ISLAMABAD: Investment Minister Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh informed the ‘Pakistan Governance Forum’ on Wednesday that regulatory clarity, predictability and institutional coordination are critical to attracting both domestic and foreign investment.

Chairing a high-level session titled “From Subsidies to Strategy: Delivering Competitiveness Through Reform,” the Board of Invetment (BoI) minister emphasised that structural reforms are essential to move beyond short-term stabilisation toward long-term and sustainable economic growth.

Pakistan is transitioning from a subsidy-driven economic model toward a strategy-led, competitiveness-based framework centred on export-led growth and value-added production. He highlighted that moving up the value chain and enhancing value-added exports remain central pillars of Pakistan’s economic transformation.

The BoI minister explained that the ongoing work of the Board of Investment under the Cabinet Committee on Regulatory Reforms (CCORR), stating that multiple comprehensive reform packages have been rolled out, with hundreds of reforms at various stages of implementation. The objective is to reduce regulatory bottlenecks, simplify compliance, and modernise outdated legal frameworks, he added.

Minister stresses need for structural reforms, competitiveness

He explained the four regulatory reform packages endorsed by CCORR involving reforms. Under the first package, 57 reform proposals relating to 18 ministries, departments, and authorities, the annual recurring cost saving is Rs36.80 billion, while the second package, with the primary objective of streamlining all federal RLCOs, will save Rs250.54bn.

The third package to streamline opening of business accounts with commercial banks, transition of district registry to a single national corporate registry and review of the Companies Act for listed companies will have annual recurring cost saving of Rs102.67bn. The fourth package endorsed by CCoRR aimed at building a new regulatory framework for venture capital in Pakistan, streamlining foreign exchange transactions to support cross-border economic activities, and driving regulatory ease will result in annual recurring cost savings of Rs10.364bn.

Mr Qaiser Sheikh stressed that SMEs are the backbone of the national economy and must be empowered through simplified regulations, easier market access, and integration into export value chains. He called for facilitation-oriented governance, particularly encouraging the Federal Board of Revenue to prioritise business facilitation in order to strengthen investor confidence.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2026