The government plans to introduce comprehensive changes to the Export Facilitation Scheme (EFS) to make it significantly simpler, more transparent and easily accessible to exporters across the country. The fifth high-level meeting of the Prime Minister's Committee to Review the Export Facilitation Scheme was held at the Ministry of Finance under the chairmanship of Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani.
The important session was attended by senior officials of the Ministry of Commerce and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), representatives of leading exporters' associations, including the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), Pakistan Tanners Association (PTEA) and the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry, along with several prominent exporters.
During the meeting, the committee thoroughly reviewed proposed amendments aimed at making the scheme simpler, more predictable and better suited to the day-to-day operational needs of exporters, while simultaneously strengthening risk-based oversight mechanisms to prevent any potential loopholes or financial irregularities. The proposed regulatory changes seek to substantially reduce compliance costs and export-related expenses, encourage fresh foreign and domestic investment, promote local value addition, and ensure that all government concessions and tax reliefs are strictly linked to actual export performance.
Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani stressed during the discussions that eligibility requirements and prescribed operational procedures must be applied uniformly across the board, without granting any special exemptions to individual entities. Furthermore, the committee extensively discussed simplifying various exporter categories, reviewing current authorisation periods, and improving overall access to the scheme for both new entrants and existing established exporters.
Discussions specifically focused on facilitating compliant exporters who strictly adhere to established rules, introducing fully transparent administrative procedures, and streamlining security instrument requirements while maintaining robust safeguards against any potential misuse. Kayani repeatedly stressed the absolute necessity of simplifying cumbersome procedures without in any way compromising vital revenue safeguards for the national exchequer.
Concluding the session, he reiterated the federal government's firm commitment to maintaining continuous, constructive consultations with exporters, business leaders and major trade bodies to boost the country's exports. The Ministry of Finance is expected to finalize these regulatory reforms in the coming weeks following final input from all stakeholders involved in the ongoing consultative process.