Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan chaired a meeting with a delegation from the Pakistan Chemical Manufacturers Association (PCMA) to review challenges in the chemical sector and discuss structural reforms to strengthen the country’s industrial and export framework.
The minister said Pakistan’s economic challenges stem largely from governance and implementation gaps, warning that without improvements in internal systems — including customs processes, regulatory enforcement, standards compliance and institutional coordination — incentives or trade concessions would not produce intended benefits.
The PCMA delegation highlighted rising energy costs, financing constraints, tariff issues and regulatory inefficiencies as pressures on local manufacturers, and raised concerns about low‑duty imports of certain raw materials that do not translate into downstream export growth.
Jam Kamal Khan assured the delegation that recommendations would be reviewed for inclusion in ongoing policy deliberations and reaffirmed commitment to sustained engagement with industry stakeholders for transparent, growth‑oriented industrial strategy.
He stressed the need to institutionalise sectoral planning through structured secretariats with defined mandates and time‑bound deliverables, and to embed industrial planning within national policy aligned with Pakistan’s five‑year development framework.
Jam Kamal Khan reiterated the government’s commitment to export base diversification, saying while textiles remain key, sectors such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, surgical goods, food processing and value‑added manufacturing must be strengthened to build economic resilience.
On trade negotiations strategy, he said Pakistan should engage with countries where significant trade imbalances exist and pursue preferential market access for domestic products based on data and sector needs.
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