenges and create new opportunities for value addition and skills development.

The coordinator encouraged continued stakeholder cooperation to prepare a comprehensive development and export policy for the sector. He stressed the importance of innovation, modern practices, and market-driven strategies to ensure sustainable growth.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2025