The National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce met in Islamabad to review the Sub-Committee’s report on the sugar sector and discuss broader trade and investment concerns. Chaired by Muhammad Jawed Hanif Khan, the Committee heard that the sub-committee’s inquiries uncovered serious irregularities in sugar stocks, including misreported quantities, artificial shortages and inconsistencies in official entries that undermined market stability.
Members were told that weak monitoring and verification mechanisms, temporary disruptions in tracking systems, ongoing legal cases and administrative constraints had contributed to distortions in the sugar sector. The Committee emphasised the need for structural reforms, stronger governance, transparency and accountability to protect consumers and prevent future supply shocks.
The Committee directed that the sub-committee’s report and its recommendations be forwarded to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research and asked the Ministry to submit a formal response within one month. In parallel, the Committee decided to obtain detailed information from the Finance Division and the Trading Corporation of Pakistan on outstanding receivables and pending recoveries related to public sector procurement to ensure effective follow up.
Discussion also covered the recent trend of multinational companies scaling back or exiting Pakistan, with members noting pressures from over-taxation, inflation and high costs of doing business. The Committee welcomed the Prime Minister’s move to constitute private-sector-led committees and urged active engagement between policymakers and the business community to arrest investment outflows and support recovery.
Participants highlighted progress on trade reforms, including the withdrawal of the EFS surcharge and steps on infrastructure cess and value addition, while stressing that taxation, production costs and interest rates continue to hamper competitiveness. The Board of Investment briefed members on Pakistan’s current investment climate, pointing to both challenges and emerging opportunities for targeted reforms.
The Committee reviewed trade governance, inter-ministerial coordination and discrepancies in trade data reporting. The Ministry outlined corrective measures to address historical inaccuracies, improve reporting quality and enhance export facilitation. Reforms discussed aimed at strengthening chambers of commerce, export support mechanisms and inter-provincial coordination to promote sustainable economic growth.
In concluding remarks, members reiterated that sustained policy stability, transparent governance and reduced costs of doing business are essential to restore investor confidence and attract fresh investment. The Committee underlined that objective decision-making and strict enforcement across institutions are critical to preventing future crises in the sugar sector and broader trade environment.
The meeting was attended in person by MNAs including Dr. Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Kiran Haider, Shaista Pervaiz, Asad Alam Niazi, Farhan Chishti and Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, alongside the Minister of Commerce and senior officials from the Ministry of Commerce, State Bank of Pakistan, Finance Division and FBR. The Committee secretary recorded the proceedings for follow up and implementation of the recommendations.
