At a stakeholder consultation held at Freedom Gate Prosperity in Islamabad, policy experts, legal practitioners and industry representatives pressed for simplified regulations and a unified digital compliance system to ease the cost and time burdens on businesses, especially small and medium enterprises. Participants said Digital Compliance can be a cornerstone for reducing duplicate requirements and improving routine interactions between firms and regulators.
Muhammad Anwar, CEO of Freedom Gate Prosperity, welcomed attendees and highlighted how complex procedures and fragmented rules discourage entrepreneurship and investment. He said FGP is partnering with institutional stakeholders to promote evidence-based reforms that lower compliance barriers and support business growth.
Awais Satti, President of the Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries, stressed the need for stronger public-private dialogue to identify bottlenecks faced by traders and entrepreneurs. He argued that regulatory simplification and digital integration would improve the ease of doing business and help expand the formal economy.
Dr. Ali Salman, CEO of Prime Institute Pakistan, outlined the wider economic impact of regulatory inefficiencies, noting that lower compliance costs would raise productivity, encourage formalisation and strengthen Pakistan’s competitiveness in regional markets. He emphasised that adopting robust Digital Compliance tools is essential for these gains.
Mohsin Malik, a regulatory reforms expert, noted that Pakistan currently operates with overlapping requirements and multiple authorities, creating uncertainty for businesses. He urged coherent reforms and a streamlined digital framework to cut duplication and speed approvals for traders and small firms.
Sher Mohammad, Chairman of the Sustainable Development Committee at ICSTSI, presented a technical briefing estimating the compliance burden on businesses and introduced the concept of a unified Digital Gateway to consolidate registration and reporting obligations across agencies.
From an industry perspective, Asad Taimur described the ground-level challenges caused by redundant registration processes, while Dr. Zia Ullah Ranjha highlighted legal overlaps that lead to procedural delays and higher operating costs. Sardar Zaheer Ahmad explained how a complex compliance system undermines growth, and Amjad Khan Achakzai, Additional Advocate General of Balochistan, called for an enabling trade environment in underdeveloped regions to address youth unemployment.
The session closed with an open stakeholder forum moderated by Shafqat Aziz, where participants validated reform priorities and discussed advocacy and awareness strategies. Attendees committed to developing a practical policy roadmap focused on regulatory simplification and Digital Compliance to create a more enabling business environment across Pakistan.
