Kayai urges SMEs to fully leverage export facilitation scheme

ISLAMABAD, Nov 3 (APP): Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani here on Tuesday affirmed the government’s commitment to boosting the export sector and improving the ease of doing business, urging Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to take full advantage of the Export Facilitation Scheme (EFS).

He made these remarks while chairing a consultative meeting of the Prime Minister’s Committee to Review the Export Facilitation Scheme at the Finance Division.

The meeting was attended by Secretary Commerce, Special Secretaries from Finance and Commerce, senior officials from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), alongside representatives of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA), and the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry and prominant exporters via video link.

During the session, various proposals were reviewed in detail to streamline the scheme, enhance its efficiency, and align it with evolving trade dynamics.

Kayani underscored that the prescribed qualification criteria for inclusion in any EFS category would be applied across the board, reiterating that no exemptions would be granted regarding standard operating procedures.

The minister directed the relevant authorities to clarify and simplify regulations governing the import of capital goods and manufacturing machinery for exporters. The meeting also conducted an in-depth review of the amendments at cutting export overheads, encouraging local value addition, and stimulating domestic manufacturing.

Bilal Kayani reiterated the government’s resolve to review current exporter schemes, ensuring they are tailored to exporters’ needs to deliver optimal outcomes. The meeting concluded with a consensus to sustain active consultations with all stakeholders and trade bodies to drive export growth and accelerate national economic activity.