Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday emphasised that achieving export-led growth targets remains a top priority for the government, directing officials to prepare a comprehensive roadmap to enhance national exports, particularly in the agricultural sector, and reduce the trade deficit.
Chairing a review meeting on the promotion of national exports, the prime minister underscored the importance of increasing rice exports and instructed authorities to formulate a strategy in close coordination with the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP). He also stressed the need to accelerate institutional reforms to facilitate exporters and warned that no negligence would be tolerated in the timely payment of tax refunds, which he termed essential for sustaining export growth.
During the meeting, officials briefed the prime minister on the government’s export promotion strategy and presented trade statistics for the period from July to December 2025. The briefing highlighted efforts to boost exports in high-value sectors, including engineering goods, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and processed food.
Officials also shared ongoing measures to integrate Pakistan’s exports into global value chains, while improvements in ports and logistics systems were being made to further ease the operations of exporters. Additionally, discussions are underway with several countries regarding government-to-government agreements aimed at promoting rice exports.
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, Governor State Bank of Pakistan Jameel Ahmad, and other senior officials attended the meeting.
The prime minister’s directives reflect the government’s renewed focus on export-led development as a key driver for economic growth and trade deficit reduction, signalling a proactive approach to boosting Pakistan’s position in international markets.