On 15 January 2026 the Minister of State for Finance, Bilal Azhar Kayani, convened an interactive session under the Special Investment Facilitation Council to continue dialogue with Pakistan’s business leadership on improving the investment climate and removing barriers to growth.
The meeting brought together presidents and representatives of APTMA, the Pakistan Business Council, FPCCI and chambers of commerce and industry from Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Quetta, Sarhad, Rawalpindi and Sialkot, alongside officials from SIFC, the Federal Board of Revenue, the State Bank of Pakistan and the ministries of Commerce, Industries, Petroleum and Power.
The Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to a stable, transparent and predictable policy framework to support private sector-led expansion, stressing that export-led growth remains central to national strategy and will be pursued through stronger public private collaboration and institutional facilitation.
Industry participants praised the proactive and solution oriented role of SIFC in easing business operations and building investor confidence, while underlining the importance of sustained dialogue to drive reforms that improve the ease of doing business. Concerns were raised about regulatory hurdles and procedural delays affecting firms across sectors.
In response the Minister directed concerned ministries and departments to coordinate and implement swift measures for effective resolution, and reviewed progress on decisions from the previous meeting. He acknowledged the efforts made by relevant agencies, agreed distinct next steps for outstanding matters and asked for expedited follow up on fresh issues raised during the session.
The discussions affirmed the shared objective of enhancing competitiveness and attracting investment, with a continued focus on export-led growth as a pathway to sustained economic recovery and job creation. The Minister assured regular, constructive engagement with the business community through the SIFC platform to translate dialogue into tangible reform.
