ISLAMABAD, Dec 03 (APP): The government on Wednesday reviewed a set of proposals aimed at overhauling the National Tariff Commission (NTC) to improve its ability to enforce trade remedies and support tariff policy formulation.
The fifth meeting of the Prime Minister’s Committee on the Modernisation of the NTC, chaired by Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik, was attended by SAPM on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan, NTC members and senior officials from the commerce ministry.
Officials briefed the committee on the Commission’s core functions, including its role in administering WTO-mandated trade remedy laws, dispute settlement, tariff rationalisation and broader trade policy matters.
Dr Malik stressed that an effective and “modern, rules-based” tariff regime was essential for economic stability and for shielding domestic manufacturers from injurious imports.
The committee discussed proposals to strengthen the NTC’s institutional capacity through improved technical expertise, specialised training and better human resource development.
Suggestions to enhance the Commission’s financial and administrative autonomy were also examined, with officials noting that limited autonomy often slows investigations and decision-making.
The meeting further reviewed structural constraints that restrict the NTC’s ability to impose countervailing duties and activate safeguard measures—tools seen as critical for responding to unfair trade practices and supporting domestic industry.
The committee agreed that addressing these bottlenecks was necessary to ensure faster, more credible trade-remedy enforcement and to align Pakistan’s tariff regime with international commitments.