Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the establishment of a Trade Facilitation Board to decide on non-tariff matters related to cross-border trade and create a roadmap for trade promotion, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Thursday.

The premier’s nod came during a meeting, called to discuss trade facilitation, in Islamabad, the PMO said in a statement, adding that PM Shehbaz would head the board.

“The proposed board will make decisions regarding all non-tariff matters related to cross-border trade and to bring improvements to the supply chain. This board will prepare a roadmap for trade promotion, as well as strategies regarding the Trade Facilitation Index and monitoring,” the statement said.

According to the statement, PM Shehbaz also directed that work be carried out “on an emergency basis” to enhance the capacity of the country’s ports, as well as to form working groups for this purpose.

The groups would work towards “improving port capacity, promoting coordination among relevant departments, ensuring compliance with the regulatory framework, pre-arrival clearance, and the inclusion of small and medium-sized businesses in international trade”.

The prime minister also issued directives for measures to facilitate importers and exporters at ports, including steps to make the clearance of goods easier, the statement said.

It said the meeting was told that there had been a significant improvement in ports’ usage since port charges had been reduced under the ongoing reforms.

Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Maritime Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Industry Haroon Akhtar, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, and relevant senior government officials attended the meeting.